At Dayzee's, Maya seemed distracted as she bussed tables. Carter approached and asked if she wanted some company. He asked her if he could order her something or catch dinner and a movie with her. Shocked, Maya asked if he were asking her on a date. "Say yes," Carter responded.
Maya began to give Carter what seemed like an easy letdown, but the persistent Carter said he wanted to know more about her. Maya served Carter a cup of coffee, and he told her not to be fooled by his blazer. The jaded Maya asked if he were a Forrester, too, and Carter responded that he just worked for them. Maya decided that he'd caught her at the right time, and she was free that night.
Maya noted that Carter looked amazed by her response, and Carter replied that he was a little out of practice in the dating realm. Maya couldn't believe that, and Carter said he'd call her with the details. She asked him not to do anything fancy, because what was fun for the Forresters seemed fake to her. Carter promised her that there was nothing flashy about the Walton boys from Texas.
On the rooftop, Dayzee kissed Marcus to avoid his question about how her day was going. Marcus persisted, and Dayzee revealed her frustration about the Rick and Maya situation. Dayzee explained what had happened, and Marcus wondered why Rick had hidden his identity. Dayzee guessed Rick had been playing Maya. Marcus didn't think that sounded like Rick and added that Rick was supposed to be with Caroline.
Dayzee relayed that she'd had to tell Maya that Dayzee and Marcus were also Forresters. Marcus replied that it had been the right thing to do because they didn't want Maya thinking there was a Forrester conspiracy. Dayzee remarked that she'd told Maya to stay away from Rick. Dayzee added that Rick couldn't just "flame out" on Caroline because of some girl he met at the coffee shop.
Dayzee was worried that the Forresters wouldn't be too happy with her if things between Rick and Caroline fell apart. Marcus, however, insisted that was Rick's responsibility, not Dayzee's.
Later, Marcus was in the Forrester corridor when Carter arrived to tell his brother the exciting news about his date with Maya. Marcus was happy for Carter and said Dayzee would be thrilled.
In the CEO's office, Caroline made another bid for Rick's time and attention. She sat on his lap and kissed him as he worked on reports. She wanted to go out to lunch, but he compromised and suggested that they eat upstairs. She quipped that he'd jump at the chance to take her to Dayzee's.
Hope entered before Rick could respond, and Caroline murmured that Hope had saved Caroline from getting blown off -- again. Caroline warned Rick that if it kept happening, she'd have to use his credit cards for some retail therapy.
Caroline left, and Hope urged Rick to be honest with Caroline. Rick murmured that he'd blown it, and he didn't know how to fix it -- or if he even could. Hope wondered which woman he was trying to fix things with, Maya or Caroline. Rick doubted either woman wanted to hear it. Hope was sure Rick was capable of fixing it. "I mean, I'm talking to you again, aren't I?" Hope added.
Rick doubted opening himself up to Maya would change anything, but Hope replied that a small chance was better than no chance at all. Hope figured that if Maya made him happy, then he should be happy; however, Hope insisted that he talk to Caroline.
It meant a lot to Rick to have Hope say that after all he'd done to mess up her life. Hope said that, even though things hadn't worked out with Liam, she was glad she'd taken the chance. She felt that Rick would never forgive himself if he didn't take his chance with Maya.
Hope left, and Rick flashed back on his time with Maya.
Back on the rooftop, Dayzee flashed back to her talk with Maya about Rick. Caroline appeared and said her lunch date had bailed on her. Caroline claimed Rick was too busy for her, and he'd been at the coffee shop, saving the world one latte at a time. Dayzee relayed that there was another woman in the picture named Maya, who lived over the coffee shop.
"My Rick?" Caroline tearfully asked. Dayzee said that the relationship hadn't gone far, and Maya had said it was over; however, Dayzee thought Caroline should know. Caroline couldn't believe that Rick was dating an ex-con, but Dayzee explained that Maya had been wrongly convicted. Caroline said she'd jokingly asked Rick if there had been someone else, and she guessed that the joke was on her.
Dayzee explained that Maya had thought Rick was just a waiter, and Caroline quipped that learning he was a Forrester had to have been a great surprise. Dayzee explained that it hadn't been great for Maya, who didn't need to get involved with a high-powered executive after all she'd suffered. Dayzee explained that she'd asked Maya to stay away from Rick.
