Angel

XX

   "Is that necessary ?
    - Yeah, they absolutely want to meet the both of you. I mean you guys have been the biggest competitors for the role so...
   - Screentesting ?
   - Don't think so. They're probably just gonna see who fits the most. Like a quick reading and just seeing how you embody the character. Honestly this should go well for you you have about twenty more years of experience so.
   - Yeah sure."
   She bit her lip nervously behind the phone as she just consciously lied.
"Alright I'll send you the info later, but let's say Tuesday. Yeah I think it'd be pretty safe to guess Tuesday, but don't book anything around this time okay ?
- Yeah of course. I mean I'm with the kids anyways so...
- Yeah well perfect. Alright well I'll let you know when I hear about them. Bye.
- Bye, she answered in a whisper."
   She put her phone down on the low table after she hanged up, and slowly sat on her sofa. Her gaze wandered for a bit on the white wall facing her before burying her face in her hands. She stayed there for what felt like hours, her heart pounding so heavily in her chest it almost hurt.
   Suddenly she stood up, erratically breathing, on the verge of breaking down. She tried to slow down her breathing and sat back down, holding her head with both her hands.
   It wasn't the first time she had had this kind of reaction. It made her panic to an extreme level when she saw their names were linked in the media. She would've never guessed she would have to face her again. She never thought as an actress she'd have to confront her. But right it happened and even a year after everything went down between them it still hurt.
'Angelina Jolie and Lady Gaga fighting for the role of Cleopatra.'
Her heart stopped, quite literally when she saw these few words, and everything she'd tired to bury deep inside of her came back on the surface. Only when she did succeed in processing things and told herself this didn't mean they'd have to meet in person again, this call happened, breaking her again.
Her phone rang, drawing her out of her instant panicking thinking and bringing her back to reality, just as stressful.
'As expected, Tuesday 3pm. I know you don't but still gonna tell you : don't stress, it's just as if you'd already gotten the part.'

"How is it having your name associated to Angelina Jolie ?"
She closed her jewelry box and turned around as she put one earring on.
"I mean seems like it's not the first time."
Hearing these words made her choke on her own saliva and she dropped her second earring. As she felt on her knees to get it back, Christian lifted his gaze to look at her, still coughing. He raised an eyebrow playfully.
"Well what ? If you act like that only hearing a name, what are you gonna do when you first meet her next Tuesday ? Or maybe it's because these articles are true, you have met her..."
Stefani drops her earring again, almost shaking in nervousness. She hears Christian laugh softly.
"What ? I don't even know what you're talking about smart ass.
- Oh don't you. Didn't Angelina cheat on Brad Pitt with you ?"
Stefani turned around so Christian would face her back and not her blushing cheeks. She felt the heat in her face as her kept going.
"History of an affair between you two in 2010 huh ?"
It's like a weight was taken off her shoulders. 2010. It wasn't anything about their real relationship. She walked towards Christian and decided to play it the way he did. She sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"And what if it is huh ? What if it's true ? You're scared I'll fall right back in her arms ?"
   She playfully raised an eyebrow, looking straight into her boyfriend's eyes.
   "Then I'm afraid I'll have to lock you up."
   She pushed her body closer to his and let out a barely hearable moan.
   "Oh yeah ?
   - So that you can't see anybody but me.
   - Mmmh, yeah ?
   - And I'll fuck you until all you have in mind is me.
   - Mmmmmh...
   - And she can disappear from your thoughts."
   The words whispered in her ear made her shiver, almost in panic. Never could she bear to forget Angelina. Even after all that happened, life wouldn't be worth living without the memories they'd made. She wouldn't let herself acknowledge how nervous she was about seeing her again after a year, but the truth was that it almost gave her anxiety attacks. She didn't know how she would react and obviously she could never know how Angelina would react.
    "Anyways, that wasn't true, you know ?
   - Yeah, damn tabloids."
   She pushed her head to the side of Christian's so he couldn't see a tear rolling down her cheek.
   "Damn tabloids... she repeated in a whisper."

"Yes I'm there. Yeah, don't worry, don't... No ! No, I'll be fine, I'll just drive back. No it's fine. Okay I have to go now, yeah... yeah of... yeah of course. Bye. Love you."
She threw her phone in her purse and stepped out of her car, walking straight to the one door she was told to come through. She nervously brushed her hair with her fingers and put back a few hair strands behind her ears.
Meanwhile a car parked not so far away, at the exact same time Stefani passed the one door. The brunette got out of the car, thanking the driver in a hurry, and brushing some imaginary folds off her dress. She too walked towards that door which she was told to use, only a few seconds away from the last woman who'd opened it. Angelina nervously walked through it, her finger playing with the end of her sleeve, trying to destress herself.
Both women were extremely nervous at the idea of seeing each other and none of them knew they actually were only a couple meters away from each other. Indeed each corner seemed to make Stefani disappear to Angelina's eyes so that she didn't know she was following her, and that she was so close to her.
Stefani finally arrived on the small set, almost bumping into Denis Villeneuve, the director himself.
"Oh hello darling !"
He welcomed her, opening his arms to greet her. She smiled.
"Well we're waiting for our other movie star now aren't we ? Oh well, seems like we don't have to wait anymore."
Stefani heard the clicking of heels, one she thought she would never hear again. She turned around.
Angelina froze as she saw Stefani standing next to Denis. The room was silent as the sound of her stilettos stopped.
Their eyes met.