But in the meantime, there was still the man himself. Matt was predatory, his expectations immediate. I knew I needed to find that velvet dress from the back of my closet asap because he expected me to hit the ground running, moving into his townhouse and taking on the role of girlfriend.
So I started digging around in my closet, throwing things I wanted to pack on the bed. Aunt Rosita followed me to my room, clucking at mess I was making.
“Teresita!” she exclaimed. “What’s going on? What’s that suitcase for?”
I sighed over the battered brown trunk. The fact was that I didn’t have much, so I’d be done in minutes, but I was going to have to think up some excuse to explain my three-month absence. I toyed with the thought of telling the truth. Seventy-five thousand dollars was a windfall to my family, and they would understand. Wouldn’t they? But I decided the truth was just too difficult, it was … too real, you know? Cold hard cash in exchange for services rendered.
So I fibbed.
“Auntie Rosita, it’s been so tough lately,” I said limply. “Between work and school, I’ve been exhausted. I’ve found a new job at a coffee shop close to campus and my friend Carmen has offered me a place to live for a few months. Not forever, but just so I can get really focus on studying for my CPA license.”
Some of that was true. I did plan on taking the CPA exam at some point, just not within the next six months. And Carmen was well-off, she lived in a two-bedroom and could conceivably take me in. I figured my friend would cover for me if my family investigated.
Aunt Rosita shook her head again, clucking. “But why you want to be an accountant? You’re not happy with Krystal Kleaning?”
I sighed. I didn’t mean to denigrate my aunt, but wasn’t it obvious that being a maid wasn’t my goal in life? I mean, fifty dollars a pop isn’t a lot, and it was back-breaking work, job after job. Didn’t she see the calluses on her hands, feel the way the chemicals made her eyes sting? But I understood where Rosita was coming from. Compared to the Honduras, Krystal Kleaning was a dream come true, something she hoped the next generation would preserve. I just wasn’t that right person to do it.
“It’s not that I don’t like being a part of your business, Auntie Rosita,” I said carefully. “It’s just not for me, you know? I’m good with numbers, I’m good with planning, I can find a regular job.”
“You can be our business manager,” she retorted in Spanish. “We need someone to manage Krystal’s books.”
I sighed again. “No, I’m sorry, I’m looking for something different, Tia Rosita. I love you and Mami, but I can’t work with you guys forever. I’m looking … I dunno, Tia Rosita, for something maybe … I don’t know,” I concluded lamely.
“Teresita,” she said, sitting on the bed and taking my hand in hers. “We know the adjustment’s been hard for you. We know your mom rushed you out of the Honduras because of what was happening. And baby, if we’d known sooner,” she paused to wipe a tear away, “your Mami never would have left you in the countryside.”
“But you have a chance for a new life now, so be careful, okay? You’re still an illegal. Things are different for you, you don’t have the freedoms that the gringos have, not even someone with a green card. Don’t attract attention to yourself because you’ll never be like them. If the police find out … ” her voice trailed off.
I nodded my head slowly. I’d heard this speech a thousand times, and I knew she was right, even if it made me sad. I wasn’t supposed to be in this country. I was supposed to be in the Honduras, married off at eighteen, my virginity given to some man who would be responsible for my safety then.
But Mami had come unexpectedly to the countryside one night. She’d appeared in a cloud of dust on the back of some local boy’s motorbike who’d agreed to give a ride to a poor housewife who hadn’t seen her daughter in a year.
“Mami,” I’d cried from the dining room table. Aunt Blanca had hurried outdoors immediately, exclaiming, “Lena, what are you doing here? Why have you come?”
By now, the abuse had been going on for three years. I was thirteen and oddly used to it. I no longer sat on my uncle’s lap after dinner, instead he’d come to me in the dark of the night, sucking on my pussy, lapping up my juices as I writhed in bed.
