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05/05/1999 The "Sounds of Salsa" Opening




"The homecare nurse's walkout stifled Mateo's plans to attend the grand opening of Sounds of Salsa. He took to the phone to try to get the agency to send over a replacement, but his demands went unmet. Hayley phoned Matt to ask him why he hadn't made it to the club. Mateo explained his predicament, but mixed the bad news with a little good news. He informed Hayley that Raquel had signed the divorce papers. Raquel understood the importance of the club's grand opening. She urged Mateo to take Max to the club, saying that she'd be fine by herself and that Max would "have a ball" at the club.

Erica decided to skip the grand opening of Sounds of Salsa. The opening, however, was still very much on her mind. As a gesture of friendship and good wishes, Erica sent a bouquet of orchids and birds of paradise to the club. Vanessa entered the parlor area adjusting her earrings. Erica was surprised to see Vanessa dressed up and asked her if she had plans for the evening. Vanessa smiled proudly and announced that she was going to attend the opening of SOS. "Why don't you come with me?" Vanessa asked her host. Erica rose from her chair and walked across the room. She took several sips of water before agreeing that it might be beneficial to get out amongst the crowds. For the moment, Erica seemed to forget about her fears regarding her appearance. Those fears returned when Vanessa muttered that she and Erica's other friends could "run interference" if anyone made comments about her face. Suddenly the idea of attending the fete seemed less therapeutic. Claiming that she was suffering from a bad case of jet lag, Erica told Vanessa that she was going to remain at home. With a big smile, Vanessa promised to fill Erica in on everything that she missed when she returned home.

Considering the tropical theme of SOS, it didn't seem odd for the guests to be dressed in Latin-flavored clothing. Opal, however, took that idea and ran with it, dressing up in a mock-up outfit of Carmen Miranda. Dimitri praised Opal's originality as he told her that he'd been unable to dig up any dirt on Vanessa Bennett. Opal suggested that they consult a witch doctor to get rid of Vanessa because, in Opal's words, "Vanessa Bennett is a curse." Trevor and Janet approached the bar and danced in place as they waited for their drinks to be served. At a nearby table, Jake, Tad, and Dixie chatted about the club and current events. "Why do I suddenly crave a fruit salad," Tad laughed upon seeing Opal's outfit. Dixie jabbed him with her elbow and proceeded to tell Opal that she didn't know of many women who could pull off the get-up the way she had. Adrian and Belinda entered the club arm-in-arm. From across the room they both noticed Opal's sizeable headpiece and burst into laughter. Adrian shook his head as he and Belinda walked towards the group's table. While the club was packed, Hayley couldn't help but notice that no one was dancing. Ryan likened the grand opening to a wedding, suggesting that everyone might be waiting for "the bride and groom" to have the first dance. That wasn't really an option as this point because Mateo was still with Raquel. Hayley asked Ryan if he could dance salsa or merengue. Ryan nodded and Hayley's face lit up. She raced across the floor to the microphone. The club silenced as Hayley announced that the dance floor was ready for its inaugural dance. Hayley told the crowd that "Mr. Hubba-hubba" would be the male lead. Ryan appeared by Hayley's side and took her hand. He had obviously assumed that he'd be dancing with Hayley, but that was not going to be the case because Hayley was saving the first dance for Mateo. Instead, his dance partner would be "Mrs. Ooh-la-la." Ordinarily, she just goes by the name Princess Gillian. There was noticeable reluctance on both Ryan and Gillian's part, but they did agree to dance---for the club's sake. They moved effortlessly about the dance floor, passionate dripping from their bodies. At the conclusion of their dance, again they both claimed that they'd only agreed to dance because it was for the good of the club. Hayley proudly announced that they had a very special guest on hand to make the grand opening even more festive---Tito Nieves. The singer took to the stage and sang his hit song, "I Like It Like That." No one was immune from the hot beats of the track; Brooke and Jack danced in a far corner of the club and Tad clowned whimsically at his table. At the conclusion of the performance, Ryan approached Gillian and asked if she would mind another dance. Gillian had been awed by Ryan's dancing skills. In fact, she had no idea that he even knew how to dance. Before the couple could hit the dance floor again, a waiter approached and told Ryan that a patron wanted to know more about renting the club for a wedding. Hayley showed off the flowers that Erica had sent. While the flowers were very beautiful, Hayley was disappointed that Erica was not able to attend. Janet and Jack took turns explaining that Erica wasn't much in the mood for public appearances since the accident. Brooke, who had been a part of the crowd, quietly stepped away and headed for the door.

