Chapter Text
September, 1985
The drops from the shower slowly stopped, the water running down her body as she stepped out. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself, standing in front of the mirror at the same time.
Anjelica dried and styled her hair at her vanity after putting on a tight black dress, which she had chosen weeks before. Jack had just begun to get into the shower; the couple had been invited a month earlier to an event along with other celebrities, of course.
She gathered her straight chestnut hair into a bun. She was about to put on her earrings, but when she opened her jewelry box, she noticed earrings that weren’t hers.
She ignored it; she was more than used to finding things that didn’t belong to her and even losing some clothes, which would “mysteriously” disappear when she spent days away from home for a shoot or photo session. She knew very well the explanation behind it, but not today, not now, was she going to argue again about Jack’s countless infidelities.
“Ready?” the man asked, adjusting his tie in the bedroom doorway.
“Yes, just let me put on lipstick,” she grabbed the product, uncapping it and applying the cherry-red color to her lips. She stood up, looked for her purse and fur coat, and then left the house to get into the car.
The city lights illuminated the night along with the bright stars. The sounds of other vehicles and street noise were all that could be heard inside the car, except for a few short words exchanged by the couple.
When they arrived at the event venue, they were obviously greeted by photographers at the entrance; flashes hit their bodies directly as they walked inside.
As soon as Jack saw his friends and acquaintances, he let go of his girlfriend’s arm and headed toward them. Anjelica walked behind him, greeting those present politely. It was common for Nicholson to leave her aside at these kinds of smaller events; even though it was usual, it never stopped being uncomfortable for her.
To avoid listening to the tedious conversation, she turned her head from side to side looking for someone she knew, and she did spot someone: some modeling colleagues and friends in the distance. She walked toward them after telling Jack where she was going; he nodded without much importance.
She greeted the girls, who happily returned the greeting. They suggested going to the restroom to talk more comfortably, since there was a lot of noise and chatter around them.
In the bathroom, which fortunately was empty, they gossiped about random things. Anjelica listened attentively, laughed, and added a comment here and there.
“What about you, Anjel?” one of the women asked while touching up her makeup in front of the mirror. “Are you still with Jack?”
She made an affirmative sound, receiving looks of disgust and pity.
“Anjel, darling, do you really like that guy?” the woman spoke again. “He cheats on you with God and half the world, he doesn’t deserve you.”
“I…” she didn’t know exactly what to answer. She just tried to ease the atmosphere with a small forced smile. “I love him, and I know he’ll change someday.” The subject changed when another woman entered the bathroom.
The night went by calmly. Jack and Anjelica were sitting with the man’s friends and their partners. They had dinner, delicious gourmet food accompanied by red wine.
At one point, Huston held her drink; the glass rested between her fingers and she gently swirled it from time to time. She became so lost in her thoughts that she almost didn’t notice when the two men at the table stood up.
“Let’s go to the bar,” they told their girlfriends. They looked at Nicholson, who smiled from ear to ear when he understood them. “Come on, Jack.”
After they left, the womens talked, though an awkward silence was predominant. After a few minutes, both went outside to get some air, inviting Anjelica to join them, but she politely declined.
She kept sipping the wine, savoring its sweetness, staring sadly at her glass, lost in thought once again.
After a while like that, wondering what she could do to avoid being bored, she didn’t have to think any further.
“Hi” a male voice greeted from behind her. Confused, she turned around to see who it was.
“Hi” she replied, frowning in doubt about who the man in front of her was. She thought maybe he was one of Jack’s friends and that’s why he had approached her.
“I saw you sitting alone from afar. Do you mind if I sit here with you?”
“Not at all, go ahead,” she smiled, though inside she felt embarrassed. She gestured toward the chair that had previously belonged to her partner.
“I didn’t introduce myself, sorry,” he shook his head shyly. “I’m Raúl Julia. You must be Anjelica Huston, right?”
“Yes, nice to meet you, Raúl.” They shook hands in greeting.
“The pleasure is all mine, meeting such an incredible and beautiful actress.” The comment caused a slight warmth to appear on Huston’s cheeks.
“Thank you,” she smiled shyly. “Are you an actor too? I haven’t seen you anywhere before.”
“Yes, I haven’t been in very famous movies, but acting is my passion anyway.” He couldn’t resist asking, “Why are you alone here?”
“Oh, my boyfriend went to the bar with his friends, and their partners are outside.”
“Well, if you don’t mind, I’ll stay with you.”
They talked for quite a while. Anjelica asked why he was there, to which he replied that he had starred in a movie that premiered recently, *Kiss of the Spider Woman*. He was accompanied by the other actors and producers of that film.
“What a coincidence, I was also at a recent premiere,” she exclaimed. “Prizzi’s Honor.”
“That’s exactly where I saw you,” he snapped his fingers. “I liked the movie.”
Their conversation flowed warmly and playfully. For the first time that night, Anjelica truly smiled and laughed; it wasn’t forced to please anyone. They shared tastes in books and cinema. They were very comfortable, even though they had only met minutes before.
She analyzed him with her gaze, watching how he moved his hands while speaking and his facial features, especially his big brown eyes. But one detail caught her attention: his accent. He spoke very good English, but it was noticeable that it wasn’t his native language. She couldn’t resist asking if he was from another country.
“I’m from Puerto Rico.”
“That’s incredible, I suppose it’s a beautiful country.”
“Yes, it is.”
After a brief moment of silence, Raúl looked to his side, toward the back exit.
“I’m going outside to smoke. Are you coming?”
“Of course.” She grabbed her coat and purse. They walked through the crowd toward the door marked “exit” near the bathrooms.
The noise and chatter almost completely disappeared. The cool night air hit them both. The man pulled a cigarette pack from inside his suit pocket, offering one to his companion, who accepted politely.
“What a beautiful night,” Anjelica commented, taking a drag while admiring the stars.
“Yes, it is,” he replied, looking at her and then at the sky. “Won’t your boyfriend worry if he looks for you and you’re not there?”
“No, he won’t look for me until the event ends. He always leaves with some acquaintance and forgets about me.”
“I’m sorry he behaves that way with you.”
“It’s okay.” Her gaze rested directly on him, who already had his eyes on her. “Besides, it’s understandable. He’s famous and successful.”
“His name is Jack Nicholson, right?” She nodded.
They stayed quiet, simply enjoying the night and each other’s presence. Even though it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, they searched their minds for something to talk about.
A final puff left their lips; the cigarettes ended up extinguished on the ground. They went back inside together, making random comments and letting out soft laughs.
“Hey, I have to go,” Raúl said, looking at the watch on his wrist. “I have a flight early tomorrow morning.”
“Oh, well.” She felt slightly saddened; she had just met him, but she had loved his company. “It’s a shame you have to leave.”
“I hope to see you again.” He smiled in such a sweet way that it filled Anjelica with tenderness.
“Me too.” They said goodbye with a kiss on the cheek.
She watched him walk away among the other guests until she lost sight of him.