Because that was the horrible part of what had happened. I was a slut and had learned to love the oral, coming over and over again as my pussy was tantalized. It never hurt, my uncle never asked me to reciprocate, and I was actually a virgin still. It’s just that … I don’t know, there must be something deep, dark and twisted in me, something that made a thirteen year-old girl lap up the attention, my juices starting to run the minute my uncle set foot in my darkened bedroom. We never spoke about it, and I was ashamed … ashamed at my sexuality, ashamed that I was in this position, ashamed at being me.
So when my mom appeared, I was careful. Sure, this would have been a perfect time to blurt out the abuse, but instead, I said nothing. I ran outside after my aunt, happily smiling and throwing my arms around Mami.
“Teresita, have you been good?” she asked fondly, stroking my hair. “My, how beautiful you’ve become! Taller, and so …” she paused, looking at my newly-developed curves. “Like a woman,” she concluded.
It was true. Those three years had seen me blossom and now as a thirteen year-old, I was considered ripe, my boobs and hips luscious, my waist tiny, with a seductive smile that girls learn only too early where I come from.
“Come on,” said my mom fondly. “Let’s go in and get some dinner my precious girl, it’s been too long.”
And it was wonderful to see my mother again, this woman who’d done the best she could even if it meant sending me away. After a prosaic evening of light conversation with my aunt and uncle, Mami and I got ready for bed. It was obvious that Uncle Gordo wasn’t going to make his usual midnight run because my aunt’s house is small and Mami and I would be sharing my narrow mattress, there was nowhere else for her to sleep.
So I waited until my mom’s breathing deepened and slowed next to me, her arm carelessly thrown around my waist. When I heard the clock strike midnight, I carefully repositioned her arm and crawled out of bed, making sure that the blankets were tight around her form, warding off any cold air.
On tiptoes, I crept out the front door, hesitating only when the latch squeaked a bit. Outside, the warm summer air caressed my skin, blowing gently through the soft cotton of my nightgown. I made my way to the clearing at the edge of the farm, where a small grove of eucalyptus trees stood.
And there was my Uncle Gordo, waiting. He was still gross, don’t get me wrong. Shaped like a walrus, his big belly protruding under a wife beater, still greasy and disgusting, smelling of cigarette smoke. But when you’ve been molested as a child you don’t know what’s right and wrong, you can even develop a certain affection and affiliation with your captors … Stockholm syndrome, I’ve since learned it’s called.
Gordo said nothing when he caught a glimpse of me, gesturing for me to follow him even further into the grove. And reader, I did as I was told. I was so far gone by now that my pussy had already started running in anticipation of the pleasure to come. When he stopped, I stopped, and I pulled up my nightgown wordlessly, baring my teenage pussy for his nightly suckling. And Gordo didn’t hesitate. He dropped to his knees, this lecherous uncle of mine, and began lapping at my slit, that pink half shell quivering and dripping with desire.
I loved it. I loved every second of it, and must have started whimpering with pleasure, my knees weak, a man’s tongue deep inside my snatch. I was trembling, trying to maintain my balance even as Gordo continued his assault on my little twat, tasting the sweet cream, rubbing one out as he drank my girl juice.
It was only when we heard a scream that we realized we’d been discovered. Mami stood there in the moonlight, watching us, her dumpy figure swathed in a shapeless housedress. She screamed again, a bloodcurling howl, before launching herself at us, knocking Gordo aside and me to the ground.
“How can this be happening?” she jabbered in Spanish. “What’s going on? What are you doing?” she shrieked in a mixture of fury and fear.
By now, we were rolling on the ground, my mom and I a struggling mass, me trying to explain something, anything, while my mom pulled my hair, her hand scrabbling at my night gown, crying and howling all at once.
And the truth is, there was no explanation.
“Mami, stop!” I gasped. “Stop, stop!”
“Aieeee! Teresa, what has become of you? What has happened? Aieeee!” came her primal howls, the wails mixed with tears as she assaulted me, our bodies twisted together as we rolled around on the forest floor.
It was finally Gordo who pulled her off of me, her plump form like a cannonball as she was heaved to the side. She landed with a thunk and grew still, harsh sobs the only sound, tears streaming down her cheeks.
