Summer Lovin': What Might Have Been
It's the official first day of summer! Since we counted down the best of the evil last year with the Summer of Sinners, we thought it only fair to spread a little love this time around. So today we kick off the Summer Lovin' blog series with a list of dream couples that never actually made it to couple-dom but sure should have! Spend some time thinking of what might have been if only...

Carly Manning and Philip Kiriakis

When Carly returned in 2009, she had a delicious cougar vibe about her. Rather than have her romantically involved with Bo again, we'd have liked to see her go for the younger Kiriakis brother and have a fling with Philip! Nothing long-term, of course. But they would have put the "hot" in "hot second." Just don't ask Victor's opinion on this potential pairing unless you want to hear a string of not safe for work four-letter words.

Faye Walker and Roman Brady

Let's be honest here, we could put virtually anyone with "and Roman," and we'd all nod in agreement because it's been way too long for him. In fact, he's welcomed four of his five grandchildren into the world since his last ladylove. But he really would have found a kindred spirit in fellow hard-luck kid Faye Walker. We know that she has a thing for cops. And it would have been a great storyline for Roman to investigate her death, which came at the hands of a DiMera pawn.

Arianna Hernandez and Lucas Horton

This really should have been a ground ball for DAYS. This adorable pair of reformed baddies seemed like an obvious choice for a fun, scheme-friendly duo. We can just picture the sarcastic banter and competitive one-ups that would have made these ex-police informants a joy to watch. Oh, and if this had happened, it would have meant that Arianna would still be alive, and we want that oh-so-very much.

Island girl and Tony DiMera

DAYS whipped up DiMera offspring via far less believable means in the past. This is one situation we'd actually buy. Because we refuse to believe that suave, sophisticated ladies' man Tony DiMera was on that island for 20 years, and not a single gal offered him, uh, company. Nope. We've heard his accent. There's no way.

Theresa Donovan and Nick Fallon

It was an absolute fail to pair back-from-the-dead Nick with Gabi again. Not only did they have to dumb Gabi down even more (a feat the really defies all laws of science and logic) to make the storyline work, but the same revenge storyline would have been entirely possible if Nick went about his blackmail with Theresa by his side. They could have bonded over being the black sheep of their respective families. Plus, there would be no reason to expect that she wouldn't call Nick out on/be turned on by his crazy.

Marlena Evans and Abe Carver

Commander Carver and Doc Evans are both sophisticated Salemites. Add in their long history as friends and her penchant for crime fighters, and this could be a marvelous, mature couple. Granted, there would be lots of built-in drama. Abe's short list of best friends includes two of Marlena's exes, Roman and John, as well as the fact his former father-in-law was obsessed with her, but, hey, it's a soap -- we need drama! Plus, we know Marlena is pretty good with stepchildren. Just ask Carrie and Brady. Um, just don't ask Sami, as that's a can of bitter whoop ass better left unopened.

Chelsea Brady and Chad DiMera

We could start with the obvious -- Chelsea had a hankering for the tall, slender, handsome type. But there's more! Bo's sassy, sarcastic former swamp baby and Stefano's sly-smiled, hipster with a heart of gold son might have been their generation's EJami. The pairing would create more drama than telling Sami that Kate called her a bitch. In addition to the entire Brady/DiMera pairing, which always spells trouble, before Abigail was besties with, well, anyone in her age range after Chelsea left for London, Chelsea was her best boo. Yep, drama there, too!

Renée DuMonde and Victor Kiriakis

We love Magic, don't get us wrong, but could you imagine the impact Stefano's (not as dead as it turned out) gold-digging daughter Renée and mega-bazillionaire Victor would make!? Renée wanted to be loved more than anything, and we know that deep down under all the sarcasm and snark, Victor has a teddy bear of a heart. This could definitely be a power couple with spades of humor.

Billie Reed and Tek Kramer

It wouldn't have been the worst thing in the world for Tek to turn his attention toward a gal who wasn't so...what's the word?...oh yah, married as Lexie was. And who better than fellow "other woman" Billie Reed? She's smart and a little rebellious, and together, these two could have been the hottest crime-fighting duo since Fred and Daphne.

Nicole Walker and Jack Deveraux

Either time they were on the show together would have been great, but this second time -- when we were already knee- deep in Dannifer, it would have been nice to see Jack have a romantic option as well. We think these two schemers could bond over their "Lie for the greater good!" mantra. Plus, it would have given a lot more credence to Jennifer's quest to save Daniel from Nicole if Jen and Nicole had a believable beef before.

And that's just the main characters! We would have loved to see Chelsea Brady and her hot coworker, Mark, take a spin? Or what if Ava Vitali stayed around to drink with Pete the bartender at the pub? Let us know who you always thought needed a twirl on the dance floor. You can leave a comment below, hit us up on Twitter (@Tony_S_Days or @LaurisaDays), or check out our regular DAYS Two Scoops column!

What are your top lovers that might have been? We'd like to hear your choices, so drop us a note in the Comments area below, or you can also click here to submit feedback.