My Fair Señor

Chapter One

Jaime Montez sat on his oceanfront deck in La Jolla, California, watching the birds perched on the rocks in the distance.

A blonde girl in yoga clothes posed for pictures that her probable boyfriend was taking. Jaime had definitely been in that guy's shoes when he had dated Instagram "models." But he couldn't complain because they had returned the favor for his own accounts.

Next to the girl, a few tourists wearing oversized San Diego sweatshirts sat on a bench overlooking the sunset. And a couple most definitely living the van life was parked right in front of his garage. His cliffside mansion was sleek and sophisticated-clean lines that blended natural and modern design, creating a perfect blend of indoor and outdoor elements. With views of Crystal Pier, Coronado, and Point Loma, the hot tub on his deck was the perfect place to watch the sunsets. Palm trees swayed, reminding him that the Santa Ana winds were brewing and would make an exhilarating day for surfing.

Yup. Another day in beautiful, sunny San Diego.

His home was eerily quiet since his brother Enrique was at some charity event with his girlfriend, Carolina, and his other brother Ramón was tasting wedding cakes with his fiancée, Julieta. Ramón had moved to Coronado with Julieta but still spent time at the brothers' home when he surfed in La Jolla. Jaime couldn't believe that soon his eldest brother would be a married man.

So, it was just Jaime, the cool sea-salt breeze, and a bottle of tequila that was sent to him from yet another thirsty brand hoping to hire him as an influencer. He poured himself a shot and sipped it slowly. Though the liquid was smooth with just a hint of spice, Jaime couldn't help but feel that something was off about this liquor. He preferred this type of spirit mixed in a margarita with a Tajín-rimmed glass. The taste alone burned his throat, but maybe that was a good thing. He honestly didn't truly know enough about tequila to judge. He prepared another shot but didn't drink it yet.

He perused the press kit the company had sent him, which was filled with glossy product pictures, detailed background on the brand, and a fact sheet about the process of making the liquor. The proposal for the campaign was simple-a free bottle of tequila and a two-thousand-dollar payment for one Instagram post, two IG stories, and three TikToks for his twenty-two million followers to view. They even included a list of content suggestions such as pairing this liquor with "traditional" foods. No doubt they would love for his future sister-in-law, celebrated chef Julieta Campos, to cook them. But the joke was on them-Julieta would never pander. This brand, like the last thirty he had heard from, probably wanted him chomping on a taco, sporting a handlebar mustache, and wearing a serape so the ad could be as pandering and stereotypically Mexican as possible. It was all so gross.

Whose brand was this anyway?

He flipped through the materials, and a picture caught his eye.

A famous movie star and his bar-owner buddy-equally infamous for his supermodel wife-sat side by side on motorcycles driving through a field of agave plants. Both men were ageless, cool, and, most noticeably, not Mexican.

Not that one could discern someone's ethnicity from a picture-Jaime wasn't stupid enough to think that. He knew blond Mexicans, red-headed Mexicans, and pale-skinned Mexicans. But these men were beyond famous and if they were of Hispanic origin, they most definitely would've claimed it-especially since it could them help with their tequila sales.

And their publicist had sent this campaign, so Jaime, a Mexican-American influencer, could lend his stamp of approval.

What idiots. He wouldn't be their pawn and give them his Latino thumbs-up.

Was that all he was to these people? Some beautiful brown face to use to hawk their non-authentic goods?

Jaime threw the bottle at his clear plexiglass wall, shards from the container shattering everywhere. He hated to admit it, but the momentary bout of rage soothed him, in some fucked-up way. After taking a deep breath, a technique ingrained in him from his brother Enrique's regular meditation sessions, his nerves eased. He grabbed a broom and a dustpan from the closet, and a bunch of paper towels and some floor disinfectant from under the sink. He swept the glass safely away and then sopped up the liquid and sprayed the floor-he wasn't such an asshole that he would leave this mess for his maid to clean up.

Why did all these non-Hispanic influencers have tequila lines? He wasn't all woke like Julieta, but her words rang in his head.

