"Now, just why aren't I acting?"asked Ma.del Carmen, who had accompanied them to the studios.
She wanted to see just how a telenovela was filmed. She was awed and envious by the women's costumes.
"Wow, I've always wanted to dress like that. Just to see what I would look like. Those fashions were just so…beautiful, so feminine, if you know what I mean. Whatever happened to them? They wore such lovely colors, such lovely bonnets, such lovely skirts. And so wide, too."
"I don't think they were very comfortable, Caramelo."
"Oh, I know they weren't. They couldn't possibly be. I mean, it's obvious they couldn't even move in them. But still, I wish I could see what I would look like in one of those dresses."
"You acted wonderful!"she said to Lance.
"Of course, just about everything Lance does seems wonderful to you."said Pietro.
"Well, it's the truth. He did do very well."
"You didn't say he did well. You said he was wonderful."
"Well, what's wrong with that?"
"Just pointing it out."
"I don't think you have to be pointing that out to me, thank you."she said, coldly.
"Just wanted to do you a favor, just in case. You don't have to bite my head off."
"Your head is still on."said Toad.
"Does anyone know where Javier went? I haven't seen him."said Pietro.
"What do you want him for?"asked Blob.
"Oh, I was just wondering a few things about these people is all."
"What people?"
"These actors. Bye."
"What are you doing here, Speedy? Don't you see that you might get us into some trouble! If you do something you shouldn't do, or you're somewhere you shouldn't be, you could just cost us everything we've achieved."
"Sorry, didn't think of that."
"That is obvious. None of the three of you guys think. That's why I have to do almost everything. Because the three of you are nothing more than a bunch of lazy, good for nothing, empty headed losers."
"Well, I don't seem to be so empty headed as you."
"What are you talking about? You better not provoke me, Speedy, you are only here, on my charity. If it hadn't been for me, the other guys would have beat you up, and left you to starve, because you betrayed them. It's only thanks to me that you're alive, have a roof over your head, and aren't going hungry. If I decide, the second I get tired of you, you go on the street."
"I wasn't here looking for a fight, Javier."
"Then?"
"Then, I was just wondering, exactly how many of these actors are married?"
"Why would you want to know that? A few of them are married, yes, other aren't. Either they haven't married, or they're divorced."
"Well, would a wedding be good for publicity?"
"It depends. Sometimes it is, sometimes it just doesn't do anything."
"How would you know how much attention you would get for your wedding?"
"Well, I remember there was quite a bit of publicity when Christian Castro married Valeria Liberman, because it was right after his divorce to Gabriela Bo, and no one expected it. Valeria's being jewish also raised some publicity. See, his mother couldn't come to the wedding, she was in the hospital, and some people said that she didn't go, because she didn't agree with the marriage, or something. Why?"
"Because, it seems to me, seeing all these romantic scenes and all that, that people don't seem to have much to say about Lance's love life."
"I don't understand what you're saying. It's nobody's business. People love to gossip, love to hear about it, but, it isn't anybody's business."
"I'm surprised at you. You seem to have neglected that aspect."
"I still don't understand what you're trying to say."
"Well, you always have good ideas, and just a couple of days ago, I read in a magazine about Araceli Arambula and Luis Miguel. I though some publicity around those lines might do us some good, and I just can't seem to help noticing. I'm surprised you haven't already noticed that your cousin is interested in Lance."
"I already know that."
Pietro's jaw dropped.
"You did?"
"Yes, the very first day she saw him. Of course, you know, he started to go out with Kitty a little afterwards, and then all that, with Mystique and all that."
"The very first day?"
"Yes. I tried to convince him to go out with her, but he didn't seem interested. She told me, see. That's just part of the reason she helped me out. Well, she would've helped me out, anyway, as I'm her cousin, but, well, let's just say she also did it for him."
"Hmm. She seems to make a good impression of it. However, we have got to make her a little less shy. More forward."
"I don't think that will happen. She isn't smart where people are concerned. She's smart about animals, about medicine, things like that, but people are a mystery to her. She's just too shy around them."
