CHAPTER SEVEN
ALEJANDRA
“ALEJ, PRINCESA, WHERE HAVE YOU been?” my grandfather greets me when I enter the front room and toss myself onto the couch adjacent to him.
“Here and there, Abuelo.” The smile I give him is small and forced. How the hell will I tell him I messed up, and he won’t have his precious chorizo?
“And why are you wearing a dress? It normally takes an act of God to squeeze you into one of those,” he points out, tilting his head in his observation of my outfit. “Did—”
“Well, you see…” Wringing my hands, I think over my words and decide to just get it over and done with. The cousins are out, so it’ll be easier. “That chorizo you wanted for your birthday, didn’t come in time.” His eyebrows shoot up. “I mean, I ordered it but ordered the wrong kind. I accidently ordered the live, six-foot plus, one hundred and eighty pounds kind of chorizo version. I messed up, Abuelo, and I have no one to blame but myself. I didn’t read the forms. Stupidly, I signed and paid for the wrong order. I’m so sorry.” Unable to hold them back, I let the tears fall.
Loud, snotty tears trickle down my cheeks. I cry for my mistake, for disappointing my grandparents, and for falling for an escort.
“Come here, niña.” He waves me over.
I settle next to him and lay my head on his shoulder, taking in his comforting smell—a mixture of soap and the cologne my grandmother loves. It takes me back to my younger years.
His now bony frame pressed against me sends fear into my heart. He’s getting older, and, the once larger than life man I knew is more susceptible to falls and injury. Just the thought of anything happening to him or my grandmother, makes me cry harder.
“Ya, mi princesa. Tell me what is really going on. That chorizo you’re talking about, it came in earlier.”
“Wait. What?” Pulling back, I look up at him, tears and snot forgotten. “What do you mean the chorizo was delivered? I went to go pick it up a…and it was a man!”
His eyes narrow. The wrinkled, welcoming face turns to a scowl. “A nice young man delivered it about two hours ago.” He brushes my hair back, his face still hard and unyielding, but his touch warm and soothing. “Your Abuela…” Clenching his jaw, he shakes his head.
A thought niggles in the back of my mind but doesn’t come forth. My feelings and earlier interaction with Sal muddle my brain.
“Cecilia Maria de la Rosa!” he roars, surprising me with the strength and volume of that summons. “I’ll take care of this, Alej,” he whispers to me.
Seconds later, my grandmother hobbles in. “You called.” She raises a queenly eyebrow, giving my grandfather a warning look.
“Don’t look at me like that, mujer.” He sets me aside and stands as tall as possible, using his cane to hold most of his weight. “What underhanded thing did you do today? And don’t bother playing the innocente with me.”
Her eyes veer to me. “Are you feeling unwell, Alej? Should I bring you some applesauce?”
Shaking my head furiously, I try to bury myself deep in the plush couch.
“I’m going to throw out that damn applesauce, Cecilia. Now answer me!” He steps toward my grandmother.
Like the gran señora, grand lady, she stands her ground, knowing Abuelo is all roar and no bite when it comes to the women of his family.
“For your information, Alejandro,” she stresses his name, a clear indication she’s unhappy with his tone of voice. “I’ve been running—”
“Woman, running…” He laughs. “You wouldn’t run if your life depended on it.”
“Don’t interrupt me,” she snaps, smacking his shoulder lightly. “I’ve been getting everything ready for your birthday party. Or have you forgotten, viejo, that tomorrow you turn one year older? You are the older one of us two.” She calls him an old man.
“I haven’t forgotten, and I’m appreciative,” he grumbles, chastised. “But, you have been up to something. You’ve been walking on clouds since Alej left on that wild errand you sent her on. Now, she comes home crying. Why, wife?”
“Crying?” My grandmother zones in on me, like a hawk on its prey. “He made you cry?” Her voice vibrates with fury.
“Y…you knew about this?” No longer afraid of the threat of applesauce, I rise from my seat and wiggle myself to stand between my grandparents and keep them in view. “The Meat Market. The chorizo. The man?” My voice rises with each word.
“Young lady,” she warns. “Watch it.”