The sullen Caroline wondered what she should do, and Dayzee replied that it depended upon how much Caroline cared for Rick. Dayzee added that Rick and Maya together was a bad idea for everyone. Caroline agreed and said they had to be kept apart.
In the showroom, Katie demanded that Bill set Brooke straight and prove that he was "better than this." Katie insisted that Bill tell Brooke that nothing would ever happen between him and Brooke. Bill asked what Katie was doing, and he reminded Katie that Brooke was her sister. Katie exclaimed that he was her husband.
Bill agreed that he was Katie's husband, but he added that he was also a man who she'd vowed to love for who he was. Katie affirmed that she loved him. He said he loved her, too, but he couldn't take the judgment. Katie scoffed. Bill said she'd promised not to try to change him, but there she was, telling him what to say to Brooke and how to conduct his business.
Katie couldn't believe Bill's assertions; however, Bill continued to explain that she was telling him how to live his life, and it had to stop. Brooke began to assuage Katie's fears about Brooke and Bill, but Bill stated that Brooke didn't have to explain herself. Bill felt that it was between him and his wife.
Bill said he'd put up with it because Katie had been a new mother and had suffered postpartum depression; however, he felt that things had gone on long enough, and he wouldn't let Katie slap him on the wrists every time she thought he'd done something wrong. Katie responded that she'd let things slide, but they had to hold themselves to a higher standard as parents.
Bill told Katie that they needed to agree upon what the standard was, and Katie replied that he had something to clarify to her sister. "No, Katie, I don't," Bill decided. Katie said she was going home to Will, and she and Bill would continue the conversation whenever he decided to show up.
Katie left, and in Brooke's silence, Bill uttered that he and Brooke hadn't done anything wrong. Brooke was trying to understand why Bill had unloaded on Katie instead of giving her the reassurance she'd needed about him and Brooke. Brooke felt that all he'd had to do was say that nothing was going on, and she asked why he hadn't just said it. "Because it's not true," he replied.
Brooke felt that Katie had reacted to a situation that she'd misunderstood. "Did she?" Bill wondered. Brooke decided that Bill needed to go talk to his wife. Bill replied that Brooke was right. Brooke told him to really think about it before he said anything to Katie. He responded that it was all he had been thinking about, and sometimes, he felt as if he'd married the wrong sister.
At Katie's house, Taylor and Katie chatted about how Katie had interrupted Bill and Brooke. Taylor encouraged Katie to question Bill, but Katie had backed off the idea. Katie said she had realized that no one loved a marketing stunt more than Bill did. Katie realized he might not have had any interest in Brooke.
Taylor worried that Katie was giving in and allowing Brooke and Bill to get together. Taylor reminded Katie that Bill had not informed Brooke that nothing would happen between them. Katie responded that giving Bill an order was self-defeating for her. Taylor replied that Bill had shown disrespect to Katie.
Bill showed up and accused Taylor of padding her psychiatrist bills with a house call that made Katie feel insecure and question Bill's loyalty. Bill told Taylor that her days as Katie's doctor were over. Bill said that Taylor had "Brookaholism." Taylor realized that Bill was agitated, and she left.
Bill warned that Taylor had coached Katie to see what Taylor had wanted Katie to see at Forrester. Katie wondered how Bill could make a decision on who Katie could see as a psychiatrist. Bill said his name was on the checks. Bill questioned Katie's loyalty to him, and Katie questioned Bill's loyalty to her.
At Forrester, Donna met with Brooke, and Brooke asked if Donna had seen Katie. Donna said that she had not but wanted to know what was wrong. Brooke explained that Katie had been confused in what she had seen at Forrester earlier, and Brooke explained the situation of Brooke in lingerie with Bill. Donna was not convinced of Brooke's innocence. "Our sister's husband, how could you?" Donna asked of Brooke.
Brooke swore to Donna that nothing had happened between Bill and Brooke, but Donna expressed doubt. Donna reminded Brooke that if Brooke had walked in on Ridge with a half-dressed woman on a bed, Brooke would have flipped out. Brooke justified the entire scene with Bill. Brooke claimed she hadn't been half-dressed, but rather that she had been wearing wardrobe -- a costume in the fashion showroom on a prop, not just a bed. Donna accused Brooke of wanting more of a relationship with Bill.
Brooke claimed that she was not the problem, but Katie was. Brooke warned that it was very convenient for Katie to blame Brooke. Donna reminded Brooke that Bill had a drinking problem and frequently became obnoxious when he drank.
