DAYS #147: Nick gets some big news, Anjelica and Justin have it out (09/09/14)

EPISODE 147

Written by A. Washington-Beeby
Story Consultants: C. Nathaniel Richardson & Nick Monarco

Gabi sits at a table at Club TBD, looking up uncomfortably as she sits across from Nick. Nick leans back in his seat, smiling as he watches Kate interject on their date. Kate stands over Gabi, having dropped paperwork before Gabi, and glares at Gabi, as Gabi responds meekly.

GABI: Ahh...Kate...can we...can we do this another time, I'm kinda...busy.

Gabi makes eyes in Nick's direction, as though pointing to Nick with them. Kate never takes her eyes off Gabi, remaining stern.

KATE: I'm not available another time, Gabi. This can't wait.

Kate turns quickly toward Nick, giving him an equally sharp glare.

KATE: Do you mind giving us a minute?

Nick, ever the smug one, laughs and leans back, nonplussed.

NICK: Have at it. I'm enjoying the show.

Kate's eyes narrow at Nick, as she responds to him, her voice deeper than before.

KATE: Alone?

Nick takes a second, before slowly getting up from his seat, and nodding at Gabi. Gabi nods back, giving her approval for him to leave.

NICK: I'll be in the bathroom. One sec.

As Nick walks away, Kate looks back at Gabi. Her tone changes, but her expression does not.

KATE: Keep in character, we've got him right where we want him.

Gabi looks up, trying to contain a smile, as she continues to stare at Kate from her seat.

---


Anita sits across from Brady at her small dining table in her cabin. She holds her hands over her mouth, deep in contemplation over Brady's suggestion.

ANITA: I don't know whether I could sell those shares, Brady.
BRADY: Well, if you don't, you know the chances are very high that you'll lose even more. It's time to reinvest in a company that's going places. Hell, you could use that money toward fixing the house up.

Anita shakes her head, uncertain of Brady's idea.

ANITA: I don't know about this.
BRADY: Anita, Nick Fallon is a liability to that company. He knows absolutely nothing about running a major conglomerate. 

Brady stops himself a moment, frustrated not only by the situation, but by his part in it, and having to remind himself of it.

BRADY: (sigh) If I hadn't been so DAMN stupid, I could've been running it myself. Then you wouldn't be in this mess.

Anita reaches out across the table to squeeze Brady's hand.

ANITA: You were in a bad spot. You had been through an awful lot, and you were no shape to run a company. Don't blame yourself for that. 

Brady shakes his head, unconvinced.

BRADY: That's not the point. Shouldn't have gone to that place to begin with, regardless of what was happening in my life. And now it's affecting you. I feel...this responsibility to help you. 

Anita smiles, still holding Brady's hand.

ANITA: You owe me nothing.
BRADY: I do. I need to protect what's left of your nest egg. Sell the shares, Anita. Before it's too late.

Anita looks back at Brady, then down, again deep in thought.

---

 
Anjelica stands at the bar in the corner of the Kiriakis living room, as Maggie steps in from the dining room to the right of the room.

MAGGIE: Dinner's ready, everyone.

As the others filter into the dining room, Justin lingers momentarily, as Anjelica pours herself a drink.

JUSTIN: You've really put a dent in that brandy. Nervous?

Anjelica laughs quietly, before turning to look at her ex-lover.

ANJELICA: Oh me? (laughs) No no. Just needed to unwind a bit. I'm always a little excitable when I'm doing business dealings.
JUSTIN: Yeah, well....don't get too excited. Any interest I have in this deal of yours is severely tempered by the fact it comes with your name attached.

Anjelica takes a sip of her drink, smiling and nodding, almost in defiance of what Justin's said.

ANJELICA: Well, I can understand your ambivalence. But I hope that with time and consultation, you'll see how sensible this arrangement could be for everyone.
JUSTIN: I'm not just ambivalent. And I have some major reservations about how forthright you're being when it comes to you wanting to help us.
ANJELICA: Look, you are entitled to feel that way. I wouldn't blame you if I were in your shoes.

