The Bold & The Beautiful Update Friday 12/30/05

Written By Wanda
Pictures by Boo

New Year’s Eve and Taylor is standing with tear-stained face in front of Hector in her house. A long distance phone call from Ridge in Paris has just shattered her world that he has more company business and won’t make it home as promised. Hector is holding her, restraining himself about as gentlemanly as possible, while gently reminding her that she is not Ridge’s number one priority otherwise he would be there with her.

She gazes deeply into his eyes until finally pulling away and tells him she is sorry. He’s disappointed, of course. He tells her that New Year’s is important to her. She’s told Ridge that, yet he chooses to stay in Europe. She defends by saying he wanted to be here, but he had business. Hector keep repeating that she deserves better. And he doesn’t just mean tonight. She deserves more respect, and he wants to give that to her. All she has to do is say yes. Her eyes are riveted to his as she soaks in the words.

At Thorne and Darla’s, they rush in from the hot tub cooing about how long it’s been since they were alone on New Year’s Eve. They are enjoying a kissing fest when Sally sneaks up on them in her wheelchair and blows one of the paper blowout noisemakers at them saying “let the festivities begin!” They stop what they are doing and Thorne pours them each a glass of bubbly and wants to make a toast. First Sally says she does not want to interrupt them. They insist she stay and Thorne gives the toast “may it be more successful than the last year.” They all clink their glasses to that. She wants to be assured that she is not in the way. And Darla tells her, of course not, she’s family. Sally doesn’t want to start blubbering; they’ve been so good to her. She states she feels like a set of tonsils…….or an appendix or a second floppy disc on a computer. Some sort of useless appendage! Darla tells her she’s been through a lot recently and she just needs a little rest. And Thorne adds before long she’ll be dancing the night away again. They clink their glasses again. She says okay, they’re right. Those were the days when she could drink everyone in the room under the table and then dance on top of it. No one could bring in the New Year like Sally Spectra. She says she misses those days and that she’s just become an old cliché – an old bitter woman, past her prime, with her best days behind her. Thorne tells her she’ll bounce back and she remarks she is afraid it will be a pretty long haul before she is back to her old self, if ever. She bemoans the fact that she ran the business into the ground. Thorne tells her she did not do that alone, and she’s not alone now. Suddenly she says the champagne is going straight to her head and she can’t handle it the way she used to. She thinks she is going to toodle off and retire and she can guarantee them that she will be sleeping so soundly that nothing they can do here to celebrate will awaken her EVER! They clink once more to Happy New Year. Thorne and Darla return to their lovey-doving.

At Forrester, Stephanie is in her office before a roaring fire. Brooke walks in and comments that she thought she would be home with her daughter. Stephanie states that Felicia was sort of worn out and wanted to go to bed early. Brooke goads her that she has no place else to go? Sparkling parties; fascinating friends? Nevermind, she had nothing to celebrate anyway. Stephanie says, “au contraire, I have a lot to celebrate.” She’d had some tragedies the last few weeks but on the whole she’d say it had been one of the happiest years of her life. Brooke asks if senility has caused her to forget who she is? Stephanie boasts that no, it’s because Taylor is back in Ridge’s life and Brooke is almost entirely out of her life! Abandoned, used up and alone……course knowing her, there’s probably another big destiny just around the corner out of sight. She makes a cute little circle with her fingers, then shakes her finger at her and tells her but not with any men in her family and for that she will be externally grateful. She gestures to the sky – thank you, thank you, thank you! Brooke reminds her there is only one man in her family that she cares a damn about – Ridge. Stephanie tells her that he is happy with Taylor. That marriage is rock solid. “And there is nothing you or anyone else can do to change that.”

Taylor declares to Hector that she loves her husband. He is resolved to that but tells her that the question she should be asking is does he love her? She replies that yes, of course, he does. Hector points out there is some place else he’d rather be, otherwise, he’d be here. Then he asks if the shoe was on the other foot, wouldn’t she be moving heaven and earth trying to get back to him? Taylor says she did. She fought death and she would have done ANYTHING to get back to him. And Ridge, he does the bare minimum. He tells her that can’t be okay with her. She’s an angel and she’s always trying to help other people. He pulls out his badge and flashes it and says it’s like he has that to look at to remind him every day that he made a commitment to make a difference in the world. And she does the same thing but without the badge. He tosses it down on the table and asks her how can she keep doing that without any support? He states that her husband should be looking at her the way he does – in awe. He should be giving her courage and strength, instead of holding her back. She shrugs that no, it shouldn’t be this hard. She shouldn’t have to convince him. She cries that he knew she didn’t want to be alone tonight. Hector puts out his arms to her and asks her to let him stay with her. A New Year is just around the corner and she could make it whatever she wanted it to be. She stares into his eyes for the longest time before finally saying sadly that she can’t. She cries if he cares about her at all, please just go home. She runs off. He heaves a big sigh.

Brooke tells Stephanie that like it or not, she and Ridge have a son and they will always be connected. Stephanie informs her that is unfortunate for him, but that's as far as it’s going to go. As long as he’s with someone like Taylor, he’ll have no use for the likes of Brooke. Brooke declares that she is an evil woman. How can she even live with herself? Because of her, Ridge’s son will grow up without a father. Eric enters about this time though they are unaware of his presence. Stephanie retorts that after ALL Brooke has put her through, she thinks she deserves to dance down the street and set off fireworks. And she deserves to be happy about the fact that her son is with a woman of integrity and character instead of Brooke who’s finding a new destiny every other week! Eric walks on it and tells them both, this is enough. Brooke throws her hands up and says she was just leaving.