Brooke countered that Katie had to accept some responsibility for her relationship with Bill. Brooke noted that Katie had walked out on Bill more than once. Donna advised Brooke to stop behaving as if Brooke had been attracted to Bill.
Brooke admitted that Bill was attractive, and Brooke said that Katie had a passive/aggressive nature and always had. Donna defended Katie, but Brooke said Katie had always excused her bad behavior with "going through a rough time." Brooke reiterated Katie's accusations that Brooke could have any man she wanted. Donna agreed with the accusation.
At the Forrester guesthouse, Rick looked at some sketches of Forrester gowns and recalled his time with Maya when she had tried on similar gowns at the Rodeo Drive boutique.
Inside the Forrester mansion, Eric mixed martinis, and Marcus teased that they were fire hazards. Dayzee joined Marcus and Eric, and Taylor entered. Taylor said she needed a few minutes to freshen up. Marcus and Eric discussed Eric's trip to Genoa City.
Carter entered with Maya, and he introduced Maya, but Maya said she knew Dayzee, who did not appear to welcome Maya. Eric welcomed Maya and Carter and invited them to his wine cellar.
Marcus and Dayzee discussed Maya's invitation to join them for dinner. Dayzee was upset because Dayzee did not want to encourage Rick and Maya to get close, and she pointed out that Rick was 20 feet away in the guesthouse.
Dayzee also made it clear that she did not want to befriend Maya because Maya had her own world. Marcus was surprised that Dayzee had said such a thing. He reminded Dayzee that a sign at her coffee shop said there was only one world and it belonged to "all of us."
Carter and Maya returned with Eric, and Maya and Dayzee had a few minutes alone. Dayzee wondered what Maya was doing at Eric's house. Maya said that Carter had invited her. Dayzee warned that Carter was Marcus' brother. Maya inquired if Carter was another person that Dayzee wanted Maya to avoid. Dayzee reminded Maya that Rick lived on the estate. Dayzee suggested that Maya leave the house.
Eric, Marcus, Taylor ,and Carter returned, and Maya thanked her hosts but said she had to excuse herself because she had an early day the next day. Eric wouldn't hear of it. Rick entered and wanted to talk to Eric, but Rick realized he had interrupted a dinner party. The meeting with Dayzee was awkward, and Rick exited. Maya followed. Maya said that Carter had invited her to the party, but she knew little about him. Rick lamented that Maya had liked Rick when she didn't know that he was Rick Forrester.
At Bill's house, Bill and Katie agreed they did not want to argue. "I'm lonely, Katie," Bill said. Katie shared the same sentiment, and they agreed that Katie seemed to be pushing Bill away unintentionally. Bill wanted time alone with Katie, but Katie said she had been torn between being a good mother and a good wife.
Bill tenderly advised Katie that she had an entire staff at her disposal. He begged Katie to stop shooing them away. He said she didn't have to change every diaper. He begged her to love him and stop treating him like the enemy. Bill went to bed and asked Katie to join him.
Katie climbed into bed, but she admitted that she was discouraged. Bill wondered if she needed a change in medication. Katie pointed out that Bill had just fired her doctor. Katie worried that Bill would always question the correct amount of prescription drugs, and Katie didn't like it.
Bill extended his hand to Katie, but she said she knew what he wanted, and she couldn't give him what he wanted. She tearfully turned away and went to sleep. Bill sadly looked away and thought of Brooke.
At home, Bill paced in the dark while Katie slept. He flashed back to times he had spent with Brooke. He recalled the successful presentation of Brooke's Bedroom. He fondly remembered Brooke's giggle and falling onto the bed with her.
At home, Brooke reminisced about time with Bill before she went to bed. She flashed back to times with Bill, a shared a kiss after Stephanie's death, and the celebration after her reintroduction of Brooke's Bedroom at Forrester. Brooke's phone rang, and it was Bill. He apologized for such a late call.
Brooke wondered if Bill and Katie had fought after he returned home. Bill said that Taylor had been with Katie when he arrived home. Bill and Brooke discussed that Taylor had riled Katie up, and Katie had taken it all out on Bill.
Bill worried that he couldn't handle any more rules and regulations. Bill thanked Brooke for listening to him, and he hung up. Minutes later, Brooke's phone rang again, and Bill had called to tell her how frustrated he was that Katie wouldn't let him near her. He lamented that he and Brooke were more alike than he and Katie had been. Brooke stopped him and hung up. Later, Bill fantasized about kissing Brooke passionately.
