Wednesday, December 17, 2008, Episode #5462

Owen introduces Donna to his candidate to model their surf line.

In Owen's office, he and Donna discuss plans for their surf line project. Donna asks Owen if he can work with her despite their personal issues. Owen candidly says that it's her business if she can't accept that her relationship with Eric is over, so they should just forget about how he feels and get to work. Grace, the model who Thorne paid to pose as Donna, stops in to meet with Owen. Owen introduces Donna to Grace and suggests that they use Grace as the model for the surf line. Donna agrees that it's a good idea, but she thinks they should run it by Eric and Thorne first. Sensing Donna's hesitation, Grace assures that she can do the job, and Owen agrees. Donna pulls Owen aside and asks what's going on. Thorne comes in to discuss some fabric offers and is surprised to see Grace with Donna and Owen. Donna introduces Thorne to Grace, who says that they've met. Noting how much Grace looks like her, Donna tells Thorne that she and Owen want Grace to model the surf line and asks if he'd have issues with that. Thorne asks why he'd have issues. Donna isn't sure, but she feels like something is bothering him. Thorne asks to speak to Grace alone, so Owen and Donna leave.

Thorne gives Grace a warning.

Alone with Grace, Thorne reminds her that he paid her well to do a job, but that job is over and she's finished here. He orders her to leave the building, go home and never come back. Grace wants to accept Owen's job offer, but Thorne tells her that Owen doesn't have the authority to hire anyone. He directs her to forget about working for Forrester, warning that he can make sure she never works again in this town if she fails to comply. Grace asks why he's acting this way when she did him a favor. Thorne clarifies that she did a job for him and was well paid for her work. Grace counters that what she did for him wasn't a modeling job and wonders just why that job was so important to him. Thorne opens the door and tells Grace to leave, but she asks if what she did for him had anything to do with that woman who just left, Donna. Thinking about how Thorne asked her to make love to the other model in Owen's office, Grace deduces that her "job" had something to do with Eric and Donna Forrester. Relenting a bit, Thorne offers Grace a job at Forrester International, but she isn't too keen on being rushed out of the country. Outside the office, Owen listens at the door. When Thorne gets paged, he tells Grace to think about working at International and warns her not to come back here. After Thorne leaves, Owen comes in and asks Grace what's going on between her and Thorne.

Stephanie disagrees with Eric about Rick.

In Eric's office, he and Stephanie discuss Phoebe's tragic death. Stephanie thinks their being back together will help them support Ridge and Taylor through these trying times, but Eric thinks the whole family needs a solid foundation, including Rick. Stephanie wonders why Rick showed up at the funeral, since she asked Brooke to keep him away. Eric thinks Rick needs closure as much as any of them, so Stephanie suggests that Rick find that by turning himself into the police and taking responsibility for his actions. Eric can't believe that she wants to involve the police. Stephanie sees nothing wrong with making Rick live up to his responsibilities, but Eric doesn't want to talk about this now. Stephanie suggests that they go home, but Eric wants to stay and get some work done. La Forrester apologizes for upsetting him and tells him that she loves him before making her exit.

Eric grows angry while talking to Donna.

While sitting at his desk, Eric looks at his laptop and remembers seeing "Donna and Owen" getting intimate. ""How could you betray me like that?" he asks himself. Donna comes by to see how the memorial service was. When he says it was heartbreaking, Donna tells him that she's sorry and wishes she could have been there for him, because she loves him so much. She then apologizes for saying that; it's just that it's so hard to watch him suffering like this and not be there for him. Eric coldly says that's kind of her to say, but Donna senses that he doesn't mean that. He reminds her that she has another life now, but she points out that it's a life without him and a life without love. While she knows she'll eventually have feelings for someone else, she laments, it just won't be the same. Eric says she doesn't know that, but she says she does know, since he's the one she judges all others by. Eric gets a flash of seeing "her" betraying him with "Owen" on the monitor and gets angry. Seeing the look on his face, Donna asks what's wrong, wondering if she did something to upset him.

Brooke begs Ridge to let her help him.

At her house, Brooke flashes back to the end of the memorial service, where Ridge and Stephanie remarked that it was wrong for Rick to be at the funeral. Ridge walks in and hugs her before asking her why she didn't keep Rick away from the funeral. Brooke says that Rick needed to pay his respects, but Ridge questions whether Rick's grief is genuine or not. Brooke thinks that's Stephanie talking, not him, but Ridge says that is how he feels. Brooke suggests that Rick is in mourning, but Ridge believes that Rick is feeling guilty, as he should be after what he did. While he knows Rick is Brooke's son, he tells her not to ask him to feel anything for Rick, because he doesn't and he can't. Brooke tells Ridge that she's there for him and asks what she can do to help, but he thinks it's too soon after losing Phoebe to be talking that way. "I'm suffering right along with you," Brooke insists, but Ridge says he can only think about Phoebe right now. Ridge then gets a call from Stephanie inviting him to the house to talk. He says he'll meet her at her house and hangs up. Brooke tells Ridge that she'll join him in seeing his mother, but he informs her that his mother wants to see him in private.

Brooke infers from that comment that Stephanie doesn't want her there so she can talk about putting Rick in jail and begs Ridge not to go, but Ridge feels that his mom's grief is understandable under the circumstances. Brooke doesn't think it's understandable for Rick to be so hated, especially since her son already hates himself enough for what happened and is going to suffer for the rest of his life. She begs him not to give into his mother's tirade, for her sake. Ridge tells her that he is angry with Rick, but he also loves her, so he won't let his mother put Rick behind bars. Brooke embraces him and thanks him, telling him, "I love you, too."