I am no one, I'm nothing

Capitulo Cuatro

Aldonza jolted awake as an out of tune trumpet pierced the air with wailing, alerting notes. A response of deep groans could be heard echoing throughout the inn, and the shuffling of feet and clicking of boots soon exited and quieted with a dull roar. The sun was just beginning to peek over the rolling hills of El Tobozo; a new day was dawning. "Pedro?" she murmured, turning on her back with a grimace to glance for the man. He was nowhere to be found; the dirtied mattress was still indented from where his sleeping figure had been, so it was clear to Aldonza that it had not been a harmless dream but, in fact, reality.

She shivered violently as the morning sun crept through the curtains and tickled her toes. Aldonza had been so warm in the night, cocooned with blankets against the soft mattress. She searched for them and pulled them over her naked body, releasing an audible sigh as the shivers slowly ended and warmth was restored to her bruised, living figure. In and out of sleep she faded, and soon the cock was crowing and an angry fist was pounding at her door. "Aldonza, do you know what hour it is? Get up-the men are ravaged!"

The voice of the innkeeper woke her from her dreamless sleep and she jolted awake for the second time that morning. "Shit," she murmured , stumbling and cringing as she stood up quickly, testing the limits of how much weight she could put on a single leg as she hopped and pulled on a skirt, a ragged top. Tying her hair with a scarf, she yanked the door open and ran head first into the innkeeper. "Lo siento, Fernando." She murmured apologetically, glancing up at him through thick eyelashes that were still caked with sleep.

"Aye, it's okay, but get out there, quick, mi hija." He slapped her butt to force her forward and she hurried to the kitchen, appearing moments later with plates and mugs and food as she bustled into the courtyard.

"Ahh, there's the little gem." Paco called out, stretching his arms to envelope her in a sideways hug. She nodded to him, placing the bowls on the table as she maneuvered around it.

"Aye, amigo, don't you mean the one who forced us to work this morning?" Anselmo asked innocently.

"I did no such thing," Aldonza replied in a dark tone. "I merely saved your friend here-" she punched Juan's arm with a huff, "-from burning to death. I didn't ask to be ravaged." The words hung in the air for a few moments, heavy and thick like the smoke from the previous evening's fire. She continued around the table, making several rounds to the kitchen and back with various plates of tortillas, a pot of stew, a bowl of rice and beans.

As she made her way for a final visit, she nearly ran into Pedro, who emerged from the inn with a clean shirt and pants on. He was not dirtied from the fields like his friends, but on the contrary looked as though he had bathed, combed his hair, washed his clothes. "Ahh, it's the kitty cat." He murmured, reaching out to grab her hand. Aldonza pulled him into the kitchen behind her and felt a wave of electricity spark through her from the mere skin contact. "Did you sleep well?"

"Fine, thank you." She replied quickly. He followed her through the intricate turns on the table, halting when she opened a cabinet or stooped to gather mugs from lower cupboards. "Why do you ask, hmm?"

Pedro fixated her with a stare until she was forced to stop her searching, gathering, and look into his irritably attractive eyes. "Why?" She repeated as she was physically drawn towards him.

Seemingly pleased with the effect he was having on her, he leaned forward so that his breath tickled her lips, his nose giving hers the slightest of kisses. "So you can be prepared to be up all night when you meet me in the stable." He murmured seductively, lowering his eyes so that he was staring up at her, tickling her senses with the feathers of his words. Aldonza felt her tongue go dry and her heart beat faster, though she stood up straight and turned from him with an angry sulk.