Refugio Para el Amor #86 Mon 8/6/12 Rod Comes Close, But His Major Case of Foot-in-Mouth Disease Gets in the Way; Rosa Puts on Her Glad Rags and a Happy Face

In Het Het, Magda has just opened her door, and is as stunned as Viewerville to find Rod there. She doesn’t look the least bit pleased about her surprise visitor. Magda informs Rod that Luci went with Paz to Santa Lucia, a neighboring town. Rod asks if he can come in and wait. Magda shrugs and gives a non-committal “Make yourself at home.” She is nice enough to offer him refreshment and tells him what Luci went to Santa Lucia for—she won a contest (concurso) and got a grant! Then she catches herself getting too excited and happy as she speaks with the enemy. She’s sure Rod doesn’t want to hear it. Rod tells her that anything having to do with Luci is important to him. Magda looks incredulous.

In the market, the Gossip Girls are reporting to Luchita that Luci’s big, blonde, blue-eyed hubby is in town, likely to take her back to D.F. This makes Luchita very happy, as her rival for the affections of Don Aquiles will once again be out of reach. The Gossip Girls leave to investigate some more.

In the Cultural Center of Santa Lucia, Luci and Paz meet with the young woman who informed Luci about winning the contest. She’s brought the final contract for Luci to read and sign. Luci will receive a monthly payment (mensualidad) for a year, and they will buy her pieces. Her pieces will be on sale/displayed in four different cultural centers in the state. The first order (pedida) she has to fill is for 12 pieces. Luci and Paz are happy that Luci now has fixed work, and over the moon when they are presented with Luci’s certificate for finishing first in the contest. Paz is so proud (orgullosa/o) of her.

In the D.F. Aquatics Center, we have another proud parent. Pato has finished with his therapy and Max tells him how impressed he is by his tenacity. He’ll be here for him whenever he can. Pato says it does him good to have Max there. He asks where Rod is, but Max doesn’t know where Rod ran off to all of a sudden.

Well, Rod is cooling his very hot jets at Magda’s dining table while she chops onions in the kitchen. He thinks it’s best that he go wait somewhere else, since she’s so busy and Luci is taking so long. He doesn’t want to be an inconvenience (inoportuno). Just then, Ariche runs in and sees his amigo Rod. He jumps on a chair and into Rod’s arms for a big hug. Ariche thinks Rod has come in his plane to take them all back for his and Luci’s wedding. Rod avoids the subject and asks Ariche to take a walk with him.

In D.F., Rosa is in depressed mode today. She refuses to rise from bed; she refuses to eat; she doesn’t want to see anyone; she doesn’t want to talk to anyone. Mati tells her she’s wasting her life and the love of all the people who care for her—her sister and kids. Mati tells her she should follow Connie’s example, who is having a fine time boinking Oscar (we hope) right this minute. Debbie Downer Rosa says Oscar is just going to dump Connie for a younger model. Mati tells her it’s important to live in the here and now. “Come on. Make yourself pretty for your kids and husband. Let them see you content and happy.” Mati goes to get Rosa a fabulous outfit that will dazzle her man and kids. Rosa needs some sun and fresh air. Rosa doesn’t look convinced and remains tightly curled in the fetal position.

Ofelia has decided to make herself useful on her first day back. She’s going to the market for her mama Estelita to get everything Estelita and the boys need for their taco business. Marianita, not taking her eyes off her mama for a moment, decides to go with her. She’s one happy little camper.

Lorenzo and Fabian’s harem of domestic workers has grown substantially. The girls may be asking for beef tacos, but what they really want is beefcake. The boys serve up their tacos with a large side of flirtation. The maids head back to work, but the real queen of Lorenzo’s heart arrives. Unfortunately, Hannah has brought her boyfriend Boris along too. Lorenzo offers Boris a taco, and Fabian keeps him busy trying to put out the fire in his mouth caused by an extra helping of extra hot sauce, while Lorenzo chats with Hannah. They agree to the boys bringing enough food to make 100 tacos (for 20 people) to the special Sunday meal Hannah is planning. Lorenzo refuses to accept an advance (adelanto) and will only accept payment once he’s delivered the tacos to the Torreslanda door.

Ariche and Rod catch up. Ariche is up to his usual—school, flute, slingshot, junior lawyer, personal bodyguard to damsels in distress, man about town, etc. He suggests that Rod call Luci on her new cell phone if he’s trying to reach her—the one LICENCIADO CLAUDIO LINARES gave her. This gives Rod pause, but he avoids turning into the Hulk and hitting things this time. The two continue to chat, joke and bond.

