Saturday, November 11, 2006
La Fea Más Bella #143 11/10/06 Studies in Passive-Aggressive Behavior
Ariel politely bids Lety adieu and smartly remarks "hey Fernando, did you know that Lety's boyfriend - LETY'S boyfriend - has a better car than yours?" "It's better than yours, too," Fern replies. Lety doubles over silently with laughter!
Lety excuses herself for lunch before Fern has a chance to interrogate her. Alone, he recalls the psychic's warning about his love, his business, and the truth, but he vows not to give Ariel the pleasure.
In the executive lobby, Lety and the cuartel discuss their lunch plans and mention that Lola won't be joining them because of her meeting with the lawyer. (I guess she has to skip lunch to make up the missed time, or something.) Alicia makes some cracks about Lety's "station wagon." Then Martha shows up and tells them about her air-eating illness; Alicia makes a snooty remark about the "strange ailments of the poor." Sara makes fun of Alicia dying of hunger at her desk while they have a nice meal.
Time to split up the stories!
Ariel and Marcia
Ariel calls Marcia and invites her to lunch. She has too much work, but agrees to meet with him in her office. "How strange," she says to herself. I guess he doesn't come around too often.
He visits and makes small talk, asking vaguely about Germany and Conceptos. (He keeps peering out the window.) Marcia rolls her eyes and asks if there was something specific he wants to know.
He says he asked Lety about her brand-new boyfriend, but she was evasive. Gee, Ariel, why do you suppose it is that Lety doesn't care to chat with you like a girlfriend?? Marcia tells him that his name is Tomas Mora, and that's all she knows about it. He admits that she did tell him that much too, but wouldn't tell him where he worked. She was very reticent.
Marcia tries to remember the name of Tomas's company. She says Alicia would know, and gets up to ask her, but he says no, not like that, it's too important. He wants to know all about him, but evidently from past experience he doesn't think Alicia is the most reliable way to get useful information. :-)
Marcia assures him that Fern has already checked him out. Ariel wants to know what "el" is like. Marcia says, the boyfriend, or the car, and giggles, but Ariel is not in a joking mood. She answers, well, what would a boyfriend of Lety's be like? He scoffs. "Like a house of horrors." She says he's a Mr. Nobody with some money; nouveau-riche; a nerd, like Lety, who works at some place that pays well. She adds that Fern always defends Lety, but pays her really poorly.
Ariel says they need to stay on the lookout, check this guy out and find out where he gets his money. Fern gives Lety so much responsibility that she's practically running "our" business. She agrees and asks if that's why he came over here.
He says no, he came over to invite her to a cocktail party. He's entering into negotiations with some entity or other and tonight's cocktail is for getting acquainted. I think he says his date cancelled on him at the last minute. (I'm guessing she killed herself. Or he killed her. I still want him to be a crazed murderer so he can go to jail.)
No, upon replaying the scene it appears that some investors backed out at the last minute, so now he needs to raise more capital. She says really? But haven't you already invested all of your money? He says yes, but it's not enough. He's going to tell her the truth now so she won't be surprised later: At the Big Meeting, he's going to cash in his share of Conceptos. She squints with surprise, and he grinds his teeth in self-satisfaction.
She tells him he can't do that, that their parents would never have wanted them to split up Conceptos. He says his decision will depend on the financial condition of Conceptos at the Big Meeting. He'll stick with Conceptos if it's solid, as Fern claims.
On his way out, he catches Alicia yawning at her desk. When she sees him, she hurriedly gets up and starts exercising, I guess hoping he'll offer her some money or something. I really like her outfit today; I wonder what the bottom part of it looks like since she obviously forgot to put it on.
Ariel taunts her about yawning from hunger. He suggests that she should eat every day. He says he doesn't know if she is going to eat, but the food for sure. (I realize this makes no sense; I can't figure out exactly what he's saying, but I can only assume that it's extremely rude.)
She says "I'm going to eat at Le Noir, but first I am finishing my exercise routine." He asks if someone invited her, because it's too expensive for her.
(Le Noir is the most expensive restaurant in town - we found that out several months ago when the chick who "borrowed" Tomas's phone tried to get him to take her there for dinner.)
He gets on the elevator, and she mutters, "I AM going to Le Noir. You'll see, you wretch!"
Only For Women, part II
Saimon wants to whisk PM away for lunch, but she says she has plans and they're "solo para mujeres." Saimon whines... and cries... and begs... eventually Lety rescues PM and they all pile into her car - PM rides shotgun, while Sara, Irma, Martha, and Juana all sit on top of - I don't know what you call this - when you sit on top of the seat backs in a convertible so that it's really super-easy to topple out of the car when it's moving.
Fern and Omar come out just as they are leaving. Fern and Lety exchange murderous glances. Lety nervously puts on her seatbelt and backs out of her parking space.
With the very first jolt of the gas and brake, I fear for Juana's life, since she's just hanging on by a butt-cheek. It'd be a lot safer if just the two in the middle sat up top and then Juana and Sara could sit in the seat and, like, hold their legs to keep them from flying out, but I suppose it's harder to keep everyone in frame that way.
They are very rowdy as Lety navigates the streets of Mexico City. They want to listen to the radio, but they're not happy with the music that it plays. She admits she's not good at operating the radio yet. Martha says she's not so good at operating the car, either! She's driving just like her father - slow and not always in a straight line. It gets worse when she tries to fiddle with the radio - they all hang on for dear life (but still no one actually tries sitting in the seats).
Just as they recover from that, they nearly get into a wreck. Lety slams on the brakes. Instead of totally freaking out like I would, Lety just says "see what great reflexes I have?" and continues driving. She adds "and it's a good thing, because I'm still learning the difference between the gas pedal and the brake!"
(Martha complains that she feels queasy. How much do you want to bet she'll recover when her lunch arrives?)
Then they are passed by Omar and Fern. PM screams "Hi, Mr. Hot-Guy!" ("Licenciado Papacito" - not sure which of them that's addressed to.) Irma is scandalized by this. That's no way to talk to your bosses - what will they think? PM says they'll think they're happy, which they are. Lety agrees. They're away from Conceptos now - that stuff doesn't matter.
