Caray, Caray!

Repeat of Alonso saying goodbye to his daughter, Rufi talking with Cristobal about contacting Natalia to find out what the deal is with the mysterious papers from Carmen, and Romina agreeing to Aron’s suggestion that she pretend she’s having Emiliano’s baby.

German is in his office doing nothing, which reminds me of George Costanza in many a “Seinfeld” episode. Liliana’s boyfriend Eric comes in and German recognizes him, asking “Do I know you?” Eric replies, no, but we have someone in common, Liliana, and we’re novios. Turns out that Eric is the office’s accountant and has some papers for Germy to sign.

Liliana tells Paloma to quit worrying about Romina already, but Pal continues to fret that Romi is never going to forgive her once R finds out about her and Emil. Lili points out that Romi’s not the only friend that she can have, but Emil is the only man she loves. Lili mentions that a lot of the girls wanted to be Pal’s friend but couldn’t because of Romi, who is just full of herself. Pal defends Romina because she helped her when her parents died and when she was going to run off with Inaki. Lili thinks Paloma shouldn’t trust her, but Paloma sees her like a sister--one time they even told each other they were never going to be separated by a man--and believes that R loves her. Lili tries to get Pal to see that if Romi really loved her, she’d accept that Emiliano loves Pal and not her. Pal looks like she’s back to being clueless and confused with respect to Romina.

On their way back to Real del Monte, Romina--who, because of the way she has managed to evade the news of Pal & Emil’s engagement, also reminds me of George Costanza (in the episode where he avoids his girlfriend and her phone calls so that she can’t break up with him)--thanks Aron for going with her. He admits he kinda felt sorry for her (I think). Then he suggests that Romi ask him and Pal to be the godparents of her baby and they both laugh, ha ha ha.

Rafael stops by Camila’s shop to deliver an invitation to the presentation of the new ceramics line (the one she worked on). She doesn’t know if she should go, plus things with Romina are still unresolved. And if she goes, she’d be bringing Orlando. Rafa tries to warn her about Orlando not being what he seems, but she tells him he doesn’t have the right to say Orly’s a bad person, and don’t say anything to me about him.

Ines and Diana have another conversation about Rafael in which Ines tries to defend him and Diana continues to dis him. Ines chides Di for not knowing how to value him, she always looks down on him. Diana’s response is, Well, he doesn’t know how to take risks, he’s mediocre. Ines argues that he took a risk in marrying her and becoming Emil’s dad when he hardly knew her. Of course this goes in one ear and out the other; Diana says if he had money he’d be perfect, but no, woe is me. Ines thinks Diana should tell him the truth about Orlando and say she was young and Ignacio’s bad influence got her mixed up in a crazy scheme, but Di refuses. Ines warns that she’ll lose everything if Rafa learns the truth from Orly. Diana is positive that Rafa is not going to believe in Orly’s words (but will believe hers).

Cristobal gives the soccer team a speech about the dangers of drugs and alcohol and has Emiliano share his horror story about one time when he woke up with a girl in his bed (which the kids think is funny and cool) and not remembering anything. Emiliano grimly notes that it’s not funny if that girl wants you to marry her and tries to kill herself because you don’t want anything to do with her. In a hint of the anvil to come, Cristobal tells the kids that if Emil hadn’t gotten drunk, he would remember what happened, but instead of that he has to go along with the story given by a woman he doesn’t love. Fortunately, she recovered from the suicide attempt. Cris mentions that the whole thing could have changed their lives, and Emiliano says fortunately it wasn’t like that. (Oh, but it will be!)

As soon as Carlota arrives at the dispensario she asks for Cristobal (Padre Juan), but he’s not there. However, to Carlota’s great disappointment, Padre Mateo is there and explains that he and Cris are changing roles a bit--sometimes he’ll be at the dispensario and other times it will be Padre Juan. Carlota pretends it doesn’t bother her and claims that serving God is what is important, not who does things. Mateo pointedly adds that the most important thing is to serve with honesty, integrity, and respect. Carlota then lays on the politeness way too thick when giving some food away to a townsperson, causing Mateo to practically roll his eyes.

Paloma is at art class working on her drawing of a dove (the one Macarena helped her with) and her teacher compliments her on it. Pal says she’s not going to give up art like her tia did, she’s going to keep painting in her honor. The teacher is sure that Pal’s pictures will sell at the upcoming exposition.

Rufi explains to Dr. Bermudez that Padre Juan is going to speak to Natalia about Inaki’s investigation. Dr. B. thinks it’s odd that a priest wants to get involved in this, so Rufi says Padre Juan held Mac in high esteem and cares about Paloma and that’s why he wants help. And if it’s necessary to confront La Loca Morada, he’s the only one who can do it.

Cristobal talks on the phone with Natalia about how Alonso went on a trip and she thinks it’s really a separation and he’s not coming back to the house. She’s going to take this time to think and define her feelings. Maybe in a few days she’ll come to Real del Monte, when Sagrario goes off to camp. Cris mentions to her that he needs her for something in particular and will tell her about it when he sees her.

Emiliano is in his office when Angelica ushers Romina in. He reluctantly says fine, I want to talk to you too.

Paloma runs into Camila while outside the latter’s house. Pal informs Cami that Romina didn’t come to school or sleep at her house. Romi had told Pal she was going to be at Camila’s, but she’s not there either and Cami doesn’t know where she is. Cami gets worried and asks Pal to tell her if she learns anything.

Emiliano tells Romi he has the feeling she’s hiding from them . . . why? She has something to tell him. What a coinky-dink, he has something to tell her too. Well, she says, I don’t know what you have to tell me, but what I am going to tell you is going to change our lives: I’m expecting your baby. Emiliano is all kinds of slo-mo impactado.

Emil says it can’t be, we broke up awhile ago. Romina states that she’s almost 3 months along. She gives him the test results. I guess Emiliano hasn’t had any sex education either, because he asks, But if we only had relations one time? Well, that was enough, you caught me off guard and we didn’t use protection. He asks since when has she known, yada yada yada. He can’t believe this is happening. Are you sure it’s . . .? Romina lies straight to his face, yes, it’s your kid, and swears that she hasn’t been with anyone else. This baby is a product of the immense love I have for you.

Rufi and Paloma discuss Romina and wonder where she stayed last night. Pal thinks maybe she went to Mexico City again to look for her dad. Rufi complains that Romi is going to give them problems and if she keeps this up, Carlota will kick her out (and for the first time she’ll be in agreement with her).

Weepy Romina asks Emil what does he want to do? He doesn’t know. Romi pretends to wax philosophical about how everything happens for a reason, Life wants us to be together, united for this baby. Emil wants to know who else knows, and she lies that only the two of them, but she’ll have to tell her mom. Then she blubbers some more about how this wasn’t in her plans but if she’d wanted a baby, she’d only want his. As she’s about to leave she remembers he wanted to tell her something but he says nevermind. When she walks out with her back to him she has the smirkiest smirk on her face. She waltzes out to Aron’s car and gloats that Emil fell for her story. As long as doubts don’t creep in, comments Aron. Romi mentions that Lili once told Emil that German and Romi were an item, but Romi denied it to him, and she doesn’t think German is going to say anything, he’s a coward.

Emiliano gloomily asks Angelica questions--hypothetically, of course--about whether a woman can get pregnant if she only slept with someone once and if the guy was drunk. She leaves, thought bubbling to herself “I hope this isn’t what I’m imagining.” Emil woefully calls his dad and leaves a message for him to call back.

Rafa and Joel are in his office discussing how he can get Emil away from Orlando without Emil realizing it. Joel wonders if it has occurred to Rafa to use this to get Diana to agree to the divorce. Rafa says he’d never use it; Emiliano musn’t find out that Rafa isn’t his father. Joel thinks Orlando seems like a normal guy, but Rafa insists Orly left Diana in the street. Plus, he was in jail. I think Rafa says he puts up with Orly because he wants to protect Emiliano. Then he gets Emil’s message and calls him back; they agree to meet.

Orlando is at the library doing research on paternity testing and thought bubbles that if Emiliano is his son, he’ll know very soon. Camila comes by and updates him on the situation with Romina not sleeping at her or Paloma’s house last night. Her telling him that she’s going crazy only elicits an “I told you so” from Orlando. She thinks maybe she understands now that she can’t do anything more for Romina, she can’t stop her from making mistakes. She thinks it’s time to begin to live her life as a woman and to put the mother to the side--she wants to live with him.

Paloma calls Emiliano but when he sees it’s her, he doesn’t answer. She leaves him a mushy voice mail about how much she loves him, etc. and she thinks Romina will forgive them. He listens to it and looks sad.

Romina uses a phony voice to call Carlota but is told she’s not there, when who should walk up but the Purple One herself. She berates Romi for flouting the rules of the house and says she has to confront Emiliano and Pal, not run away. Romi needs to tell her what’s happening, so Carlota agrees to go to the park to talk with her.

Emiliano boo-hoos about his situation to Rafael. Rafa wonders if there isn’t the slightest doubt that the baby is his and Emil dumbly replies no, the dates fit. He can’t imagine how Camila and Paloma are going to react. He wasn’t expecting to be a father at this age. Rafa asks if Romi asked him to marry her? No (not yet, anyway), she only came to inform me. Rafa inquires if abortion is a possibility and Emiliano replies no, and he’s not in favor of that anyway. If he’s going to have a baby he’s going to be responsible. Rafa says a child shouldn’t pay for the parents’ mistakes, and he is very pleased to know that Emil and Romi accept responsibility, and that it comes from the two of them, not just the mother. Between the two of them they’ll find the best solution for the baby.

In the park, Romi has told the Mayor of Crazytown about her pregnancy. Carlota accuses her of sleeping around, but she lies that she was only with Emiliano and it was for love. Carlota is tired of everyone attributing it to love and insults Romi for being loose and immoral, the lesson being that sleeping around is way worse than killing or emotionally abusing people. Romi reminds her that this can be good for their plans and she needs Carlota’s help with regards to Paloma. Carlota La Loca says no way is she going to allow her niece to be with the guy who impregnated her “best” friend, which is exactly what Romi wanted to hear. Carlota says fine, count on me, their stupid engagement is over. Romi says as long as you separate them and Emiliano comes back to me, do things however you like--just tell me what to do.

A flower delivery arrives and Rufi yells for Paloma and tells her they’re from Emil, but Pal is very puzzled when it turns out they’re actually from Aron.

