MAX, MAGGIE, CORD, ASA AND OLIVIA
Maggie's getting dressed and Max tells her to hurry up. Maggie appears in a long, dark blue dress and she and Max admire how good each of them looks. They start to kiss, but Cord (also in white jacket, black pants and black tie) interrupts them, it's time to go downstairs. Max and Maggie go over their story and Asa(dressed the same as Cord and Max, must have been a group dicount:-) tells them that Olivia's been spotted. Cord goes over the plan again, Step 1 - get Olivia to suck them into a con, Step 2 - catch her in the act, Step 3 - give Olivia the choice, either get arrested or videotape a confession implicating Dorian. "Daisy" and "Reggie" head downstairs.
Max and Maggie are looking for Olivia, who's "drop-dead gorgeous" according to Cord's description. They sit down on a couch to wait. Maggie spots Olivia in a long black dress with virtually no back and a slit most of the way up her thigh and wonders if Olivia put the dress on, or if it grew on her. They start talking loudly about "Reggie's" gambling losses and bad business investments. Olivia overhears them and is interested.
Back in the hotel room, Cord is pacing, he's wondering how things are going. Despite Asa's objections, Cord goes downstairs to find out what is happening. Downstairs, Maggie leaves Max alone on the couch, orders a drink and goes to sit in a nearby chair. Olivia sits down next to Max and pretends to make a phone call to a prospective investor, who chickens out of the deal. An obviously drunk man sits down across from Maggie and tries to pick her up. Max starts talking to Olivia and introduces himself as Reggie Butler. Cord sneaks over next to Maggie, wondering if Olivia took the bait.
Olivia explains to Max that she deals with high-tech investing, computers and that sort of thing. Olivia, running her hand up Max's leg, works to convince Max to make an investment. Over in her chair, Maggie is getting jealous of the fact that Max is thisclose to Olivia. "There's nothing wrong with being jealous, it shows you care", the drunk man sitting near Maggie tells her. Olivia offers to let him buy 10,000 shares of Skyler Technologies for $10 a share. She promises him that after the first day of trading, it will be selling for over $200 a share. Max suggests that they discuss the whole thing upstairs in his room. Cord quickly hides when Max comes over to tell Maggie that he's going up to his room. Cord rushes off to call Asa and tell him to get out of the hotel room before Max and Olivia get there, leaving Maggie alone with the drunk man, who pulls Maggie onto his lap as she tries to leave.
In Max's hotel room, Olivia is impressed with the nice room and the view. Olivia asks him if he's still interested, she thought they could start with the investment and go on from there. She grabs Max by the tie and pulls him back onto the bed on top of her. Rather than kiss her, Max pulls away, saying he should call his sister to be in on the investment too. Showing Max a lot of leg, she convinces Max it should be his decision, not "Daisy's." Olivia pulls Max down on the bed again, but he rolls away to look for a pen to sign the check. Olivia tells him to make the check out to her, since it's not legal to trade this stock yet. Asa and Cord, in the other room are glad that they have finally gotten Olivia. Asa wonders where Maggie is. Maggie is downstairs, trying to get away from the drunk man. Maggie pulls away and the man falls to the floor. Maggie, feeling bad, goes to help him up, but he grabs her again and starts dancing.
Max tears the check out of the checkbook and waves it around, but doesn't give it to Olivia yet. "Not so fast", he says. Asa, in the lobby spies Maggie unwillingly dancing with the drunk, but does nothing to help. At the front desk, Maggie's father is checking in with a woman. He turns and notices Maggie dancing with the drunk in the other room.
BO, NORA, HANK AND RACHEL
They are setting up the table for their annual New Year's Eve poker party and dicussing what has happened to them in the past year, good and bad. Nora hopes 1997 will be a very boring year. They kiss, and of course the doorbell rings. It's Hank with the news that Antonio's palm print matches the one found on the murder weapon. Nora points out, as Andy did, that Antonio lived with Andy for months and could have touched the gun then. Hank agrees that the palm print alone isn't enough to convict Antonio, but he can feel that the case is turning against Antonio and they had all better prepare for it.
Bo reminds Hank that he doesn't have a single witness who saw Antonio on the boat that night. Without that witness, Hank has no case. Hank brings up Carlo's will, but Bo says all that proves is that Antonio did what the police wanted him to do, get close to Carlo and get Carlo to trust him. They start arguing loudly about Antonio's guilt or innocence, when Rachel comes in, telling them she can hear them yelling from the bottom of the driveway. Rachel wants to know what is going on.