Bianca and Erica talked briefly on the phone. From the conversation, it appeared that Bianca was still very worried about her mother. Erica claimed that she was spending a quiet night at home. "You know how sleepy Pine Valley can be," Erica teased. "They practically roll up the sidewalks at dusk." The conversation ended and Erica sat down to review some files. An unanticipated knock sounded on the door. Erica left her work and answered the door. She was equally surprised by who was standing on the porch---Brooke. Erica wasn't pleased to see her sometimes nemesis. Rather than being polite, Erica asked sassily if Brooke had dropped by to use the phone because her car had broken down. Brooke let the remark slide and invited herself into Erica's house. Brooke told Erica that it was very nice to send flowers to SOS. She added that Hayley was disappointed that she was unable to put in a personal appearance. Erica stuck to her story that she was suffering from jet lag. Brooke didn't by the excuse because it didn't look like Erica had any intention of going to sleep any time soon. Brooke accused Erica of turning her house , into a self-imposed prison. Cowardice, she said, was the real reason that Erica didn't want to attend the grand opening of SOS. Erica lashed out at Brooke for being insensitive. She told Brooke that she had no idea how she was feeling. Brooke agreed, but said that she's experienced more than her fair share of lonely nights and wanting to crawl into bed and disappear. Brooke urged Erica to run upstairs and get "dressed to the nines" so that she could join her friends at the club. Erica turned her back to Brooke and started to sob. Thinking that she hadn't reached Erica, Brooke turned around and left. Erica lingered in the parlor for a short time before going upstairs and preparing to go out. As she returned downstairs, she stopped in front of a mirror and looked at her face.

David told Liza that he had to clear the baby's air passage. For Liza it must have seemed like hours had gone by before the tiny new life issued its first wail. David asked Adam if he wanted to cut the umbilical cord. Adam was taken by surprised, but gladly accepted the "challenge." David bundled Colby in a blue blanket and handed her to Liza. Adam gently kissed Liza on the cheek and then kissed the baby's forehead. In the background, David sat in a chair and smiled contentedly. Because the baby was born early and in a less than sterile environment, David suggested that Liza travel to the hospital to get checked out. Adam concurred and headed outside to see if he could get his cellular phone to work. While Adam was gone, Liza thanked David for saving her baby's life. For that, she said, she would always be grateful. When Adam returned, he stated that the ambulance was en route to the cabin via another bridge a few miles up the road. Adam thanked David for helping out. Adam pulled David aside and told him that he was glad that he hadn't spilled the beans about the baby's real father. Adam, however, had jumped to an incorrect conclusion. David explained that his first concern is his patient's health. Once he was certain that Liza and the baby were going to be okay, "all bets are off."

Vanessa arrived at the club and received several curious glances from Janet. Mateo phoned Hayley and told her that he was still having some problems getting to the club. The phone call took a curious turn when Mateo told Hayley that she looked beautiful. Hayley spun around and realized that Mateo was calling from across the club. The couple walked towards each other before meeting up on the dance floor. Isabella had dropped by the club and upon learning that Mateo was having troubles at Raquel's immediately sped to the rescue. Trevor asked Gillian if she still wanted to have him draw up divorce papers. He figured that the steamy dance she and Ryan had shared signaled a reunion. Gillian shook her head and told Trevor to move forward with the divorce process. Opal rose from her seat and headed to the dance floor. There, she broke into spontaneous salsa dancing with not one, but five men. She had attached herself to one gentleman and the other four were in a conga-like formation behind him. The men took turns spinning Opal around before hoisting her into the air and twirling her about. Ryan walked over to Gillian and asked if she wanted to have that second dance they'd talked about. Gillian nodded, but told Ryan that she needed some air first. The pair walked outside to the back alley so that they could talk. Gillian told Ryan that she had something important to tell him. Before that, she said that there was something she needed to do---something that would undoubtedly upset Ryan. Without warning, Gillian grabbed Ryan and pulled him closer so that she could give him a kiss."

- Soap Central