Friday, February 16, 2007, Episode #5000

Stephanie bickers witrh Eric after finding a bare cupboard.

Stephanie and Eric arrive at the Forrester Big Bear cabin and find an empty refrigerator waiting. Eric quips that someone must have broken in and counts that as yet another reason to sell the place. Stephanie counters that he's being too dramatic, especially when he complains that they're getting too old to own a cabin like this. She reminds "Mr. Grumpy" that it was his idea to come up here for this meeting and tells him to forget about selling her cabin.

Brooke and Ridge arrive at the cabin.

Outside, Ridge drives up and finds Brooke standing in the snow. She asks why he didn't put the chains on the tires; he tells her that it wasn't snowing until he was on his way and asks why she's standing outside in the snow. She reminds him of her track record with his mother in this cabin and says she felt nervous. Ridge reminds her that his mother likes her now and ushers her inside, where they find his parents bickering about selling the cabin. Stephanie asks Ridge and Brooke if they ate the steaks in the freezer; Ridge guesses that Thomas must have brought his buddies up recently; Stephanie frets that Tom left them with nothing but a box of wheat cereal that Ridge thinks has been here since HE was a kid! Getting off the subject of food, Ridge asks if they can get to the reason they all came here. Eric agrees and tells everyone to have a drink first, so they can talk about his proposal to start up their own chain of high-end retail couture boutiques. He doesn't want to leave here until the four of them come to a unanimous decision about the future of their new company.

As the foursome enjoys some brandy, Brooke suggests that they table this discussion until next week. Eric asks why, so Ridge explains that Brooke went to see Nick in the hopes that Jackie M might carry Forrester Originals designs. Stephanie asks Brooke how she could do that without talking to the rest of them; Brooke says it wasn't anything official, but Stephanie still frets about how it makes them look. Eric is forced to agree. Ridge suggests they forget this for now and asks who's sleeping in the loft tonight (they have a loft?). Stephanie says that Eric can't make it up all those stairs, but Eric counters that he's not the one who has headaches every Friday night. Stephanie quips that she wants to talk to Eric in the bedroom. Ridge gets back to business and suggests that they follow Martha Stewart's lead; when Brooke asks if that means Eric should let his wife go to prison for what she did to Jackie, Stephanie asks why no one believes her version of that story. Brooke counters that Ridge brought it up, but Ridge says he was referring to Stewart's selling her products in department stores. "Oh, that," Brooke sighs. Stephanie asks if Brooke is disappointed that she didn't go to jail; Brooke counters that she could have pressed charges against Stephanie over all the things that happened between them in this cabin! Stephanie frets that some things never change, quipping, "Once a caterer's daughter, always a caterer's daughter." To keep things from getting out of hand, Eric orders Stephanie to the bedroom while Ridge follows an angry Brooke outside.

In the bedroom, Eric asks Stephanie why she said those things to Brooke. She asks why he never looks at her like he does Brooke. "I do. You never notice," he replies. Stephanie reminds him what it was like when they founded Forrester Creations and suggests that they step down and let the kids run the new business, but Eric isn't ready to quit just yet, especially if it means seeing his name stamped on retail products. Stephanie reminds him that he keeps asking when she'll be the wife he always wanted and asks how she can do that if the stress of this new idea takes its toll on him. She suggests they kick back and do something they've never tried. Like seeing the fjords in Chile from a kayak? Eric asks. Stephanie laughs that she always wanted to learn to fly a helicopter, leading Eric to ask why they have to risk life and limb. He points out they can take a chance by mortgaging everything and going with his idea to start the high-end boutiques. Stephanie thinks it's nice to at least consider retiring and asks if he wishes she was 30 years younger. "I would just be insecure," Eric replies. How about 30 pounds skinnier? she asks. "A waist is a terrible thing to mind," Eric responds in a play on an old educational slogan in the U.S. Stephanie laughs and agrees to let him have his stores. Eric kids her about seeing the light, leading to a pillow fight between the two that leaves them lying on the bed, kissing.

