A Low-Maintenance Broad

We pan around the table at the Horton cabin. The girls sit practically dressed for the prom and the guys are stark... well, you get the picture. "It's awfully hot in here, isn't it," asks Arianna, "I actually feel a little overdressed. The boys look awfully cool, though."

Melanie smirks and deals, "OK, the game is seven card STUD."

Brady casually asks, "So how many jacks are out?"

Melanie snaps back, "Two.. the jack of spades and..."

"AHA," shouts Brady, "You're counting cards! You're cheating. That's why you've been winning."

"It's not the first time this body has driven women to desperate measures," says Nathan.

"Yeah," agrees Melanie, "A woman running for her life is certainly a desperate measure."

Bo and Phillip discuss Phillip's relationship with Titan and how it relates to Stephanie. Phillip says he might walk away from Titan. Bo says, "I figure you can walk away from the money, but not the power. Money you can make, but you'll never have this much power again."

Victor and Stephanie are at the pub. Stephanie tells him about her breakup with Phillip.

Nicole tells EJ everything has changed and Stephanie is going to testify against him.

In a surprise move, Abe Carver, who idolizes Sarah Palin, has resigned as Mayor and has gone fishin'.

Bo tells Phillip he thinks Stephanie was right to walk. Phillip holds on to the idea he can have both Stephanie and his position at Titan. Bo snarls, "She stuck with you through an assassination attempt and an all expense paid vacation in the morgue. Then she realized she had become the person she didn't want to be. You gotta make a decision." Phillip says for him there is no job out there he could love more than Titan. "Are you sure," asks Bo, "I hear the Java Café has openings."

Victor tries to convince Stephanie to change her mind, "It's a small mind, so it should be a small job."

EJ thinks this is an unfortunate development. Nicole asks, "The question is, what are you gonna do?"

The girls discuss Nathan's arrogance and the game breaks up.

Suddenly Nathan leaps across the room, "You almost spilled cranberry juice on my designer shirt!"

"This is no designer shirt," says Melanie, "It's a knockoff. That's one area where I'm an expert." Nathan dives for his clothes, but Melanie clutches them and pulls away, "I think I'll sell these back to you."

Hope tries to convince Ciara that Tommy bear is hibernating. Ciara doesn't buy it, but she plays along. Hope pulls out a new stuffed toy, Mr. Giraffe, and gives it to Ciara. Ciara is unenthusiastic, but takes Mr. Giraffe and goes off to play.

Stephanie says, "I've seen behind the curtains. I'm not afraid of you and will never believe you."

Victor says, "If you testify, people could get killed... People you love."

EJ bustles around and insists Stephanie is hysterical and Sami will not get custody. He also says he would like a little support from Nicole. Nicole gets cranky and reminds EJ Stephanie can be a threat and he just may not have the judge in his pocket like he thinks, "Oh, and one more thing, Stephanie is TELLING THE TRUTH."

Melanie threatens to pour cranberry juice all over Nathan's clothes, including his fake designer shirt and his favorite pair of jeans. Arianna grabs Brady's clothes and says she'll imagine them getting back to town in their boxers and explaining to people how a couple of girls got the best of them.

Hope sits with her long-lost friend Ellen as the kids stand in the fountain and play with the electric lights. Ellen offers to watch the girls and Hope snaps that up like a dog going for a steak dinner. Hope leaves. Ellen contemplates, "Something is bothering her."

Victor predicts Stephanie and Phillip won't be able to stay away from each other. Stephanie thinks once she testifies Victor won't want anything to do with her. Phillip interrupts and tells Victor to butt out.

EJ accuses Nicole of being on Stephanie's side. Nicole insists she isn't. Nicole thinks the press will pick up on this and the judge will worry about what it will do to her career. She urges him to think about what he is planning to do.

The boys stand around in their skivvies and plan their strategy. Nathan decides he loves his jeans so much he's going to cave in and buy his clothes back. He borrows money from Brady and pays for his clothes. Melanie invites him to dinner, "My treat, of course."

Nathan accepts, "By the way, where did you learn to count cards?"

"Not in Salem," says Stephanie, "People here have trouble counting, period."

Brady follows suit and invites Arianna out to dinner.

Hope meets Bo in the Java Café. Bo gripes about Phillip and says he's kind of proud of Stephanie. He doesn't know if Phillip can walk away from the Kiriakis family.

Victor sits, stews and watches Phillip and Stephanie outside. Caroline comes up and says she's livid with him, "My granddaughter is not a pawn!"

"You're right," says Victor, "I always thought of Steponme as more of a doormat."

Stephanie says, "I have to go. I'm leaving Titan and I have an interview at the hospital."

Phillip asks, "Are they still looking for a new Chief of Staph? I was just wondering... what if...~

Nicole brings Sydney into the rumpus room. EJ looks up from his desk, "Bringing in the big guns, are you?"

"I just want to show you what we are risking," says Nicole, "You almost lost your father and you lost a child and Sami treated you in a terrible way. This might not be a good time to make a decision. You going to jail is not what's best for me and Sydney. This is all about Johnny. You have to do what's best for Johnny."

