Caray, Caray!

And, she is one.

Carlota wonders why Cristóbal’s phone number gets her the church voice mail. It must be a mistake.

Joel is in the bar rehashing with Sofía her reasons for leaving him, without must apparent interest. He is rescued from her clutches by a phone call from Rafael, who needs to see him immediately. They agree to meet in another bar.

Paloma arrives at home, having survived a whole evening out in a dress that would be more at home in a polygamist cult compound. She looks out the window and sees Emoonyano sitting in his car, gazing dopily up at her. Her mouth twitches in a smile, but it’s not clear whether she’s thinking “Hi, Emiliano” or “Emiliano, are you high?”

Rafael and Joel can’t figure out why Diana wouldn’t sign the divorce papers. They surmise that maybe she wants more money, like all of it. Rafael is mostly concerned that if he’s left with nothing he won’t be so appealing to Camila.

The next morning (hilariously, Tommy Torres is singing something like “the night is slow, it’s like forever” as it goes by in .75 seconds), Diana is visiting Inés, and should maybe consider seeing Dr. Bermúdez because she seems to be having a seizure as she tells Inés she will never sign the divorce papers; she’s going to stay with Rafa against his will forever! Inés thinks that’s silly since she never even loved him, and now she could be free and have some fun. Diana thinks being a single woman is a fate worse than death. You marry for money and companionship; what’s love got to do with it? She mocks Inés’s fairy tale dreams of love. Inés says if money is a problem she can stay with her, rent-free, and one can imagine how much snooty Di likes that idea. Inés is looking fed up by now and leaves her own house to get away from Diana.

Cruelota asks some guy named Pedro if it’s true she can find Cristóbal at the church. Pedro points out Padre Juan across the plaza. Carlota is impactadisima. She start bellowing at Pedro to go stop Padre JC because she has to talk to him, rather than just walking over there her own nutty self. Padre Mateo comes along and asks what the fuss is about and Pedro just goes back to his sweeping, ignoring the crazy lady. Carlota tells Padre M she absolutely must talk with Padre JC immediately, but Padre M says too bad, she’ll have to wait a few days. She is furious but not yet unhinged enough to try to threaten and abuse the priest.

Joel slumps at his desk and thinks back to a bizarrely cheesed-up montage of happy times with Sofía. This inspires him to leave the office with a determined look and do cell-phone-tossing tricks on the way out.

Paloma runs off without eating her breakfast, to Rufi’s dismay. Carlota is m.i.a., but not in a cool musical way, and they think the only place she could have gone so early is mass. Rufi and Mac wonder aimlessly what will happen when she finds out that Cris is a priest.

Angélica strolls with Sor Gloria. The nun thinks she should get over Dario and make a play for Orlando. Ange says Orlando is great, but probably not interested in her. Location, location, location, thinks Gloria. Ange is right in his office; couldn’t be more convenient. One of the women from Dario’s life and Ange’s past, I can’t keep them straight, appears and wants to talk.

Paloma and Romina walk to school and Romi grills Paloma for information about Emoonyano and Angélica. Romi thinks he’s in danger from that slut Ange. Paloma thinks that’s rude and says she doesn’t believe everything she hears (since when?). She slyly asks Romina what she was up to yesterday. Romi claims she was just at home crying because her dad wants to see her and her mom doesn’t want him to. Paloma looks like she’s beginning to grasp the concept of being lied to.

Carlota is still standing in the church yard, muttering in Cris’s general direction that nothing, not even “his” God, will keep her from him.

So the woman with Ange is named Lucy. She’s the editorial director and she wants Ange to come back and work at the company, helping Dario and any of the other writers who need it. I’m not sure what kind of book company this is that has writers on staff with offices. Weird. Ange says no way. Lucy looks disappointed.

