Warning: there are plenty of spoilers about the Spanish drama Velvet ahead.
Fashion Insight: Seamstresses at a high-end boutique don’t know how to wear berets? Really?
Spanish Culture Clue: This country has no labor laws? Really?
Language Point: The subjunctive is killing me.
Gloria arrives at Velvet to drop off the wedding guest list as well as to spy, as one does. She sees Clara in the office and is not happy but gives her the list anyway. Meanwhile, the Paris travelers have returned, and Don Emilio informs Alberto that his sister is now the store’s top salesperson. Alberto goes downstairs to the workroom to talk to Ana, who avoids him.
Next we see Ana take a beret from her suitcase, launching us into a a flashback montage about her Parisian hijinks. In the workroom, Rita gives a beret to Luisa as a souvenir of thier trip. Clara comes by and drags Rita out for a smoke break to discuss Pedro. Rita slips that he had been planning to propose.
Up in the office, Cristina and Alberto are supposed to be working on the guest list, but Alberto basically ignores Cristina in favor of work.
Doña Blanca has taken to bed and won’t tell Carmen why, now will she speak to Devastatingly Handsome Maximiliano. She will talk to Don Emilio, though–doesn’t everyone–but she won’t tell him much. Eventually, Carmen brings her lunch, and Blanca apologizes for not being a better mother. Carmen responds that she was a fine mother who taught the value of persistence,and she is grateful.
Up on the roof, Ana and Alberto fight about the weekend. She’s upset that he didn’t come by because of Cristina. He insisted that nothing happened. I’m bored here. Ana can do way better than this jerk. Sure, he’s cute and rich, but? Ana apparently agrees with me, because she tells Alberto that they should take a break.
Back in the workroom, Rita fills in for Doña Blanca and is at least as bossy. In the hallway, Luisa just happens to be standing there when who should return but Juan. Likewise, Rita sees Pedro and tells him that she is sick of being the go-between for him and Clara.
In the office, Mateo is hiring models for the big fashion show. Much flirtation ensues. The models leave and Alberto arrives. He complains to Mateo about the difficulty of juggling two women. Mateo tells Alberto that he is a fool and that the only problem with Cristina is that she is not Ana. Thank you, Mateo, for saying what I’ve been thinking. At his desk, Alberto finds an envelope with pictures of him and Ana, along with a request for payment to keep them from being published. Of course, they were left by that scheming Gloria, but he doesn’t know that. Alberto decides to use the money set aside for wages to pay the blackmail. Don Emilio is not happy about that, but he goes along with it.
Meanwhile, Doña Blanca gets up, get dressed, and gets in the elevator. D.H. Maximiliano joins her. He tells her that he was worried about her and that she is the only person who ever acted like a mother to him, He says that Blanca’s son resembled him and was a good person, better than he is, and that he knows where he is buried, He offers to take her to the cemetery, then says that he didn’t want to live with a lie anymore.
A devastatingly handsome maintenance man shows up to fix the elevator, and Rita is smitten.
Ana is up in the office, where Alberto is telling her about the blackmail. He doesn’t want to pay it. He wants to give up the store and be with Ana. Ana says to pay it, and then the get into a fight over Cristina.
Luisa is on the sales floor delivering a dress when Sleazy Don Francisco shows up. He tells her, in his most handsy fashion, that he had Juan kicked out of the hospital. Cut to Luisa’s room, where Juan was crashing anyway. Juan tells Luisa that Sleazy Don Francisco told him what happened, and Juan could not bear to have Luisa deal with it.
Now it’s payday, and Don Emilio and Doña Blanca tell the staff that there will be no pay for two days. The workers are strangely calm. What? This is yet another moment when I question my Spanish teacher for assigning this show. Skipping payroll is Very Bad. In real life, your employees will quit, then put in a call to Wage and Hour. Wage and Hour doesn’t mess around. My husband’s employer went bankrupt a few years ago, and he noticed that money had been taken from his paycheck for his 401(k) contribution that was not been sent to the fund company. He had a callback within an hour and a check from the bankruptcy estate in a week. But here? In our fictional version of Franco’s Spain? It’s apparently just fine!
Then, Emilio tells Blanca that he knows about the baby from 23 years ago. He suggests that Blanca tell Carmen, and she does.
Back at the office, Clara and Pedro are discussing their situation. Clara says that she doesn’t know if they should break up or not. He says he wants the woman she was seven years ago back in their hometown, so exit Pedro. Clara then tells Alberto that she broke up with Pedro when he shows up to get the cash. Mateo says that he will join Alberto at the dropoff. As they head out the door, they run into Don Emilio, who says that Alberto’s father would not make such a payment. Alberto then shows Emilio the pictures, and Emilio says that the entire relationship has been a mistake. Alberto and Mateo go on their way.
Rosa Maria shows up with Manolito and his things, to drop him off with Pedro.
Meanwhile, the Devastatingly Handsome Maintenance Man runs into Rita and Ana. He offers to buy them a drink at Pausa. We learn that he has a name; it is Adolfo. At the bar, Adolfo’s friend Antonio shows up. Adolfo is macking on Rita while Ana and Antonio make polite conversation. It is not going well. Ana excuses herself and asks Rita to help her out. Rita refuses. Then Pedro shows up looking for help with Manolito. He explains that Clara broke up with him and that Manolito is moving in. Rita says no because she is on a date, but she leaves with Pedro anyway. Ana comes out of the bathroom to discover that she has been abandoned. She asks Antonio to walk her home.
Gloria arrives home to Marquez Manor to find Don Emilio waiting for her. He sees the briefcase with the cash, and Gloria tries to justify the blackmail. Emilio asks what Alberto would do if he were to learn that his mother were still alive. He takes the briefcase and leaves.
So much subjunctive tense!
Alberto goes to talk to Ana, but she is not in. He gets in his car and then sees Antonio walking her home, with the two continuing to have a polite conversation. They don’t kiss, but Alberto is not happy. Doesn’t Ana understand that only Alberto is allowed to get some on the side?
