Tuesday, September 25, 2007, Episode #5152

Eric asks Donna to leave...

At the Forrester mansion, Eric and Donna are still kissing when Eric pulls away. Donna asks what's wrong. Eric says that it might be nothing, but he thinks she should go home. Donna is confused, since she thought... Eric admits that he thought the same thing at first, but now he's thinking better of what he just did. Donna asks if he feels that way because of what happened with Thorne. "No," Eric replies, admitting that he thinks she was sincere when she told him that she regrets what happened with Thorne. It's just that he doesn't want to take advantage of her. Donna tells him that he couldn't do that, but Eric still thinks it's best if she leaves. Donna reluctantly agrees to leave, watching Eric in the living room as she stands in the doorway.

... but he's surprised later to find her in his bed.

Eric goes upstairs to his bedroom. When he climbs into bed, he's surprised to find Donna lying there. She tells him that she didn't think he wanted her to leave, so she stayed. She asks if she was wrong. When Eric doesn't answer, Donna asks if he's upset with her. Eric states that he couldn't be upset with someone as charming and captivating as her, but... Donna asks if he's worried about the age difference between them. Eric jokes that she should be more careful about sneaking up on a man his age, but he then tells her on a more serious note that the age thing doesn't mean anything to him. Age is just a state of mind, he explains, and right now, he feels like he's 22. "Then what's the problem?" Donna asks. Eric reminds her that he's still a married man, but Donna thinks he's paid his dues and doesn't owe Stephanie anything. She sees nothing wrong with his wanting a little warmth and tells him not to over-think the situation. "Just do what feels right," she advises. Eric responds by kissing her again.

Thorne and Katie at Ridge and Brooke's first wedding.

Thorne drops by Brooke's house to talk to Katie. He tells her how Donna returned his engagement ring to him, since she didn't feel right about it. He's just glad that he and Donna cleared the air, since it would have been a mistake for both him and Donna to get married. He's glad Katie spoke up when she did. Katie asks if he came by to thank her again. Actually, Thorne confesses, he was thinking about all the Forrester weddings they attended and came across a photo of them together at Ridge and Brooke's first wedding. He shows her the photo (which looks like a Photoshop collage combining Winsor Harmon, aka Thorne, from his ALL MY CHILDREN days with Katie from the actual wedding, only with a younger Heather Tom's face added in place of original Katie Nancy Sloan's). Katie giggles at how much acne she had then, while Thorne laughs at his suit and hairdo in the photo and recalls how their two families got along for a change that day. Thorne asks Katie what they should do with this blast from the past. When Katie says she has a few ideas, Thorne jokingly asks if one of those is to burn it. Actually, Katie says, she wants to keep it, since it reminds her about how she used to feel about herself and about how much better she feels about herself now.

Thorne asks Katie out.

Thorne agrees that they should keep the photo, but for a different reason. He reminds Katie how they danced together to a song at the wedding, and she had a crush on the lead singer. "I did not!" Katie protests, but she quickly reconsiders and admits that she might have had a tiny crush on the guy. But it was the 90s, she recalls, and every girl had a crush on that guy. Throne thinks it was the guy's leather pants, causing Katie to blush. She tells him that it wasn't the leather pants, but rather, the fact that she likes music from the early 90s. In that case, Thorne informs her, she's in luck, since a new club just opened downtown that plays only hits from the 90s on Thursday nights. He asks Katie if she'd like to check that club out sometime. Katie seems a bit surprised by the offer, but Thorne promises not to embarrass her. He might even consider wearing his leather pants, he laughs. On that note, he thinks he should be going. As he heads for the door, Katie tells him that he forgot his photo. "No, I didn't," Thorne tells her as he makes his exit.

Ashley is surprised to learn that Ridge bought the engagement ring for her.

At Ridge's house, Ashley is stunned to see Brooke wearing an engagement ring. "I can explain," ridge states. but Ashley thinks the ring says it all. Ridge tells her that there's been a misunderstanding. Showing off the ring, Brooke doesn't see how beautiful this ring can be a misunderstanding. Ridge tells her that the ring was meant for Ashley, not her. He didn't anticipate Brooke finding the ring, so he's sorry, but Ashley is the woman he wants to marry. Stunned, Brooke tells him that this can't be happening. Ridge asks Ashley if he and Brooke can have some time alone. Ashley agrees and heads down to the pool while Brooke asks Ridge if he's really marrying Ashley. When Ridge says he is, Brooke asks if he loves Ashley more than he loves her. Ridge says he's sorry, but Brooke doesn't think he is. As Ashley leaves the room, she calls Rick and tells him how she walked in on his mom and Brooke, and she was stunned when Brooke was wearing an engagement ring. Rick is confused until Ashley tells him that the ring Ridge bought was for her, and not for Rick's mother.

Brooke refuses to believe that Ridge loves Ashley the same way he loves her.

Alone with Brooke, Ridge tells her that he's sorry to shock her with this news this way. Brooke refuses to believe that Ridge can feel the same way he does about Ashley as he does about her. Ridge tells her that he doesn't want to lose Ashley, reminding Brooke how every attempt the two of them ever make to be together unintentionally ends with the two of them hurting each other. Brooke says that only happened because of his mother's interference, but his mother is out of the picture now. She asks Ridge to think about their son R.J. and what's best for him. "Were you thinking about him when you ended our engagement last time, when you came rushing back here to Nick and begged him to take you back?" Ridge asks, reminding Brooke of the way she raced after breaking up with him in Sydney straight to Nick. Brooke insists that she has no feelings for Nick, but it's not enough to sway Ridge. Ridge tells her that she will always have a special place in his heart because of the love they shared, but his future is with Ashley now, and that's why he bought that ring for Ashley.

Katie is stunned by Brooke's news.

Heartbroken, Brooke leaves Ridge's house and heads home, where Katie sees how upset her sister is and asks what's wrong. Brooke tells Katie how Ridge invited her to dinner and had this engagement ring there. Katie is stunned that Ridge proposed, so Brooke explains that the proposal was meant for Ashley, not for her. "He can't propose to her. He just can't do it," Brooke sobs as Katie offers her a shoulder to cry on.