Justin studies Anjelica and her body language very carefully, as Anjelica lays her drink down on the bar table, and folds her arms in front of her as she continues.

ANJELICA: Justin, I made some very big mistakes when Alexander was a baby, and quite frankly, I think that the stress of finding out Harper was a deranged killer, and losing you...

Anjelica steps in closer to Justin, who shakes his head, as he steps away from Anjelica. Anjelica looks intensely into Justin's eyes, an earnest pain in them.

ANJELICA: I think it caused a psychotic episode, a sort of...PTSD gone horribly awry.
JUSTIN: Oh come on, Anjelica! That's an insult to anyone who's gone through PTSD, including Jack. You remember your stepson, Jack? He suffered years locked up in the Middle East, and came back in pieces.

Anjelica steps, hanging her head down, feeling sad and shamed.

ANJELICA: I know. Jack is--he was in a lot of pain for a long time.

Justin is unmoved by Anjelica's moment of sentiment, becoming increasingly angry with Anjelica, as his voice raises.

JUSTIN: He had to build his life over from the ground up, with very little help from you, if any. So don't try to pawn off what you did to Adrienne and to me as some kind of mental illness. You knew what you were doing, and you'd do it again in a heartbeat if it meant you'd get what you want.

Anjelica stops herself, trying to choke back tears, as she looks down from Justin's intense glare. She nods in agreement with Justin, who is unmoved by her, as Alex walks into the room, seeing only the tail end of their argument.

ANJELICA: You're right. Ah...excuse me. I'm going to wash my hands for dinner.

Anjelica walks out, trying to dab out the tears before they ruin her mascara. Alex steps into the room, as Justin turns, spotting him. His expression changes, as Alex looks at his father, a displeased look on his face.

JUSTIN: Alex--
ALEX: What the Hell was that? What did you say to her?

Justin looks stunned, caught off guard by Alex's defense of his mother.

---

---

Justin turns to face Alex, who walks in closer to his father.

JUSTIN: Alex, I...I'm sorry.
ALEX: You know, I know my mom's done a lot of really terrible things, but I don't think throwing that in her face when she may be exactly the lifeline Titan needs is a very good idea.

Justin sighs, frustrated by Alex's desire to see the good in his mother.

JUSTIN: Alex, you forget how manipulative your mother can be. I know you wanna see the best in her but--
ALEX: Oh I know full well how manipulative she can be. Trust me. I've got the brunt of it for a lotta years now. But don't forget the Hell she went through too. With Harper, with nearly losing me to you and Adrienne when I was a kid...
JUSTIN: She gave you up to us, Alex.
ALEX: And then she wanted to have me in her life again when she got better. 

Justin sighs, rolling his eyes at his son's naiveté.

JUSTIN: Oh come on, you don't actually believe her song and dance about PTSD, do you?
ALEX: No. But I do think she suffered a long, gradual mental breakdown, and I think, despite the...(sigh) downright horrendous results of that...I think we need to give her the benefit of the doubt this time around.

Justin looks down, contemplatively, as he soaks up what Alex has to say.

---


Valerie works at her desk at University Hospital, diligently typing away on some patient files, when a call is buzzed in. Valerie picks up the phone and answers immediately.

VALERIE: (into phone) Dr. Grant.....oh yes, send her in. Thank you.


After a moment, Marlena steps into Valerie's office, a smile masking her despair. Valerie can sense something is tense about Marlena, and gets up from her seat, a warm, empathetic smile on her face.

VALERIE: Marlena. I'm glad you're here.
MARLENA: Yes, well...I wish it were under happier circumstances.
VALERIE: Well...I figured something was wrong when you called...it's...about Roman, I'm guessing.

Marlena sits down across from Valerie, she looks at the ground, mournful over Roman's condition.