"We should at least give the impression that they are going out. I saw, after the awards, a little…gossip going on, on those shows, you know, asking whether he had finally found someone, and if they were going out."
"I know. Lance said no. He wasn't going out with anyone. Ma.del Carmen simply did him the favor of accompanying him. That's just it."
Pietro looked dumpstruck.
"Then, we have to convince him. I mean, it's good for publicity. If you'll only tell him."
"Ma.del Carmen would kill me, and I don't think he'd pay attention to me, either. I just don't understand what he saw in that Kitty. I mean, she never did seem to possess any…charming qualities as far as I'm concerned. Then, again, everyone has their own tastes. I just think it that, well…it doesn't do any good to be thinking about one thing or one person too much. It's not good for anyone. That's just what worries me. I don't think he's obsessed, but, still. I do think he should just move on."
Javier thought for a while.
"If only…maybe…"he said. "I was just thinking, maybe if we just tried to make him believe she forgot about him, or something."
"Like?"
"Well, look, we could try to make him believe that she's going out with someone he hated, or something. We're in another country, there is no way he could ever find out the truth. Maybe, con una desilusion. The problem would be how did we find out."
"We could say she was going out with Scott Summers!"
"I don't think she'd go out that Summers. And we'd still have to find out how we found out."
"We could say we were spying on them! That we hired a private investigator!"
"Please."
"It's true!"
"And why, exactly, did we hire the investigator?"
"Because…because…we wanted to see what happened to Mystique. You know, what she was up to. We were afraid when she found out about our success, or anything, that we took matters into our own hands, and…well, like that."
Javier thought for a while. He smiled.
"I like the way you think, Pietro. I like the general idea, however, there are a couple of flaws, which I can fix with no problem. Not very long ago, a very interesting incident took place that I didn't tell anybody about, but which could help us. Let's see, we hired the private investigator, but not to spy on Mystique, but rather, the X Men, because a few weeks ago, while I was watching the news, I saw that Mr.Summers was here, and he had blown the roof off a hospital, I went looking for him, and…well, I don't know whether to say if I found him, and worrying that they might, perhaps ruin everything, or attempt to, I don't know, get money from us, or something, I hired someone to keep an eye on them. How does that sound?"
"It sounds great! It just better work."
"It'll work, I'm sure. You just stay out of it, and leave everything to me. And don't let anyone know about it. Just you and me, okay? I'll try to convince him first, and then if that doesn't work, then we'll try that."
"All right."
"Well, you know, I was thinking."he said to Lance. "That perhaps we should pay some more attention to your personal life, and such."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, that people would like to know that you…well, let's say, were dating, for one. It would really give them something to talk about. It's good for the publicity."
"Maybe we have enough publicity as it is."
"Well, a little more wouldn't hurt. Now, see, my cousin would be delighted to help us in that respect."
"I don't want to date your cousin."
"Why not?"
"Because…I just don't."
"I'm no idiot. I know you still think about Kitty. I wouldn't waste my time on that. You should try some other girls. You'll appreciate it! You'll see the difference really quick. You certainly deserve better. Listen, I didn't want to say anything, but…see, some time ago, I saw Mr.Summers here."
"Here? In Mexico?"
"Exactly. I was kind of afraid that they might try to ruin everything we've been working for. You know how they are. So I hired someone to spy on them. It turns out that…well, I found something that…"
"What?"
"Well, see, it turns out your beloved Kitty, whom you waste so much of your time thinking about. The reason you turn down my cousin, and even some of the actresses who want to get your attention, it turns out that she's dating that Summers."
"That is not true!"
"Well, I don't know. I just know what I was told."
"They lied to you!"
"And why would they lie? The investigator had no reason to lie. He was being paid to tell me the truth, not lie to me."
"I'd like to speak to this investigator and see for myself!"
"I wouldn't want you to go and see things that will hurt you, Lance. You know I care. That's just why I'm telling you this. That's become an obsession, I think. What's past is past, and there is nothing we can do to change it. What we should do is learn from it. And what we learned is that Kitty just isn't worth anything. Look, you should just forget about her."