Act One Scene One
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7 pm at Casa Bonita mansion
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Welcome Master
Lady Esmeralda had been so worried all through last night, that she refused to eat anything.
~Ruth
Thank you Ruth I will be seeing her in a few minutes, Meanwhile where is my mom?
~Mateo
Lady Teresa is in the backyard attending to her flowers,
Would you want me to set dinner already?
~Ruth
Not yet Ruth, thank you.
~Mateo
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Mateo goes searching for Teresa
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Good evening Mother,
I hope I'm not butting in on you.
~Mateo
Not exactly son, I'm almost done.
I guess you are just coming back home, hope everything went well.
~Teresa
Well! For now, I think we are safe, at least everything is still going as planned.
~Mateo
And the contract? I believe you had the conversation with her right?
~Teresa
Not yet, mother, I haven't mentioned anything concerning the contract to her.
I'm just being very careful so she does not second-guess my intentions.
~Mateo
Bullshit! What exactly are you doing son? You seem weak all of a sudden, careful...extra careful, what is all this rubbish?
~Teresa
Mother believe me am still very much conscious of the importance of this to our company,
I am simply trying to avoid the perspicacity of her remarks.
~Mateo
At what length? Son!
I expect you to show intellectual acuity on this matter, and not try to challenge the correctness of our plans.
You are Andrew Rodriguez's son and should act like one.
~Teresa
I know Mother, my late father was a man of some tactics and shrewd business acumen.
~Mateo
And also had a flair for good business deals.
You show a good cognizance of the importance of this contract on ROD so why the delay?
Now you listen son, we will not be able to win this contract if you continue to slow walk addressing the significance of ROD company to Evans-trans company.
~Teresa
I get what you are saying Mother and I promise not to disappoint you, I am just trying not to act too smart and dumb at the same time.
~Mateo
Oh! Son.
Put an end to your stupid brother about "puns surrounding the Beatles" and be a Man.
~Teresa
I am a man mother, but... I still feel I...I should...I mean it is better I...
~Mateo
Enough! Real men do not falter.
And lest I forget, the existence of chemistry between you and Laia should solely be for the company's interest and growth.
Such sentiments are just pious claptrap,
So I would advise if possible you set a reminder for this.
~Teresa
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Teresa walks out of Mateo, leaving him alone in rumination.
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I will be going on a dinner date with Laia later, I think I will put an end to the delay and speak about the company's interest in the contract.
I hope she does not ask questions about every moment I spent with her including the things I told her,
She seems sweet and easygoing.
And,
She is not too showy for my liking, a simple and glamorous design without being ostentatious...my taste.
~Mateo
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Mateo puts an end to his moment of reverie and makes his way to Esmeralda's room.
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Hey! darling,
How are you and my son doing?
~Mateo
You are back?
I was beginning to think that maybe you were never going to come back home to me.
~Esmeralda
Hey! Why would you even think of such, you are my wife, and am always going to come back home to you baby.
~Mateo
Oh! Am I? Really?
Because I have been questioning this lately, you do not make me feel like your wife Mateo but more like an outsider.
~Esmeralda
You need to stop feeling this way darling, you know I love and care about you so much.
~Mateo
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Esmeralda fumes at Mateo's false innocence
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How dare you! Do you want to talk to me about my feelings? Really?
So then let me hear it, common on! Say it! Tell me how am overreacting, or better still how am not supposed to know about your "urgent meeting" last night.
Lately, you treat me as if I am meaningless in your life and it is breaking me.
~Esmeralda
Darling that is not true, you know my current state of mind and you know I have been so busy trying to give us an even better life.
~Mateo
US? You said to us? What was that, a
Lapsus Linguae? Because I'm certain you meant "trying to give you and your mother an even better life".
What exactly are you thinking Mateo? Because I can feel it in my soul, something is not just right of late.
~Esmeralda
Darling, you are stressing, please stop, you need to think of our baby our son, and his health.
Am sorry about last night, I promise it was not my intention to hurt you and you know this.
~Mateo
The only thing I know right now is that you are going to treat me as your wife and the mother of the child, and not like some random woman.
Mateo Rodriguez,
You owe me respect and absolute devotion in this marriage and I should not have to beg for it... not at all.
~Esmeralda
I am deeply sorry darling, I will surely act better next time.
You are so important to me and I love you so much and I miss you too.
~Mateo
Don't touch me!
Your mother says I'm interfering too much in the company's business, and you know what? She is right.
Maybe... Just maybe if you had given me an entry to the company business then I believe she wouldn't have said that to me.
Good night dear husband.
~Esmeralda
Good night.
So you are not spending the night with me? I said I miss you just then.
~Mateo
My love, like you rightly said am stressed and it is not good for our baby.
I have been up all night thinking and worrying about not just your absence but also the fact that you were not answering my calls, and right all I want to do is catch up on some sleep.
~Esmeralda
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Esmeralda walks out on Mateo in a temper and the door slams with a bang after her.
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Act One Scene Two
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Mateo takes advantage of Esmeralda's ire to keep his date promise to Laia.
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Hello mother,
How are you enjoying your evening?
~Mateo
Fine. The ocean view at night is so enchanting, and the mesmerizing stare from the moon makes it a place of spellbinding beauty.
I just love everything about this place.
~Teresa
I know you do mother,
it is obvious from the way you always come down here every evening.
I also know it reminds me of my father which is why you cannot stop yourself from doing it every night.
~Mateo
It is always a magical evening of pure nostalgia son.
You don't look like you've had enough for the day, so where are you up to?
~Teresa
Right mother,
I have a dinner engagement with a friend.
~Mateo
A friend?
I suppose I am familiar with this friend of yours, so is this dinner related to the contract?
~Teresa
Absolutely mother, I am meeting with Laia tonight.
I thought about what you said earlier and I have decided to put an end to the delay, so tonight I will talk about the company's interest in her father's contract.
~Mateo
That is a brilliant thing to do.
Have a beautiful evening and remember the objective of all this.
~Teresa
Of course, I will Mother, have a beautiful evening too, and good night just in case I'm late.
~Mateo
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Mateo leaves a soft kiss on Teresa's cheek before walking out.
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