Caray, Caray!

I have to pinch-hit tonight for your usual recapper. I don't have time to look up the dichos, but hope somebody else caught some of the juicy ones and shares them with us!

Cesar Luis to Gaitan: "You were right. Monica told her before I did and Paula didn't like it much. I gave her a thousand excuses, but no, she took her stuff and split." The only solution is to separate from Monica completely. Gaitan says Cesar will end up like the dog with two cakes (guess this is a version of the Aesop's Fable in which the dog carrying a steak over a river looks down, sees a reflection of his steak, lets go of the one he has to grab the other, and loses both). "Then I guess I have to get rid of Paula. Let's send her to Monterray, she needs work AND she needs to get away from me, this will solve both her problems. Fire that guy in charge down there."

Juan to Paula in the car: "You're a strong woman, you'll feel better." She tells him: "I've quit the company." He's so impactado he pulls the car over in a scary screeching stop. Paula gives The Speech (and I'm just going to write this once), she needs tranquility, she has a thousand good reasons for leaving, "in fact the only reason to stay is you." This also hits Juan, who thought-bubbles: "It's hard to stay quiet and not say I can't live without her, especially now that I have no rival!"

I see that Kike is now honestly employed lounging around in the parking deck with Fernando and Juan - does he actually have any duties? Fern and Kike are all over Juan when he gets back and Kike teases Juan about messing with the boss's woman. Juan goes ballistic. Kike asks to be forgiven. Juan asks to be left alone. "Has my big mouth cost me your friendship?" "Nobody messes with my licenciada, she's suffered enough, the woman I love is weeping tears of blood. I have to tell her I'm in love with her." Fern and Kike try to hold him back, saying he'll make everything worse and get fired. To no avail: "I should have told her the very first day. I can't poison my soul any longer hiding these feelings." He strides towards Paula's office.

Paula gives the Speech to Marely, saying "You and Juan are my only allies. I'm so tired." They rag on guys for a while. "They all like to adorn their egos with women, they're so insecure. I could never love a man who would leave his pregnant wife."

Marely goes back to her desk and Juan breezes past her before he loses his nerve. He bursts into Paula's office and looms over her silicone cleavage which has been artfully enhanced with dark blush. After trying to get the words out he finally says: "I need you to stay! I can't live without you!" Then he adds: "Many people here feel this way," and mutters CHICKEN to himself. She gives him The Speech. She thinks he's worried he'll lose his job, he says that's not it, Marely comes in with the typed up letter of renunciation, Paula privately tells Marely Juan is acting very odd, so she'll go give her letter to Cesar Luis, Marely should stay and talk Juan down.

Kike rushes up and tells Marely they have to save Juan from himself. Marely says, "He's in her office alone, he tried to tell her but failed."

Cesar Luis holds up the letter like a dead rat and says, "What's this?" "My renunciation." "This is the third time you've quit." "This time it's for real, irrevocable." "You said that the other times too." She gives him The Speech. He says, "You're letting a personal problem affect your work." She yells some more. He accepts her resignation and says she can leave right away if she likes. She forgot to sign her letter - she signs it. He rings for Gaitan.

Marely tells Juan this is the wrong time and place to declare his love. "She'll blow you off. When a woman is wounded, she has to heal from within." "What if I never see her again?" "Well, you know where she lives, you can go visit, and there's always the telephone. I love you like a friend, like a sister, and I'm trying to help." Then Marely goes to the bathroom and cries, "Juan, if you only knew how much it hurts me that you're in love with her!"

Juan gets in the elevator. At the last minute Paula slips in too and whispers, "just embrace me." He apologizes for telling her how he feels at such a bad moment. "I've felt the same ever since we met, Juan, but I was trapped with the wrong man. I love you so much." They kiss passionately. Of course it was all a daydream. He feels like a lost child.

Kike and Fernando say "We told you so." Juan says he wants to be alone and thoughtbubbles: "I have to get my happiness back, my matador's smile." He practices his moves.

Paula yells more and tells Marely: "I hate him! He'll come crawling back on his knees and I'll laugh." However, Cesar is simultaneously crowing to Gaitan: "It's perfect! I'm an artist in managing women! I'll let some time pass, prudently, then when she's calm she'll be suffering for my absence." He practices the speech he will then lay on her: "I can't live without you, but I can't leave Monica while she's pregnant - but within me, everything is yours." He looks nobly into the distance. "How did that sound, Gaitan?" Gaitan thinks Cesar has been very lucky. Cesar says, "Oh, hire that guy back in Monterray." "That might be hard, he's pretty peeved with you." "With ME? You're the one who fired him. Give him a raise. I don't like injustice." Gaitan leaves, muttering about injustice.

Then Monica comes in. Cesar shows her Paula's resignation letter. Monica asks how it happened, Cesar spreads his arms in frank bemusement, "I gave her everything, I have no idea." "Well, she's a great executive and I like her, she can't quit." He says Paula is stubborn and always has to have the last word. "Oh, like me? What happened to that 'Farell is a family' thing?" "Oh, that's just motivational baloney to keep the employees happy. Anyway, I'm sure she just wants more money, I'm not giving in to this blackmail."

"She's worth it." Monica says she will talk to Paula, woman to woman, find out what's really wrong, and convince her to stay. Cesar says no you won't, Monica says she's co-owner and she will. Cesar is speechless.

Paula and Marely pack up - "I only want my essentials, I don't want any memories of this place. How's Juan?" "Worried for you." "Oh, there's nobody like him, he makes me feel so taken care of, he laughs, he's sensitive ... if I ever want a man again I'll look for one like Juan."

Nidia shows off her frilly white dress, Yadira says she looks ready for her quinceanera (15th birthday big bash). Nidia chooses to think that means she looks very young and says Yadira can wear this wonderful dress when she gets married, and then Marely can wear it next. "Fuggedabout it Ma, and anyway marrying in white is for pure virgins." "Well, I'm 1 for 2 - I'm pure. Maybe this dress is the only good thing I'll get from this marriage. I always wanted to marry in white." Nidia gabs with her seamstress about Children Today (they'll make all the mistakes we did). Perafan comes in and Nidia hides from him - it's bad luck to see the bride in her wedding dress before her Special Day.

Monica has her talk with Paula and asks if money's the problem. There's a weird cut after which Paula tells Marely: "The only thing I could think of was to ask for such a ridiculous amount of money that..." Another weird cut and Cesar is telling Monica: "No, no, no! Nobody pays this much, you want to ruin our business?" Another weird cut and Monica is telling Paula: "Good news, you got your raise!" Oops.

I think that was the end, but I'm not totally sure, because now I have to rush off and recap "Destilando."

Signing off -

Labels: Juan