The midnight air of Los Angeles had cleared by the time Rico and Anne ducked into the brightly lit lobby of a much quieter cinema a few blocks away from the chaotic premiere.
They had swapped the VIP velvet ropes and blinding paparazzi flashes for the nostalgic scent of heavily buttered popcorn and stale sugary soda.
Having purchased their tickets for a late-night screening, they navigated through the carpeted hallways and pushed through the acoustic doors into their designated theatre.
They walked up the aisle and chose seats right in the dead centre of the room.
A tub of fresh popcorn rested perfectly on the armrest between them.
Anne settled into the plush velvet chair, the oversized suit jacket Rico had lent her still draped over her shoulders.
She reached into the bucket, taking a small handful of popcorn, and glanced around the sprawling auditorium.
The rows of seats stretching out in front of and behind them were completely deserted.
“This place is empty,” she said, looking around the room as she ate some more popcorn.
Her voice echoed off the soundproofed walls, emphasising their total isolation.
Rico leaned back, “There’s still like ten minutes before the movie starts.” “Yeah,” Anne replied, taking another handful of popcorn, “but it’s late at night.
I think it’s just us.” “Good,” Rico smiled, turning his head to look at her.
“So, what’s your favourite movie?
I mean, you’re an actress.
You must have a definitive list.” Anne’s eyes lit up.
She loved talking about her craft.
“I got a top three.” “Okay,” Rico said, his dark eyes fixed on her.
“Let me hear it.” “Well,” Anne began, shifting in her seat to face him a bit more directly.
“My two and three are Dancer in the Dark, and All That Jazz.” Rico nodded in appreciation, recognising the titles.
“Great musicals.
Both are visually stunning, though Dancer in the Dark is dark.
But what’s your number one?” Anne didn’t even hesitate.
She leaned in, “It’s undisputed.
It’s Moonstruck.” Rico raised an eyebrow, a slow smile spreading across his lips.
“That’s a good film.
Cher is everything in it.
She commands the screen every single time the camera is on her.” “It’s perfect,” Anne agreed enthusiastically, thrilled that Rico actually knew his cinema.
She gestured with a kernel of popcorn before tossing it into her mouth.
“What about Nicolas Cage?” “He was amazing,” Rico replied thoughtfully, leaning his elbow on the armrest.
“He made such bold choices.
The wooden hand, the frantic monologues, the intensity he brought to a romantic comedy…
it shouldn’t have worked, but it did.” Anne nodded vigorously, captivated by his analysis.
“I appreciate the storytelling, and the acting, and actors that really go for it.
Because the line between being bad and being brilliant can be so…
I mean, transparent.
It’s a tightrope walk.” Rico tilted his head, intrigued.
“You thought so too?” “Absolutely,” Anne elaborated, her hands moving animatedly as she spoke.
“I can appreciate when an actor makes a real bold choice and it lands.
It’s so exciting to watch because you’re sitting there thinking, ‘what are they thinking?’ You know?
How did they arrive at that specific interpretation?
You get what I mean.” “I do, and I loved it,” Rico agreed.
“The chemistry between the two of them was amazing, but the director was even better.
He kept it all grounded.” “He directed it perfectly,” Anne sighed, a dreamy expression washing over her beautiful features.
“He was able to capture an operatic feeling in cinema.
It was just…
to me, like, it’s just really heaven.” Anne grabbed a small handful and munching happily as she revelled in the conversation.
Once she swallowed, she turned the tables.
“What’s your favourite?” “Oh, I can’t say just one,” Rico chuckled, “I got a Brazilian one you probably haven’t watched, and then an English one.” Anne grabbed some popcorn and eating more, leaning her head on her hand as she gave him her attention.
“Let’s go English first,” Anne suggested with a playful smile.
Rico didn’t flinch.
“Monster Inc.” Anne stopped chewing for a split second, staring at him blankly.
“Seriously?” “Made me emotional,” Rico stated with a straight face, his dark eyes sincere.
“The movie wasn’t that good,” Anne scoffed gently, finding it endearing that Rico was defending a Pixar cartoon.
Anne, grab some popcorn and eat some more, missing the incredulous look Rico gave her.
“It clears Princess Diaries,” Rico shot back effortlessly.
Anne gasped softly, playfully slapping his bicep.
“I don’t know about that.” “Come on,” Rico countered amused.
“The animation, the score, the characters, the comedy…
it’s perfection.
It’s brilliant.” “Okay, fine,” Anne laughed, conceding defeat on the cartoon front.
She adjusted the oversized jacket around her shoulders.
“What was your favourite Brazilian movie?” “Then City of God,” Rico said, his tone shifting into something far more grounded and reverent.
Anne frowned slightly, searching her extensive mental catalogue of films.
“I’ve never heard of that movie.” Anne grabbed some popcorn and eat some more, reaching blindly into the bucket between them as she listened.
