Young and the Restless Thursday, October 5, 2000--Canada; or Friday, October 6, 2000--USA 

By  LINDA K. 

AT Walnut Grove Academy, Raul asks what was going on between Mac and Billy. You said that you owe me an answer, Raul yells at Mac. Well, damn it, if the answer is no, just say it. You can even cut it down to a simple ‘no’. I am waiting! Mackenzie is held speechless. Mac suggests after school to going somewhere private. Raul is adamant - he demands to talk about it right now. Are you all right? Mac asks, nervously looking at Raul up and down. He appears to be shaking. No, I am not all right. My heart is pounding and I feel like I am going to puke. I can’t take this any longer. I can’t stand this. Let’s not do this, Mac tries to get away, but Raul holds her back, his eyes burning. Finally, Mac finds the courage to say - Yes, there was something going on between Billy and Me. Raul - Something? What kind of something. Mac struggles. We were seeing each other. Raul looks aghast. Raul, I am so sorry, Mac breaks. Raul’s voice becomes hoarse. Seeing each other? I don’t believe this. You and Billy! I thought we were really committed. I thought we had something special. We did, Mac says. Oh yeah, right - Raul says spitefully. Real special. While the whole time you and my best friend were… What exactly did ‘seeing each other mean? Mac: No - having sex? Who do you think I am? Raul: That is one hell of a question. OK, without having sex, boyfriend, girlfriend. Without letting anyone know! Without letting ME know? Mac answers quietly - It was our secret. Raul: Our secret? Isn’t that cute! Raul is spewing with hatred and anger. Tears stream down both Mac and Raul’s faces. Mac says she is sorry. How could you do that Mac? How could you lie to me? Both of you? How long was this going on? Since the night of the Prom, Mac tells him. Way back then? While we were still together, Mac? Is that why you broke up with me - to be with Billy? Noooo, Mac, whimpers. Raul: But instead of being straight with me. Instead of having some class. You let me think it was something I did. I never meant to do that. Mac replies weakly, I just did not know what to say. I was telling you the truth about disappointing a friend. Raul: Oh, thanks. I suppose I should be grateful to you for the one thing truthful you said to me all summer. To think that I thought about pushing you too far that day at the pool house. Do you have any idea how much I beat myself over that, Mac? How many times I wished I could have that day to do it all over, so that you would still be with me. What a joke! Raul yells. Mac pleads - I wanted to be upfront, but there were reasons. Raul doesn’t stop. I don’t want any excuses. I just want to know one thing. Does it have anything at all to do about you being all freaked out wanting to leave town? Mac answers, I’ve been so upset after I broke up with Billy. Raul: Why? Did he do anything to you? Yes, Billy did something to me, but not in the way you mean. That last night at the website, Billy and Brittany had sex. I know, because I saw them. I guess you think I deserve what happened, huh? No, Mackenzie. I don’t think you deserve to be lied to. I don’t think anybody deserves that. Raul, knowing that I broke your trust is tearing me up inside. I am so sorry. Mac advances towards Raul’s arms, but Raul backs off hastily. Hey! Forget that! If you expect me to comfort you, you are WRONG! Don’t you dare to come to me for sympathy and understanding. After you stab me in the back. Just get out of here! Mac snivels - You’re right. 

At Malcolm’s apartment, Sid thanks Malcolm for the extra shots of Drucilla’s photos. He is headed back to Paris. Sid tells Malcolm, Dru is keeping me hopping. She is absolutely amazing! First gig back and she was absolutely dazzling - blew everything away. Malcolm looks unhappy. Sid continues: Still hurts, huh? I have to tell you Malcolm. I really admire you. That was a hell of a thing you did - let Dru go. No. I mean, ‘convince’ her she HAD to go. Wait a minute here, Sid. Dru turned you down? Malcolm is speechless. Sid: Oh yeah. She flat out said sorry, "I’m staying". Threw my contract right into the trash. All is well that ends well. Dru is hotter than ever. No turning back now. Once again, thank you, I know it was hard to make the sacrifice, but this is the right thing. You are a heck of a guy. I will give Drucilla your best. Yeah, you do that, Malcolm says, in abject astonishment. 