It was about work and they promise not to discuss it anymore tonight. Bo goes to help Nora in the kitchen, while Rachel talks to Hank. He's hiding from his personal life behind his desk, Rachel accuses. This time last year, Hank remembers, he was at Bo's with Sheila. Now Sheila's in London and the two of them are divorced. Rachel is his personal life right now, and she's much more than he deserves. Bo and Nora come back and this time Hank and Rachel go to the kitchen to get more food. Bo's worried that they might be wrong about Antonio. No matter how they feel about him, this case against him seems to be making itself. Bo doesn't want to believe it and wants to talk to Antonio. Bo calls Antonio and arranges to meet with him after the holiday. Antonio's not too happy and asks how many times he's going to have to go through this. Until I get the truth or I get bored, Bo tells him. Antonio agrees to the meeting.
Rachel opens the pizza and asks her mom for the recipe. There are only two ingredients, Nora replies, a cordless phone and a handsome delivery boy. Bo starts to tell Hank that he'll be talking to Antonio, when Rachel insists there will be no talk of work. They sit down to play poker, Rachel claiming that she doesn't really know how to play. They assure her she won't lose a lot of money. Rachel, of course, is the big winner, just like Carlotta was last year.
ANDY AND ANTONIO
Antonio rolls up the bloody shirt he just found and stuffs it back in the bag. He opens the door for Andy, who brought a bottle of sparkling cider for them. Andy asks Antonio, what's wrong, he looks like he just saw a ghost. Antonio glances toward the back with the bloody shirt in it. Antonio asks if the palm print they find on the gun matches his print, but Andy claims she can't talk about it. Just saying nothing is the same as saying yes, Antonio says. Between the palm print on the gun, and Carlo's will, he doesn't have a chance. What will, Andy asks, confused. Antonio explains that Carlo's will was found, and it gives nearly everything to Antonio. Antonio's going to be a rich man, he'll have a lot of money to spend...in prison.
Andy assures Antonio that Hank doesn't have nearly enough evidence for an arrest, and what he does have is circumstantial. Antonio tells her he's been through this before, and that time he was sure the truth would come out, that he acted in self-defense. This time he won't drive himself crazy waiting for it to happen. "Wrong place, wrong time, wrong color", Antonio insists. Looking toward the bag again, he asks Andy to tell him again exactly what happened the night she found Carlo in his apartment. Andy tells him the story again. Antonio asks where Carlo was standing, did Carlo say anything? Andy doesn't understand why Antonio is asking her all of these questions.
Antonio tells her to forget it, it doesn't matter, he's going down for Carlo's murder. Hank can't help it, the press is clamoring for a killer and a trial. If Hank doesn't give them what they want, the press will eat him up. It doesn't have to be that way, Andy can help. Antonio insists that Andy not get involved. If he's going down, he doesn't want to drag Andy with him. Andy tells him he's got people who believe in him, Bo, Nora, his family, and her, forever. They kiss.
The room is dark, with lighted candles, they kiss, Antonio's shirt comes off, then Andy's, next go the pants, next thing you know, they are in bed after having made love. Andy tells him that she believes in him. That's not going to stop what's going to happen, Antonio replies, but it might make it easier than the last time. This time, he's got her. They kiss.
Antonio, out of bed and dressed, takes the bag with the bloody shirt in it and heads out the door. His closing the door wakes Andy up and she looks around for him. Down in Angel Square, Antonio pays off a homeless person who is warming himself by a fire in a barrel. Upstairs, Andy calls out for him and starts looking around. She looks out the window and sees Antonio throw the shirt into the fire.
Maggie's father sees Maggie in the bar. He tells his female companion that Maggie's there. He tries to go to another hotel, but is told for New Year's everything is booked. He tells his companion the news and they head for their rooms since they can't stay in the lobby.
Asa breaks in on Maggie and her drunk dancing partner when the partner gets frisky with her. Asa tells Maggie that Max took Olivia up to their room. Asa thinks it's taking a little too long for Max to have Olivia fleece him. Maggie tells Asa that she'll go and check on her brother Reggie/Max. Asa tells her that he'll check on Cord.