Camila comes home and can’t believe that Romina called her--what made you come back? Romi answers, news that is going to change my life. Oh really? I too have some life-changing news. You first. Did you find your father and decide to live with him? There’s a bit more dialogue here that I lost because my recording cut off, but after that Romina tells her mom that she’s pregnant and Camila is muy, pero MUY, impactada.

Labels: amor

From yesterday -
We start out at the hotel room where MJ is worried about papa. He has no money.

Victoria is arguing with Ale , remember Bruno is your brother etc.

Rachel goes nuts to Victoria and gets put in place etc.

Supper is over MJ goes down to the desk.

Papa is getting on the train or bus.

MJ gets the letter from Papa, where he asks forgiveness and says for MJ to trust Alejandro. She is reading it and hears Ale ask “Why did you do it?”

Tonight –

MJ runs away Alejandro gives chase where they run into Bruno. “What are you doing here?” Bruno says angrily . “It is obvious, isn’t it?” Alejandro replies. “I am here for my wife”

Bruno grabs MJ away and says she doesn’t go with him. They start to get in each other’s face and MJ gets between.

Bruno, grabs MJ and says “let’s go.” That makes Alejandro angry and he gives Bruno a fist in the mouth.

Fernando takes this distraction to lead MJ to the safety of their room.

The hotel is calling the police.

Bruno says he doesn’t understand when MJ is his woman /wife.

Ale replies “Pero resulto que esa mujere es mi mujere .“ “But it turned out that this woman is my wife!”

Then Bruno keeps yelling “Que te conto” at Ale.

Fernando tells the hotel to cancel the police and then tries to calm Bruno, and says that Alejandro is right. You married MJ using Alejandro’s name.

Bruno tells Fernando that both he and Alejandro are crazy and are making up crazy things.

Paula and MJ are crying about Papa not having any money, he is old, and sick.

Ale knocks and Paula lets him in. He says get your stuff and lets get out of here. MJ says no. Paula says to tell him the truth. Ale grabs the letter and reads it. Alejandro tells them that the reason he is there is that their Papa called him to get them.

Fernando tells Alejandro that Bruno says they are loco.

Ezequiel and Filipe are talking in the kitchen. I think she said something witty but couldn’t quite catch it.

Ale and MJ walk to the taxi.

Victoria is on the phone explaining to her publisher ( I think ) that she has family problems right now and needs time. She hangs up telling Felipe that she cannot concentrate on her book. Victoria cannot believe that Ale is accusing his brother Bruno of being an assassin. Felipe interjects “half-brother”. Victoria goes on saying Bruno is a lot of things, resentful, self-centered, neurotic yes, but an assassin no.

Rachel and Maura (?) are talking about Ale and I was not interested. Please feel free to fill in.

Roberto comes in while Victoria are having a meal. I have no idea what time of day it is supposed to be. Something about money. Roberto leaves and Victoria says “pachanga, pachanga” which is a rowdy celebration.

Alejandro is driving and MJ is riding shot gun, Fernando and Paula are in the back. They are looking pretty tired. MJ is worried what they are going to tell the family about her papa. Ale says they will say her Papa stayed with a relative. Ale says Bruno has been warned. Paula brings up that their Papa is a threat to Bruno.

Pedro is walking up a hill wiping sweat off his face. He finds his friends place is for rent. Pedro asks Berta about it and I think he could pay his rent. Pedro goes home and picks up the Bride and Groom that go on a wedding cake and Pedro is muy triste. Pedro cries.

Alejandro pulls the car into the driveway.

Felipe hurries to Victoria to tell her the Ale is home. “Alone?” ask Victoria. “No, with MJ, her sister and Fernando.

They all come together in the entry where Victoria says “oh you found her”. MJ says good evening. Victoria says good evening back and asks about her father. Ale answers and says he stayed in the city because he was not feeling good and some more BS.

Felipe notices the blood on Ale’s shirt and thinks he must have stumbled. I didn’t get the rest of it.

They go upstairs. Ale tells EZ that he will be having dinner in his room.

Paula is talking it up again to MJ who is thinking that Victoria is not buying their story. MJ is tired and wants to go to bed. I count them removing 8 pillows and there were still pillows on the bed.

EZ knocks and tells MJ that Alejandro would like her to accompany him for dinner. Paula accepts for her and helps her brush her hair.

Victoria wants the truth from Fernando. Fernando tells her that supposedly Bruno was going to denounce MJ’s Papa for trafficking drugs, but the girls deny that he did that. Victoria goes off on what kind of people Alejandro is getting mixed up with. She then asks what has Bruno got to do with them?

Fernando replies that MJ says that Bruno is responsible for the false wedding, but Bruno denies it. Victoria asks what Fernando thinks. He thinks it is possible. Alejandro is going to continue the investigation. Victoria cries and Fernando comforts. She berates herself. Fernando tells her she is a magnificent mother, and Victoria says he knows nothing of her. Music plays…..

Alejandro has a conversation with Victoria. She really doesn’t want those girls in the house with a drug trafficking father. Ale defends them and she thinks he should take Bruno’s side. Ale leaves. Victoria is so Queen of de Nile.

MJ comes to Ale’s room. EZ offers wine, but MJ wants water.

Ale comes in and asks her to sit. They both look really tired.
MJ says no, she wants to keep it brief. Ale laughs and says whether it is brief or not depends on her. Ale offers her a glass wine. She says no. He says something about tomorrow.

MJ comes over to the table and says she is worried about her father. Alejandro understands and will have the police look for him. MJ says nooo that Bruno will denounce him. Ale tries to assure her but asks MJ what she is thinking. MJ is ready to panic. Bruno told her this same night that he would have her father in jail, and then out of nowhere MJ says look for him so he can get back to entertaining with Maura. Then Ale asks why he would have a pretext to have her with him. Is she bothered that he has been with another? Has she been with another? No she says, except Bruno he says. NO she says. I may have messed that up.

MJ says the person you talk about being a drug trafficker is her father , and he means everything to her, she loves him.

Do you notice what full lips Alejandro has?

Ale says your father is a good person and he brings her back to the table.

He pours her WINE.

MJ says thank you and sips.

He walks her to the door they are holding hands. Alejandro opens the door but blocks her exit with his arm. He tells her he is falling in love. MJ says no don’t tell me. Alejandro says it is the truth. I think he tries to tell her that she is different from others? Please fill in here, I couldn’t pick up all the conversation.

EZ interrupts, and they leave Ale’s room and go to MJ’s.

Ale does not let her turn on the light.

Ale puts his hands in his pockets and starts talking about the this house that his father built. That his father wanted to fill it with children, but his mother died while giving him life. MJ says she is sorry. As a child Ale says, he was pretty happy thanks to Victoria. All is problems were with Bruno. Bruno could never accept the marriage of his mother, and Bruno took it out on him, but at the time it was not important. You can tell Ale is digging deep he sits on the floor holding his head. He talks some more, then tells MJ that after the car accident he finds himself married and meets her.

They both have tears.

MJ says she is not special, not elegant or rich. Ale says that is not what is important. It is what is in your head and your heart and he places his hand first on her head and then on her heart.

Alejandro wants to know how she feels about him. The truth, please the truth he asks. MJ starts to say she is afraid love, afraid of falling in love with him. Ale says there's no fear in love, love is beautiful.

They kiss. She caresses his neck. They pull back. He smiles I think he winks, she smiles they kiss some more. Ale takes off his shirt. MJ stands up. Ale nibbles her back, her neck and unties her top. Her top comes off. They smile. MJ nibbles his neck. I don’t think this needs translating. Ale pulls her towards the bed. He is unbuckling his belt. They are both smiling again. Another kiss. I think they made a decision. He is kissing her fingers! I want that man! OMG…… Her bra comes off. They are in bed. This is muy caliente. I don’t know if I am allowed to write this… OMG…..I think the earth just moved.

Labels: sortilegio

Well I had awful reception tonight so endup having to get most of this from the net without subtitles or clear images. Just couldn't get my TV to work right until the very end of course. Plus I'm super busy getting work done as I'll be out of town for the next two weeks on my way to Mexico. Captain offered to post a header and everything for me, but if anyone wants to put forth a recap of sorts feel free to let me or her know. I will not have internet or Univision after Saturday but thanks to Hombre, I will try to download the episodes to take with me!! So anyway tonight is a super quicky...have to get back to work. But it was a goody for sure...I'm not sure if I'm right on all the locales so anyone can feel free to pipe up if you recognize them.


Estrella enters into the bordello and finds Aldo’s room. We see that cops eat doughnuts in Mexico too. Cristian and Pau happen to be hanging out near the location when the broadcast about the corruption of a minor comes on.

Alo sings Estre’s praises to Estrella without him knowing it. Until she comes out from behind the curtain. They chat under the kick me sign.

Coni and Jero laugh at how the police are on their way to the bordello.

Cris parades all the women into the cars. Whoops they find Estre and Aldo. Pau didn’t know she worked here. Pu tries to keep Cris from taking them away. He is not swayed, bet he would be for a few hundred bucks. He continues loading them into the car while Ivan and Beto look on.

Mau and Mona are learning about the Mayans I think at the Convento de San Bernadino or Museo San Rocque in Valladolid near Merida. He tells her he loves her in Mayan. Ilyakumetch or so. She wonders if there are two rooms, he says don’t be silly we’ve slept in the same bed many times, it will be fine. We see him put her in bed and lie fully clothed next to her. Damn her cleavage looks sexy…

Aldo gets out of jail courtesy of Sal, but Estre well she’s going to have a harder time since she was not the minor. Aldo says he won’t go without her. Sal tells him he is not in a position to demand anything, only to obey and he jeopardized the adoption again.

Tere, making sandwiches with Bimbo bread yells at Ivan. He claims innocence, but accepts responsibility. Even Luisa is cold to him.

Estre tells Aldo to act like the man he wants to be, go home and be with his sisters. Estre cries.

M&M enjoy breakfast in Merida. Coni calls to wish him fun and that she will watch his kids. Mau hangs up on her. She realizes Sal hasn’t called him. She is with the DUMB squad, I think someone called them, at the judges.

Nieves is going to bring Estre tortas. Beto is disagreeing with her. He wears a soy Puerco pero no trumpudo shirt. He denies bringing the boy to the bordello. She sees through him and yells at him for corrupting minors.

M&M go shopping for local clothes, go on a boat ride in the Celestun Biosphere mangrove swamp to see the flamingos.

Aldo goes home and gets his punishment. Sal warns him not to mistep. Coni shows up with the judge and Sal wonders how she knows already and figures she’s messed up in this injecting poison, of Course Coni says it was a casual meeting up with the judge. The judge thinks poorly of Mau. Sal defends him. Coni agrees, but the judge says he has proof and shows off the pics of Aldo with Estre and Lu in lingerie. Judge says Mau lost custody for sure and the kids have to go somewhere.

