Caray, Caray!

[Completed 2 of 2]

Hour 1 of 2 --Capítulo 142
"From Muse to Matchmaker"

Maricruz returns to Clementina’s manse to report to Mama C that Alfonzo is an underachiever. This is the reason for his not wanting to have an exhibition. (Or, to paraphrase—the bigger the boast, the smaller the post…) M/C realizes this dawggy's got a bigger bark than bite and tells Mama, bottom line, she’s determined Fonzie requires a muse more than a mistress. She can manage musing no problem.

Octavio, knowing that he’s got Juanita on his side, figures he’ll be able to keep tabs on his family unit and will have time to eventually convince Maricruz that she completely misinterpreted Doris’s draping her drunk-as-a-skunky skanky self over him and planting a plastered lip-lock on him just as she walked into the room that night at the party. He’s determined to make her realize that appearances can be deceiving, especially where Doris and he are always concerned. (Good luck, Chump. Please tell us what makes the umpteenth and first time so different from the first umpteen.)




Doris, for her part, is determined to wheedle her way back into Oblivio’s heart or bed, or both, whatever it takes. In fact, she’s already bribed the maid and is sitting on his bed, waiting for him and filing her nails when he returns later that morning. Fortunately for her, he’s still too much of a gentleman to throw her out on her daddy’s assets and tell her what he really thinks should think of her after the way she maliciously ruined his reputation and (supposedly) his career without a second thought. (How quickly some forget. Some guys just deserve to have that cloud over their head their entire life…..)

Tav is more concerned about saving Doris’s reputation of respectability (what a lost cause, and yeppers, I’m gagging on that one, myself). He pushes her into the bathroom while he checks on whoever’s at the door. It’s Fonzie come a-knocking on Tav’s door for another brag break, but he’s wise to the hide-the-girl-in-the-bathroom ruse. His playboy’s nostrils pick up on Doris’s expensive perfume immediately and Tav’s stuck in Doris muck up to his eye-balls uhhhhh-gain.

Meanwhile, M/C explains to Fonzie’s mommie that he's afraid of appearing ridiculous in front of his fans, friends, family, etc. so she promises to help him work on that for Clementina. Mechita and her Mama arrive a few minutes after. The mother-daughter tug of war continues, but Clementina manages to send Mechita with MC while they discuss wedding details.

M/C listens to Mechita’s twenty-five and never been kissed loser's view of herself--and The World According to Mama. (OMG! That dress Mechita's wearing looks like it must have come from Burkas R Us Westward Ho! Magazine. Or did somebody in costuming get a deal on the leftovers from the last Little House On The Prairie remake?) MC convinces her eventually that ugly-ducklings can be made into beautiful swans whenever they choose. (Word up: make sure it's no Black Swan.) She knows cuz she witnessed the miracle herself, sayz she, and they agree to get Mama and Clementine to allow her to visit for a few days and they’ll work on that swan thingy for her then.

With Doris finally gone, Fonzie and Tav have a heart-to-heart over what true love is and isn’t. Tav begs his bud to take Doris off his hands for him. Fonzie doesn’t budge. He’s got his eyes on the Tav’s prize and still plans to seduce her in his studio. In fact, he advises Tav that from 2-4 PM daily for the foreseeable future his studio is off-limits because he’s going to be painting his next bella-desnuda-dama [a babe in the buff]—or so he thinks. “—All women eventually give in.” Tav says not the one he’s thinking of. He gets up to leave before the mysterious model arrives for her session. Fonzie thinks to himself that if Octavio only knew that the woman under discussion was the one of his dreams! Well he’ll find out that even she isn’t the morally flawless femme fatal perched on the high pedestal she’s place herself. “--She’s already taken the first step and the others will come of their own accord.”

