Caray, Caray!

⦁ Tania warns Natalia that if the company cannot resolve the fraud issue, the next best thing for her brother, Mario, is to leave the country.  Mari walks in on the two of them and is surprised to see Nata there.  Nata asks why he's so surprised she is back at the office.  She explains she's gotten a forensic accountant--Enrique--to trace back the accounts and assist them in locating everything.   Tania states she already looked through everything and the others left no trace.  Nobody can find a thing, rest assured!  Mario agrees another set of eyes could probably discover something they all overlooked.  (Especially a forensic accountant doncha think?)  Nata suggests then Tania should probably hand over the necessary passwords to the computer and various accounts so the accountant can get the show on the road already!  Mario asks so why haven't you done that by now?  Tania stalls saying she cannot just go handing out such things willy nilly! "--Besides, I don't take orders from her!"  Mario insists she hand over the passwords then and there.  Trammeling Tania then exits stage right to assist Enrique.

⦁ Across town at Vicente's Auto Parts open-air shop, Olga stops to visit with Chente and to find another way to insert herself....Why wasn't she allowed to join in the fun the night before?  Sorry, just a family thing and Benji is still not talking.  Vulga says she enjoys helping out with the housework and Benji, and sweetly places her hand over his (as Viewerville gets a load of her crazy nail polish).  He pulls away and says he really doesn't want to take advantage of her good will (let alone her willing).  Chente says there's only one woman his child wants to see (and it ain't her) so being ill, her being there will only disturb him more and .....Ugha won't stop insisting...she gives him a hug and says she will remain invisible, only being there when Benji's away at school cuz she only wants to help them both through this difficult time --Somebody throw the dude an oxygen mask and a full tank of O2.  He's being suffocated!  

⦁ Later on Tania warns big brother he could end up in jail by trying to be Nata's knight in shining armor.  He doesn't need rumors flying that he's having an affair with her, either.  

⦁ Olga has cooked and cleaned, but oops, she's also changed the furniture around and removed all photos of Lucia without Chente's permission.  This was the last straw.  He finally explodes. "-- Where are my wife's pictures???"  She took the liberty of throwing them inside the desk.....He finally lays down the law.  It's his house and his pictures and his kid and if she thinks that by moving around some furniture and taking down his wife's pictures she will erase the memory of the one woman in his life he's ever loved, she's wrong. "--You will never replace the only woman I've ever loved!  Do you understand???  Not as the woman of this house, nor the caretaker of my son, not in my heart.  Understood???  GET THAT STRAIGHT!!!"

⦁ Back at the office, Nata explains that from now on, they all will be working out of the same office so even though she doesn't intend to make besties with Tania, she can at least act polite and well-mannered while there.  Mario promises he's spoken with her and it will never happen again.  Yes, but what about him?  Is it true he's considering leaving the country?  Will he be pulling the same low-down tricks as Veronica???  Mario hands her his passport to keep as a show of good faith.  She refuses to take it and says she believes him.  Just then Enrique reports the numbered account he was tracking for her belongs to Mario!!

⦁ Meanwhile, Tania has returned to Ver's place and makes a call to Ver.  She assures her that all is going well in the D.F.and everything has been turning out just exactly as Ver had planned.  Ver says she'd love to see Nata's face once she learns that Mario has an offshore account as well.  Tania pricks herself on the roses while complaining to Ver that they've brought in an expert to review the books.  She tells Nata her roses love blood and explains vaguely that she's not the roses' only victim.....  Tania lastly informs Ver that Nata and Mario have begun living together and of course, they both think the worst.....

⦁ Nata wonders why there's an offshore account in Mario's name.  He swears he's got no idea and they need to find out.  (Well, shucks, if she's got a house she knew nothin' about fraudulently put in her name, well couldn't it be possible that the offshore account is fraudulent also?  Wait, that connection was too quick to make for these two who are supposed to be so well-educated and worldly.)  Mario hands her over his passport again and this time she accepts it.  She refuses to be left alone in the midst of all this financial and emotional chaos.

