Today's show picked up where Friday left off-Max Hollister was trying to convince his ex-wife Lorie Brooks to make a play for her former fiancée Victor Newman. The way Max sees it, it's a win for the both of them. Ms. Brooks gets Victor, and he'll get Nikki. During this negotiation Nikki arrives. Max hides in the bedroom and allows the two rivals to have a private cat fight.
Nikki is quite chilly in her greeting and makes it clear that she has come to set the record straight-"Stay away from Victor." Lorie is cooler than a cucumber, Nikki's diva routine doesn't ruffle a single hair on her head. Nikki is not intimidated by Lorie's "high and mighty" routine either, and suggests that the novelist can crawl back into the hole where she came from and leave them alone. Lorie is almost amused to find that a woman who is supposed to be as confident as Nikki Newman could be so amazingly insecure. Nikki counters that she has Victor's ring on her finger, how could she be insecure. Lorie sizes up Nikki's engagement ring, dismisses it with a comment that informs her opponent that the one Victor gave her for their engagement was bigger. Nikki reminds Lorie that what she had with Victor was a long time ago. "He hasn't thought about you in years." Lorie feigns surprise that Nikki is upset with her-"I would think you'd be thanking me since my departure left the door open for you to make your move." Nikki challenges this assertion by stating that when Victor was with Lorie he was already falling in love with her, and that Lorie knew it. Again, Lorie is amused at Nikki's perception of the situation- "...from my perspective it was always the stripper and the millionaire. But Victor had this notion that he could polish you and make you acceptable." Nikki holds her position by stating the facts-"Victor loves me." Lorie does a once over on Nikki's rather revealing outfit and suggests that it's possible Nikki is still Victor's project-"You can take the girl out of the bayou, but you can't take the bayou out of the girl." Then, sort of bored with their go around Lorie asks Nikki flat out what she wants, without so much as a blink Nikki says for Lorie to leave town. Nikki accuses Lorie of being in cahoots with Leanna Love, Lorie has no idea what Nikki is talking about, she's in town on personal business. Nikki doesn't believe anything that Lorie says.
Lorie does make on observation of interest-"why didn't Victor tell me you were engaged when I stopped to see him?" Nikki blows it off saying why would he-that's their personal business. Nikki knows what Lorie is doing back in Genoa City... she hasn't gotten over Victor... but Nikki let's her rival know Victor has no interest in her. Lorie goes out of her way to talk down to Nikki and keep up taunts regarding Nikki's former social status, Nikki says that Lorie can't intimidate her, she knows where she stands with Victor. And with that Nikki exits. Immediately following Nikki's exit Max reenters from the bedroom, he sums up the verbal brawl with one word-"Interesting." Now that the future Mrs. Newman is gone, we see that Nikki did manage to get under the competition's skin as Lorie sneers... "Who does she think she is? She should be shaking in her boots. Yeah, Nikki, be very afraid."
Victor pops in on Ashley at the Carlton home. She models her new head scarf and asks if he likes her new look. Although the subject matter is serious, there is a light hearted playfulness between the two of them. He asks if she is losing her hair, she informs him that she is losing quite a bit. In fact, next week she is going wig shopping, she's getting sick of the scarves and turbans. Victor playfully suggests she go with a lot of different styles and colors. Ash is encouraged by the thought, it's not such a bad idea. The duo briefly discuss her condition-Ashley is light about it... she has good days and bad, she just tries not to complain too much on the bad days. Victor offers his shoulder if she should ever want to complain on the bad days. Victor then shares his engagement news with Ashley, he's a little surprised by her calm acceptance and congratulations, Ashley questions what he was expecting. Flattering himself Victor teases "Jealousy?" Ashley is not that interested in Victor getting married to Nikki, but what she would like to ask him about is Lorie Brooks. She explains that she saw Lorie at Gina's and introduced herself, she wants to know why she's in town. Victor says he doesn't know, he didn't look for her, but does admit that she came by to see him. Ashley wonders out loud what it is about Victor that women just can't get over. She then asks if Nikki knows. Victor supplies that, yes, Nikki does know, and she also knows that there is nothing to be upset about. Now this information actually does surprise Ashley, she takes it as a testament of Nikki's growth, because if the tables were turned and it was Ashley in Nikki's position, she would certainly want to have a little chat with Lorie.
