Caray, Caray!

AFTER HOURS AT THE OFFICE
Alonso has Cecelia in his office. After flirting with him all day, he figures he has a right to make his BIG move, right there and then. After seductively kissing her he gets rough and throws her back so she lands on his desk. He approaches again and Ceci doesn’t exactly rebuff him, but states she doesn’t get involved with married men.

Meanwhile, Regina is approaching the governor’s office. Ceci hasn’t moved. Al looks at her not very seductively and orders her to remove her clothes, slowly. Ceci reaches for her zipper. Regie reaches for the door.

Hernán, who’s been snooping around the halls after hours, watched Ceci enter the gov’s office and now sees Regie at the door. He interrupts her movement toward the door and while she is distracted by wondering what he is doing here and his saying he wants to ask her some questions, he invisibly sends Ceci a text that the gov’s wife is at the door.

On one side of the door, all sexual activity stops short. On the other side of the door, Regie is annoyed by the reporter’s questions about the death of that investor, that the governor’s father made him “disappear” and who was also her mother-in-law’s lover. She leaves him with the questions half-answered saying it was a strategy to cover up some illegal dealings and justice will be served.

Al, in a bit of a panic asks Ceci how she knows his wife is outside the door—who told her. But there’s no time for answers. Regie enters to see Al and Ceci busy “working.” Al looks up and says he’s surprised to see her, to which Regie asks if it was a good or a bad surprise.

Ceci gets it and discretely leaves the office, only to run into Hernán outside. He insists she needs someone on the inside. He  thinks she should show her gratitude for saving her ass by having a drink somewhere. Ceci seems a little off-put by this scarf-swabbed, scruffy, rumpled, young (very young) but kinda cute nuisance, but she agrees, on the condition he shares his investigation with her. He intimates he thinks his investigation is worth more than a drink.

Al and Regie have a testy discussion over Ceci. She wants to know why he was working with “her” alone, so late. Al can’t believe she would think he’d take a risk with someone he just hired, recommended by her father no less. Regie says in earnest that lately everything seems to be going wrong for them. She doesn’t know what to think. She came to see him in person about mending their relationship. As she turns to walk away he says he tried, wasn’t it he who invited her out to dinner? ….And who, she reminds him, didn’t show up? What she needs now, though, is to talk about Emiliano. She thinks he needs therapy. Al scoffs, she prefers to talk about therapy than their relationship. She has the last word: for once, she’d like Emi and herself to be the most important things in his life.

NIGHT TIME EVERYWHERE ELSE
Emi is at home, grounded, but trying to figure out how to get out to see Ximena, when he runs into Natalia, an easy touch. He sweet-talks his grandmother into providing a cover for him. He tells her he’s met this terrific girl and she wants to see him, for just a little while. Pinky promise. Nat doesn’t want to lie to either of his parents, but he persuades her to make it a half a fib—that as far as she knows he’s locked himself in his room. She says with a smile, that he’s more like his father every day—in the manipulation department, but agrees to go along with the ruse, but only for an hour. He’s good with that.

Tere was having a ball raking up the winnings when first seen at the casino. As luck would have it, her luck turned against her and she’s been losing, no--she lost everything. She gets loud and obnoxious and wants a loan. She tries to grab the chips from the player next to her. Two security guards move in and before she can raise a really big stink, haul her out of the casino and into the night.

Blondie, Debora’s replacement, although she’s now assigned  to someone else, meets Don Mario at the bordello. She’s dressed elegantly, as only a high priced call girl can. She wants to know where her new client is. Don M explains the old codger didn’t want to leave the house so he will have to come up with a new strategy. He tells her what it is. Her new client has breakfast every morning at a specific café. He’s going to arrange for her to work there as a waitress and so, move in on the guy. Blondie doesn’t like that aspect of the arrangement—she can’t just stop going to her classes at the university. Don M says it’s only for a few days, she’ll catch up and he’ll fix it with her professor. Mario goes over the instructions Ceci already gave her. But besides being seductive, she has to make sure he sees her sad and crying. Mario takes advantage of Blondie’s presence since she’s all dressed up and tells her she looks lovely and so young. He bends down to sniff and kiss her neck while Blondie is completely unmoved by his advances.

