Caray, Caray!

From Friday: Mao whines to Tano, "Never offer me advice again." He believes that by following his advice, he now faces the prospect of Moni fleeing to Las Vegas with Beto. Tano offers to help but Mauricio declines, it'll only make matters worse. The only way to prevent their trip is to climb in the ring with Beto and fight to the death for Moni.

Devastated (she should be somewhat accustomed to this by now) Moni seeks out Beto in the gym and announces, I'm ready for you to take me to
las Vegas. The sooner, the better." Beto is delighted. Moni, umm, not so much. There are tears in her eyes and a defeated look of resignation in her visage.

Discussing matters with Estre, Moni does not find support for her decision. Esterella tries to keep the dream alive as she is about to offer up information about the conspiracy afoot to thwart the fairy tale, but first Moni must swear not to murder anyone.

Nieves presents Beto with the money from Connie. A little out of character Beto questions the source. I believe he asks if she frolicked with a a millionaire. Nieves is insulted. "Then where did you get this money?" At that very moment, Moni, accompanied by Estrella, bursts in echoing the question. Hey, Beto asks the questions here! Nieves says that she did it for Moni and Beto, as Moni snatches the money. She declares that she is going to return it. "¡De ninguna manera! (No way!), Beto shouts. She's gone in a flash, trailing sparks in her wake.

Ximena, looking great as always, welcomes Lalo. She shuts her eyes puckers her lips and leans in, expecting a kiss. Now, Ximena, who is lacking in the more intricate skills needed for analyzing both body and spoken language, has not yet considered that Lalo may play for the other team. He brushes by, asks about Jerry, then, as we have, appreciates her look especially her cleavage. She offers to display more. He expresses envy for her bra. I'm not kidding. She offers that she is single but he wants to know about Jero. Ignoring the question, she confesses that she has been looking for that special someone and suspects that she may have found him. Hey, Lalo, too. She pounces and begins mauling him like a love-starved panther shouting,"¡Te amo!". He is almost speechless but manages to say, "Your tickling me! Don't be a lesbian! Wait!" What we got here is failure to communicate.

Uh oh, ominous percussion as Nieves open her door to...Alicia. Astonished, Nieves drops her plastic bucket. Nieves orders her to leave and the threatens to break her face. It sounds as though Nieves believes Isabel and Alicia may be lovers. Nieves looks persuasive but Alicia insists that Nieves must listen to her. Hey, what can it hurt?

Connie, showing no fear of the PETA people, is wearing a rabbit fur vest. Looks good on her,if you don't consider the little bunnies running around naked, shivering in the cold, so that she can look fashionable. She is perched at the foot of Mao's bed and is in an altruistic self-sacrificing mode. She realizes that he must wed to keep the kids. She is willing to marry him,live apart and later divorce him if he desires. Her only concern is that he be allowed to stay with his children. How very noble. I believe we can all wrap our arms around that; Can't we, gang?... Gang?

Looks as though Nieves has relented as she ushers Alicia to a seat at her table. Incidentally, it appears that the demented dog groomer is still on the loose, as Nieves's hair is once again styled in Shih Tzu chic. They have an ugly discussion surrounding Moni's origins. A great deal is revealed. Isabel's pregnancy was the result of a brutal rape and the three of them, Nieves, Alicia, and Isabel have vowed never to tell Monita the facts, indicating of course, that she will soon know everything. Nieves tries to dismiss Alicia.

A tender moment between Connie and Mao, they are embracing, is intruded upon by a still fuming, still sparking Monita. Doesn't anyone knock in this? She flings the money at Connie as a confused Mao looks on. Connie has a look of desperation. Busted!

