Caray, Caray!

Repeat: Iñaki swears to Paloma that they can overcome all obstacles, and they smooch with Carlota spying in plain sight ten feet away. Paloma doesn’t want to hide their relationship forever, and thinks that soon she can convince Tia Cruelota that she’s old enough to have a novio. Ah, such youthful optimism. Iñaki says he’s muy, pero muy in love, and no one has ever felt the way he does. Ah, such youthful self-absorption. They part ways grinning like fools.

Now: Paloma runs right home and shares with Rufi the good news that she and Iñaki are now novios. Rufi is thrilled to see a little happiness in the house finally, and they squeal and dance around. Macarena joins in the celebration.

Over at the Little Shop of (mostly horroroso) Art, Camila, Rafael, and Rafael’s designer Joel are discussing the new line of ceramics. Romina calls and Rafael answers the phone so that the others can keep talking, much to Romi’s disgust. Mostly, though, she’s annoyed because Mami isn’t home to fix her something to eat. Is she three? Such a demanding diva. With her mom and Paloma both finally developing new friendships, Romina’s little kingdom is unraveling. What’s a princess to do when the serfs revolt? After they hang up, Rafa offers to pay Camila for her help, but she won’t accept.

Cruelota paces her bedroom, overcome by the sins of the world. Well, not so much her own, mostly Paloma’s and Macarena’s, which exist primarily in her imagination. Macarena calls her for dinner, but she says she’s not eating; she has a jaqueca (headache). Macarena says they need to talk ASAP, and Carlota yells at her. Once rid of her sister, Carlota is free to think back on her conversation with Arcadia, the housekeeper at Iñaki’s mother’s house. Arcadia told her that the señora of the house cohabitates with her boyfriend, who is 10 to 15 years younger and treats her like a queen. Carlota was scandalized, and got Arcadia to promise to keep her updated on the household goings-on, despite just having told the school staff that what goes on in her own house is no one else’s business. Out of the flashback, Carlota snarls to herself that there is no way she will let Paloma associate with someone from such a family.

Down in the kitchen, the others eat dinner and Mac tells Paloma she and Camila are going along to the bar on Friday to hear Iñaki play. Living vicariously, she wants to know whether Paloma is in love. Paloma at first will not confirm such a level of emotion for a guy she’s spent a grand total of about a half hour with, but after Rufi waxes poetic about a first love being like the moon in January and butterflies in the belly, Paloma agrees she’s very much in love. Carlota eavesdrops and glowers.


Camila and Romina eat their ten-minutes-late dinner and Romi kvetches about Camila having helped Rafael with his designs. She wants Camila to have nothing to do with him and for Emiliano to join his father’s company instead. Camila is sharp enough to see that Romi is just mad that she’s getting attention from and paying attention to people other than Romina.

Orlando and Emiliano drink coffee and talk about publicity. Emiliano thinks they need a website and offers to take charge of that. Orlando is pleased with his enthusiasm and says his parents and girlfriend must be very proud of him. Emiliano isn’t too sure about the girlfriend thing. He thinks something hasn’t gelled (cuajar = to curdle, to thicken, to take hold) between them. Orlando thinks it’s weird that things aren’t a thrill a minute at this stage of the relationship, but tells him to give it time. Emiliano never tells anyone that he was basically cornered into the relationship like a cow into the abbatoir loading chute.

Germán whines to Iñaki that he doesn’t want to go to the jazz gig because everyone else has a date and he doesn’t. He confesses that he’s clavado con Romina. Iñaki is a little shocked, but tells him to just find someone else to go with. Germy says there’s a girl he could ask, but she goes to the same school as Romina so that could be awkward as he doesn’t think they like each other. In a town that size I don’t think you can be so particular about only dating girls who like or don’t know your exes. Iñaki pushes him to call anyway.

Paloma asks Macarena whether she’s going to the dispensario this evening. Mac at first says no, then changes her mind when she realizes she needs to go thank Iñaki for the flower. Paloma wants to make cookies for Iñaki’s mother, and Mac agrees to help. For those of you preparing the trivia game, Paloma doesn’t want to make nut cookies, because that was the kind they had made for her parents the day they died.

Mac barges into Carlota’s room and demands an accounting for Carlota’s lies. Well, the ones she knows about; namely, why Carlota said Dr. Bermúdez couldn’t come by when Mac was sick, and why she claimed the doctor recommended another medicine which made her worse. Carlota calmly lies that she didn’t want to bother Dr. Bermúdez so she called another doctor (and bothered him or her?). Mac makes the tactical error of telling Cruelota she now has a new injectable medicine which can’t be mixed with anything else, so Cruelota should stay out of her medical affairs, nearly guaranteeing that Cruelota will meddle in her medical affairs. Cruelota smirks and looks very purple.

