Mi Corazón es Tuyo Lunes 8/4/14 #11

Capitulo 11: La Dolce Vita?

Lascuráin Manor: Sebastián and Luz are hip-hopping it on the patio with a little direction from Ana, who collapses in fatigue on the couch. She gets the kids to go inside, then collapses on the couch in the parlor, next to Luz.

Bruno comes down the stairs to remind her that it's time for her to check the kids' homework. The twins are asking for her. He notes her fatigue and she explains it, but begs him to not tell the boss, who won't approve. He tells her he's not going into that wolves' den. He escorts the two kids upstairs. Fanny runs in all excited. Before they can talk the phone rings and Alicia comes running down the stairs with a pair of major-league yabos that don't belong to her.

She is a little miffed at their comments about how she should be looking forward to being sixteen for this.

Upstairs Sebastián continues practicing until he does a spin and knocks over a large vase, which breaks on the hard wood floor. The flowers in it must be faux, as there is no water spilled in the process. He backs off in fear.

Bruno comes back into the parlor and notices the difference in Alicia. He backs off in cartoonish shock before going upstairs. Ana answers the phone.

Sebastián heads into the nursery and hides behind furniture, telling his younger hermanos not to say he's there. They extract a promise in exchange as Sebas puts a file of notebooks on the desk so he can hide behind it.

Bruno finds the broken vase and almost panics. His instincts and long experience with this family serve him and he heads for the nursery, where he eliminates the suspects and declares that Sebastián did it. He asks if he's there, the younger kids deny it.

In the study, Fernando is busy sketching something when Ana enters, telling him that parent-teacher day is on Wednesday at the twins' school and he should go. Wednesday? He has an important meeting at the office. [Now, is that meeting really more important than your kids?] He suggests that Ana go in his place to represent him. She likes that he trusts her to do that, but tells him this isn't the same as him going since he is the boys' father. He hasn't budged on this yet and tells her he has a lot of calls to make [Don't tell us Mexico has 900-Fono-Sexo lines!] and dismisses her. She asks if he is alright, saying she has a free night and asks if he will watch the children. He tells she'll have to ask Bruno because he has an engagement. She assumes it's Isabella, catches herself, and leaves, taking one slightly furtive glance back.

Fernando picks up a fresh pencil and continues sketching Ana's alter-ego. He remembers the night before when he asked her to take off the mask and she got away. Bruno comes in to ask whether he will be needing the chauffeur that evening. Fernando tells him that he will drive tonight. Bruno answers the phone and it's our favorite gold-digger, Isabella. At the sound of her name Fernando indicates he doesn't want to speak with her. It looks like he's done this before. He finally tells her he will deliver the message. When he ends the call Fernando graciously thanks him. He tells him he will be a bit late that evening and Bruno exits just as Nicolas enters.

Nicolas asks him what he's doing and then takes the drawing out of his hands. Fernando tries to tell him it's just a drawing, but Nicolas knows better. Especially between the florist call and the lie to Isabella. Fernando finally takes the sketch back, crumples it, and drops it in the wastebasket. Nicolas is getting more curious about what Fernando might be up to, but Fernando isn't having it. He walks out.

Chicago Club: Ana is on the platform doing her thing from a chair. Not a huge crowd tonight, but an attentive one. Johnny leans against the bar, watching, as some new arrivals enter the room. Ana looks up and sees Fernando at the back of the crowd. She makes a fast exit while the music is still playing. Johnny is not a happy man at the moment, especially because Doroteo isn't either. [Doroteo really needs to be sleeping with the fishes]. He motions for Johnny to follow him. Fernando walks in near the platform with the chorus girls in the boots made for walkin' just as Ana gets back to the dressing room. That was a close call. Jennifer is already in the dressing room and Ana barely finishes telling her that Fernando is in the club when Doroteo barges in.