At Jabot, Ashley appears tired and walks to the window. She recalls her conversation with Victor earlier. He tells her the baby is lucky for having her for a mother. Brad enters and asks if she is daydreaming about him. Brad and Ashley are discussing the big event - the final Lamaze class. Brad says, This is a good thing. I don’t think I could take any more of this. You, Ashley Abbott, are the most gorgeous pregnant lady I have ever laid my eyes on. I cannot restrain myself much longer. Restraint was never my strong suit. They kiss. Olivia enters saying: Did somebody call for a doctor? Ashley says yes, for the lightheadedness she is feeling for all the attention she is getting. The ladies plan for their lunch date and Brad excuses himself. Olivia asks what she has ‘walked in on’. Ashley tells her that Brad has become a very important man in her life. Olivia says smilingly: He is a wonderful man, and I am glad he is there for you. I find himself leaning on him more and more every time, Ashley says. Olivia had a question - about Victor. Has she heard from him? Ashley tells her they had seen and spoken with each other. It was over before he left and it is over now. Olivia asks whether she is still OK with that. Ashley says was amazed how she ignored the many red flags and allowed herself to get in so deeply. There must be reasons for that. Certainly the man’s legendary magnetism, Olivia says. Ashley: But, it is over. Finished. Done. Olivia: Meanwhile you look happy. Obviously you have moved on in a very attractive direction. Ashley laughs with glee. 

Olivia’s phone rings and Malcolm urges her to see him immediately - at his studio. Olivia is sarcastic and tells him she has a date. It was not a good time. Eventually she agrees to see him. What is wrong with Malcolm, Ashley asks. Who knows. Probably something to do with my sister. Oh, you don’t know the latest, do you? She has gone back to Paris. Seems that the closest she got with Malcolm was some huge miscommunication. The point is, Malcolm is completely devastated. Ashley asks, with her gone, where does that leave you? Olivia dodges Ashley’s questions coyly and rushes off. 

Neil and Victor discuss personnel and hirings. Speaking of hiring people, I had a visitor, Victor tells Neil. Phyllis Summers had the nerve to come in here to let bygones be bygones. I told her I would relocate her as far away from Newman Enterprises as possible. She told me to take a look at her contract. Apparently the lady has taken steps to protect herself. Why have I not seen this ‘Phyllis’ contract? It probably is in the legal department, Neil hastily replies. Victor sharply asks for a copy by the afternoon. Neil turns to leave, but Victor apologies for being short with him earlier about Ashley Abbott. I thought long and hard about that relationship when I was gone. I’ve come to the conclusion that it was bound to end. There is just too much bad blood between me and the Abbotts. Neil says from his vantage point, Victor gave it every chance, more than he expected, anyway. Neil says Ashley’s pregnancy by another man must have given him one hell of a jolt. That is an understatement, Victor tells Neil. Nell: And yet, you seem to have forgiven her. Quicker than most men would have. Victor: That mystifies me. This must have to do with the fact that - I love Ashley Abbott. 

As long as we are speaking candidly, Victor, you really went all out for this relationship. I never saw you break so many of your own rules. Allow personal feelings more weight over your business decisions. You dropped lawsuits against Brad Carleton and Jabot. It was an act of pure compassion. I know what it meant for you to do that and what it meant for Ashley. I know she was quite moved by this gesture. Well, it is all behind us now, Victor says. Neil returns to the matter of Phyllis’ contract. Victor agrees. Let us see how good our new computer expert really is. Victor then places a call to Virginia to run an errand for him. 