In Santa Lucia, Luci has promised to get working on her 12 pieces right away and wants to know what happened to her other pieces. The cultural center girl shows her two of her pieces, featuring butterfly designs, which are on display at the center. Paz is beside herself with pride.

At Vio’s place, Vio and Serena are lamenting the late work hours and are just about to fix some breakfast/lunch (brunch?), when there is a welcome knock on the door. It’s the wonderful Polo (open your eyes Vio!), who has brought them a feast. Serena says he fell from heaven! Polo asks what Rod wanted last night. Vio is less than impressed that he’s just now trying to fix things with Luci—just like a man! Polo looks mighty offended to be lumped into this stereotype of male stupidity, but says nothing about Vio’s female stupidity, just like the gentleman he is.

In Casa Torreslanda, Mati must have snuck some happy pills into Rosa’s tea, because she’s dressed in a knockout form fitting, violet dress that makes her eyes pop (in a good way, not her usual crazy way), and she’s bubbly and happy as she greets Pato and Max. Pato is the first to note how great she looks, and Max continues with the compliments. He says she looks beautiful (preciosa). She says she dressed to go out and invites her two guys out to eat. Pato was tired, but seeing Rosa looking so good and happy has motivated him to go out again. Lurch, aka Frigida, lurks in the background.

Rod and Ariche continue their man-to-man talk on the streets of Het Het. Rod tells Ariche that he can call him whenever he wants. Ariche is worried they won’t still be friends when Rod leaves. Rod assures him that they’ll always be friends and gives him a hug and kiss.

The Gossip Girls give Don Aquiles the unhappy news that Luci’s man is back in town. He doesn’t believe them and throws them out. At Magda’s, Paz and Luci have come back home. Before Magda can give Luci any warning, Ariche comes racing in to say that Rod is here, and Rod’s head immediately peeks around the corner of the door. Luci’s eyes say, “What the hell are you doing here?”; Rod’s eyes say, “Please, please, please don’t throw me out.” He says he’s come to speak to her, then politely asks Paz how she is. Paz’ eyes are saying the same thing as Luci’s. Rod and Luci leave to speak, and Cupid Ariche tries to rush after them. Paz barely catches him and tells him Luci and Rod have grown folks things to discuss. Ariche doesn’t want Rod and Luci to get mad at each other. Rod is his friend.

Frigida calls Julie to confirm their info exchange meeting, where the black bag will be present and ready for a deposit. Julie looks like she’s sporting a major hangover. (What did she and Carola do with that guy the night before anyway?...) Of course she has a mimosa on hand to help nurse said hangover.

Connie and Oscar have finally arrived at their hacienda weekend retreat. The front reception area opens up to a spectacular view of the mountains. They get smoochy and handsy at the reception desk, but Oscar has reserved TWO rooms-- #14 and #16. (What a waste!) They agree to meet in an hour after Connie has had a chance to rest (I assume because she won’t be sleeping much that night).

Gala is back from Colombia and ready to continue scheming her hostile takeover of Rod. Fernanda and Valentina arrive; they apparently have nothing better to do on a Saturday afternoon (no wonder they haven’t gotten their boyfriends to walk them down the aisle yet). Gala wants them to spend the afternoon planning a fake celebration/get together to dupe Rod into attending. No, Rod didn’t call her, but she’s not going to become desperate (honey, you crossed that line a LONG time ago). She’s sure that he will start missing her soon and remembering how good they were together. Fernanda thinks they can dupe Marcos and Gabe into getting them all together to watch soccer that very day—it has to be in Rod’s apartment, of course. She calls Marcos, who is already happily watching a game in his own apartment, cradling a bowl of chips. (Once again, I point out that he’d rather be doing that, then spending time with his girlfriend on his day off.) He easily agrees to call Gabe and Rod up so that they can all watch the games together.

Rod, meanwhile, is strolling through the streets of Het Het with Luci. He brings up the contest and congratulates her. She gives polite but terse responses. Then he tells her that he went to Inferno, spoke with Vio, and got confirmation that she only worked there one night, never wanted to do it, and was forced to work as a waitress.
L: And Violeta had to tell you in order for you to believe me? That’s why you came? Because you’re wasting your time, Rodrigo. You shouldn’t have bothered to come all the way here for something that is no longer important to anyone.

