Caray, Caray!

Alternate title: IF YOU CAN'T BE WITH THE ONE YOU LOVE, LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH (but Cathy already used that for "Guapos" last night)

Yes, our Juan has gotten himself into another pickle. Two "engagements"(Hillary and Marely) one rejected and furious female (Laura), and one true love (Paula...to whom he's NOT engaged).

And I'm in a pickle too...somehow the show didn't "record" so I'm going on one distracted (phone calls and doorbells) viewing. Please feel free to add or correct any bloopers.

Okay, rehash first. Juan( looking rather dazed) and Marely are having their "I came back- now do you still want me" conversation and he's saying, with a bit of hesitation, Yes, I still want you to be my girl..."till death do us part" and they ease into some delicate one-lip nibbles...nuthin' like the hot passionate kisses he and Paula exchanged. Not even like the smooches he was laying on Hillary just a few moments earlier.

Nidia and Yadira leap away from the door when Marely and Juan emerge from the office but Nidia wastes no time in saying "When's the wedding? I assume your intentions are serious. This isn't just "el manoseo de gratis" (free groping) now is it!? Juan, still looking dazed, thought bubbles "What have I got myself into?"

A very happy Hillary (thinking she's engaged to Juan) and her papa are talking in the garden. She assures him she's happy but he warns that such intense happiness doesn't last (and don't we know it!) At this very moment Juan is kissing another woman and the Cachons are getting ready to celebrate his engagement....but not to Hillary.

Willy is commiserating with Ana, who laments that her daughter's heart is broken and she doesn't know what to do, since Ana loves Juan and Marely as well as her darling Paula.

No parent likes to see his child suffer, sympathizes Willy. But if you believe in God (she does, with all her heart) then leave it in His hands.

Now Juan is back at the office and Paula is probing. Where were you? A banker's luncheon? Why? Oh, charity work? And I suppose this charity might have something to do with Hillary, no?

That's the long slow pitch...now the fast ball. Don't you miss Marely? Aren't you thinking of her? Well, she's here, replies Juan...she never went to Spain. More probing. And she accepted my proposal, he adds reluctantly.

Fast switch to the larcenous Alirio who has purchased a new computer to continue bleeding the money laundering account. He assures a contempuous Nidia that the computer is to take care of his new clients.

Well, Nidia's going out. To Spain? Nope. She's going out to celebrate Marely's engagement to Juan. Here Alirio speaks for us outraged feminists, saying Great!!! Marely has turned down a brilliant future to fall prey to the lower passions.

I wouldn't put it quite that harshly...I'm still a romantic after all...but I DO think Marely should have gotten on that plane to Spain. Oh well....

If you feel that way, we won't need you for the celebration, snaps Nidia. You can babysit while we women go out with Juan.

Back to probing Paula. She knows Marely has accepted Juan's proposal...but did Juan accept Marely? Yes he did. He's now an engaged man. (and how...to two women at least) Paula looks all tremulous and shaken but manages to say how great it is and how he couldn't find anyone better than Marely etc. etc.

Clueless Juan is disappointed, thinking there's no love left for him in Paula's heart. She's not doing that great a job of hiding it, but as I said, he's clueless at this point.

He blunders on and invites her to the party but she pleads a previous engagement and lets him infer that it's with "Sandro". Then there's just this LOOK...full of pain, holding back the tears yada yada but again Juan misses it.

Paula staggers out of the office, new-best-friend Ivonne rushes after her saying "what's wrong" and Paula cries on her shoulder. Paula just wants to die, she rebuffs Ivonne's suggestion to come clean with Juan about her feelings, and once more says she just has to "resign herself to losing him" Self sacrifice seems to be a big theme in these telenovelas.

Now in bops the relentless Laura to remind him of their date that night. Juan launches into some fast talk about not being able to come and not being able to continue the relationship period. There's some palaver about Romeo and Juliet and he throws in some other Shakespeare "to be or not to be" ( a different play but whatever). Laura cuts him short so he finally gets to the point...he's in love with another woman.

Who...Paula?! No. Hillary?! No. WHO?....er, Marely. QUE!!!!!!!

We now have alternating scenes of two devasted women heading for home. Paula brushes off Ivonee's offer of tea and says she must leave, must go to sleep and she hopes she never wakes up.

Laura is storming out in a fury after having told Juan she feels used, humiliated and cheated. And furthermore he destroyed her heart.

"Sandro" intercepts her at the elevator. Sympathizes while dissing Juan, offers her a ride home since she forgot her purse, and invites himself in for a drink (white wine) once he gets there.

Laura picks up on the fact that he has an edge where Juan is concerned but he denies it. And just to show she's not really that swift, she gushes, "Too bad not all men are like you."

Kike arrives at Casa Cachon to see Nidia Michaela and is greeted with the news that they are celebrating Marely's engagement to Juan. He blurts out "Wow, this is really going to complicate things!" and when Nidia demands to know why, he hedges and says, "Oh you know with my marital history, I just take a dim view". Whew, nice save there Kike.