Olivia is posturing for Max as he wavers about handing her the check. He's concerned that he'll be made the fool if he doesn't have more "proof" of his good investment. Olivia writes out a receipt for him at his request. After they exchange check for receipt, they manuever themselves to the bed when Maggie bursts into the room demanding to know what's going on.
Maggie wants the check back. Max tells Daisy/Maggie that he has a receipt. While Maggie and Max are arguing over his investment sense, Olivia slips out the door to run into Cord and Asa. They threaten her with arrest or spill the beans on Dorian.
At Dorian's prompting, Blair hesitantly goes over to Viki to talk about Todd seeing Starr. Viki tells Blair that Starr was in no danger, and Todd wanted to take Starr to see Santa. Viki tells Blair that for Starr's sake they (T&B) should be able to work things out. Blair tells Viki she doesn't know if she can trust her with Starr anymore. Viki takes offense and asks if she's doing this because of Dorian wanting to stir things up. Dorian jumps in on that.
Todd enters. Dorian and Viki go over to Todd. Dorian tells Todd that she has guards all over her place and she'll slap a restraining order on him if he tries to get near her. Blair watches from across the room. Todd sees his lawyer and takes him away to discuss the custody case.
Viki goes back to the table with the family and pleads that they give Todd some leeway. Joe and Kelly join the family. After some mumbling, Viki asks that they drop the subject of Todd and toast for a better 97.
Andy watches Antonio burn a shirt. She gets back into bed when she sees Antonio returning. She feigns sleep until he gets in bed. Andy asks if everything's okay. Andy asks about the time then says she's late and has to report to work. While she's dressing, Antonio tells her he's going to New York to take Abuelita back home. As she's leaving they say the love each other. Andy wishes that '97 will be their best year.
Andy goes by the trash can and pulls out the only piece of shirt that had not burned, where the blood was. Andy takes the shirt to the police station. She calls to get the results which they tell her it is blood, and after the first of the year they'll get DNA results.
Cassie and Andrew are necking at their table. Andrew comes up for air to watch Kevin dancing with Jessica. Viki takes Joe away for a dance.
Dorian sees her opportunity and sits down with Kelly and thanks her again for not saying anything about Cameron/Olivia. Dorian suggests that the two of them start over with the new year. Kelly gives Dorian the news that she and Joe are going to Paris.
Olivia is spilling her guts on video exposing Dorian as Max, Maggie, Asa look on as Cord is taping her confession. Afterwards, Asa tells Maggie that her school will receive its check for her help and reluctantly thanks Max for his help. Cord tells them that he promised them a 3 day vacation so leaves them while he and Olivia follow Asa.
Andy comes back by Antonio's apartment and asks him his blood type. Andy tells Antonio that she took the shirt he tried to burn from the garbage can and had it checked. There was blood on it. Antonio asks her why didn't she just leave things alone. Andy asks him why he was destroying the shirt.
Antonio tells Andy that he found it in his gym bag while he was packing a few things for his trip to New York to take Abuelita back. Antonio tells Andy that they pack the clothes together and took them over to Goodwill. He can't explain how the shirt shows back up in his gymbag. Maybe R.J., maybe Carlo since he was in his apartment. Andy doesn't understand why Carlo would plant a bloody shirt.
Antonio pleads with Andy not to turn in the shirt. Andy tells him she has to do it; hopefully, the DNA test won't match.
Asa tells Olivia that she's to return to Llanview if they need her. After Asa leaves, Olivia makes a pass at Cord that he first refuses. Cord asks her why does she scam when she could probably make as much or more money if she was honest. Olivia asks what fun would it be to do it that way, Cord kisses her and tells her it could have been.
Maggie and Max toast their victory. But Maggie questions herself, her purpose in life. Max points out to her that she's a good teacher and has affected his life, his family's and her students, flattering her as well. Maggie tells Max that he's the first one to accept her for who she is. They start kissing, first standing, then on the sofa, then end up making love in bed.
Andy suggests to Antonio that someone else take Abuelita to New York and he come to the police station. Andy tries her best to convince Antonio that he has friends and they won't let him down, including Bo. Antonio responds that she's white, a cop and has no record. After Andy leaves, Antonio packs anyway for New York and takes the picture of him and Andy with him.
Marty and Patrick are kissing when Marty gets paged. While Marty goes to answer the page, Blair thanks Patrick again for being there. She reminds him about the blood test. Blair gives Patrick a hug while Marty and Todd watch on.
