Chapter Twenty-One #2
Gabriela gave Alma and Jaime a tour of the farm, but she spoke in Spanish. Jaime was struggling to follow the conversation, and Alma jumped in as his translator when he seemed frustrated.
Gabriela left them alone for a few minutes and returned with a tall man who had deep-set eyes.
“Allow me to introduce you to Alejandro. He has come to teach me new fermentation techniques.”
Jaime introduced Alma to Alejandro using the best Spanish he could muster. Then Alma spoke to Alejandro in Spanish at such a rapid pace that Jaime didn’t understand a word they were saying. Jaime was relieved when Gabriela led them all to the plants.
Alejandro showed Gabriela a new method of cutting the pinas, the heart of the agave plant. His hands guided hers, and they worked in tandem.
Jaime clutched Alma’s hand, a spark of electricity bolting between them. Then it was their turn to harvest.
Jaime helped Alma chop the pinas, enjoying being close to her and working in the fields, the warm sun at his back.
So, this was where tequila came from? He had never given its origins a thought when he drank it, not caring about where the liquor he was imbibing came from. And here these men and women took so much pride in their country’s heritage and the long history of producing this beloved liquor.
He dropped a pina through his hands.
Alma tossed her hair back and laughed. “This is hard work?”
“Yeah, Enrique would love it though. I have to get him out here.”
“You have a natural skill,” Alejandro commented in English to Alma, his voice a low rumble.
“I agree with him,” Gabriela said. “I’ve been doing this since I was a child. The agave speaks to me. It looks like it speaks to you also.”
Alma lit up and beamed. She was absolutely adorable. “Oh. Gracias. I feel so connected to it. I love all types of tequila, but being here and seeing the plants is so cool. I even named my dog Tequila.”
“I can sense your passion,” Alejandro said with a growl.
Alma giggled.
Jaime glared at him. He tried to control his jealousy. He wanted to make her giggle, and not just when he was fumbling a plant.
Alejandro said no encouraging words about Jaime’s skills, but that was fine.
Jaime was just happy to be there with Alma.
He wanted to know how to do this stuff for his brand, but he wouldn’t be the one working the fields himself.
He was better on the business side of things.
But it did give him a better appreciation of the beverage.
Jaime and Alma continued to work in silence, the only sounds being the rhythmic chopping and the distant calls of the workers heading home. As the sky turned a deeper shade of orange, Alejandro broke the silence.
“Tequila making is like creating a piece of art, isn’t it?” he mused, wiping his brow with the back of his hand.
Gabriela nodded, glancing at him. “It’s all about patience, passion, and understanding the soul of the agave. Each batch tells a different story.”
Alma translated for Jaime.
What if that could be their story? What if they could somehow have the patience to make this relationship work despite their rocky past? Would their passion sustain them?
Their eyes met, and something unspoken passed between them. It was a moment of connection, deep and undeniable.
As the day’s work came to an end, Gabriela offered to walk Alma back with her to the distillery room.
“I’ll meet up with you in a few minutes.” Jaime waved her on.
Alma didn’t ask him why and continued on with Gabriela.
Jaime stayed back, wanting to talk to Alejandro since he seemed to speak some English.
“So where is your farm?” he asked as they walked up between rows of plants.
“In a town about twenty miles from here. Would you like to see it?”
“I can’t on this trip. But maybe I’ll return. I was wondering…” Jaime took a deep breath in. “Do you contract with brands to create tequila lines?”
Alejandro’s smile turned to a scowl.
He sized up Jaime. “I do. But not with everyone. We have a very pure batch. I like to see who I’m dealing with. And you barely even speak Spanish.”
Jaime exhaled. Could he ever escape being a no sabo kid?
He tried a different approach. Jaime took out his card. “I’m Jaime Montez. My father is Arturo Montez. We own the Taco King franchise.”
He studied the card. “I have never heard of you. Or your father.”
“Doesn’t matter. I have ample money. Anyway, I’m interested in starting a brand.”
“With your wife?”
“Oh, Alma? She’s not my wife.”
Alejandro shook his head. “I don’t want to work with a man who is not settled. A wife brings you stability. Honor. I have been married twenty years.”
He studied Alejandro’s face. “Alma and I aren’t at that place.”
Alejandro placed his arm on Jaime’s back.