⦁ Back in the barrio, Valentina comes running over to Chole at the beauty shop to come quickly back to the rooming house cuz Vulga's about to commit suicide and she's locked the door and means bidnez!  Chole says it's the third time the girl has pulled this on everyone.  She goes to the locked door and says if she doesn't come out of the room on the count of three Mama will know all and Vulga will be sent packing back home.  Vulga comes out.....(FF>>FF>>)  

⦁ Andrea has called Omar to discuss her terrible, rotten, very bad day at school and at having to live like a sardine at Mario's.  She learns the unfortunate truth from Omi that now he will not be able to welcome her and her family as guests to live in the apartment.  (An immovable object has just been hit with the proverbial unstoppable force.)

⦁ Breakfast is bad at Chente's so he decides to play a bit of indoor soccer with Benji.  Looking at the soccer ball sets the boy off and he begins screaming as he has flashbacks to the loose soccer ball leading to his mother's being fatally shot.  

⦁ Chole insists that Vulga needs to set her sights lower than on Chente.  

⦁ Once back at Mario's digs, Andi asks again why Omi's gone back on his word.  Papi has laid down the law.  It's his parents or her.  He chooses his parents and La Vida Loca. 

⦁ Tania chats up Ver's maid who informs her that Ver loves her roses and the many secrets they hold.  (Anothercryptic reference to those darned yellow roses!  Anybody wanna venture a guess?) 

⦁ In the Caribbean, Adrian offers a diamond necklace as a peace offering to Ver. She compliments his ability as a peacemaker.  Ver mentions that Tania called her and had some interesting news.  Mario's taking on the responsibility of the company; also, Mario has moved on to Nata. Is Ver jealous?  Not on your life!  She finds it rather amusing.  But, from the look on Adrian's face which has gone from merry to mirthless in 2 seconds flat, he does not.

⦁ Nata arrives home just in time to pick up Mario's ringing phone.  "--Hola.  Bueno."  Once again there's nothing from the other end of the line.  Adrian hangs up.  He admits to Ver that she is correct because Nata answered Mario's phone.  He immediately changes the subject to a dinner meeting he has that night with a new possible mark...er...bidnez associate interested in investing in the tourist complex Adrien's got in mind.  Dress for success!  Oh, she'll knock his socks off, don't worry, says La Ver. 

⦁ At the same time, Tania The Two-faced notices a striking photo of Ver wearing a striking, hi-split red evening gown.  She enters Ver's closet and chooses the very same gown and puts it on.  She then imagines herself as Ver and laughs throatily.  (Some psych major can take the time to classify this act.  I cannot.)

⦁ While Nata listens, Regi excitedly explains all about her possibility of going to the new area public high school.  Andi, however, relives the hell walk she went through that day and simply states she's not returning to school, period-- until Mama can afford to send her back to the best private prep.  Talk to the hand cuz the Andi brat face ain't listenin'. 

⦁ Aha!  Viewerville learns that Adrian has a secreted photo of La Familia Abandonada.  He quickly stashes it away upon hearing Ver's return to the room.  She's dressed to kill again in another lovely red, silky thing that shows her 6 foot long legs to purview perfection.  She immediately hands over their newly purchased fake passports.  They try on their new identities--Javier and Antonela-- for size.  

⦁ Back in the D.F. Mario's arrived home with the information gotten about the offshore account holding Chente's monthly payments.  Mario says it's now all in his attorney's hands.  He again swears he had no idea this paltry account existed.  They agree it's very likely something Ver and Adrian did behind his back.  She mentions the house they forged in her name.  Who'd a thunk it????  Ok.  They got to stick together.  United they are strong enough to triumph.  Nata admits this has been one hell of a shock and has left her with thousands of questions, all unanswered.  It's got her totally bowled over and she's ready to throw in the towel.  She doesn't know if she's got the strength to manage.  He hugs her and lends the proverbial shoulder to cry on.  Andi walks into the hallway and sees this, immediately misinterpreting the scene.  "--Am I interrupting?"  Mario leaves and Andi struts over.  "--Excuse me for bringing up earlier anything about an affair."  Nata replies,  "--If you think you're going to push my buttons, forget it,"  and then calmly turns her back on her and walks away.  (Ok.  So, did Ver secretly have an illegitimate child with Adrian 17 years ago and give her up to him for adoption?  Gotta wonder.) Andi figures she'll see about that!