Pedro is now dusting the pews, or maybe wiping off the cooties from patrons such as Carlota. Rufi drops by and asks him if Padre Juan is around. If all the women in town keep asking for him, he is going to get quite a reputation. Pedro says the padre can’t talk to anyone now, and Carlota was told the same thing when she asked. Rufi is intrigued to hear that Carlota was unable to speak with Cris.

Joel meets Sofía’s father Pablo (Rafael’s former business partner) at the outdoor café. BadDad Pablo offers Joel a business partnership. Joel wants to include Rafael, but BadDad says he wants nothing to do with Rafael. The job and a house to go with it are in Mexico City, because no way is his daughter living in a backwater like Real del Monte. Joel confirms that Sofía put her father up to this, essentially trying to buy a husband and make him rich enough for her. He doesn’t seem terribly flattered. Rafael lurks behind a wall and takes all this in.

Diana tells Emiliano that she refuses to divorce Rafael because he’s just having a foolish midlife crisis. Emiliano doesn’t think so. Diana begs him to make Rafa reconsider. He refuses to get involved. Diana throws a hissy fit. Emiliano just leaves rather than putting her in time out or giving her a bottle and suggesting she needs a nap.

Rufi calls Macarena to warn her that Carlota knows Cris is a priest, but not soon enough for Mac to formulate a plan. Cruel walks in right as Mac hangs up the phone, and they immediately start bellowing at each other:
C: So funny! All this time you’ve been crying over a man who’s dedicated himself to God!
M: Yes! To God, not to YOU, like you wanted!
C: Ha ha ha! He’s a priest! Now you can never have him!
M: Well, neither can you! Nyah, nyah! At least I can remember the love we once had!
C: All you feel is shame!
M: I’m not ashamed at all!
C: You’re a coward!
M: I did what you advised, but now I see you only cared about yourself, not me or the family’s reputation!
C: It will be so funny when they all find out about Paloma’s provenance!
M: You can never tell anyone! We promised! You wouldn’t dare!
C: Bwaaaaahahahaha!

Quick, Macarena, cut her off at the knees and tell them yourself. Of course she won’t.

After class, Liliana asks Paloma why she came to her house the day before, but Romina is right there so Paloma makes up a lame story about wanting to borrow some notes. Attagirl, Paloma, with a little practice you too can learn to lie.

Pedro tells Padre M about all the women who are after Padre J/C. Padre M thinks this is getting out of control and decides he needs to try another tactic.

Back at the office, Rafael asks Joel where he’s been. Joel tells him about Pablo’s proposal (isn’t it so romantic when the suegro makes the proposal?) but says he’s going to decline; something about it doesn’t feel right. Rafael says he’s glad; word on the wire is that Pablo is involved in money laundering. Pablo hasn’t been fingered directly, but…Rafael is glad he’s no longer associated with him. They think Pablo may have ulterior motives for wanting Joel under his thumb.

Ange is busy secretarializing when Orlando asks her for a psychological consultation. He wants to know why women these days won’t let men protect them. Ange refrains from pointing out that it’s rude to generalize that way like all women are the same, and just tells him that Camila is used to taking care of herself and making her own decisions. Maybe what she’d like is not a man to take over, but a man who can be supportive and integrate into her life. Orlando thinks Ange is way smart.

Sofía meets up with Joel, excited and thinking their future together is a done deal. She is shocked to hear that his answer is no, and that he thinks her father is trying to use him for dirty business. “Qué rayo te picó?” she asks (“what thunderbolt struck you?” would be one interpretation).

Diana is having the longest epileptic fit ever, or she really needs to cut back on the caffeine. She’s having coffee with Camila now, repeating her same lines ever more frantically. Camila thinks contesting the divorce will just make everything worse, and can’t understand why she’d want to be married to a man who doesn’t want to be with her. Diana can’t see reason.

Emiliano reports Diana’s nutty stubbornness to Rafael. Rafa says he’ll have to start a lawsuit (pleito) then, because he wants the divorce settled ASAP. Emiliano tries to delicately ask whether something, or someONE, is behind the rush. Rafa admits he’s interested in someone, but swears this is recent and he was not involved with anyone when he decided to divorce. “Who?” asks Emiliano. Rafa says he’ll find out someday.