At Jabot, Billy barges into talk to Jack - about Mackenzie. Brittany told her they had sex all summer. Jack asks if this was true and Billy yells out, ‘hell no’, how could you ask me that? Jack: Have you confronted Brittany about this? Billy: Yeah, she admitted to lying to Mac. Maybe she figured out what happened between you two, Jack suggests. Billy: But instead of coming to me she decided to hurt Mac and break us up. Jack: Did she admit to lying about the last night at the Jabot House? Billy: No, she is sticking to her story. Jack: You still don’t remember anything about it? Billy: No, I look back but I just draw a blank. Jack: How do you explain it? Forget about an evening like that? You were beyond being wiped out. If she lied about the two of you sleeping together all summer what makes you think she is telling you the truth about this? Jack tries to put the pieces of the puzzle together. A guy does not forget an evening of sex with somebody like Brittany Hodges because he is too tired! Brittany knew you knew about the truth about the other stuff, but during the evening in question, maybe she felt she was on safe ground. There was no one to dispute her story, or corroborate. Billy does not believe the last night was a lie - the way she described it - the way they saw it on the video. It all adds up, he tells Jack. Jack asks if Mac knew all about what Brittany admitted to. Billy says she did and it made things worse, if that were possible. Jack: You told Mackenzie that Brittany lied? Billy: About the rest of the summer but not that one night. This is all Mackenzie needed to prove what a low-life scumbag I really am. Jack: Nobody can say you aren’t suffering for it. Billy: I can’t believe how badly I screwed up. Mac is the most important thing that has ever happened to me. I am such a jerk. Jack: Eventually this smoke is going to clear. Billy: It is not just Mackenzie I am worried about. It is Raul. He was hammering me about all kinds of questions about Mac and me. Jack: you are worried he is on to you and his ex-girlfriend? Billy: My ex-girlfriend too, now. He is going to figure it out eventually if he hasn’t already. Why Mac broke up with him and why things were so tense between Brittany and me. Jack: How did you handle his questions? Billy: I didn’t. I was a total coward. I made a bunch of excuses and bolted. Jack: You know you are going to have to tell Raul about this. Billy: I need time to screw my head on first. Jack: Don’t take too much time. He is close to finding the truth. He needs to find it from you. 

Olivia enters Malcolm’s studio: Alright, Malcolm what was so important that it couldn’t wait? Malcolm: Sid Garber, Dru’s agent was here. He flew out to thank me for convincing Dru to come back to work. She did not want to go after all. She actually took her contract and threw it in the garbage. This is crazy, because when I asked her about her contract, she said she already signed it. You don’t’ seem that surprised, Liv. What the hell was going on in your sister’s head. Olivia smirks: I don’t know. Maybe she was torn. When I saw Dru before she went to Paris, I was under the assumption she wanted to stay. Malc: Did Drucilla change her mind only after talking to me? Say something. I’ve got to know. As much as I wanted her to stay, is it possible that I messed this thing up? That I talked Drucilla into leaving? 

AT Crimson Lights, Sharon and Cody set about the business of running the coffee house until Cody switches the topic to Carter and Tricia McNeill. Sharon rolls her eyes. Why does she come around here? She knows she is not welcome. Cody: The thing that worries me is that when she first came into town, Carter was asking about her. I guess he thought she was ‘hot’. Sharon: I hope you set him straight. Cody: I told him she was married and screwed up, but he kept asking about her. Sharon: Did you finally get through to him? Cody thought he had: Tricia came in earlier and Carter was all over her and totally blew up all my warnings. He took his break and they leave together. Carter seems like a nice guy and is a good employee. I’d hate to see him get involved in an ugly situation. Sharon: Believe me, I am going to talk to him about this -what kind of a woman he is dealing with. 

Carter and Tricia enter another coffee shop. Tricia is nervous. She looks around and says, I don’t know what I am doing here. Carter: You are hanging around with a friend when he is taking his break. Look Tricia, if you want to go, then you can go. There is no one stopping you. You just seem upset. Maybe I can use some kind words, Tricia replies. Carter tells her: Maybe I can come up with a few. Tricia is unsure. She does not think it is a good idea, and Carter tells her she must be nervous about her husband. Tricia is surprised that he knew she was married. Carter asks her if this was a secret. It appears her homecoming was not a success and that she hit another rough patch. Carter: The guy does not seem to be making you happy, so why are you staying with him? Tricia keeps nervously rubbing the back of her neck. Carter tells her: I am sorry, I must have hit a nerve. Tricia: I love my husband and I don’t want us to give up. Yet, there is frustration. What kind of a chance do we have if Ryan .. never mind, I shouldn’t talk about it. Carte: Are you saying that this guy isn’t even sleeping with you? Carter asks. Tricia: I am so embarrassed. I’ve said way too much. Carter: How can you keep this thing together without sharing a bed? Tricia: Ryan says it would complicate things. Carter: In a good way though. Good sex between two people who really care about each other. This is really what it is all about if you ask me. If you ever need anyone to talk to again, you know where to find me. Tricia gets up to leave. 

