Win A Date With Karl Urban 8

Win A Date With Karl Urban

Part 8

Posted: November 2004
Title: Win a Date with Karl Urban
Author: Estella Greenleaf

*****

Viggo sneezed and cursed himself for listening to Daisy. Only an idiot would chop wood shirtless in the end of October in Rockbottom; it was freezing outdoors! If he caught pneumonia, he'd be sure to sneeze on his ex and share the pain...

He should be inside, keeping an eye on his personal assistant and Karl during their little romantic lunch. He wouldn't put it past the movie star to try to cop a feel the moment they were alone. He should be there to protect his young friend, in case Karl went further than Orli was comfortable with.

Then, there's the fact that even if Daisy held up his end of the bargain, which was to distract Karl, there's no guarantee that Orli would slip away and come look for Viggo. For all he knew, the youth wasn't interested in him. And being a kind soul, even if Orli knew, he would probably never speak of Viggo's unrequited affections. It would certainly save the artist from suffering the pain of rejection. It was more than possible that their plan wouldn't work, that Viggo would be here, freezing his butt off /'showing off his muscular physique' for nothing...

Viggo brought his axe down on another block of wood before sneezing again. "Damn it!"

"Bless you," commented Orli as he walked into the artist's view.

Truth be told, the youth had been watching his boss for a few minutes in the doorway before announcing his presence. Now that Dave had put the idea in his head, he couldn't stop himself from thinking about Viggo in a disingenuous context. He was more than a little ashamed of himself; but he couldn't deny he liked the way the older man's well-toned muscles rippled as he handled the axe. Nor could he stop himself from thinking that his boss had a great body.

Not wanting to deal with the added distraction of a bare-chested Viggo, Orli teased, "Aren't you cold?"

" Cold? A macho man like me? Of course not," the artist lied unconvincingly before sneezing once again.

Orli shook his head at his boss' childish antics before handing him a jacket. "Don't be silly. Put this on before you get sick."

Viggo complied meekly. There really wasn't any point in freezing, when Orli clearly didn't want to see him half naked. "You're so pushy, I sometimes wonder which one of us is boss."

Orli laughed. "Yeah? But you like me this way."

"I sure do, or I'd fire you long ago like I did all my other assistants," said the artist, trying to keep his tone light. Viggo knew Orli has given the perfect opening to confess his love, but for the life of him, he couldn't find the courage to say the words.

"Right," Orli replied as he reminded himself why he had come to look for Viggo. Suddenly, a wave of unease shot through him. He couldn't help but wonder if he were putting the wonderful friendship they shared at risk. As much as he wanted to satisfy his curiosity, he didn't want to lose the artist as a friend. " Vig, can I ask you something?"

The artist frowned, knowing he and Orli were well beyond such formalities. "I'm not going to like this question, am I?"

"Maybe; I don't know; I... um... I'm wondering if you like me," whispered the youth very quickly without daring a glance at his boss.

"I thought I just said I do," answered Viggo stupidly as his heart skipped a beat. He couldn't believe it; their plans worked! Orli was here to ask if he liked him as more than a friend.

"Well, yeah, right. I'm just being silly," replied Orli as unexpected disappointment made his stomach lurched. He didn't know why, but some part of him was hoping that Viggo liked him *that way*.

The artist rubbed his face nervously as he rambled, "No, you're not silly. If anyone is stupid, it's me. Here you are, asking me something I want to tell you, and instead of giving you an answer, I'm talking nonsense. God, I mean, I'm a poet for crying out loud. I'm supposed to be eloquent. But now that we're both here, I'm not making sense..."

Orli smiled as he deciphered the meaning of his boss' ramblings. Viggo cared about him, as more than a friend. Putting a finger onto the artist lips to silence him, he asked, "Just answer this question, those love poems you want my opinion on, did you write them for me?"

For a long moment, all the artist could do was stare into Orli's expressive chocolate eyes. This was it, the moment of truth. He would confess his feelings and let the youth decide. Not trusting his voice to speak, he nodded slightly as the corners of his lips quirked into a quivering smile. When Orli grinned, seemingly pleased with his answer, Viggo let out the breath he was holding. Perhaps, it wasn't too presumptuous to hope that his affections were returned after all.

Before the youth could respond, Karl walked into the scene. He could tell that Orli and Viggo were 'sharing a moment'. The way his boyfriend was regarding the artist with more than his usual fondness told the movie star all he needed to know. Viggo was trying to steal the youth away again; and this time, the man was succeeding.

Now, Karl realized today was a set-up to bring Viggo and Orli together. His manager didn't get food poisoning; nor was he in dire need of attention. Dave was just trying to distract him so the artist could make his move. His manager undoubtedly thought that if Orli were taken, Karl would have no reason to stay in Rockbottom. Dave would see his heart break just to make him return to LA!

Karl couldn't believe his friend/manager would deliberate plot to hurt him like this. Dave was the only person he trusted implicitly in Hollywood, the one he had always counted on to be on his side. Furious, he was tempted to confront Dave now; but his rational side intervened. The situation with Orli required immediate 'damage control'; his treacherous manager could wait.

"Hey, there you are," Karl said as he strolled towards Orli and gave the youth a sweet lingering kiss on the lips. Satisfied that his boyfriend was suitably breathless, he continued, "Dave's feeling a bit better now. How about we head back to town?"

"Sure," nodded the youth shakily. The wonderful kiss reminded Orli of what he must give up if he were to choose Viggo. Karl was his fairytale Prince Charming. As much as he liked his boss, could he give up the fantasy love of his dreams without regret?

After casting a hesitant glance at the artist, the youth allowed himself to be led away in his boyfriend's arms. He needed time to decide on what his heart truly desired before making the choice that would hurt one of the men he loved.

*****

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