Caray, Caray!

• 
  
  Alejandra accused Ricardo of being selfish and thinking only of himself. She was determined to deal with him only as a colleague and nothing else. She felt as though she had never been special to him. Paula tried to convince her to take time to think about this, but she would not be persuaded.
  
• Victoria did not think that the sperm bank was a good idea for Olivia. It was contrary to her wish to marry the love of her life and have children with him. She felt that anything short of that would be Olivia shortchanging herself and the child. Olivia admitted that she was right.
  
• Alejandra told her mother that she must be cursed since the two men she had fallen in love with turned out to be selfish losers and that she had no wish to go through this again. Paula told her that there were many men out there who were handsomer and better than Carlos and Ricardo put together, but Alejandra was not receptive to this. Paula tried to tell her how she had never given up hope despite her own many failures in this area of life. She begged her not to punish herself over this or worse, go back to Carlos after a disappointment with Ricardo. Alejandra was almost offended at the idea.
  
• Based on her observations Victoria speculated that Alejandra would get back together with Carlos over the foundation he wanted her assistance with. Olivia disagreed, thinking that Alejandra must be confused. Victoria said point blank that she personally wouldn't be in love with either of them and preferred to be alone.
  
• Had Victoria known the entire story she might not have thought so.
  
• Paula was determined to get Alejandra to see reason and take her time with this. Alejandra's cell rang and she checked the screen. It was Carlos. Paula left the room so she could talk to him privately. He was arriving home from the office as he talked about not being able to stop thinking about her and how they used to spend weekends past, going to dinner and the movies, and sharing bottles of the red wine that he knew she fancied. She was not upset to hear him talk about how beautiful their relationship had been. Nor was she upset to hear him say that he would have to get used to being without her.
  
  She looked very sad.
  
• Unless Alejandra was mourning her lost dreams, this was not a good sign.
  
• Roberto led his two friends into the Rivoli club and immediately scanned the room for attractive women. He spotted three at the bar who appeard to hve arrived together and said they should just dive in. Before the approach he proposed a pact, that none of them was to go home alone. They then walked up to the bar and Roberto began the introductions and his pitch.
  
• Carlos used the “no pressure” line and the claim of understanding and “before being your boyfriend I was your friend” etc. while setting up an appointment to discuss the foundation he claimed he wanted to establish.
  
  When she ended the call she looked as cold as a frozen margarita.
  
• The coldness is a defense mechanism, often useful for self-protection. This is a lesson others still need to learn. At the same moment a party was taking place in another suburban area, one destined to have dire consequences.
  
• A number of unsupervised teenagers was having a party hosted by a fellow named Francisco. A girl named Alexa stumbled toward the media room to get her cell phone but on the way was stopped by two of the host's friends. One of them handed her a tequila shooter and after some persuasion she downed hers along with them. She stumbled back to her purse to get her cell phone, wanting to call her father. She had it in hand when Francisco arrived with two red plastic tumblers filled with some unknown intoxicant. She tried to refuse this, saying she wanted to call her father. However, she was already heavily under the influence. Enough so that her cousin, Francisco, was able to take the phone away from her and convince her that her mother was asleep.
  
  He then handed her one of the cups and tipped it so that she swallowed its contents to the bottom to the chants of the others. He told her not to worry, that he would take her home. He then gave her the other cup and grinned as she drank its contents.
  
  
  
  
  
• Alexa was too young and too drunk to be aware of Francisco's intentions. Meanwhile at the strip club Juan entered looking far more confident. He seemed to be intimidated no longer by interacting with the strippers. It must have been the black suit.
  
• The waiter greeted Juan and took his drink order. Juan pointed out a girl and asked her name. The waiter identified her as Roxana. He offered to get him a prettier one but Juan said not to, so the waiter approached Roxana and pointed Juan out to her.
  
  She joined him on the couch.
  
• Alexa collapsed and was barely caught by her cousin. Another boy came in with yet another round of shots. Alexa got away and stumbled toward the door as the shots were distributed. The boys laughed, then ran over to keep her from falling down. Francisco said he would take her home but suggested that she sleep a little while because she was very drunk. He tried to get her to kiss him but she pulled away.
  
  Finally he got her to put her arm over his shoulder and he guided her out of the room with one of his friends on her other side.
  
• While Juan had found one of the right women for his investigations his colleagues were meeting all the wrong ones at their favorite watering hole.
  
• The woman Roberto was trying to seduce apparently was an animal lover so he began bragging about how many abandoned puppies he had rescued and brought home. Of course he was caught when she asked how many he had; fortunately they both laughed.
  
  Ricardo's conversation was about work and he explained that while most thought that things were over when a judge made a decision that is often when the problems begin. When she asked how he managed his stress he told her he spent time with his children. When she said she was dying to have a baby he looked a little taken aback.
  
  Leonardo started talking about technology and how he preferred to take notes with pen and paper. He preferred physical books. His conversation partner was put off by this and said she never read. He couldn't believe it. She told him if a story sounded interesting she would wait for the movie and then go to the cinema. Not exactly his kind of woman. He was too polite to say so.
  
