EPISODE 41
Written by A. Washington-Beeby
Story Consultants: ML Cooks & C. Nathaniel Richardson
Stefano walks over to EJ, putting a hand on his shoulder. A self-satisfied smile is across his face, as he revels in his son's misfortune.
STEFANO: Our trusty staff have informed me of your troubles with your beloved Samantha.
EJ: I do not want to discuss this with you, Father.
EJ walks away, pushing Stefano's hand off his shoulder as he breaks away, heading for the door. Stefanp stops him dead in his tracks with his next words.
STEFANO: From the sounds of this phone call you just made, you need my help with something.
EJ: Father, the last thing I want right now is your help. You see, your form of help seems to only exacerbate all of my problems. I'll handle it myself.
Stefano shrugs, still with the same self-satisfied look on his face.
STEFANO: Suit yourself, but don't come crying to me when your little dalliance with Ms. Deveraux blows up in your face.
EJ is shocked to hear that Stefano knows of his affair with Abigail, and he turns around suddenly, in a sort of panic.
EJ: What?!
Stefano bursts into his infamous laugh, filling EJ with a sense of intense dread.
---
---
Gabi stands in the common room of the apartment, having just put the baby down. She stands, arms crossed, clearly uncomfortable after Will's disappointed question.
GABI: Look, Nick just...showed up. He had flowers in hand and...I just couldn't slam the door in his face, okay?
WILL: Why not? He wasn't invited and you know all the awful things he's capable of. Why make yourself vulnerable to that?
GABI: Because if I don't, then I'm vulnerable to a whole lot more, and you both know it.
Gabi sits down on the sofa, head in hands. The stress of the situation is finally starting to weigh on her.
GABI: Look, I just don't want to set him off. I figure, if I'm nice to him, if I try to be kind to him, maybe he'll back off of all of us.
SONNY: Gabi, you can't think like that. Nick is a major problem but pacifying him isn't going to help.
WILL: I don't agree with that at all.
Sonny looks up to Will, a bit confused.
SONNY: What do you mean?
WILL: Well, see, we know how Nick works, and he's going to keep pushing and pushing and pushing. But if we just stand back and watch him carefully, I guarantee we will see what he's up to.
SONNY: I just don't want to put Gabi and Ari in the middle of it all.
GABI: You're not. I am willing to do this. We have to protect Ari. By any means neccessary.
WILL: Gabi's right, but...
SONNY: I think we need to take a couple days and investigate, then make a plan. The sooner we neutralize Nick Fallon, the sooner we'll all be safe. Finally.
---
JJ and Laura sit in the living room, as Abigail steps in to join them, a tray with teacups in hand.
ABBY: Here we go. Grandma, chamomile tea for you.
LAURA: Thanks, Honey.
Laura reaches out and takes her tea from Abigail, a cautious smile on her face, as Abigail sits down to join JJ and Laura in conversation in the living room.
LAURA: So, Abigail...I hear you started a new job with Countess Wilhelmina. How's that going?
Abigail stops for a second, thinking back to her confrontation with EJ earlier.
***
FLASHBACK to Ep. 35
Abigail doesn't speak, her mouth quivers as she tries to speak, but fails to come up with a good lie. EJ's anger rises, and he desperately lurches toward Abigail, grabbing her by the shoulders and shakes her, as if to loosen the words from her throat.
EJ: Tell me what happened, damn it! What happened at the hospital, Abigail!
ABBY: It was Anne! It was all Anne!
EJ stops, taking a step back. EJ is confused, barely knowing Anne.
EJ: Anne?
ABBY: Anne Milbauer. She heard everything. She forced me to quit or she'd...
***
Abigail snaps out of it.
ABBY: Just...fine. I'm really liking it there.
Laura looks unconvinced.
LAURA: Are you sure? I have to admit, you don't seem all that excited about it.
ABBY: Yeah, I'm just...a little tired. You know, long day.
LAURA: Well, why don't you get some rest then, honey?
Abigail goes to respond, but the front door opens to the sounds of laughter as Jenn and Liam step into the house from a night out. JJ looks over to Laura and gives her a look.
JJ: Here we go.
Jenn enters the living room and, surprised at seeing her mom arrive, beams with delight as she runs over to hug her. Liam hangs back, sizing Laura up from the entrance to the living room. He is distinctly uncomfortable.
JENNIFER: Mom! It's so good to see you! You're here early, I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow!
LAURA: I caught an early flight. My patient and I are meeting tomorrow afternoon so I thought I'd come tonight and have a bit of family time. Who's this handsome man?
Laura turns and looks to Liam, who stands uncomfortably back from her still. He forces a smile as he steps towards her to shake Laura's hand.
LIAM: Liam Fraser. How do you do?
LAURA: A pleasure to meet you.
JENNIFER: This is my mom, Dr. Laura Horton.
LAURA: If my daughter has this much fun with you, I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of each other.
JENNIFER: Mom's moving back to town, so she'll be staying with us for a bit while she looks for a place of her own.
