Caray, Caray!

Evil dictator Carlota discovers the shocking truth which will shame the family for generations: Paloma is in a coffee shop. With a MAN?!?!!?! No, no. Iñaqui has slipped around the corner and stalker school shrink Angélica smoothly steps in. She tells Carlota that she invited Paloma out for coffee because she wants to get to know the students personally. Cruelota lets her know how short a leash Paloma is on, then hies away with her prisoner before any more low-class coffee shop cooties can get on her. After they go, Angélica and Iñaqui are amazed at how strict Paloma’s aunt is. Angélica warns him not to make things more difficult.

Outside, Carlota grouches about how strange it is that a school staff member would want to visit with students outside school. Paloma gives a mental one-finger salute to the captain and walks away.

At home, Paloma tells Macarena the coffee shop drama. Paloma thinks the new psychologist is heaven-sent, but wants to go borrow Romina’s phone to apologize to Iñaqui. Mac is totally excited to give Paloma her gift-wrapped new phone.

Emiliano shows Romina his new place of work: Orlando Ferrer, Plata de Calidad. She’s happy about the job because it means he’s staying. But that’s enough shop talk; she wants to talk about their relationship. Specifically, what does his mother think of her, and is he willing to do anything to defend their lurve? Emiliano thinks it’s a bit soon for such things, but says he likes spending time with her and wants them to get to know each other and see how things go. That doesn’t sound like the bodice-ripping romance she was hoping for, so she asks whether he has another dame. He says no, he broke up with his last girlfriend before leaving Monterrey. What about Romina? Germán said she had a boyfriend. Romina says Germán is mistaken.

Diana drops by Camila’s shop to swoon about their children hooking up, and hooray, probably soon they’ll get married! “God forbid!,” says Camila. Diana is offended. Cam says she doesn’t want Romina to marry so young. She wants her daughter to go to school and do lots of things first, and frownsmiles at Diana while she says she thinks it’s better to stay out of their kids’ affairs.

Rufi slips into Paloma’s room and Paloma locks the door so that she can show Rufi the new cell phone. Rufi cheers. Paloma wonders why her parents left her in Carlota’s charge when her mother disliked Carlota so much, and asks Rufi why Carlota is so bitter. Rufi won’t say. Paloma says she thinks people are hiding Important Secrets from her. She remembers the time she looked in Mac’s Deep Dark Secrets Box and Mac got so mad, and wonders if the picture of the man has something to do with the fact that Mac and Carl never married. Rufi tells her to leave her aunts’ painful past alone.

Romina invites Emiliano into the house since her mother isn’t home, but he doesn’t take the bait. He kisses her and leaves. Paloma watches from her window. Then she calls Romina with her new cell phone. Romina confesses to having told Carlota that Paloma was in the coffee shop and begs forgiveness. Paloma looks disgusted. As well she should.

Paloma tells Macarena that when Romina gets Iñaqui’s phone number, she is going to call him and apologize and tell him they can’t see each other anymore. Macarena doesn’t want her to do that; she should have friends. Paloma thinks it isn’t worth fighting Carlota over, but Mac says she wishes she had fought harder for her own happiness. Now she’s a spineless fool who lets Carlota run her life, and she doesn’t want the same to happen to Paloma. Paloma says she’ll just wait until she’s 18 and then do whatever she wants, but Mac says the heavy hand of Cruelota recognizes no age. She counsels Paloma to choose her battles wisely and fight for the things she really wants.

Camila tells Romina how delighted Diana is that Ro is dating Emiliano. Romina thinks Diana is a metiche but Camila warns her to be nice to Di if she wants things to go well with Emiliano. Romi makes no promises. Her phone rings, but she declines to answer.

Germán leaves a message for Romina, demanding to know how it is that Emiliano is her novio.

Diana tells Emiliano that his new job isn’t good enough for him. He should work at his father’s business, where he could start at the top. Em says it isn’t Dad’s own business, but Di says at least he’s a partner, and Emiliano is totally brilliant, unlike his stupid father. Emiliano tells her not to talk about Dad that way, and insists that she respect his decisions. She bratfaces at him.

Paloma visits Angélica in her school office to thank her for the lies. Angélica wonders why they were necessary. Paloma says her aunt is very traditional and doesn’t like for her to have friends, because having friends is a new-fangled thing only the hoodlums are doing. Angie agrees not to discuss things with Carlota if that would just make everything worse, but assures Paloma of her support.

Macarena and Carlota argue over whether Paloma trusts Carlota. Carlota says she is not rigid (Ha!) and Macarena says she has Paloma caged like one of the birds, controlling everything she does. Carlota says that is how good people like them live. Macarena says she’s not at all sure they’re good people. In fact, she hates herself for being the way she is, never doing the things that would make her happy.

Romina makes Paloma swear that they will be best friends 4ever. One might think Ro has some abandonment issues. Paloma asks her again to get Iñaqui’s phone number, but Romina has to skip on over to Emiliano’s office to do some smooching.

