Havana Jazz Club

by Mariné, Lola

  Gladys and Aldo had been telling the truth. That night, when Billie arrived at their house, they brought her to a hostel and Gladys stayed with her. The next day she brought up the newspapers so they could look for a job, and Billie didn’t leave the room until they found one. Then her friends took her to the bus station without really knowing where she was heading. When she was settled, Billie called them to tell them that she was okay, but she didn’t reveal where she was, and they didn’t ask. It was better that way.

  “I’ll call you soon,” she told Gladys.

  Billie took care of the domestic chores for the Quirogas, a well-off couple with two children. She got the kids out of bed in the morning, served them breakfast, took them to school, and then did the shopping, cleaned the house, and prepared the food for dinner that night. In the afternoons, she picked up the kids, served them a snack, and made sure they took a bath and did their homework before playing or watching television. Then she got dinner ready for the family and cleaned the kitchen. After that, she retired to her room to rest. The work was exhausting and endless. She always had to be ready to do whatever the family asked. Still, she felt very lucky. The husband and wife were friendly and considerate of her, especially Mr. Quiroga, who was very attentive and always had a compliment for her, whether about the food she’d prepared, her painstaking efforts in caring for the house and the children, or even her looks. These last remarks embarrassed Billie a little, but she always accepted his kind words with a friendly smile.

  Mrs. Quiroga was a little more distant. She didn’t seem happy, despite having a beautiful house, good and polite children, and an affable husband with a great sense of humor. Billie thought it was a shame that Mrs. Quiroga didn’t know how to appreciate everything life had given her, but of course, she’d probably never been deprived of anything and considered all of this normal. That said, Billie never had any reason to complain about the way Mrs. Quiroga treated her. She was appropriate and respectful, despite having been initially reluctant to hire her. It was Mr. Quiroga who had insisted that Billie stay. Still, she was sure that the mistress was happy with her work. She had told Billie on more than one occasion.

  The best part of Billie’s day was when she could finally retreat to her room and write to her parents, read, or make plans for the future. She planned to return to Cuba as soon as possible and hug her family. She never wanted to leave them again. The job covered all her expenses, and she didn’t usually go out on her day off, except to take a stroll around the neighborhood and sit in a park and read a book. Occasionally, she went to the mall to buy something she needed or look around the shops—whose wares were all too expensive for her. As a result, she saved practically her entire salary. Every month she sent her parents a small portion of the money and stashed the rest away. She was sure it wouldn’t take long for her to have enough to buy a ticket and return to Cuba.

  In the meantime, she continued to lie to her family in her letters so they wouldn’t worry. When she saw them again, she would simply tell them that she and Orlando had separated.

  Dearest Papi and Mami,

  As I told you in an earlier letter, Orlando and I are still working in a jazz club. I sing every night and get lots of applause and congratulations. Orlando has been made manager, and we’re both very happy. We’ve moved to a house on the outskirts of Madrid, and though I still miss the sea, which is very far away, here, at least, we have a calmer life closer to nature. There’s less noise, cars, and pollution than in the city, where you can’t imagine the racket at all hours.

  I hope you’re all very healthy and you’re still receiving the cash I send.

  Give the boys kisses from me and a big hug for you from your daughter who loves and misses you.

  Billie

  PS Orlando also sends a hug.

  Her letters gradually grew shorter and more sporadic. The lies stuck in her throat, and her hand seemed to refuse to capture them on paper. It got so that writing to her parents was an obligation and a punishment she imposed on herself so they wouldn’t suspect something wasn’t right. She didn’t want to make them suffer unnecessarily when there was nothing they could do to help her. Their helplessness would only make them more anxious. If all went according to plan, she would soon be able to give them the pleasant surprise of reuniting with them.

  She had been working for the Quirogas for a year when the family got some bad news. Mrs. Quiroga’s father called one night to tell them that his wife had been hospitalized. She had been suffering from a serious illness for some time, but with treatment, it had seemed that she was getting better. A sudden deterioration had forced her to go to the hospital, and the doctors didn’t have much hope. They should come as soon as possible to say good-bye to her.

  The next morning, the whole family boarded a plane to Palma de Mallorca. Billie stayed behind to care for the house. Suddenly she found herself alone in the immense and isolated house with no idea what to do all day. There was hardly any work to do. She kept the pool clean, weeded the garden, and played with the two family dogs for a bit when she put out their food. She didn’t dare to sit and watch television in the living room or put on a record, despite having discovered while dusting that they had a magnificent music collection. She watched the television in the kitchen or in her room and read the gossip and fashion magazines that Mrs. Quiroga had gotten rid of. She saved them in her room because she thought they were too beautiful to throw away.

  After spending a few days in absolute solitude for the first time in her life, she was surprised to discover how much she enjoyed being alone. After everything that had happened with Orlando, she finally felt relaxed and calm. She wanted to savor that sensation, find herself, and think her own thoughts. Her contact with other people was limited to waving to the mailman or the rare neighbor who passed by in his car or on a bicycle, answering the phone for the family, and talking to Mrs. Quiroga, who called occasionally to make sure all was well.

