Friday, June 02, 2006, Episode #4821

Dante seems distant toward Felicia.

Dante enters his studio and finds a sheet-clad Felicia ready to pose for him again; he has a deadline, she reminds him, so they better get to work. Dante seems distant. Felicia asks if he's mad about what she said to Bridget the other night. He says she didn't have to say anything, but she thinks someone had to say something, since Bridget's had him on hold for months. Not anymore, he angrily replies, since it's over. He doesn't want to talk about it, so he tells her to drop the sheet so they can get to work. Once they start, Felicia asks Dante to forgive her for speaking her mind. He says there's nothing to forgive, but she goes on, lamenting the fact that Bridget seems to still have feelings for Nick. Annoyed, Dante decides to take a break and leaves Felicia alone in the studio.

Felicia and Christian get caught together.

Felicia is looking out the window, thinking, when she feels a hand on her shoulder. She turns and sees Christian, who says that he called her house and found out she was here from Renee. He compliments on her "outfit." She explains that she's posing for Dante's upcoming exhibition. Christian says that he came to invite her to lunch, as friends. She replies that she's not hungry - for food. Then what is she hungry for? he asks. She replies by pulling him next to her on the couch and kissing him passionately. Christian pulls away; he admits he's enjoying this, but he wonders about her sudden change of heart. She replies by pulling him back into another steamy kiss, just as Dante returns and orders Christian to get his hands off her!

Jackie suggests that Nick stop asking her questions and check on Brooke.

Jackie stops by Nick's office, where he tells her about how Brooke is now the majority stockholder at Forrester and is firing the Forresters as they speak. Jackie wonders if Brooke can do it. Brooke knows it's the right thing to do, he assures her. Getting that extra 2% of stock was quite a coup, Jackie comments. Nick tells her that it was Stephen's idea. Jackie admires Stephen trying to make things up to Brooke and says that he's quite amazing. Nick picks up on that and asks his mother why she finds Stephen so :amazing." Jackie ducks the question by saying that the idea of Forrester without Forresters is amazing, but Nick points out that fashion houses change hands every day. When someone dies, Jackie says. Or when they're fired, Nick adds. He feels like Brooke is drowning in quicksand, and every time he tries to pull her out, the Forresters pull her back. He just wishes Brooke would once take his hand. Jackie suggests he check on Brooke. She should have been back, Nick says, checking his watch. Jackie asks if Stephen is with Brooke. "Don't you mean 'Mr. Amazing'?" he asks. Jackie tells him again to check on Brooke.

Stephanie makes a plea to Brooke.

In the Forrester CEO's office, Eric, Stephanie and Ridge are still in shock that Brooke is using the stock Nick and Stephen got from Taylor to fire them. Brooke says she's sorry. She didn't want it this way. Then why is she letting Nick and her father force her to do something she doesn't want? Ridge asks. Brooke says that this is important to her and Nick's future. Eric and Stephanie can't believe she is ruining their livelihood because Nick is insecure. Brooke says she has no choice, but Stephanie says they all have choices, like the one she made to accept Brooke. Ridge asks Brooke not to let Nick and Stephen use her to get revenge. It's not revenge, Brooke says, explaining that Nick fears it's only a matter of time before Stephanie turns on her again. Stephanie asks Brooke what she thinks, pointing to all her attempts to make amends. She almost lost her son because of her stubbornness about Brooke, she points out. Brooke says she doesn't want to be tolerated. Of course not, Stephanie says, stating that Brooke wants, and deserves, to be loved and respected. She knows Brooke is a strong woman who can make up her own mind, so she is going to trust Brooke to do the right thing and forget Nick and Stephen's plan. Taking Brooke in her arms, she says that Brooke is family and hopes Brooke knows and understands that.

Stephen stops by to see Taylor.

Stephen stops by the Bel Air mansion to get his watch, which he left last night. As Taylor lets him in, he sees the flowers he sent. Taylor says that he didn't have to do that. Too much? he asks. She says that she's not sure... How Brooke's father wound up in bed with Ridge's ex-wife? he asks. He tells her to get it out of her head. She doesn't know if she can. He points out that she wasn't "in her head" last night. And that's the problem, she says. Stephen says that she's a special woman. And he's a charming man, she responds. Who doesn't know what time it is, he reminds her. She sends him to get his watch from the bedroom. Once he's upstairs, the doorbell rings; Taylor answers and faces an angry Stephanie, who fumes at Taylor's destroying their friendship by selling that stock to Brooke! Taylor says she sold it to Brooke's father, because she wanted to be free of the Forresters. Stephanie tells her that she's given Brooke control of the company now. Taylor's sure that's not an issue with the love-fest at Forrester lately. Stephanie informs her that Brooke just fired them all! She bets Taylor knew Brooke would do that and sold Brooke the stock to get Brooke to do her dirty work.

Taylor isn't pleased by Stephanie's allegations.

Taylor tells Stephanie she wanted, and still wants to get out. Stephanie recalls that Taylor was ready to return the stock to her and asks what changed her mind. "You slapped me," Taylor replies. Stephanie says Taylor is lucky she didn't kill her after what Taylor said. Now that's a sign of friendship, Taylor retorts; she points out that any normal person would react like she did after being humiliated and degraded as she was. Stephanie suggests that Taylor's drinking is worse than she thought. Taylor orders Stephanie out, just as Stephen comes down and asks what's going on. Stephanie was just leaving, Taylor replies. Stephanie asks why Stephen is there. When Taylor says she doesn't have to answer, Stephanie puts it together and is stunned that Taylor would stoop so low as to be with Brooke's father. Stephen tells Stephanie that it's time for her to leave; she warns that he'll regret it if he touches her, but Stephen says that she doesn't have that kind of power over him anymore. She quips that Beth might have found him interesting if he showed this passion while courting Beth. Stephen replies that he, Jackie, Nick and Taylor have all been abused and manipulated by Stephanie, but those days are over. Stephanie laughs at his campaign to get them all to join his little team. It didn't take much convincing, Stephen responds. Stephanie asks if they were all as vulnerable as Taylor. Taylor says, "That's it!" as Stephen asks what Stephanie is implying. Stephanie replies, "You've taken advantage of her, you sneaky son-of-a-bitch."

Ridge asks Brooke if she really wants to fire him and his family.

Ridge is alone with Brooke at Forrester, asking if her firing his family is part of some plan to pay him back for the mistakes he made. She asks if that's what he thinks. What he thinks, he replies, is that this isn't her at all. She says she doesn't want to punish him, but he thinks she doesn't even want to do this. He thinks she's taking orders from Nick and wants to know why, She asks him to see it from Nick's point of view. He says that Nick fears what the two of them share. She tells him that she loves and wants to marry Nick. Ridge asks if she wants to spend the rest of her life with an angry, vindictive control freak. Brooke says that's not what Nick is. Ridge responds that she's always loved his family; Nick can't accept that and is doing this as an excuse to keep her away from him. "He knows I didn't rape you," Ridge says. But he can't get past it, Brooke says. And now Nick is using her father, Ridge points out. Brooke says they want what's best for her. Ridge doesn't she really wants a Forrester without the Forresters, which is why he thinks she should back away from Nick and her dad and come back to him. They're so close, he tells her.