That night Juanita runs into another brick wall trying to get MC to consider there might have been another side to the smooching with Doris story. She tells Doris again that she’s not about to suffer continual humiliation from him—a woman shouldn’t have to! At the same time, Tav is kicking himself for being caught with Doris in such a compromising position. He’s broken hearted and vows to make her listen to him.

The next day, Tav talks Juanita into at least giving him the phone number of the house where M/C works. Maricruz takes the unexpected call at Clementine’s. (Yep, Houston, we have contact.) She freezes, panics, and then hangs up on him, speechless--for once.

Mechita lays down the law to Mama; M/C convinces Clementina to let her work a little make-up magic on mechhhhy Mechi; and Mama gets Clementine's word she won't let her babied chic be disrespected by her betrothed (not that Fonzie would touch her with a 10 foot pole at this point); and thus, Mechita gets a week to have M/C work My Fair Mechi wonders on her.

While Maricruz sits for the session, Fonzie fills her head with lies about Doris and Tav hitting it off for a second time and how he’s told him that the two of them are probably going to get married this time for sure. M/C is determined that he’s not breaking up with her. Nope. She’s going to be the one to break it off with him! And, she’ll make sure it comes straight from the horse’s mouth!

Tav continues to call the manse and leave messages with Clementine’s maid.

MC comes home during a break the next day to play with Lupita. Juanita bravely attempts to persuade MC for Tav’s sake that MC might have been mistaken about what was really happening the other night at Fonzie’s party between Doris and her ex, but realizes she was right about the gal being too hard-headed to consider anything else than him being a two-timing Lothario.

Clementine tells Fonzie the truth about their finances—they’re broke. He’s got to marry Mechita and the exhibition is a must to make sure he’s properly introduced and remains a part of Mexico’s high society in the meantime. Oh, well, that’s a horse of a slightly different color than funereal black. Fonzie is ready to do his part for Mama.

~~end hour 1~~ (I think.)
=====================================

~~ Hr. 2~~ Cap 143

"Not In The Nude, Dude!"


There’s an unexpected knock on Maricruz’s door. Lupita’s internal clock tells her it’s her daddy come to play. “—¡Papito juguete!” Juanita hurries to the door and shoos away whoever was there. Not very good at lying and caught between Maricruz’s thickheaded stubbornness and Octavio’s hard-up desire to reunite with his ex, M/C decides she cannot be trusted and to keep an eye one her.

Doris drops by Alfonso’s studio to ask for help recapturing Octavio. “—I’ve been in love with him from the first time I met him. You’ve got to help me get him back. If you’re really his friend, then persuade him!” He tells her men cannot be forced in these sorts of things. He’s still got the hots for his ex.

Juanita is worried about Maricruz’s reputation now that she’s learned M/C has agreed to have such a lascivious skirt chaser painting her. Not to worry; M/C now has no fear that Fonzie would take advantage of her that way, not that she’d give him half a chance, of course.
Back at his studio, Fonzie promises Doris that he’ll help her win back Tav’s affections. He promises that he personally will see that he and “her rival” will be separated by hate for the rest of their lives. He knows both of them very well and likes both of them equally. He’s got the hots for her also. Doris admits that the woman can be vicious if she’s crossed.

Later that day, M/C arrives with a daringly drab, sleeveless vee-necked shirt and shawl for her modeling debut. Fonzie tries to seduce her, all the while promising to never be disrespectful towards her while painting her portrait. Oh, but he’s so afraid of falling in love, he tells her as he slyly moves his fingers towards her thigh and gently pulls away. (Creepy sleazeball alert!) He involves her in a meaningless discussion of their different opinions about love and tries to get her to put herself into the mix. She refuses. She does wonder about where and how Fonz has gotten the straight skinny on Doris and their grudge-fest.

While Fonzie works he thinks to himself how now thanks to Doris and the unsuspecting Octavio’s he’s gotten all the dirt on M/C to get her where he wants her. He’ll now use Doris to keep Oblivio and M/C apart—at least until he’s worn her down and won her, especially in bed. Yes indeedy! says Mr. Carnally Greedy.