“Cecilia, what did you do?” my grandfather asks, massaging the bridge of his nose. “Really?”
“How could you?” Now, my voice is vibrating with anger, and my hands are fisted at my side so I don’t scream in fury, or cry more.
“I was giving you a teeny, tiny push,” she answers, unrepentant.
“With an escort?” I shout, feeling like I want to pull my hair out in frustration.
“A what?” My grandfather’s bellow seems to rattle the room.
“Oh, stop.” Abuelita waves away our words. “Stop being so melodramatic.”
“Us?” I ask incredulously. “Melodramatic? We’re not the ones that contracted an escort.”
“Technically, you did, mija.” She smiles. “But I will admit, I had something to do with that. I’ll,” she raises her hand when both my grandfather and I open our mouths to speak, “explain everything. Just sit down.”
My grandfather, a veteran to my grandmother’s schemes, settles back in his seat. I, on the other hand, stare her down, but I’m no match for her. After a few seconds, I sit in my old seat, adjacent to my grandfather.
“Okay, where do I start?” Abuelita purses her lips and tilts her head up, cradling her chin, running through her thoughts.
“At the beginning would be helpful,” I offer.
“Well, it all started when I discovered the on-goings of The Meat Market through a little chisme. Remember, Alejandro, I mentioned that to you?” She looks at my grandfather. He nods. “Then, there was that nice young man who helped us, that one time when you were having tests done at the hospital, mi amor. I worry since your father had prostate cancer.” Again, he nods.
“What time at the hospital?” No one mentioned a hospital visit prior to mine. And what about this rumor? I’ve heard nothing. What are they hiding? Why?
“That’s a story for another time, mija.” Abuelo answers. “Let your abuela continue. I’m interested to hear about this escort man of yours.”
“He’s not mine,” I point out.
“Well, why not?” Abuelita sounds affronted and sits, all prim and proper, across from us. “I worked hard to get that order for you. Do you know how hard it was setting this up with the butcher? He’s not an easy man.”
“Are you so eager for me to wed, you’re willing to buy me a husband?” My tone is incredulous but also tinged with hurt. “Am I not enough on my own, Abuelita? Do you not have enough faith in me to let me live my life on my terms? I don’t even know whether to be hurt, angry, or both.”
“No, baby…” she stretches out her hand toward me, but I burrow myself into the couch, trying to get away from her. Her lack of belief in me is…heartbreaking.
My grandfather closes his eyes and lowers his head. After a sigh, he speaks in a low voice, “Cecilia, what have you done?” He brings her attention to him.
“I’m only trying to help.” She turns to me and continues, “Alej, mija, I am very proud of all you have accomplished. You’ve come so far from the lost, little girl who came to live with us. The little girl who couldn’t bear being away from us and would even walk into our room in the middle of the night and curl up in our bed, is all grown up. You have grown into an amazing, determined, dedicated young woman. But,” she emphasizes the word. “You’re grandfather and I won’t be around forever. We’re getting older. And,” she says tearfully. “I don’t want to you be alone when we leave.”
“Stop! Don’t talk like that. You are not going anywhere.” The earlier anger and hurt is forgotten, and I throw myself at her feet, taking one of her hands in mine. The thought of them gone is unbearable. Horrific. Impossible. Saddening. Yet, a real threat because it happened to my parents.
“You have to be realistic, Alej.” She cradles my face, as I kneel before her seat on the couch, with her other hand. “We’re getting old. Half the time, we can barely make it up the stairs without our bones creaking.” I shake my head. “I want to know you’ll be taken care of. That you will have someone to lay awake at night with. Someone who will take you in hand when you become like me. Someone that will love you more than we love you. My precious girl, you need to stop focusing so much on work and live life. You’ve proven yourself, that you can make it in a man’s world just as well or better than any man, it’s time to be happy.”
“I don’t need a man, Abuelita. I have you guys, my cousins, and the family.”
She shakes her head. “But no one to keep you warm at night. Call me old-fashioned, but I want to know you have someone standing beside you, promising to lighten your load for the rest of your life. Someone you can form a family with. Someone for you to share your life with. And that man, the young doctor…he looked to be the one for the job. I saw the way you looked at him. How you went breathless when he took your hand.”