At the coffee house Billy demands for Colleen to tell him what's going on with her and J.T. Colleen begs nothing, they're just friends. Billy notes that J.T. doesn't have friends, only "victims." Colleen gets peeved with Billy for talking badly about J.T. and tells him to "back off." Billy points out that he's just looking out for her and that he knows her dad (and HIS dad for that matter) wouldn't approve of her hanging out with J.T. Colleen supplies that she is just helping J.T. study, they're talking about books. Billy finds this hard to believe-"Books? Comic Books?" Colleen is loyal to her friendship to J.T. saying that he's a smart, cool guy. Billy tells her to stay away from him, and that the two of them shouldn't be together outside of working at the boutique. Colleen is not going to let Billy be the boss of her, she offers as her parting shot-"I'm going to the boutique where J.T. is... sorry if that bother you UNCLE Billy." Later, when Raul arrives Billy asks him what he thinks the scoop is about Colleen and J.T.. Raul figures there's no scoop in terms of J.T. trying to date someone as young as Colleen, but he does point out to Billy that Colleen is growing up and she's a cute girl... there is a chance she could have a crush on J.T. just because he's an older guy. Billy's worried about it, he doesn't want that creep messing with his niece. Raul tells his pal not to worry about it, he's sure nothing will come of it.
Onto other teen topics, Billy shares his and Mac's plan to skip the first couple of semesters of college and to do some volunteer work down in Louisiana with Mac's dad. He invites Raul and Brittany to join them. It doesn't take much convincing for Raul to think this might be a great way for he and Brittany to stay together instead of going off to separate colleges. They agree to have a double-dinner date to discuss it.
Meanwhile, at the boutique Brittany gives J.T. a warning about encouraging Colleen. She notes that Colleen has puppy-dog eyes for J.T. and that he better be careful about leading her on. J.T. supplies that she is only helping him study. Brittany tells him that he better make sure Colleen knows that.
At the Chancellor estate Mac is thinking over the plan that she and Billy came up with. After a long conversation, Kay encourages her granddaughter to do whatever feels right in her heart. She wants Mac to make a decision that is based on her own goals and desires, not just on what Billy wants. Mac agrees to give it serious consideration and to see if it might be an opportunity that would help her discover what it is she would like to get out of college. Kay is very proud of her, and tells her that the decisions she is making now could potentially effect the rest of her life. It's not a decision to make without a true consideration of herself.
At the bar Serena is looking for Neil, Juice tells her that she's better off without him. Serena is worried about him, and decides to seek him out. This upsets Juice he wants to know when did God appoint Serena Neil's guardian angel. Serena states that Neil's a friend and she cares about him. Juice figures Neil's not around anymore because he got tired of Serena-"Charm like yours, it wears out real fast..." Serena tells him to drop dead and heads for the door, before she can exit the bartender asks about that fancy watch she was trying to pawn the other day... Serena tells him it was Neil's, so she gave it back. He tells her she could have gotten a pretty penny for it. Serena counters that it wasn't hers, so she gave it back. After she leaves Juice and the bartender consider Serena's motives for giving the watch back... maybe she got an attack of the "honests." Juice thinks a little about the watch, he could use something fancy like that.
Neil is holed up at the Rock Bottom Hotel. He's disheveled and dirty... bloodshot eyes... (you know, his new look) Serena knocks on the door, not knowing who it is. Neil demands that the person go away. When she identifies herself, he opens the door and demands that she goes away. She enters checking him out "You look like hell." He fires back, "You like hell." Serena notes that it's been awhile since she's seen Neil, to which he responds "So what." Now that she can see that he's okay he tells the waitress to disappear, he's not in the mood for company. Serena tells him that he can't make her mad because she's used to dealing with drunks. She asks him when he last ate, he figures she doesn't really care, she doesn't have any food in her hands. He asks if she came over to steal the rest of his stuff. She argues that she gave back the watch. He responds that she also made the mistake of giving him back his keys, so now she can't go to his place and rob him. The argument gets a little heated over what her true intentions were for the watch, before things can escalate too far Serena tells Neil to chill and hands him a drink. He slams it out of her hands screaming, "I don't want that!" In that moment, Serena realizes her friend has stopped drinking, he is going cold turkey. She tries to take the bottle out of the room, stating that it's too tempting for him. Neil wrestles it away from her stating that he is going to beat this with the bottle sitting right there, otherwise he's worthless. If he doesn't do battle with the bottle right here, and right now, he'll always wonder if he's going to cave. Serena encourages Neil to get help-AA or rehab, she warns him about the physical symptoms, the withdrawal. He knows that this alcohol has a hold around his neck and he has to break it. He tells her he has to do it on his own, he doesn't need her advice or sympathy... so if she cares-pray with him, if not, leave. Serena wants to help Neil, she sees him suffering. Neil tells her he has to do it this way, he can't go on wondering when it's going to come sneaking up on him. He can't do it twice. He begins shaking from the withdrawals. Serena just crosses to him and holds him.