  One afternoon, she felt the need to hear a friend’s voice and decided to call Gladys. It had been a long time since she had spoken to her.

  “I’m so happy to hear from you, girl! How are you?” Gladys exclaimed. “I was worried about you. I hadn’t heard from you in a while.”

  “I’m sorry, Gladys. It’s just that work keeps me really busy. But I’m fine. And you? How’s everything?”

  “We’re good, my love. But I’m so glad you called: I have some big news.”

  “What happened?” Billie grew alarmed, thinking immediately of Orlando.

  “No, no, it’s nothing bad. Don’t worry,” Gladys said. “Aldo and I are moving to Miami.”

  “Really? When?” Billie managed to ask after getting over her initial surprise.

  “We’re leaving the day after tomorrow. Things have been pretty hard for us here, Billie. Aldo lost his job, and I don’t know what will happen with mine. We have relatives and friends in Miami. We’ve given it a lot of thought and decided that’s our best option. You should go back too, Billie.”

  “I’m planning to, Gladys. I’m heading back to Cuba as soon as I can. I’m saving up for a plane ticket,” she said. “I wish you both the best.”

  “You too, babe. Good luck—you deserve it. Take good care of yourself.”

  When she hung up, Billie’s eyes clouded over. She suddenly felt terribly alone. Her only friends were leaving, and she wondered once more what she was doing in this strange country, so far from home.

  She got up from the armchair and chose a record. She needed the comfort of music just then. They didn’t have any jazz, but Ray Charles’s voice was a balm that soothed her troubled heart. She let herself sway for a bit with her eyes shut, quietly humming along to his songs. When she felt better, she headed into the kitchen to finish cleaning, singing along loudly to “Unchain My Heart” since no one was there to hear her.

  “Wow! I didn’t know you could sing like that.”

  Billie jumped and spun around. Mr. Quiroga was leaning against the door with a smirk on his
face.

  “I’m sorry, sir. I’ll go turn off the music. I didn’t know …”

  She hurried toward the living room with her head bowed, mortified at having been caught singing like that. But as she passed Mr. Quiroga, he caught her by the arm.

  “Don’t worry,” he said, still wearing a troubling smile. “And leave the music. I like this record. Could you make me some dinner?”

  “Of course, sir. Right away.”

  Billie was happy to pull her hand away so she could go over to the fridge to see what they had. Even then, she could feel the man’s eyes on her back. She wished she weren’t wearing the short, low-cut dress that she normally only wore alone in her room, to be more comfortable during the suffocating days of summer.

  “I had to come back for business. My wife and children will stay in Mallorca a little longer. My wife’s mother’s condition hasn’t changed,” Quiroga explained. He paused briefly as if he expected Billie to reply. When she said nothing, he added in a casual tone, “I’m going to go take a shower and change my clothes.”

  “Very good, sir,” she mumbled, not looking at him.

  CHAPTER 14

  Before making dinner, Billie ran to her room to put on her uniform. She would feel more comfortable dressed like that in Mr. Quiroga’s presence. Besides, the mistress wouldn’t have approved of her completing her tasks in street clothes. She was very strict about such things. She was somewhat uncomfortable about being alone with the master in the house. Maybe it was because of the way he had looked at her in the kitchen or because they had never been alone before. He normally spent so little time in the chalet, and when he was there, his wife and children were too.

  When Billie went into the living room to announce that dinner was ready, Quiroga was settled on the sofa dressed only in exercise shorts. His chest was bare. He was leafing distractedly through a newspaper and had served himself a glass of cognac, which he downed in one gulp after Billie’s announcement. As he stood up to go to the table, he looked Billie up and down with that smile on his lips that made her so uncomfortable.

  “You didn’t need to change your clothes,” he said. “You looked very nice in that dress.”

  “It wouldn’t have been appropriate to serve you like that, sir.”

  “Appropriate, appropriate,” he parroted. “It’s summer! It’s hot!”

  “But the mistress—”

  “Forget the mistress! The mistress isn’t here! Come in. Sit down and have dinner with me.”

  “Thank you sir, but …” Billie stammered, backing away from the table after serving him the first course.

  “Please. I don’t like to eat alone,” he insisted.

  Though he was smiling, Billie sensed from his demeanor that this was not a friendly invitation but an order. She didn’t dare refuse. She got another plate and sat opposite him as he hurried to pour her a glass of wine.

  “No, thank you, sir. I don’t drink,” she said, covering the glass with her hand.

  “Come on, woman. It’s just one day! You don’t want me to drink alone …”

  Billie had to pull back her hand and let Quiroga fill her glass. Then, he took his and raised it, waiting for Billie to do the same.

  “To you,” he said. “Because you’re always so pretty.”

  Billie barely wet her lips with the wine before putting it down on the table again. Quiroga, however, emptied his glass in a few swigs.

  “Tell me something about yourself,” Quiroga suggested as he refilled his glass. “We’ve never had the chance to talk.”

  “There’s not much to tell, sir.”

  “Call me Carlos, please,” he said with a smile. “We’re alone. We don’t need to be so formal. You’re Cuban, right? And how is it that you came to Spain?”

  “I came with my husband,” Billie replied timidly. “But we eventually separated.”

