That Old Black Magic

Stephanie arrives at the Kiriakis mansion for her evening with Phillip. Henderson brings her in and Phillip asks if she would like champagne. "No," says Stephanie, "I'm good. Good, good, good."

Phillip says, "Good."

Henderson says, "That's more than I can say for this dialogue.".

"Just one thing," says Stephanie, "I don't think I can go through with this."

Max tends bar. Chelsea stomps up and slams her purse down onto the counter, "So what's it gonna be... sex or football?"

Maggie greets Marlena and Charlotte at Chez Rouge. They discuss how nice it will be to have a quiet New Year's Eve as John crashes their party. He gives his dimwit smile, "Is three a crowd?"

"It usually is if I'm one of the three," says Marlena.

Kate and Daniel are in a hallway at the hospital. Kate wants to know why he took himself off Chloe's case. Chloe comes in, "Because I asked him to."

EJ paces and talks on the phone. Things get a little tense and EJ slams the phone onto the desk. Tony walks in.

OH! MY! GOD!

Tony's wearing his jacket with a popped collar. What is this, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy?

Tony asks, "Is there a problem?"

"Yes," says EJ, "For some strange reason my cell phone just stopped working."

Nicole goes over her baby requirements with Dr. Baker. "I'm afraid this isn't going to happen," says Dr. Baker, "It's not a Chinese buffet line you know."

"I know the difference," says Nicole, "With a Chinese buffet, you get dim sum. With EJ as the father, we'll get a dim son."

Maggie greets Melanie.

Stephanie explains why she has to bail, "I feel like I've stumbled into a George Clooney movie and I'm no Julia Roberts." Phillip gets it. He says if Stephanie is uncomfortable with all the fanciness, they can change clothes and make grilled cheese. The fact that Phillip would suggest something so casual makes Stephanie comfortable and she agrees to go. Smoochies.

Speaking of cheese, Lucas walks in on the face-sucking session, "Is it midnight already?"

Phillip is miffed, "Don't bother knocking."

Lucas mouth is ready for action, "I see you started the party without me."

"It's always time for a party when you're not around," says Phillip.

EJ is frustrated. He tells Tony he was going to ask Nicole to marry him tonight, but now he has to work. He has to go to the office and conduct a video conference call with their business contacts in Japan.

"You have the ring," says Tony, "How about if I take the call and you pop the question?" EJ just can't let him do that.

Dr. Baker tells Nicole there is a great demand for the type of baby she's looking for. Nicole says money is not a problem.

Tony wonders who or what stirred things up on New Years eve. He wonders if Stefano is distracting EJ's relationship with Nicole. EJ is silent. "Bullseye," says Tony.

Marlena is surprised to see John. She thought he wasn't going to go out on New Years Eve.

"I changed my mind," says John.

"With your mind, that must have been a quick change," says Marlena.

"Is it a problem," asks John.

"It's a problem for me," says Charlotte.

Maggie escorts Melanie to the bar and tells the bartender, "Please take care of my totally underage friend." Maggie leaves and the sleazeball next to Melanie moves in on her.

"Sorry," says Melanie, "I'm meeting someone."

"Lucky kid," says Sleazo.

"He's a Titan of industry," says Melanie.

Max is dumbfounded by Chelsea's question, a position Max finds himself in frequently.

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Chelsea explains, "When a guy wants to talk it's about one of those two things – sex or football."

"I can't talk about sex," says Max, "I'm giving it up. It's my New Year's resolution."

"My New Year's resolution is I'm giving up canoeing," says Chelsea.

Max wrinkles his brow, "You don't even canoe... OH! I GET IT!" With Max, it takes a while.

"See," says Chelsea, "Giving up something you don't like isn't a big deal. But unless you're in the minute minority you like sex."

"When I'm around you," says Max, "If I don't want to have sex I'm probably in the majority." Max agrees to go out with her for the evening.

"Oooo," says Chelsea, "I just remembered... you can't go with me."

Chloe says she thinks things will be less complicated if she has her own doctor. The little party starts to break up but Kate stops Daniel and Chloe from leaving, "There is something I would like to talk to you about. It involves the two of you."

Nicole comes into the rumpus room. EJ gives her the news about the office. Nicole feigns disgust, "How dare you work on New Year's Eve! I'm so over you!"

EJ smiles, "You're not mad?"

"As a Hatter," says Nicole, "But I'm not upset you have to work after all you've done for me." He promises to be as quick as he can and then come back to ring in the new year. She promises a happy New Year. Tra-la. Smooches.

Stephanie gets a call from a girlfriend and says it's an emergency, "It's about shoes. I know you don't want to hear it so I'll take it in the other room. OMG! She's wearing slingbacks! I have to stop her."

Phillip tells Lucas things are going well with Stephanie, "But if slingbacks aren't appropriate, I'd better go change."

Kate says she has a shot at getting well but it's not a sure thing. So she wants to see Lucas and Chloe get married and move up the date. She wants Daniel to back her up that if the transplant doesn't work she doesn't have much time. Chloe agrees to talk to Lucas about it, and leaves.

"We're alone," says Kate, "What's going on between you and Chloe?"

"You've run out of granddaughters," says Daniel, "Chloe is almost your daughter-in-law and that's the best I can do."

Charlotte thinks it's not appropriate for her to hang out with John socially. She starts to leave. John volunteers to go. Charlotte trumps him and leaves. Marlena says, "If you wanted to see me tonight all you had to do was ask."

Doug and Julie toast each other. "Here's to the most gorgeous man alive," says Julie.