Germán is in Emiliano’s office, saying they should celebrate his new job. They should go to the jazz festival, and he should invite Romina…and Paloma. Emiliano thinks Germán is interested in Paloma, but Germán says it’s Iñaqui who is trying to find her, and asked him to call Romina to try to get in touch with Paloma. Emiliano wonders why Germán has Romina’s phone number, but hello, these people had lives before YOU came to town, dude. Emiliano gets called into the boss’s office.

Romina waltzes into the office and Germán demands an explanation for her behavior with Emiliano. She says she doesn’t have to explain anything. He says she does. Ro gets all passionately up in his face and taunts him.

So then they kiss, like it’s not the first time. Emiliano walks back in but they jump apart in time, and Romina says she came by to get Iñaqui’s number for Paloma. Germán focuses intensely on pouring himself some coffee. Ro gets the number from Germán’s phone and they overexplain how they were talking about going to hear Iñaqui play and Ger awkwardly ducks out while Romina wipes her lips and smirks.

Iñaqui calls the house phone and Paloma answers, but she has to pretend it’s someone calling the wrong number when Carlota walks in. And again, when he calls back. Carlota is not fooled.

Romina sits on Emiliano’s lap, keeping him from doing his work and trying to get him to go to a movie. She gets annoyed when he wants her to leave so he can do his job.

Padre Benito tells Cristóbal that he has his orders to move to (drumroll…) Real del Monte. Cris begs for a change. Anywhere but there. Padre Benito tells him it’s time he confronts his past.

After all the telephone-number-swapping drama, Paloma just calls Romina (from the bathroom, but she forgets to run the water to cover the sound) and asks her to tell Iñaqui not to keep contacting her. Romina says Iñaqui could be the solution to all her problems and she should take advantage of the opportunity for some fun. Paloma is too afraid.

Carlota tells Rufi she thinks Paloma has been acting strange, almost like (gasp!) a girl who’s interested in boys. I think Paloma should act like she’s interested in girls; that would really flip Carlota’s wig and then the interest in boys would go over better. Rufi says she hasn’t noticed anything different. Carlota says Macarena and Paloma aren’t allowed to answer the phone anymore.

Orlando and Emiliano discuss plans for business expansion. Orlando thinks they need to work on publicity for export sales. Emiliano has ideas for brand recognition. Verónica calls and says Diana is in the office. Emiliano looks like he wishes he hadn’t told anyone where he was working.

Romina calls Iñaqui and tells him Paloma wants him to desist because she’s a fraidy-cat. He’s not happy with that, and they agree to meet for coffee to talk about it.

Diana complains that Emiliano’s office isn’t nearly good enough for him. It’s a whole lot fancier than my cubicle, and I’m not fresh out of school.

Rufi and Macarena kvetch about Carlota’s imprisonment tactics. After some discussion, they decide she can’t actually know about Iñaqui. Mac says she wishes she had taken Paloma far away back when she had the chance. Rufi says the law was on Carlota’s side. She tells Macarena that Paloma suspects there’s a big secret in the family, and wonders what will happen when she finds out what went down all those years ago. Mac says she will never find out. It is a secret they are all taking to their graves.

Off in the big city, Natalia drops her daughter Sagrario off at catechism class. Then she catches up with Padre Cristóbal, who tells her he is heading to Real del Monte. She doesn’t want him to leave, but says her husband’s ex-wife has a house there, and also her friend Sagrario’s daughter, of whom she has heard nothing since she was taken in by the evil aunt, lives there. Cristóbal says he really, really doesn’t want to go.

Iñaqui tells Romina he’s not giving up on Paloma so easily. Romina wonders what he sees in her. He hasn’t identified the Eau de Protagonista, so he says he likes her sweetness and ingenuousness, and thinks she has lots of love to give. Romina says he must have great vision to notice all that with one look. Romina gives him Paloma’s cell phone number.

Iñaqui calls Paloma’s phone, which RINGS in her bedroom (way to be sneaky there, Pal). She answers and rushes to close the door while he says they must see each other. He says he’ll meet her at the school gates the next day, and can’t believe she would need her aunt’s permission for such a thing, or that Carlota wouldn’t grant it, so he won’t take no for an answer.

Diana and Emiliano Have Words at home. He’s mad that she’s meddling in his life and insulting his job. He reminds her that she was the one who wanted him to return to Real del Monte, and in order to earn the salary she thinks he should have, he would have to live in a big city. But he’s staying in town, FOR NOW. She is shocked that he has plans to eventually leave.

Carlota eavesdrops as Macarena advises Paloma to talk to Iñaqui in person and explain the situation and tell him how she feels, without intermediaries. You’d think people in that house would have learned how to whisper by now.

The students are all in the school courtyard, wearing long smocks and working at easels. The nun compliments Paloma’s work and asks if she’d like to be an artist, but Paloma says she wants to be a psychologist. Romina throws a fit when another girl bumps into her easel, and gives up on the assignment and chats with Paloma about Iñaqui instead. Paloma says they’re not meant to be; he has wings and she has roots.

Iñaqui goes to the haunted house and asks Carlota for permission to be Paloma’s gentleman caller. Carlota smiles evilly.

Avances: Carlota tells Iñaqui to stay away from Paloma. Macarena faints. Romina catches Emiliano hugging Paloma and has a cow.

Labels: amor