Nikki pays a visit to Katherine to tell her the good news about her and Victor's engagement. Katherine is overjoyed and immediately begins talking about arrangements, envisioning it as a grand affair. Nikki balks a bit and tells Katherine she thinks they would like the wedding small and intimate instead of a big splashy event. She tells Katherine about Lorie Brooks being back in town and that she had a confrontation with her. Katherine laughed it off, saying that she probably scared Lorie into leaving town with her "tail between her legs."
Lorie and Max have a discussion about Victor and Nikki-one consisting mostly of Max trying to convince Lorie to participate in a scheme to break the couple up. He expresses the need to get back at Victor and tries to persuade her into helping him get revenge. Lorie seems reluctant, but Max tries to convince her that since Victor didn't throw her out upon her unannounced visit, there may be an open door. Toward the end of his pitch, she starts to come around. He kisses her on the forehead, walks out the door, and smiles knowingly once she is behind the closed door.
Victor pays a visit to Ashley to tell her he and Nikki are engaged. Ashley expresses her happiness to him and gives him a hug; the precise moment that Brad walks into the room. Abbey begins to cry, and Ashley takes the opportunity to leave the two men alone in the room together. Victor asks Brad how Ashley is doing, and Brad answers, but strongly urges Victor to stay away from them and let them handle the situation without his interference. He tells Victor he is better off focusing on his new fiancée than worrying about Ashley.
Serena gently comforts Neil through his physical alcohol withdrawals, and urges him to get help. Knowing he isn't interested in a treatment program or A.A., she suggests going to an emergency room. After he declines, she offers to at least pour out the liquor in the bottle he has on the table to ease the temptation. Neil agrees, but right before she does it, he stops her. Shaking and sweating, takes several big desperate gulps of the liquor. He spits and chokes on it, and Serena at him, her expression full of pity.
While having a drink of her own, Serena tells Neil he needs to get something to eat and tells him she is worried about him. She again offers to take him to a clinic to help him, but Neil gets defensive and accuses her of not believing he can kick his alcohol issues on his own. He starts reminiscing about how in the past he could do anything he wanted to do, but he can't seem to control the drinking. She suggests that perhaps, it's not just the drinking, that other things are coming into play. She intimates that she understands the journey he's on more than he knows, and that she, too, can't live without drinking. She tells Neil that she cares about him and asks him to come move in with her. He is surprised at both her confession and her offer, and agrees to move in with her right away.
Meanwhile, Olivia pays a visit to the bar Neil frequents. She brought a photo along and asks the bartender if he recognizes the man in the photo-Neil. He denies having seen Neil, but Olivia is determined. She approaches him again at the bar and tells him that she believes he is lying about recognizing Neil, and also asks where Serena is. He relents and tells her he hasn't seen Neil lately, and that Serena had also been looking for him earlier herself. Not satisfied with the answer he gave, she insists that she will continue returning to the bar unless someone tells her the truth. Juice, lurking in the background, overhears the whole conversation and approaches Olivia. He pretends to want to send Neil a card to show support and asks for his address. Not falling for it, Olivia turns on her heel and leaves. Juice smirks and says that he thinks he and Neil would be spending more time together soon.