⦁ Meanwhile, Adrian and Ver double-team the prospective investor to perfection, like the proverbial Swiss watch. (It's a thing of beauty for a former sales rep to behold.)   It's a fabulous market in that area, sayz she; he can double his investment in three years sayz he.  Mr. Mark says he's going to check into every detail before deciding. They say take all the time needed. "-- As for us, we have a couple of other interested parties wanting to speak with us and we will be going with whoever most aligns with our interests," sayz she.

⦁ Mario's in his Father-Knows-Best p.j.'s fixing something in the coffee maker.  Andi walks into the kitchen wearing her little 2 piece shorty PJ set, supposedly thinking she looks rather daring.  It's a harmless conversation and she gives him a fatherly peck on the cheek.  She heads back to the bedroom and lies to Mama about how Mario was looking her over, like hmm, he's got both of them in his sights. "--Wha????" Nata will have a convo with him immediately!  "--NO!  Obviously, he will deny it."  Suddenly Nata realizes it could be a petty scheme of Andi's to force her to move out of the apartment.  "--Ok.  So perhaps I misinterpreted things.  Happy?"  

⦁ Nata comes into the living room where Mario's been mulling over all sorts of problems.  She asks if Andi came and spoke with him. "-- Yup.  Apologized for her poor attitude and thanked me for allowing them to stay there."  They agree to be patient with the girl, even though the rudeness and impulsiveness is way too difficult for her to handle at times.  (Yeah, who said it stops with the terrible two's, anyway?)  He then opens some vino and mentions that even if he sells off all he owns it would only make a small dent in all that is owed the investors, and they want 100% return of their money.  He's in a hell of a pickle.  She asks how could they have been so totally unaware of what was happening with the company?  Well, he was totally involved with public relations, and the money and investing/sales were totally in Ver and Adrian's hands.  They toast to their naivete.  He admits she's more capable and much stronger than she thinks; on the other hand, he feels at times like running away.  He can't, she warns him, or she'll fall to pieces immediately!!  Tears begin to flow.  He begins falling for the weeping woman on his shoulder and suddenly kisses her.  Nata revolts. He apologizes for their momentary indiscretion.  "--NO!  YOUR indiscretion, not mine!  Tomorrow we're leaving!!"    (Scoooooooorrrrrre Team Andi!!!)  Nata surely knows what their/her friends will say...and neither can afford any more mistakes in life.  He's a jerk, and she's not Ver! Forgeddaboudit!!

⦁ That same night Benji is having a nightmare about the bad guys at the bank, the ball, and his mama.  

⦁ The next morning at breakfast Chente explains to his brothers how the house was put into Adrian's wife's name so he cannot sell it now.  No, she won't be kicking them out because she's a terrific gal.  She's getting a new document written up between them and will respect the money already paid out to her.  She's a really decent sort but has her temper also.  In fact, the first time he saw her she threw the picture of her husband against the wall and broke it, he tells them.  Chente begins to describe her, even to the eyes one can so easily get lost in.  (Ruh-rohhh!  Somebody's been doin' without for too long a time.)  Juanga warns against Chente falling for a wealthy woman, especially the house's owner who he scarcely even knows.  They'll betray you when you aren't even looking.

⦁ Across town, Mario apologizes again, but Nata's got her mind made up.  She and her daughters are grateful, but it's too dangerous and too heavy a burden for him to take on at this point.  She's got to live under a roof of her own.  Suddenly the doorbell rings.  Mario opens it and is handed a huge bouquet of yellow roses. (An operatic chorus swells to intensify the fear and shock Nata feels at seeing a huge, foreboding bouquet of yellow roses.)  It's for Nata and has a note from Ver.  "You will have to be my rose fertilizer."  Fertilizer may have a double entendre here.  However, "abono" can also mean a financial guarantee against another's default on a debt.  So...which is it?  Could it be both?

Labels: fortuna

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