Sharon revealed to Victor that Nikki had been getting the crowd excited for the strippers at Marilyn's when she'd gone there. Victor was extremely unhappy about the situation. Sharon apologized for upsetting Victor and asked that he tell Nick she'd stopped by.
Nikki wondered if she should leave as she stood extremely close to Bobby. Bobby said it was okay; he wouldn't pursue anything with her. He said he was not getting the right signals. Bobby realized that Nikki needed someone to talk to. When they sat down to talk, Nikki said she felt very comfortable confiding in Victor. She really wanted to know why her marriage was on the rocks. All she wanted to do was have a little something for herself.
Bobby said Nikki was a great girl, and Victor should appreciate that. When he suggested they go to dinner, Nikki agreed. They got up to go and almost ran into Brittany. Brittany told Bobby she was sorry about earlier and wanted to invite him for dinner. Nikki didn't mention anything about their earlier dinner agreement and told Bobby and Brittany to have a wonderful time.
When Brittany and Bobby were alone, Brittany fixed herself a drink at the bar. She told Bobby that she was sorry; he needed to understand. Bobby still didn't like the idea of J.T. pretending to be her fiancé, but he would let it slide for the time being. When Brittany suggested a great new Asian place she'd made reservations at, Bobby made a face. He was a meat and pasta kind of guy. Brittany said that she had been able to handle his baseball interest.
Bobby finally agreed to the dinner, but when Brittany suggested going to a warehouse party after, Bobby flat-out told her no. When Brittany told Bobby that she needed to be around people her age, he asked if she would rather hang out with people like J.T. They ended up just going to dinner to avoid any further argument, but Brittany was upset that Bobby wouldn't compromise.
Nikki went to visit Victor, and he was extremely angry that she hadn't been telling him about going to the club. Nikki said that Victor needed to stop trying to dictate her every move. She wondered why he couldn't understand that she needed it for herself. Victor didn't agree or approve. When Nikki asked what was happening to their marriage, Victor was angry. He said that Nikki wasn't working very hard to keep it.
At the coffeehouse, Lily thought about telling Devon that she would stick by him like family. Kevin interrupted her thoughts and asked her what was on her mind. When he asked if he could sit down, Lily was skeptical at first but then said okay. She told him about Devon and how angry she was at her parents. Kevin seemed to sympathize and cheer her up a little. When Lily went to the bathroom, Michael found Kevin and told him that he had a lot of explaining to do.
Kevin begged for Michael to be quiet. When Michael saw that Kevin was sitting with Lily Winters, he told Kevin to be at his house in ten minutes. Kevin told Lily that brothers could be overprotective. Lily said that she and Devon were beginning to get that way. Kevin tried to reassure Lily and said that if anything happened, he was sure that Devon would call her to let her know. Lily hoped so.
At Michael's, Michael put Kevin through the ringer. Kevin tried to tell Michael that everything was okay with the Alex situation. Phyllis had taken care of it. Michael said that the plan was only intended to be temporary. He was not so certain that Alex wouldn't be back. Michael couldn't understand why Kevin would jeopardize his future once again. Kevin couldn't take it and left.
Paul and Christine were discussing a case when Neil stopped by. He told them about the situation with Devon and said that he wanted them to try to find the boy. Paul said it was going to be hard to find him. He had no cell phone or family. There really were not that many places to look. It would be easy for the boy to disappear. Neil was worried. He had a lot riding on it. His family blamed him for the situation, and he really did care about what happened to Devon. Paul said he would try his best to find Devon.
Olivia wondered when Dru was going to tell her what had been going on. Dru said that Devon had run away, and if anything happened to him, it was all going to be Neil's fault. Olivia disagreed with her. She said that if Dru had been honest with Neil and Devon, it wouldn't have happened. Dru started crying and said that her sister just couldn't understand how much she cared about "this boy." Olivia wondered if she cared more about Devon than she did her own family.
Damon visited Phyllis and asked if she had called the police yet. Phyllis said no, but she had taken care of the Alex situation. Damon didn't think that was such a wise idea, but Phyllis said she'd had to do it for her son. Damon started thinking about what would have happened if Daniel had gone to jail and was reminded of his own ordeal. He explained to Phyllis that the boy who had killed his son might go free. If the police couldn't take care of the situation, he might have to.
Jack and Brad discussed Abby's big day at the ranch. Neither was too pleased with the situation. They wondered how much better life would have been had Victor never found out. Brad believed that Victor was incapable of loving Abby the way he did.
Abby and Ashley stopped by the rec center to see Victor. Abby was excited to ride again at the ranch. Both Victor and Ashley noticed that Abby was doing really well in the situation. They hugged, and Nick saw it and later confronted his father about it. If Nikki had seen it, she would be devastated. Nick warned Victor to make sure his mother was Victor's priority and not Abby.