Omar is sitting in his house contemplating the options Mario gave him earlier. (Either he calls off the dogs on Arturo or he will find himself with no visible means of support.) Alonso shows up, as was requested. Om says he has Javier’s partner and will give him up when Al’s ready. Al says in the morning.

Omar says (although his fingers might have been crossed) he was wrong and agrees to let the vengeance go. Al is glad to hear that. He can’t go losing his head like that. Om does have a favor to ask in return. He needs his wife back. He wants Al to help convince her to return to him. Al is quite surprised. After all, she cheated on him, why would he want her back? Om says that the truth is, aside from everything, he doesn’t know what he’d do without her. Al says it will be difficult, but he will try. He tells his father that this must be the last time they live through a situation like this. Omar hopes so.

Party time in somebody’s garden. Ximena and Emi find each other at the fiesta house. She confesses she lied to her father because she knew her mother wasn’t home when she left for the party and isn’t sure where she is now. Emi asks her if she’d rather go home. She says no. She wants to be here with him. The music is loud, the liquid is flowing, hair is getting tossed and bodies are thumping along with the music and Xi is not worried about her mother any more.

Regina arrives home, the day’s activities hanging heavily over her. [editorial comment: See SuperAlfie's last comment in Chapter 10 for a complete list.] Natalia greets her at the door. No, Regie tells her, she didn’t dine with nor talk to Alonso. She admits that Al has been impossible lately. Nat says Al has always been difficult and draws Regie out. Regie doesn’t really know what’s wrong. They always seem angry with each other.  Natalia tells her that of all people, she knows how difficult marriage can be. She says she loves Regie like a daughter and urges Regie to fix things with Al if he’s disposed to. Give him a time limit. She thinks Regie is too good to continue living like this. They exchange heartfelt hugs.

Regie asks about Emi. Nat says he is locked in his room. Regie is worried about him. Nat says he’s acting like any adolescent manipulating a parent to get attention. Regie hopes that’s all it is. Nat says to give him time. They hug again.

Tere, shoeless and penniless is heading down the sidewalk looking for a way home. She hails a taxi but he takes off when he hears she has no money, not waiting to hear her say she’ll get some when they get to her address. In the most inconceivable coincidence, the next car that slows down for her and stops just happens to have Mario and Blondie in it. He says he recognizes her—he’s a friend of her husband’s and introduces her to his “niece.” She tells him her predicament—she was robbed. Hmmm, notes Mario, who looks at her hands hanging on to the open window, it’s interesting they left her with her rings. Apparently the lie wasn’t enough to discourage Mario from helping or Tere from accepting a ride with them.

Party time isn’t over yet. Another girl snags Emi and introduces herself and tries to give him “a little something” to make him feel better, happier, but Xi stops her and also from offering her the same. Then the girl tries to snag Emi for a dance, but Xi cuts in.

NEXT MORNING
Regie appears ready to go to the office in a white frontal-zipper tailored dress. She greets Natalia. They hug. She wishes she could stay with her, but she has meetings. Regie says Emi is still locked in his room and asks Nat to make sure he gets to school.

Emi and Xi never made it to their respective homes overnight. They apparently spent the night with all the other blown away partygoers scattered about in the grass (the green-growing kind one has to mow). They hurry and grab at certain missing items of clothing and skedaddle on out.

A shirtless Hernán strolls down from Ceci’s bedroom and grabs her coffee out of her hands. Obvio, he had spent the night and got paid with nookie-bit-coins for his information. All eyes turn to Ceci who is wearing a blue back-zippered dress (one that Al will have to do the honors for if he wants some of what he missed last night at the office). She tells Hernán she hasn’t thrown him out yet because she wants him not to publish his note regarding Alonso. He’s sorry, but he intends to. She asks that maybe he could change the slant to cover Alonso’s matrimony or maybe something about the party leaders being in dispute. Somehow that is not doing it for Herm. He wants to know if despite whatever went on in the governor’s office yesterday, did last night with him mean anything to her? She dissuades him of that notion immediately….with him, it’s tit for tat…sex for information, nothing more. He looks disappointed.

