Scenes: 3
Characters: Nikolas Cassadine, Leyla Mir, Elizabeth Webber
Gallery: Screencaps
Nikolas: Okay, okay, listen. I think — I think you’re wonderful and I — I care about you, and I respect everything that you’ve done –
Nadine: Okay, stop right there. Before you launch into some painfully polite “I like you as a friend” speech, you should know right now that I am not going to stand here and listen to it.
Nadine: I kissed you right out of the blue. That was insanely inappropriate and you have every right to tell me so.
Nikolas: Nadine, I don’t want to hurt your feelings. I just –
Nadine: Of course you don’t, because you’re Prince Courteous and, no matter what you do, your good manners come popping out like a jack-in-the-box.
Nikolas: Don’t — come on. I was actually flattered that you kissed me. I really was.
Nadine: But you wouldn’t want to repeat it.
Nikolas: It’s not that. I just — I value our friendship –
Nadine: Ah, yes, the friendship speech. I’m sure you’ll segue into talking about Emily and how you love her and you always will. No, look, her death was heartbreaking and I do — I feel awful that you went through that. But part of me wants to wring your neck for staying closed off to the possibilities. When are you going to look around and start smelling the roses?
Nikolas: I –
Nadine: No, I’m sorry. I need to accept that this is where you are and — and you’re not going to change until you’re good and ready, which may be never. So on that note, I –
Nikolas: Look, I’m sorry — I didn’t mean to –
Nadine: No, no, please, do not apologize for me making a total fool of myself. And don’t you dare look at me in that brotherly way and speak oh-so-kindly so I won’t get hurt.
Nikolas: I just — I don’t want to mislead you. Understand?
Nadine: You haven’t. This is all me. I play out these little fantasies in my head because, obviously, I’m attracted to you. So I kissed you just once to see what it felt like. But it doesn’t really work when it’s just one way. So don’t worry. It won’t happen again. In fact, why don’t we just forget I was ever here? Oh, good, humiliation complete.
Nikolas: Wow, I’m not sure what just happened.
Elizabeth: Well, I am. It’s been a long time coming.
Nikolas: What?
Elizabeth: Nikolas, don’t you know Nadine is falling in love with you?
Leyla: Didn’t expect you back so soon.
Nadine: Didn’t expect the slap I got from Nikolas — not literally. Ow!
Leyla: What are you doing?
Nadine: I am totally over Nikolas. On the very, very off chance that I should backslide, I want to remember the sting of rejection.
Leyla: Okay, I’m a little more linear than you, so humor me, and start at the beginning.
Nadine: I kissed Nikolas.
Leyla: Congratulations.
Nadine: For the first and last time.
Leyla: Oh, bad kiss.
Nadine: It was fantastic. It was — heart was beating so loud, I thought I’d go deaf. I was in heaven.
Leyla: Poor you.
Nadine: And then I came crashing back down to earth with a thud. He likes me as a friend, loves Emily forever, yada yada yada.
Leyla: Ah, he cares about you but not in that way. I’m sorry.
Nadine: Then I stormed off, thought better of it, came back, and he was already holding hands with some other girl, about to kiss her, so clearly, he was ready to get over Emily. He just won’t be getting over Emily with me.
Leyla: Okay, let me get this straight. You kissed Nikolas, and then a moment later, you see him getting all romantic with some anonymous woman.
Nadine: Well, I won’t mention any names. I just know what I saw.
Leyla: Maybe she was a friend.
Nadine: No, they were intimate, touchy-feely. He was very comfortable with her, whereas I made him about as uncomfortable as a one-legged puppy in a three-legged race.
Leyla: Does your Aunt Rayleen write these colorful phrases down?
Nadine: Why, oh, why did I kiss him? I mean, what on earth came over me?
Leyla: Actually, it’s been building up for months and months. I personally think you showed considerable restraint. I would have jumped him a few weeks ago.
Nadine: No, you wouldn’t have. You are way cooler than me. You would have known you would completely embarrass yourself.
Leyla: Right, like I did with Patrick.
Nadine: Well, I guess we both learned our lesson. End of story.
Leyla: No, I don’t think it is the end for you.
Nadine: Right. You feel sorry for me, the lowly nurse with a crush on the lord of the manor.
Leyla: Nadine, you are not a lowly nurse. You’re a brilliant, beautiful career woman with a lot to offer.
Nadine: Except the ability to tell the difference between a shrimp fork and salad fork.
Leyla: Nikolas doesn’t care about things like that. If he did, you wouldn’t care about him, right?
Nadine: Right. You’re good at this. I should be paying you 100 bucks an hour.
Leyla: Save your money. No, look, you kissed Nikolas because your instincts told you that he cares about you.
Nadine: I really did think the only thing holding him back was his love for Emily, but if he’s interested in another woman, then –
Leyla: It’s good news.
Nadine: How?
Leyla: It means he’s available. He’s ready to move on, so why don’t you get him before some other woman does?
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