Irma worries about being late for Luigi. PM flirts with three men in a neighboring car. Irma disapproves of this, saying that it's disrespectful to Saimon. Lety cheekily replies that even if PM's on a diet, she can still look at the menu! PM wants to invite these guys to hang out with them, but says she doesn't want to get Lety in trouble with Tomas. Lety says don't worry about that. She grins foolishly, enjoying the mens' admiring glances! Just then, the traffic light changes, and they wave goodbye.
They get to the restaurant. Martha immediately asks if they have quesadillas. The plate captain is looking around the room, obviously wondering where he is going to seat this unlikely gang. Or if he even should. He tells them they need to wait a moment for a table.
Then they see Fern and Omar having their business lunch. Irma is spooked and wants to leave immediately, but Lety and Juana convince her to stay. Fernando approaches and wants to know if this was the reason she so urgently needed to leave the office rather than talk to him.
PM explains that Lety invited them to dine with her. He nods stupidly at this. Martha adds that Tomas will be paying for their lunch. Seeing that they know Fern and have the means to pay, the plate captain agrees to seat them. Juana thanks him effusively for his kindness.
Fern pulls Lety aside rather roughly and wants her to sit at his table, or at least come by and say hello, but she coolly refuses. She's busy, and it's her lunch hour. He asks what game is she playing. She denies any game. He points out that he had reservations here and then she just happened to show up with the entire cuartel. She claims (LIAR!!) that it was the cuartel's idea to eat at this restaurant.
Lety approaches the cuartel, who are now seated, and begins to say, "Don Fernando-" when Fern angrily interrupts and says he already knows that her boyfriend is paying for everything. Lety smiles angelically and starts again to say that Fern wants them to leave. They all start to get up, but he says no, it doesn't bother him at all that they're there. She says "don't worry, Don Fernando... FI is going to pay for it!" Just to make sure he knows. :-) He coughs violently (choking on bile, no doubt) and says he knows that. She asks, then why do you seem so upset? He denies this, and in return, he tells them that Lety's going to come to his table and say hi to their client.
She goes to Fern's table, says hi to the client, and then - both to be polite to the client and annoy Fern - she plops herself onto a chair. Omar asks "what with this massive presence," referring to the cuartel, and she gives a non-answer, saying we're going out to eat. Fern offers her something to drink, and she says no thank you. She gets up, says goodbye to the client and shakes his hand, and rejoins the cuartel. Omar and Fern still have their hands in midair, surprised that she didn't shake theirs too, so they awkwardly shake hands with each other!
The women are intimidated by the prices on the menu, but Lety tells them to get whatever they want, with no limit. They don't understand the menu, which is entirely in French. (Naturally, PM says she just wants whatever is the most expensive thing; Irma chides her for taking advantage.) They ask Lety to translate it for them, but Lety (who knows French, but perhaps not French food) airily says that would take too long, so she's just going to order lobster all around, if that's okay with them.
They're amazed. Some of them have never had lobster before. PM again loudly says that Tomas is paying for all of this. (From the other table, Fern glares intensely at Lety's back. No one seems to notice.)
The waiter wants to know how they want their lobster, and since Lety doesn't know one way from another, she covers her ignorance by telling him to surprise them. She encourages them to pick out appetizers too, and they are overwhelmed by the extravagance. (She turns around to shoot a scornful glance at Fern.)
Martha lists some items that sound like the entire Taco Bell menu, and Juana reminds her of her stomachache and her air-gobbling. ;-) Irma adds that this restaurant probably doesn't carry such things. Martha acts indigant, like she wants to leave.
Lety asks the waiter what he recommends. (Fern is making all kinds of faces in the background.) The subject of caviar comes up. Sara says she definitely wants caviar, but very well fried please! PM says don't be a dummy - you don't fry caviar, you parboil it! She claims she had it once when she went out with an executive. Lety tells the waiter to bring some caviar, and some crab, and whatever else looks good. (Fern covers his face with his hands. No one seems to notice.)
The waiter suggests langostinos. Right - langostinos are a great first course for lobster! Lety eagerly agrees. Unfortunately, Fern is out of frame at this moment; I suppose poor Jaime Camil was at a loss as to what sort of face to make at such ignorance!
The waiter asks if they would like some white wine? PM wants something stronger. Lety orders champagne. They are aghast. (Fern gapes. No one seems to notice.) PM is ecstatic over how awesome Lety's boyfriend is. Irmita gets spooked again and wants to leave, but they convince her to stay. The waiter asks what kind of champagne, and Lety says "the most expensive." (Note that she doesn't say "your best.")
Martha is happier now, but still grumbling because they don't have chalupas.
They eat and critique the strange foods. I think Martha says that the caviar tastes weird and the lobster's skin is too dark.
And now for the stunner: Lety overhears that Fern's credit card has been refused! Lety offers to pay their bill. The client is flabbergasted; Fern is mortified, but not in a position to refuse (although a save from Omar would have been nice). She grins smugly as she returns to her table... then snaps out of her daydream. Aw, damn - that would have been awesome! She recovers and says she was just thinking about Tomas.
Lety calls for the bill. Fern stops by their table to say goodbye and asks if they ate well. Martha indicates mild disapproval. (You're welcome, Martha! Jeez!) PM offers him some champagne and reminds him that Lety's boyfriend is paying for it! He unhappily toasts with them, then leaves.
PM says that Fern seemed angry with them. Irma thinks it's because of their scandalous behavior. Lety says no, that's his normal behavior. He's envious. Rich people can't stand it when poor people have money.
The bill comes and they all gasp, but she tells them not to worry and gives the waiter a 20% tip. The smile on his face is worth all the ugly faces Fern and Lety have made this hour - this guy will be able to retire young and buy a Pacific island with what Lety's given him.
In the car, Juana offers to read caracoles for her. According to my dictionary, those are conches, but those aren't particularly legible. Whatever it is, it has something to do with fortune-telling. Lety remembers the psychic's prediction. He says her feeling is true and pure, but a woman is crying in front of her wedding dress and can't put it on. The last thing she wants is another cryptic reading, so she says no thank you Juana. :-) She says maybe some other time, some evening. PM thinks this is a great idea - they can have a party.
Martha says the last time Juana read the caracoles, she said that Lety's boyfriend would change her life. Lety ominously declares that it had better be changing.
Fern and Omar
Fern goes running to Omar to babble about Ariel. He was interrogating Lety about the ledger, the Big Meeting, and she assured Ariel she'd give him all the details and everything. Fern complains that he tried to discuss it with Lety, but she was evasive, as she always is when he tries to talk about cooking the books.