At Brash & Sassy, Nina enters Victoria’s office and finds Ryan. They share small talk. The discussion eventually turns to Tricia and her progress. Ryan admits that sometimes it is hard to figure out what is in Tricia's head. Today, when he came into his apartment, Tricia was putting together this big romantic evening. Ryan: I had to tell her that we were not ready to take that next step. Nina: What is the matter? You don’t miss your little sex-kitten wife? Ryan: Of course, I miss that aspect of our relationship, but to share a bed right now? No way, too much has happened. I am still ambivalent. I think we should focus on getting Tricia to get better without bringing sex into the equation. Nina asks if he believes Tricia is using sex to get him back. Ryan: I don’t think Tricia has any ulterior motives. Tricia believes that physical relations would make us closer. That physical intimacy is part of a healthy marriage. Nina: But you don’t have a healthy marriage. Ryan: Exactly. Personally, I don’t think you can make a marriage healthy by going through the motions. I don’t know, Ryan says, shaking his head. Am I being unreasonably wanting to hold off? You tell me, from a woman’s perspective. Am I being completely unfair? Tricia surmises that Ryan was plainly uncomfortable being with his own wife and Tricia was applying guilt into this. Ryan adamantly opposes Nina. Tricia was only reaching out to him trying to bring things back together again. When she saw how I felt, she couldn’t help being disappointed, but she was able to see my point of view. Nina: See it, or accepted it? Ryan: Both. I was surprised myself how she reacted. Before, she might have started crying or breaking out in a rage. My wife has finally learned time and patience to see through these things. Just because we disagree doesn’t mean I am rejecting her. I have been seeing a different Tricia lately. 

Carter is back at Crimson Lights and Sharon seems to be trailing him around the shop. He asks her: Is there something in your mind. Sharon talks rapidly and awkwardly: I spoke with Cody and he said that you were leaving with Tricia MacNeil. He also said that he repeatedly warned you about what kind of person she is. She is not somebody you want to get involved with. Carter: Look. It is obvious that you don’t like her much. She looked really down so I thought she needed somebody to talk to. I didn’t think I was breaking any rules for giving her a shoulder to cry on. Sharon talks steadily and in a low voice: My feelings for Tricia go beyond dislike. Maybe I will tell you the whole story someday. Believe me, that woman is big trouble. She can be very dangerous. People have been hurt by her and I don’t mean just emotionally. I mean seriously hurt. Carter answers in a blasé tone: I had no idea. Sharon: Right! She looks so vulnerable. She is a very disturbed woman. You are new in town. You have not had time to meet people. Just trust me on this one, alright. Carter: Thanks for the warning. Sharon: I can’t stand to see a nice guy like you get mixed up with that walking disaster. Carter says to himself after Sharon leaves: So boss lady thinks Tricia is trouble. If that is trouble, then just bring it on. 

Ashley and Brad meet again later at Jabot. A package arrives at Jabot. Brad signs for it and is surprised. He hands it to Ashley. It is from Victor, he tells her. Aren’t you going to open it? Brad waits holding his breath. It is a beautifully wrapped baby present containing a silver rattle. Ashley is very touched and gently folds her hands over the gift. Jack returns to his private office and heads towards his phone book. He calls Brittany Hodges and asks whether she can come over to meet with him. She appears ready to meet him right away. He declines to tell her what it is about. They will discuss it when she arrives at his office. Billy is back at school and looks carefully around before heading towards his locker. When he turns around he faces Raul!