"Speaking of Johnny," says EJ, "Where is he?"

"He's next to the incinerator playing with some of the fireworks we had left over from the Fourth of July."

Arianna and Brady leave. Melanie counts her money. Nathan reminds Melanie, "You have to study."

"I've seen you in your boxers," says Melanie, "You can't pull hall monitor on me."

"I've seen you in the shower so you can't play that card, either," says Nathan, "Anyway, I have to go to the hospital. You can go study and then I'll help you with the questions... Oops, wait... I can't give you any special help because I'm your teacher's assistant."

Hope says she is worried about Bo's visions. Bo reminds her his visions don't always come true. Hope says she still has to take them seriously, "I couldn't do it, Brady. I couldn't go through it again."

"Neither could I," says Bo, "Being an actor on DOOL is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy."

Ciara and her friend play. Her friend pulls a Tommy Bear clone out of her knapsack and they trade her Tommy Bear for Ciara's Mr. Giraffe. And you thought the only high rollers in town were the Kiriakis and DiMera families.

EJ rants, "What's best for Johnny is not being raised by that lying vengeful woman.

Nicole thinks EJ just wants to pay Sami back, "If you do, what do you think will happen to Johnny... maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of his life."

"He'll always have Paris," says EJ.

Nicole worries EJ will go to prison and never see Johnny and Sydney grow up. He insists it will never happen. "If you do go to prison and leave us," says Nicole, "Johnny will hate you with a cold white hate that will kill you. EJ, is that what you want? Is that what you want for your son?"

Meanwhile, over at Statesville prison, Carmine puts a pinup of EJ on the wall of his cell and drools...

Arianna announces the ferry. Melanie encourages Brady to get with her ASAP, "See, me being a matchmaker may not be so bad."

Brady looks at her with the cold white hate Nicole just spoke of, "Don't do this again."

Victor thinks Caroline sees this as history repeating itself, "Look, maybe Phillip is smarter than I was."

"Phillip is smarter than a philodendron," says Caroline, "but that's about it. Just back off and leave them alone."

Caroline Brady has, upon reflection, issued the following statement, "I sincerely apologize for insulting philodendrons everywhere."

Phillip tells Stephanie he had a talk with Bo. He says he will walk away from the family for her. Stephanie doesn't buy it.

EJ thinks this is about Nicole's feelings, not Johnny's. Nicole denies that and says she could never hate EJ. She says she's just worried things will not turn out the way EJ thinks. EJ softens and apologizes for worrying her. Nicole begs him to trust her.

Melanie and Nathan arrive at the hospital. She says she's there to pick up books, "I have a test today and the teacher's assistant is a real jerk. Having you as a teacher's assistant brings out the pukyness in you."

Nathan says he has to work and encourages her to go study. He also reminds her that she owes him dinner.

Arianna and Brady stand at the Salem park bench and discuss where to eat. She asks him about the conversation when they were playing cards, "The subject of drugs came up and you backed off."

"I had a little issue with cocaine," says Brady. Translation: "I single-handedly kept the Colombian drug cartel from feeling the effects of this worldwide recession."

Phillip just can't believe that it's over. Stephanie says, "Just let me go. Just say goodbye."

Phillip asks, "Is it for good this time? If not, don't get my hopes up." They share a cheekie smoochie and Stephanie leaves on a quest for her next victim.

EJ wanders and ponders. He says he trusts Nicole. Nicole wants all three of them to be together. "I know I've put you through a lot," says EJ.

"Well," says Nicole, "I know an unemotional, low-maintenance broad like me has to put up with a lot from you. You can be such a pain but I wouldn't have it any other way. I am on your side, so if you want to go through with the custody suit... I've said what I have to say so now it's up to you to do what you think is right. But just be you. Be the man that I love."

Bo and Hope arrive back at the park. Bo scoops up Ciara. Hope asks, "Her stuffed animal?"

"In her backpack," says Ellen.

Brady tells Arianna his rehab is going well and he's actually glad she brought up the subject. He suggests dinner. Arianna tells Brady, "I'm sorry, but I don't think this is gonna work. I don't think we're ever gonna have that dinner."

Melanie has found Phillip at the pub, "I don't understand why you have to go to school to learn to put a thermometer in someone's mouth."

"Wait until you find out where you put it in your advanced classes," says Phillip.

Phillip asks what happened. Melanie says she had the best afternoon. She says she met a guy who makes her laugh. Phillip is morose. Melanie asks what's going on. Phillip tells her about the breakup. Melanie is certain Stephanie will un-breakup with him.

Back at the hospital, Maxine tells Stephanie she just nailed the interview. Stephanie turns to go, bumps into Nathan and papers go flying.

EJ tells Nicole she and Sydney changed everything and suddenly his actions have consequences. He says he doesn't want to put them through the trauma of the trial, so he will make some kind of arrangement with Samantha, "Let me be clear. I will never forget what she did. If anyone ever betrays me again, they will be punished." He walks away.

Nicole shakes in her boots.

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