At Forrester, Dani and Caroline ate dinner, and Caroline complained about Rick's lack of attention for Caroline in recent weeks. Caroline angrily said that she might have understood if Rick had dumped her for a celebrity, but she refused to lose Rick to someone like Maya.
Dani advised Caroline to get over losing Rick. Caroline refused. She countered that her mothers had spoiled her rotten when they raised her in Manhattan to have expensive tastes. Caroline said that Rick had Forrester credentials, and she planned to give him a taste of what he'd been missing.
At Eric's place, Rick and Maya talked outside the mansion. Rick asked Maya if she felt that Carter was the right guy for her. Maya shared that Carter had been honest with her, but it was only their first date. Rick admitted that he had been wrong to hide who he was from Maya, and he added that he had enjoyed what they'd shared.
Inside the house, Dayzee complained to Eric, Taylor, Marcus, and Carter that Maya had been rude to leave the party. Eric and Taylor wondered how Maya and Rick had met. Dazyee decided to get Maya. Dayzee went outside and interrupted Rick and Maya. Rick encouraged Maya to rejoin the party.
Inside, Maya apologized to the group and especially Carter, who said he'd had no idea that Maya and Rick had some unfinished business. Dayzee suggested that Maya's business with Rick was done. Taylor asked what business Maya had with Rick.
Maya explained that she had met Rick at Dayzee's, and she had thought Rick had been a waiter. Maya praised Rick and said that he had heard her sing and had encouraged her to pursue her dream of singing and acting. She said that Rick had made her feel like she really mattered.
Maya explained that she had grown up in the Midwest and had decided to follow her dream of acting and singing, but she had gotten off track. Rick had insisted that Maya could have a future in entertainment. Maya told Eric that his son was a good man. She added that Rick had helped her move into her room above Dayzee's. She flashed back to Rick kissing her on Rodeo Drive.
Maya said she had never known who Rick was, and she had opened up to him. Rick had taken her to the Forrester Boutique, where she had felt like a queen and had tried on gowns. She had discovered who he really was when a clerk called him by name. Maya excused herself to speak to Rick.
At Rick's, Rick walked out of the shower and discovered a scantily clad Caroline with a bottle of champagne. Caroline tried to seduce Rick, but he said he wasn't in the mood. Caroline never let up. She told Rick she knew all about his new friend, fresh out of prison. Rick defended Maya and said that Maya had liked him for who he was, not just for the Forrester name, title, and influence.
Caroline continued her seduction, and Rick gave in. While Rick and Caroline were making out on the couch, Maya walked past the window and saw them. Caroline saw Maya and gave Maya a show.
In Rick's office, Caroline slinked up behind Rick and asked if he still thought she was sexy. Rick wondered if she really had to ask. Caroline reminded him that he'd put her out of his house the previous night even though she'd been wearing lingerie. He claimed to be preoccupied because of the press conference, but Caroline wondered if there were more to it.
Caroline murmured that it had to do with "Mariah," but Rick corrected that it was "Maya." Looking at his computer, he insisted that he couldn't talk about it because he had to stay focused. Rick heard the door slam, and looking up, he sighed upon seeing that Caroline had left.
At the coffeehouse, thoughts of Rick distracted Maya from work. Caroline pranced in and found Maya bussing a table. Caroline called Maya "Maria," and when Maya corrected it, Caroline retorted that she didn't care. "You need to stay away from my man," Caroline demanded.
Maya explained that she hadn't known that Rick had a girlfriend when she'd met him, but Caroline asked what woman would go after him after learning that he did have one. "I'll answer that -- a loser ex-con who's just trying to get as much as she can while she can," Caroline quipped.
Maya said that it wasn't true, and she'd been framed. Caroline replied that they all said that, but Maya had no place in Rick's life. Caroline explained that she moved easily in Rick's world because she belonged there. Maya, however, made stupid decisions that had put her in prison. Caroline explained that she was sophisticated, and Rick could take her anywhere. "You, he hides in this dumpy little diner. Doesn't that tell you all you need to know?" Caroline asked.
Dayzee stood nearby, unpacking inventory as Maya replied that Caroline had called Maya a worthless lowlife, but Maya was really a woman on her own, doing the best she could. Maya claimed that she had dreams and aspirations just like everyone else. Sneering, Caroline called Maya "that actor/model/singer type" that, upon realizing their talents weren't that great, latched onto some rich guy to get by. Caroline insisted that the rich guy wasn't going to be hers. With a catty smile, Caroline said to have a nice day, and she strode out.