• Juan and Roxana talked about her work. She didn't go outside alone with clients because it was too dangerous. He started asking questions about Tatiana and she suggested she dance for him. He said he'd tip her well for it if she would talk instead. He then took out money Leonardo had given him in the office, with a comment about whether she had to pay a commission. She seemed impressed with the amount, tucked it into her pink lace brassiere, and began answering his questions. Apparently Tatiana's child was sick and she would do anything for him.
  
• Francisco put Alexa on the bed of what looked like a basement room complete with banister-free stairs. He deliberately fell on top of her but she was able to push him off and get up. She had her cell phone and she mumbled that she wanted to make a call. He got the phone away from her, did something to it, then put it on the nightstand. She collapsed back on the bed and passed out within seconds.
  
  He took off his jacket, then unlaced and removed her shoes before sticking his hand up the left leg of her jeans.
  
• As Roxana flirted with him, Juan asked more questions. He had not known that Tatiana had a child. Another drink later he asked about the bachelor party and Tatiana's address. Roxana told him that this information would cost him. He gave her more money; she stashed it in the same place and then asked him to pay for a dance for the bar's sake. He agreed, then she whispered the information to him. He entered it simultaneously into his smartphone, then they got up to leave the lounge.
  
• Francisco's two friends entered the basement room.
  
  
  
  Just in time to see him remove her jeans. “Your cousin is pretty” one of them said as they began removing their shirts.
  
• Ricardo and Leonardo decided to call it a night. Ricardo told Roberto that it was too soon for him to forget Alejandra. Roberto then ordered a round of drinks for himself and the three ladies.
  
• And then the screaming began. Alexa woke from her stupor and saw her cousin and his friends, who by then had stripped down enough for her to see weapons they were not entitled to use. She began to scream as they took their turns in front of each other, also taking turns at covering her mouth.
  
• Roxana stripped down to her pink lace lingerie and started coming on to Juan. When she sat on his lap and they briefly talked she mentioned that Tatiana had all the luck with clients because she always got the ones with Money. After which she didn't want to talk any more about Tatiana. He asked her to stand up because his legs had fallen asleep. She stood up and asked him to buy her a drink. He agreed.
  
• I always wonder how the expense reports  are filled out for this.
  
• Alexa woke up in the basement bed. She was naked under the sheet. She also remembered what had happened because she cried.
  
• Juan and Roxana returned to the bar. He bought her another drink and asked about Patricia. Yes, Roxana knew her but they had a falling out. It was all about clients, of course. Patricia had always been so competitive about everything, including how much her clients paid. She fought with everyone and it was annoying. “I have no real friends here; just co-workers. They're all bitches.”
  
• The following morning was Saturday. Juan got up early, dressed in weekend clothes, and despite his mother's attempt at keeping him home went out to act on the information obtained the night before.
  
  When he arrived at Tatiana's building one of her neighbors told him she had left with her child two nights before. Juan claimed to be a friend of Tatiana's, then exchanged contact information with him to follow up.
  
• Whether rich or poor, when the going gets tough, the tough go shopping.
  
• Paula woke Alejandra and insisted she accompany her for a Ladies' Day Out. Alejandra was reluctant, but Paula didn't take no for an answer.
  
  They had their nails done. Paula started talking about doing things for oneself was the best thing to do when romantic problems happened.
  
  
  They started talking about her ex-husbands, starting with Felix (who saw life as a Greek tragedy).
  
• Ricardo was eating breakfast and reading the morning paper when his ex-girlfriend, Mariana, arrived with her best friend, who desperately needed his help. Hugo, a handsome middle-aged gentleman, then told Ricardo what had happened to his daughter the night before. Ricardo was shocked, but told Hugo that he had to tell him everything so that he could help. Hugo explained that his nephew had given a party the night before. The boy's father – his brother – was a wealthy lawyer so Francisco and his friends always felt free to do what ever they wanted without consequences. His daughter was in the hospital.
  
  He was sure they needed to hurry because he feared that the attackers would flee the country. Ricardo said he would have to bring charges first. He started saying “No, no” but finished with that the only thing he wanted was for the rapists to end up in prison. Ricardo told him he needed to file the charges first and Hugo almost became hysterical. He finally said he wanted to kill his daughter's rapists.
  
• Paula talked about David, the husband who cheated, saying that it wasn't her fault. It was his nature. She said that everyone is responsible for his own happiness but that she would help her in any way she could because she wanted her to be happy.
  
• Ricardo told Hugo he could not take the law into his own hands; that was the surest way to prison. Mariana got him to calm down. Ricardo said that he would have to talk to Alexa. Hugo told him that his daughter was a minor and that Francisco had been entrusted to watch out for her. He railed at feeling helpless. Ricardo told him “I also have a daughter and I would do anything for her.” Hugo then asked whether he understood his feelings. Ricardo told him he did but that they would need to act in the best possible way to help Alexa. Hugo agreed.
  
  Ricardo then told him he would need to get Leonardo because he was a criminal law specialist unlike himself. He warned him that it would be difficult because Alexa would have to give a statement. However, they would make the rapists pay.
  

Labels: ley

Permalink posted by Urban Anthropologist @ 11:30 PM