Michael and Phyllis talked about the Daniel/Kevin situation. Michael couldn't believe Kevin had done it again and wondered how many more times Michael could save his brother. Phyllis forbade Michael from going to a judge. If Daniel's involvement were revealed, she'd lose him, her job, and her home. Michael warned her that Victor was determined to find out who was responsible for attacking Lily. Victor had also hired Paul Williams to look into it.
Phyllis told Michael to find out everything he could about it. She confided to Michael about Damon's son's death and the murderer's imminent parole. Phyllis returned home and told Damon about her meeting with Michael and the parole hearing in Georgia. Damon wasn't sure he could go through that again. Phyllis tried to talk him into it, insisting that animal should never be released. After Phyllis left, Damon pulled out a ceremonial samurai sword and stared at it.
Gloria met J.T. and Mac at the coffee shop while on a date with John. J.T. and Mac disagreed about the movie they had just seen. J.T. wanted to go out again, which surprised Mackenzie. They spotted Brittany with Bobby, who Mac wanted to meet. She was surprised that Bobby was so much older than Brittany. Brittany and Bobby talked about the wedding, but Bobby didn't want to be involved in the planning.
Brittany spotted Mac and J.T. together and was offended by Bobby's idea that they were on a date. Mac was the worst possible girl for J.T. Mac met Bobby, and they all talked about the fake J.T.-Brittany engagement. Brittany was stunned to see her parents there. John and Gloria discussed J.T. and Mac and his past with Colleen. Gloria speculated that Colleen and J.T. were intimate. John was sure Colleen was not improper with J.T.
Sharon stopped by Marilyn's to see Nikki. She confessed that she'd spilled the news that Nikki worked there to Victor. Nikki had heard all about it from Victor and was not pleased with Sharon at all, accusing her of trying to sabotage her marriage. Sharon was distracted when she saw the stripper on stage. Nikki couldn't believe Sharon was thinking about doing that herself.
At Crimson Lights, Anita told Frederick that after they got their coffee, they could go to the loft and discuss wedding plans with Brittany and J.T. Across the coffeehouse, Brittany was in a panic when she saw her parents. She made Mac switch places with her, sitting next to J.T. while Mac sat next to Bobby. Anita and Frederick spotted them and sat at the table. Brittany was uncomfortable while her mother rambled on about the wedding, suggesting they do it another time.
Anita suggested that Bobby and Mac might like to find something else to do, and Frederick said he was surprised that Bobby wasn't trolling the campus for young girls to strip at his club. When Anita tried to engage J.T. in a discussion about the wedding, Bobby had had enough. He informed Frederick and Anita that Brittany was marrying him, not J.T. Brittany's parents exploded; Anita couldn't believe Brittany had lied, and Frederick talked about all the ways Bobby had ruined Brittany's life.
After Mr. and Mrs. Hodges left, Mac was uncomfortable at Brittany's anger with Bobby, so she and J.T. left. Brittany asked Bobby why he had done it, and Bobby said it had needed to be done sooner or later. Brittany was upset because her parents wouldn't be at her wedding, and Bobby suggested she give it some time.
On the patio, John and Gloria had a discussion about sex. Gloria worried that her frankness had put John off, but John said maybe she was as nervous as he was. It had been a long time for him, and Gloria said it had been for her, too. She suggested that the best way to approach it was to take things very slowly. John grinned and said he was good at that. When he said he'd get the car, Gloria called him a gentleman, and John made a suggestive remark about how gentle he could be.
At the Athletic Club bar, Elliott had asked to meet Jack so he could find out what Jack's beef was with him. Jack said that Elliott was getting a lot of perks from Chancellor Industries, and he didn't entirely trust Elliott with Jill. Elliott told Jack he was probably jealous. He liked the convenience of his relationship with Jill but didn't want to commit to her.
Jack disagreed, saying he and Jill were old friends. If Jill were in love with a deserving man, Jack would be entirely supportive of her. But he didn't think Elliott was that man. Elliott suggested that Jack's jealousy was about more than Jill. Jack had run Jabot into the ground, whereas Elliott was at the top of his game professionally.
Jill and Katherine were dining at the Athletic Club restaurant. Katherine wanted to know what Jill was feeling in regard to Elliott. Jill said that they'd had a romantic getaway together, but it was almost too good. She had trust issues with Elliott. It was too strong, too fast, and besides, she wasn't the kind of woman a man in his position usually pursued. Katherine scoffed at that, saying Elliott had probably been down the road with blonde bimbos a dozen times.