In order to make a last ditch effort to convince Maricruz not to believe her lyin’ eyes, Tav wheedles the address out of Juanita of the place where M/C’s been modeling once he learns she’s still very much in love with him but just won’t allow herself to admit it.

The next day Mechhhhy arrives in a strappy sundress—an improvement, tho’ it’s still floor length and she’s still sporting those ugly grade-schooler braids. M/C and she escape to the bedroom where Maricruz promises she’ll make her pretty enough to get Alfonso to kiss her on the mouth. A half an hour, a can of hair mousse and half a store’s worth of make-up later, M/C presents her masterpiece. She's at least attractive, though not what many would call pretty, let alone picture-perfect. However, Fonzie’s actually impressed with the change. Mechy giggles and flirts (I guess) finally managing to get that first kiss on the lips from him. She wants to be painted she tells him. Oh, your mama wouldn’t agree, he replies. After we’re married then, she tells him. He thinks to himself she’s no longer bad looking and the kind of modelling session he plans on—¡Ai yi yi!

Maricruz is scared speechless when Tav appears behind her out of the blue and calls to her. They need to talk and she needs to hear him out. That changes, though, once they’re at a nearby cafeteria. She refuses to listen to his story. He warns her he is capable of losing patience and moving on. This could be their last chance to rectify all that’s gone wrong. Pffft, she says. That train left the station a while ago! “—Can’t you see how I left Simona and all she offered to end up centavo-less just to be with you and our little girl?” How do I know she didn’t realize how well she knew you and she left you first, she snarks back. Just get involved with Doris or whoever and leave me the heck alone. She’ll manage solo like always. Why can’t she believe that what she saw was her imagination playing tricks on her, he wonders. Oh, well, then the picture Alfonso’s painting of her will be a figment of his imagination also. Bingo-zingo! She got him right where it would hurt the most. “—You’re kidding!”

At the same time, Fonzie slugs back a whiskey on the rocks, thinking how marriage to the new and somewhat improved Mechita will help his economic situation. He’ll become that much more appealing to Maricruz and then he’ll finally seduce her. Ah, life is beautiful.

“—Alfonso only paints loose, easy women! How can you debase yourself like that? Tell me you’re lying. Or you’re doing it just to get even with me.” “--No, it’s just for an exhibition and if he’s got that bad a reputation, just chalk it up to people’s wild imagination [espejismo], since that’s what we are talking about here. Remember I have a daughter and a nanny to support while you’re dancing around with Doris!” “--People will think you’re Alfonso’s latest conquest! I’m going to ask him myself! (Bad idea. This BFF is nothing but a Big Effing Fraud.) Leave her be, she screams back at him! Then he should believe all the trash talk people have told him about her the past few years: with Jose Antonio, with Engineer Al, the dear Emir, and Doris’s daddy?? “—Then you’re a whore, Maricruz!” She does her best Mona Lisa impression, shrugs, and leaves the cafeteria.

Maricruz returns to Alfonso’s studio and tells him to paint her with allure and whatever—minus nudity of course. Of course.

Tav returns to his hotel room in a terrible snit, fit to be hawg-tied and then some. If Maricruz poses in the nude that's it for him! Their entire past has been a frigging lie, a fraud, he yells to his four walls. There’s a knock at the door. It’s Doris. He’s miffed. She offers her shoulder. They’re friends, right? In fact, I still love you. Naw, we’re from opposite worlds, he reminds her. Doesn’t count when there is real affection, she avows delicious as crow pie. Suddenly he asks if she’d still like to get married. Hell, yeah! She’ll even accept his nephew in the picture!

It all goes incredibly, inedibly downhill from here. The last thing of interest is Doris calling daddy to tell him she miraculously ran into Octavio Narvaez again and they’re getting married ASAP!

~~end if second hour~~

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