He turns to Stephanie and remarks that she just can’t let it go, can she? She looks at him with contempt and shrugs, “something I can do for you, Eric?” He asks is it ever going to end - this vendetta against Brooke? And reminds Stephanie that Brooke is a big part of this company just as she is a big part of the family. Stephanie asks then she just has to accept her? Eric offers that yes, for Ridge, for Bridget, for peace. She waves her hand and says he’ll have to do a lot better than that if he thinks she will ever accept her into this family again.

Being very romantic around the lighted hot tub area, Darla tells Thorne she has to do something to get Sally more involved. He kisses her and says most people can’t get past Sally’s tough exterior, but she’s very lucky to have Darla and so is he!

In her bedroom, Taylor steps out of her dress, down to a sexy black teddy and garter with fishnet stockings. She starts to turn the bed covers down when she realizes she is not alone. Hector is nearby watching. She asks what he’s doing there? And he remarks he can’t leave her like this.

Downstairs, Brooke walks right on in the door with R.J. in stroller. She looks around and does call out to Ridge and Taylor, but not very loudly.

Stephanie and Eric continue to argue. According to him, she won’t be happy until she sets off fireworks. And she combats that he won’t be happy unless she rolls over and plays dead. And she’s only protecting her family. He asks from whom, because Brooke is not a threat to anyone. (Eric, she was just a few weeks ago when she married you). He tells her that Brooke is building a new life for herself. Stephanie thinks that is fine, as long as it isn’t with one of her boys. And she states that she is sure Ridge and Taylor are celebrating and toasting the New Year right now. He remarks that if they are, it’s long distance as Ridge has postponed his flight. Stephanie is perplexed – no, Taylor's counting on him, she’s expecting him, she NEEDS him. Eric tells her Taylor spoke to him, and she’s fine. Stephanie replies that of course, she would say that as she didn’t want to worry him. She thinks for a moment and then very concerned tells him that EVERYONE has their breaking point.

Brooke pushes the stroller on it and spies the elegant table and remarks to R.J. that Ridge must be home as Taylor has planned a romantic dinner for the two of them. She thinks it’s strange he’s not there when he invited her over here tonight. She tells R.J. to stay sleeping, she will go find his dad (yeah, a real good idea to walk in ex-lover’s door and snoop around when she KNOWS a romantic evening is planned).

Taylor quickly grabs her robe and starts to put it on; doesn’t quite. She tells Hector she thought he had gone. He closes the bedroom door and remarks he couldn’t, just leave her alone, unhappy, not his style. He asks her if she remembers the last time he was here when Ridge left her alone at the press conference? She was in tears then too. How many times is she going to let him disappoint her before she realizes he is never going to be the man she wants him to be? He puts his arms around her and pulls her to him. They embrace just as Brooke outside the door calls out Ridge’s name. Taylor panics with that frozen ‘deer in the headlights’ look. Hector scoots off to hide in the bathroom. Brooke walks in and Taylor chastises her for just walking into other people’s homes and their bedrooms like this. Brooke lightly apologizes; Ridge had asked her to bring R.J. over. Taylor stammers that he is not home. There had been a change of plans. Brooke offers sympathy; oh Taylor must be so disappointed. Then she says Stephanie must be right after all, she must be a saint. She wouldn’t be so understanding! Taylor says it’s okay, she has a lot of work to do anyway. Brooke states she is sure she can do it all, kids, work and prepare a romantic dinner for her husband as well.

Taylor dismisses her by saying she will tell Ridge she brought R.J. over. Brooke asks her not to be too hard on him as he has to clean up the mess Stephanie created. He’d like to be home with his family but he can’t right now. Taylor is surprised that she is actually defending him. She replies no, but Stephanie left it in a precarious situation and it was going to take Ridge some time to change that. Taylor warns her that she’s not going to stand there and discuss her marriage in her underwear! Does she mind, give her some privacy in her own house? Brooke smarts that she might consider locking the front door if she’s going to be there all alone…..in her underwear.

Taylor is frazzled as she leans against the door when Brooke leaves. Hector comes out of hiding.

Stephanie is adamant. Taylor is so vulnerable right now. Why did he leave her alone? Why didn’t he take the company jet and fly home for a couple of days and then go back if he had to. She KNEW she should have called and talked to him! Eric wants to know what she knows that he doesn’t. She reposts nothing that he couldn’t see with his own eyes if he bothered to. “Everyone can be pushed to the edge, especially if they think they are not appreciated or loved …..there are a LOT of temptations out there.” He asks if it is just Taylor she is talking about? She gets the hint, no, he didn’t think she was baring her soul to him, did he? She had given up a long time ago wanting or expecting anything from him. But, it was not too late for Taylor. She says she just hopes Ridge doesn’t screw this up.

Brooke goes downstairs and gets her purse and turns the stroller around. She bumps into a table and picks up something, turns out to be Hector’s badge and she wonders how it got there. Her eyes turn upstairs and she laments, “so you want to be alone?”

Taylor tells Hector that he can give Brooke a couple of minutes and then he HAS to go. He can’t stand the thought of leaving her there, alone and unhappy. (what part of no don’t you understand, Hector?) He points out that Ridge had asked Brooke to come there….on his first night home. How could he? He turns her around and says she deserves so much better. He cups her face and tenderly kisses her. This time she isn’t pulling away or fighting the feeling. Brooke walks in, the badge falls to the floor with a loud noise and Taylor quickly turns her head around as Brooke says, “Oh, my God!”

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