Shaking my head, I deny it.
“Don’t lie to us or yourself, mija,” she continues. “I saw how you lowered your eyes in shyness when his met yours. How you straightened your clothes when you thought no one was looking. He caught your attention, and you became the blushing young lady I was when I first saw your grandfather. I just wanted to give you a push.”
“But an escort, Cecilia,” Abuelo finally speaks up. “How is she to live knowing he’s taking other women out?”
“Hay, Alejandro.” She chuckles. “Do you honestly think I would allow such a thing to happen? If I’m not mistaken, Alej was his first assignment. Have you forgotten, husband of mine, what it feels like when you think you have no other choice? How it feels to pinch pennies, worrying how you’re going to support your family? Because, that young man is in the same situation we once were.”
Abuelo clears his throat but says nothing.
“I can’t, Abuelita. As much as I want to get to know him and see where it leads, I can’t get over the fact he would sell himself.”
“Alej,” she says my name sharply and firmly. “You have no idea what life is like outside of your world. Not everyone has the luxury of a big, well-off family. Your parents, aunts, uncles, grandfather, and I worked hard to give you and your cousins a better life. Your young man is in a place where we once were. If you can’t understand that desperation sometimes overrides morals in your little black and white world, then you are not grown up enough to deserve him. From all the information I’ve gathered about the young doctor who treated you, and who helped us when your grandfather and I were scared during our hospital visit, there is no man I would trust you to more. He’s loyal, hard-working, dedicated, and treats his mother like a queen. Maybe,” she tilts my head up and intently looks into my eyes, “maybe, mija, you’re the one not deserving of him, and that, mi princesa, is a heartbreaking shame because I thought we raised you better than that.”
ANTONIO
There is no mercy in this world. None whatsoever.
The continuous, throbbing pain reminds me why drinking to excess lost its appeal years ago. The loud pounding on my apartment door breaks through into my muddled, aching brain, making things worse. Who the hell could it be?
A groan escapes as I roll off the couch. My mouth feels like cotton, the light shining through the open blinds stabs my eyes, my stomach wants to revolt, and the continued knocking does nothing to ease the hammering headache.
With a last push off the couch, I stumble to the door with my head in my hands. I leave the chain lock in place when I crack open the door and lean my weight against it. With one squinted eye, I greet the person on the other side. Dark chocolate eyes stare back at mine.
“Alejandra…” I half-groan, half-sigh.
“Sal,” she greets me, her lips forming a hesitant smile.
Unsure what the hell is going on, I shut the door and unhook the lock. When I reopen the door, I find Alejandra with her fist raised, ready to pound, yet again.
Her eyes widen, and the color on her face rises. “S…sorry.”
“Come in.” Moving aside, I allow her entrance.
She walks into the room, quickly scanning my place before momentarily focusing on the empty bottles on the plastic coffee table.
“Party?” She turns an inquiring gaze on me.
“More like a solo one.” Running a hand over my face, I take several deep breaths as I try to understand her presence.
“Can we talk?” she asks before I can gather my thoughts to ask further questions.
My hand drops in surprise, and all I can do is look at her. Then, I shake my head, hoping to dislodge the cob webs residing there. “What more is there to say? You said enough.”
She swallows and looks away for a moment, before meeting my eyes again. “I need t…to apologize. Sal, I was out of line.”
I nod before remembering my manners. Extending my arm, I offer a silent invitation to sit on the couch. She takes a moment, but settles on one side while I sit on the other side of the only place to sit in the apartment.
“I had no right.”
Definitely don’t disagree with her there, so I nod again.
“I was wrong.”
My nodding continues along with my silence.
“I made a mistake.”
I nod.
“Will you say something?”
I nod.
“Well?” she huffs, frustrated.
“What can I say?” What does she want me to say? “You’re right. You made a mistake. You were wrong, judged too quickly, and made me feel like even more shit than I already felt, Alejandra.”
Her eyes close in pain or regret, I don’t know.