Katherine said Jill spoke Elliott's language, and she had far more substance than those trophy girlfriends. Jill was touched by Katherine's words, but she could tell something else was bothering her mother. Katherine said it was nothing Jill could help with. When they spotted Jack and Elliott across the room as Jack was leaving, Katherine suggested that Jill should go and talk to Elliott, but Jill was reluctant.
Sharon went to see Nick because she said she needed to tell him something. She wasn't discontented with their marriage, but lately she'd been having strange feelings. She wanted some excitement. Nick attributed it to the fact that Cassie and Noah didn't need her in the same way they once had, but Sharon said it ran deeper than that. She told him about going to Marilyn's and seeing Brittany dance. She was amazed at how much power Brittany had had over the room.
Nick was startled and asked Sharon if she was saying she wanted to strip. That power wasn't real; he questioned if Sharon knew that. Sharon reminded him that his parents had met there; it was romantic. When she saw that Nick wasn't exactly delighted by what she was saying, wondering what she felt like she was missing or what she was looking for, Sharon backed down, hugging him and saying she shouldn't be looking for anything because she had Nick.
Nikki was in her element, acting as hostess and emcee at Marilyn's. Angelo complimented her on how well she was doing; Bobby would never have left the club in her care otherwise. Nikki was unaware that as she introduced the strippers, Victor had slipped in and was watching her. As Nikki moved through the room and made introductions from the stage, Victor kept flashing back to when he'd met Nikki at the Bayou.
Victor left without attracting Nikki's attention. Later, when Nikki got home, she was surprised to find Victor waiting up for her. He told her that he'd gone to the club and admitted that seeing her had evoked his memories of the past. Nikki agreed that it had been a magical time. Victor told her that their lifelong passion had never been boring and never would be. Nikki begged him to hug her.
Ashley was annoyed to find out that Brad had to make a business trip to Cleveland. She implied that the timing was awfully convenient. Brad pointed out that Jabot was in trouble. He couldn't let Abby's planned outing with Victor take precedence over business. Ashley said that they were just beginning to build on the progress they'd made with Abby and Victor, and Brad said they could do that another time.
Ashley didn't agree, and Brad said if she insisted on going through with it, she'd have to do it without him. Ashley said she was sorry to hear that, because no one could take Brad's place in Abby's life. Brad countered that he couldn't stomach watching Abby, Ashley, and Victor bond as a family. But since Ashley was determined to go ahead with the day at the ranch, apparently there was someone who could take his place: Victor.
Kevin sneaked through the woods to talk to Daniel at the tack house. Kevin wondered if things were okay between them. Daniel said everything was cool. Phyllis called and wondered why Daniel wasn't at school yet. She told him that she wouldn't be home until late because she was making a special dinner for Damon.
When Lauren opened the door at the boutique, she was showered with flowers. Lauren had had it with Kevin's surprises for her. Michael witnessed Kevin's surprise and knew exactly who the culprit was. Lauren showed him the poem that Kevin had written for her. She asked Michael to make Kevin stop torturing her.
Jill tried to confront Jack about his conversation with Elliot. Jack thought Elliot was a jerk and couldn't believe Jill was falling so blindly for him. Jill said that things had cooled off, but when Elliot called her, Jack got upset and walked away. When Elliot went to the Athletic Club to see Jill, he asked her to marry him.
Victor was thinking about precious moments with Nikki when she arrived downstairs. They were happy to have worked things out between them. Victor asked that Nikki return home from work early so that they could spend time together with Abby. Nikki didn't seem too enthusiastic about it.
Brad got upset with Nikki for telling Ashley that she was still in love with Victor. He was afraid he was losing his wife. Brad informed Nikki that he would be on a business trip and that Abby and Ashley would be at the Newman home with Victor. Nikki tried to calm down Brad with a massage, and Ashley walked in on them. She wondered if she was interrupting something. Abby entered and told Brad how excited she was about going over to Victor's to ride horses. Brad told Abby that he wished he could be with her. As they left, Ashley and Brad hugged each other uncomfortably.
When Ashley and Abby went to Victor's, Ashley realized that Nikki would soon be walking in the door because Nikki knew that Ashley would be alone with Victor and Abby. She was right; Nikki walked in just as Ashley was telling Victor about it. Nikki had a nice surprise for Abby and told her that she couldn't wait to get to know her better. As Victor went to get the horses ready, he wondered if he should be leaving Ashley and Nikki alone together. When they were alone, Ashley sarcastically told Nikki that the surprise had been a good one. Nikki agreed. She knew that she had ruined Ashley's plan to have Victor all to herself for the day.
