Caray, Caray!

Anything I don't mention in this recap - it's because you've heard it before. Many of the things I DO mention, you have also heard before. After a mad-cap dash through many countries and months at the beginning of this novela, this novela is gradually silting over with filler material.

After Gaviota manages to send away Aaron's newly-rejected lover, she advises him to go finish it off that very night, talk to the girl at the girl's apartment, or the girl will show up again and embarrass him. He's impressed with Gav's common sense and says she's indispensible. She flips her hair perkily and says she won't betray his confidence.

Isa has reappeared at the hacienda. Rod is more excited to talk about his cows with Roman than he is to say hello to his wife. He tells her he must go see to the harvest and will be back late; she says she'll have a great surprise for him when he returns.

Rod thoughtbubbles: she's a good woman but I don't desire her. Drinks tequila.

Hilario pulls the red negligée out of the bag and remembers how SanJuana rejected it angrily: "It's big enough for a cow!" His mom busts into the room. He inexpertly hides the flimsy scarlet nothing and bolts. His mom, of course, finds it and figures it's a present to her, from her husband Roman.

Isa selects an aphrodisiac menu from her new book and explains to SanJuana how it will stimulate Rod's libido and guarantee a delicious night. "Only science and food never fail." She is very enthusiastic while adding the active ingredients.

Rod and James have an ecstatic reunion in Meliton's agave field. Acacia enters the frame, head down, scowling, and offers Rod water. James asks nicely if he can have some, too. "I'm invisible to her, but I'd do anything to stay near her." [I just have to ask: WHY? I see no apparent charms in this young woman. -- Ed.]

James gives marital advice to Rod: "Your wife's pretty, you should at least try to have sex with her to save your marriage." "Maybe you're right. I'm trapped - in soul, body, and in love of Gaviota."

While Isa is planning the late-night seduction, Gav dreams of Rod and Isa living happily and intimately together. Their spectral kisses wake her. (Later she is looking on the internet for courses in business administration. Her mom thinks she doesn't need any more learning to be a receptionist, Gav reminds her it is her intention to climb the corporate ladder.)

Rod gets home late and starts flying up the stairs to his bachelor's quarters but Isa stops him. She leads him by the hand to a banquet table covered with rose petals and, I presume, aphrodisiac foods. He sniffs the food like a happy dog and eats and drinks enthusiastically.

So do Hilario's parents, who snatch the "samples" SanJuana took from Isa's science project. SanJuana meant the food for Hilario but the parents say, rightly, that Hilario doesn't need comestibles to get him in the mood.

The aphrodisiacs (plus the cow-sized negligée) work wonders for Roman and Ofelia; the next morning Roman, looking pleased with life, tells Hilario he's glad the XXX XL nightie didn't get returned to the store.

At first it seems Isa's plot is working: Rod gets hot and sweaty and says he feels suffocated. Far from filling him with ardor, however, the dinner just gave him a stomache ache; he surmises he must be allergic to seafood (it was probably oysters she fed him). Thanks to Andrea for the correction.

When Isa slips into Rod's bed he wakes with a horrified shriek - and bolts. Back to the drawing board...

In Mexico City - Gaviota comes back from lunch to find fully 20 guys in suits milling around in her reception area along with Aaron's two secretaries who immediately accuse her of having stolen her own computer monitor. It's quite incredible that this would require the presence of the entire senior staff. Oh well.

Gav indignantly accuses the two harpies of setting her up. Aaron hears the ruckus, comes out, hustles all the suits away except his most important lawyer, and takes a meeting with Gav and the lawyer in his office.

Gav mocks the idea that, having spent so much time desperately trying to get a job at Montalvo's, she would immediately sabotage herself by stealing her own computer monitor. She offers to pay for it out of her salary, or be in debt forever, just for the privilege of working at Montalvo's.

This convinces them. The younger secretary, who planned this all with Aaron's wifey and has been on the phone with her constantly giving the play-by-play, has to call and say the plan failed.

Minerva is all curses-foiled-again and says "Try again, but be careful cause it's your jobs and my marriage on the line here."

Gav bounces out of the office and says to the harpies: Nyah-nyah and don't try it again or I'll break you in pieces.

The important lawyer takes Gav into a private room to sign her promise that she's paying for the monitor. He leans in for a sniff and invites her to dinner and "something afterwards." "WHAT afterwards?" "Oh, just something." She slaps him and says I'm not that kind of girl. He says, careful, I'm important here and whatever path you're on I'll be there in front of you.

SanJuana helpfully tells the dejected Isa that she knows an old witch who can make a very powerful love potion. (Shades of Alborada!) This sounds like a good idea to Isa. They go visit the witch.

The witch does a product placement: "Benomi!" [Or maybe it's Bemoni, or Bemomi, or Benoni, I wasn't really paying attention.] "The Elixir of Hazoltl, God of flesh and lechery!" [Or something like that.] The witch continues: "Take a bath in honey and rose petals (excuse me, but blegh), then rub this potion all over your body, and for good measure give him twenty drops in his food, but be very careful with the dose, if you go overboard he may go insane for you until he dies."

That probably sounds better to Isa than it would actually be.

James has been sniffing Acacia, she of the pinched and angry face and poor posture. She rejects his offer to help get Drunk Uncle into bed, but later appears in his dark bedroom saying: "Embrace me, hard." First he says, "Oh, you're so young," and then he bangs her.

Then she tells him to leave the hacienda and never mention this again.

So James goes to Rod for advice. [I gotta say, the idea of James and Rod going to each other for advice is pretty funny.] Rod has already told Isa he wants to find work for James at his own place when the harvest at Meliton's is over. (Isa: "He will disturb our intimacy!" Rod, laughing thoughtlessly: "What intimacy?") But now that he hears how desperate James is to stay near Acacia, they cook up a plot: since the government is giving out grants for improved cultivation methods, they'll convince Meliton to let James stay and mastermind a grant-worthy project.

Back at the office - the revolving door of Aaron's amantes revolves and here's a new one with really red really curly hair, Pamela. Aaron tells Gav to let her in. Pamela is giggly and obnoxious, Aaron's happy to see her. She convinces him to go on a trip to the mountains with her that weekend. All they have to do, Aaron says, is conceal it from Minerva. Pamela: "Of course! I don't want to die young!" They smooch in Aaron's office.

But uh-oh - despite all Aaron's warnings that she not visit him at work, Minerva is roaring down the hall with a "just you wait!" look on her face as the credits roll.

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