(She walks away from him and he runs after her, grabbing her arm and spinning her around to face him.)
R: I came here to ask that you return with me; that we start anew. I want you to know that I still love you, and that everything that has to do with you is important to me.
L: Return with you? And the offenses? And the humiliations? And YOUR distrust? You and I are no longer anything (to each other).
R: With what ease you say these things.
L: With the same ease with which you ended our love; my dreams/illusions; my life. 
R: Don’t pin the blame solely on me! Admit that you also failed me Luciana!
L: I admitted it!  I told you that everything was true, but not like *that*.
R: Then HOW?! I need to hear it from you! Tell me! I have every right to know!
L: You HAD (the right to know). And when you had it, you didn’t want to listen to me. I begged you (regar). I pleaded (suplicar). YOU didn’t want to hear it! At that time you had a right because we were married. Now you don’t. I am no longer your wife!
R: Please Luciana. I didn’t come here to fight with you. I came to take you back with me; so that we can continue with our plans.
L: Plans? What plans Rod?  Between you and me there no longer exist plans!
R: Even before Vio told me the truth, I already realized that I made a mistake. I offer you an apology. Please come with me to the capital. Let’s go.
L: I told you the truth, and you didn’t listen to me. You didn’t listen to me!
R: Well, forgive me! Everything pointed to your guilt in that moment. Why didn’t you tell me everything from the beginning? You never intended to tell me anything?!
L: Because I was afraid. Mati insisted that I tell you, but...
R: So you told HER!?  And you talk to me about trust! You didn’t trust me Luciana!

(Ooh! He has a point there. Now Luci is losing steam and starts to cry.)
L: Because I was afraid. I was afraid you’d react as you did.
R: If you had clarified things from the very beginning, things would have been different!
L: You didn’t listen to me!!! Stop getting on my case!
R: No, I can’t. YOU didn’t fight for our love! You’re the one who initiated (promover) the divorce.

(Luci is as stunned as we are that Rod is making sense, after weeks and weeks of sounding like an idiot.)

Procopio falls back into his old bad habits (and old clothes) and confirms to Aquiles that Luci is strolling around town with her Adonis city boy hubby.

Gala is counting her nimrods before they hatch, and celebrating the post-soccer nookie she is sure she’ll be having with Rod later. Marcos calls Fernie back and informs her that Rod is MIA. Gala soon knows where he disappeared to when Aquiles calls her to complain that Rod is swanning around town with his little dove.

Back on the streets of Het Het, Rod has moved beyond anger and has gone right back to begging Luci to forgive him. Luci reminds him that he’s the one who said they were through.
R: But I never said I wanted to get divorced.
L: Then what the hell do you want, since YOU don’t trust me!?
R: Was that the reason? Or is there something else that you don’t dare tell me? Like this strange influence that Claudio Linares has over you.
L: What are you trying to say?! Tell me!
R:  You heard me! You let him bring you here, up to the front door of your home. You accepted a cell phone from him, like it was nothing. Do you think I’m stupid?!! (YES!!! Yes we do Rod!) Admit that he influenced you to separate us and divorce us! Admit that you have a relationship with him!!
L: Don’t say stupid things!!! You don’t know what you’re saying!
R: Well, then you tell me! I’m sure it will prove me right. You decided to get involved with my father’s/family’s number one enemy. Why don’t you admit that you have a relationship with him?! He could be your father for God’s sake!!!
L: SHUT UP!!!!! (Yes, please shut up Rod, before you dig yourself in deeper.) You don’t know what you’re saying!...

Before Luci can clarify anything, Don Aquiles arrives to make a pest of himself. He and Rod do some chest thumping. Aquiles doesn’t like anyone mistreating his Palomita like that; treat her like a lady, dammit! Eventually Rod prevails by proclaiming Luci is HIS WIFE. The Gossip Girls lurk behind a corner.

At the Country Club, the Prozac Mati slipped into Rosa’s tea is still working and she is having a pleasant lunch with Max and Pato. Max thanks her for allowing them to relive old times, and Pato thanks them both for getting him out of the house (but really he’s thanking them for acting like they actually like each other). Rosa’s all about a united family front. One of the club ladies, who are always out to jump Max’s lonely bones, comes over to express her surprise at seeing Rosa there with her man, and Pato too. Pato can smell the Chanel scented b.s. from a mile away. Max fiddles with his wedding ring nervously. Rosa chooses to remain in her Prozac induced Lala Land.