Romina flounces into Emiliano’s office and demands to know why he didn’t inform her of their parents’ work collaboration. Emiliano doesn’t think it’s a big deal, and tells Romina she should be nicer to her mother, which was not in Romina’s script. Romi says she does love her mom, EVEN THOUGH mom totally failed as a woman and that’s why her dad left. Emiliano tells her not to judge. Romina thinks Em should stop defending her mother and start paying more attention to Romi, because he’s so lucky to have a girlfriend such as her fine self. She slithers across his desk and kisses him, but he says he has to work and she flounces back out.

Joel and Rafael are still raving about Camila’s revolutionary ideas for the new line of ceramics and glassware. Rafael wants to launch it as soon as possible.

Flowers are delivered to Camila, with a note of thanks from Rafael.

Mac thanks Iñaki for the flower, and he says he’s delighted they’re going to come listen to him play. He invites them to his house to meet his mother, and Mac says Paloma can go but she thinks it would be too formal for Paloma’s tia to go meet his mother this early. Iñaki says they may be young, but he’d happily marry Paloma tomorrow.

Camila calls Rafael to thank him for the flowers. He says he’d like them to keep collaborating.

Emiliano drops by Romina’s house, and Romina whines to him that she feels like he doesn’t care much about her. Commence the heavy liplocking, which is SO heavy they must collapse onto the couch.

Well, the kissing lasted through the adverts, but immediately afterward Emiliano breaks away. Romina can’t believe he doesn’t want to do it like they do on the Discovery Channel. He says it’s too soon and he doesn’t want anyone to get hurt. Romi says she is hurt by the rejection and humiliation. His attempts at reasoning are rebuffed and she gives him his marching orders, with an elbow thrown in for good measure when he tries to kiss her goodbye.

Cruelota answers the door at the House o’ Gloom and accepts the medicines being delivered from the pharmacy. Then she sends Rufi away with an envelope to take to Inez.

Paloma and Iñaki stroll in the park, holding hands and eating ice cream. Emiliano passes by on his way back to the office and they tell him their happy novios news. He congratulates them and smiles but not with his eyes and tells Paloma she looks prettier than ever.

Romina places a booty call to Germy’s voice mail. He sits in his office twitching as his little angel and devil fight it out.

Cruelota adulterates some vials of medicine.

Camila comes home to find Romina lolling on the sofa. She suggests that Romina find a fun class to take in the afternoons, but Romi just blames her mother for her boredom. Then she tells her mother that absolutely no way is she allowed to go to the bar with them on Friday.

At dinner, Mac tells Carlota that she and Paloma are going out to dinner on Friday to celebrate Paloma’s academic success. Carlota says she’d like to go, too, but Mac says maybe another time. Carlota agrees way too easily, and even pushover Mac knows something’s rotten in Real del Monte.

Alone in her bedroom, Carlota cackles over the fun Mac and Paloma are going to have at their dinner. Meanwhile, Mac gives herself the injection.

Romi ignores messages from Paloma and Emiliano, and has no luck reaching Germy.

The next morning, Paloma tells Romina that she and Iñaki are novios, and Romina is mad because she’s about the last to know, which she says is totally rude since she was the one who took Paloma to the party where they met (actually, I think Emiliano invited them both equally). Also she’s mad because it’s Paloma’s fault Camila is going to the bar.

Rufi is surprised to find Mac still in bed, sick again.

The nun teacher announces all the students’ scores to the whole class. Paloma gets the best grade. Romina gets a zero, and the whole class laughs at her. Paloma offers to tutor her, but Romina says that now that she has a novio she won’t have time. Paloma insists that of course she will, and they swear that they will never let a man come between them and will be friends forever, so start the countdown for a man to come between them.

Metiche Diana drops by the art shop to try to gossip with Camila about their kids’ lurve-fest or lack thereof. Camila says they should give them some privacy. Diana discovers the flowers from Rafael and is jealous. She tries to call Rafael for an explanation but he’s at the factory and unreachable.

Paloma finds Macarena still in bed, and Mac pretends she’s just resting because they’re going to be out late and she’s used to going to bed early. She gives Paloma a new dress to wear.

Romina and Camila fight about whether Camila’s allowed to go out. Romina throws a fit and Cami rolls her eyes.

Rufi and Paloma ask Carlota for something involving tying a bow (lacear) for Paloma’s ensemble. Carlota gives her some money.

Emiliano calls Romina and wants to talk about what happened between them, but she doesn’t want to discuss it on the phone; they will wait and discuss their sex life or lack thereof at the bar.

So Paloma’s out having her hair done, while Iñaki practices his saxophone and Macarena irons and looks ill.

Back at the house, Rufi raves about Paloma’s new look, which is exactly like her old look. Paloma goes to show Mac and finds her collapsed on the floor, with the ironing board knocked over and the iron probably burning a hole in something. Paloma yells for help. Carlota places a call and leaves a message for Dr. Bermúdez. She may or may not have actually dialed. Carlota and Rufi fret over Mac and Carlota sends Paloma away. Paloma calls Iñaki, but Carlota catches her in the act and looks furious.

Avances: Paloma’s had it with the secrets. Iñaki attempts a balcony rescue of his precious Rapunzel, but Carlota may catch him.

Labels: amor