"Tonight is going to be absolutely fabulous." Kristen smiled as John drove her over to the penthouse. "I'm sure that dinner is going to be wonderful. I asked cook to make your favorite dinner tonight dear."
"You know Kristen," John began glaring at her, "if you wouldn't have given Roman the brilliant idea in the first place to throw a party, then we wouldn't have to pretend to be a couple."
"John, you know that I love you." Kristen insisted reaching out to him. "I wish that you could just see that."
"Kristen, when are you going to get it through your head that I'm in love with Marlena and nothing you can do or dream of doing will ever change that fact?" John asked looking at her. "I will never love you."
"You loved me once John." she insisted looking him over. "Besides, Marlena chose Roman over you twice before. Who's to say that she won't do it again?"
"Kristen, it's over between Roman and Doc." John explained to her as he parked the car. "I'm warning you now, if you try anything tonight that I'll have no problem exposing you for the witch you really are."
"You wouldn't risk Roman's health like that John." Kristen lashed at him. "You're too noble for that."
"Don't push me Kristen." John began opening the car door. "The last of my patience is slowly slipping away from me."
"Are you sure that you don't need any help in here Marlena?" Hope asked walking into the kitchen.
"Oh Hope," Marlena began letting out a sigh, "I think that everything is covered in here."
"You look exhausted Marlena." Hope noted looking her friend over. "This whole situation with Roman and John is starting to get to you."
"Oh Hope, do you know how hard it is for me to pretend not to be in love with John so that Roman gets better?" Marlena asked her. "It's so awful."
"Trust me Marlena. I know what it's like to be separated from the man you love. I thought that Bo and I would never be free to be together again after all of the tricks that Billie and Kate played to keep us apart, but we're together again." Hope explained to her. "When Roman gets better, you and John can tell him the truth and everything will be fine."
"I sure hope so." Marlena sighed as the doorbell rang. "I wonder if that's John and Kristen."
"Why don't you go check?" Hope suggested opening the kitchen door for Marlena.
"Sweety," Roman's voice rang out throughout the room, "how are you doing?"
"Good daddy." Sami responded walking into the penthouse. "How are you?"
"Fine," Roman said starting to close the door.
"Not so fast dad." Carrie said moving the door open again.
"Carrie," Roman smiled hugging her as Sami glared.
"How are you feeling dad?" Carrie asked as Mike followed her into the room.
"Hi Carrie. Hi Mike." Marlena smiled hugging the two of them. "Where's Austin tonight?"
"He's away on business for his mom, so I decided to have Mike come over to have dinner with us." Carrie explained to Marlena.
"That's great news." Marlena smiled as they walked into the living room.
"Isn't this wonderful Doc?" Roman asked putting his arms around her. "Almost everyone is here: Bo and Hope, Sami, and Carrie. It's too bad that mom and pop couldn't make it."
"Well, your father wasn't feeling well after running around with the kids all day." Marlena explained to him.
"I hope that we're as happy as my parents are when we are older Doc." Roman explained wrapping his arms around her as she began to tense up.
"I wonder what's keeping Eric and John." Marlena began moving away from Roman.
"They'll be here soon Doc." Roman said as the doorbell rang. "I'll bet that's them now."
"I'll get it." Marlena said opening the door to find John there. "Hi John."
"Doc," he breathed taken in by her beauty.
"Hi Marlena." Kristen piped in noticing the instant electricity between the two of them. "How are you?"
"Come on in you two." Roman called out over Marlena's shoulder.
"Jenny, are you really sure that you want to meet my family?" Eric asked worried about going to dinner.
"Of course Eric. They're important to you and I don't mind at all." she explained hoping that she could convince him that she wanted to go to dinner. "Your dad seems really sweet."
"I'm just warning you now that it might be really crazy in there." Eric explained as the elevator reached the penthouse.
"I can take crazy Eric." Jenny smiled at him.
"I hope so." Eric thought out loud as he rang the bell.
"Son, come on in. We've all been waiting for you." Roman smiled answering the door.
"Hi dad." Eric said walking into the room with Jenny at his side. "You remember Jenny."
"How could I forget such a beautiful face?" Roman asked taking her hand and leading her into the living room. "Let me introduce you to everyone."
"Okay," Jenny smiled glancing back at Eric.
"Who's she?" Sami asked approaching Eric.
"She's a really good friend of mine Sami." Eric explained to his sister as he watched his father introduce Jenny to Carrie, Mike, Bo and Hope.
"I see why you haven't been returning my calls lately." Sami insisted watching Jenny.
"Look Sami, I've been thinking that maybe we should just leave mom make her own decision about what she wants to do with dad." Eric explained to her.
"What's come over you Eric?" Sami asked looking at him. "You and I both know that mom and dad belong together."
"I know Sami." Eric sighed realizing there was no use talking to her about how he felt about John.
"You remember Kristen, don't you?" Roman asked Jenny.
"Of course I do." Jenny replied forcing a smile as Kristen shook her hand.
"Hey Kristen, where'd your husband disappear off to?" Roman asked scanning the room.
"I don't know." Kristen replied taking another swig of her drink.
"Oh well," Roman shrugged turning to Jenny. "What do you say we find Eric's mom so that you can meet her?"
Marlena finished taking dinner out of the oven as she thought about how she had been scammed into cooking dinner. Kristen had offered to have her cook over to help with the cooking, but at the last minute she had called claiming to be sick. Marlena could feel her blood boil as she thought about Kristen's smug grin as she walked into the penthouse on John's arm. Marlena had wanted to smack her more than ever at that moment.
"Hey beautiful." a voice called out from behind startling her.
"John, you scared me." she explained jumping.
"I'm sorry." he said pulling her towards him. "You look beautiful tonight Doc."
"John, we can't be doing this." she said pulling back from him.
"Doing what Doc?" he asked taking her hand. "We're just talking."
"John, we can't talk like this." she said trying to release her hand from his grasp.
"Why not Doc?" he asked letting go of her hand and inching towards her.
"Because..." she began moving back until she was pressed against the counter.
"We're the only ones in here Doc." he explained to her.
"I understand that, but Roman could walk in here any moment and find you leaning like that. He could put two and two together and figure things out." she explained as he looked into her eyes.
"You mean he could find us in a very compromising position like this." he said slowly moving in to give her a long, tender kiss. "Is this what you mean?"
"John, don't." she said moving away from him. "Now is not the time to start something that you can't finish."
"Fine Doc." he said picking up a tray of food. "I'll drop the issue for now, but we need to talk about what we're going to do about all of this."
"We will," she promised him as she grabbed another tray, "but just not tonight."
"There you are Jenny." Eric called out walking over to Jenny and his dad. "Did you get the official tour of the family?"
"Your father was a great tour guide." Jenny smiled turning to face Eric as he moved his arm around her.
"Now if we could only find your mom." Roman began turning his head towards the kitchen door. "There she is. Doc, could you come here for a second and meet Eric's friend?"
"What Roman?" Marlena asked walking towards him.
"Doc, I'd like you to meet..." Roman began to say as Jenny turned to face Eric's mother.
"Jenny." Marlena gasped confused.