More M&M on boat. Aldo says he’s not going anywhere. Tere defends Mau. I van shows up and gets blamed and slapped for taking the pics of Luisa!!!!!

Estre enjoys Nieves’ tortas, and Nieves says she’s there because Mona can’t be. She does talk down to Estre too, that her life is a mess. She tells Nieves she loves Aldo like no one else and he loves her the same, but Nieves says the age difference is too much and she could almost be his Ma and she worries about Aldo still wanting her when he gets to be her age. Estre worries about M&M fighting over this.


Aldo attacks Ivan too. Tere throws him out of the house and Coni is mildly amused and surprised. Coni tells Sal th kids will never be ok with him. Sal says he’ll try to find Mau. Aldo cries this is all his fault and Coni hugs him that she’ll do what she can to keep them to gether.





M&M are in the square I think in Valladolid noting how much they miss and love the kids who look at her as a Ma.

She grew up without a Ma and Pa and will do all she can so the kids don’t get taken away. They go off and we see that he leaves his jacket, which we later learn has his cell phone in it.

Sal gets only voicemail so calls Gabi to leave him a message. He is short with her. Tere is destroyed. Sal tries to comfort her. Coni says she’ll talk to the judge to try and get them a little more time.

Mau takes Mona to the caves, maybe Cenote Dzitnup? Hard to know but it’s quite famous. There he proposes to her, with a ring too. The water is super clear. She says she was born to be with him and of course she’ll marry him. Kisses and cut.

Labels: gancho

Emiliano meets up with Paloma after school wanting to talk to Romina. Paloma tells him that she left with his dad to talk.

Rafael tells Romina that Camila is innocent. Romina says she isn't an idiot and that the reason he left Diana was because of her mother. Rafael says his decision to divorce Diana did not involve anyone. Their love just finished. Romina tells him that she cannot forget what she witnessed. It is etched in her brain. Rafael tells her not to treat her mother so harshly. Romina says easy for you to say. I feel so alone and betrayed by the people that I love. I believe we all have the right to be happy and not hurt others. That is why I did not tell your wife. Rafael says he appreciates it. Romina says all this is difficult. Rafael tells her not to cry. I don't want to be the cause of that. You can count on me for anything.

A boy runs into Camila's shop and brings her a letter. It's from Samuel. He writes that he found out that she and Romina are looking for him. He wants to return to their lives again. Love Samuel. P.S. I miss your kisses. Camila has a disgusted/confused look on her face.

Romina goes to the doctors to get her test results. She finds out she's pregnant.

Rufi is talking to Rodolfo. They try and figure out who else knew about the investigation that Inaki started regarding Paloma's inheritance. They can't think of anyone. Rodolfo says that he will have to wait for Carmen to return home from vacation to find out what was in the report from the investigator. Rufi thinks that it may be awhile. She tries to think of who else can help and finally decides on Natalia.

Romina tells the nurse that she can't be pregnant. She wants to be re-tested. The test results are wrong. There is no way she's pregnant. (Guess mommy forgot to tell her how babies are made)

Paloma comes in from school. She and Rufi talk about Romina. Rufi wants to know when she and Emiliano are going to tell Romina the truth. Tonight replies Paloma.

Camila calls Roberto (Samuel's ex-roommate) and asks what he told Samuel and if he has his number. Roberto says that he does not have him number and told him you and Romina were looking for him. I figured that replies Camila. I think he has misunderstood things. He believes that I want him back. Roberto says that he told Samuel that she already had a boyfriend and that he came with her to the house. You told him that asks Camila. It's the truth, right replies Roberto. Kind of responds Camila. Roberto thinks it's best if Samuel thinks that she's in a serious relationship that way Samuel will be deterred. If he realizes you’re alone then nothing will stop him from trying to get you back.

The nurse comes back with Romina's test results. She tells Romina that there is no error. You are definitely pregnant.

German meets with Licenciado Rojas. Rojas wants to know if German has a girlfriend. Blah, blah, blah. German says that the woman he is in love with is the only one he would ever marry.

Rafael visits Diana. He finds it strange that she called him since they haven't been speaking lately. Diana says she has something important to tell him. You finally have decided to give me the divorce asks Rafael. Is that all you think we have to talk about replies Diana. Well there is nothing else between us says Rafael. Well your wrong replies Diana. Emiliano's father has appeared. Rafael is impactado. What asks Rafael?

Romina is walking down the street crying. She calls Aron and wants to see him.

Rafael asks Diana how she came across him. Diana says he's been close to us for awhile especially Emiliano. Who is it asks Rafael. If I tell you it will cause a tragedy and I don't want that replies Diana. How am I suppose to protect you and my son if I don't know who it is asks Rafael. Is that why you called me? Well yes replies Diana. Let's get one thing clear says Rafael. When I assumed the role of Emiliano's father, I did it completely. I protected you because that man did not want Emiliano to be born. So you have no right. What is his name? Who is Emiliano's father? Orlando answers Diana.

Orlando is talking to himself. He can't believe Emiliano could be his son. Camila comes in wanting to talk. She tells him that Samuel wrote a letter to her. He reads it and says bastard. He writes a letter, but doesn't show his face. Camila is concerned that Samuel is reading things wrong. She is looking for him for Romina's sake not hers. Orlando says the only way for Samuel not to misinterpret things is for them to formalize their relationship. I don't want to do that just so Samuel will understand things. With or without a boyfriend he needs to realize that I don't want anything with him. Do you really think that's possible asks Orlando. We have to take this seriously. Your ex is delusional. Maybe marriage is too soon, but how about if we live together asks Orlando.

Diana asks what they would gain in confronting him. That Emiliano finds out the truth? Well we just can't stand by and do nothing replies Rafael. You told me that guy was bad. I even said that he went to jail says Diana. What for asks Rafael. Fraud, I think replies Diana. I knew there was something about that guy I didn't like says Rafael. (Perhaps it's because he's dating the woman that you love) How long has he known Emiliano is his son asks Rafael? Diana tells him that he doesn't know just suspects. I swore to him that Emiliano wasn't his, but I don't know if he believed me. We have to convince Emiliano to break his association with him replies Rafael. And soon. Diana agrees with him, but thinks they need to offer him a more attractive alternative to entice him. Otherwise Orlando will suspect something is fishy and tell him the truth. One thing is for sure replies Rafael. If that guy hurts my son I am capable of doing anything. He did not want his son. Even though Emiliano carries his blood, I am his father.

Padre Juan (Cristobal) is assisting Inez in the dispensario. She says that she misses Macarena. PJC says her absence is felt. A volunteer comments that Macarena always worried about everyone else except herself. PJC says that Macarena has always been a woman with a big heart. Inez says I thought you barely knew her since you just met. Before PJC can explain, Carloca comes in. (That’s what I am going to call her from now on. It’s creepy the way she is stalking PJC) The volunteer lady comments to her that they miss Macarena. Carloca says we miss her too. Isn't that right Padre Juan? Of course replies PJC. Carloca comments that it's too bad she never had any luck in love. But when she finally found it, she died. The volunteer lady says what do you mean? She had Rodolfo. He told me that he was so much in love with her. When did he tell you this asks Carloca? The few times I saw him at the hospital when Macarena was taken there. You were in Mexico City at the time replies the volunteer lady. Well thankfully she had lived a little and knew who loved her replies Inez. Volunteer lady comments about Inez secret admirer and Carloca is like "You have a secret admirer?" Yes replies Inez. But before you ask who, I don't know and I don't really want to find out either. He leaves me beautiful cards. Carloca tells her that the man that Macarena fell in love with was not Rodolfo. Perhaps PJC knows, but can't tell us. (he gives her a dirty look) PJC changes the subject. There is a lot of work to be done now that they do not have Macarena. Carloca says that's why I'm here. To offer my services. Inez thinks it's a great idea.

Romina tells Aron that she's pregnant. What are you going to do asks Aron? Get rid of it replies Romina. I do not want to be tied down by a child especially at my age. Are you sure asks Aron. There's nothing to think about replies Romina.

Emiliano is at the jewelers looking for a ring. He tells the sale clerk that he just wants to see them and look at prices.

Aron says if you have already decided then what do you want me for? Romina just wants his support. I have to go to Mexico City to do this. Can I count on you? Yes, but I want to know who the father is replies Aron. I'll tell you, but don't you dare repeat it replies Romina. Actually I really don't care what his name is. I just want to know if it's Emiliano's. Why him asks Romina. If it's him then you don't have to abort replies Aron. It's not his responds Romina. And even if it was, I am not about to throw away my youth. Well you must have forgotten that when you messed with the baby's father. Romina tells him it was a mistake sleeping with German. And it will never happen again.

Rufi and Paloma are cleaning up after dinner. Rufi wants to know what Rafael told Romina for her not to come to eat. They change the subject to Emiliano and Paloma says how wonderful he is. Rufi says he's hot. They giggle. Paloma wants to call Romina and find out where she's at. It's time for her to know about her and Emiliano. Rufi says once she finds out; she will not be wanting to stay there anymore. Hopefully she goes to her mother's house and everything will be fixed. She calls Romina and wonders what time she'll be home. Don't know yet replies Romina. I'll see you later.

Carloca is working and PJC comes up to her to find out what she really is doing there. Carloca says to help. To occupy Macarena's place. PJC says that she can never occupy Macarena's place there or anywhere else. I can try replies Carloca. Do not provoke me responds PJC. Do not make me go to my superiors. I think you should says Carloca. I would like to see their reaction to a priest with a double life. She then shows him a little boob.

Natalia and Alonzo argue. She complains about him not wanting to spend time with her and their daughter. About always being away. He tells her he's in such pain since Inaki's death. Go see a therapist replies Natalia.

Emiliano and Paloma are waiting for Romina to show up. The doorbell rings and in walks Romina. She's shocked that he's there. Emiliano says we have been waiting for you. The doorbell rings again and Camila comes in wanting to talk to Romina about her dad. Romina says fine, but at your house. I don't want you causing problems here. She tells Paloma and Emiliano that she will return shortly to talk to them. Paloma says she doesn't think that Romina has any idea about them. Emiliano disagrees.

Carloca is in her room removing her makeup and remembering flashing PJC. She says to herself that little by little she will conquer him. No rush. She has waited 20 years for him. Soon she will have him in her arms.

PJC wonders what plans Carloca has.

