Caray, Caray!

We open with Eva sneaking out of Pluto's office (with a cd of espionage stolen from the computer). She bumps into Helena the same way s/he did when they first met as man and woman. Mutt and Jeff stare at Eva curiously but "plot armor" preserves her disguise, as it will for months to come.

All are a-flutter about the arrival of Diego Fonticoda, who owns an airline; Helena plans to convince him to have his planes stop at Playa Majagua. She doesn't invite M & J so they plot against her behind her back.

Eva is in her/his old office (now Helena's office) looking at pics of Helena and Lalo. S/he steals one romantically just as Helena arrives looking very suspicious. Helena's four rules: "No gossip, be punctual, keep your mouth shut -- and don't mess in my private life. I trusted somebody who betrayed me and it won't happen again. And call me Licenciada."

Eva absentmindedly goes into the men's bathroom and there is a whole lineup of outraged guys with their penises out (one assumes). She says: "Up north where I come from it isn't Hombres and Mujeres, it's Hembros and Machos, of course I was confused." Eva then goes to the ladies' and meets a flotilla of bonbons in there, gossipping about the very sexy Diego. Turns out he and JC were big friends. The babes remind each other, "Fonticoda will do anything to get what he wants and he doesn't respect anyone in skirts."

Looking over Helena's presentation, Eva finds ... a mistake! He can't believe it! He shows Helena her little mistake. It would have cost her a lot in dealing with Diego. He says he'll fix it.

OK coming out of the elevator, wait, wait, ... oh hurrah, it's JUAN QUERENDON!!!!! I love him. He's all over the receptionist Marcela - turns out they were somehow involved long ago. He kisses her hand and compliments her while her husband looks on wrathfully. Then Diego turns to Rebe, she gets kisses and compliments too. Diego's assistant is Ignacio Betancourt.

Helena arrives. Diego calls her Venus, he kisses her and invites her out for a drink, he escalates and says "You're a goddess, I'll call you Aphrodite." "No, call me Helena." "Ahh, like Helen of Troy."

They go to the conference room and Diego wants the presentation immediately but Eva hasn't arrived with the corrected version. Helena kills time with talk. Meanwhile, Eva has finished the corrections and rushes toward the meeting -- but she gets stopped by Adriano, who says she is not dressed well enough and he insists she be taken off immediately to get a uniform (if they have one in her/his size). She manages to squeeze into a turquoise dress and explain to all the girls that she hasn't let anybody see her nude but her dead husband (sobs into kleenex).

Helena has been talking away and Diego's ready to sign, but since Eva doesn't show up, he says "you missed your chance" and leaves. Rebe gloats. "You're useless," she croons as she goes off to rejoice with Mutt and Jeff.

Diego asks Marcela's husband for her phone number, that's rubbing it in! He calls him zambo (knock-kneed). It takes Marcela all her charms to soothe her jealous husband's feathers.

[At home: the mean dad yells at his wife. She's sad he threw Helena out. He plans to get custody of Lalo. At school kids mock Lalo for having said he'd have a dad - "but he died" Lalo protests - they push him around.]

When Eva (who's been in the bathroom trying to fix her wig) finds out Diego left without signing, he borrows Marcela's phone and calls Diego, who had been his brother in bad behavior in his former life. "Diego, this is Eva, the assistant that didn't show up." "How do you have my private number?" "Diego, we need a meeting so you can sign." "Tell your boss she missed her chance." "Hey Diego, I know you like a few cups - you choose the bar, Helena will come. Consult your horoscope, you'll see the stars are lined up for good business. Check the runes, the tarot..." "OK. Tell Helena I'll come for her."

Pluto is reaming Helena out for losing the deal when Eva comes in and says she's set up the meeting. "You are all so tense," she whispers in her feminine accent. "Lighten up, life is a carnival."

Eva wants to come to the meeting but Helena says no, it's just going to be Rebe and me. Eva: "Can I give you a little tip? He's a skirt chaser, he's very superstitious, he likes the good life. Look fabulous."

Lalo is sad at the dining table. "My friends are going to talk about the work their dads do tomorrow." The mean dad overhears Helena telling her mom she has to go to a bar to sign a contract, and she names the bar ("The Rumba").

Eva sneaks back to the office to look over the material he stole from Pluto's computer. He throws off his shoes ("Who'd wear these high heels of their own free will?") He gets comfy and then realizes he has the wrong cd, this one has the Playa Majagua projecton it. That means he has to go switch cds at the bar!

Walking home talking about their teenage hanky-panky way back when, Marcela and Mutt spy a couple macking behind a tree. Turns out this is their daughter. The boy runs away.

Helena arrives at the bar, wearing an awful dress, she will drink only mineral water. Diego wants to party. Here comes EVA! Helena slips off to see why Eva has arrived. They switch cds and Eva gives lots of advice: "Don't be alone with that Cosanova. He has xray eyes, he's a satyr, a pervert." Helena says she can take care of herself. "Well, some advice: Diego is superstition, he believes the dead can communicate. Call me when you get home." Rebe thinks Helena is trying to seduce Diego. There are words and Rebeca flounces out....

... And in comes Helena's awful father. He hears Diego boasting about Helena: "She'll do anything she has to," he opines. His friend: "Yes, she's liberal and modern." There is talk of flitting from bed to bed. Dad glowers.

Labels: por-ella