  “Whoa,” he lamented. “Well, these things happen. Relationships are complicated, as we all know. And so? Have you rebuilt your life? I mean, do you have a new man?”

  “No, sir,” she replied, feeling deeply uncomfortable.

  “Carlos,” he corrected, with a smile.

  “Carlos,” Billie repeated, in an almost inaudible voice, looking at the floor.

  “That’s better.” He took his glass and held it up again, inviting Billie, with a subtle gesture, to do the same. She obeyed and took a small sip of wine. Carlos Quiroga continued, “I’ve noticed that you don’t usually go out on your day off. Don’t you have friends or family in Madrid?”

  “No, sir. All my family’s in Cuba.”

  “Carlos,” he corrected again.

  “Sorry, Carlos.”

  “A girl as attractive as you … all alone,” he continued as though to himself. “It’s a shame no man can enjoy so … much beauty.”

  His voice sounded thick, and in his eyes Billie noticed the intense glimmer of desire that she had seen so many times on the clients at the New York. She jumped up and started to clear the table. As she headed to the kitchen, Ray Charles was singing “Georgia on My Mind” on the record player.

  “I love this song,” Quiroga said when she returned, standing up and grasping her by the wrists. “Let’s dance.”

  “Sir … I … have to—” Billie began, as she tried to dodge him.

  “Come on, woman!” the man insisted, looping an arm around her waist.

  Billie tried to free herself, protesting weakly as she did so, but Quiroga only clung to her more fiercely and firmly drew her closer. He evidently took great pride in his powerful muscles, chiseled by weights and a hard daily training regimen at the gym. He danced very slowly, barely moving. It was obvious that all he wanted was to embrace her. He buried his nose in her hair and inhaled with delight.

  “Mmmm! You smell so good …”

  Billie kept trying to pull away, to keep her face off his naked chest. She grew more alarmed when she noticed his hardened sex pressed against her body. Disgusted, she tried to free herself from him with all her strength, but Quiroga’s arms were clamped around her, effectively imprisoning her.

  “You’re a beauty,” he whispered in her ear. “You’ve been driving me crazy for a long time. You know that, right? Of course you do … The way you wiggle your hips in front of me, the way you look at me with those enormous black eyes and provoke me with your smile, with that mouth that’s screaming ‘take me.’ Do you know that I masturbate every day thinking about you? You’re a very bad girl …”

  “Let me go, please,” Billie begged.

  Quiroga only crushed her more forcefully against his body. He kissed her neck, his big hands fervently kneading the girl’s back. Then his hands slipped downward, and he squeezed her ass, pressing his hard sex against her, his breathing growing more agitated with every moment. Mustering all her strength, she gave him a hard push.

  “Let go of me!” she screamed.

  Quiroga stumbled and fell heavily onto the sofa. For a few seconds he was shocked. Then, he burst out laughing.

  “Ah, so you like playing hard to get, huh?” he exclaimed, between cackles.

  Billie ran to take refuge in her room. Through the door, she could hear Quiroga’s voice, faltering between laughs.

  “Come on, baby, don’t be stupid! Just treat me nicely. You won’t regret it. Come on! Don’t be a prude! I know you want it! How long has it been since you had a good fuck?”

  Billie locked the door to her room and started to gather her things with trembling hands, crying with rage, helplessness, and indignation. She didn’t know where to go at that hour. Outside, there was nothing, only other villas a considerable distance away. But she had to get out of this house right away.

  A few discreet knocks on the door made her heart start pounding again.

  “Billie, I’m sorry. Forgive me,” Carlos Quiroga said, his voice suddenly serene. “I drank too much. I didn’t know what I was doing. Open the door, please, I just want to apologize.”

  Billie didn’t respond. She sat down slowly
on the edge of the bed, held her breath, and stared at the door. She pricked up her ears to listen for the slightest signal of alarm, but she didn’t hear anything except her own agitated breathing, her own pounding heart.

  “Fine,” Quiroga said, sounding conciliatory. “I won’t bother you anymore. We’ll talk in the morning. I’m really sorry, Billie. Good night.”

  At the sound of his footsteps moving away, she let out a deep sigh. Still, she didn’t dare leave the room. It would be better to wait until the next morning to leave. She was sure Quiroga wouldn’t bother her again that night. Though he had apologized, she knew she couldn’t work in this house anymore. She’d never be able to look that man in the face again, and she assumed that he too would be embarrassed. She had no choice but to leave. She changed her clothes and lay down on the bed to try to rest a little. The long night stretched out before her.

  Shortly before dawn, she was awoken by the sound of the key falling from the lock and clinking against the floor.

  CHAPTER 15

  The door flew open, and Quiroga’s silhouette appeared, colossal and unsteady, in the doorway. As soon as Billie figured out what was going on, she tried to sit up and flee, but he threw himself on top of her, pinning her down.

  “Sir, please!” the girl implored, her voice shaking from fear and the effort of trying to free herself.

  “Stop being stupid!” he muttered, fiercely seizing her around the neck. “I’ve reached the limit of my patience with you. Now you’re going to be a good girl, and you’re going to give me what I want.”