While waiting for Raul and Brittany, Billy and Mac start talking about Colleen and J.T. Billy expresses concern and Mac tries to assure him that Colleen has a good head on her shoulders and not to go looking for trouble. He excitedly starts talking about the possibility of going to Louisiana, and although he doesn't seem to notice, she starts to look uncomfortable.
Once Brittany and Raul arrive at Yves, the subject of going to Louisiana comes up. Brittany protests strongly, suggesting they send Mac's dad a check instead of missing time in college. Billy starts pressuring Raul to go, which really makes Brittany angry. To get back at Billy, Brittany rubs the situation between Colleen and J.T. in his face, saying she's "surprised he's tolerating" it.
After hours at the boutique, Colleen and J.T. begin their study session and they order a pizza for dinner. To J.T.'s surprise, when the pizza arrives Colleen turns down the lights and lights some candles. Much to her chagrin while handing a slice to J.T. she accidentally drops the entire pizza on the floor and looks absolutely mortified. J.T. tries to comfort her and innocently puts his hand on her shoulder. Right at that moment, Billy walks in the boutique, misinterprets what he sees, and angrily demands that J.T. get his hands off his niece.
Brittany complained to Raul about Billy walking out of Yves with Mac and sticking them with the check. Raul asked if she could blame him, since Brittany had led him to believe Colleen was in J.T.'s clutches. Brit denied any wrongdoing, saying the two really were at the boutique together. She then accused Raul of setting her up to look like "the Grinch" by blindsiding her with the suggestion that she go to Louisiana to help them build houses for the poor with Brock. She wondered if Raul knew her at all, since she'd worked her tail off to get into college and wasn't going to blow her opportunity. Raul reminded her that she was willing to take a trip to Europe and asked how much she really cared about him. Brittany said it wasn't enough to go pound nails in Louisiana. She then commented on his "wounded deer" look. She said that just because there were things she wouldn't do for him, it didn't mean they weren't in the same place. Raul worried about how they could manage to see each other after summer was over.
Billy was furious when he found J.T. and Colleen alone in the darkened Glo by Jabot Boutique. When he accused J.T. of pawing his niece, Colleen protested that nothing had been going on; she'd merely been helping J.T. with some school work. J.T. said that Billy was entitled to his opinion of him, but he was sick of him saying bad things about him to other people. The two lunged for each other, and Mac ran in and helped Colleen pull them apart. Mac persuaded J.T. to leave with her. Billy continued to tell Colleen that J.T. was not trustworthy, and it was her family's responsibility to protect her from him. Colleen insisted that she'd run away if he told stories about her and J.T. to her grandfather. She said that she didn't want to leave, because she was happy living in Genoa City. When Billy wondered why J.T. was worth all that, Colleen told him that J.T. was the only person who'd come to her recital because he was a nice guy. She commented that not everyone shared Billy's opinion of J.T., including Mac.
Mac questioned J.T. at Crimson Lights about his intentions regarding Colleen. J.T. told her that he thought of her like a little sister, and he was tired of being treated like a dirty old man. He said he didn't need to turn to a kid for action, and Mac reminded him that Colleen was not a kid. She told him that he should stay away from her rather than letting her go around hero-worshipping him. J.T. said that it seemed like Colleen was the only one who didn't see him as a bad guy, then he left. When Billy joined Mac, she warned him that if he kept yelling at Colleen, he was going to make things worse, and she really didn't think J.T. was acting improperly or had bad intentions regarding Colleen.
Diane went to see Isabella to complain about Jack's romantic trip to Europe with Phyllis and how all her plans were being shredded. When she noticed how nervous Isabella was acting, Isabella admitted that she wanted the two of them to go somewhere else to talk, before Paul came home and found them there. Diane said that Paul couldn't possibly still hate her about things that had happened in the past. Isabella said that Paul did indeed have bad feelings about her, and he had hit the roof when he found out they were friends. Diane couldn't believe he was still holding a grudge and commented that she was finally beginning to understand the word "alone." Isabella assured her that they were still friends and that she'd said as much to Paul.