He demands to know what she was up to and she tells him she felt faint. He freaks out at the idea she might be pregnant and she reassures him she isn't. Johnny enters behind him and tries to tell Ana that Fernando is just outside. He finally says something about someone asking for Lola. Ana distracts Doroteo by saying she'll be back on stage in a few minutes. He walks out, satisfied that his bully-boy stuff worked (or so he thinks). Once he's out, Ana tells Johnny to tell Fernando that Lola has gone back to Tuscany. Jennifer teases that Mr Iceberg is chasing Lola. Once Johnny's out the door on his mission, Jennifer continues to tease Ana about Fernando.

She finally points out the flowers he sent. Ana opens the note attached to them. It's in Italian but she doesn't recognize that. Jennifer is sure that Fernando has fallen for “Lola” big time. As Ana tucks the note into her bra Jennifer reminds her she might like to change before going back out to perform again.

Lascuráin Manor: Outside the house in a youth version of a great Italian film, Fanny and Leon are hanging out in a reflecting pool. She tries to feed him sushi while they talk about the differences between their worlds.

They don't realize that Alicia is spying on them with binoculars, even when she accidentally knocks over a glass. They hear this, but don't see anything. They get back to business as Alicia comes out form behind the huge stone flowerpot to watch.

Chicago Club: Fernando is trying to get Johnny to give him information about Lola. He claims to be her agent and refuses to tell him what he wants to know. Ana and Jennifer see this from the curtain and rush back into the dressing room. Fernando doesn't persist, but instead hands him his business card, telling him to call him if he changes his mind. He then walks out, leaving Johnny to stew. He looks at the business card.

Lascuráin Manor: More of the same with Fanny and Leon, although we find out that his last name is Gonzales. They're both in the water which doesn't go above their ankles. They start finally to kiss while Alicia watches. Fanny pulls away and they splash insufficient water at each other to ruin their clothes.

Chicago Club: Johnny barges into the dressing room to demand to know why Fernando is pursuing Ana. Jennifer said that it was Lola whom he was looking for, but Johnny still doesn't like this. Ana doesn't want to talk about this but he goes on about how Fernando is pursing “the woman I love.” [Note to Johnny: We're not too sure about that one.] Ana tells him Fernando was asking for “Lola, not for me,” and asked whether he left. Johnny said he made him leave. She earns him not to be rude or say other wrong things to him; he's her boss. Is he coming back? Johnny thinks not; this was a slap in the face. Ana almost takes this literally, but realizes it's not the case. Johnny claims to have told Fernando that Lola left for Italy. Jennifer doesn't like his attitude either, but Ana stops this from becoming a full-blown argument. She finally says that nothing has happened between Lola and Fernando, although we see from her face that she wishes this were otherwise. He asks “Are you sure?” She tells him yes. Jennifer says “Not for lack of effort on his part.”

The Next Day

Lascuráin Manor, Kitchen: At the breakfast table, Alicia twists the twins' ears for offending a good friend of hers, who now won't come to her birthday party. [I think] Ana tells the boys to apologise, Alicia yells at them once more, and one of them throws something at her. Ana tries to call them out on their behavior, but Alicia throws back. Nando tries to pull rank as the oldest boy, telling them not to act so immature.

Fanny teases him, he throws something, and it turns into a food fight that ends when Fernando enters and gets hit with a banana. “What is this about, Ana?” he asks. Everything stops dead, even Bruno gulps in anticipation of a conniption from the boss.

However, Fernando surprises them – and us – by smiling and saying “There's never a dull moment at breakfast around here. It's always amusing.” Despite a protest from him, Ana orders the children to apologise to him for their behavior. They do. She makes them promise never to do this again.

Fernando insists they set a place for him at the table, and he asks only for coffee and toast. He does ask who started it; Alicia and the twins fess up. Nando considers it a miracle that Fernando would eat with them. He says he wants to have a better relationship with them. This makes Luz very happy and she gets up to go over to him to sit on his lap. When he asks Sebas about his lacrosse practice he tells him it's great, but we see that he's crossed his fingers behind his back. [How long has this been going on?] Alicia doesn't want to go to school because she feels ugly. Fernando tries to tell her she is a beautiful girl. Bruno makes side comments to Ana about what changes are happening in the house and she is also pleased.

