Summary

This part of the novel opens with a chapter dedicated to Matilde. In this section, Matilde's salsa class is taken over by the son of her previous instructor. He is a handsome middle-aged man in his 40s that Matilde nicknames "El Pelotero" because he was once a baseball player. Matilde enters the class distraught, as she has just learned of her husband's affair with a younger woman, who he likely fathered a child with. Despite this, she cannot help but admire her new instructor. She feels attracted to him despite being almost 30 years older than him. When he begins to flirt with her too, complimenting her dancing and asking her to teach the class with him, her excitement grows.

The next section focuses on the perspective of Pastora. Pastora is reflecting on the interviews she has been giving for her niece, Ona. She...