Omar reminds him that their lives depend on her handling of their ledger. She could lose him two cars, maybe three (referring to multiples of millions of pesos). They leave for lunch.
When they see Lety and the cuartel driving away in the Swigglekarr-3000, Omar tries to console Fern, while Saimon sulks on his Vespa. (It's damn lucky for PM that Yazmin's not around today!)
Fern and Omar arrive at Le Noir. Fern is still fuming about Lety and her friends driving to their party, with PM screaming like she was going to fall out of the car, waving at him with her brutal humanity, like a queen at Carnaval (he does a disturbingly accurate imitation of a beauty queen in a parade).
Omar answers that she's a sweet little dummy and he misses her. Seriously, he says that, unless I somehow got that wrong, but I don't think I got it wrong.
Fern asks the bartender for a quadruple of "the usual." Omar asks if he's going to take away Lety's car. He says he can't, because she bought it with Filmo-Imagen's money, and not money from Conceptos. All the same, he feels it's his car, because he started FI with his own money.
Omar says it might be his morally and in his heart, but it's not legally his. "It's Lety's," Fern agrees unhappily, sipping his drink. Omar tries to calm him down for their meeting, with little success.
The guy from Krauss arrives. Or as it's spelled in the captions today, "Craos." I have a better idea. I'm going to call it CHAOS, in honor of Get Smart. It's the German sportswear company.
Omar does most of the talking, because Fern is very distracted. Omar says the sportswear ad is looking good. Fern says that Lety arranged everything.
The CHAOS guy - I think his name is Millan - asks if Lety is here, because he expected to meet with her. Omar says she only does the financial stuff, and although she's very smart etc., she feels out of place in a restaurant like this, doing public relations and things like that.
Just then, Lety and the cuartel arrive. Fern is impactado. He and Omar make up a lame excuse to Millan, that something really important must have come up. Lety joins them briefly, but then goes back to her table; Millan says to Omar "Didn't you say she didn't like this sort of place?" Omar says he thinks that Lety is in the process of changing her lifestyle. Fern sourly agrees.
Doctors say that when our bones grow or heal rapidly, we may experience "growing pains." Perhaps that is why Lety grimaces slightly at this moment - it's the mild discomfort of her rapidly-developing spine. Grow, little spine! Grow and blossom!
Omar tells Millan how well Conceptos is doing, and has to prompt Fern to participate. (He has been watching the women dismember their lobsters.) Fern says something about adjusting a payment. I find this difficult to follow, but he says something about covering 60% of the remainder, or maybe 60% is the remainder - I'm not sure. It appears that they are asking Millan for more money than originally expected.
Millan remarks on how well Fern's assistant and the secretaries are eating. Omar tells him that Conceptos pays well. Fern sarcastically (and loudly) answers that Lety makes more than they do.
A champagne cork pops. PM LOUDLY toasts Lety's rich, generous boyfriend.
Millan really shows a lot of interest in Lety's financial situation. Omar assures him that Lety is very kind to her friends. (Lety discreetly turns around and grimly raises a glass in Fern's general direction.)
Omar tries to improve the moment by proposing a toast to tomorrow's presentation of the sportswear commercial; the sound of another champagne cork at Lety's table dampens the mood somewhat. Millan forces a bemused smile.
Fern and Omar return to the office just in time to hear Alicia whining "Papa, I'm hungry." Omar warns that they'd better get out of the way before she sees them, but Fern is still brooding over Lety's behavior. That's not the same sweet Lety we know! This is some other Lety! She knew they were going to Le Noir and she went there anyway! He says there's only one possibility - Tomas arranged the whole thing!
They're going to take his company away from him. Fern tells him the psychic's prediction is coming true. ("I see that your heart is trapped.") He tells Omar that one time, Lety has the caracoles read for her and it said her boyfriend was going to change her life. Sure enough, Lety's life is changing because of her "rich boyfriend." Omar scoffs.
Fern actually gets hot (literally) and starts fanning himself. Omar says it's revenge and they discuss motives. "She knows something," Omar suggests. Maybe she overheard something. Or maybe - he starts laughing - maybe she read The Letter!
Fern doubts it. Martha's daughter told him how she and her friends found and demolished that damned Red Bag and its contents and put the envelope in his briefcase. Even their moms don't know about any of this. Omar also thinks that Lety would act differently if she read the letter - she wouldn't spend the money on cars and restaurants; she'd start a big scandal.
Omar has a great idea: Fern just needs to re-seduce Lety. Then they won't have to worry about her revenge, or Tomas Mora. Fern laments the corrupting influence of "Tommy Boy."
Lety excuses herself for lunch before Fern has a chance to interrogate her. Alone, he recalls the psychic's warning about his love, his business, and the truth, but he vows not to give Ariel the pleasure.
In the executive lobby, Lety and the cuartel discuss their lunch plans and mention that Lola won't be joining them because of her meeting with the lawyer. (I guess she has to skip lunch to make up the missed time, or something.) Alicia makes some cracks about Lety's "station wagon." Then Martha shows up and tells them about her air-eating illness; Alicia makes a snooty remark about the "strange ailments of the poor." Sara makes fun of Alicia dying of hunger at her desk while they have a nice meal.
Time to split up the stories!
Ariel and Marcia
Ariel calls Marcia and invites her to lunch. She has too much work, but agrees to meet with him in her office. "How strange," she says to herself. I guess he doesn't come around too often.
He visits and makes small talk, asking vaguely about Germany and Conceptos. (He keeps peering out the window.) Marcia rolls her eyes and asks if there was something specific he wants to know.
He says he asked Lety about her brand-new boyfriend, but she was evasive. Gee, Ariel, why do you suppose it is that Lety doesn't care to chat with you like a girlfriend?? Marcia tells him that his name is Tomas Mora, and that's all she knows about it. He admits that she did tell him that much too, but wouldn't tell him where he worked. She was very reticent.
Marcia tries to remember the name of Tomas's company. She says Alicia would know, and gets up to ask her, but he says no, not like that, it's too important. He wants to know all about him, but evidently from past experience he doesn't think Alicia is the most reliable way to get useful information. :-)
Marcia assures him that Fern has already checked him out. Ariel wants to know what "el" is like. Marcia says, the boyfriend, or the car, and giggles, but Ariel is not in a joking mood. She answers, well, what would a boyfriend of Lety's be like? He scoffs. "Like a house of horrors." She says he's a Mr. Nobody with some money; nouveau-riche; a nerd, like Lety, who works at some place that pays well. She adds that Fern always defends Lety, but pays her really poorly.
