Of Lust and Love

1. Angel

Angelina
Sonora, Mexico

"Fuck! This is not happening." She cursed. Frustrated at the outcome.

Such a waste of perfectly good ingredients. No matter how much training she had undergone, she just couldn't cook to save her life. She had been practicing for months.

"Language, mija," a beautiful lady beside her clucked her tongue in a motherly fashion.

Angelina grinned. "Sorry." She mumbled.

"In Spanish, Angelina." The woman beside her kept reminding her every damn time she switched to English.

Yeah. Right. "Lo siento, tia." (I'm sorry, aunt.)

She nodded in approval. "Bueno." (Good.) "Hacer otro lote de tortillas, por pabor."

Okay. Make another batch of tortillas. "Si." She had to make sure to repeat the words in her head several times to interpret them in English for her to understand.

The breezy air touching her skin made her shiver. It was early morning and she was up, ready to assist Juanita, a woman who took her in at her lowest point.

She and her husband, Tio Ramon, were the trusted caretakers of a vast hacienda. There were a lot of servants, field workers, and men guarding the fertile land.

Angelina had fallen in love with the place as soon as she set eyes on its majestic untamed beauty. Lush mountains surround a flat terrain with a natural water resource. Perfect for a remote countryside estate.

Though she was still recovering from a gunshot wound at the time, this place had become her haven. And the couple who took her in were her saviors.

Tia Juanita had treated her like a daughter. Teaching her all the ways to blend it. How to fathom her blending in with her burnished blond hair and blue-violet eyes, she didn't know. She had developed a nice tan but she still stood out like a sore thumb.

No one had treated her differently though. As soon as her guardian announced she was her niece, under their protection, everyone welcomed Angelina with open arms.

"Siempre habla en nuestro idioma, Angélina. El Patrón detesta a extrañas en su tierra." (Always speak in our language, Angelina. El Patrón detests strangers on his land.) Especially gringas. That, she left unsaid. 

"Si, tia." El Patrón. Everyone she knew seemed to fear the old man. Feared him out of respect. She had never met the elusive man and every day she was growing curious. Would he be like Tio? A fatherly figure? "¿Cuándo volverá a casa?" (When is he coming home?)

"No me corresponde decirlo. Quiero que te mantengas alejada de él. Por favor." (It's not for me to say. I want you to stay clear of him. Please.)

"I will, Tia Juanita." But why? Surely, El Patrón was a kind, old man. 

Angelica shrugged her shoulders. Better to heed her aunt's warning. She didn't want to get into trouble. All she wanted was to fully recover, along with her memories so she would know where to go. Her family must be so worried about her. She was too.

She needed to find herself. And as much as she had come to love this place, she knew she was in danger before the lovely couple had taken her under their wings. She didn't want to bring trouble to their doorstep.

Angelina was waiting for the day to leave this place so she could search for her family.

"All I know is El Patrón will be coming home soon. So we must be prepared. And it would be better if he didn't see you."