My heart cracked, the sight of my mother broken and sobbing in the Honduran countryside, the worst turn of events possible. Because she had believed that there was safety here, hoping to protect me from growing up too fast in a dangerous world. And instead, her plan had completely backfired. I’d become a slut in my three years away, having sex with my uncle at a too-young age, even enjoying it, losing myself in the experience, sneaking out at night so that I could indulge.
“Mami,” I panted breathlessly. “Please! Please,” I gasped, not knowing what to say.
Because again, there was nothing to be said. I knelt on the ground next to her, crying myself, trying to stroke her hair, stroke her hand, somehow express my sorrow and regret, confusion outlined in the girl-woman body which had betrayed me.
“Mami,” I cried, my heart breaking under the Honduran moonlight.
But my mom’s a tough cookie, she’s lived a long life and I hadn’t given her credit for her backbone and resolve. She got up and grabbed a handful of my hair, forcing me to stand as well. She frog-marched me back to the house, my Uncle Gordo trailing behind wordlessly, and threw me into my bedroom, the force of her actions bringing me to my knees.
“Pack!” she barked, her voice tight and angry, tears still evident in her eyes. Then, as now, I didn’t have much and the packing was done in a few minutes flat. She threw me my coat and we left the house, walking on a country back road.
“Mami, where are we going?” I asked plaintively, almost afraid to hear the answer. “There’s no one around here, no cabs, no people, this is the hinterlands, remember? It’s one in the morning, where are we going?”
Mami didn’t answer, her gaze resolute, refusing to meet my eyes. She marched ahead, her shoulders ramrod straight, proud even in her shabby nightclothes. I gave up and we walked and walked and walked, for hours at least, until the sun came up the next morning.
A mini-bus drove up the dirt road and my mom flagged it down.
“Where are you going?” the driver leered. Honduran men leer at every woman, even weary housewives like my mom.
“North,” she replied curtly. “I have money, I’ll pay you to get us to Tecohitas,” she said, naming the closest city. “For me and my daughter,” she clarified, nodding at me.
And so we were off. I didn’t realize how apt the word “North” was for things to come. Because, reader, as you’ve probably deduced, my mother had decided that fateful night to smuggle us into the United States, come hell or high water. There was no way we could stay in the Honduras. Her attempts to protect me had utterly failed, and the City wasn’t safe.
All that mattered was going north … to safety.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Matt
Cocktails were boring but I was charming the crowd. I pressed the flesh of not a few high net worth individuals, laughing at their jokes, expounding on my views of the ongoing war in Syria, how to resolve our lovely city’s ongoing homelessness problem, yada yada yada. It was only when a hush came over the crowd that I broke off my glad-handing, turning to see what had happened.
Or more accurately, who had happened. Teresa stood at the front door, unsure of herself, looking around warily. She was gorgeous, hands down. A black velvet cocktail dress hugged her curves, a hint of cleavage apparent but not obscene. Her legs were sheathed in gossamer silk topped off with black stilettos, a perfect outfit for a curvy girl.
Our hostess though, was more than a little frosty. Usually the chicks at these events are model-types, tall, dressed to the nines, so painfully thin that you can almost see through them. Teresa was the opposite – curvy, ripe, with a body so bodacious that every guy here was salivating, wondering what it’d be like between those thighs.
“Can I help you?” asked Mandy Hurst in a clipped tone. She was our hostess for the night.
“Um,” murmured Teresa, “Is Matt Sterling here? I was hoping to catch him.”
Mandy was about to snipe some retort when I made my way over, smoothly leaning down to give Teresa a kiss on the cheek. She threw me a grateful glance, thankful for saving her from this social piranha.
“Mandy,” I rumbled, “I see you’ve gotten a chance to meet my girlfriend, Teresa,” I continued. “Mandy, Teresa, Teresa, Mandy. I think you ladies have a lot in common,” I winked.
“Oh?” asked Mandy with an eyebrow arched. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around. Are you a part of MOMA’s Young Patrons club? Or maybe the Firehouse Brigade out at the Aquarium?”
Teresa flushed but handled the questions evenly. “Yes, I’m in Young Patrons,” she said in a calm voice. “I haven’t been to many events recently, but I plan on stepping it up.”
