La Mujer de Lalo (Lalo's Woman)

Tuco Salamanca

Ana and Andrea were waiting in the office behind the kitchen. Nacho was pacing back and forth, awaiting Tuco's arrival and the events that would unfold before them. Lalo was as cool as a cat. Happily humming a spanish song and doing the crossword.

From the corner of his eyes, he would spot Ana coming out of the office to have a peek at the door. She too, like Nacho and Andrea looked pale. She probably would have met him at some point, he judged from her expression. He found her behavior amusing. He just wanted to keep looking at her.

This time, Ana didn't just peep, she strode forward towards the empty kitchen, hoping to find something to eat. Neither of the girls had had their breakfast and it was almost 2 p.m. She couldn't find anything in the kitchen that was readily prepared. With a deep sigh She turned around and almost fell onto Lalo's chest. Luckily he caught he by her waist.

Ana looked up at the man holding her. She hadn't been wearing high heels like yesterday, Lalo realized she was much shorter. Her head only reached up to his chest where she had placed both her hands. He saw the redness in her cheeks grow darker with each passing moment. He loved making her feel this way.

Ana got trapped inside Lalo's dark eyes. She saw nothing else. She forgot where she was, what she had been doing and who was holding her. Those eyes pulled her like powerful magnets attracting iron.

They both felt the heat between them. As their bodies stayed in contact electricity passed through them. Lalo had a big smile on his face. He noticed the beautiful white dress she had been wearing. His eyes moved down her face to her body. The dress had been graciously covering her cleavage so far. But from where Lalo was standing, the got the best view of what her dress had concealed.

"Dios mío Señorita." his mind screamed.

After what seemed like a long gap, Lalo released Ana's plushy wait. He didn't want to let go of her though. But he could practically hear her tummy rumbling in hunger. He moved towards the stove and started putting together some tacos.

Ana rushed off to the office in embarrassment. Andrea saw her friend smiling and enquired what had happened. She didn't say anything, but Andrea knew better. She could see that her friend was mesmerized by another Salamanca. She prayed that these two would never get together and have any accident as she did.

Lalo spread out 4 plates of tacos de Carne asada. The ladies didn't even wait till he laid down the water glasses. They dug into the food as though they had been starving. Lalo chuckled to himself at their manners.

Ana had been eating extra cautiously to avoid spilling any salsa on her white dress. God those were yummy tacos. She wondered what Lalo had added in them. She too had made tacos de Carne asada many times, but hers never even came close in taste with what he had served her.

Lalo loved watching his lady eat. The way she licked her fingers at the end of a taco, savoring the four pepper salsa, made him jealous of the salsa. Ana too gave quick glances at Lalo but trying to avoid direct eye contact.

The restaurant door opened as they finished their food. Tuco entered happily whistling. He froze when he saw the full table. He walked straight to Lalo and kissed his hand and later hugged him.

"Good to have you on this side of the border." Tuco told.

"Ah. Business is important, but family is more important. " Lalo replied.

They both laughed at a few jokes involving some chicken man, before Tuco turned to the matter at hand.

"So listen. I know we both didn't expect this to happen. But it has. The simplest solution is for you to end it." He said the last line in a dead serious tone.

Andrea and Ana were shaken by Tuco's words. Andrea tightly squeezed Ana's hands in fear, fighting back the tears that had formed in her eyes. Tuco continued talking about when, where, how.

"No." Andrea screamed. "No. No. No. I'm not going to kill my baby."

This angered tuco who pushed the glass out of the table and it shattered on the floor.

"You don't say what I have to do bitch."

"Tuco, calm down man" Nacho tried to control him. But no use. No one could ever control Tuco, except Don Hector and Don Eduardo.

The latter lifted his hand in the air, signalling Tuco to stop talking, which Tuco immediately did. Everyone was surprised by what had happened. Lalo got up and added "My decision in this matter, as the head of the Salamanca family is to have the child. I'll meet Tío tomorrow. His decision will the final verdict."

Tuco protested but one look from Lalo and he was silenced. He got mad at Andrea for spilling the news to Lalo. He was even more angry that it was all because of the Ana woman that matters have become worse. In a fit of rage, he got up and caught Ana's throat.

Her throat closed at the pressure being applied. She fought back his hands but was no match for him. She could see that he got that extra strength from the cocaine he had hit up.

Nacho immediately went to stop Tuco but he knew he couldn't push him away without hurting him. And hurting him came with some serious consequences. Yet he tried his best. It was his favorite sister after all. The one who had been through his ups and downs.

"Puta estúpida. (Stupid bitch) Look at what you've done by meddling in others affairs." Tuco blurted out, not realizing the person he'd terribly upset.

At those words, tears fell down Ana's soft cheeks. She started crying. Nacho now equally angry, rolled his fist and raised his hand to land a punch on Tuco's face. But with just a couple of fraction of a second, another fist landed on Tuco's face, causing blood to flow out of his nose and mouth. It was Lalo's fist. Tuco's grip around Ana's neck loosened and Andrea was able to pull away her friend away from her asshole boyfriend.

"Next time, you go against my word, I'll fuck you up hermanito" (little brother) Lalo claimed cooly, with a smirk on his face. "El bebe es un Salamanca. We protect our family." he finished with a serious tone.

He looked up at Ana. "Niña tonta. (Silly girl) Don't worry about this cabrón (idiot) eh. He won't disrespect you ever again." He moved closer to her and pulled her in. Andrea let go. He gently lifted Ana's chin up and examined her throat. There were red marks of Tuco's fingers. It'll probably take a couple of days to heal. His insides were heated up in anger at the pain Tuco had caused her. Yet he didn't radiate any of it on his face, which just grinning.

Ana's tear filled eyes met his. At that moment, the rest of the tears she had held back came tumbling down the hill and fell on his hands. She closed her eyes to stop them.

"Esta bien, Señorita." (It's ok)

He pulled her into his warm embrace. She too held him tightly as she rested her head on his chest. How comforting it was. She had never had received such comfort from any family member, ever.

Sure, Nacho and Ana had a good bond and all. But a man like Nacho, drew certain lines. The last time someone hugged her and told her it was all going to be ok was when her mama died. She was just 6 years. It was her Tía Gloria Varga, who had comforted her. Almost after more than 20 years, she was being comforted by someone.