She does follow Fernando out on his way to the car to talk to him about this. It ends with her saying that the kids want him to be home with them more and he agrees. He will have breakfast with the kids every day from now on. This pleases her and she promises that there will be no more food fights. They give each other the thumbs-up and Fernando leaves for work.

La Costeña; Fernando's Office: Isabella spins her web asking him where he was the night before. She's miffed when told it was a business dinner with the company's lawyer. “Why didn't you call me?” is answered by “Because I didn't want to bother you.” She is wondering whether he is planning to hire someone else and why she wasn't able to reach him on his cell phone and he isn't liking the direction of this conversation.

He asks her if she's seen the stock market activity yet, directing her attention to the screens on his wall. Their stock has declined a little. She says she's a little nervous about it, but she is clearly [to us] nervous her own stock plummeting with Fernando.

Lascuráin Manor, Study: Bruno found the drawing in Fernando's wastebasket and he asks Ana if their boss has a lover. Ana scolds him for spying on Fernando and he denies having done that. He just thinks this is a bit strange. They talk about the changes in him since her arrival and he brings up the subject of Isabella. He concludes that the drawing has nothing to do with her. She teases Bruno about the possibility.

La Costeña; Reception: Isabella is sure something is up and she's sure it's the nana naca. She asks Beatriz when Senor Cardona, the lawyer, is expected in. Beatriz replies that he is in Guadalajara and is expected back tomorrow. Isabella is not amused.

University Campus: Nando walks around with an open book and bumps into Ximena, who obviously did this deliberately. He falls down, losing his specs, but picks them up and looks up at her. She asks if she can see him at his place. Si! She asks if six o'clock is okay, and another si. He's grinning like a fool when she briefly flirts with him and walks away. Poor kid.

At an outside table Fanny is sitting with the Diana Bracho clone [I think her name is Laura, but I'm not sure], whom she tells that Leon works for her dad, finally admitting he's a messenger. Mean Girl is shocked, saying that Fanny could have anyone and she settles for a wage-earner [asalariado]. This doesn't seem to bother Fanny, but she is concerned about how her dad will react.

La Costeña: Johnny arrives and scopes out the building. He admits to a little jealousy. He flirts with a passing female, sprays on some scent [Axe, anyone?], and heads for the front door.

In Fernando's office, he admires what he sees and Fernando asks him whether he's given any more thought to what they talked about the night before.

But of course, he has! Fernando picks up the phone and asks if he'd like something. He asks for whiskey, but Fernando tells him it's coffee or water. He declines while making a lame joke and they get down to business. He'll give up Lola's phone number for ten grand [That's about $758 US]. Fernando takes out his checkbook and writes it up.

He hands him a post-it for the phone number. Johnny writes down the number and requests that Fernando not return to the club; Fernando asks in return that Johnny not come back to the office or his house. Done deal, and Johnny departs.

Isabella is still fuming. She is now sure that the nana naca is trying to snag her boss. She turns back to Beatriz and tells her that Fernando is having problems with his nanny. A disaster [hecatombe]. She asks how frequently Ana calls the office. Beatriz tells her that's it's usually two or three times per week. Isabella speculates to herself that Ana would more likely call Fernando's cell phone.

Little does she realize that Fernando is using that very cell phone to call “Lola” at that very moment.

Lascuráin Manor: Ana is descending the stairs when her cell phone rings. She answers “Bueno?” only to hear Fernando's voice asking “Lola?” She defaults to the Italian “Pronto?”

Bruno and Manuela have a difference of opinion during this, loud enough for Ana to be concerned about what Fernando will hear. She gets rid of Bruno by saying she's talking to an Italian gentleman.

She tries to tell Fernando that she's very busy and doesn't have time to talk as she tries to avoid first Bruno and Manuela, then Nicolas.

Johnny's Place: Jennifer comes in to talk to him about helping Ana pay off the repairs on the house. Then Ana herself arrives to tell him off about leaking her cell phone number to Fernando.