Cris dances with Jessica and tells her she's the most beautiful there.
Dorian apologizes to Kelly. Dorian tells Kelly that she wants her to be happy. Joe takes Kelly away to count down to the New Year's.
Todd toasts '97 as the year he gets his daughter. As New Year arrives, Todd watches Blair while she's not looking, and she him when he's not looking.
There will be no episode of One Life to Live today - Happy New Year!!!
Patrick goes to Llaview hospital to get the blood test to determine his RH factor. While there, her runs into Kevin, who talks about his son Duke and urges Patrick to be there for the baby when it's born.
Todd is also at the hospital, trying to get a copy of Blair's medical records, but he is stopped by Marty. Marty suggests that Todd reconcile with Blair, but Todd accuses Marty of just wanting to get Blair away from Patrick. Marty tells Todd the story of how Blair went into premature labor, thinking that it will prove how much Blair loves Todd. Instead, Todd plans to use the incident as more proof that Blair's an unfit mother. Patrick and Todd run into each other at the hospital and Patrick beats up Todd.
Disappointed that Todd is no longer the leading suspect in Carlo's murder, Blair comes up with a plan to fight Todd.
Andy tells Bo the lab results on the shirt that Antonio burned, the blood matches Carlo Hesser's blood type. Bo assures Andy that he'll treat Antonio fairly.
MAX, MAGGIE, THE BISHOP AND ELEANOR
Max, wearing a white bathrobe, walks over to the bed, where Maggie is sleeping, slips off his robe and climbs into bed. He kisses her awake and Maggie wishes he'll always wake her up like that. Maggie comments that they're in a tropical paradise and haven't even been outside, maybe they can go catch some rays. Moonrays are about all she's going to catch, Max tells her, they've spent the entire day in bed. Max thinks they need to spend the whole night in bed together too and they start kissing. Maggie mentions that this was only their third date, maybe she was too easy. They knew each other a year before going on those dates, "you call that easy?", Max asks. Maggie reminds him that he didn't even like her when they first met, she was always spilling things on him and poking her nose into his business. Maggie was right about Frankie's problem, Max admits, and he had to deal with what that meant. He's a slow learner, but once he catches on there's no stopping him, Max tells Maggie and they kiss again. Maggie sits up and tells Max that she want to go out.
Stepping out of the elevator with Eleanor, Bishop Carpenter looks around to see if Maggie is nearby. He's still worried that Maggie might see the two of them together. They're going to a concert on the other side of the island so they'll be no chance of running into Maggie. Even if they do see Maggie, they can pretend they just met. After all, Maggie doesn't know who I am, Eleanor says. She forgot the tickets and has to go back up to the room and get them.
Maggie, in a very nice black dress, is ready and waiting when Max comes back from changing. She looks so nice in this dress that Max changes his mind about going out and wants to order in. Maggie insists that they go out and eat and literally has to pull Max out the door.
Eleanor comes back down with the tickets and the bishop asks her if anything's wrong. He wonders if she heard from her husband, but Eleanor assures him that her husband thinks she's at a spa. She must have pinched a nerve, though, because her left hand is a bit numb. The bishop kisses her hand just as Max and Maggie step out of the elevator and ask a hotel employee to get them a cab. The bishop spots Max and Maggie and leads Eleanor away quickly. Maggie catches a glimpse of him, but thinks it must just be someone who looks like her father. Max and Maggie leave, too.
Back in their room, Maggie thanks Max for a wonderful dinner and starts unbuttoning his shirt. They walk over to the bed and fall on it together.... Max is sleeping and Maggie is watching him sleep when there is a knock at the door. It's the bishop and he needs Maggie's help, something terrible has happened.
CARLOTTA, Cristian, JESSICA AND EDDIE
Carlotta, upset because of Antonio, drops a plate which smashes to pieces on the ground. Eddie helps her clean up the mess and tells her he knows about Antonio. Cristian and Jessica come in and start talking about Cristian's art studio, but soon realize that something is wrong. Carlotta tells them that there is a warrant out for Antonio's arrest.