“But, you were right that escorting was not the answer. My mother would never truly understand, and you gave me a full understanding on how I would feel if she ever found out before I was in any deeper. I’ve also seen what it does to some of the guys. It desensitizes them, and I don’t want that.”
Her eyes open, her hands wringing in her lap.
“But, I can’t say the job was all bad. Can I, Alejandra?”
She tilts her head.
“It brought us together again,” I reply. “If you hadn’t been my first client, that would have been it. That one hospital visit.”
“Why?” she whispers, before straightening her back. “Why didn’t you say something to me at the hospital?”
“You were my patient, and some people kind of frown upon that. Plus, look around, Alejandra.” I wave around to my humble apartment room. “Look at me, and look at you. I can’t give you what you’re used to. You’re a princess, and I’m a pauper. A date with me would be cheeseburger and fries with a pop, that is, if I had any money left after paying all my bills. You’d hate it, Alejandra.”
“You’re wrong.” She scoots closer, but doesn’t touch me. “Throw some bacon on and make sure there’s mustard, lettuce, and extra pickles on the burger, make the fries crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and make sure that coke is ice cold, and I’ll be putty in your hands.”
“Coke?” Her food order has me laughing because she’s exact. Then her use of that word, ‘coke’ instead of ‘pop’, something I haven’t heard.
“Sorry.” She grins. “Looks like I’ve been working in Texas too long. It’s starting to rub off on me.”
She looks so fucking adorable, I can’t help but bring my hand up and caress her cheek.
“I’m not the one for you, sweetheart.” My voice is soft and reluctant.
“You don’t know that.” She wraps her hand around mine and turns further into my caress. “Now, it’s my turn to ask you for a chance, Sal.”
“My name is Antonio, but my friends call me Sal.”
She smiles. “An…to…nio…” she voices each syllable, as if tasting a fine piece of chocolate. “A fine, strong name, my grandfather will say when you meet him, and my grandmother will adore you.”
“Really?”
“Who do you think tore my hide off for the way I reacted, Antonio?” Her hand halts my correction of my name. “I’m going to call you Antonio because I love your name,” she answers, so I do whatever every smart male does, I shut my mouth. “My grandparents took me to task because I acted like a spoiled brat. And yes, I can be one…a major one,” she adds when she sees my smile at her use of the word brat. “I was wrong, Antonio. Especially in judging you because I am spoiled. I’ve never been in your situation, and I’m sorry for all the hurtful words I said. Please, tell me you’ll give me another chance. Let’s get to know each other and see where we go. Help me to be the woman you wanted, the woman you thought I was. Help me to be a woman worthy of you.”
Tears burn my eyes, threatening to fall. That strange feeling in my stomach is back, like something is moving around. Nerves, fears, maybe something more.
I should say no. We’re from opposite worlds, and there is still so much for me to accomplish, but I want her. My body craves her like a starving man needs food.
There’s also that feeling that says: If I let this pass by, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.
I need to say no, but I can’t, so I remain silent. Maybe, with my silence, she’ll come to her senses.
“Antonio?” Her passionate voice is, once again, small and unsure.
As my head lowers, my eyes close.
Her small, rough hand lays on the side of my face. Her thumb caresses my cheek. I feel her touch down to my soul, awakening and calming those deep feelings within.
Centering me.
Grounding me.
Giving me peace.
I turn further into her caress; my lips kiss her wrist. She inhales, and I feel her move closer. Her flowery scent drowns out everything but her.
Then, her soft, warm lips touch mine. The kiss disarms me. All I can do is feel her body against mine when she climbs into my lap, straddling me. Pushing me against the couch, she grips my hair and takes.
She tastes me—once, twice—before tracing my lips with her tongue, begging entrance. My heart races, my breath comes faster, and I grow thicker. So much so, I’m pulsing almost to the point of pain. It’s in that moment that I lose the battle. There’s no winning against Alejandra because she fights dirty.
Opening my mouth, I allow her entry and let her take the lead, but only for a moment.