That’s my girl. I was proud of Teresa for fending off these veiled attacks, and of course I’d be buying a membership to the Young Patrons club as soon as I could get my accountant on the line.
“And where are you from?” asked Mandy pointedly. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around San Francisco,” she said.
Most folks in our crowd hail from some tony suburb, maybe Hillsborough or St. Francis Wood, going to country clubs on the weekends or hitting up their chalets in Tahoe for some skiing. Teresa, however, didn’t miss a beat.
“I live in the Mission,” she said. “It was pretty rough when we settled in but there’s been a lot of gentrification,” she continued. “I was hoping to help Matt on the campaign trail by emphasizing his commitment to the working class,” she added, looking up at me with adoring eyes. “My Mission roots and City cred are strong, and we know Matt has such a commitment to helping the working man.”
I had to applaud Teresa for that one as well. Of course, it was exactly what I’d hired her to do, but I hadn’t realized she’d slip into the role so quickly and so well. Her speech was elegant, refined and articulate, the perfect example of a woman who’d risen past her humble origins to be here today.
“Isn’t my girl savvy?” I said to our hostess as I slipped an arm around my girl’s waist. It felt so good there, so right, and I was more than happy to trumpet our relationship to the world. “Sweet and smart, my favorite,” I said, nuzzling her neck.
“Okay love birds, what’s going on?” came a deep masculine voice. It was my younger brother Caleb, here to support me at the fundraiser. Although not a political guy himself, Caleb had seen fit to tear himself away from his computers for one night, to do his part in promoting my candidacy.
“Caleb, you haven’t met my girlfriend yet,” I said smoothly. “Little bro, this is Teresa, Teresa, Caleb, the CTO of Sterling Phara,” I said by way of introduction.
Caleb threw a swift glance my way. Given that he’d never met Teresa, it was surprising that suddenly I had a girlfriend but he knew better than to embarrass me at a public function.
“Charmed,” he rumbled, giving Teresa a peck on the cheek. “Don’t believe a word my brother says, he’s a politician, it’s all lies,” he said with a smile.
And the rest of the night went along swimmingly. I squired Teresa about, introducing her to folks, making sure that people knew she was my significant other. And the girl was wonderful, making real conversation, with
a nice smile and even nicer ass. I could tell some of these old dudes, they were into it.
“Where’d you find her, my boy?” asked George Terkel. Terkel was an early investor in our company, someone who’d believed in Sterling when we were just four brothers trying to get an idea off the ground.
“Right under my nose,” I replied with a sly wink. “The Mission is filled with undiscovered treasure.” And I was being truthful in a way because Teresa was from the Mission, but instead George inferred something totally different given the neighborhood’s sleazy vibe.
“The Mission District?” he asked dumbfounded. And then leaning in, “And does she still dance? She got an older sister for me?”
I snorted. Just because a girl has a bodacious bod doesn’t mean she’s taking it off for dollars, pulling her g-string aside for men to ogle and touch. In fact, the thought was fucking infuriating. No way my Teresa was showing her puss to any man but me.
“Nah, never danced,” I said with as much country charm as I could summon, the rage simmering underneath. “But I’ll find a dancer for you if that’s what you want. Just a sec, I gotta unload the fire hose,” I said, making my way off into the crowd.
I went upstairs in search of a restroom when I was suddenly halted by a silky voice, a manicured hand on my arm.
“Well well well,” purred a familiar voice. “What have we here?”
I turned to find a ravishing brunette sheathed in a clinging red dress, dripping with jewels. The predatory glint in her eyes was going strong, her voice high-pitched and insistent. Oh fuck, I knew this girl from somewhere.
“I’m Vanessa,” she reminded me seductively. “We met at Delinda’s party a couple weeks back? You promised we’d hit up L’Osseria’s wine-tasting event later this month,” she pouted. “I haven’t heard from you.”
“Um yeah,” I replied vaguely, “about that.” I’d completely forgotten about the so-called date, but it’d just been a brush-off. Women today were so pushy and aggressive it was insane.
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