Nieves is still trying to get rid of Alicia, who tenaciously pursues her mission. Nieves wants to hear none of it. Isabel abandoned Monita to Nieves rather than at the door of the church. Nieves has been her mother all the years and Monita has no need for a reunion. Alicia thinks otherwise. Monita's mother needs her now more than ever. Beto, pausing at the door to eavesdrop, overhears this last bit. Alicia departs but not before telling Nieves not to judge Isabel's rancor too harshly since she suffers from the same. Huh? An angry, frustrated Nieves energetically clears the table. Beto enters to confront. "You lied to me. Moni has been looking for her mom." Nieves gives him a whithering look.

Connie denies, expresses exasperation and hides in the bathroom. Mauricio shouts after her,"We'll talk!" Moni lets Mao have it as well, "I lie to you out of love, she lies to promote her own interest." She stalks off. Mauricio turns his attention to Connie, insisting that she come out. She doesn't. "Then do what you want!"

Looks as though Lalo is continuing having problems making himself clear to Ximena. Somewhat disheveled, he cowers, whimpering in the corner near the door. He gathers his courage, rearranges his clothing, and tries to clarify his position. He encourages her to listen closely. When he was in school, he would rather play jump rope with the girls than play football with the boys. Thank goodness at last Ximena understands... just more that they have in common. Well no, not exactly his point. "Listen closely, I'm with another person." "Ouch!" That Ximena understood. "Ay, no, no, don't tell me tha...tell me, do I know her?" Ximena is heart-broken and yet still does not see the big picture.

Mauricio catches up to Moni and we have another replay of a scene that has become all too frequent. He's sorry but she misunderstands, he has no intention of marrying Connie. She is sorry but he misunderstands, she was only going to go off with Beto because she had lost hope in having him. Well from now on they neither will be so impulsive and talk things out instead. Yeah, sure. They hug, kiss, and he offers to take her home. Lurking, Connie looks on to the accompaniment of that blasted ominous percussion.

Jerry arrives to find an exfruspertrated Lalo perched on the sofa. Lalo tries to enlist the sympathy of a confused Jerry over his assault by Ximena, confusing him more by referring to his horoscope and, "You and me; us." He whines about Jero's sister falling in love with him and as he exits, he invites Jero to dinner at his place, "You won't regret it." Jerry is even more confused and uneasy.

Beto and Nieves are discussing the fact that Moni's mom is alive. "Monita should know," he declares. She explains that Moni's mother does not care for her. Beto, in uncustomary defiance of Nieves asserts that Nieves does not care about Moni, nor him either for that matter. This whole story line seems a bit dark for my taste. Oh well, the writers haven't let us down thus far. Patience, Carlos.

Ximena is distraught when she stumbles over Lalo's agenda. She lovingly sniffs it. In it is a note which begins, "Amado Lalo," and refers to shared desire and the shape of Lalo's hips and is signed..."Jerónimo Sermeño". Oops! Boy, Ximena is frosted. Jero descends the stairs and is confronted by an indignant Ximena. She shows him the letter which he repudiates. She stomps off, urging him to go back in the closet, leaving him to mutter that someone will pay for this. Now, this is more in the spirit of the show.

Parked in the barrio, M&M share sweet talk and a kiss which is witnessed by Beto, who is strolling by. More ominous percussion. He is stunned and runs off. More sweet talk, more kisses and...Voilá, novios once more. Moni sticks her head out the car window and shouts it to the world. We'll believe with a little more tangible evidence. Mauricio's philosophy seems to be, "If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with."

Beto has found his way to Connie's pad and she lets him in. He has on a distressing black tee shirt picturing a calavera-inspired luchador's mask. She is still wearing her dead bunnies. He saw it all, they were kissing each other on the mouth...in plain view. He grabs Connie and graphically demonstrates. She pushes him away and complains that it's his and Nieves' fault that Moni found out about the money. Now it's time for Beto to stand up and assert his masculinity. He refuses to kill them. No need to be so extreme. Beto thinks that maybe a spanking would do the trick. Well, maybe not that, Coni will murder them both if he does. She sends him off to fix things and put a stop to that chimpanzee.