Camila shows Romina the letter that Samuel sent her this morning. Romina gets excited. Camila says that if Romina does not return then her father has no business being at the house. Romina says when he returns then so shall I. That doesn't mean that he will replies Camila. Yes it does responds Romina. Says so right here. I understand, but his intentions and mine are not the same says Camila. I feel nothing for him. I have no interest in him. Of course you now have Rafael says Romina. Oh and Orlando. A third would be too much. Camila says what you saw between Rafael and I was just a form of us saying goodbye forever. And that I have formalized my relationship with Orlando. Are you marrying him asks Romina. No, just living together says Camila. So if your dad asks tell him that. Romina is pissed and says thank god I don't live with you and walks out. Romina calls Aron and wants him to pick her up. She wants to go to Mexico City now.

Emiliano is enjoying Rufi's cooking. He wonders if Paloma knows how to cook. Rufi says no need. I will be going with you when you marry. Of course replies Paloma. Romina calls and says that she can't come over. Her mother received a card from her dad and they are going to wait to see if he calls. Paloma tells Emiliano and Rufi.

Alonzo is packing. He tells Natalia that he is leaving and just for vacation. She was right. He can't be with her and their daughter without thinking about Inaki. He needs to be alone so that he can forgive himself. Natalia wants to help, but he refuses. He just needs time. It's the best thing for them all.

Rufi comes back from trying to get Carloca downstairs for dinner. She refused. Emiliano thinks it's because he's there. Paloma apologizes. Emiliano tells her not to worry. He will keep trying to talk to her.

Paloma is walking with Liliana. She text messages Emiliano. Liliana says that Romina is going to be in big trouble for missing school. Paloma tells her that Romina did not come to sleep at her house last night. Liliana says that Romina did not want to talk to them because she knows why they want to talk to her. Paloma says that Emiliano feels the same way.

Romina and Aron are at the abortion clinic. She gets called into the doctor's office. I want to get the abortion done today says Romina. The doctor says that he can't because she has to be less then 2 months pregnant. And you are 4 months along. You can get an abortion, but not legally and I don't recommend that. Your life can be in danger. So my advice is to except it.

Orlando asks Angelica to make a copy of Emiliano's birth certificate. Why don't we just ask him asks Angelica. Because I don't want to bother him replies Orlando. It wouldn't bother him responds Angelica. Orlando says can you or can't you get that for me without having to bother him? Of course, right away says Angelica. He tells Angelica that he asked Camila to move in together and he thinks that she will accept. Angelica is crushed.

Camila tells Metiche that Orlando wants to move in together. What are you going to do asks Metiche? I don't know replies Camila. It's been a long time since I have lived with a man. Metiche says if it doesn't work out then you guys go back to your own places. And what do I do with Romina asks Camila. Sorry to tell you this replies Metiche, but Romina is already gone. She is just like my daughter. She wants to be free so that she can do whatever she wants. She will learn a hard lesson. Camila says that she can't just turn her back on Romina. She's young. Metiche says that Romina will learn her lesson when life teaches it to her. That's the only way.

Romina begs the doctor for an abortion. He tells her that he can't help her. She says but I'm too young to have a baby. I'm sorry, but it's too late replies the doctor.

Rufi asks PJC for Natalia's number. Sure, why asks PJC. I don't know if I should tell you replies Rufi. PJC reminds her that she can tell him anything. Rufi suggests sitting down so that she can tell him.

Alonzo says goodbye to his daughter.

PJC thinks it's all strange, but he will unite with her and Rodolfo. Really asks Rufi. Yes. Macarena must have had her suspicions and I am doing this for her and Paloma replies PJC. In the memory of what we had. Rufi does not want him to tell Carloca anything. PJC assures her he won't.

Romina is upset that she has to have the baby. Aron says if you have to have it then take advantage. Aron proposes that Romina tell Emiliano that he is the father. But it's been awhile since I slept with him replies Romina. And? replies Aron. If you can't abort then you must be months along. You can convince Emiliano that it's his. Romina agrees. Aron says this child will be what will break Emiliano away from Paloma.

Manana: Romina tells Emiliano she's pregnant and it's his.miliano meets up with Paloma after school wanting to talk to Romina. Paloma tells him that she left with his dad to talk.

Labels: amor

Fancy party. Alex advises Maura on her bogus question only intended to distract him.

Bruno grabs MaryJo to tell her that Daddy Pedro will be along soon and she needs to collect Paula so they can make their exit. MaryJo doesn't want to go and wonders what they'll live off of, but Bruno insists he has enough money, and besides, she doesn't seem to have a problem mooching off of Alex. MaryJo, for the millionth time asks him why he did this to her. I'm not rewinding to hear his answer, it's all a bunch of lies anyway.

MaryJo walks right past where Paula is having fun with some of her, uh, peers and toward Alex and Maura and hears Maura ask Alex the same question, "Why did you do this to me?" Apparently they were together just a few days before his "wedding." He says he and MaryJo have a deal, but it will probably be over soon and then he'll probably get a divorce. He can't tell her any more than that. She passionately kisses his jaw and then suggests they get together occasionally for a little romp while things are being resolved. That's enough for MaryJo and she goes back inside.

Bruno has wrangled Paula and sees MaryJo. He wants to know where she was and she wants to not do things this way. He gives her the option of either getting in the car with their dad now or he'll get in the car with dad and drive him down to the police station. Good girl MaryJo puts family first and drags Paula out behind her. Raquel and Maura's Little Sister (MLS until I can remember her name) smirk as they watch them leave.

Now Alex comes in looking for MaryJo, but nobody really knows where she is. Roberto is suspicious about the exit of Bruno, MaryJo, and Paula. Raquel and MLS fill him in on the gossip, at least the version they know, which is that MaryJo can't stand Alex and Bruno is helping her fly the coop. By the time Alex comes over to ask about MaryJo, Maura has also joined them. Raquel sends him on a wild goose chase to the ladies' room. Roberto kind of pissily notes that all three of them were in on the plot.

As they drive off, MaryJo clutches her huge necklace and cries, Paula complains about not being able to pack, and Bruno gives Pedro back his keys and notices MaryJo crying as he looks in the rearview mirror.

Back at the party the three harpies cackle over MaryJo's getaway. Alex comes asking after MaryJo again, but again they claim not to have seen her. As for Bruno, oh, Raquel thinks he left a while ago. Alex leaves and Roberto notes that he wouldn't want to be in Bruno's skin when Alex finds him. I think there's some subtext here that he wouldn't want to be in the skin of any of these three, er, ladies, when Alex finds out their role in this (well, really, MLS and Raquel are just doing a lot of giggling, it's Maura who distracted him). Maura smiles to herself, thinking of all the fabulous sex she'll have with Alex now that wifey is out of the way. Roberto's looking pretty smart right now.

Alex gets told by some guy that MaryJo and Paula left with Bruno. He races home, but Ezequiel (who keeps making me think of a priest with the collar on his uniform) hasn't seen the Mrs. Alex checks her room and sees party dresses everywhere. He asks Zeke to check Paula's room and Bruno's room. Alex briefly picks up the hem of a pink frothy dress, maybe wondering why she didn't pack it if she was running away. Or maybe thinking she would have looked pale and washed out in that shade of pink, who knows. Some guys have an eye for that. He goes rushing over to ask the guys at the gate if Pedro left. He did, an hour ago, without a suitcase, but with a "bulto" (a sack), saying he was going to the market. Back inside, Zeke reports that Bruno's biggest suitcase and some of his suits are gone, as well as all his manly toiletries (and, presumably, the industrial strength hair gel that he can't live without). Nothing is missing from Paula's room. Alex now orders Zeke to call Fernando and have Fernando meet him at the airport. Alex goes running into his office to grab some documents as his mom hyperventilates and tries to get him to tell her qué the hell is going on around here. He tells mom that MaryJo et.al., have left and he's sure Bruno's the one who took them. "But, why Bruno?" she wails. Oh, Vicky, how little you understand that boy. Alex tries to evade the question. He points out that all three of them disappeared from the party while he was talking to Maura. He gave Bruno 500K yesterday and he thinks Bruno is taking the family to another country. Vicky doesn't think Bruno's capable of that. Alex sighs and says "how true it is 'que es más ciego aquel que no quiere ver'" (referring to the dicho, "no hay peor ciego que el que no quiere ver," meaning, "there's no worse blind man than the one who doesn't want to see," therefore what Alex said is "how true it is that the most blind one is the one who doesn't want to see). Alex is taking the marriage certificate with him to the airport in case he needs it. Vicky tries to tell him that just because they're all gone doesn't mean they left together. Oh, Vicky, I hereby crown you Cleopatra, Queen of Denial.

At the airport, they give Alex and Fernando the run around, marriage certificate and ID notwithstanding. He finally says that it could be a kidnapping, so the gal at the desk agrees to talk to her supervisor and see if they can tell him if his wife was on a flight or not. As they're only checking with one airline, Volaris, Fernando says they'll have to check each one. And he says "chequear" which my second year Spanish teacher would have smacked my hand for…it's "averiguar" not "chequear," even if it is in the dictionary, that's just American English creeping into Spanish and corrupting it, etc., etc., etc. Alex is handsomely distraught.

Bruno is driving them to Mexico, which will take five hours. They will stop at a "simple" hotel to avoid notice, will get their passports, and them make way to Tijuana, where they will cross. Paula objects to going in a "camion" (a truck, or more probably a bus), but Bruno says they'll take a donkey across if they have too. Mhm, I know who the burro in this situation is!

Fernando thinks it makes perfect sense for Bruno to have driven them rather than taken them by airplane, to avoid detection. He also thinks it's plausible that Bruno may have rented a house somewhere and will stash them until the situation cools off. Alex is upset because he thought that he and MaryJo had an agreement, they were going to get a divorce, she wasn't interested in his money, so why now? Why would she do this? Fernando suggests they go home and see if there's any news. What he really means is "let's go back to your house so I can hit on your mom some more."

Back at the party, Maura is insisting to her little sister (MLS) that she's going to get Alex back, but this time she make sure he makes an honest woman out of her. MLS snarks that other guys have liked Maura, but that hasn't gotten her any proposals. Maura says that the thing with Alex and MJ is some kind of "arrangement" and he'll be getting divorced. Maura fills in MLS that Bruno planned MJ's escape. MLS wonders if Bruno is sleeping with MJ, you know, if maybe she met him when she thought Alex was dead and let him console her. Maura doesn't think MJ is the kind of "vampiress" to snag a man two days after her husband has died. MLS says you never know, but Maura's not buying it.