The four of them are now sitting in a booth, and Cristian is saying the cops must be crazy. First of all, Antonio would never kill Carlo and secondly, Antonio was working for the cops. Carlotta's upset that he revealed Antonio was working for the cops, but Cristian doesn't see any reason to keep it a secret with the way the cops are treating Antonio. Carlotta thinks that Antonio needs to turn himself in as soon as possible, but Cristian disagrees. The cops will stick it to Antonio just like they did the last time. Andy walks in and Cristian starts yelling at her. Andy says she's on Antonio's side, but Cristian yells that they don't need her kind of help and storms out, followed by Eddie and Jessica. Dylan walks in and wonders what is going on.
Cristian goes to his 'secret place' where he works on his art and completely trashes the place, overturning tables and ripping up drawings. Jessica finds him there and tells him to stop it. Cristian tells her the whole thing is his fault. The reason that Antonio got involved with Carlo in the first place was so he could send Cristian to art school. Nothing that he's doing matters when compared with Antonio going to jail, says Cristian. It matters to me, Jessica tells him, he's a wonderful artist and should be able to share that with the whole world. Jessica's really missed him this year, and she worries that she's just in high-school and the people that Cristian hangs out with now are so sophisticated. She doesn't mind seeing less of him though, because she knows he's doing what he loves to do. They kiss. That's why Antonio did what he did to get Cristian his scholarship, Jessica explains, so Cristian wouldn't give up on his artwork. Jessica realizes that it is really late and she has to go. Cristian blows out the candles and takes her to go find a cab. After they leave, Antonio comes out of hiding.
At the diner, Andy hopes that Carlotta knows she'll do everything she can to help Antonio, but he's not making it easy by avoiding arrest. Andy's not even on the case, Bo and Hank won't assign her to it, but maybe she can work on it when she's off duty. The first thing they have to do is find Antonio and convince him to turn himself in. Carlotta has no idea where he is, she'll call everyone she knows and see if anyone has spotted him. Dylan thinks they should look at all the possibilities. Antonio did hate Hesser, he showed it down in North Carolina and especially after Carlo hit Andy. "Could Antonio have killed Hesser?", Dylan asks.
Andy can't believe all the tough breaks Antonio has had. He should be a lawyer right now, he studied for it while in jail for a crime he didn't commit. When Dylan reminds her Antonio did kill someone, she tells Dylan that it was only in self-defense. Dylan hasn't seen all the evidence, but Andy has, and he wants to know what Andy thinks. Andy doesn't believe that Antonio killed Carlo Hesser, even if the two of them got in a fight. Then why did Antonio run, Dylan wonders. Carlotta comes back to the table after calling everyone she knows, but nobody has seen or heard from Antonio. Andy leaves to go canvas the neighborhood and talk to her contacts. They're going to find Antonio and straighten this out, she assures Carlotta.
Cristian comes back from taking Jessica to catch a cab and the candles he blew out before are lit again. He stares at them, then looks around and finally sees Antonio. Everyone is looking for you, Cristian tells him. Antonio ask Cristian to look after their mother while he's gone for a while. Cristian needs to be strong for his mother. They hug.
BLAIR AND TODD
Todd, who has found Blair in his apartment, asks what she is doing there. Blair wonders what happened to Todd's face, but all Todd tells her is that "some loser sucker-punched me." Blair claims she came by to pick up her lavender winter coat. Todd wonders if Blair's lawyer sent her to look through his closets and find some skeletons. Blair tells him she doesn't have to find any skeletons, no judge in their right mind would give him custody. Blair pretends to have cramps again and sends Todd to get her a glass of water. While he's gone, she sets up the tape recorder in her purse.
Blair, now lying on the couch, drinks the water that Todd brings her. Blair understands that Todd must hate her, that's why he's trying to take Starr away and prove to the world what a terrible mother Blair is. Blair doesn't believe that Todd really thinks she's a bad mother and tries to get him to admit it. It would mean a lot if Todd told her she's a good mother, Blair says, no matter what he tells the judge later. After arguing for a while about Blair's 'rug burns' from sleeping with Patrick and Todd stealing Starr, Todd finally admits that he thinks Blair is a good mother. I'm the only monster, Todd says, and you should keep that sweet little baby away from me. Todd tells her to go get her coat, "before I decided to testify in your behalf at the custody hearing." Blair heads upstairs to get her coat.
Todd is opening his mail when Blair comes back downstairs, unable to find her fictional coat. She claims she must have left it in winter storage. Todd picks up her coat and holds it for her while she puts it on. Todd picks up her purse to hand it to her, but it opens and the tape recorder falls out. She tries to hide it, but he grabs it. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?", he says.