Beto arrives at Moni's door to set her straight. Unfortunately he had a few drinks on the way home. Sleepily Moni appears at the door, as Beto is removing his belt. Not a wise decision, because now Moni begins to pummel him with punches till Nieves rescues him by intervening. Moni, flanked now by Paula and Estrella uses the forum to announced her engagement to Mau. It is met with squeals of delight from the Moni contingent and a devastatingly icy stare from Nieves.

Poor Ximena, in the office, her sad tale of her, Lalo, and Jero is met with uncontrollable laughter from Gabi and Sal. She is OK with Jero being gay, that happens and she'll support him, but why did he choose her guy to pervert? Sal walks away laughing while Gabi agrees to listen and Ximy has three things to say. One, she doesn't like Jero meddling with Lalo because he is in love with her. Two, she will fight to the end of days for Lalo. This sets Gabi to laughing once more. She doesn't want to hear the third thing, she doesn't think she could take it. She walks off leaving Ximy looking befuddled, the third thing unsaid, but suddenly a light goes on. Now she understands...no, she decides that she doesn't understand any of it after all.

Back at Moni's the three amigas are rejoicing about, gushing over, and basking in Moni's good fortune. The fairy tail is coming true. Just a few details, she feels very badly about Beto and Nieves. Moni is off to take a bath.

In the office, Oscar is amused by Jero's letter to Lalo, ghost written by Sal. Lalo pops in and scolds Jero for standing him up for dinner. He waited for him till three in the morning. Jero bluntly tells him that he likes women. Well, Lalo doesn't understand the letter Jero wrote. Oscar explains that Sal wrote the letter. Jero wants revenge. Oooh!

Beto, now looking sober, emerges from Paula's munching a sandwich. Nieves taking clothes off the clothesline, clothespins attached to the neck of her blouse. He has changed tee shirts and is in a hurry and it looks as though he's hiding something that is bulging in his pants. No, not that. She wants to know where he's going, but he evades the question, "What does it matter to you?" and scurries off.

Ximena confers with Connie who is struggling to apply a bra to a busty mannequin. Connie assures her that there is no way that that Jero is gay. She goes on to say right out that Lalo is gay. "No, Jero is gay..." "He goes out with other men," Connie persists. Ximy closes off her ears. She wants to hear none of this. Connie just doesn't like the idea of Ximy with Lalo. Yeah, that's it. Lalo, at this moment comes skipping in and confirms Ximy's worst (well, maybe not) nightmare. He is not gay. He is very gay. Ximy reacts badly, "No, no, no, no!" and bolts out of the boutique.

Lalo races after her and catches up. He adores her, she is divine, great to be with, beautiful, but he can't... She points out that they are gemelas de alma (soulmates) and he agrees. He goes after men. So does she. Not with women. Likewise. Inspiration hits our Ximena. Has Lalo ever been with a woman? "Well, with Jesús in Vera Cruz, Cristo Rey de Monterrey but I broke out in a lumpy itchy rash." "So how do you know you don't like it if you haven't tried it?" "Oops, you killed me." She announces, "Lalo you are my new project." He takes flight and she gives chase. Good luck Ximena. You make a cute couple.

Moni and Pau come rushing into the office and are instructed by Gabi to give their names and take a seat. The friendly bickering that ensues is interrupted by Mau who is delighted to see Monita, he and she are going out to lunch. As they get in the elevator, Pau informs Gabi that M&M are novios. Thrilled, Gabi grabs her friend's hand and they rush off after the happy pair.

Downstairs, arm in arm or lovebirds are accosted by a perturbed Connie. This time Mauricio wastes no time and minces no words, "Monita and I are novios." Before she has time to react with more than,"¿Qué?", Beto, looking unusually surly and intense, pops up, "¡Mauricio Sermaño!" "Beto, what are you doing here?" a startled Moni inquires. He responds by pulling a gun, pointing it directly at Mao and says with chilling iciness, "¡Te voy a matar! (I'm going to kill you!)"


Yikes! and double yikes!!

Carlos

Labels: gancho