Bill spends the night waxing on and on that Hope will never live up to Liam's expectations in bed. Bill admits he has fantasies, even had one about Brooke, and Liam must have them too. So there's nothing to be ashamed of; it's expected of men, that's what they do. While Liam's in bed alone, it won't hurt him to think about Steffy just across town in her bed laying there naked. Rick takes Steffy home and she thanks him for the dinner and when he moves closer to her, she says goodnight and asks him to leave her wanting more. Brooke fails to convince Hope to change her mind about being a virgin and to wait the six months for Liam. She warns her to not let Steffy have all the power. Rick comes in and tells them Steffy could always change her mind, although Brooke thinks that is highly unlikely and she says emphatically that she does not want Rick to get more involved with Steffy. Brooke calls Bill to ask about Katie. He takes one more opportunity to tell her that daughter, Hope, is acting all prim and proper and he thinks Steffy is the better wife for Liam. Steffy calls Liam and says she is lonely back at the loft and misses him. She'd like for him to join her. Liam reflects back on what Bill just said. He thinks of Steffy, grabs his jacket and heads out. Steffy has on her teddy, dabs on perfume, puts on more lipstick, lights the candles and is delighted when she hears a knock at the door.
Steffy: Okay, this is it. What, are you a vampire now? I have to invite you in? Rick: I didn't want to be presumptuous about where the evening was headed. Steffy: Um, not where you're hoping. But you can join me for a drink. Rick: So what happened? Uh, things didn't work out over at your mom's place? Steffy: No, it was fine, but temporary. I knew I wasn't gonna be living there. It felt like I was regressing, you know? All grown up, being back home, going through a divorce. I never ended up putting this place on the market, so... Rick: Well, you're better off here... Steffy: Yeah. Rick: You know. (Cork pops) Rick: It's much less awkward when guys want to spend the night. [SCENE_BREAK] Bill: That's it then? Your future's with Hope? Not willing to explore any other possibilities? Liam: I've explored, Dad. I'm done now. Bill: You do remember what it was like, don't you? Liam: (Sighs) Bill: All the cold showers? It'll frustrate the hell out of you, again. Liam: I-I love Steffy I'll always love Steffy. Doesn't mean I want to be married to her, okay? So no more pressure, no more lying. I'm with Hope now. [SCENE_BREAK] Brooke: It is a formality. It's a piece of paper that evening when things changed when you broke it off with Liam, you were ready. Hope: (Chuckles) Brooke: You were moving in with him. Hope: Well, I don't want to relive that night. Brooke: Well... (Sighs) Then live it the way you first envisioned it. What is so different now? Hope: I appreciate what you're trying to do, really, but... (Sighs) I've made a decision that I am proud of. And I don't want to change my mind, and I-I don't want anybody to convince me otherwise. I said that I was going to wait until marriage, and I'm sticking to it. [SCENE_BREAK] Bill: Can we be done with this now? Liam: What, you constantly telling me to be with Steffy? Please. Bill: Done with the tension. Liam: (Sighs) Bill: It was warranted, momentarily. I made a mistake, but it's time to move on. Isn't that what they do, fathers and sons? I mean, we don't have a lot of experience, but I-I think it goes something like this. Mess up, apologize, stew for a while, then get past it. Liam: (Sighs) Bill: Maybe if you put, uh, this back on, it'll help. Liam: Maybe someday. Not--not--not yet. Bill: Okay. When you're ready. Liam: We'll be okay. I know you still love me. Bill: Yeah, I do love ya, kid. And that's why I can't shut up about these two women in your life. Liam: Oh, come on. Bill: I want the best for you.. Liam: (Exhales sharply) Bill: And that's Steffy. And I'm gonna keep saying it until you believe it. [SCENE_BREAK] Steffy: Thanks again for dinner. Rick: Well, I'm glad you suggested it, considering how I-- Steffy: Considering how you tried tricking me into signing annulment papers. Rick: Trick? Trick is the wrong word. Steffy: Okay, hmm, let me think about that. Um, another word. Con. Rick: (Chokes) I wanted to know that you had options. That's it. Steffy: Mm-hmm. Rick: C-can I pour you another? Steffy: Oh, you know what? No. No, thank you. I'm gonna cut you off, 'cause you have to drive home. Rick: (Laughs) Not