Gerardo is still at home when he gets a loud cell phone call. Tere is calling, loudly. She’s asking if Xi is with him because she’s not at the house. Gerry says she probably went to school. He’ll check and get back to her. As they hang up, Xi comes in the door. Tere gets on her case right away. Xi calls her crazy. Tere hits her and doesn’t apologize. They accuse each other of being lying bitches [editorial interpretation]. Saved by the bell from having fur fly, it’s Gerry reporting she wasn’t in school. Tere apologizes to him and covers for Xi telling him she was in her room. Then she goes up to Xi’s room and says she lost it, but who wouldn’t not knowing where she might be or that something might have happened to her.  She suggests a pact with Xi—you don’t tell where I was and I won’t tell you were out all night. Xi doesn’t have much of a choice and looks pretty unhappy.

Mario is chatting up a waitress at the café where Om has his daily breakfast. He asks for the owner, but also suggests the waitress is wasting her life there and wonders if she’d like a better paying job. He finds out she’s from a rural area, by herself, and living in a little room. He gives her his phone number and tells her to call him. The owner sits down with Mario and Mario puts his offer on the table. He needs a job for his daughter, a routine, discipline, real work, like waiting tables. The owner explains he doesn’t need anyone, there’s full employment at his establishment. Mario points at the waitress he was talking to and tells the owner he’s pretty sure his current waitress will be leaving soon. To sweeten the pot, he promises to cover his daughter’s salary and throw in a little extra for him for his trouble. [editorial note: Viewerville will have to wait to see if the owner accepts—but we can guess he does. So far, Mario hasn’t failed in any of his objectives.]

Gerardo has been loitering near Regina’s office. When he sees her coming and she sees him, they stop to talk and commiserate. They agree they both have problems. He’s worried about Xi back living with Tere and Tere is in a very bad way. He says there are lies and entanglements and it’s upsetting him and he just can’t take it any more. Regie says let’s talk and he follows her into her office.

Alonso gets to the office and runs into Magda. He exchanges small talk with her about an injured finger until he gets a call and she runs off. It’s Natalia squealing on Emi. She’s sorry she lied to Regina. She feels so guilty. He tells her not to worry. He’ll make time to talk to him. He walks down the hallway, sees Ceci in her office through the glass and signals her. She follows him inside his office. He wants to know who alerted her that Regina was outside the office yesterday. It was a colleague, she replies, a reporter. Did he see her come in to his office? Ceci tells him not to worry, it’s taken care of. Al disagrees. Someone else probably knows. She again says not to worry—nothing happened. No, Al replies with a leer on his face, nothing happened, but something was going to happen.

Gerardo opens up to Regina about his marital and familial situation. Xi doesn’t want to live with her mother any more. Regie feels that if he worries that she might be in some danger, he ought to take charge and get a lawyer. Gerry gets up and moves toward the hallway glass and looks out as he speaks. What really enrages him is how Tere destroyed his life, her own life and now she’s destroying his daughter’s. He doesn’t know what to do. Regina agrees it must be a difficult situation. He continues, yes, Tere was important to him, she was his wife, the mother of his child…but her addiction, her craziness, started long before they separated. It's over. Regie says she understands perfectly.

He turns to look at her. Really? Seriously? She’s standing, looking back at him and they hold their gaze. Is the same thing happening to her with Alonso? Regie doesn’t answer. She turns away and looks for the name of the lawyer because he can’t go on living this way. Regie gives Gerry the contact information for an Agustín Rodriguez.

He thanks her for listening. He knows what Alonso did to her with the union (co-opting them and hijacking her legislation). She knows, but she doesn’t want to fight over it. She hates that part of politics, the negotiating, the back room deals. Gerardo hates getting into the weeds, too, but his press secretary says that’s the only way to survive. Regie thinks that’s terrible. When he says he knows there are people a lot worse than they are, she gives him a look. Gerry looks back and asks if she knows what that look on her face reminds him of. She smiles slightly and asks what it is.