Camila drags herself despondently back into her shop and Meche observes that meeting with Diana has depressed her. Camila tries to deny it but Meche is no fool; she knows Camila feels like she’s betraying her friend by falling in love with her soon-to-be-ex-husband. Camila thinks it’s wrong to want Rafael since he’s still married, but Meche says he won’t be for long, for reasons that have nothing to do with Camila, and she shouldn’t grieve (acongojarse) for Diana because she’s a selfish #(&/%.

Liliana corners Paloma in the lavatory and asks what she wanted earlier. Paloma wants to know whether Emiliano knows about Romina and Germán. Liliana says she told him but he didn’t want to believe her, but it’s true. Romina is not a good person. Paloma looks pensive.

Aaron calls Emiliano and obnoxiously identifies himself as Paloma’s NOVIO. He accuses Emoony of using cheap tactics to get close to Paloma. They agree to meet for a duel in the café.

Carlota goes to visit her favorite shady lawyer, and he further proves his shadiness by blabbing that Macarena called for an appointment to talk about the will and Paloma’s inheritance. He says if she asks for the will, he will have to give it to her. He can’t lie, because that would be wrong. Ha. So instead he wants Carlota to prevent Mac from coming to talk to him.

Joel is kind of depressed, but Rafael cheers him up by saying he may not be able to offer him riches, but he can offer a clean respectable job that lets him sleep in peace. Joel says now he just needs a nice woman to share his life with. That will come, says Rafa.

Macarena wants to go straight to Licenciado Rojas’s office and insist on talking to him, but wise Rufi says he’s probably in cahoots with Carlota and it would be best to get another lawyer. Mac agrees and decides to ask about Camila’s lawyer.

After school, Paloma says she’s going to go visit Angélica, and Romina takes this as a personal offense.

Diana bounces and twitches into Inés’s house. Inés is not happy to see her, and says if she’s come to insult her again she may go ahead and leave. Diana insincerely and spastically begs for forgiveness. How does she keep up this level of frantic conniptions all day long? It looks exhausting. Inés says she forgives her, so Diana immediately demands coffee, which is the last thing she needs. I hope Inés has some belladonna on hand.

Emiliano stops Ange as she’s leaving the office and asks what she thinks of Aaron. She’s surprised to hear that he’s calling himself Paloma’s novio. Emiliano asks her to look into the situation, because he thinks there’s something very weird about the situation and Paloma is unhappy.

Inés tries to convince a still-wired Diana that she’s a catch and there are other fishermen on the lake. Di says the men only want pretty young things. Inés points out that the doc is in love with Macarena, and if she can attract an amante, why couldn’t they? Diana is all excited at the possibilities. Really I think Rafael could get rid of her by tying something shiny to the back of a bus heading out of town.

Paloma encounters Emiliano on the street and says she wants to talk, but not there. He tries to control his excitement and says they can go somewhere in his car.

Romina tries to call her father, but the number is Roberto’s place. Roberto tells her Samuel moved out and he doesn’t know where to reach him.

Mac and Rufi are packing food into boxes for some reason. Mac says she used to believe people were good and generous, but she’s learned the hard way that some are bad. Rufi thinks Carlota won’t follow through on her threats, as a dog that barks doesn’t bite. I doubt that’s true. Mac says that over her dead body will Cris find out Paloma is his daughter. That anvil is hanging by a thread now.

Emiliano and Paloma are now in the park. Paloma says she wants to talk about them. Amazingly, she doesn’t dither, and just states that she is in love with him, as much or more as he is in love with her. Big grins. He asks her to be his novia. She accepts. Smoochy smooch.

And Paloma didn’t even bother breaking up with her fake slimy old novio yet! That tramp! I can’t wait for the duel.

Avance: Romina and Aaron are not happy about this latest development.

Labels: amor