At the house, Vicki talks to Felipa, who thinks maybe Alex is just jealous. Vicki thinks that MaryJo took off because of all the fighting the boys were doing. Maybe MaryJo took off again and Bruno went looking for her like last time. Felipa points out that Bruno took his suitcase, which is suspicious, as is the fact that Bruno didn't say goodbye to Vicky. Vicky brushes all this aside. Ezequiel comes in to say that Alex and Fernando are back.

Alex reports that they aren't on a plane, but Bruno's car is gone, so he thinks they're on the road. Vicky tries to brush this off, saying that maybe Bruno went somewhere, but the Samaniegos went somewhere else. Alex tells her that earlier in the day, MaryJo denied to him that she had been with Bruno in Pedro's chalet, but then Pedro told him that Bruno had been there. He intends to call the police and tell them that Bruno has taken his wife and her family. Vicky freaks out and says he doesn't have proof. Alex unloads on her that Bruno married MaryJo and faked his signature, planning to kill him and then marry the rich widow. "De donde sacas estas estupideces?!" another classic phrase, IMO, "Where did you get that crap from?" Alex says that MaryJo told him and he believes her. So now Vicky turns on MaryJo, calling her an adventuress. Alex backs off, but says that one day he will bring her proof. He storms off. Vicky is livid, accusing MaryJo to Fernando of being a "sinvergüenza" (shameless, money-grubbing whore..ok, not literally, but you know that's what she means…literally it's just "shameless"). Felipa thinks Alex will calm down. She begs Fernando to talk some sense into Alex and bribes him with a big 'ol hug. For a hug from her, Fernando will do anything. He promises Vicky he'll convince Alex the moon is made of green cheese, if only she calms down *hug*.

He goes into the office and tells Alex he shouldn't have told Vicky just like that, especially because he doesn't really know, like not for real for real. Alex says too many things add up, plus MaryJo confirmed it all. Fernando tries to say that it doesn't have to be Bruno, necessarily, who masterminded the whole scheme. "Quien the hell else?" wonders Alex. Fernando thinks maybe there's someone else…but Alex doesn't think Roberto would go that far. He doesn't think they're in Zaqui, because that's the first place he would have looked. Fernando now suggests that Alex just let her go and then divorce her on grounds of abandonment, but Alex won't do that without getting her permission first to be able to dissolve the "sociedad conjugal" (the "you get half if we divorce" marriage). He's not going to give her half his money to go off and marry Bruno. Now Fernando tries, "uh, maybe you did marry her and then you just don't remember?" Pfft. Alex blows that off and says he's not going to have Bruno wandering around and have to be afraid of a bullet in the back or a poisoning attempt. This is something Fernando can agree on. Alex is going to ask the cops to look for MaryJo at all the border crossings. "And what if you find her with Bruno?" asks Fernando. Alex wonders whose side he's on. Vicky's, of course. Alex insinuates that Fernando maybe likes Vicky just a little too much. Fernando looks guilty. And denies it. Alex's plan for now is to get info out of Erick.

Vicky tries calling Bruno, but he ignores the call. Felipa encourages Vicky to get some rest.

Alex goes to wake up Erick. Erick of the gross saggy underpants. They're baby blue today, if anyone cares. I sure as hell didn't need to see that. I'm scarred for life now. Alex asks about Bruno. Erick denies everything. He proposes that maybe Bruno decided to take off for a few days.

The Brunomobile pulls into a cheap hotel. Bruno asks the attendant for 3 rooms. Paula gripes. Bruno drops Paula and MaryJo off in their room. He says they'll figure out in the morning what papers they'll need to get passports for the three of them. Paula snarks that if he has a passport, he should already know that, but Bruno says they always handled it for him at the office. Oh, and if they want food, they'll have to go downstairs and get it. Once he leaves, MaryJo turns the lights out. Paula gripes that maybe they shouldn't be giving in to his blackmailing after all. Shut. Up. Paula. MaryJo says she just wants to sleep. As she clutches her ginormous necklace, she flashes back to when Alex put it on her the other night. Alex gets out of the shower (thank you TN gods!) and dries his hair while flashing back to MaryJo telling him about Bruno's plan. He thought bubbles, "how could I have been so wrong" and "what made everything go wrong?"

The next morning, Alex is finishing his coffee as Raquel saunters in. She asks where MaryJo is and Alex says she went to Saqui to visit family. She asks when MaryJo is coming back and when Alex says "in a few days," she cackles. Alex wonders what's up. Raquel, not knowing when to stop pushing her luck, asks where Bruno is…oh, he's gone too, what a coincidence. Alex is now even more suspicious and starts asking Raquel how she knows. Vicky comes downstairs and Alex wonders if she told Raquel, but she didn't. Raquel is a crappy liar. Alex grabs her by the arm, spilling her juice and says she'd better tell him the truth. Raquel finally says she heard Bruno and MaryJo planning to take off from the party, but she doesn't know where to. She wasn't going to tell Alex so that he wouldn't go running after a woman who doesn't deserve him. She also says MaryJo was cheating on him and she knows it because she saw MaryJo and Bruno kissing. Vicky thinks that's a load of crap, but Raquel says if they don't believe her, that's their problem.

Pedro leaves his hotel room looking for the girls and is told they're in the restaurant having breakfast.

MaryJo tells Paula that she already told Alex everything, and that he was very understanding. Paula, in another Shut. Up. Paula. moment, now gripes MaryJo out because after Alex being nice to her, taking her out to dinner, buying her clothes, being incredibly hot AND rich, and bestowing lots of material goods on Paula as well, MaryJo was stupid enough to leave him. Shut. Up. Paula. Pedro comes in just in time to hear MaryJo say that she did it because Bruno threatened to turn Pedro in as a drug trafficker. He lurks around the corner listening as MaryJo tells Paula to wrap her tiny little brain around the idea that Bruno is perfectly capable of having planted drugs to make Pedro look guilty and that Alex wouldn't have been able to do a damn thing about it. MaryJo doesn't want Pedro to go to jail. Paula, who only a week ago couldn't afford a cell phone, is now whining that MaryJo could have had a rich hottie, and instead they have a gaudy tablecloth and some substandard bread rolls. Shut. Up. Paula.

Back in his room, Pedro writes a confession of all the crap he actually did do, addressed to his daughters. He writes that he's a coward (for not standing up to his buddy when his buddy wanted to sell contraband merchandise) and that it's not fair for them to destroy their lives for him. He takes the letter down to the front desk and asks the guy to give the letter to his daughter MJ in the afternoon. He says he's going to go see some friends. He hides again as MaryJo and Paula come out of the restaurant, still arguing loudly about why MaryJo is or isn't stupid (her main argument seems to be that forgiving her for going along with Bruno is one thing, tell him her dad might be or might be framed for being a drug trafficker is a whole other thing). Paula blabs on and on, calling MaryJo a "mojigata" (prude) with too many complexes who is going to get them all thrown in jail. Shut. Up. Paula.

Alex comes downstairs with his briefcase. He's going to the office. Vicky wants to know if he believed what Raquel said, about MJ and Bruno kissing. Alex asks if she believes what he (Alex) told her. Vicky thinks that MaryJo made up that Bruno was behind the whole plot. Alex doesn't think it makes sense that MaryJo would be accusing Bruno of illegal acts and kissing him at the same time. Well, I don't think those two are mutually exclusive, but I'll forgive his logic as long as it's still pointing him in the right direction. Vicky begs him for discretion about MaryJo leaving. She doesn't know if Raquel will keep her mouth shut about it. Well, duh. Alex tells her to go ask Raquel about it herself.

Vicky tells Raquel to keep her big mouth shot and not to tell Lisette (is that Maura's little sister's name?) or Maura, whose mouths are even bigger. They argue over whether Raquel really saw what she claims to have seen. Vicky knows her too well to believe it. Raquel is upset at the idea that Alex might actually be in love with MaryJo, but Vicky says that's not what's important. What's important is stopping all the gossip. They've already had enough with everyone talking about Raquel marrying a "bueno para nada" (good-for-nothing) just because he had a good name. "Don't think I don't know anything just because I'm in the house all day. You two had better watch it!" Raquel turns around to see Roberto. He says he agrees with Vicky. Raquel suggests he consider getting a job, drinking less, and knocking her up. Roberto laughs it off, saying he's not going to get a job in a construction company when his field of study was international relations; also, she drinks just as much as he does; and as for getting her pregnant, he's not interested in sleeping with a "frigid" woman. They snipe about whose fault the lack of sex in the marriage is. Robert says they're better off each one getting it where they can. "Just remember to have your guy wear a condom. I'm not giving my name to a bastard…unless I like the guy." Raquel cries.

Fernando talks to Alejandro about a property. He's not listening. Neither am I. Alex is thinking about MaryJo. He passes on Raquel's version of events, but he wants Fernando's opinion. As Fernando's opinion is that Raquel's a liar, but she might be telling the truth this time, his opinion is worthless. Alex angsts. If she wanted money, she could have just stayed married to him. Fernando thinks maybe she was afraid he would divorce her and leave her with nothing, so she thought running away with Bruno would be the better option. Or maybe they each ran off independently. Alex doesn't buy that. "Well, maybe she really was in love with him and she picked him instead of you." Back to talking about the property. It's an archeological site. What if they make a park. Fernando's eyes light up at the prospect of Vicky being happy to do some restoration work.

Pedro goes to a "Casa de Empeño" (pawn shop).

MaryJo goes to the front desk asking if they've seen her dad. The guy doesn't remember, but he did see Paula, who left a while ago.

Pedro pawns his wedding ring and his watch.

MaryJo goes back to her room, still wearing that fabulous red dress that I covet, but in which I would have a lot more cleavage than her. Oh, did I type that out loud? Oops. She gets undressed.

We see Pedro walking across a bridge.

MaryJo comes out of the shower and starts drying her hair. Sorry, guys, but I think the William Levyites got a much better post-shower scene today. I just think she's too skinny. She rushes to answer the phone. It's Bruno. She says they'll be waiting for him.

Pedro's trying to get someone to give him a phone number. She won't give him Alex's personal number, but she's willing to look up the number of the construction company.

Alex gets in his car and is driven away from the construction company.