Phyllis and Jack returned in happy moods after their trip to Cannes. When Jack said he wanted to see Kyle, Phyllis insisted that she did, too, and asked Jack to get him so she wouldn't have to see Diane. Jack was happy to get Kyle from Mrs. Martinez, who'd been watching him while Diane was out. The three of them sat and played together with the toy Jack had brought him from France. Jack was touched to realize that Phyllis, too, had brought Kyle a gift--a little black beret. After they took pictures of each other with Kyle, Jack went to check his email. Phyllis held Kyle and told him that she'd missed him while she was away. At that moment, Diane walked in and furiously spoke her name. When Phyllis demanded to know why Diane was in the house, Diane countered with a demand to know what Phyllis was doing with her son.
Sharon asked Cody why Diego wasn't working his shift at Crimson Lights. Cody said he'd had a conflict, and he didn't expect him to come in at all. Sharon thought about her conversation with Nick, when he'd told her that things were over between Diego and Victoria. Christine came in and asked to talk to her, wondering how things were since the last time they'd spoken when Sharon was so freaked out about Diego. Sharon said that everything was fine because Diego was no longer seeing her sister-in-law. She said that he'd hung up on her the last time she called, but she still intended to talk to him and make sure he'd said nothing to betray her to Victoria. Christine warned her that her best course of action was to stay as far away from Diego as possible, even buying him a bus ticket out of town if that's what it took to help her focus on her husband and her family. Sharon was surprised, insisting that Diego was still her friend and she just wanted to clear the air between them. Christine told her that if she didn't get Diego out of her head, she wouldn't have a marriage to save.
Diego made the famished Victoria something to eat after their hours-long sexual marathon. The two of them were obviously very pleased with how compatible they'd been in bed. Diego talked to her a little about some of the jobs he'd held, including one as a short-order cook. Victoria confessed that she was an awful cook. After taking bites from the same plate, they pushed the food away in favor of another lovemaking session. Later, they lay in each other's arms, and Victoria asked him if this was more than a one-time thing. Diego said that he hoped so. Victoria then sat up and said that in that case, there was something that had been bothering her that he could clear up. Diego looked stunned as she asked, "What is the deal with you and Sharon?"
Billy broke the news to his mother about his plans to go to Louisiana with Mac. She went totally ballistic on him, of course. She insisted that he would be making a mistake and blamed that little snake Mac for taking him away from his goals in life. He tried to make her listen, but she ran off angry. Larry came into the room after Jill left and offered an open mind and sympathetic ear. He realized that it was very important to Billy and wished him well. Billy left the house with a last look upstairs. . .
J.T. laid into Brittany for ratting on him and Colleen at the boutique. She told him that she had been trying to get Billy uptight, not get him in trouble. She warned him about Colleen's feelings for him, that danger was ahead. After setting Colleen straight at the coffeehouse about the fact that things just couldn't work out for her and J.T., Mac came to the boutique to have a serious talk with J.T. as well.
Diego successfully "dodged another bullet" with Victoria, trying to make her understand what Sharon had been through and see if he could get Victoria to back off on Sharon. The two were totally crazy about each other and Victoria realized that she had a good thing going with Diego -- their newfound relationship should take care of any feelings that Sharon was dealing with. She talked about leaving for work, but he pulled her into his arms once again for another session of lovemaking. . .
At her mother's house, Sharon didn't really want to tell her mom what was bothering her. It didn't work very well, though, and soon Doris found out that Sharon didn't know whether her marriage would ever get back to where it once was. She tried to comfort her daughter, but was very worried.
Things heated up between Phyllis and Diane once Mrs. Martinez took Kyle out of the room. Diane insinuated that Phyllis shouldn't be left alone with her son and maybe a judge should be involved. Phyllis told her to SHUT UP! at least four times before Jack broke things up. He sent Diane back to the pool house and tried to calm Phyllis down. She said that she was trying but THAT THING MUST GO!! Jack tried to tell her that Diane would be moving soon and they could work visitation out. Not if she moved to Hong Kong! He hugged her closely and told her that things would be alright.
Before Jack arrived, Diane vowed to figure out something to do about Phyllis and her involvement with her son. Jack soon came with Kyle and wanted to talk. Phyllis wanted her out of the house and he couldn't really blame her. He took the blame for not leaving Diane a note when they left with Kyle. He talked about how Phyllis was getting more comfortable with their son and that really got Diane going. She accused Phyllis of being crazy and wondered what she was capable of. Jack wouldn't put up with that, so he left. He sat down outside to think. . .
