Nick wonders why Bridget is acting insecure.

On the Shady Marlin, Nick is on the phone while Bridget, wearing one of Nick's shirts, makes pancakes. Nick goes from one call about Marone's shipping routes to another from Massimo. As Nick explains to Mass that he postponed a meeting to take Hope fishing, Bridget brings him some pancakes and offers some syrup. Nick mouths, "thank you," so Bridget opens the syrup bottle with her teeth - and starts to squirt syrup on his mouth and shoulders. As Nick goes ahead with his call, Bridget licks the syrup from his body; rather than trying to continue, Nick squeaks "bye" and hangs up. Before long, the breakfast dishes and Nick's work folders are on the floor, and Nick and Bridget are in bed making love. Lying under the covers with Nick, Bridget tells him how sexy it is to hear him at work, Nick says it's a gift. One of many, she purrs. Still, she says, kissing him, she's felt a bit ignored lately. Nick admits he's been spread thin, but that's no excuse for not moving on their wedding. He thinks they should get going, but Bridget suggests that they not rush things. Nick wonders where this is coming from: is she trying to give him an out? Or has she changed her mind about getting married?

Bridget says she just wants to make sure the time is right for him, since he's been pulled in so many directions. He has his work, plus she knows that her mom, Hope and RJ are his top priority right now. He reminds her that Brooke and the kids are family - *THEIR* family, he stresses - but even if they are a priority for now, that doesn't mean that she's not first in his heart. He wonders if his mother or Stephanie said something to her to bring on these insecurities. Actually, she says she started thinking about this after having lunch with an old friend, Dante Damiano. Oh, yes, Nick quips, the liar who claimed to not know Taylor when they met at his pop's house. Bridget asks if he knew that she had met Dante before. Yes, Nick says, he did - and even if Dante was able to show her around Rome, he doesn't think the artist has any right to judge their relationship. Bridget tells him that she and Dante were close, so his hearing about her engagement was a red flag. Like Dante's lies about Taylor were a red flag for him, Nick says. Besides, he thought Dante was leaving town. Bridget tells him that Dante decided to stay, and Nick is sure he knows why. In a mock Italian accent, he tells Bridget that he has to feel the essence of her body, he takes her in his arms and throws her down on the bed. Bridget laughs that she gets it, while Nick continues to talk with the accent about how wonderful she is and kisses her.

Massimo tells Stephanie that he shouldn't intervene in Ridge's decision.

At the Forrester mansion, Stephanie tries to keep a doting Thorne and Darla from fussing over her. She hopes she doesn't have as hard a time getting them to let up as she did sending Eric to work this morning. As Stephanie leans on her cane and walks to the sofa, she says that people only get fussed over when they're getting married or dying, and she's not doing either. Thorne says that they just want to make sure she's OK. Just then, Massimo drops by to see the "Queen of the Ball," so Thorne and Darla leave so Stephanie can spend time with her old friend. Mass tells Stephanie how lucky she is. The hard part, she says, is being fussed over by her family. She says that she was inspired by how hard he fought to get well after his stroke. Mass is glad he could help. Stephanie says that she needs his help with one more thing: she needs him to talk to Ridge, to assure him that he made the right decision. Mass isn't sure he can; after all, this was Ridge's decision, and he can't help but think about how Ridge will miss out on seeing RJ grow up given how he didn't have the chance to know Ridge or Dominick while they grew up. Children want their parents together, he says; in fact, Dominick would still love to see his parents reconcile.

Stephanie says they he can't be serious: is he saying that he'd get back with Jackie to satisfy his grown-up son? She thinks he'd be better off with a black widow! Mass says that he's tried to forget Jacqueline, but it's not so easy. Stephanie thinks he should put his needs first and find someone who can really make him happy, someone who deserves him. Mass laughs that she's the only one who comes close, and she's married. She thinks he should be careful about that, given how Eric feels about her these days. She wants Mass to know that she's serious: she is sure Jackie will cause him nothing but heartache, and she won't stand by and watch that happen!

Jackie talks to Brooke about Stephanie.

Jackie invites Brooke to her penthouse, so Brooke drops by. She tells Jackie that she feels so lost, because she keeps asking herself if what she and Ridge shared was real. Jackie tells Brooke to lean on her, as she's always thought of Brooke as a daughter. Brooke hopes she's not starting up her campaign to reunite her and Nick; she doesn't want to talk about Nick right now. Jackie says that Nick and Bridget aren't rushing into marriage anymore, as she's asked of them, so she's fine not talking about her son. Actually, what she wants to talk about is Stephanie. She talks about how much she and Brooke have in common, especially the fact that Stephanie has branded them both with big scarlet letters. She thinks that something has to be done about that. But what can they do, Brooke asks, especially when Stephanie always has the upper hand. That could change, Jackie says: she thinks there's a reason that Stephanie has not had Brooke arrested for trying to kill her, and she suspects it's because Stephanie faked her heart attack. Brooke says she thought that, until she saw Stephanie nearly die. Another award winning performance by Stephanie, Jackie says, one that even fooled Brooke. She's totally convinced that Stephanie staged her whole heart attack!

Brooke is surprised by what Jackie suggests.

Brooke can't believe that a doctor like Mark Maclaine would risk his reputation and the hospital's that way. Jackie thinks that everyone has a price, and Stephanie would pay any price to get what she thought was best for Ridge. All it would take, Jackie speculates is one young, respected doctor, say one with a pile of med school bills to pay off and a new apartment here at Century View Towers. Brooke can't believe that Mark can afford to live here. Before they can say any more, the doorbell rings. Jackie says she is only expecting Dr. Mark, so she sends Brooke to the other room just in case. She then stops by the door and opens her blouse to show more cleavage before opening the door.

Mark gets an eyeful when he drops by to see Jackie.

Sure enough, Mark is at the door. Jackie says he's early. He says that he knows she invited him for dinner, but things were slow at the hospital and he decided to stop by. And here he is, Jackie purrs, delicious. As Brooke listens from the other room, Mark says, "Mrs. Marone." She tells him to call him Jacqueline, or Jackie, if he prefers. In that case, he says, he's Mark. Yes he is, she purrs. Mark backs away and suggests they do this another night, but she isn't letting him cancel. What about her husband? Mark asks. She tells him that they're separated, trying to draw attention to her cleavage as she asks him not to disappoint her. Mark relents, so Jackie tells him that she'll see him at 6 and shows him out. Once he's gone, she buttons her blouse and calls to Brooke, who asks Jackie what she's up to. Jackie explains that she wants Mark to tell her just what's going on at that hospital, so they can prove to the world what a fanged werewolf Stephanie is. Even if Mark's involved, Brooke can't see him risking his career by revealing what he did. Jackie thinks that Mark is smart enough not to cave in, and she bets Stephanie will soon be making more donations to the hospital for the fine work Mark does. Then Mark will be a hero to Stephanie and to the hospital as one of L.A.'s rising stars. She then tells Brooke that Ridge didn't choose her or Taylor: he chose his mother, to make her happy, and she fears that Massimo might do the same.