Thursday, July 05, 2007, Episode #5096

Constantine faces off with Rick.

Constantine is in his studio preparing the tracks for Rick and Phoebe's duet when he gets a call from Ridge. Ridge asks Constantine if he has any news on who Rick's "other woman" is. Constantine says he's working on it and ends the call just as Rick comes in. Rick reams Constantine for making a copy of his voice mail and playing it for Phoebe. Constantine retorts that Phoebe had a right to know that she was being cheated on, so he thinks Rick is the bad guy. Phoebe comes in and tells both men to cool it; she tells Rick that Constantine was just looking out for her as a friend, and it actually turned out to be good for their relationship in the end, so she sees no reason to fight. As Constantine goes into the studio, Phoebe asks Rick why he keeps bringing up this "other woman" when she's agreed to forget about it. Rick responds that Constantine pushes his buttons. Phoebe tells him not to let Constantine get to him and asks him to focus on their duet. She doesn't want to say anything else about this "other woman." Constantine calls the lovebirds to the studio. While Rick and Phoebe warm up, Constantine quips that his grandmother would have loved their song. Ready to show Constantine up, Rick and Phoebe enter the studio and sing a song called "I Want To Spend My Lifetime Loving You" (which was recorded by Tina and Marc Anthony). Rick and Phoebe are both pleased with how it sounds, but Constantine thinks it needs some tweaking. Taking that to mean that they have to do it again, Rick gets annoyed, but Constantine explains that he was talking about remixing the song in the booth. He admits that the song sounded good and promises that Rick will have time to approve the remix of the song before their contest.

Ashley gets some time alone with Ridge.

In the lab at Forrester Originals, Ashley recalls telling Rick that she needs to tell Ridge about their fling. She comes back to reality when Ridge comes up behind her. She turns to bid him "good morning." Ridge asks for some time alone to talk and then kisses her. Stephanie comes into the lab and is so pleased to see her son and Ashley smooching on company time that she "fires" them for the day so they can go to Catalina. Before Ashley or Ridge can answer, Brooke comes in for a meeting they had scheduled about soaps for the "Phoebe" fragrance line. Stephanie says that the soaps can wait for Ridge and Ashley's return and makes some suggestions about where Ridge and Ashley can stay in Catalina. "Why don't we all go, and take the soaps?" Brooke asks. With that, Ashley brings in some samples of the new soap. While trying one out, Brooke tells Ridge that being in this lab reminds her of the days when she and Ridge worked on the BeLieF formula. Ashley assumes Brooke and Ridge have fond memories of those days. "Thank God they're over," Stephanie counters, steering the conversation to how well Ashley clicked with the kids on the 4th of July. Brooke smells the soap on her hand and says the scent is subtle. "You wouldn't know subtle if it bit you on the..." Stephanie snipes. Ashley isn't comfortable with the antagonism, but Brooke points out that she's not the one being hostile. When Stephanie won't let up, Brooke says she only came here today to cover for Rick, so she's not about to sit here and let Stephanie humiliate her. Brooke then storms out. Ashley sends Ridge to check on Brooke.

Stephanie warns Ashley.

Ashley criticizes Stephanie for baiting Brooke, because Ash doesn't need to have Brooke as an enemy. Stephanie argues that Brooke already IS the enemy. Ashley points out that Brooke is part of Stephanie's company and her family, so she can't understand why Stephanie treats Brooke so shabbily. Stephanie insists that Brooke is not, and will never be, a Forrester, even though she considers Brooke's kids to be family, and she blames any issues with Brooke's kids on their mother's neglect. Ashley doesn't want to hear this, but Stephanie thinks she should hear it, especially since Stephanie thinks Ash is the antidote to cure Ridge of the walking disaster named Brooke. Ashley asks Stephanie how she can be so sure, since Ashley has just started with Ridge. "At least you're not sleeping with every man in my family," Stephanie quips.

Phoebe talks to Constantine about Rick.

After Stephanie leaves, Ashley calls Rick and asks him to come over to the lab. Rick, who is still at Constantine's, says it isn't a good time, but Ashley says she'd rather have this conversation with him before she has it with Ridge. Meanwhile, Phoebe checks Insomnia's web site to see how C.J. is promoting the contest. Constantine looks over her shoulder and laughs that this guy C.J. sounds like Don King, although he groans when he hears C.J.'s new flavor is "thrilla in vanilla." He asks Phoebe if they have to this. Phoebe reminds him that winning will mean that Rick will leave them alone. Constantine starts to complain about Rick, but Phoebe thinks Rick's love for her is sweet.

Rick doesn't want Ashley to tell Ridge about their fling.

Rick arrives at the lab, where Ashley again tries to convince him that they need to come clean about their fling before Ridge or Phoebe finds out from someone else. Rick still doesn't see what good will come of confessing. Ashley again tells him that this kind of secrecy can kill a relationship. Rick suggests to Ashley that Ridge could reject her if he finds out about their fling, but Ashley is willing to take the chance, since lies are what killed her last marriage. Rick tells her that Phoebe doesn't want to know about the other woman, so he thinks it's OK to keep the fling a secret, but Ashley feels that it will kill her budding relationship with Ridge. Rick fumes that this could crush Phoebe, not to mention that it could give Ridge the ammo he needs to break him [Rick] and Phoebe up. Ashley thinks it will come out eventually on it's own. Rick disagrees, since he can't see the pilot who flew them to Mexico risking his job by telling about that side-trip. He reminds Ashley that she can bolt if this blows up, but he can't, since this is still his family. Ashley says she's sorry, but she's just giving him the courtesy of warning him what she's doing. She's not asking for permission.

Ridge tells Brooke that things are different.

Meanwhile, Brooke goes to the showroom to think. Ridge follows her there. Brooke suggests that maybe it was a mistake to come back to work here. "Maybe it was," Ridge agrees. Brooke asks how he could say that, since he wanted her here. Ridge replies that he did want her, because she's the best at what she does. But he also sees that his mother will never change, and he also thinks things are different because of Ashley. He asks Brooke if she really wants to be around to watch him explore a relationship with Ashley. Brooke says she came here for him, and not just for a job. Ridge says he wanted her, too, even after Sydney. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he just can't trust being loved by her. Brooke asks if it would help if she resigns. Ridge doesn't know if it's a matter of helping, but he thinks it would make sense.