Monday, March 19, 2007, Episode #5019

Nick offers to prove his point to Taylor.

In his office at Forrester Creations, Nick goes over some files with his assistant, Meriah. When Taylor drops by, Nick tells Meriah to hold his calls. Nick apologizes to Taylor for his mother interrupting them last night by bringing Hope by. Taylor says she's fine with that, since she knows and admires how devoted he is to Hope. She only wishes she could stop Jackie's suggestions that he and Brooke should reunite. Nick tells her not to take his mother too seriously - and he offers to drive that point home by locking his door and making out with Taylor in his office. When the intercom buzzes, Taylor suggests that Nick answer; Nick reluctantly responds, reminding Meriah that he asked her to hold his calls. But when his assistant reminds him of an important lunch appointment that he can't break, Nick tells Taylor that they'll have to do this another time. He suggests that they dress each other; when Taylor admits that she's turned on by this acting like teenagers, Nick compares her to Phoebe. Taylor says she was more shy at that age, although she may not have been had she met a hot guy like Rick. Nick asks if they should send Ridge and Brooke a sympathy card over their issues with those kids, or a thank you for divorcing them, since he and Taylor wouldn't have hooked up had Ridge and Brooke not dumped them; Taylor thinks a thank you is in order.

Donna has second thoughts about Jackie's plan.

At the Marone mansion, Jackie and Donna share a cup of coffee as they discuss the plan to push Rick and Phoebe together to break up Ridge and Brooke. Donna has some reservations, since she understands Ridge's fatherly concern for his daughter, whether she agrees with him or not; she asks Jackie if they're any better than Ridge to use the kids to drive a wedge between Ridge and Brooke. Jackie asks Donna if she's forgotten Ridge dumping her for Brooke; when Donna says she hasn't, Jackie guesses that Donna is hesitant because she fears Brooke's return to Nick will lead to Brooke reclaiming her old job - and Donna's current one - as spokesperson for Forrester Creations. Donna says she just doesn't want to play her sister like a ping pong ball. Jackie says they're just helping Brooke free herself from Ridge so she can follow her true feelings. She's sure Nick will respond if Brooke comes back to him, because she saw last night how much Nick regrets losing Brooke, and she laments that Taylor is just a substitute for what Nick really wants. Jackie asserts that she and Donna have to act now with Rick and Phoebe, since the wedding is approaching. Donna thinks Rick and Phoebe will see each other anyway and suggests that she and Jackie let nature take its course with those kids, but Jackie is pessimistic that they can rely on Ridge to react to nature. Even if they're getting their hands dirty by intervening with Rick and Phoebe, it's better that they do it now, before the wedding.

Jackie asks Nick to be honest with himself.

Nick comes in and asks the ladies why they're not at work. Jackie covers that she called Donna over to discuss some problems with their fall collection. Nick suggests that Donna get their overpaid head designer Clarke to work on any issues, so Donna says her good-byes and gets on her way. Jackie says she should be going, too, but Nick wants to talk to his mother first about her attempt to sabotage his evening with Taylor. He's tired of her interfering because she prefers him with Brooke. Jackie asks if Taylor complained, but Nick says that he's the one complaining, since he thought he made his feelings perfectly clear to his mother. Jackie asks him to at least consider what would happen if Brooke's relationship with Ridge were to self-destruct; Nick admits that he'd be thrilled to see Brooke free of "that pompous ass" Ridge and the twisted Forrester family, but it would make no difference to him. Jackie doesn't believe him and asks what he would do if Brooke and Ridge were finally and completely done. Nick says he'll believe that could happen when he sees it.

Phoebe worries about the distance between her and Rick.

Phoebe and Rick work on seating arrangements for the Rodeo Drive wedding in Eric's office at Forrester Originals, while Ridge looks on. Phoebe asks why they can't have the secretary do this; Rick explains that the secretaries don't know which V.I.P.s get along well with others. Ridge asks Phoebe to get some pens from his office; Phoebe asks her dad how she and Rick are supposed to finish this she has to keep fetching things for him from his office. Ridge offers to get the pens himself and be right back, but Phoebe asks why he just doesn't work in his own office if everything he needs is there. Ridge sees her point and takes his work to his office. Alone, Rick and Phoebe laugh at Ridge's lack of trust when they're in Eric's office, with so many people around. Phoebe asks Rick if she is still on his personal V.I.P. list, since she feels a distance between them since they agreed to cool things down for now; Rick says he still loves her, even if they can't make out or have sex, but Phoebe fears love can die of starvation. She thinks about how her parents were all over each other when she was growing up, but now, you can't even see what they saw in each other since their divorce. She fears that could happen to her and Rick during while they're not seeing each other. Rick asks what she expects him to do. She says that they need something to strengthen their bond rather than water it down, and they don't have to make out for that to happen. Rick is a bit nervous about how that sounds; Phoebe tells him that he and everyone else should stop trying to protect her innocence, since she can protect her own.

Taylor pops into Ridge's office, looking for Phoebe so she can take her to lunch. Ridge tells her that Phoebe is with Rick working in Eric's office. Taylor turns to go there, but Ridge asks her to wait. He explains how he left them alone in Eric's office as a sign of trust and fears that Phoebe might think he's checking up on her if Taylor goes in there. Taylor is impressed that he's making progress in this area. She thinks they raised their daughter well, so they can only hope that Phoebe will act like an adult now and make the right choices, and she's proud to see Ridge putting his principles before his impulses where their daughter is concerned. She agrees to leave Phoebe alone now if Ridge wants her to. Ridge backpedals and suggests that she just casually slip up to the door to Eric's office and test it to see if it's locked. Taylor tells him to stop backsliding. Ridge agrees, but he notices that Taylor looks like she just got out of bed. Embarrassed, Taylor fixes her clothes and suggests that she wait a while and then call Eric's extension. Ridge points out that Phoebe will see that she's already in the building, so Taylor offers to call on her cell. "What happened to principles and letting her make her own choices?" Ridge asks. Taylor says she meant that, but Ridge doesn't believe her, especially when she asks how long Rick and Phoebe have been in the office alone.

Rick lets Phoebe cut his hair.

In Eric's office, Phoebe takes off Rick's shirt and remarks on how sexy his hair is. Rick asks if she thinks so; Phoebe says she does, and that's why it has to go. Sitting on Rick's lap, she comments that he might look better if he as a bit more clean-cut. Rick agrees to let her cut it, so after taking a "BEFORE" photo with a Polaroid camera, Phoebe gets to work with her scissors, clippers and squirt bottle. With Phoebe on his lap, Rick laughs that she should hide those scissors if her dad comes in, to keep Ridge from plunging them into his heart. Phoebe assures him that a hair cut is perfectly innocent. Rick doesn't feel very innocent with her sitting so close, so Phoebe tells him to close his eyes. As some Italian opera plays in the background, Phoebe starts clipping away.