Caray, Caray!

In brief, and out of order:

Valentina puts Chatita to sleep with her retelling of the boring Queen and Lackey story. In Val's version, a wicked witch put a spell on the Queen and that is why she married the Evile One. Vero wakes Chatita and yanks the Ayudante doll out of her hands.

Elías invites Marisela for an evening out. When he picks her up, Vero is rude and condescending to the young gold-digger. Like she's any better. El and Mari go to a fancy restaurant, where Marisilly stages her usual act of what she thinks sophisticated rich people act like, with the usual abysmal success. Elías looks like he's starting to doubt the tale she's spinning, with her reminiscences of dining at Big Ben and taking a cruise in the fjords of Alaska.

Pato answers Rogue's tragically booty-free call, considerately dressed as a nun so as not to incite an uprising amongst his oppressed lower levels. He irritably puts up with her heckling over his many problems, but then he drops a bomb: he's been ousted from Avon, and his salary isn't coming with him. So buh-bye Sugar Daddy, hello Nine To Five for our Paticakes. She'll have to cut costs; probably give up her expensive apartment. Pato is outraged. WORK?! HER?! What about his other businesses? Well, turns out he had to give up his other TOTALLY LEGITIMATE businesses when he was arrested. No connection, surely.

At a chic club, Julio enthusiastically introduces the new singing sensation, Natasha! The crowd is dead. What is with club audiences in this town? First poor Yvonne, now this? He tries again and gets a few pity golf claps. Natasha, who curiously has Xochi's face and figure, clad in a blingy fancy red gown and gloves and a dark wig, takes the stage. She starts timidly, but quickly gains confidence and belts out a spectacular number. The audience loves her. They throw roses and call for an encore, which Julio talks her into doing. Later, he escorts Xochi home, thrilled by her success and blooming persona. He tries to convince her to perform again the next night and embrace the self-assurance her success will bring. Then he tells her he loves her. Well, that kills the mood. Xochi timidly tells him she wishes she could return the sentiment. He leaves, quite hurt, and she goes inside and finds her mother unconscious.

Now on to the main event:

In the hotel in Toluca, Jesús musters his courage, knocks on Alma's door, and tells her they have to talk. He's being all bold and direct and using his best bodice-ripper voice, which seems to be freaking Alma out a bit. She's clearly picking up the seduction vibe he's putting down, so she gets all nervous and tells him he should leave. Well, our Juicy Hero knows a few things about negotiating, so he agrees and walks away like he'll just go find another used car or Turkish rug somewhere else. He makes it to the door before she stops him. It looks like they'll finally talk. I don't know what it is...his funeral director suit? Her dress that was made by Scarlett O'Hara out of the bedspread at a cheesy Vegas hotel? Anyway, something's holding them back, and Alma just says good night and closes the door.

Then, of course, they have to emote on opposite sides of the door and swoon about their past smoochies. At once, like they're sharing a brain, they both turn around, the door is opened, and 3-2-1 CONTACT!!! For the record, Alma started it, and it goes on in a lengthy and passionate fashion, all through the commercial break. When we rejoin them, they're still groping and locking lips and closing the door and making their way to the bed. Right as they're about to take their tango horizontal, Alma snaps out of it and turns away, and they both stand there frozen.

Alma wails that she HATES infidelity. Hay-soooos just doesn't understand! He asks, with a tinge of sarcasm, why this should be any different from their other kisses that didn't "count". Alma flounces over to the sofa and cries, but Jesús is a skilled Drama Queen Whisperer, and he sweet-talks her and wipes off her tears and nuzzles her neck until soon they are en flagrante snoggero again. He's being so bold and direct, I hardly recognize him. Where is the nervous waffler Alma fell in love with? Not here. Alma breaks away again and insists that she doesn't love him. Chucho agrees. If she loved him, she wouldn't have married the Evile Rogue. That doesn't stop him from continuing to hold her hands and kiss her neck while she gasps and heaves, though.

Alma tells Jesús that if he had just said something sooner, everything would be different. Oh, sure, this is all his fault. They confess to each other how they thought of making a move on her wedding day, and how it all went wrong. Alma gets all angry again thinking about the marriage proposal and kiss with Vero she observed.

Avances: What happens in Toluca doesn't stay in Toluca? Will Alma actually tell Rogue he's being dethroned?

Labels: Manda