It's Melador's first day of business, and Blair is in her office looking at a mock-up for a print ad that Robynn and Oscar have designed. She studies it carefully as they wait and look at her expectantly.

Blair: It speaks to me.
Robynn: What does it say?
Blair: (unenthused) Lipstick. And nail polish.

Though Robynn clearly senses the problem, Oscar hasn't gotten it yet.

Oscar: That's good -- isn't it? I mean, that is what we're selling here -- lipstick and nail polish.
Blair: No, Oscar, what we are selling here is illusion.

Blair sets the mock-up down on the table.

Robynn: (to Oscar) She hates it.
Blair: No, I don't -- I don't hate it. Really. It's a good beginning. (she looks at the mock-up) It has style, attitude -- that's all there, but --
Robynn: (studying the mock-up) Something isn't there?

Blair walks over to a red pillar in the room.

Blair: Red.
Oscar: Red? But the lipstick is red -- the nail polish is red.
Blair: Oscar, do you know how many shades of red there are in the world?
Oscar: Well, actually --
Blair: Thousands. And I've seen them -- almost all of them -- at the cosmetics department at Logan's department store. So have half of the women in Llanview -- multiply that by half the other women in America! Now, if we are going to take Melador and make it the strongest cosmetic firm ever, then we have to come up with a -- a red that is as bold and as passionate as --
Robynn: As you are!
Blair: Yes. No more cutesy presentation, all right? Robynn, Oscar, whatever concept, whatever idea that you have in your head right now of red, I want you to throw it out.

They nod, and Blair comes closer to Oscar as she continues her thought.

Blair: Of red, I want you to think... (she seductively puts her arms around Oscar's neck) Desire...decadence. Think --
Oscar: (enthralled) Danger?
Robynn: Grace Kelly's lips in, uh, Rear Window.
Blair: Yes. That's it.
Oscar: The blood on Sissy Spacek's face in Carrie!

Blair makes a face and slowly removes her hands from Oscar's shoulders.

Blair: No, Oscar, I don't think we're talking about that red, all right?
Oscar: Oh.
Blair: Wait a minute! Maybe you are on the right track! Yes! Go with it! It's life-giving, blood red, passionate! Great idea! Go back to the lab, and don't be afraid! Just come up with the perfect, perfect red!

Blair kisses his cheek, leaving her lipstick there.

Blair: Well, not that red. (she wipes the lipstick off) Thank you, Oscar!

Oscar runs out of the room, while Blair and Robynn smile at each other.

--end scene--

(Editor's Note: It's possible that there is a scene missing between the previous scene and this scene; when this episode originally aired, it was interrupted with a news bulletin, and the T&B edit I'm consulting for the transcript looks like it was cut together from different tapes. When this scene begins, Blair already knows Cord is at the door, and as you'll see below, he's about to make a reference to overhearing her talk with Robynn, which is what makes me think there's a scene missing from the edit.)

When the scene returns, Blair is alone in her office, studying a new ad mock-up, when Cord comes through the door, startling her.

Blair: How long have you been standing, watching?
Robynn: Too long for a part owner of Serenity Springs.
Cord: I'm not here to spy, if that's what you're worried about.
Robynn: Nice try, Mr. Roberts, but I know the beauty biz. It's dog-eat-dog.
Blair: Uh, Robynn, I can vouch for the gentleman.
Cord: Thank you. And to answer your question, I've been here long enough to see that you're on the right track. Your ideas are terrific, Blair. If you keep going with your instincts, then, there'll be no stopping you.
Blair: Well, I'm glad that you think so. So, if you're not here to do some spying, what are you here for?

--end scene--

Cord: It's personal, so if you don't mind, I'd like to have a minute of your time.
Blair: Uh, Robynn, we're finished with this little meeting right now, aren't we?
Robynn: What?

Blair gives Robynn a look.

Robynn: Uh, yes --
Blair: Good.
Robynn: For now.

Robynn loads up the portfolio of ad mock-ups and then heads out the door, casting a suspicious look at Cord as she does so.

Once she's gone, Cord looks around the room.

Cord: Wow, look at this place. It's very, uh, very sharp, very sleek....

As Cord speaks, he steps closer and closer to Blair.

Cord: Very you. Quite a lot has changed since the last time I was here.
Blair: (nodding) Yes, there have been a lot of changes.
Cord: Yeah. But you're still following your dream. You're making it all happen, Blair. That's great.

They share a meaningful look, and there's a moment of tension that Blair quickly breaks by stepping away from him and heading over to lean against her desk.

Blair: I'll get there. (she chuckles nervously) One step at a time.
Cord: (laughing in disbelief) Well, looks to me like you've taken a couple giant steps while you were at it.
Blair: Look, Cord, if -- if this is a criticism, then I just --
Cord: No, no, no. That was a compliment. (he turns her head toward him) Really.
Blair: You know, I don't understand. If, um, you're not here to do a little corporate stealing -- this is personal? What is it, Cord?

Cord stares at her but says nothing.

--end scene--

When the scene returns, there's a little bit of replay from the last episode with Blair asking Cord why he's come if not to steal corporate secrets.