Dayzee approached Maya and said that Caroline was right. Dayzee reasoned that Caroline was Rick's girlfriend, and Maya needed to accept it and leave Rick alone.
In his office, Bill was on the phone with Brooke, who was also at work. Brooke expressed that she'd been worried about him the previous night. Bill thanked Brooke for listening that night, and in a dubious tone, he added that he and Katie had decided to work out their issues. Brooke and Bill discussed the press conference, and she asked him to invite Katie, who could use a distraction.
As Katie arrived in Bill's office, Bill ended his call. Bill invited Katie to the press conference, and her expression soured. Katie said she wasn't going to any press conference, and neither was Bill. He insisted upon being there to support Katie's sister because he was a shareholder in Forrester and the catalyst behind the relaunch. Katie disagreed that being a minority shareholder meant he got to watch Brooke parade around in her underwear.
Alison interrupted as she arrived to show Bill a bottle of alcohol that Mr. Henderson had sent in the hopes that their Atlanta station would do a feature on the "Falling Star." Because of the ban on spirits, Alison asked if she should send it back. "Only if you want to be back in the job market," Bill responded. Alison decided to let Bill and Katie sort it out. Alison left the bottle, and Katie glared at Bill.
Bill again asked Katie to attend the press conference; however, Katie quipped that she'd seen Brooke in her underwear before. Katie didn't feel that she or Bill needed to see it again. Katie felt that Bill's job with Brooke was done, and Katie didn't want him at the press conference. Bill retorted that he didn't like Katie telling him where he could go or who he could see.
Claiming that she knew her sister, Katie insisted that she was trying to avoid disaster for their family. Bill thought that what Katie was really saying was that she didn't trust him. Tired of hearing the word "no" from Katie, Bill decided to do a controlled study. He grabbed a glass and the bottle Alison had left and proposed that he take a drink each time the word left her mouth. "No way," Katie replied. Raising the glass, Bill announced, "And we're off!"
Bill tossed back a shot. Katie argued that they'd agreed "no more" drinking. "Cheers," he said and took another. She asked what he was trying to prove. Bill said he was a father and a husband, but first, he was a man who answered to himself. "No, not anymore," Katie said, and Bill took another drink.
Katie exclaimed that Will was first. Bill asserted that he'd teach his son to grab life and not let go. He insisted that he wouldn't let go, either -- not of the things that made him feel alive. He cited that she'd ordered him to give up drinking, motorcycles, and heli-skiing; however, he refused to give up his passions. Instead, he'd share them with his son, and his passions would become his son's passions.
"No way. No way!" Katie exclaimed, and Bill swigged from the bottle. She insisted that she wouldn't let him turn her son into an adrenaline junkie. As a heart transplant patient, Katie didn't know how long she'd live. She feared that, if something happened to Bill, their son would have no parents.
Bill asserted that she couldn't fear mortality or predict it, and she'd told him as much when he'd been worried about her during the pregnancy. He declared that she wouldn't make Will into a person who feared getting out of bed every morning. Katie claimed she wasn't a "shut-in." She wanted Will to learn good judgment, but she feared he wouldn't learn it from his father.
Bill told Katie not to mistake his passion for poor judgment. He asked what had happened to the woman who'd delighted in his enjoyment of his passions. He exclaimed that he missed his wife, and having a baby shouldn't turn her into a completely different person.
Just then, Bill received a text message. Checking the phone, Katie saw that it was from Brooke, asking where Bill was because the conference was starting. Katie cursed under her breath and stormed out. Bill sat down, took a leisurely sip of his drink, and thought of the balloon ride with Brooke.
In the Forrester corridor, Donna beamed about her sister's press conference, but Pam remarked that Brooke was "a little long in the tooth" to be parading around in underwear. Donna wondered what Brooke's teeth had to do with it, and prancing away, Donna added that Brooke's teeth looked great.
Nearby, Eric thanked Taylor for being there even though she was leery about Brooke's line. Taylor said the line was a mistake, but she wanted to support him. Eric was also glad she was there because he planned to make an announcement of his own about him and Taylor.