Liam looks to Laura and Jenn, smiling the world's most forced smile, as if he's trying to hold in a rage. JJ notices this and looks at Liam suspiciously.
---
Victor looks at Maggie, his face scrunched up with indignation, as they argue in the Kiriakis living room.
VICTOR: Maggie, you need to do some research. This project is designed to bring a whole new level of prosperity to this city.
MAGGIE: Most of that in your pocket, right?
VICTOR: Maggie, you know what kind of trouble this company's in? We could lose everything. The whole thing. The company, this house, our pensions. Lord knows, I'dve been long-retired by now if not for that mess of a grandson of mine.
MAGGIE: I would love you and support you regardless. If we were thrown out and had to live on the streetcorner, I'd still be by you.
VICTOR: I just want to be able to provide you with the life you deserve.
Maggie puts a hand on Victor's shoulder. She smiles as she looks into Victor's eyes lovingly.
MAGGIE: Don't worry about me. I'll be fine as long as I have you. The house, the money, it's not important. And I know you think you're doing the right thing, Victor, but...there's got to be a way to run your business without getting involved in something that's going to affect the health of so many people.
VICTOR: We have no choice, Maggie. We had to find a way to make the company solvent again. I'm just worried if Brady is up to the challenge. I'm worried about him.
MAGGIE: We all are. But I think the main thing is getting him away from Theresa. Otherwise, he'll never recover.
VICTOR: Well, good luck with that. The more we try to get him away from that twit, the further he digs his heels in. We could use him once we start mining.
---
Brady walks into the grand hotel across from the club. He walks up to the desk clerk, and is very wired from his hit of cocaine. The desk clerk is taken aback by Brady's demeanour.
BRADY: I need a room for tonight, is there anything available. The bigger, the plusher, the better.
CLERK: I...uh..I'm not sure, Mr...
BRADY: Black. Brady Black. If you have anything available, I'll take it.
CLERK: Okay, Mr. Black, one moment...
The clerk checks the computer for any vacancies while Brady tries to text Theresa. He stops himself, thinking of instead surprising her afterwards. He paces before the front desk, impatiently waiting for the clerk's answer.
CLERK: Is the Lakeview Suite acceptable? It'll be $499 for the ni--
BRADY: Yes, perfect, here's my credit card...where's my credit card?
---
Back at the club, Theresa walks past the table she was sitting with Brady at, and kicks something from below the table. She stops and picks it up. It's Brady's corporate credit card. Theresa thinks to herself while twirling the card in her hand.
THERESA: (thinks) Wow. Thank God, I found this instead of someone else at this snobfest. Wonder if I should treat myself to a couple drinks. I don't think Brady would notice...especially in his state.
Theresa grabs another martini from the bar, before sauntering in a bit of a drunken stupor, trying desperately to hold herself together as gracefully as possible. as she steps out onto the patio, she sees a couple on the patio that are almost a dead ringer for Brady and Chloe, kissing passionately against the railing. Theresa is stopped in her tracks and nearly spills her drink in shock.
Theresa's mind flashes back to Brady's admission that he and Chloe were once married, the sound of Brady's voice looping in her head as she turns and walks quickly out of the club, beginning to run out as she reaches the exit.
After pushing through a group of people entering the club, she hails a cab and quickly gets in.
THERESA: How much is it to take me back to Salem?
CAB DRIVER: Salem? You're looking at like...$250, lady.
Theresa shows him Brady's credit card.
THERESA: I'm good for it.
The cabbie shrugs and takes off.
As the car takes off, Brady is back at the club, looking for Theresa. Unable to see her, he sees Chloe and stops her to ask.
BRADY: Hey, uh...have you seen Theresa at all?
CHLOE: No, the last time I saw her she was heading out the door in a hurry.
BRADY: What? Oh, God. Uh...thanks. It was really good to see you tonight.
CHLOE: Same here, Brady. Call me soon, okay? I'll be in town soon to drop off Parker at Daniel's, okay?
BRADY: Excellent. Love you.
Brady and Chloe hug quickly as Brady races out to find Theresa. His adrenaline is pumping with the combination of cocaine and concern in his blood.
Inside the taxi, Theresa rides quietly in the backseat. The radio is blasting dance music. She leans toward the cabbie with a hint of irritation in her voice.
THERESA: Hey, can you shut that off, please?
CAB DRIVER: Whatever you say, lady.
THERESA: Yeah, thanks.
The cabbie turns the music off, and Theresa pulls out her phone, and notices a text from Brady, asking where she is. She rolls her eyes and deletes the text, still livid at what she believes she saw at the party.
THERESA: That...bastard's gonna...pay for that.
Theresa flops back in her seat when she gets a text. It's from her friend in LA who works at the celebrity gossip site. Theresa smiles a wicked smile, before replying to her friend's text with the video she took earlier of Brady doing lines at the club.
She hits send, then smiles a crooked smile, laughing a little at her misdeed as she spins the corporate credit card in her right hand.
THERESA: Good riddance, Brady. I got what I want, now you get what you deserve.
---
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