Ariel says they need to stay on the lookout, check this guy out and find out where he gets his money. Fern gives Lety so much responsibility that she's practically running "our" business. She agrees and asks if that's why he came over here.
He says no, he came over to invite her to a cocktail party. He's entering into negotiations with some entity or other and tonight's cocktail is for getting acquainted. I think he says his date cancelled on him at the last minute. (I'm guessing she killed herself. Or he killed her. I still want him to be a crazed murderer so he can go to jail.)
No, upon replaying the scene it appears that some investors backed out at the last minute, so now he needs to raise more capital. She says really? But haven't you already invested all of your money? He says yes, but it's not enough. He's going to tell her the truth now so she won't be surprised later: At the Big Meeting, he's going to cash in his share of Conceptos. She squints with surprise, and he grinds his teeth in self-satisfaction.
She tells him he can't do that, that their parents would never have wanted them to split up Conceptos. He says his decision will depend on the financial condition of Conceptos at the Big Meeting. He'll stick with Conceptos if it's solid, as Fern claims.
On his way out, he catches Alicia yawning at her desk. When she sees him, she hurriedly gets up and starts exercising, I guess hoping he'll offer her some money or something. I really like her outfit today; I wonder what the bottom part of it looks like since she obviously forgot to put it on.
Ariel taunts her about yawning from hunger. He suggests that she should eat every day. He says he doesn't know if she is going to eat, but the food for sure. (I realize this makes no sense; I can't figure out exactly what he's saying, but I can only assume that it's extremely rude.)
She says "I'm going to eat at Le Noir, but first I am finishing my exercise routine." He asks if someone invited her, because it's too expensive for her.
(Le Noir is the most expensive restaurant in town - we found that out several months ago when the chick who "borrowed" Tomas's phone tried to get him to take her there for dinner.)
He gets on the elevator, and she mutters, "I AM going to Le Noir. You'll see, you wretch!"
Only For Women, part II
Saimon wants to whisk PM away for lunch, but she says she has plans and they're "solo para mujeres." Saimon whines... and cries... and begs... eventually Lety rescues PM and they all pile into her car - PM rides shotgun, while Sara, Irma, Martha, and Juana all sit on top of - I don't know what you call this - when you sit on top of the seat backs in a convertible so that it's really super-easy to topple out of the car when it's moving.
Fern and Omar come out just as they are leaving. Fern and Lety exchange murderous glances. Lety nervously puts on her seatbelt and backs out of her parking space.
With the very first jolt of the gas and brake, I fear for Juana's life, since she's just hanging on by a butt-cheek. It'd be a lot safer if just the two in the middle sat up top and then Juana and Sara could sit in the seat and, like, hold their legs to keep them from flying out, but I suppose it's harder to keep everyone in frame that way.
They are very rowdy as Lety navigates the streets of Mexico City. They want to listen to the radio, but they're not happy with the music that it plays. She admits she's not good at operating the radio yet. Martha says she's not so good at operating the car, either! She's driving just like her father - slow and not always in a straight line. It gets worse when she tries to fiddle with the radio - they all hang on for dear life (but still no one actually tries sitting in the seats).
Just as they recover from that, they nearly get into a wreck. Lety slams on the brakes. Instead of totally freaking out like I would, Lety just says "see what great reflexes I have?" and continues driving. She adds "and it's a good thing, because I'm still learning the difference between the gas pedal and the brake!"
(Martha complains that she feels queasy. How much do you want to bet she'll recover when her lunch arrives?)
Then they are passed by Omar and Fern. PM screams "Hi, Mr. Hot-Guy!" ("Licenciado Papacito" - not sure which of them that's addressed to.) Irma is scandalized by this. That's no way to talk to your bosses - what will they think? PM says they'll think they're happy, which they are. Lety agrees. They're away from Conceptos now - that stuff doesn't matter.
Irma worries about being late for Luigi. PM flirts with three men in a neighboring car. Irma disapproves of this, saying that it's disrespectful to Saimon. Lety cheekily replies that even if PM's on a diet, she can still look at the menu! PM wants to invite these guys to hang out with them, but says she doesn't want to get Lety in trouble with Tomas. Lety says don't worry about that. She grins foolishly, enjoying the mens' admiring glances! Just then, the traffic light changes, and they wave goodbye.
They get to the restaurant. Martha immediately asks if they have quesadillas. The plate captain is looking around the room, obviously wondering where he is going to seat this unlikely gang. Or if he even should. He tells them they need to wait a moment for a table.
Then they see Fern and Omar having their business lunch. Irma is spooked and wants to leave immediately, but Lety and Juana convince her to stay. Fernando approaches and wants to know if this was the reason she so urgently needed to leave the office rather than talk to him.
PM explains that Lety invited them to dine with her. He nods stupidly at this. Martha adds that Tomas will be paying for their lunch. Seeing that they know Fern and have the means to pay, the plate captain agrees to seat them. Juana thanks him effusively for his kindness.
Fern pulls Lety aside rather roughly and wants her to sit at his table, or at least come by and say hello, but she coolly refuses. She's busy, and it's her lunch hour. He asks what game is she playing. She denies any game. He points out that he had reservations here and then she just happened to show up with the entire cuartel. She claims (LIAR!!) that it was the cuartel's idea to eat at this restaurant.
Lety approaches the cuartel, who are now seated, and begins to say, "Don Fernando-" when Fern angrily interrupts and says he already knows that her boyfriend is paying for everything. Lety smiles angelically and starts again to say that Fern wants them to leave. They all start to get up, but he says no, it doesn't bother him at all that they're there. She says "don't worry, Don Fernando... FI is going to pay for it!" Just to make sure he knows. :-) He coughs violently (choking on bile, no doubt) and says he knows that. She asks, then why do you seem so upset? He denies this, and in return, he tells them that Lety's going to come to his table and say hi to their client.