“It’s a very touching Brazilian film,” Rico explained, “It follows the escalating gang violence and the rise of organised drug trafficking in the Cidade de Deus—the City of God suburb in Rio de Janeiro.
It’s raw, it’s brutal, but the cinematography is breathtaking.” Anne paused, taken aback, “That’s a massive shift between films.
Going from a blue fuzzy monster to organised drug trafficking.” Rico just shrugged his broad shoulders, a soft smile returning to his face.
“I’m just a fan of movies.
I like things that make me feel something.” Anne grabbed some more popcorn as Rico looked down to see that there was barely half left in the massive tub.
She was mindlessly grazing, grabbing handful after handful while they talked.
Rico raised an eyebrow, a teasing glint in his eye.
“Can you slow down?” Anne froze, her hand hovering over the half-empty bucket.
She blinked, suddenly hyper-aware of herself.
Her mind, conditioned by the body-shaming standards of early 2000s Hollywood, jumped to the worst possible conclusion.
“I’m sorry?” she said, her voice dropping into a offended and defensive register as she misread his intention.
Rico realised the misunderstanding.
He held his hands up in a placating gesture.
“You keep going like this, we’re not going to have any popcorn for the movie.” Anne let out a sigh of relief, dropping her hand back into her lap, “Oh.
I thought you meant something else.” Rico softened his expression, leaning slightly closer to her.
“I would never,” he said, his voice dropping into a low register that made her heart skip a beat.
“You’re way too hot.” Anne let out a breathless laugh, disarmed by his unapologetic flattery.
“That’s smooth,” she smiled, glancing down at his broad chest and the muscular forearms visible beneath his rolled-up shirt sleeves.
“You’re built well yourself.” “I’ve been on a strict diet since I was like twelve,” Rico admitted, looking at the popcorn with a faint hint of guilt.
“That sounds inhumane.” Anne noted sympathetically.
“I know,” Rico sighed.
“Tomorrow, I’m going to have to do more to burn this off.” Anne tilted her head, her curiosity piqued.
“I’ve always wondered, how bad are your workouts?” “It isn’t that bad,” Rico said casually, though the definition of ‘bad’ was relative when you were a freak of nature who pushed himself constantly.
“I’ve seen players talking about it,” Anne pressed, “and it sounds like a horror movie or an army training camp.
You all run until you literally throw up.” Rico laughed loudly, the sound echoing through the empty theater, because she honestly wasn’t far off the mark.
“Give me like, your workout for perspective.” Anne let out a sarcastic little huff.
“You think I work out?” “I think you do,” Rico nodded, eyeing her gently.
“I mean it nicely, but you look like you lost weight to get into this shape.
You look extremely fit.” “My goodness, lost weight,” Anne said with a flattered smile.
“I’m just saying you look—” He said trying to dig himself out of the hole he dug.
“I’ve worked out a bit,” Anne interrupted playfully, saving him from having to dig himself out a hole.
“Just some simple stuff.
Pilates, light jogging.
Nothing crazy.
What about you?” “Okay,” Rico nodded, leaning forward to paint a picture of his reality.
“Well, imagine waking up at dawn and doing intense cardio until your lungs burn.
Then doing ball training for two hours.
Then having a private tutor for school.
Then doing more tactical training on the pitch, followed by heavy weightlifting in the gym, and finally finishing the day with another round of cardio just to push the lactic acid out of your legs.” Anne stared at him, horrified by the volume of physical exertion.
“That’s a lot.
You work out five times a day?” “Yeah,” Rico confirmed quietly.
“I’ve been doing that since I was twelve.” Anne’s expression softened, a deep wave of empathy washing over her.
She looked at this impossibly handsome athlete and suddenly saw the sacrifice that built him.
“That must have been exhausting.” Rico let out a slow breath, looking down at his hands.
“It was.
It was kind of lonely, as well.
While all my friends were hanging out, living normal lives…
I was just on a pitch, running until I couldn’t breathe.” Anne studied the vulnerability in his dark eyes, feeling an overwhelming urge to close the emotional distance between them.
She shifted in her plush seat, leaning in close enough that he could feel the warmth radiating off her skin and smell the intoxicating scent of her perfume.
“Maybe,” Anne whispered, her gaze dropping to his lips, “I can fix that.” Rico turned to Anne, feeling the sudden pull between them collapse the remaining space.
Her large, expressive brown eyes fluttered up to meet his, heavily lidded and shimmering with anticipation.
He reached out, his hand gently cupping her delicate jawline, his thumb tenderly tracing her cheek.
Anne leaned into his touch, a breathless sigh escaping her slightly parted lips.
He closed the gap, capturing her lips in a deep kiss.
She instinctively reached up, tangling her slender fingers into his soft, dark hair, pulling his broad frame closer as the kiss deepened.
As the movie’s opening sequence filled the cinema, Rico finally pulled back just a fraction of an inch.
His chest heaved slightly, his dark eyes locked onto hers with a burning certainty.
A slow smirk spread across his lips as he whispered back into the quiet space between them.
“I think you can.”