“Let me give you some advice. That woman you are traveling with loves you. I can see it in her eyes. And from what Gabriela told me, Alma is a tequiladora. If you are going to start a line, it should be with her. She should be having these conversations with me—not you.”
Jaime knew all of this. But what was he going to do now? Tell Alma that he wanted to start a brand with her even though they weren’t back together?
And even if they did get back together, he shouldn’t mix business with pleasure.
“Thanks for the advice. I meant no disrespect. Alma isn’t my girlfriend, though she was once. I just traveled with her, so she didn’t have to come alone.” He looked out over the agave field once more. “Please don’t mention this conversation to her.”
Jaime extended his hand for Alejandro to shake, but he ignored Jaime and just walked to the distillery, with Jaime trailing behind.
Once they reached the distillery, Gabriela welcomed Jaime in.
She showed him the barrels where they stored the tequila and talked about the process for each.
Alma and Jaime tasted some different tequilas.
Even though the ones Jaime had tried back at Alma’s bar were amazing, there was something so incredible about trying each one straight from the barrel.
Jaime’s palate grew. What had started out as a silly idea just based on anger toward another stupid Instagram campaign had ignited a passion.
He actually cared about agave. He wanted to know everything there was to know about tequila.
He imagined the brand, the launch party, the advertisements.
He was truly excited about a work venture for once in his life.
And he owed it all to Alma.
Jaime had almost expected Gabriela to invite them to dinner, but she didn’t. They said their goodbyes, and Jaime walked with Alma in the middle of the agave fields before returning to the limo.
Alma gazed into his eyes. “Thank you for accompanying me to Mexico. I’m so glad I didn’t miss this trip. I learned so much.”
“You’re welcome. I did too. This sounds cliché, but I feel like tequila is…a part of my life almost. My history. Thanks to you.”
“Ah, I don’t deserve all the credit. You are here with me and seem to be really interested. What did you talk to Alejandro about?”
Jaime’s throat scratched. He didn’t want to tell her the truth.
Not yet. Not until he was sure about the future of their relationship.
He didn’t want her to think he was only interested in recommitting to her because he wanted to start a brand with her.
Once they were back together and he had shown up for her, they could discuss their career options.
“Nothing much. I was just asking him about his farm and the different regions. How about you and Gabriela?”
“Oh, she was amazing. I asked her about how hard it was to be a woman harvesting tequila. Her mother was horrified when her father taught her and was very angry at him, but he stood up to her.”
“That’s pretty inspiring.”
“It really is. Especially here in a more traditional country. I’m just so awed by her.” Alma placed her manicured finger on Jaime’s chest.
Her lips were just inches from his face. He wanted to kiss her so badly. But not a lust-filled kiss. This time with more hope.
Alma curled her hands around his neck. “Kiss me, Jaime.”
Jaime cupped her face and gave her a kiss that belonged in a telenovela. He kissed her like it was his first time ever kissing her. He kissed her like it was his last time kissing her. He had kissed her so many times before and it was always electric.
There was no doubt anymore.
He wanted her back.
He loved her.
There, in the midst of the agave fields, where the spirit of the earth was distilled into the fiery heart of tequila, Jaime realized that love, like tequila, needed time, care, and the right blend of elements to truly come alive.
He finally pulled away from her mouth and escorted her back to the limo.
They were driven back to town and they stopped to get a quick dinner at a restaurant.
As the night fell, the sky turned into a canvas of stars, the town square coming alive with lights and music.
Alma and Jaime found themselves drawn into a fiesta, the locals welcoming them with open arms. They danced under the moonlight, their feet moving to the rhythm of the mariachi, her laughter mingling with the joyous energy around them.
In that moment, surrounded by the warmth of new friends and the vibrant spirit of Guadalajara, Jaime felt a deep connection to this land. It was more than just a place; it was a living, breathing tapestry of culture, tradition, and beauty.
They returned to their room, and they couldn’t keep their hands off of each other.
Jaime pulled off her white dress and devoured her pussy.
Alma came quickly and climbed on top of him.
She rode him and stared deep into his eyes.
No words were spoken but they weren’t needed.
They came together, and Jaime was in complete bliss.
As they lay in bed that night, the memories of the day flickered through his mind like a cherished movie.
Jalisco had embraced him, its heart beating in harmony with his own.
And as sleep claimed him, he knew that this journey would stay etched in his soul forever, a vivid reminder of the magic that exists when one dares to explore the unknown.