She goes to Fern's table, says hi to the client, and then - both to be polite to the client and annoy Fern - she plops herself onto a chair. Omar asks "what with this massive presence," referring to the cuartel, and she gives a non-answer, saying we're going out to eat. Fern offers her something to drink, and she says no thank you. She gets up, says goodbye to the client and shakes his hand, and rejoins the cuartel. Omar and Fern still have their hands in midair, surprised that she didn't shake theirs too, so they awkwardly shake hands with each other!
The women are intimidated by the prices on the menu, but Lety tells them to get whatever they want, with no limit. They don't understand the menu, which is entirely in French. (Naturally, PM says she just wants whatever is the most expensive thing; Irma chides her for taking advantage.) They ask Lety to translate it for them, but Lety (who knows French, but perhaps not French food) airily says that would take too long, so she's just going to order lobster all around, if that's okay with them.
They're amazed. Some of them have never had lobster before. PM again loudly says that Tomas is paying for all of this. (From the other table, Fern glares intensely at Lety's back. No one seems to notice.)
The waiter wants to know how they want their lobster, and since Lety doesn't know one way from another, she covers her ignorance by telling him to surprise them. She encourages them to pick out appetizers too, and they are overwhelmed by the extravagance. (She turns around to shoot a scornful glance at Fern.)
Martha lists some items that sound like the entire Taco Bell menu, and Juana reminds her of her stomachache and her air-gobbling. ;-) Irma adds that this restaurant probably doesn't carry such things. Martha acts indigant, like she wants to leave.
Lety asks the waiter what he recommends. (Fern is making all kinds of faces in the background.) The subject of caviar comes up. Sara says she definitely wants caviar, but very well fried please! PM says don't be a dummy - you don't fry caviar, you parboil it! She claims she had it once when she went out with an executive. Lety tells the waiter to bring some caviar, and some crab, and whatever else looks good. (Fern covers his face with his hands. No one seems to notice.)
The waiter suggests langostinos. Right - langostinos are a great first course for lobster! Lety eagerly agrees. Unfortunately, Fern is out of frame at this moment; I suppose poor Jaime Camil was at a loss as to what sort of face to make at such ignorance!
The waiter asks if they would like some white wine? PM wants something stronger. Lety orders champagne. They are aghast. (Fern gapes. No one seems to notice.) PM is ecstatic over how awesome Lety's boyfriend is. Irmita gets spooked again and wants to leave, but they convince her to stay. The waiter asks what kind of champagne, and Lety says "the most expensive." (Note that she doesn't say "your best.")
Martha is happier now, but still grumbling because they don't have chalupas.
They eat and critique the strange foods. I think Martha says that the caviar tastes weird and the lobster's skin is too dark.
And now for the stunner: Lety overhears that Fern's credit card has been refused! Lety offers to pay their bill. The client is flabbergasted; Fern is mortified, but not in a position to refuse (although a save from Omar would have been nice). She grins smugly as she returns to her table... then snaps out of her daydream. Aw, damn - that would have been awesome! She recovers and says she was just thinking about Tomas.
Lety calls for the bill. Fern stops by their table to say goodbye and asks if they ate well. Martha indicates mild disapproval. (You're welcome, Martha! Jeez!) PM offers him some champagne and reminds him that Lety's boyfriend is paying for it! He unhappily toasts with them, then leaves.
PM says that Fern seemed angry with them. Irma thinks it's because of their scandalous behavior. Lety says no, that's his normal behavior. He's envious. Rich people can't stand it when poor people have money.
The bill comes and they all gasp, but she tells them not to worry and gives the waiter a 20% tip. The smile on his face is worth all the ugly faces Fern and Lety have made this hour - this guy will be able to retire young and buy a Pacific island with what Lety's given him.
In the car, Juana offers to read caracoles for her. According to my dictionary, those are conches, but those aren't particularly legible. Whatever it is, it has something to do with fortune-telling. Lety remembers the psychic's prediction. He says her feeling is true and pure, but a woman is crying in front of her wedding dress and can't put it on. The last thing she wants is another cryptic reading, so she says no thank you Juana. :-) She says maybe some other time, some evening. PM thinks this is a great idea - they can have a party.
Martha says the last time Juana read the caracoles, she said that Lety's boyfriend would change her life. Lety ominously declares that it had better be changing.
Fern and Omar
Fern goes running to Omar to babble about Ariel. He was interrogating Lety about the ledger, the Big Meeting, and she assured Ariel she'd give him all the details and everything. Fern complains that he tried to discuss it with Lety, but she was evasive, as she always is when he tries to talk about cooking the books.
Omar reminds him that their lives depend on her handling of their ledger. She could lose him two cars, maybe three (referring to multiples of millions of pesos). They leave for lunch.
When they see Lety and the cuartel driving away in the Swigglekarr-3000, Omar tries to console Fern, while Saimon sulks on his Vespa. (It's damn lucky for PM that Yazmin's not around today!)
Fern and Omar arrive at Le Noir. Fern is still fuming about Lety and her friends driving to their party, with PM screaming like she was going to fall out of the car, waving at him with her brutal humanity, like a queen at Carnaval (he does a disturbingly accurate imitation of a beauty queen in a parade).
Omar answers that she's a sweet little dummy and he misses her. Seriously, he says that, unless I somehow got that wrong, but I don't think I got it wrong.
Fern asks the bartender for a quadruple of "the usual." Omar asks if he's going to take away Lety's car. He says he can't, because she bought it with Filmo-Imagen's money, and not money from Conceptos. All the same, he feels it's his car, because he started FI with his own money.
Omar says it might be his morally and in his heart, but it's not legally his. "It's Lety's," Fern agrees unhappily, sipping his drink. Omar tries to calm him down for their meeting, with little success.
The guy from Krauss arrives. Or as it's spelled in the captions today, "Craos." I have a better idea. I'm going to call it CHAOS, in honor of Get Smart. It's the German sportswear company.
Omar does most of the talking, because Fern is very distracted. Omar says the sportswear ad is looking good. Fern says that Lety arranged everything.
The CHAOS guy - I think his name is Millan - asks if Lety is here, because he expected to meet with her. Omar says she only does the financial stuff, and although she's very smart etc., she feels out of place in a restaurant like this, doing public relations and things like that.
Just then, Lety and the cuartel arrive. Fern is impactado. He and Omar make up a lame excuse to Millan, that something really important must have come up. Lety joins them briefly, but then goes back to her table; Millan says to Omar "Didn't you say she didn't like this sort of place?" Omar says he thinks that Lety is in the process of changing her lifestyle. Fern sourly agrees.