With one hand, I bury my fingers in her hair. With the other, I hold her mid-back. Then, I push forward and twist our bodies, laying her out on the couch. Using my body, I trap her beneath me, or so I think, because before I know it, her legs are wrapped around me. Strong, tight, not letting me go.
Our tongues explore each other, making love and heightening my desire.
Suddenly, she pushes my head away. “I want you. In your bed. Now!” she orders, unwrapping her legs and pushing me up.
Once I stand, she jumps on me, gripping my waist with her strong thighs. Her fingers dig deep in my hair. Her mouth fuses again with mine.
Without breaking stride, I walk to the bed and lay us down, my body under hers to take any impact. Taking advantage of our position, she spreads her hands over my chest, then pushes and sits herself on top of me.
My chest rises and falls rapidly as I take in the wonder of Alejandra, an unparalleled beauty, straddling me like an Amazon woman.
There’s a whisper in my ear saying she’s meant for me.
All. Mine.
She grinds against me, and I grit my teeth. Grinning, knowing full well what she does to me, she pulls her dress off. Full, succulent breasts encased in a sexy-as-hell pink bra cause my mouth to water. Careful not to knock Alejandra down, I jack-knife up. With clumsy fingers, because I’m definitely not an expert at disrobing women, but I do enough from past experiences to ensure my Alejandra will be pleased, I unlatch her bra and take one nipple into my mouth. The other, I tease with my fingers, then I switch. I twirl my tongue around her nipple, then suck.
She gasps and arches against me, making me feel on top of the world. One hand runs up and down her body, caressing every curve. When I reach her ass, I squeeze her butt cheek and pull her closer to me.
She gyrates her hips, and when I move my hand inside her thigh, my fingers are drenched in her wetness.
“Antonio,” she gasps, breathlessly, rubbing herself against me. “I need you. Now. Please…”
Cradling her, like the cherished woman that she is to me, I roll our bodies, and lay her on the bed. Within seconds, I throw off my clothes, roll on a condom, and tear her matching thong, the last piece of clothing barrier, away.
I want to taste every inch of her. I kiss my way up each of her legs as she tries, without avail, to pull me upwards by my hair. Her determined pulls only add to my need to tease, torture, and drive her insane with longing. My kisses turn into nibbles until I reach my destination.
Her sweet arousal overpowers everything, and I turn weak. Instead of the teasing, torturous, loving caresses I meant to drive her insane with, I give in to her demands and taste her. My tongue swipes over her slit, my fingers spread her open, and I dive in with my tongue—stroking, lapping, sucking. She tastes sweet and tangy—so fucking delicious. I don’t bother with my fingers, instead, I suck her deep. Her body arches and tenses, she cries out my name, and then gushes. Her juices cover my tongue, chin, and run down my neck.
When her body falls back to the bed, I use the wetness from my face and rub it on my aching latex-covered cock. Aligning our bodies, my face hovers over her. With a tender smile, I lean down and kiss her. My tongue separates her lips, and I thrust inside. She arches up. Her hands move up to my back, and her fingernails dig in. I swallow her gasp.
Her warm, tight pussy grips my dick, and I fight to hold back. With one hand, I caress my way down and manage to fit it between us so I can tease her clit. I release her mouth and move down to her breast—first one and then the other, I suck and then bite. With the stimulation to her breast and clit, her pussy muscles tighten on my cock, she tenses, then calls out my name as more wetness soaks my balls.
That’s when I let go.
I kneel and bring her legs over my shoulders. My thrusts become stronger. My headboard slams into the wall, but I don’t care. It feels so goddamn good.
“Fu…uck…” Alejandra screams out, pushing her body up against mine.
My balls tighten, and I swear, we are almost one body when I release.
I explode.
Shattering.
My body shakes, and I go weak. With no more strength left to hold me up, I fall and turn to lie beside Alejandra.
We lay there, until our breaths come in sync.
Then, I grin and pull her toward me, and our lips meet.
“I take it it’s a yes,” she whispers against my lips.
With nothing else to do, I laugh. “Yes, Alejandra. It’s a yes, sweetheart. For as long as you’ll have me, it’s a yes.”
THE END…FOR NOW.