Colleen didn't realize that Caitlin was setting her up by saying that J.T. wanted her to call him on his cell phone. At the Glo by Jabot Boutique, J.T. was assuring Mac that he had no designs on Colleen. She was too young for him and was only helping him do some college prep work. Mac told him that it was Colleen who was head over heels for him, and he needed to be careful. J.T. insisted he wasn't going to be Colleen's "first anything." He was surprised to get Colleen's call on his cell phone, but eased her embarrassment by asking her to stay at Crimson Lights because he wanted to see her. When he got there, intending to let her down gently, Colleen dazzled him by giving him a breakdown of three more books. She told him she could have the rest done the next day. Her grandfather called and told her it was time to go home, so she left J.T. there, looking helplessly at her notes, knowing he'd missed his chance to set her straight about them.
Brittany asked Mac where J.T. had gone, and Mac told her that none of it was any of her business. After they talked a bit about Billy's plan to go with Mac to Louisiana, Brittany said she thought it was ridiculous and she was surprised that Mac was going along with it. She'd thought college meant more to Mac than that. Brittany could tell by Mac's expression that Mac wasn't as enthusiastic about Billy's plan as he was. Mac reacted badly to Brittany getting involved in her personal life and snapped at her before she left the boutique.
Billy ran his idea past Jack and was surprised when Jack supported him, saying he understood that Billy needed to take a few months off and figure things out for himself. Billy admitted that the experience with Ralph had changed his life. Jack wasn't surprised to hear that Jill had reacted badly to Billy's plan, and said that their father might be a little easier to convince. When Jack found out that Mac was thinking of going, too, he wondered if that was Billy's motivation. Billy insisted that it wasn't just Mac, though he welcomed the chance not to be separated from her. Later, when Jack was gone and Mac joined him, Billy enthusiastically wanted to call Brock right then. Mac asked him to wait, admitting that she wasn't sure she really wanted to go to Louisiana.
Victor and Nikki talked about their upcoming wedding. Victor asked her what she thought about his buying a castle in England so they could get married and have the reception there. At first Nikki was caught up in the romance of the idea, but later she admitted that she'd been thinking about something smaller and more intimate. Victor reminded her that he could not promise her a simple life; there would always be gossipmongers and hangers-on who were interested in their life together. Nikki conceded that it might be a good idea to give them the show they wanted. Miguel promised to help them any way that he could, and they set their wedding date for September 5.
Michael deflected Phyllis's comments about him and Christine by asking her how things were going at home. Phyllis assured him that her vacation to France with Jack had been wonderful. As Michael probed further, Phyllis admitted that Diane had made things difficult after they got home. Though Phyllis was trying very hard to focus on Jack and Kyle, Diane had cast aspersions on her ability to be a good stepmother to Kyle. She again assured Michael that she had not run over Diane on purpose. She said she would somehow manage to stop Diane from getting to her.
Isabella was annoyed to be summoned again to see Diane at the Abbott house. Diane told her that she was concerned about the way Phyllis was using Kyle to get to Jack. Isabella wondered how far Diane would go to break up Jack's marriage, and Diane appeared to be thinking that over. Isabella left, and Diane thought back to Phyllis's outburst at the custody hearing. Isabella then came back to warn Diane that Phyllis was home and that Diane needed to be very careful around her. After Isabella left again, Diane quickly picked up the phone and called Chantal, asking if Christine was in. Phyllis stopped on her way into the house, eavesdropping on Diane's call. She was dumbfounded to hear Diane ask Chantal to have Chris call her back because she wanted to discuss Danny and Daniel Romalotti. After Diane hung up, Phyllis confronted her, and Diane pretended to be shocked that Phyllis had listened to her call. Phyllis asked Diane what she was up to, and Diane said she was only looking out for Kyle's welfare. Phyllis had been declared an unfit mother once, and Diane had no intention of letting her be an unfit stepmother to Kyle. When she taunted Phyllis about getting pregnant to snare a rock star husband and said she wouldn't allow Phyllis to use Kyle the way she'd used Daniel, Phyllis was finally pushed too far. She socked Diane on the face so hard that it knocked her down. Diane clutched her jaw and gazed at Phyllis as if she was terrified.
