know why she lied, especially about Felix being her husband. It just sort of slipped out that way. Like she would feel safer if this man thought she was a married woman. It didn’t.
“Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that. Sorry to say we don’t have much to see here. Where y’all headed to if you don’t mind me askin’?”
“Mexico. Gonna cross the border, buy ceramic donkeys and cheap tequila. Always wanted to go, never had the chance.”
“Four barbacoa tacos, two orders of menudo. Para la bonita.” The man held the paper bag out of the window, his pock-marked face hovering right beside it. The sun caught his tooth and it twinkled yellow.
The sheriff nodded, stepped aside so Marta could pass him. She snatched the bag, the smell nearly making her drool on herself. She waved back to the sheriff. “Nice to meet you, sir. Have a good day.”
“Same to you, ma’am. Enjoy the food. Best damn tacos you’ll ever have. And the man wasn’t lyin’ ‘bout that menudo, either.” He tipped his hat. “Tell your hubbie I said hello.”
“Um, okay.” Marta calmly walked away, but as soon as she was out of sight, she hurried her pace. Though the guy at the window made her uncomfortable, it was nothing she hadn’t grown used to throughout the years. Wandering eyes and creepy smiles she could deal with. But there was something about the other man, the sheriff, that bothered her. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but just knew she wanted to get away from him and back into her room where she could eat in peace.
She checked over her shoulder but there was nobody there. The scent wafting off the food in her hand swirled into her nostrils and she ran up the stairs two at a time once she made it back to the motel. She stopped in front of Felix’s door, rapped her knuckles against it.
No answer.
Not able to wait any longer, she opened the bag, and snatched out a taco. She unwrapped the foil, pulled out one of the small plastic tubs of chile, and poured it over the steaming brown barbacoa meat. The second she bit into it, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and a moan seeped out through the tender meat in her mouth.
It was absolutely the best she ever had. The meat was perfect, seasoned and cooked to perfection, and she took another bite before she had finished chewing the last one. “Mmmm.”
She knocked again. “Felix, I brought some breakfast for you. Best fucking tacos you ever had, I mean it. I’m having a taste bud orgasm out here.”
Still no response. She pressed her ear to his door, listening for any rustling around, but got nothing.
She sighed through her nose, still chewing, then took another hefty bite.
So goddamn good.
“All right. You’re pissed at me, and I understand. I’m sorry, okay?” She finished the first taco, licked the brown grease from her fingers. “I got you two barbacoa tacos and a cup of menudo. I’ll just leave it out here for you.”
She pulled out her remaining taco and her Styrofoam cup full of menudo from the bag, along with a couple more tubs of chile, rolled the top of the paper bag, and set it in front of Felix’s door.
“I’m going to my room now, so you won’t have to see me. But don’t let your food get cold. I’m telling you, you need to try this. Okay?”
She waited a few minutes, but still nothing. Back in her room, she made quick work of the second taco, devouring it like some starved beast. The urge to snatch up the two tacos she had left for Felix entered her mind more than once. The last bite stayed in her mouth, and she over-chewed it, wanting to savor it, taste it for as long as possible.
She pulled the plastic lid from the Styrofoam cup and inhaled the rich aroma of the greasy soup. The menudo was filled with chunks of tripas and hominy. She plucked a nice honeysuckle chunk from the top, sucked it into her mouth.
“Oh my god.”
Slurps and moans filled the room as she dug in.
***
Felix woke up with the side of his face pasted
“Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that. Sorry to say we don’t have much to see here. Where y’all headed to if you don’t mind me askin’?”
“Mexico. Gonna cross the border, buy ceramic donkeys and cheap tequila. Always wanted to go, never had the chance.”
“Four barbacoa tacos, two orders of menudo. Para la bonita.” The man held the paper bag out of the window, his pock-marked face hovering right beside it. The sun caught his tooth and it twinkled yellow.
The sheriff nodded, stepped aside so Marta could pass him. She snatched the bag, the smell nearly making her drool on herself. She waved back to the sheriff. “Nice to meet you, sir. Have a good day.”
“Same to you, ma’am. Enjoy the food. Best damn tacos you’ll ever have. And the man wasn’t lyin’ ‘bout that menudo, either.” He tipped his hat. “Tell your hubbie I said hello.”
“Um, okay.” Marta calmly walked away, but as soon as she was out of sight, she hurried her pace. Though the guy at the window made her uncomfortable, it was nothing she hadn’t grown used to throughout the years. Wandering eyes and creepy smiles she could deal with. But there was something about the other man, the sheriff, that bothered her. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but just knew she wanted to get away from him and back into her room where she could eat in peace.
She checked over her shoulder but there was nobody there. The scent wafting off the food in her hand swirled into her nostrils and she ran up the stairs two at a time once she made it back to the motel. She stopped in front of Felix’s door, rapped her knuckles against it.
No answer.
Not able to wait any longer, she opened the bag, and snatched out a taco. She unwrapped the foil, pulled out one of the small plastic tubs of chile, and poured it over the steaming brown barbacoa meat. The second she bit into it, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and a moan seeped out through the tender meat in her mouth.
It was absolutely the best she ever had. The meat was perfect, seasoned and cooked to perfection, and she took another bite before she had finished chewing the last one. “Mmmm.”
She knocked again. “Felix, I brought some breakfast for you. Best fucking tacos you ever had, I mean it. I’m having a taste bud orgasm out here.”
Still no response. She pressed her ear to his door, listening for any rustling around, but got nothing.
She sighed through her nose, still chewing, then took another hefty bite.
So goddamn good.
“All right. You’re pissed at me, and I understand. I’m sorry, okay?” She finished the first taco, licked the brown grease from her fingers. “I got you two barbacoa tacos and a cup of menudo. I’ll just leave it out here for you.”
She pulled out her remaining taco and her Styrofoam cup full of menudo from the bag, along with a couple more tubs of chile, rolled the top of the paper bag, and set it in front of Felix’s door.
“I’m going to my room now, so you won’t have to see me. But don’t let your food get cold. I’m telling you, you need to try this. Okay?”
She waited a few minutes, but still nothing. Back in her room, she made quick work of the second taco, devouring it like some starved beast. The urge to snatch up the two tacos she had left for Felix entered her mind more than once. The last bite stayed in her mouth, and she over-chewed it, wanting to savor it, taste it for as long as possible.
She pulled the plastic lid from the Styrofoam cup and inhaled the rich aroma of the greasy soup. The menudo was filled with chunks of tripas and hominy. She plucked a nice honeysuckle chunk from the top, sucked it into her mouth.
“Oh my god.”
Slurps and moans filled the room as she dug in.
***
Felix woke up with the side of his face pasted
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