MARLENA: He's getting worse every day, Valerie. I have...I don't think I ever expected him to deteriorate as fast as he has.
VALERIE: Marlena, these things vary wildly from person to person. You know that.
MARLENA: I know. I just...I guess we were getting closer again and...(sigh) I was looking forward to having this time together...maybe to fall in love again...if...

Valerie turns her head slightly, waiting for Marlena to finish her sentence, but Marlena doesn't.

VALERIE: If...

Marlena's eyes snap back upward to meet Valerie's. She looks on with an intense stare, her voice wavering.

MARLENA: I Guess...I guess I didn't want to say it, but...if it truly even is Roman.

---


Stefano emerges from the yacht, as the sound of the waves crash against the dock. The cool sea air causes the crew, and Stefano, to bundle up, despite the warm Mediterranean night.

Stefano is greeted by his waiting car, a grand executive car. The driver hustles from the front seat to open the back door for Stefano.

Looking out at the sea, he breathes in the air deeply, exhaling with a dramatic zeal. He gives direction to the driver, in Italian, to head to the DiMera compound.

STEFANO:  Avanti al composto!

Stefano immediately steps into the waiting car, as the driver closes the door for him, then proceeds back into the driver's side door. The car drives off, heading for the remote compound.

---

Anita sits on the phone with her broker, ironing out details of the sale.

ANITA: (into phone) I'm just glad I got through to you before the exchange closed for the day...perfect. I'm so glad we were able to sell them back so quickly. Thank you, Mark.

Anita hangs up the phone, turning back to a smiling Brady. Anita is much less certain she's done the right thing.

ANITA: Well...they found a buyer...the shares are sold. I'll receive the payment by the end of the week. Just have to have him pay me a visit with some documents to sign and we're a go.
BRADY: I'm proud of you.

Anita looks at Brady, nervous. She shakes her head and sighs as she answers him.

ANITA: Don't be proud of me just yet. I'm praying I did the right thing just now.

---
Kate sits down across from Gabi at Club TBD, Gabi is legitimately panicked, as Kate takes on a tough look, knowing Nick could likely be looking on.

GABI: This is making me sick to my stomach. What if he catches on?
KATE: He won't. And don't worry about Nick. He may be CEO, but he hardly has enough power to be a real threat, anyway.
GABI: What do you mean?
KATE: I mean, I checked into it earlier and the Kiriakises still own a controlling interest in the company. It's divided up between Justin, Victor, myself, Tyler, and John, who got Brady's shares when Brady died. That makes up about 47%. The rest of the shares are divided up in small fractions to the public.

Gabi begins to ease up a little bit, markedly less tense than she was moments before.

GABI: Okay. So he doesn't have the real power unless he has controlling interest. Why 47% though? I mean, I'm no MBA student or anything, but I thought they'd have majority stake in the family business at least.
KATE: That's what I found curious, myself. The issue is there's a single shareholder out there who Victor never named, not even when I was married to him. This person had a 4% stake in the company, and all Victor ever would tell me is that it was distant family, and that it "kept the peace". I didn't pry. 

Gabi looks inquisitively at Kate, trying to sort through the mystery.

GABI: But if that person with the 4% stake were to sell, and the public shares were to be gobbled up by a major corporation...
KATE: ...then we would have to prepare for the worst.

Nick stands by the archway to the bathrooms at Club TBD, phone to his ear. It's Anjelica on the line.

...

Anjelica stands in the Kiriakis foyer, the doors to the living room closed. She speaks softly, but excitedly.

ANJELICA: (into phone) I just got a call from Mark Foley, our broker.

...

Nick looks over at Gabi and Kate momentarily, before turning away, hoping not to be seen. He speaks equally quietly.

NICK: (into phone) Okay, what about?

...

ANJELICA: It's good news. We just acquired enough shares in Titan to become majority shareholder. Congratulations, Nick. We just got ourselves the silver bullet to lodge into Victor's back.

...

Nick beams, as he turns back toward the table, looking on at Kate and Gabi's intense conversation.

---