Pedro talks to his secretary, swears he really is Pedro, and says he needs to talk to Alex, urgently. She tries to catch him on his cell. She tells him his father-in-law has to talk to him and puts the call through. Pedro says they're in Mexico, it's all his fault, he's afraid to say why, but please come get MaryJo at this hotel in Tlapalan and don't leave her in the hands of that "desalmado" (soulless man). Pedro cries that MaryJo's really a good girl, so please protect her because she really does love you. "Why do you say that?" Pedro says he just knows, he can see it in her eyes. He begs, as a father who has made lots of mistakes, because it's not fair that his daughters pay for his mistakes. He hangs up. Alex calls his secretary back and tells her to tell Fernando to come with him, they're leaving.

Bruno comes back to the hotel. The paperwork is all done, they have to go sign it tomorrow, and they'll get their passports the day after. He also brought some clothes. MaryJo tells him Paula went out. Bruno says he knows it's been difficult, but it will pass. He gets all handsy and starts rubbing her shoulders, telling her once they're in the US he'll buy her much nicer clothes. She is grossed out when he says she hasn't kissed him in a long time. She tells him she doesn't love him anymore. He makes excuses and spouts a bunch of possessive macho crap. MaryJo tells him, very strongly, that it's OVER, and once they get to the US she'll get a job of her own. Bruno tries to force himself on her, but Paula comes back. Ok, Paula, I won't completely write you off yet. She snipes at Bruno that "finally" he brought them some clothes. Paula doesn't know where dad is. Bruno angrily tells them they're going to the restaurant for dinner, so hurry up and change. He leaves. Paula now gripes about the crappy restaurant. MaryJo picks up the bracelet her dad gave her and wonders where he is, and without any money.

Vicky asks Alex how he knows where to find MaryJo as he runs down the stairs. He tells her. He supposes they're with Bruno, but he doesn't know what he's going to do. Vicky asks him not to do anything stupid and not to forget that Bruno is his brother. Alex reminds her that he tried for years to treat Bruno like a brother and it's too late for that now. He tosses his briefcase in the car and drives off. Raquel walks up wanting to know what's going on. She's upset that Alex is going to get her and bring her back. She insists that they shouldn't let "that woman" back in the house. Vicky reminds her that it's Alex's house, and if Raquel is living there it's because she had to sell off her property to pay for her and Roberto's extravagant lifestyle. Aha! I wondered about that. Ok. She gets no sympathy from me. Raquel says that if "that man" had really been her father he also would have left her loving memories. "What a short memory you have!" says Vicky. She suggests that if Raquel doesn't like it, she should tell Roberto to get off his ass and get a job.

Back at the little hotel restaurant, they've finished dinner. Paula goes back to the room. MaryJo is worried about her dad. She's asked all over and they don't know where he is. She goes to ask at the front desk while Bruno orders a coffee.

Pedro is at a bus station. He goes to the counter and buys a ticket.

There's been a change of shift and the guy at the desk now doesn't know about the letter from Pedro. But MaryJo sees it in the box for her room. The guy hands it over. She reads the letter and cries. Pedro writes that he's sorry, that MaryJo should get away from Bruno and trust Alex because Alex is good. Right then Alex and Fernando pull up in a taxi and MaryJo is impactada to hear Alex's voice right behind her, saying "Why did you do it?"

Tomorrow: Alex and Bruno come to blows!

Labels: sortilegio

Repeats: Orlando asks Camila all sorts of nosy questions about Rafael and Diana. He tries to claim he’s just interested in the life of his esteemed business partner Emiliano. Camila’s expression says his lying skills need work. Meanwhile, Diana freaks out even though Inés doesn’t believe Orlando would harm Diana. They agree that if Rafael knew the truth about Diana’s history, he would have to give her the divorce. She decides to hightail it to Monterrey. Orlando sits in his car looking at the purloined photo and shooting intense looks toward Diana’s house.

New: Paloma listlessly helps Romina unpack in Macarena’s room. Romina pointedly reminds her that when they were kids they wanted to live together, and also *ahemahem* they would never fight over any man, right? Paloma ignores her until she is rescued by her ringing phone. She pretends not to know who is calling but won’t let Romina answer for her.

Licenciado Rojas meets Germán in a restaurant and offers him a job, starting immediately. Germs accepts. We learn that Rojas’s partner’s name is Néstor.

Rufi asks Carlota why Padre Juan came to visit and gets a hostile glare in return, but then Carlota smirks and says he’ll be back for sure (probably with the nice young men in the clean white coats, I suspect). Romina and Carlota put a lot of effort into a hostess-and-guest graciousness exchange which is obviously a lot of hooey, while Paloma and Rufi stand there like they’re wondering where the exits are in this carnival haunted house. After Carlota swans off to bed with an excess of feigned affection for her niece, Paloma has to claim to need the baño in order to slip away to the library and call Emiliano. She’s already tired of the sneaking around, and they agree to tell Romina that they are novios.

Over at the bachelor pad, Emo congratulates Germy on his new job, then updates him on the musical beds situation. Germs is surprised to hear that Romina is staying with Paloma, but is in favor of her knowing about Emo and Paloma’s noviocity so that she can move on. Naturally he can’t tell Emo that Romina already knows, or how.

Romina lies in bed looking bored and asking Mac if she’s going to appear. There’s no rest for the wicked, so why should anyone else get any sleep? Romina goes and wakes Paloma up, claiming she’s scared to sleep in Mac’s room, so Paloma lets her climb into her bed. Once Paloma has finally gotten Ro to turn off the light and she’s getting comfy again, Romina starts complaining that she doesn’t feel well. Paloma convinces her to see a doctor in the morning, and Romina thanks her for her concern and says she’d do the same for her. Paloma looks mildly guilty (also a bit annoyed) and Romina smirks.

Across the street, Camila sits in Romina’s bedroom feeling terrible about the whole situation.

Meanwhile, Rafael is wishing he could be with Cami.

The next morning, Romina and Paloma go to the clinic. Romina is freaked out at the idea of blood drawing, but Paloma teases her and promises to hold her hand and catch her if she faints.

Emiliano eats breakfast while Diana holds an ice pack to her head and claims she needs to go to Monterrey for her health.

Doctor Rodolfo’s secretary tells him she hasn’t been able to reach Carmen, who hasn’t yet returned to Spain. She says she’ll keep trying.

Camila visits Misery Manor. Fortunately, Carlota has gone to mass, so she can ask Rufi how things are going with Romina. Rufi tells her not to lose faith; everything will be resolved eventually. Camila doesn’t look much comforted by that because she doesn’t know the episode count. She asks Rufi whether they ever found those papers they were looking for.

Diana is keeping up her migraine act for Juanita’s benefit. Juanita offers to go to the pharmacy for painkillers. Orlando lurks outside the gate and pounces on Juanita when she comes out and insists he needs to go in and talk to Diana about something important. She doesn’t stop him. He goes inside; Diana bounces out yelling at Juanita and stops short. The paso doble begins.

Diana: Leave me alone!
Orly: I won’t let you run away from me ever again!
D: I never ran away!
O: Then what do you call what you did 25 years ago?
D: I didn’t want to be with you!
O: I wouldn’t have tried to make you! But you left and I didn’t even know what happened to my child! Emiliano is my son, right?

Diana is stunned silent for once.

At the church, Padre Juan is dispensing communion. When it’s Carlota’s turn, he gives her a hard time about the state of her conscience before he’ll give her the host. She winks at him. He looks sick.

Diana tries to claim that Orlando’s baby was a girl who died, but he can do basic math. He accuses her of running away because it was she who took the client’s money, not Ignacio. Orlando says the year he spent in prison gave him plenty of time to think. Only Diana knew the combination to the safe. Diana says she doesn’t have the money and he should go after Ignacio to find it. Orlando hisses that what matters to him is that she betrayed him, after all he had given her, and even though he loved her. He doesn’t care about the money; after all, he has now made another fortune and is richer than Diana’s ex-husband, HA. Orly says he’s going to find proof of everything she’s done and she is going to pay. He leaves and Di cries.

Padre Juan ends the mass and immediately flees the chapel to escape Cruelota. She stays there, kneeling and trying to look fetching and holy in her purple head scarf. PJ returns in his regular robes and tells her if she can’t keep her ridiculous games out of the church and respect his calling he will have to take more drastic measures. She smiles and tries to look flirty.

Diana makes a frantic phone call to her sidekick Inés. Inés thinks the best course of action is to ask Rafael for help. Di doesn’t like that, but Inés says it’s too late; there are no good options now.

Rufi must have told Camila the whole story about the burned papers, because Cami is concerned and wants to help. Rufi says Cami has her hands full already, and Dr. Bermúdez is on the case (Rufi says he “puse las pilas,” put the batteries in, and seems delighted to use this bit of youthful slang). Camila runs into Carlota on her way out so she thanks Cruel for her hospitality to Romina. Cruel takes the opportunity to criticize Cami’s parenting skills. I think all the experts these days are recommending murder and psychological torture to keep the little ones in line.

Emiliano tells Orlando that Diana seemed nervous and anxious so she’s going to Monterrey. He hopes she’ll feel better there. Orlando thinks hard.

Liliana asks Paloma if she’s ever heard the term “sleeping with the enemy.” Paloma says she talks like Romina is some kind of witch. Lili says Romina is worse than a witch, and living with her will be hell. Paloma says she’ll find out just how good a friend Ro is today when she and Emo tell her they’re engaged.

Orlando calls Diana, tells her to cancel her trip and not dare to flee, and hangs up.

Padre Juan asks Padre Mateo to take over the morning masses that Carlota attends, because she is harassing him. PM says that sounds pretty serious, and switching mass duties is only a temporary solution. If things are that out of hand (they are, says PJ), maybe they should report her to the ecclesiastical tribunal. PJ doesn’t want to do that because it could be embarrassing and difficult for Paloma. They’ll think of another solution. I say get the ladies’ auxiliary on the case. Church ladies get things done.

Carlota gives Rojas the cash for his trip and threatens him vaguely. He gives her a card with his email address. Carlota says she doesn’t know how to use such things, so he tells her she can come to the office and the guy replacing him will help her if she needs to contact him. She leaves, and Germy looks up from his magazine in the waiting room. Rojas counts the money.

Orlando sits in the park looking at Diana’s picture, thinking that their lives could have been so different if she had not betrayed him. He decides he has no use for her, but he does want his son.

Diana calls Rafael and says she urgently needs to speak with him. He agrees to drop by sometime, later, when he has nothing better to do. After he hangs up, he tells Joel that Diana was acting very strange. She was friendly and cordial. Ha. Joel optimistically thinks maybe she’s ready to give him the divorce and is trying to extract more money. Rafa says he’ll give her whatever she wants to be rid of her.