Ridge finds Brooke sitting on the bottom rungs of a ladder outside; she explains that she wanted to keep her feet warm. Ridge asks her to come inside, but she won't until his mother is asleep. Ridge says his mother was just feeling the brandy inside her on an empty stomach, but Brooke blames him for baiting his mother by telling his parents about her meeting with Nick. Ridge thinks his mother had a point that Brooke should have checked with them first. Like he and Stephanie told her when they called Jackie a whore on national TV? she asks. Ridge is forced to admit Brooke is right, leading Brooke to ask when he'll stop siding with his mother. Ridge asks what she wants from him; she says she wants him to agree to go along with Eric's boutique idea. Ridge still thinks they should find an easy way to cash in so they can leave something for their kids, but Brooke thinks the company is a much better legacy for their children. Just then, some feathers fall on Brooke's head; she looks up and sees a shirtless Eric by the window, trying to "remove the evidence." When she hears Stephanie tells Eric to close the window and get his 'naughty ass' back there, Brooke climbs the ladder and peeks in the bedroom, and she's stunned speechless by what she sees! Ridge asks what's going on; Brooke says he doesn't want to know, but Ridge climbs up anyway and is shocked to hear mattress creaking from inside. When Ridge peeks in the window and sees his parents, he shouts that his eyes are burning! Brooke laughs that she's sorry and suggests that they never leave a ladder outside their own bedroom window.

Eric flashes back to the past. Click here to see his B&B memories.

Soon after, Eric comes down and sits in the main room of the cabin. As he thinks about Stephanie's comment to Brooke earlier, "Once a caterer's daughter, always a caterer's daughter," he flashes back to Stephanie and Brooke meeting for the first time, back when Brooke was helping her mother Beth cater a party for the Forresters. [Of historical note is the fact that Stephanie did not yet recognize her former rival for Eric, Beth, at the time.] Eric then remembers Brooke meeting Ridge for the first time at that party; Ridge had mistaken her from behind for his fiancee Caroline, but he wasn't totally displeased with the mistake he made. Eric then flashes back to other memorable moments from those days [dating back to B&B's first year on the air].

Eric shows the others the magic number of pieces they've collaborated on.

Brooke and Ridge come in. Eric asks what they were doing out there in the dark; Ridge assures his dad that they got an eyeful out there. Brooke suggests they head home now, but Eric says they still have things to discuss, especially with Stephanie in a better mood now. On cue, Stephanie comes in and asks if this is a seance. In a way, Eric replies, it is, since they're deciding their future now. As Stephanie sits down, Brooke waves a feather at Stephanie. Stephanie asks, "What's that, sweetheart?" but Brooke tells Stephanie not to "sweetheart" her after La Forrester just used her body to get what she wants [as Stephanie has accused Brooke of doing over the years]. Stephanie gets off the subject and says that she's agreed to Eric's idea. Brooke says she's in, too, which only leaves Ridge. Eric says he has one thing to add before Ridge says anything. He explains that he's been counting the number of designs the four of them have worked on together and has come to a total. When he reveals that the number is 5,000, Ridge is surprised. Eric says that number is a milestone in their business, especially when you consider that the four of them worked together on those pieces. He thinks that proves what they can do together and suggests that Ridge was the glue that held them together. Eric says they can't do it without Ridge, who finally says he's in!

Celebrating 5,000 episodes of The Bold & The Beautiful

With Ridge behind their idea, Brooke tells Stephanie that the four of them are in this all the way, from the very beginning to the bitter end. Ridge hugs Eric and wishes him "Happy 5,000," and Brooke invites Stephanie for an embrace of their own. "I'll wait 'til 10,000," Stephanie quips. Smiling, Brooke tells Ridge she'll see him in the bedroom; when Ridge smiles in agreement, Stephanie laughs that some things will never change. Brooke says, "Stephanie, I know you love me," and gives La Forrester a good-night kiss on the cheek! As Eric and Ridge talk about the years they worked together, the camera fades to an exterior shot of the cabin with the episode title: The Bold & The Beautiful Episode 5000!