Neil tried to make a nice breakfast for Dru and Lily, but both of them were still upset with him about Devon. He told them that he did care about Devon and that he had asked Paul Williams to try to find him. That calmed Lily down a little, and Dru wondered if Neil might actually be changing his mind.
Ashley told Nikki that she knew Nikki wasn't at the ranch to get to know Abby but because she was so insecure about the idea of Ashley and Victor spending time with their little girl. Nikki scoffed at Ashley, wondering why sometimes Abby was Brad's little girl and sometimes Victor's. She said it was a big disappointment to Ashley to see Nikki show up and ruin her outing with Victor.
When Abby arrived downstairs in the new riding outfit that Nikki had bought her, Abby suggested that Ashley go riding with her and Victor. When Ashley and Victor seemed to consider the idea, Nikki asked Miguel to take Abby to the stable. She then asked Ashley what was going on. The agreement had been for Victor and Abby to spend time together; Ashley hadn't been part of the equation. Victor said it wasn't worth arguing about and went to join Abby at the stable.
Ashley asked Nikki why she was making such an ordeal of everything. Abby had made a simple request. Nikki pointed out that Ashley could have included Nikki in the invitation, and Ashley countered that she hadn't been given a chance. She couldn't understand why Nikki was behaving that way. Nikki wondered how Ashley would feel if Nikki was chasing Brad the way Ashley was chasing Victor. Then she said it wouldn't matter to her, because they both knew it was Victor, not Brad, that Ashley loved.
Ashley suggested that Nikki start acting like the confident woman that she pretended to be. While Ashley admitted making mistakes, she was only trying to make peace in the situation. If Nikki continued to behave that way, she'd force Victor to choose, and Nikki might not like the outcome. Nikki said she felt sorry for Abby, because from the time Ashley had schemed to get pregnant, it had been a means to get Victor. Their fight was interrupted when Victor rushed in, holding an unconscious Abby in his arms, saying there had been an accident. Ashley rushed out the door behind him while Nikki called the hospital.
Shocked by Elliott's proposal, Jill said he kept upping the ante whenever she had doubts, but he could also be trying to divert her from her suspicions about his management of Chancellor Industries. Elliott said he would withdraw his offer if he'd made her uncomfortable, but he wanted her to consider all the advantages of marrying him. He wanted the two of them to travel around the world together and leave all their concerns about business behind. Jill finally said yes to his proposal, and he grabbed her and kissed her.
Gloria and John woke up after a night of lovemaking. Gloria worried about what everyone would think, but John told her that he'd defend her if anyone made comments about it. When Jack entered and realized what was going on, he congratulated his father for taking things to the next level and said his father had endured a rough two years. He should enjoy himself. John said he didn't really need Jack's permission, although he did wish Jack would smooth things over with Ashley about Gloria. Gloria walked in and invited Jack to join them for coffee, and Jack accepted. After a friendly interlude, Jack thanked Gloria for putting a smile on his father's face then he left them alone.
Dru and Diane arrived for a meeting in the office Dru shared with Phyllis, but Phyllis refused to leave. An argument between Dru and Phyllis escalated into a physical scuffle. Neil walked in and broke it up, asking Diane to leave. After trying to determine why they were fighting, he told both women they were fired. They tried to make nice in front of him, downplaying their conflict and promising that it wouldn't happen again, but Neil told them to get their personal effects and leave.
Dru couldn't believe Neil was firing her, too, and he blithely said he'd see her at home then he left. Phyllis and Dru dropped their friendly act and blamed each other. Phyllis left, and Dru followed soon after. The two of them met up again at the elevator, exchanging insults, but their argument turned to anxiety when the elevator stopped on its way down, trapping them together.
While Michael waited for Lauren at the Athletic Club restaurant, Lauren summoned Kevin to the boutique. She told him clearly that she was not interested in him romantically. Kevin resisted what she was telling him until she finally raised her voice in frustration. He told her that she was the person who'd given him hope and made him believe he could turn his life around. He said that since the incident with Lily at the rec center, he'd been surrounded by positive energy. Kevin vowed to never give up hope that one day, Lauren would see they were meant to be together.
When Lauren met Michael, she told him about the conversation with Kevin. She said that part of her wanted to comfort him, but she'd known not to give him any positive reinforcement. Michael understood the feeling of going from wanting to wring Kevin's neck to wanting to hug him. He said they had no choice; it was time to tell Kevin the truth about their relationship. After they discussed the effect the truth would have on Kevin, Lauren said there was another alternative. They could stop seeing each other.
Michael took Lauren's hand and held it to his face, struggling with his feelings for her and his fear for his brother. Kevin walked in and saw them leaning toward each other in apparently intimate conversation.