Paloma tries to talk Romina into speaking reasonably with her mother. Romina says her lines again. She thinks some men are off limits, for example someone else’s husband or the galán of your best friend. Romi says loyalty and fidelity are of utmost importance. Oh, reeeeeally, wonders Paloma. “You’ve never been disloyal?” “Never,” lies Romina.

Licenciado Rojas gives Germy the lay of the land…the only really important thing is that he not speak to ANYONE about the Espinoza de los Monteros case, especially about the inheritance of Paloma. Germy looks intrigued but swallows hard and nods.

Diana calls Emiliano to tell him she is not going to Monterrey after all. He asks if she’s okay and says she’s acting very strange. Diana frets some more.

Rafael catches Romina at the school gate and says they need to talk. Ro claims she has no time because they’re very strict about the meal schedule at Misery Manor, but Paloma says it’s no problem, take as long as you need. They go off, and Emiliano gloms onto Paloma.

Rafael tries to straighten things out with Romina, and she continues to make everything all about her.

Camila is in her shop when a little boy runs in and hands her a note from Samuel, saying he knows she and Romina were looking for them and he wants to return. He misses her kisses. She goes wide-eyed in disgust and disbelief.

Romina gets her test results at the clinic. Embarazada?!

Avances: Wedding prep, but undoubtedly Romina’s news will interfere.

Labels: amor

Hello everyone,

I’m sorry this is so late!!! I wasn’t aware of how quickly everyone liked to see these, and also didn’t plan enough time to write the recap and get it up. I promise you all it will be up a lot more quickly next time. Any comments about what you might like to see are most welcome.

Sortilegio chapter 15

Review of the end of chapter 14:
Brutus asks Alex for $1mm to leave the country and Alex barters him down to $500m. Alex sends for the check to be cut and signed and as Brutus is leaving Alex mockingly asks him about Maria Jose – is Bruno just going to leave her to him? Bruno gives him a killing look but no answer, and after he leaves faithful friend Fernando (FFF) points out that Alex is looking for trouble by poking at Brutus. That’s what Alex wants, he claims – he wants Brutus to fume! (He uses the word reventar, which means to explode, and there are definitely overtones of “may his head explode from the frustration and rage I hope I’m causing him!”) He vows to put security on Maria Jose so that Bruno can’t take her away. FFF reminds Alex that he has one month to annul the marriage as long as he doesn’t have sex with MJ.

Begin chapter 15:
Cut to Maria Jose and her sister Paula. Paula is trying on her older sister’s clothes. MJ is counting money and tracking the family’s finances. Paula wants to know why Alejandro was so furious the night before and wonders if it had to with MJ. MJ is of course sworn to secrecy and only tells her that it’s because of problems between the two of them – nothing to do with her. Paula remarks that he seems really jealous. “Of course Bruno’s jealous” says Maria Jose – it’s already clear to her that Alex is the top dog and Bruno is the one who’s jealous. Noooo squeals Paula – It’s not Bruno who is jealous of Alex, but Alex who is jealous of Bruno, because Alex himself likes Maria Jose. Maria Jose is pretty pragmatic about any supposed attraction: sure – maybe he likes me – but for what reason?

Maria Jose counts out some of their money and tells Paula to bring their father shopping for some hair dye and a couple of shirts. Paula whines about not getting anything for herself, and when MJ says that don’t have any more money P wonders why MJ doesn’t ask Alex for money. She clearly feels like she doesn’t fit in in their new environment but MJ reminds her that they are there temporarily and it’s got to end. Paula can’t understand why and when MJ leaves the room P goes through her wallet and empties it of all the money she can find.

Cut to a shot with Victoria and Maria Jose on a bench in front of house. Victoria is explaining to MJ how much it has always pained her the way those boys don’t get along, and asks MJ to avoid talking to Bruno since it obviously bothers Alex and leads to fights like the one they had the previous evening. MJ assures her that she is not the one seeking out problems and Victoria jumps on that immediately – “Ah – so it’s him?” MJ reassures her that it’s just because they are living together, and Victoria asks her to listen to her (i.e., stay away from B).

Alex drives up in his (of course) white sports car, supposedly for some papers, and asks to talk to Maria Jose. As they walk into the house he tells her in a low voice that Bruno asked him for money and wants to know if Bruno asked MJ to go away with him. She tells him that he did, but she refused. –“Why?” She wants to be truthful with him, she says, and show him that she’s a good person. She hopes that he won’t send her to jail and that the two of them can get a divorce. Alex gives a brief nod and a searching look and the shot cuts to Bruno rounding the drive in his grey sports car. He tells his mother he has to talk with Alex and, ignoring her and her explanation that he’s with MJ, runs up the stairs in search for him.

In the meantime Maria Jose and Alex have made it to the office and are discussing the oddity of what has happened to them. Alex asks MJ if she believes in destiny, no doubt wondering if she is his. MJ isn’t sure about the destiny concept and thinks it may be simply a question of ending up where your errors leave you. Alex hopes that he’s not making an error with her, and MJ says she can tell him only that she wishes that what happened had never happened.

Alex suggests they take the opportunity to get to know each other, but MJ is afraid that he will just deceive her too – he and his family are so different. Alex maintains that the only difference is the money – they are flesh and blood like everyone else. He’s been moving closer as they talk and now he starts to kiss her. She responds with just a minimal and unenthusiastic puckering of lips. Alex, suave ladies’ man that he is, can recognize when a woman isn’t really participating and he backs off and asks her if it bothers her that he kissed her. MJ says that’s not it – it’s just that she doesn’t know if she’s doing the right thing. Alex throws back his head and laughs – ha ha ha – and hooks his arm around her neck to draw her in close.

They are locked in an embrace when Bruno charges into the room. You would think that MJ or Alex would notice that he has come in, but at that moment dramatic music cuts in so loudly that of course they don’t hear him arrive. Bruno watches them for a painful moment, until Alex notices him. MJ is pretty much into the embrace and doesn’t realize Bruno is there until Alex backs away from her and angrily asks Bruno how many times he has to remind him to knock before entering. Bruno, in a trembling voice, hands him the check and tells him he forgot to sign it. Alex signs it and then, in an obvious attempt to make Bruno's head explode, puts his arm around MJ and tells Bruno that the two of them wish him an excellent trip.

Maria Jose is angry – it’s clear that Alex is using her to get at his brother - and asks Alex what his plans are for her. Alex wants to know what would have happened if he had really died and MJ had inherited all his money – was Bruno planning to the marry MJ? MJ says that was Bruno's plan, but she would never have fallen in with it and she had told Bruno that. Alex is skeptical – she’s in love with Bruno, and a woman in love will always end up forgiving her man. MJ is adamant – she will never forgive Bruno!! She wants to know what Alex is going to do – is he going to wait until Bruno leaves the country and then blame her for everything? Because if he does she won’t hesitate to spill the truth. Even if no one believes her, it will cause a scandal for the Lombardo family and she knows they don’t want that.

Cut to Bruno and slavish dog Eric. Bruno tells Eric their plans have changed. MJ and her family don’t have passports so they’ll have to go to Mexico City first (to get them, I suppose). Eric tells him that his buddy in Tijuana can get them fake visas. That’s fine, says Bruno, but they also have to find another way to get MJ and her family out of the Lombardo family compound, because Alex has beefed up security. They have to be ready to grab any opportunity that presents itself.

Cut to MJ and Alex, with Alex explaining why he took the decision he did (which decision? He’s not specific, but it seems to be the one related to bribing Bruno to leave the country): it’s so unpleasant to know that someone is trying to kill you. MJ agrees that this is indeed unpleasant, but points out that it’s been tried many times before – Bruno has told her so! Alex is astonished and angry that she could still believe Bruno after all the lies he’s told, but she points out that she knows nothing about them. Alex tells her that the accident was intentional – the semi-trailer truck aimed straight for them – and a poor campesino was killed in the attempt. MJ starts to say she doesn’t think Bruno capable of such a thing, but Alex assures her that Bruno is capable of all of that and more. He’s gotten worked up and angry and now starts to wonder again how involved MJ is in the plot. Bruno is leaving the country, MJ wants a divorce, and she and Bruno can then get together, forget all this nasty business about an attempted murder, and live happily ever after. MJ assures him that she is not going to marry Bruno. Alex says he believes her, but proposes that they change their marriage contract so that MJ no longer gets a portion of his money if they break up. She agrees – she doesn’t want his money! and glares at him. He drops his eyes.

Cut to a shot of Lisette, Paula and Don Pedro in front of the mansion. Lisette was just visiting Raquel and is on her way out, and she’d be happy to drop off Paula and Don Pedro downtown. Maria Jose arrives and and Lisette tells her how surprised everyone was that she married Alex, and assures her that she, Lisette, has nothing against her. She invites them to a party the following day but MJ doesn’t seem very interested; she’ll ask Alejandro. Paula whines and grabs MJ arm “ay sí – vamos!” and MJ says that if they can, they will. Lisette, Paula and Don Pedro all leave in Lisette’s SUV to go to town.

Faithful Friend Fernando arrives at that moment and he and MJ exchange an awkward head-bob and wave; they are clearly not at ease with each other. Fer goes to Alex’s office, where Alex tells him that he is changing the status of the marriage contract, and that MJ is aware of what he is doing and agreed to it. He also tells Fer that he thinks MJ is a victim of Bruno’s “murderous schemes.” Fer just wants to make sure that Alex isn’t making an error which might hurt Victoria. Alex smirks and doesn’t reply, but Fer keeps going on about it – it’s easy to be dazzled by a pretty woman who presents herself as the victim of somebody that Alex hates. They don’t resolve the issues and Fer changes the subject, telling Alex he just came to let him known that Alvaro (?) has been investigating the accident site but there are so many isolated villages out there that they haven’t yet found out anything about the campesino who died, or his wife. Fer stays to eat with them.

The next scene, in a shopping mall, seems designed to show just how out of place and over their heads Paula and Don Pedro are, and how false Lisette is in pretending to be their friend. Don Pedro is so afraid on the escalator that he tries to run back up it to get off. Paula wants to look – just look - at shoes in a designer-label store and Lisette insists on buying a pair for her.

Now Victoria, Alex, Bruno, Fernando and Maria Jose are having lunch and Fer is talking about a fine they had to pay on a development deal, and suggests to Bruno that he (Bruno) talk to him (Fer) the next time so that Fer can look at the land beforehand and make sure that it’s buildable. Bruno is contemptuous and incredulous – I should let you know. This seems another scene designed to show the difference between evil Bruno and saintly Alex. Bruno maintains that a bribe could take care of practically anything – even building a skyscraper on a cemetery, and Alex reminds him about his father’s saying that there are no solid grounds to build anything if it’s not done ethically. Bruno angrily tells Alex not to talk to him about his father. Squabbling ensues, interrupted by the arrival of Paula and Don Pedro.

