EPISODE 57
Written by A. Washington-Beeby
Story Consultants: ML Cooks & C. Nathaniel Richardson
Will walks into Club TBD, wearing his best (and only) suit. He looks around the room before spotting Tyler in the corner of the room. Tyler looks up from the drink menu and flags Will down. Will acknowledges Tyler, then heads his way. Before sitting down, the two shake hands firmly.
WILL: Mr. Houston is it?
TYLER: Indeed it is. How are you doing, Will?
WILL: I...umm...I'm...well, a bit nervous, if I'm being honest.
TYLER: Not a single reason in the world for that. Sit down, let's talk.
WILL: Certainly, Sir.
As Will sits down, Tyler motions to him as if to tell him to stop.
TYLER: No, no. Call me Tyler.
WILL: Uh, sure.
TYLER: Listen, Will. I have to admit I stumbled upon your work quite by accident.
WILL: Oh?
TYLER: Yes, I was introduced to...I think she's your aunt?
WILL: Oh, Maggie.
TYLER: Well, she showed me some of your writing, and...I've got to say, you have a real talent.
Will smiles nervously.
WILL: Well, thank you.
TYLER: You're more than welcome. I think it will be a huge asset to us over at EnerNext when you start next week.
Will stops suddenly, doing a double take.
---
EJ stands alone in the DiMera living room. Now dressed, he looks over his phone momentarily, quickly texting someone, a concentrating look on his face. He is interrupted by Harold stepping into the room.
HAROLD: Pardon me, Sir. But Miss Hernandez is here to see you.
EJ: Oh, send her in, Harold.
HAROLD: Certainly, Sir.
Harold steps aside, allowing Gabi to walk cautiously through the open double doors to the living room. Gabi steps in, and Harold closes the doors up behind her. Gabi immediately steps over to EJ and speaks in almost whisper tones.
GABI: Are we alone?
EJ: We are. Father went off to take care of some business. What happened?
GABI: Well...he took it.
EJ: And...?
Gabi gesticulates, looking for the right word to fill in what she's trying to express.
GABI: And...I don't know. He was...creepy as always.
EJ: Did he say anything about Kate and Samantha?
GABI: Nope. I mean...he's just...he thinks we slept together last night.
EJ looks to Gabi, shocked and displeased.
EJ: What? I mean...you didn't, did you?
Gabi looks to the side, unsure of an appropriate response.
GABI: Well...I mean...technically.
EJ: Gabriella. Seriously? Why would you be so damned stupid?
---
John stands outside Marlena's office at the hospital. He holds the manila envelope containing the divorce papers in his hands, hesitating to go in.
He stops, recalling the scene from the previous night that he spied between Roman and Marlena.
John flashes back to seeing Marlena and Roman hold each other on the bench at Horton Town Square, Marlena holding Roman tightly as Roman rubs her back tenderly.
John winces at the thought of the scene, but inhales deeply, attempting to keep his composure as he raises his one hand.
He knocks three times on Marlena's door.
---
---
Will blinks repeatedly, thinking that this will snap him back to reality and that misheard what Tyler, sitting across the table from him at Club TBD, has just offered him.
WILL: I'm sorry?
Tyler laughs as he speaks, knowing he's caught Will off guard.
TYLER: Well, don't just sit there saying two words at a time, tell me what you think about working for us!
Will stops and thinks for a second, barely having time to let it sink it.
WILL: Wait, you....I mean I'd love to but...here I am making a total jackass of myself, I just...did you just offer me a job?
TYLER: Will, you're a very persuasive, evocative writer. And the best part is, you're an outsider. You have a fresh, unjaded set of eyes. You're exactly what our company needs right now.
WILL: I...uh...thank you. I...don't know what to say. I mean, at the risk of ruining things...shouldn't I have to...interview for a job first? At least apply?
TYLER: No need.
Will smiles briefly, but almost immediately goes back into a state of stunned disbelief.
WILL: Well...my dad always taught me to read over a contract before signing.
TYLER: Glad you mentioned it.
Tyler pulls a manila envelope from his bag. He hands it to Will.
TYLER: Read this over. You have until tomorrow at midnight.
Tyler gets up, closes his briefcase, and leaves the club, patting Will on the back as he heads out. Will stays in his seat, still a bit stunned by what's just gone down.
---
Kate stands with Billie in Kate's office, arms folded, expecting an answer to her previous question.
KATE: Well? Are you going to vote in favour of Titan keep the TV station or not?
BILLIE: Mom, I don't know.
KATE: Well, you better know soon. Victor's doing the rounds trying to...I don't know, either gather support or threaten us all into it.
BILLIE: Well, I certainly don't need that. I mean, you already took care of that for Lucas and I.
KATE: I only told you what I recommend. Honey, you're an adult, but I cannot stress hard enough what a bad idea Titan holding onto that station is.
Billie sits down, adjusting her blouse and hair in her seat to try to distract her mind from her mom's unwanted intervention. Kate leans in to try to get her attention.
KATE: Do you get it? The station is a money pit. The only reason Victor wants to keep that station is so he can use it to manipulate everyone in Salem into thinking his hairbrained scheme to turn half the town into an oil fracking operation is a good idea.