Taylor entered Eric's office, where Brooke was working. Taylor claimed to be checking in, and Brooke quipped that she wasn't hiding Bill underneath the desk. Taylor hoped that Katie would convince Bill that it was inappropriate for him to be at the press conference. Brooke said Bill had a stake in the company. Taylor retorted that he had a stake in Brooke, and if Katie were smart, she'd "keep him away."
Brooke admitted knowing that Taylor had run straight to upset Katie, but Taylor figured Katie should be upset about the way she'd found Brooke and Bill. Brooke raged that Taylor was the one to talk after moving into Stephanie's bed five minutes after Stephanie had died. Brooke told Taylor to get a life. Taylor proudly retorted that she had one, and she was reveling in it.
Rick and Eric entered, and Eric asked if everything was okay. Taylor beamed that it had never been better. Rick advised Brooke to get ready, and as Brooke left through the side door, Taylor stared at Brooke with a satisfied grin.
Later, the press crowded into the CEO's office, and Eric introduced Brooke, who strode out in a purple teddy and matching robe. The press responded well to the design and the relaunch. Brooke said there would be no questions, but Jarrett slipped one in. He asked if Brooke felt subconscious or exposed for a woman of her age. Brooke denied having those feelings. Opening the robe, she quipped, "the more exposed, the better."
Brooke thanked everyone for being there, and Eric took to the podium to say he had one more announcement. Eric stated that he wanted to go on record as saying that he and Taylor were living together, and he couldn't be happier. Cameras flashed as Eric invited Taylor to stand at his side. He explained that he and Taylor had gotten very close since his wife's passing, and the press kicked in with questions about the new relationship and living status.
After the press conference, Brooke was alone in the CEO's office when Katie strode in and asked to see Brooke's phone. Brooke let her sister see it, and Katie pulled up the text message Brooke had sent to Bill. Katie asserted that texts were what had gotten Brooke in trouble with Ridge, and Katie wasn't too keen on inappropriate texts, either.
Katie reasoned that Bill had nothing to do with the lingerie line, and she ordered Brooke to cease all communication with him. "Do I make myself clear?" Katie asked.
In the CEO's office, Brooke explained that Bill was a shareholder in the company. Katie quipped that months would go by without Bill expressing an interest in his Forrester shares, but suddenly, it was different with Brooke prancing around in her underwear. Katie ordered Brooke to back off; however, Brooke said that even if she did, the problem wasn't her -- it was Katie's demands upon Bill.
Katie refused to take the sole blame, and she didn't want to be the one who always gave in. Katie claimed that Bill had to participate in the marriage, too. Brooke affirmed that he was participating, but he'd been very hurt when Katie had walked out on him during her postpartum depression. Brooke thought that Katie might have forgotten what kind of man she'd married, and how much he loved her.
Brooke urged Katie to stop hounding Bill about inconsequential things like his drinking and friendship with Brooke. "Just appreciate him before you drive him away," Brooke said. Choosing to trust her instincts, Katie said something was happening between Brooke and Bill, whether Brooke wanted to admit it or not, and Katie ordered Brooke to back off.
Brooke felt that Bill was only vulnerable to her because Katie wasn't meeting his needs, and Brooke suggested that Katie let him have an occasional drink. Katie replied that Bill drank on any occasion, which amounted to a husband that wasn't quite drunk but also wasn't there. Brooke admitted that Katie had a point, but Brooke said badgering Bill with insecurities would make him dig in his heels.
Katie claimed she wasn't insecure, but Brooke cited that Katie was hurling accusations at Brooke and Bill. Katie claimed she knew Brooke's history, but Brooke asked why Katie lived in fear. Katie proposed that she follow Brooke's example of marrying countless men.
Brooke said she could slap Katie for saying that. Katie reasoned that Brooke was lonely and needed to fill the void with some man. "But not my man, Brooke," Katie warned. Brooke asserted that she'd never do that, and she'd only been trying to help Katie. Brooke urged Katie to do something, to smile, and to turn Bill on before she lost him.
"To you?" the tearful Katie asked. Brooke exclaimed, "No!" Both women were shedding tears, and Katie implored Brooke to think about what she was doing before she ruined Katie' marriage.
Later, Katie was at home with Dani, who'd stopped by to pick up some paperwork. Katie apologized for talking Dani's ear off, and Katie murmured that she just had to keep him away from "her." Dani asked who, and Katie revealed that Brooke and Bill had kissed. Katie acknowledged being the catalyst for their connection, but she wished Brooke would just stay away. Dani hugged Katie.