The new arrivals sit down and Paula brings up the party the following evening. MJ says she doesn’t really feel like going but Paula and Bruno pressure her, saying she needs to start developing a social life. Besides, says Bruno, setting out some bait for Alex, Alex would be delighted to bring her – he’s always been proud of all the beautiful women he squires around, and he’s squired the most beautiful women in Merida. Alex of course takes the bait and ups the ante (sorry for the excessive metaphors): Maria Jose is in fact the most beautiful woman he’s seen – wouldn’t Bruno agree – and he would be delighted to bring her to this party. With staged tenderness he takes MJ’s hand, calls her my love and says he wants to bring her to the party because he would do anything to please her; if she wants to go then they shall. Victoria now chimes in that it would be a good idea to go and MJ, pressured on all sides, caves. The girl is clearly missing a few vertebrae. Paula squeals with delight but points out to all at the table that, unfortunately, all their dress clothes are in Saquí and alas, they will have nothing to wear. Soft touch Alex, of course, tells them not to worry about it.

Maria Jose, Paula and Don Pedro are walking back to the guest house after lunch. MJ is angrily recriminating Paula for her obvious bid to get some new clothes out of the deal. Paula shrieks at her that she should get over her complex about it, that they can’t go in rags, that she should do it for Alex, whose wife should be dressed appropriately. MJ insists that Alex is NOT her husband, and Paula and Don Pedro insist that he is: she married a man named Alex Lombardo, and there is a wedding certificate to prove it. MJ points out that Alex was not the one who signed the certificate, and Don Pedro, desperate to stay out of jail, points out how happy, how in love Alex seems to be with her. MJ, sworn to secrecy, can only insist that they just don’t understand, and she leaves them.

Brutus is explaining to Eric that at the upcoming party he will wait until it’s very crowded and then take MJ and her family away. The first thing Alex will check is the planes, so the four of them will drive up to Mexico City rather than flying. Once they have the passports they’ll go to Tijuana for the visas. Eric will have to stay in Merida to keep an eye on what Alex is doing, but he will join them later in the US. Eric is fearful that B will leave him behind but Bruno insists that he won’t.

Meanwhile, back at the compound, Maria Jose is going to her room. Alex sees her and greets her with a flirtatious, “Hi, beautiful.” MJ angrily tells him not to call her that, and says she is not a plaything for him or his brother, that he should save his pretty lies for his other girlfriends. (I can’t help thinking that if MJ were in fact a toy, say a teddy bear, she would by now be missing an arm and half her stuffing would be falling out of her.) Alex points out that they are in fact living a lie, and MJ again reproaches him for telling lies about her being beautiful and only wanting to please her. By this time they are inside MJ’s room, and Alex tells her that if he had gotten married of his own free will he would surely have married her, because of all the women he knows she is far and away the best. He has grasped her arms to tell her this but she denies what he is saying and rather feebly tries to shake him off. He insists that it’s so and she responds that she is aware of the great bitterness (rencor) between the two men and doesn’t want to be used by them to get at each other. She turns to face him: “That’s really what you want from me, isn’t it?” Nope. It turns out (according to Alex) that the only thing he wants is for her to go to dinner with him that night. (His needs are simple, his wants are few.)

Maura and Bruno meet at a restaurant or bar, where Bruno tells Maura of his plan to take MJ and her family away during the party. This is, of course, purely for MJ’s sake, as Alex has practically kidnapped her and is keeping her there against her will. Will Maura help him? But of course! Her job will be to keep Alex busy while Bruno spirits away MJ and her family.

Maria Jose and Alex are at a restaurant and Alex is leading MJ onto the dance floor. MJ proposes that they each lay their cards on the table. He knows who she is and how she got there, and now she wants to know more about him. What she especially wants to know is, is he being so good to her and her family simply to get her into bed, as Bruno maintains? Alex would like to know if she would accept if those were the conditions. If he agreed to a give her a divorce and forget about the whole thing, would she sleep with him? She doesn’t answer and he wonders why not – is it because she is afraid it will make him angry if he says no? That, she says, and also she’s never made love, and she has to be in love to make love. Well, Alex acknowledges that he would like to get her into bed, but says he would never pressure her. And now we get to the crux of the matter: MJ wants to know if he will let her and her family go, even if she doesn’t sleep with him. Alex wonders why she wants to leave – is it so that she can go back to Bruno? She claims not, and he says that if he were absolutely sure that she wasn’t going back to B he might, he might, he might let her go. Throughout the conversation they are stroking and caressing each other’s hair, so it’s hard to believe either one is really able to think beyond the pheromones they’re both producing.

Back at the house, Alex accompanies to her room. He tells her his mother will go with her and Paula tomorrow to get clothes, but she is really bothered by how much they are taking from him and doesn’t want to accept any more. He proposes that she take what he is offering right now (no, not that - the clothes!) and when she leaves them she can leave behind everything he gave her. They exchange a brief kiss at the door of her room but it’s clear that they’re both dying for more.

MJ is alone in her room and, big surprise, here’s Bruno coming through the outside door again. Why in the world doesn’t that girl start locking the doors? Bruno tells Maria Jose about the plan for the next night at the party, but she refuses: she wants to do things right, Alex has said he will give her a divorce and she believes him. Bruno, enraged, grabs her by the neck and says that he won’t allow Alex to win this fight – Alex can keep all the money but he won’t get MJ, and if MJ doesn’t fall in with Bruno's plans he will turn her father in for dealing in black market goods and running drugs. MJ starts to say she will tell the truth but Bruno claps his hand over her mouth and says she has no way of making her accusations stick, whereas he has all he needs to make his accusations against her father work.

The next day Maria Jose, Paula and Victoria go shopping, MJ protesting all the while that she is really embarrassed about accepting so much. Later, in an exclusive boutique, Paula is clearly enjoying herself and Maria Jose is just as clearly uninterested.

Over drinks Maura and Raquel talk about Bruno’s plans to go away with MJ and her family. Raquel doesn’t understand why she would walk away from Alex and his money, but Maura doesn’t care – she just wants her to go.

Maria Jose tells Paula that they have to leave with Bruno because of the threats he has made about turning in their father and Paula pitches a terrific fit. Paula wants her to tell Alex about Bruno’s threats, but MJ doesn’t want this to be the cause of another fight. Paula finally agrees, with bad grace and with much crying and shouting, that, to save their father they have to go.

Felipa and Victoria are wondering what is really going on between Alex and Maria Jose. They are unable to resolve the situation, but Victoria is sure of one thing – since that girl MJ has come to the household there has been nothing but fights and an unhealthy atmosphere in the household. She tells Felipa about Alex’s first supposition that MJ and an accomplice were trying to swindle him and perhaps even kill him, and wonders what is the matter with him that now he rejects the possibility that MJ was responsible. She is sure that something is wrong with Alex, and is angry with Fernando that he won’t tell her what’s going on. Felipa asks, not quite out of the blue, if Victoria has ever thought of getting married again.

MJ tells her father that they have to leave. She doesn’t want to tell her father that he is what Bruno is using to blackmail them into leaving, and so she says it’s because Alex is on the verge of discovering what’s going on. Bruno comes to get their birth certificates so that they can apply for passports and assures MJ that, although she is angry with him now, she will see later that he was right to do what he did. A few minutes later Alex drives up just as Bruno, followed fairly closely by MJ, return to the main house. Alex asks her where she’s been and she says with her father. -“With Bruno?” -“No, alone.” A clearly doesn’t buy it and goes to ask Roberto if he was with Bruno (apparently the only place Bruno would have been if not with MJ and her father was with Roberto). Roberto, in a bathrobe and with a cocktail in his hand, says he hasn’t seen Bruno.

Alex goes to see Don Pedro and says that Bruno just told him he (B) had come by to say hello. Don Pedro, not quite sure what to say, says that he was but just for a couple of minutes. Alex doesn’t respond but is clearly unhappy and suspicious. He returns to the main house, where his mother tells him that although Paula was overjoyed with the clothes, MJ seemed distracted, sad and unhappy, although she didn’t say anything. Victoria asks what is going on, since there is clearly something wrong with MJ and the two of them are still sleeping in separate rooms. Alex, taken aback, comes up with the quickest lie he can think of: his rib is still bothering him a bit. Vicki doesn’t buy it and tells him so, but Alex simply excuses himself and says he has a lot to do.

Getting ready for the party, MJ notices that all their money is gone. Paula maintains that one of the servants must have taken it, but MJ isn’t buying it. Before they can argue, Vicki knocks on the door. Persistent to the end, she ask MJ to please talk to her if she and Alex are having problems. MJ gives her an emotional hug and thanks her for everything before quickly leaving.

At the party, Alex is obviously proud to introduce Maria Jose to his friends, introducing her by her (very long) married name, Maria Jose Samaniego de Lombardo. Bruno takes Maura aside to tell her she has to somehow get Alex alone so that he can get MJ and her family away from the party. In a moment alone with MJ, Alex comments that she seems odd. She says it’s because she’s not used to parties like this, and Alex takes the opportunity to tell her how beautiful she looks tonight. At that moment Maura interrupts them, gives Alex an exceedingly affectionate kiss and insists that she has to talk to Alex on urgent business - she needs his advice about a financial matter. MJ surely wouldn’t mind lending him her husband, would she? MJ clearly does mind, but does the polite thing and says of course she doesn’t. Maura proposes to Alex that they go someplace quiet where they can talk alone. As they walk away Alex is following MJ with his eyes from across the room, and a frustrated Maura tells him not to worry, nothing will happen to wifey (tu mujercita). Alex tells her not to kiss him like that anymore when she greets him, and especially not in front of his wife.

Bruno gets MJ and tells her their father is going to be there soon and then they will all leave. MJ tells him she has changed her mind – she doesn’t want to leave anymore, and she goes to look for Alejandro.

Maura, in the meantime, has brought the conversation around from investments to her and Alex. She wants to know why he could have done what he did. They were together (and by together, understand “together”) just a few days before he got married – what happened? Alex looks away from her, unable to find a response, and just as MJ walks into view Maura is pulling his head around to force him to look at her so she can tell him she loves him (I must say, there is a lot of coercion by way of head and neck going on in this story.) The scene ends with MJ gasping. It’s not clear whether or not she has heard Maura, but she has clearly seen how intimate they still are with one another.

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