Monday, November 12, 2007, Episode #5186

Brooke tells Ridge that her father is in town.

Brooke stops by Ridge's office with some sushi so they can put in some time working late before the fashion show. Ridge thanks his sexy Logan for the gesture, although he admits he had hoped to sneak out early tonight. Brooke tells him it's a good thing he didn't do that, since her father is in town. After Brooke explains to him how Donna brought their dad to town to tell him about Stephanie's part in the rape, Ridge frets that things could get ugly. As they start to eat their sushi, Ridge sees that Brooke is distracted and asks what's up. Brooke tells him that she can't stop thinking about her dad. She admits that their talk when he arrived was actually kind of positive, despite Stephen's not being there for her family all those years. So maybe Donna's meddling caused something positive, Ridge muses. Brooke just wishes Donna would consider how she feels, since she doesn't see what good it will do for her to be dragged into Donna's one-woman crusade against Stephanie. Ridge admires Brooke's attitude, since she certainly has reason to be bitter towards his mother. Brooke sees no reason to dwell in the past when she has so much to look forward to. She and Ridge kiss.

Ridge tells Brooke that they should plan their future after the showing.

As the finish their dinner, Brooke and Ridge look over their new catalog, praising how Eric's latest work is at a whole new level. Brooke suggests that Donna may have lit a fire under Eric. Ridge just hopes his dad isn't going down a path he'll regret. Brooke asks if that means he thinks Donna is just kidding herself. Ridge replies that Eric isn't the type to string either Donna or his mother along, so he's sure that the world will know who Eric has chosen based on who's on his arm on the runway at the end of the fashion show. "It's a big decision either way," Brooke agrees, "since your family will be starting a whole chapter." "OUR family," Ridge corrects her, pointing out that they need to settle on a wedding date. Brooke agrees that nothing will stand in their way this time, and they kiss again. Brooke pulls away from the kiss and reminds Ridge that he never actually proposed to her! Ridge admits that he forgot that detail with all the plans for the fashion show, so Brooke tells him to get busy. Ridge promises that they'll start making plans right after the fashion show. "For the rest of our life," Brooke whispers as she starts kissing him again.

Based on Donna's suggestion, Eric makes Katie an offer.

In the Forrester CEO's office, Donna is giving Eric a massage to get him relax, but he can't help but worry about what might happen if her father goes after Stephanie. Katie drops in with the latest issues of EYE ON FASHION and FW DAILY, both of which have photos of Jackie in the tub announcing Lady M's purchase of Spectra. Eric and Donna are both shocked and frown when Katie comments that Jackie obviously "made a splash." Donna bets this is Jackie's way of getting to Eric and her, but Eric has to admit it was a bold move on Jackie's part. When Donna fumes about how Jackie stole Eric's thunder with Forrester's big show just days away, Katie makes some suggestions about how to do damage control with the press. When Donna assumes her little sister got these ideas from a public relations job she took to pay the bills, she suggests that Eric put Katie to work. Eric heartily approves and offers Katie a job doing PR for him, but Katie is a bit unsure. Eric and Donna both point out to Katie how she did them a favor by bringing these magazines here today and think she can do even more for them working here. Before Katie can answer, Eric gets called downstairs, so he tells Katie to stay here with her sister and consider his offer.

Katie wonders whether Donna has ulterior motives.

Donna asks Katie why she wouldn't jump at such a great job offer, especially when it's obvious they can use her here. Katie asks if Donna just wants another body here to support her relationship with Eric, especially since she knows Felicia and Thorne aren't sold on the relationship. "Neither are you," Donna replies, wondering why Katie always suspects her of having some ulterior motive. "Because you always have one," Katie retorts, recalling how Donna has been recently lobbed torpedoes at Stephanie, Nick and their dad, with no regard for what Brooke wants. Donna insists that their father had a right to know what Stephanie did, and she hopes Stephen is standing up to La Forrester now that he knows. She reminds Katie of all the things Stephanie did to their family, with what Stephanie did to Brooke being the worst. That's why she thinks it's fitting that they take something from Stephanie for once, and they can do it by having a future here at Forrester with the men they love. "Brooke thinks what you and Eric have is real," Katie comments. Donna insists that it IS real; she tells Katie how happy she is with Eric, which is why she hopes she's by his side on the runway at the end of the fashion show. It's her chance to stop being on the outside looking in, she states, and Stephanie won't be able to touch her.

Stephanie tells Stephen to own up to his mistakes.

Stephen responds to Stephanie's challenge to push him of the balcony by noting how he'd only need one tiny shove to do it. Stephanie doesn't think he has the guts. She tells him she's sorry, since he just found out what happened to his daughter; she admits some responsibility in that, but she begs him to believe that she had no idea what that man would do to do Brooke. Stephen doesn't want to hear her pleas and excuses, because the damage has already been done. Stephanie asks Stephen what good it will to do for him to take his anger our on her, but he's not falling for her claims that she cares about him or his family after all the suffering she's heaped on them. He tells her that he may not live in L.A., but he thinks about his girls all the time and wants them to be happy, which is why it hurts him every time he remembers that Stephanie is here to destroy their lives. Seething, Stephanie tells Stephen to consider what Brooke has done to her and her family if he wants to talk about bad judgement. Stephen recalls that the men in Stephanie's life only turned to Brooke for the love they never felt from Stephanie, and he can't believe Stephanie is still threatened by that. Stephanie counters that Brooke has always had issues with men because she had a lousy father like Stephen who walked out on his family. Stephen retorts that he and Beth were high school sweethearts who loved each other, and their troubles only began when Eric and Stephanie came into their lives. Stephanie repeats that Stephen was the one who walked out on his family. Stephen admits he made mistakes, but he owned up to them.

Stephen gives Stephanie a warning.

"Too little, too late," Stephanie quips, laughing at how Stephen barged in here like some great protector just to raise his self-respect in his family's eyes. Stephen tells Stephanie not to make this about him. Even if she made a mistake with the man she sent to Brooke, Stephanie counters, it can't compare to Stephen's lifetime of failures. "If I failed my kids," Stephen fumes, "it was because of you!" Stephanie laughs in his face, telling him to take some responsibility for abandoning his family when he felt he could never measure up against Eric. "Your girls have always gone after father figures because you weren't there," she charges, "and isn't that's what's going on with Donna and Eric?" When Stephen asks what she's talking about, Stephanie realizes he doesn't know and tells him how Donna set her sights on Eric after Thorne gave her the boot. "It doesn't take your daughters long to go at it," she accuses. Stephen refuses to believe it, so Stephanie tells him to ask Donna for himself. That doesn't change what she did to Brooke, Stephen rages; he picks up the silver platter with the dead bird and tells Stephanie to consider it a warning as he tosses the platter aside. Stephanie tells him to go ahead and make a mess of her room, just like he messed up his whole life! Stephen advises her to worry about her own life, and Eric's if he's been sleeping with Donna! Stephanie isn't impressed by his empty threats; Stephen warns that she should be, since someday when she least expects it, she'll pay for what she did to his family.

As Stephen storms out of Stephanie's room, a bellman in the hall spots him. Soon after, the bellman stops by Stephanie's room and asks if he should call security, since it sounded like the man who was here earlier was giving her trouble. Stephanie thanks him for the concern but tells him not to worry. After she closes the door, Stephanie tells herself that Stephen's not the one she has to be concerned with.