Katie asserted that she'd done the right thing to protect her family and Will, and Dani was glad that Katie had stood up for herself. Dani figured that Bill and Brooke would do what was right. Katie wasn't so sure of it because she felt that Brooke couldn't help herself. Katie didn't know what would happen if Brooke didn't stay away and if Bill didn't stop drinking.
In Bill's office, Alison walked in and saw that Bill had finished about a third of the bottle she'd left. Bill murmured that he and Katie had been playing a drinking game. Alison held out a shot glass. She wanted to play, too, since it was near quitting time for the day. The inebriated Bill warned Alison that if Katie called, she'd hear it in Alison's voice, and then Alison would be in trouble.
Checking his computer, Bill couldn't believe that the whole press conference had been about Brooke, but all "those bozos" were doing was gossiping about Eric and Taylor. Bill relayed that he hadn't attended the press conference because he and Katie had been playing a drinking game in which he'd had a drink each time she'd said "no." He felt that Katie had gotten his point.
Alison wondered if marriage had devolved into teaching lessons. Bill rasped that it sure wasn't about giving orders. "I don't take orders. Not from my wife, not from anyone," he asserted.
Alison insisted upon calling Bill's driver for him. She left, and Bill called Brooke to apologize for missing the press conference. Brooke said she'd just been with Katie, and Bill asked Brooke to meet him at his house. He said it was time they hashed it out with Katie once and for all. Bill clicked off the line as Brooke asked if he was okay. He grabbed his keys and headed out of his office.
Brooke left Forrester, and she and Bill were each driving in their cars. Bill flashed back to his earlier argument with Katie. His tires squealed. He hit the brakes, and the car swerved. In her car, Brooke panicked and slammed on her brakes. Brooke and Bill's cars collided.
In Rick's office, Caroline arrived and sat behind Rick as he sat on the divan and worked. Caroline hugged and stroked him, and he noted that she'd been late to the conference. She said she'd had some things to take care of, but everything was fine "now."
Rick relayed that the conference had gone well until Eric had made his announcement. The flirty Caroline thought that the only flaw with the bedroom line was that her wearing it might make Rick think of his mother. He asked her not to put that in his head -- ever. Chuckling, she replied that she knew she was the only woman on his mind when she wore lingerie.
Caroline began kissing Rick, but Rick insisted that he had to focus on work. Disappointed, she asked him to call her later. He agreed, and she took off. Rick sighed as if he were stressed out.
At Dayzee's, Dayzee admitted to Maya that Caroline had been a bit strong, and Maya retorted that Caroline was rude. Maya felt that she should just forget it if Caroline was the type of woman that Rick was interested in. "Exactly. Forget it, Maya. Forget that you ever met Rick," Dayzee replied.
Later, Caroline arrived at the coffeehouse, and Dayzee said she was surprised to see her again. Caroline asked if Dayzee could turn Rick away if he arrived to volunteer that night because Caroline really needed time alone with him. Dayzee agreed to do it and assured Caroline that she and Rick were just going through a rough patch.
Caroline revealed that she'd told Maya to stay away from Rick. Dayzee said she understood, and she'd told Maya the same thing. Dayzee assured Caroline that she, not Maya, was Rick's girlfriend.
Caroline thanked Dayzee, and Dayzee said Maya hadn't known who Rick was or whom he'd been dating. It puzzled Caroline that Rick would hide being a Forrester. To Caroline, it was like being royalty. Dayzee agreed. Caroline figured that she and Dayzee each talking to Maya had ended it.
Back in Rick's office, Maya arrived, stating that she had something to convey to Rick. Maya had realized she'd overacted upon learning Rick's identify, but he hadn't been alone the other night when she'd gone to the guesthouse to tell him so. Rick apologized; however, Maya said that he had a girlfriend, and Dayzee and Caroline had told Maya to respect that.
Maya guessed that Caroline was sexy, rich, powerful, and a perfect match for Rick. "Except for how awful she is. Life can be such a bitch, Rick. Why would you want to waste a moment dating one?" Maya asked. Rick said that Caroline didn't always realize how she seemed to people, and Maya guessed that Caroline's father had spoiled her. Rick remarked that it wasn't anything like that.
Rick wondered what Caroline had said to Maya, and Maya relayed that Caroline had called her a loser who didn't stand a chance with someone like Rick. Maya kissed Rick and said she kind of liked her chances. Rick pulled Maya in for another kiss, and afterward, she smiled at him.