Fuck those pendejos.

Jaime would drink to that.

He downed the shot that remained in the glass.

The second round of the liquor was decent but he would not promote it.

Even so, that small taste of tequila awoke something in him. A crazy thought he had pondered over the years. It had never been the right time before. He hadn't had the confidence in his ability to run his own company when he was younger.

But now, he had no doubt that he could be a success.

His mind raced, and the idea took hold.

What if he became involved in the mezcal business?

Why not? What was he doing with his life, besides partying like it was 1999 nightly and hooking up with some hot chicas? Fine-make that many, many hot chicas.

Nothing, that was what.

Well, it wasn't nothing. But it was nothing he was particularly proud of. He was a top-paid influencer, man he hated that word, but it was what it was. He also occasionally did some modeling gigs for different brands. For years, he had run the social media accounts for Taco King, his father's company, but after his eldest brother Ramón took over, Jaime had slowly transitioned out of the daily posting grind and focused more on brand deals and his own influencer career. One of his shirtless pictures for a hot sauce company had gone viral. The attention had been fun for a while, but if one more person called him Mr. Hot Tamale, he'd lose it.

He had never really cared about his lack of clear passion until recently. Jaime had been quite content to embrace his anointed title as the irresponsible younger brother, the baby in their dysfunctional family. While Ramón went to Stanford and Harvard and laid-back Enrique went to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Jaime had been content to kick it at Sonoma State, wanting to get as far away from his family as possible without leaving his beloved California. NorCal was so picturesque and different from San Diego. Instead of clubbing, he'd spent his weekends getting wasted at wine tastings and hiking the trails with earthy vegan feminists. They loved him, and he adored them back. He could easily be tried and convicted as a womanizer, but he truly worshipped and respected females. He loved everything about them-their scents, their soft bodies, their strong minds. Jaime was many things, but a misogynist wasn't one of them. And it wasn't like he was having a series of one-night stands-in college he had been in a long-term relationship. Ever since he graduated, Jaime was open and honest about his intentions-no committed relationships. He didn't like rules and wanted to love freely. Maybe that NorCal hippy vibe had rubbed off on him. And in his line of work, his chillness was definitely an advantage.

But this worked both ways-he wasn't controlling. If a woman he casually dated wanted to see another man, that was fine by him. He wasn't jealous.

Well, that was a lie-but it was only one time.

Alma Garcia.

His college sweetheart. That girl was fire. Physically, she was his dream girl. Waist-length straight black hair, curvy body with a tiny waist, dark eyes, big pouty lips. She was the only girl he had ever made his girlfriend, the only girl he had ever seen exclusively, the only girl he had ever loved.

And he had blown it.

Not by cheating-he wasn't a cad. He was completely faithful until the day he'd said adiós. But with graduation looming, she had decided to stay in Sonoma and become a sommelier, and he had to return to San Diego. As much as he appreciated his four-year break from living near his family, he missed them. He'd loved her with all his heart, but he was just too young to settle down. So, he broke up with Alma, citing long-distance and their ages, and had regretted it ever since.

Maybe that was why he had never had a relationship after that. No one could measure up to her. Top of her class, volunteered in her free time, first person her friends turned to in crisis. And those hips, man. And the way her lips quivered when he brought her to ecstasy.

He exhaled. Where was she now?

Over the years, he'd had to physically restrain himself from stalking her online. He'd blocked her on his socials-one flash of her long lashes and he would become hypnotized by her. And his college roommate, Santi, who lived in her county, knew better than to mention her whereabouts.

Last he had heard, she had passed her sommelier exam with flying colors, which wasn't shocking. She was probably working at one of Napa's top vineyards or at a restaurant in San Francisco. Maybe she was married to a wealthy vintner. Most guys wouldn't be stupid enough to let a woman like Alma slip through their hands.

But Jaime didn't need or want a long-term relationship. He was young-only twenty-five. Look at Ramón and Enrique-both of his brothers' lives were now consumed by their women. They would rarely even hang out with him now.