Luci wants to know why Rod is still crowing about her being his wife, when they are nothing to each other now. Rod doesn’t think this is so. Luci points out that they are divorced, but Rod doesn’t know how to divorce his heart and thoughts from her. He plants a passionate kiss on her while holding her face. She’s swept up and away in the kiss, and soon his arms circle her waist as he pulls her closer to him. She half fights it, but she is fully participating. I hope the Gossip Girls stuck around because Rod and Luci are giving Het Het quite a show! They stop kissing, but they are nose to nose/forehead to forehead, and he’s cradling her face once again. He’s begging, pleading, crying. Their tone of voice has turned tender. Luci’s crying too, but she won’t/can’t give herself over to him. She says she can’t because she doesn’t trust him anymore. She gently touches his face and his hands, then turns and runs away. Rod calls after her, but he knows it’s a lost cause. He crumples against a nearby doorway in tears and pounds on the door.

Speaking of lost causes…Gala is PISSED that Rod has gone after that domestica (drink!). She abuses her cell phone. Julie comes home and lays the blame on Gala for taking her eyes off the prize (Rod) and going on that trip. “Cállate!”

Oscar will definitely have more luck than Rod today. Connie joins him on the patio of the hacienda for canoodling, smooches, and drinks. He suggests they spend the afternoon chilling and chatting, and then he’ll take her someplace spectacular for dinner. He has her try his drink; she likes it and says she wants one. “You want one, huh? Here, you have it.” He gives her a smooch- “Sabes que me encantas.” Yeah, Oscar is definitely getting some tonight.

Julie lunches with Lurch. She spells things out for Frigida. The “chacha” is now at the same social level as the Torreslandas and therefore poses a greater threat. If Rod finds out, he’ll most likely go looking for her to bring her back. “We can’t let that happen, can we? If Luci comes back to the house as a Linares, the first thing she’s going to do is fire you.” This gets Frigida’s attention. Frigida needs to tell her absolutely EVERYTHING that’s going on in that house.

Well, Frigida is missing some primo gossip on the current goings-on at Casa Torreslanda. Prozac Rosa, Max and Pato have returned, and want to continue playing happy families by watching a movie together. Can you just imagine the three of them snuggled under a blanket in the bed, watching their latest Netflix dvd, and eating popcorn? Nope, I can’t either! Anyway, Rosa’s phone rings and Gala nearly ruins the effects of Mati’s magic tea by telling Rosa that Rod is in Het Het with Luci. She manages to hold it together enough to seem calm when Pato says he hopes Rod and Luci have reconciled. After Pato leaves, Max spells out the real danger—that  Rod now knows Luci is Claudio’s and Rosa’s role in it all.

Luci updates Paz and Magda on her conversation with Rod. He wants them to get back together; he can’t tear (arrancar) her memory from his mind/heart; and if they love each other, he wonders why they can’t be together. Magda agrees with this and thinks Luci should have grabbed him, kissed him and made him stay! “It’s what I most wanted, but I couldn’t. He offended me again. He demanded that I admit to his face that I have a relationship with CL. That this was the reason why I divorced him. And how could I be capable of something like that when CL could be my father.”  Paz wants to know why the heck Luci didn’t tell Rod that CL IS her father!  “That’s what I was going to do Ama, but then…”

Luci doesn’t finish her sentence because she has another major dizzy spell. Paz keeps her from falling as Magda grabs a chair for her. Paz begs Luci to breathe. Luci says she was getting dizzy (estaba mareando), but she’s fine now. Paz makes Luci look her in the eyes. “Oh my God! Oh my, Luciana! You’re pregnant, daughter!”

I had a good laugh at this final scene because my mom also says you can tell a woman is pregnant by looking in her eyes. Some Jamaican old wives tale. My mom and Paz can’t both be wrong! LOL! Anyway, found this info on dizziness and/or fainting as a pregnancy symptom: “When standing in one place, you may feel dizzy or even faint. The growing uterus compresses major arteries in your legs, which causes your blood pressure to drop and make you extremely light-headed. Skipping meals or going too long without eating may cause you to feel dizzy or faint. When not eating frequently enough, it causes low blood sugar. Blood sugar is the primary source of food for your baby, so it will be depleted much more quickly.” So basically, Luci and our other tn heroines just need to EAT!

Avances: Gala bitches to Julie that she can’t believe that after Rod had another taste of her milkshakes, he went looking for Luci in her yard. Rod tells Rosa that Luci is the love of his life, and he will love her forever. He does some ugly crying.