We thought Paula was home; that's where Ivonne left her. But somehow she has gotten to church and she's praying to Santo Niño de Atocha for strength to handle Juan's loss. I recognize my mistakes, she adds (ah, redemption...very important) and I accept what's happening. But give me strength!

Now here's where we know Paula and Juan are going to end up together. They both pray to the Santo Niño. It's a no-brainer! They're meant for each other.

Kike has now entered the Bedroom of Endless Acrimony. Yadira is tearing into him about his new hookup with Julia, within a day of signing the divorce papers no less! He reminds her she was living with Topete while they were still married...not to mention her relationship with Angarita!

The sparring continues and she literally pushes him out the door, cutting short his visit with their baby. Bad Bad Yadira!!!! She's got some heavy duty anvils coming, methinks.

Juan and Juanito arrive and Juan is scared to death by Kike lurking in the bushes. He explains that Yadira kicked him out after ragging him about Julia.

Well at least she was jealous...meaning she still cares, complains Juan. Paula didn't bat an eyelash when I told her about Marely. He quickly sends Juanito off to do homework while he continues his complaints with Kike. He admits he hasn't said anything about Hillary (or to Hillary about Marely) and Kike opines that Papa Paris will probably put two or three bullets in Juan when he finds out.

Mother/daughter scene back at Ana's. Paula is cryinhg and holding Juan's teddy bear in a death grip. Mom...You said nothing!?..Do you think your sacrifice will make them happy? He even invited me to the celebration, wails Paula. Help me Mom!!!

And speaking of moms, Juanito is jumping for joy saying that finally he has the mom he wants. And surely Dad can't be thinking about Paula anymore because didn't he tell Juanito that a real man only has room in his heart for one woman!? Juan looks thoughtful (a stretch) and says nothing. But he thought bubbles, "How can I get Palomita out of my heart and get my little Rose Garden in?"

How indeed, Juan?

Now the scene is at the restaurant where our not-so-recovered-alcoholic Nidia is lobbying for a toast with tequila rather than water. Toasting an engagement with water is clearly bad luck!

And speaking of bad luck, in comes our sexy embassy man with a couple of flamenco dancers and to Marely and Yadira's horror, invites Nidia/Brigette, one of our "greatest flamenco dancers" to come up and dance with him.

Well, you know how that went. Nidia hops up, stomps all over the floor and all over her partner's feet, leaving him in pain and the audience in hysterics.

"Sandro" is finally winding up his sympathy visit with Laura, assuring her she would have become bored with Juan rather quickly; and makes his way home where he devastates the real Sandro with the news that Juan is now engaged to Marely. He admits to Sandro that Paula is the only one who interests him.

Will you forget your plan of vengeance if Paula accepts you? asks Sandro. Possibly. Cesar Luis also says he thinks he can use Laura in his plans and that's why he's consoling her.

Kike and Julia are discussing plans also. He worries that he won't have much time for his daughter with starting up the new business. She offers some helpful ideas, she's found a good place to rent, etc. and then adds that she's thinking of quiting her job at Farrell so she can run the office for Kike, answering phones, dispatching orders, etc. He's thrilled and happy with her help. What a contrast to our little pit bull Yadira!

Head nurse Pastor is admonishing Angarita to stay in bed one more day...no big efforts, please! But he is glad to see that his bro' is eating something and seems to be improving. Aren't you late for work? grumps Angarita. Indeed he is...but call me on my cell if you need anything, Pastor adds.

Angarita struggles up after Pastor leaves and heads out the door where he clutches his chest and collapses in the street. A taxi driver comes to his aid (is it our ONE taxi driver in Mexico city? don't know for sure, couldn't see his face). Angarita manages to gasp out, "I must speak to Nidia Cachon."

And there we end for this evening.


Vocabulary

manosear to grope, fondle

cortar las alas a alguien (in this case, Laura) clip someone's wings

dar aliento give encouragement (Willy to Ana)

perro viejo no aprenda nuevos trucos can't teach an old dog new tricks
Nidia to Alirio

ni con pistola! not on your life! Juan

eso es lo de menos that's the least of it (Juan to
Laura)

la cordura good sense, sanity (what Paula would
like to get back to)

babeando por (Paula Davila) drooling over, crazy about Paula
Davila (said by Laura)

noticieron a ocho columnas big headline news (Nidia, speaking
about engagement)

es un decir it's just a saying (Kike, trying to
correct his blunder)

cerrar con brocho de oro wrapped it up neatly, tied it up
perfectly (sarcastic remark during
Kike and Yadira's umpteenth fight)

todo a su tiempo all in good time (Juan,
backpedaling like mad concerning his
engagement to Marely)

dimelo a mi! Tell me about it! (Marely talking to
Nidia)

Labels: Juan