He says it reminds him of the day she fought with Alonso. So, he remembers that? Yes, he remembers—the touch of her skin [editorial comment: ISBIS*] Below and out of view of anyone looking through the inner office window, he reaches out and the back of their hands touch and one of his fingers touches hers lightly. The two have not stopped looking at each other. He breaks the spell. He says he won’t burden her with any more of his memories. He’ll leave. Regie is left wondering what is happening to her.

Emi is putting on his clean pants when Natalia comes into his room. She comes right out with it. She trusted him and he did not live up to his word. She lied for him and he failed her. What a shame to have lost her trust in him. She doesn’t let him speak. She turns and walks out.

Hugo calls Emi in on Skype. He’s a mess. He starts blubbering that he can’t go on like this; his mother took him out of school and now he can’t see him. He asks him to connect so he can see him one last time. He took the abuse until Emi started insulting him and now he doesn’t know what to do if he can’t see him any more. Emi snorts that he sounds like a girl. Hugo is crushed and crying hard now. Couldn’t Emi tell? He’s been in love with Emiliano.

Daniela is explaining how the new law is to be implemented to some folks in Regina’s office when Regina excuses herself to take a call on her cell. Daniela excuses herself as well and follows Regie to the outer office. It was a Dr. Saldiva, a psychologist she trusts. Dr. S apparently has told her that Emi can’t be forced to see her. It has to be voluntary. She’s telling all this to Daniela who ends up by saying how much she admires her. Regina admires her even more. Daniela says she is so grateful that Regie gave her a chance. She’s so glad that now that opportunity will be extended to all women who need that refuge. They hug.

Natalia greets Al at the house. He tells her he doesn’t have much time and is here to see Emilio. Nat says, oh, a doctor visit? She tells him his “patient” left without permission. He backtracks and sits down with her. He brings up the Omar situation. She doesn’t want to talk about it. He says Omar regrets what he did and is repentant. He’s desperate. He can’t live without her. She retorts that he doesn’t know how to live with her. There’s no turning back the clock. She doesn’t want to be forced to go back to him. Al says he’s not obligating her, they’re just talking right now.

Nat knows he’s already made up his mind to make her go back, so, she says, if he talks about her husband, she’ll talk about his wife. She tells him to change or he’s going to lose Regie. Being in the house, she can tell they are no longer a couple—and how long has it been since the two made love? Al is embarrassed to be discussing this topic with his mother. [editorial comment: He's embarrassed not by the question, but by the answer he would be forced to give.] He tries to get up and leave. No, she says, he can’t escape. It’s not just about making love. He should be talking to her about politics. Nat reads the papers every day and she doesn’t like what he’s doing. He’s mistreating her, hurting her, abandoning her, using her. She doesn’t like it at all.

Blondie is visiting Ceci, not so much visiting as imploring her to get her out of this situation. It’s not what she signed up for and doesn’t want to stay in it any longer. Ceci explains that her father can be very dangerous and asks Blondie to hang on just a little while. Blondie leaves, not quite believing her, but hoping, nevertheless—as if she had a choice.

Emi has rushed over to Hugo’s house and is desperately ringing the bell. When Hugo’s mother answers the door she doesn’t want to let him in, but he pushes past her and goes up the stairs saying he thinks Hugo is about to do something crazy. He’s possibly in danger. In the room, they find Hugo stretched out on the bed with a bottle of pills next to him. [editorial comment: These must be super-fast acting killer pills.] Hugo is dead. They can’t revive him. His mama accuses Emi of killing him. Emi breaks down.

Omar comes to see Natalia and asks that she return home with him. Nat is not interested. Omar says he would like her to come back under her own steam, willingly, other wise, he will kill her and then kill himself.

Emiliano calls his mother. He says Hugo is dead and it’s his fault.

Alonso and Mauro are in Al’s office. There’s a knock at the door. Mauro doesn’t answer it fast enough for Al, but he finally gets up and lets Ceci in. Mauro can’t get out fast enough. She’s ready to work. He comes up close to her and tells her he doesn’t like to be toyed with and--hauls off and hits her. [editorial comment: I was surprised she didn’t go flying across the room and land on her behind with the force of that slap.]

*ISBIS is an ancient Caray acronym for It Sounds Better in Spanish, i.e. “Tu mirada me recuerda de tu piel.”

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