Cord: No, it's personal, as I said.
Blair: That covers a lot of sins.
Cord: It's about Luna.
Blair: (worried) What about her? You said before that she was all right -- and the babies --
Cord: (reassuringly) She's fine! Luna is fine, and so are the twins. That's what I came here to tell you about -- that Max brought Luna home from the hospital today.
Blair: Oh, my goodness!
Cord: Yeah. I just figured you'd be worried about them and you'd want to know how they were doing, and everyone and everything is fine. Look, Blair, nobody blames you for what happened. So, please, don't blame yourself. Well, look, um, I'm gonna let you get back to your work, okay?

Cord heads toward the door, but Blair stops him.

Blair: Cord, wait. Thank you for thinking of me. You know, you could have called -- the phones are hooked up now -- but you didn't. Why?

--end scene--

When the scene returns, Cord is in the process of explaining to Blair why he came to see her.

Cord: You were there when Luna collapsed, that you'd want to hear about it --
Blair: Are you sure you're not blaming me?
Cord: You don't believe me?
Blair: I'm sorry. I -- I guess I'm just feeling a little bit guilty. I mean, I went to talk to her about business, she went ballistic on me, she started yelling, and then she collapsed. If anything had happened to Luna or those babies, I mean -- (she touches her belly) Now that I'm carrying my own baby, I -- want Luna to know that I would never want anything like that to happen.
Cord: She knows that, Blair. Max knows it, too.
Blair: Well, if she does, and if they do, it's because you told them, and you didn't have to do that.
Cord: I just say what I think -- that's all.
Blair: No, no, no. You could have sided with Max and laid all the blame on me.
Cord: Why would I want to do something like that? Look, Max was out of his mind -- he was worried about Luna -- he was worried about the twins. Once he and Luna had a chance to think about it, they knew it wasn't your fault.
Blair: (laughing lightly in disbelief) You haven't changed, have you? I mean, after everything that's gone wrong between us, you are still just so nice.
Cord: (teasingly) Do you want me to be mean? I can be mean!
Blair: No!
Cord: I'll be mean!
Blair: No, I don't want you to be mean. I just know that I'll be running into you a lot around town. I -- I like the way that you are.

They stare at each other intensely.

Cord: Well, look, I better -- I better go. Your marketing director already thinks I'm some kind of a corporate spy.
Blair: (laughing) Oh, Robynn, she just -- she just doesn't know you the way that I know you. She probably thinks that you're just all business. She doesn't realize that you --

Blair suddenly stops talking, and the mood turns awkward.

Blair: I'm sorry. Sorry.
Cord: I better go.

Cord heads toward the door.

Blair: Cord --
Cord: Yeah?
Blair: Do you think that we could ever be friends again?

Cord looks at Blair but says nothing.

--end scene--

Blair: I'll save you your trouble. Your answer's no.
Cord: No, I didn't say that.
Blair: No, really, really, Cord, it's okay. It's silly of me to think that you and I could be friends and -- especially when we're missing a key ingredient.
Cord: Trust.
Blair: Trust. I mean, we could argue 'till we're blue in the face about who did what to whom. But somewhere along the line, somehow I -- I lost faith in you.
Cord: Look, Blair, I remember hearing someplace that when you go broke, it starts slowly at first, and it gets real fast at the end. Maybe that's what happened when -- when things started to fall apart between us. Whatever happened between us, there's no point in us going to war every time we see each other around town.
Blair: A truce, then?
Cord: Truce.

Blair and Cord shake hands. Blair is overcome by emotion as she keeps holding on to his hand.

Blair: For the record, I wouldn't take back one second of the time that we had together.
Cord: For the record, neither would I.

Blair smiles softly at him, and Cord smiles back at her before breaking the the tension by looking around the room and changing the subject.

Cord: You know, if I were your friend, I -- I would tell you how much I admire you for everything you've done around here, Blair. This place looks great.

As Cord is speaking, Blair, turned away from him, raises the hand he'd just held to her mouth. Now, she turns back around to face him, her composure regained.

Blair: Thank you, Cord. I've -- I've had a lot of help around here, especially --
Cord: (quickly) From your husband? Yeah, that's what husbands are good for, right?
Blair: You know, if someone had told me six months ago that I'd be married with a -- a baby on the way, launching Melador, I -- I guess I'm not the loser after all, huh?
Cord: You never were a loser, Blair. You just needed a chance to show your true colors -- that's all.
Blair: (holding back tears) Well, you believed in me, Cord, before anyone else, before I even believed in myself.

Cord makes a show of looking around the room, as if imagining that someone is listening. Then he comes a bit closer to Blair, as if to tell her a secret.

Cord: (whispering) I still do. (in his normal voice) You take care of yourself, you hear?
Blair: I will. And you take very good care of yourself -- you hear?

They stare at each other a moment longer before Cord once again heads for the door.

Blair: Cord?

Cord stops, though he keeps his back turned to Blair. When she speaks again, she is still very obviously holding back tears.

Blair: If I was your friend, I'd say thank you very much -- for everything.

Now, Cord turns back around to look at Blair. He smiles at her, tightly, as if he is also struggling with emotion. Then he quickly leaves. Blair rushes over to the door to watch him depart, but this time she doesn't stop him.

--end transcript--