Jaime was too young to settle down back then-and he was still too young to even get into a serious relationship. He had to make his own mark in the world first.

Even so, his curiosity got the best of him.

He grabbed his phone and googled her name. Stupid LinkedIn popped up. He wasn't dumb enough to click on that link, which would literally send a message to her stating that he was stalking her.

But he didn't need to click. Her name flashed before him above her place of work.

Alma Garcia-owner of Mezcalifornia, Marin County's Hottest Tequila Bar.

Chapter Two

Alma Garcia gazed out at the breathtaking landmarks in the distance. The Golden Gate, the Bay Bridge, and the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge surrounded her-each unique in their beauty and their horror. From the suicides on the Golden Gate, to the Bay Bridge collapsing in an earthquake, to the high winds forcing closures on the Richmond-San Rafael, the incredible views were tainted. But the tourists, homeowners, and businesspeople in Marin knew that having space with one of these engineering marvels in the background was priceless. And her business looked out on all three.

It was unfathomable to her that she, a poor girl from the Canal, not only operated but also owned the hottest tequila bar in Tiburon, one of the wealthiest communities in Marin County, California. Most days she felt like she was living in a dream, though she'd arrived here from nothing but hard work. And today, Alma needed to focus. The city's top critic was coming into the restaurant. She had to be on her A game.

Especially since respect in the industry was what she lacked. Despite being a commercial success, the male-dominated liquor industry looked down on her, often dismissing her as just a pretty face. She hadn't earned their praise yet since she was relatively new to the tequila world. But was it too much to ask to not have the critics comment on her looks as they did in almost every review?

There was nothing she could do about that. She wasn't going to change the way she dressed to prove herself.

As a female tequiladora in the male-dominated industry of alcohol, she was causally reminded that she was the odd woman out. Not only had she been the only female and the only Mexican sommelier in her courses at the Napa Valley Wine Academy, but she was also now the first female tequila master after an arduous apprenticeship in Mexico. But she'd embraced what some would see as a disadvantage. She had sought out other women leaders in the industry.

Women who harvested their own agave.

Women who bottled their own brands.

Women who distilled their own liquor.

Alma's tequila bar was successful, even if she was constantly being mistaken as just some brand bimbo. Not that she could blame people who assumed she was a promoter-Alma was young, dressed sexy, and was as proud of her body as she was of her mind.

But now that Mezcalifornia was doing so well, she yearned for more. She was financially sound and professionally successful. She craved recognition from the leaders in the tequila industry. But even more, Alma wanted to truly make a difference in the lives of others-others who grew up like her and didn't have the same opportunities. With budget cuts, rising housing costs, and the backlash against bilingual education in California, kids who grew up in her community today didn't have the same opportunities that she had once had. She needed to change that.

She swiped the finest bottle of tequila from her bar and splashed it on her hands. Alma wore tequila the way most girls wore perfume. She inhaled the note-nothing like the pure scent of the world's finest liquor-the sweetness from the vanilla, the spice from the pepper, and the heat from the smoke made her feel like she was on fire.

Her older brother Carlos waltzed into her bar like he owned the place, which he most certainly did not, though he might as well have. He often helped her out when she was short-staffed. He was a badass in his own right-a former Division One soccer player who now coached a youth club team in his community in San Rafael. Tall, dark, and handsome. And, like her, forever single.

"Hey sis. What's up?"

"We're just about to open. I'm anxious and nervous as hell-that critic from the Chronicle is coming in tonight." She bit her lip.

She already smelled like tequila, so why not indulge? She downed a quick shot. She rarely drank on the job, but a little taste to take the edge off was always welcome.

"You'll smash it," he said, but he glanced behind him, as if his heart wasn't really in it.

Alma rolled her eyes at her brother. "I should ask you what's up. What brings you by on a Friday night? Don't you have some game to attend?" Ever since Carlos had been a little boy, he ate, drank, slept, and breathed soccer. Nothing had changed.