Doctors say that when our bones grow or heal rapidly, we may experience "growing pains." Perhaps that is why Lety grimaces slightly at this moment - it's the mild discomfort of her rapidly-developing spine. Grow, little spine! Grow and blossom!
Omar tells Millan how well Conceptos is doing, and has to prompt Fern to participate. (He has been watching the women dismember their lobsters.) Fern says something about adjusting a payment. I find this difficult to follow, but he says something about covering 60% of the remainder, or maybe 60% is the remainder - I'm not sure. It appears that they are asking Millan for more money than originally expected.
Millan remarks on how well Fern's assistant and the secretaries are eating. Omar tells him that Conceptos pays well. Fern sarcastically (and loudly) answers that Lety makes more than they do.
A champagne cork pops. PM LOUDLY toasts Lety's rich, generous boyfriend.
Millan really shows a lot of interest in Lety's financial situation. Omar assures him that Lety is very kind to her friends. (Lety discreetly turns around and grimly raises a glass in Fern's general direction.)
Omar tries to improve the moment by proposing a toast to tomorrow's presentation of the sportswear commercial; the sound of another champagne cork at Lety's table dampens the mood somewhat. Millan forces a bemused smile.
Fern and Omar return to the office just in time to hear Alicia whining "Papa, I'm hungry." Omar warns that they'd better get out of the way before she sees them, but Fern is still brooding over Lety's behavior. That's not the same sweet Lety we know! This is some other Lety! She knew they were going to Le Noir and she went there anyway! He says there's only one possibility - Tomas arranged the whole thing!
They're going to take his company away from him. Fern tells him the psychic's prediction is coming true. ("I see that your heart is trapped.") He tells Omar that one time, Lety has the caracoles read for her and it said her boyfriend was going to change her life. Sure enough, Lety's life is changing because of her "rich boyfriend." Omar scoffs.
Fern actually gets hot (literally) and starts fanning himself. Omar says it's revenge and they discuss motives. "She knows something," Omar suggests. Maybe she overheard something. Or maybe - he starts laughing - maybe she read The Letter!
Fern doubts it. Martha's daughter told him how she and her friends found and demolished that damned Red Bag and its contents and put the envelope in his briefcase. Even their moms don't know about any of this. Omar also thinks that Lety would act differently if she read the letter - she wouldn't spend the money on cars and restaurants; she'd start a big scandal.
Omar has a great idea: Fern just needs to re-seduce Lety. Then they won't have to worry about her revenge, or Tomas Mora. Fern laments the corrupting influence of "Tommy Boy."
Labels: fea
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Thanks for the great recaps! Did you catch how Fer has his hand on Lety's shoulder when she was at the restaurant table with the client? Kind of a cross between "I'm dying to touch you" caress and "I'm so mad at you, I'm going to make you squirm" hard squeeze.
Either one would work for me.
Either one would work for me.
Permalink posted by 
: Saturday, November 11, 2006 at 9:09:00 PM EST
: Saturday, November 11, 2006 at 9:09:00 PM EST
The body language between them was magical and scary! It was painful to watch them torture each other - I don't think I can take a whole lot more of this. You know the tension's getting thick when you find yourself looking forward to the F&O rehash scenes just to get a break from all the stress!
I just keep hoping Fernando will grab Lety and give her a passionate kiss and she will melt in his arms! I know I would.
The touches now between them are almost too much to take!
She hates him but she loves him. He loves her and wants her but is hurt and angry. Whew!
This is incredibly frustrating!
I love the way Lety stands up to Ariel and matches him word for word and eye to eye. No more cowering and simpering Lety.
I"m living for the day the romance will begin again!
Carrie L.
The touches now between them are almost too much to take!
She hates him but she loves him. He loves her and wants her but is hurt and angry. Whew!
This is incredibly frustrating!
I love the way Lety stands up to Ariel and matches him word for word and eye to eye. No more cowering and simpering Lety.
I"m living for the day the romance will begin again!
Carrie L.
Permalink posted by : Sunday, November 12, 2006 at 4:03:00 PM EST
: Sunday, November 12, 2006 at 4:03:00 PM EST
Umm, not sure why you obsessed about the seating arrangement but since you seemed troubled by it, I wanted to point out that this model of Mercedes is only a two seater. The mujeres can't sit in seats that aren't there. They have to actually sit over the cover for the compartment that receives the convertible's top. All of their legs probably just fit in the space between the seat backs and that compartment. So you see, the way they are sitting is the only way to fit six people in a two-person vehicle!
Permalink posted by : Monday, November 13, 2006 at 12:30:00 AM EST
: Monday, November 13, 2006 at 12:30:00 AM EST
Thanks for the great recaps; they are so helpful. I agree about the tension between Fer and Lety--yikes! The chemistry between the two actors is amazing and what keeps us coming back for more. Right now all I want to know is, will they ever get back together??!!
Lisa
Lisa
Permalink posted by : Monday, November 13, 2006 at 10:22:00 AM EST
: Monday, November 13, 2006 at 10:22:00 AM EST
Actually, there is a "seat" behind the main seat. Very few cars are designed with no back seat because of insurance purposes. If you look closely you can see the space between the backs of the front seats and the start of the back end of the car (where the ladies put there legs). There is no place to put legs if you sit on the "seat" but it is considered a seat by the manufacturers and a slim woman would be able to sit in it and face outward. The seating arrangement bothered me too. I have a convertible and there is no way all five of them would have stayed up on the bonnent of the car if Lety was driving any faster than 5 miles an hour or as erratically as the cuartel claimed.
I agree with everybody about the tension mounting between Lety and Fernando. You can literally feel the frustration mount as they cannot channel the love and passion they have for each other in a positive way.
Thank heaven the writers added comedy to the restraunt scenes. God, I love Jamil Camil; I wish he could transition to American movies or TV. I died laughing when he did his imitation of the "reina of the carnival Vera Cruz": "Hola, Luciendo Papito, hola!" It was so funny--plus all the faces he made in reactions to Lety's outrageous spending over the meal. I long for them to be romantic again, but Lety threw down the gauntlet at Le Noir and I cannot see them getting together for anything but battles for awhile. It's sad.
BTW, I didn't like Omar calling PM a pretty dummy he misses. Man, his contempt for women is amazing.