"I love the way you lie," says Doug.

Phillip and Stephanie arrive. Lucas follows like a lost puppy. He gets a call and has to leave. Stephanie says she's glad she came to the party and thinks it's going to be a great evening. Losercus gets a call and leaves. Melanie walks up to them, "Hey you guys, I didn't know you would be here. How conveeeeenient."


Phillip turns to Melanie, "You were saying?"

Kate grills Daniel about his relationship with Chloe, "Someone or something is bothering that girl."

Chloe arrives at the DiMera mansion and tells Nicole she needs to talk to her.

Max thinks Chelsea is worried he will see Stephanie. Chelsea says she is more worried Stephanie will see Max. You're giving off... slacker vibes... bigtime.

Phillip asks what Melanie is doing there. Melanie beams, "I'm celebrating New Year's with my friends."

Stephanie snorts, "They must be imaginary."

Julie finds Melanie, "MEL-anie! How is your project going?"

Melanie smiles her fake smile, "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're afraid I'm on to you," says Julie.

Chloe and Nicole walk and talk down at the pier. "Something bad has happened," says Chloe, "And I don't know what to do."

Daniel flashes back to the finger taping, eyeballing and panting session.

Marlena scolds John for disappearing on Christmas Eve. She doesn't like the feeling that he's working her. She gets all huffy and gets up and leaves. John sits alone, "Way to go, Black, that was really smooth."

Luclueless leaves a message for Chloe.

Chloe tells Nicole about Kate's request to move the wedding date, "It's choke not Lucas, but I don't know if I'm ready to settle down." Translation: If life with Lucas was just a little more exciting, they'd be a couple of mummies on display at the Salem Museum of History.

Nicole catches on, "Theres... someone else?"

Chloe gasps, "NO!"

Nicole presses, "Really?"

Chloe caves in, "Yes, but nothing has happened... It's just..."

Nicole interrupts, "That old black magic?" Chloe says she doesn't want to leave Lucas. "Hay," says Nicole, "Don't forget, I married him and broke him in for you." Chloe wonders if she should tell Lucas. Nicole can't believe that one, "Men need to think theirs is the only song you dance to."

"With Lucas," says Chloe, "His is the only song I scoot my walker across the floor to."

"You could screw things up with Lucas," says Nicole. A call interrupts. Dr. Baker tells her he may have found a baby. Nicole jumps for joy and says she will be right there.

Chloe says, "Nicole, you look..."

"Happy! Yes! Happy New Year! And remember... Keep your mouth shut with Lucas!"

"That's not hard," says Chloe, "The way his mouth runs all the time I can't get a word in edgewise."

EJ finds Tony back at the mansion. They exchange pleasantries. "By the way," says EJ, "Somethings wrong with your jacket collar. It isn't popped any more."

"I decided I'd have a better time on New Year's Eve if I didn't look like a dork," says Tony.

Tony leaves. EJ calls for Nicole but doesn't get an answer. He takes out the ring and looks at it, "I suppose the bedroom will work just as well."

Kate arrives at Chez Rouge. Chelsea and Max follow. He locks eyes with Stephanie.

Kate asks where Chloe is. Lucas, on top of things as usual, just doesn't know.

Chloe sits alone in the snow on a park bench. She gets up and walks smack into Daniel.

Dejected EJ comes downstairs.

Nicole drives and talks on her cell phone, "Tell Dr. Baker I'm on my way! Tell him not to leave!"

Kate toasts another year of health, peace and happiness. She suggests Phillip ask Stephanie to dance. He and Stephanie move out onto the dance floor.

Chelsea asks, "Was it a terrible idea for me to invite you here?"

"No," says Max, "I just need some air." He leaves.

Melanie watches as Phillip and Stephanie dance. Max comes up to her, "What are you up to tonight?" Looks like instead of air he got toxic fumes.

Kate suggests Lucas call and leave a message for Chloe. Poor Lucas says he's already left several. "I thought something was bothering her," says Kate.

Something still is. Daniel thinks he and Chloe should talk. Chloe doesn't think that's a good idea. She walks off.

SCREAM!

Maggie announces, "Eight minutes until the new year!"

Max and Melanie wish each other a happy new year. Hugs. "I hope this is a better year," says Melanie.

"It could be if you went back to France," says Max.

"Not for the French," says Melanie.

Sleazo bumps into Stephanie and spills his drink. Stephanie heads for the women's room. Phillip gives Melanie a look that could kill. Unfortunately, it doesn't take.

John has followed Marlena to tell her he's sorry. She thanks him for saying that and kisses his cheek. She leaves.

EJ asks Mary if she knows where Nicole went. Mary dunno.

Nicole drives, "Oh, no!"

Doctor Gropenfeel checks out Chloe's leg over and over and over again. Of course, Chloe can't walk. So Dr. Dogood picks her up and carries her.

Maggie screams, "One and a half minutes!"

Melanie asks if Phillip lost his partner. Phillip gives her another dirty look. Innocent little Melanie asks, "Do you think I had something to do with that?" Phillip curls his lip.

Maggie counts, "Five... Four... Three... Two... One..."

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Chelsea grabs Max and plants a big kiss.

Melanie stares at Phillip.

Doug and Julie clear a table.

Daniel carries Chloe. They watch fireworks. Closer... Closer... Closer...

Max comes up for air. Chelsea runs off.

Nicole pounds the steering wheel and cries.

EJ contemplates chess pieces and drinks.

Lucas drops his jaw, "Damn! She counted backwards! She must be a genius."


Previews
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