He's the only person who had that number who would have given it out. He tries saying that Fernando was very insistent. Jennifer tries teasing her about the call. Ana sees no humor in any of this. She had managed the pretense of being Lola, but was caught unawares. She asks Johnny if he wants her to lose her nanny job and he insists that it's her fault for flirting with this rich guy. She denies having done that and he accuses her of being as interested in Fernando as Isabella is. Jennifer says it's partly her fault because of meeting Nicolas there and provoking the visit from Fernando, but Ana isn't accepting this. She's assigning the blame where it belongs. She asks the ultimate rhetorical question, “How am I supposed to get out of this mess?”

Lascuráin Manor: Nando is obviously suffering from sweaty palms as he waits for Ximena. He prays to not make a mess of this. He sprays himself with scent, something more expensive than anything Johnny would have. Downstairs, Ximena arrives just as Ana returns.

Ana immediately assumes that Ximena is there to see Fanny, but is pleased to hear that it's Nando. She sends Fanny upstairs just as her cell phone rings.

The screen shows Fernando's number. She answers and learns that he wants to see her. She tells him that is impossible and he tells her she doesn't know him; he's very insistent.

She comments on the truth of that in her accent as Nicolas comes in behind her from another room. She quickly mutes the phone before Nicolas teases her about her Italian lover. He goes up the stairs saying “Amore, amore!” in a cheerful mood. Fernando heard this and asks who that was. She says that was her father and she has to go. “Arrivederci.” She ends the call and breaths a shallow sigh of relief, knowing that there is likely to be a next time.

Upstairs in Nando's room, Ximena strides in and looks around. He asks if she likes it and she says something about it not showing excess [as in Nothing succeeds like....]. She then turns around and asks if it's true he's good in math.

Of course he is; it's his major. She needs to have a few things explained. He's happy to do that. And what about literature? Of course, he likes it. Well, she needs a book report. And she hands him the monster of a book: Don Quixote.

It's big enough to be the doorstop for the vault at Fort Knox. The paper is due the day after tomorrow. Twenty chapters. Nando's jaw drops and she shrugs. Like she didn't know what an imposition this is. [Of course she does.]

Ana confirms from Bruno that Ximena is still upstairs. He tries to start a conversation with her when Fernando comes home saying “Buena notte” (but not in Sparafucile's voice). Bruno asks him whether he speaks Italian.

He goes on in Italian with phrases like “Bella Italia” and “La dolce vita,” as he repairs to the study. Bruno asks Ana what's with all this Italian lately. Could it be that the boss has an Italian amante, like Ana's gentleman?

It's a little to close for comfort and she makes her exit upstairs joking about it.

Nando looks through the tome as Ana enters. She asks how things went with Ximena and he tells her he has to re-read this entire book by day after tomorrow. Or rather, that's when the report is due. She knows that procrastination isn't his style so she asks him what's up. He admits that the report isn't his. It's for Ximena. Ana gets it. She knows this kind of female. But now is not the time to deliver that lesson. She exits and her cell phone begins ringing just as she closes the door.

Of course, it's Fernando. She tries to tell him she's very busy. He wants a date whenever it's good for her.

He walks out of the study just in time to see her come down the stairs and breaks into a conversation with Ana about the children. She updates him, then does a big, fake, yawn to indicate she's tired. He wishes her goodnight and goes back to the study.

He calls “Lola” again and she tells him she needs to go to bed. Ana picks up the feather duster and pretends to dust the banister while going up the stairs. He steps out of the study again and sees this.

He asks why she is doing this and she says “Just trying to be efficient” and he wishes her goodnight as he returns to the study.

Once there, Ana comments upon hearing a princess' voice. Is that your wife? He says to “Lola” no, that's it's Ana, the nanny."  “So is she a beautiful princess?” Ana asks in her disguise.

“No, not like you. She is pretty, but not like you.” “Is she efficient?” “Of course! Very much so.” By now Ana is leaning against the piano, which holds some family photos. On her next line she realizes he's coming back out of the study, so she ducks down under the piano just as he is closing the doors.

He goes back to the phone “Lola?” and realizes that she has ended the call. “Buena notte” he says as he closes off the phone and stands there for a minute. He doesn't realize that Ana is staring from under the piano.

Now here's a little ditty that sums up Fernando's relationships with both women.