for a while. Steffy: Well, uh, it's gettin' late. Rick: Wow, it's so late. You know, just because our names are Eric and Stephanie doesn't mean we actually have to turn in when they do. Steffy: I had fun tonight. Steffy: Um... leave me wanting more, okay? [SCENE_BREAK] Liam: We're different people. I mean, y-you--you get that, right? I'm your son, not your clone. You'd choose Steffy. I chose Hope. Bill: Oh, no, you're--you're right. You're right. We are very different people. You have one woman who is interested and raring to go. The other one is not. I know whose door I'd be knocking on tonight. Liam: Yeah, so do I. Hope. And I'm waiting for her. Bill: Without even being tempted by your wife, who is keeping her bed warm for you? Liam: Right. Bill: Liar. Liam: I'm not-- Bill: You're lying. Liam: (Chuckles) Bill: You can't lie to me. I'm your dad. I see right through you. Your eyes aren't just the window to your soul. They're the windows o-- Liam: Dad! Dad. Bill: You haven't had a fantasy? Not one more fantasy about a romp in the hay with Steffy... Liam: (Laughs) Bill: Or some other woman? I mean, come on. You're not a corpse. You have a pulse, right? You have hot blood coursing through your veins. Of course, you had fantasies. We all do. Hell, I had a little fantasy about... Brooke. Liam: Brooke? Your wife's sister Brooke? Bill: Yeah. Liam: You had a fa-- Bill: Yeah, but it-- it was nothing. It was nothing. I-I had a couple drinks. I had some wine. She spilled something on herself, and then she started cleaning-- Liam: Okay, no, I'm-- I'm--I'm good. Thanks. Bill: Look, the point is it happens. Liam: (Sighs) Bill: It's what we do. We're men. We're programmed that way. Tell me it's not gonna be hard for you roaming around this empty house, the home that you shared with Steffy, knowing that she's just across town in her bed naked. Liam: Dad, come on. Come on. Bill: Why don't you live out your fantasies while you still can? Look, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but little Hope Logan is not going to live up to this scenario you've created for yourself once you get her into your marriage bed. She will not live up to your expectations. [SCENE_BREAK] Steffy: (Sighs) This seems like an unnecessary burden placed on yourselves. [SCENE_BREAK] Hope: (Sighs) Rick: Is everything okay? Brooke: (Sighs) Liam and Steffy are married for the next six months. You tell me. Rick: Well, that could change. Brooke: She was on to you, Rick. She called you a loser. Rick: Yeah, but Steffy still went to dinner with me. I think she's starting to realize that she actually has some options. Hope: Does she? Brooke: (Scoffs) Not that anything is gonna happen between Rick and Steffy. Right? Look, I better go check on R.J. Rick: (Clears throat) Brooke: He's upstairs doing his homework. Hope: Mm-hmm. Brooke: I wish we felt the same way about this. I'm sorry. (Sighs) But you know what. Maybe Rick is right. Maybe Steffy will give in, and then you won't have to wait for this 6-month waiting period. But if you do, just consider my advice, okay? Take Steffy's power away. [SCENE_BREAK] Liam: Don't be so sure that Steffy's just waiting around for me. You didn't see what I saw tonight. Bill: What'd you see? Liam: Steffy on a date. Bill: Seriously? Liam: Yeah. With Rick Forrester. Bill: Probably just work. Liam: Nope. And by the way, Rick is, like, the worst person she should be "moving on" with. Bill: You're jealous. Liam: No-- Bill: This is good. You're being honest with your feelings. Liam: No, Dad. It's because Rick is just manipulating her to get those annulment papers signed. I still want her to be happy, obviously. Bill: You can B.S. yourself, but you can't B.S. me. Liam: I'm not-- Bill: Stop the divorce. Make sure it's what you really want before some other guy moves in. Rick's circling. Why wouldn't he be? Steffy's a prize. Liam: Okay. Bill: One of the reasons your dad is so successful is because I am such a good judge of character. And I know what Steffy's about. I also know what Hope's about. And this idea that you have created in your head about what married life is going to be with Hope... (Makes buzzer sound) It's not gonna be that way. Welcome to, "I have a headache" every night. I don't want that for you. So why don't you go over to Steffy's, kick Rick out on his butt if he's there, and be with the woman. You're a Spencer. Act like it. [SCENE_BREAK] Hope: (Sighs) Rick: You don't have to let Steffy put your life on hold. Hope: (Scoffs) Oh, great, so you think that, too? Rick: Are you and Liam committed or not? Hope: Yes. Rick: Together forever, right? Hope: Yes. Rick: So... why are you giving Steffy the power to decide when you can be with him? Hope: It... (Sighs) Is that what I'm doing? I... (Sighs) Rick, this is driving me crazy. Why am I letting Steffy get under my skin like this? Rick: You and Liam need to start your life. If he gets an annulment or a divorce or none of the above, what does it really matter? Hope: It matters because our customers matter. Rick, they finally have someone that they can look up to, someone who's telling them that it's okay to wait if they want to. I am proud to be that person. And you know what? Liam is proud of me, too. Rick: He should be. You're doing great. Hope: (Sighs) Then why am I feeling all this pressure? Why do I feel like everyone around me is telling me to go against what I believe in? I refuse to give in to Steffy. And it may be foolish, but--but I am not giving up on my values. I can't let these girls down. I have earned their respect, Rick. I can't disappoint them now. I'm just going to have to hope that Mom's wrong, that I'm not going to lose Liam because of it. [SCENE_BREAK] Liam: (Sighs) Bill: You're a Spencer. You've got hot blood pumping through your veins. Of course, you've had fantasies. Hope's a schoolgirl. Steffy's a woman... a woman... a woman. (Cell phone rings) (Rings) (Rings) Liam: Hey. Steffy: Busy? Liam: Uh, not really. So did Rick take you home? Steffy: Yeah. Don't worry. He was a perfect gentleman. He's gone now. So I'm all alone in my loft. And I was thinking maybe you should join me. Liam: (Chuckles) Steffy. Steffy: Liam, I miss you. Liam: I miss you, too. I can't. I-I can't. Steffy: Don't worry about Hope. Just come over. I won't tell. I'm waiting for you. (Ends call) [SCENE_BREAK] Rick: Stick with what you believe in. You won't lose Liam. Hope: Especially if I've got you around, romancing Steffy, right? Rick: (Chuckles) Exactly. (Clicks tongue) Hope: So... (Sighs) Where do you see this going? Rick: I don't know. Why? Hope: I don't--I-I just-- I get the feeling that there's a little more to it. Rick: (Clears throat) Look... (Clears throat) Steffy and I, we have our issues. We were close once, obviously. You know, she's smart and ex--exciting and gorgeous, and we have a really good connection. Hope: So... so you genuinely like her? Rick: She's not a pushover. She called me out on the annulment. And, you know, she's tough. That's attractive. I really care about her. Hope: Okay, see this-- I just--I really want you to be careful. Rick: You want me to stop seeing her? Hope: No! No, please, no. Just--just get her mind off of Liam. Rick: But... (Sad voice) What if I get hurt? Hope: (Sighs) Ohh. You'll get over it. Rick: (Laughs) Hope: (Laughs) Rick, I just-- I want to be married, and I need your help. And Steffy needs a diversion. If you could just get her off the market, if you can do that for me, I will love you forever. (Chuckles) [SCENE_BREAK] (Telephone rings) Bill: Hello. Brooke: Hi, Bill. It's Brooke. Is Katie home? Bill: No. You better try her cell, Brooke. Brooke: She's not answering. Bill: You're not calling to complain about dinner, are ya? I thought I behaved reasonably well. Brooke: (Laughs) No, dinner was... lovely. I'm just concerned. Bill: Concerned about your daughter driving my son away? You know, we don't agree on too much about those two, but I-I think we might agree that Hope is, uh, behaving a little bit too prim and proper. Brooke: Well, she has her own ideas about how things should be. And I tried talking to her about it, reassuring her that she could change her mind if she wanted to, but she doesn't want to disappoint her fans. Bill: She'd rather just disappoint my son. Good night, Brooke. Brooke: (Sighs) [SCENE_BREAK] (Christina Perri's "Arms") I never thought that you would be the one to hold my heart but you came around and you knocked me off the ground from the start you put your arms around me and I believe that it's easier for you to let me go you put your arms around me and I'm home how many times will you let me change my mind and turn around? I can't decide if I'll let you save my life or if I'll drown I hope that you see right through my walls I hope that you catch me 'cause I've fallen I'll never let a love get so close you put your arms around me and I'm home you put your arms around me (Doorbell rings) Hope: (Thinking) Liam. [SCENE_BREAK] (Knock on door)