Thank heaven the writers added comedy to the restraunt scenes. God, I love Jamil Camil; I wish he could transition to American movies or TV. I died laughing when he did his imitation of the "reina of the carnival Vera Cruz": "Hola, Luciendo Papito, hola!" It was so funny--plus all the faces he made in reactions to Lety's outrageous spending over the meal. I long for them to be romantic again, but Lety threw down the gauntlet at Le Noir and I cannot see them getting together for anything but battles for awhile. It's sad.
BTW, I didn't like Omar calling PM a pretty dummy he misses. Man, his contempt for women is amazing.
Permalink posted by : Monday, November 13, 2006 at 11:16:00 AM EST
: Monday, November 13, 2006 at 11:16:00 AM EST
I don't know squat about luxury sports cars, but yeah, it looked like they would all fall out, and then Lety wouldn't have felt so smug.
But I suppose it was the only way to really rub it all in Fernando's face. She must be even angrier than I thought!
But I suppose it was the only way to really rub it all in Fernando's face. She must be even angrier than I thought!
Thank you Letty for your translation of what Omar said about PM, but whaaa! it makes what Omar said even worse. If I were a writer for this show, I'd make Lety get revenge on Omar, too, while going after Fernando. God, what a creep!
Permalink posted by : Monday, November 13, 2006 at 4:36:00 PM EST
: Monday, November 13, 2006 at 4:36:00 PM EST
Hey, quick question. How does Fern's comment "humanidad brutal" translate? It's got have something more behind it that "brutal humanity", which makes no sense to me because of the context it was spoken in. What was Fern getting at?
Permalink posted by : Monday, November 13, 2006 at 4:45:00 PM EST
: Monday, November 13, 2006 at 4:45:00 PM EST
I wondered that too. It must be an idiomatic expression. I assume it means the opposite of "elegant and ladylike."
Perdon, insurance purposes???? Que??? Caray, hombre!! Surely, you jest. It's Mexico kids. Trust me, this model does not have a backseat. If I can find one, I'll try to post a link so you can check it out if you want. Either way, yes, I wouldn't have wanted to drive anywhere in that position with Lety at the wheel. But cramming people into cars is nothing in this country and it's not everyday your coworker invites you to ride in her $90,000 convertible for a free top of the line meal at the city's most expensive restaurant. Remember, these ladies are not cranking in the dough at Conceptos, now. :)
Permalink posted by : Monday, November 13, 2006 at 6:19:00 PM EST
: Monday, November 13, 2006 at 6:19:00 PM EST
Julie, I think that if you didn't hit the nail on the head, you're pretty close with that translation of it being the opposite of ladylike and elegant. It certainly makes sense and does kinda describe PM's behavior. Viva PM!
Permalink posted by : Monday, November 13, 2006 at 6:27:00 PM EST
: Monday, November 13, 2006 at 6:27:00 PM EST
Yup, insurance purposes. I worked at a car insurance company in the underwriting department for two and half years up until last July. Only two cars are manufactured without the fake "backseat." One is the car Fern drives and the other is the Honda S-2000. Some Porsche models don't have them either. While the car might have been insurable in Mexico it would not have been almost anywhere else in the world. The designers wouldn't change the design for one country. A picture won't help because the seat is so small that you can't see it. You would actually have to physically walk up to the car.
I do know what you mean about not caring about cramming people into the car! When I used to have to ride in my boss's truck in the Dominican it was usually me and about twelve people sitting in the bed. ;-)
I do know what you mean about not caring about cramming people into the car! When I used to have to ride in my boss's truck in the Dominican it was usually me and about twelve people sitting in the bed. ;-)
I think it's gonna be a looooong couple of months. I wish they could have stayed the way they were for a little longer. I'll have to keep playing the swimming pool scene. I'm not looking forward to Fern suffering. It's like going to get a root canal - you know it needs to be done, but you're not looking forward to it.
Plus, when and if they DO get back together it will be bittersweet, because that will be the end of the show. I wonder if it will come out on DVD, since I missed the first couple of months. Does anyone know?
Plus, when and if they DO get back together it will be bittersweet, because that will be the end of the show. I wonder if it will come out on DVD, since I missed the first couple of months. Does anyone know?
Permalink posted by : Monday, November 13, 2006 at 6:44:00 PM EST
: Monday, November 13, 2006 at 6:44:00 PM EST
I am hoping that it will be available on CD. Passion de Gavilones is now being sold, and that was just as good as La Fea Mas Bella is now. Passion de Gavilones is being sold by Amazon.com for about $40.00. It has three hot actors; they give Fern a run for his money--and it is very funny in a lot of parts. Best part, it has close captioning in English.
Permalink posted by : Monday, November 13, 2006 at 7:09:00 PM EST
: Monday, November 13, 2006 at 7:09:00 PM EST
I don't know if my poor heart could stand anybody hotter than Fern.
Permalink posted by : Monday, November 13, 2006 at 7:47:00 PM EST
: Monday, November 13, 2006 at 7:47:00 PM EST
Here's what I think should happen:
Marcia and Fernando will eventually marry (cross your fingers) and Lety will cry because Fernando will be married to Marcia! Meanwhile, Thomas Mora will be trapped between Alicia & Lety.
Marcia and Fernando will eventually marry (cross your fingers) and Lety will cry because Fernando will be married to Marcia! Meanwhile, Thomas Mora will be trapped between Alicia & Lety.