BILLIE: I don't doubt that. But why don't you let him just...do it and watch him implode?
KATE: Because if he goes down, MadWorld goes down with it. And I'm not going to let that happen.
BILLIE: Fair enough.
Kate looks at Billie, a furrowed brow.
KATE: Why are you so reticent to go along with me. You know something I don't, don't you?
Billie breathes in, a hesitant look on her face that Kate sees right through.
KATE: Spit it out, Billie. It's about Jordan and Sheryl, isn't it?
Billie takes a second to think over her words before admitting anything to Kate.
BILLIE: I think we may need to let Titan keep the station and see what they do. If we move too fast, they may react in a volatile way. They are prone to lash out when things move too fast in a way they don't like.
KATE: All the more reason to let them shed the station. Look, Nic...
Kate stops herself midsentence, knowing that tying any of this to Nick may implicate herself.
BILLIE: Mom?
KATE: Nothing.
BILLIE: No, Mom. Not nothing. Does Nick Fallon have something to do with this?
---
Gabi holds up her hands, encouraging EJ to stop reacting.
GABI: No, no, no. Not....not sex. We didn't actually...have sex. Okay?
EJ: Then what DID you do?
GABI: Well, I had to make him THINK we did or else...
EJ: So you didn't actually have sex with him.
GABI: NO! My GOD, no! I would never touch that man again, not after what he did to me, are you mad?
EJ breathes a sigh of relief.
EJ: Thank God for that.
GABI: I had to stay with him to make him think we did. I did just like you asked. I took him out, I got him blind drunk and I....switched the pills for the ones your...guy gave me.
EJ: And you know for sure he took them, yes?
GABI: I watched him this morning, yes.
EJ: Good. And you're sure he doesn't know that you switched them?
GABI: Absolutely none.
EJ: Good. Okay.
EJ paces the room, as Gabi goes to sit on the couch.
GABI: So...what's our next move?
EJ: You will have to contact the police. The only person on the force that Nick will allow into his apartment is his cousin, Hope. So I would go to her.
GABI: Okay, so I have to ask her to go visit Nick and see that he's okay.
EJ: Yes. Tell her that you sense something is off about him, and has been for awhile. You suspect that he may be using pills again. Guide her to look for them, but don't be too obvious or she will get suspicious.
GABI: But...why Hope? I mean, wouldn't she have a vested interest in keeping him out of jail?
EJ laughs to himself, a cocky smile going across his face.
EJ: Hope is a cop first. She is so committed to doing things by the book of law, she'd build a bloody church around it if she could. The point of the matter is that if she knows that Nick has gone back to drugs, she will be the first to make an arrest, and she'd justify it, knowing that's what's "best for him".
GABI: I hope you're right. This...we can't afford to be wrong about this, EJ. If we let this escalate I...I'm afraid for our lives.
Gabi begins to visibly panic, and EJ rushes over to her to try to calm her down, putting his hands on her arms, almost shaking her into lucidity.
EJ: Just...trust me. Okay? This is the only way. I have already arranged everything. Okay? Once Hope makes the arrest, I've got it all set up so that Nick WILL go back to prison where he belongs, okay?
GABI: That's great but he'll make the connection that I'm the one who switched his pills and we'll all end up in prison.
EJ: No, he won't. The pills will discredit anything he has to say about it, and he has no evidence to back it up, so it's his fuzzied mind against all of you.
Gabi looks uncertainly at EJ. She sighs, trying to relax herself, but is unable to. EJ holds onto her, making sure Gabi's eyes are locked on his.
EJ: He won't able to hurt you or anybody else, I will make sure of that.
GABI: I hope you're right.
Gabi reaches around EJ and hugs him.
GABI: For Ari's sake, I hope you're right.
---
Marlena opens the door to her office and, upon seeing John, smiles warmly.
MARLENA: John!
Marlena stops short of hugging him, though it's her first instinct.
She steps back, looking up with a now-slightly-subdued smile.
MARLENA: It's good to see you. Come in.
Marlena steps aside, allowing John to walk into her office. She closes the door behind her. She walks awkwardly behind him toward her desk.
MARLENA; So! I'm surprised you're back in Salem.
JOHN: Well, I...only got back last night.
John sits down as Marlena finds a seat behind her desk, she looks down at John before sitting down.
MARLENA: I...I see. Well, it's good to see you back.
After a moment of awkward silence, she breaks the silence.
MARLENA: I...uh...I got your letter. I...
JOHN: Doc. I...
MARLENA: I was so pleased that...you were considering...
John interrupts her, holding up his hands to stop her before she says anything that will prevent him from doing what he came to do.
JOHN: I should never have sent that letter.
Marlena is immediately and visibly taken aback. As though a shot has been fired into her chest.
MARLENA: What? What do you mean?
JOHN: I mean exactly what I said, Doc.
John looks down to avoid looking Marlena in the eyes. He fumbles with the maila envelope before placing it on the desk in front of Marlena.
Marlena looks down at it. Not even sure she wants to know the answer.
She breathes in, but takes a moment to decide whether or not to ask the question.
MARLENA: W...What are those?
John looks up, almost stone-faced at her, before finally choking out his answer.
JOHN: Divorce papers.
Marlena looks to John, her eyes welling up almost immediately.
---
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