Permalink posted by : Monday, November 13, 2006 at 9:26:00 PM EST
: Monday, November 13, 2006 at 9:26:00 PM EST
Ok…apologies ahead of time to those who don't care for this fixation on the mostly irrelevant tangential subject of Lety's backseat, but I got us into it, so I am compelled to follow through. I put forth my contentions in the most respectful way. In the US a designated seating position for manufacturing purposes of a passenger car is largely defined by federal statute, which sets forth specifications and requirements based on perceived safety principles. While I can not claim expertise as an insurance underwriter for that particular private, for profit, company as to how they wish to adjust or reduce premiums for collision, comprehensive, or liability insurance for coverage from only that company based on classification of an automobile, I can say the company may not operate in a void and is nonetheless subject to all applicable federal and state regulations, be they insurance regs or safety regs or manufacturing regs, and statutorily there is effectively no such thing as a "fake" backseat. In fact, some jurisdictions in the US require that all passengers in certain categories of moving vehicles wear appropriate passive restraint devices. In these jurisdictions, in addition to any federal requirements, at minimum, there simply must be a seat belt, among other attributes, in order to qualify a space as a "seat." There are many more details that I can spend lots of time explaining and sourcing more thoroughly, but frankly it could take pages and be overkill (if this isn’t already). But these points, together with confirmation from (and yes I was curious so I queried) an associate who is an insurance coverage litigator, a cousin who works for Daimler Benz in Germany, an uncle that owns this exact car model save different Brabus Monoblock Alloy Wheels, and a neighbor that owns a Lotus Elise (another vehicle without a backseat) pretty firmly establish: 1) that this model of Mercedes, [a 360 deg. interactive interior view of which is available at the Mercedes Mexico website even though a picture is said not to convince] though possessing extremely meager (≤260 mm) storage capacity between the seatback and the automatic hard top receptacle, does not, nor is marketed to, have a backseat; 2) there are unequivocally more than two non-Porsche cars manufactured as such; 3) designers adjust car models constantly as necessary to comply with varying standards and markets internationally; and finally; 4)while perhaps more expensive premiums can be fetched, these cars without backseats are definitely not uninsurable in the US nor the rest of the world nations that even possess similar insurance requirements. Now, in Mexico, none of the exact same regulations exist, and as we discussed, an automobile’s seating capacity is only limited by the size of the people who can cram into it. So, in this regard, I suppose I will relinquish that this Mercedes may be said to have a backseat! Cheers!
Permalink posted by : Tuesday, November 14, 2006 at 6:09:00 PM EST
: Tuesday, November 14, 2006 at 6:09:00 PM EST
MARCIA AND FERNANDO MARRY????? NOOOOOOOOOOOO. If I don't get my happy ending, It'll be just like real life and who needs that?
Permalink posted by : Tuesday, November 14, 2006 at 6:39:00 PM EST
: Tuesday, November 14, 2006 at 6:39:00 PM EST
Dear Anonymous,
I appreciate your post and the facts you have put forward. Your friend is correct about statutes. However, as you have said insurance is different than federal statutes. The one thing I would like to correct you on is that I did not say two seaters are uninsuranble, they are just very difficult and expensive to insure. If you read this post and would like to see a photo of the backseat of this vehicle, the address is http://autos.yahoo.com/2006_mercedes_benz_sl_class_sl65_amg_roadster-slideshow/?i=inrrseat&a=all. As you can see, there are seatbelts as would be required for federal law. It's called a "fake" backseat not because there are no seatbelts, but because it would be almost impossible for a normal sized adult to sit in it. You are correct that the car is marketed as having no backseat.
I appreciate your post and the facts you have put forward. Your friend is correct about statutes. However, as you have said insurance is different than federal statutes. The one thing I would like to correct you on is that I did not say two seaters are uninsuranble, they are just very difficult and expensive to insure. If you read this post and would like to see a photo of the backseat of this vehicle, the address is http://autos.yahoo.com/2006_mercedes_benz_sl_class_sl65_amg_roadster-slideshow/?i=inrrseat&a=all. As you can see, there are seatbelts as would be required for federal law. It's called a "fake" backseat not because there are no seatbelts, but because it would be almost impossible for a normal sized adult to sit in it. You are correct that the car is marketed as having no backseat.
Oh dear. Never trust Yahoo. In this case I think it turns out that 1000 words are worth more than one picture. I thought a picture wouldn’t help? Well, this is actually a decent visual though it makes the area appear much more spacious than it really is in form, but with all due respect, what we are looking at is called the rear shelf or luggage shelf and accompanying storage compartments. The straps you refer to as “seat belts” are actually retractable luggage straps. I understand they are optional on some SL models. Neither my uncle’s, nor the car pictured on the Mercedes Mexico website has them. I didn’t see them on Lety’s either. Further, your picture is of an SL 65 AMG. Even though Yahoo’s pictures seem identical for all models, and though somewhat difficult to tell the difference on the show at a glance, especially with all the logo covering by Televisa, by all accounts Lety has an SL 500 (Gama). Plus, the model you pictured would cost over 2 million pesos, especially with the Brabus tuning package. The SL 500 is right around the 1 million Lety & Tomas say they spent. If all they do is drive around crowded, trafficky, Mexico City, the larger engine would be a waste, anyway more of a waste. I personally would find the SmartCar to be appropriate for the DF. I hope you’ll forgive me if I misinterpreted, but from your statement that, “While the car might have been insurable in Mexico it would not have been almost anywhere else in the world,” I did not grasp that you actually meant instead that two seaters would be difficult or expensive to insure. I assure you that if you are purchasing cars in this price range, especially in Mexico, you are not overly concerned about the price of insurance premiums. One final note, maybe disclosure of the name of that underwriting company is in order, because, frankly, if they will count this as a safe backseat, the only remote occupant of which could be a very young child or baby, and even give you a cheaper premium rate for carting around your little one in it legitimately, I’m thinking they’ll insure anything and anyone. If I ever get a DWI, or a vehicular manslaughter conviction I’ll look them up! Can we go to bed on this now? Thanks, Ale
Permalink posted by : Wednesday, November 15, 2006 at 7:14:00 PM EST
: Wednesday, November 15, 2006 at 7:14:00 PM EST
Ha, touché! (LOL) Yeah, actually though, it's more that I generally obsess over naïveté and the spreading of inaccuracy. I think I’m more focused on the sense and the logic of certain explanatory statements rather than the configuration of the ladies riding. It's just that people are scammed constantly through deception and misinformation. This is how ruthless dictators come to power. Well, they bulldoze everyone in opposition, and then come to power, but I hope you kind of understand my angle. For this reason, I'm just loathed to let things I say get corrupted in falsities, even slightly, be it purposely, or as most often, just from very innocent lack of knowledge. Ignorance may be bliss, but it can also get you into heaps of unpleasant situations eventually. Anyway, when I’m ill-informed, I appreciate others constructively teaching me why, so I can grow, that’s all. Besides, I guess I do have a little of that same Mercedes sickness that Tomas and Alicia are stricken with, so I’m obsessed slightly with the car itself. I suppose if it were a Ford Taurus I wouldn’t have given it a thought!
Ale
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Ale
Permalink posted by : Thursday, November 16, 2006 at 6:50:00 PM EST
: Thursday, November 16, 2006 at 6:50:00 PM EST
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