Liar, liar, pants on fire

Her passionate lover's deceit left the fiery Phyllis fuming. Can Phyllis get past Billy's choosing Victoria over her professionally and his getting even with Jack over her personally? And will Nick be able to wash his hands permanently of his father? It's all about lies, loyalty, and a sanitizer in Two Scoops.

How on earth can any one person believe or trust any other person in Genoa City? Deceit appears to be the norm, while honesty takes a back seat to trickery in a limo filled with lies. Just ask Phyllis. She's just now finding out, what we have known for quite some time, that her main squeeze, Billy, has been using her and her computer to gain access to Jabot's secret corporate strategy, as he's been lying to her face the entire time. "Liar, liar, pants on fire, hanging on a telephone wire." Hey, I never knew the rest of that saying before, just the "liar, liar, pants on fire" part. Golly gee, I have learned something new. See, you can watch soaps and get an education.

That little kids' ditty seems to suit Phyllis and Billy perfectly, though, doesn't it? Whenever they are near each other, their passion tends to make them jerk their clothes off, almost as if their pants were on fire. The flames almost prove scorching whenever the fire of their sexual desire seems to engulf them. It always seems like they are madly in lust with each other. While that can be emotionally and physically exciting, it's not much of a solid foundation to build a relationship on, especially since trust has always seemed to be an issue with them. And why wouldn't it be, when Billy has flip-flopped between Victoria and Phyllis so many times in the last couple of years?

Billy Boy has always had a small problem with the truth, anyway, and both Victoria and Phyllis should know that very well. Why would Phyllis put all of her faith and trust into him now? Apparently, she wouldn't, because Jack didn't have to twist her arm to make her believe that Billy had turned on her. And it didn't take her too long to realize that for herself. But come on, Phyllis. Billy and Victoria have been in love with each other for years, and they have a family together. Phyllis has probably been just a means to an end, which was for Billy to get the love from the love of his life back. Sure, he had some kicks along the way, which was probably pretty satisfying and entertaining, but it had always seemed that one day, he would return to Victoria. It was just a matter of time.

Well, as they say, the proof is in the pudding, and Billy sure was lapping up the hours with Victoria at the office. Shoot, he would use any excuse to get in some overtime with his ex, which should have been a huge red flag for Phyllis. She was deliberately blinding herself to it. Phyllis had to prove to Billy that she wasn't jealous of his professional relationship with Victoria, even if it was turning out to be a bit personal as well. But where is that supposed proof going to get her? She'll more than likely end up alone. Billy has shown, over and over again, who will get his continued loyalty, and that woman has never been Phyllis. Not yet anyway.

Even though Victoria cautioned Billy numerous times about getting on Phyllis' computer, Billy was the one who continued to insist on using it -- and Phyllis. Billy had the choice to choose which lady he wanted to champion, and it was never Phyllis. Oh, yes, liar, liar -- but maybe his pants aren't as on fire for the former Red as they once were. Phyllis would probably like to strangle him with that telephone wire now. But seriously, how could she ever have trusted him anyway? Billy was always too close to Victoria at the office, even as they both claimed they were no longer a couple. Phyllis should have been suspicious all along.

But what about Victoria? Even if Phyllis were to dump his hide and toss him out like yesterday's garbage, would Victoria ever be able to trust Billy again? He didn't waste any time hightailing it over to Phyllis when he believed Victoria was keeping something from him. Billy didn't really work too much to regain his ex-wife and his family before he ran off to resume his sexual romps with Phyllis. After their affair broke up her marriage to Jack, Billy and Phyllis tried to stay away from each other, until it got to the point where they couldn't resist each other any longer. Shouldn't Victoria be wary of that happening again if she does win the love of her man back? Victoria and Phyllis both act like they are competing for some grand prize, when Billy hardly fits the bill. He could keep going back and forth between the two of them for years. Actually, he's already got a major head start on that.

And Phyllis may very well still have feelings for Jack. I think she's been cloaking any lingering love she has left for Jack with her passionate desire for Billy. Jack's younger brother sure has been one hot distraction to keep her mind off the man she had truly loved and then lost because she had wronged him. Phyllis still seems to feel that having a working relationship with Jack is better than having nothing at all. At one time, she had hoped to win him back that way. Could that still be her intention? Maybe Phyllis has been biding time with Billy, just as Billy had been amusing himself with her, until the real loves of their lives return to them. Did Billy and Phyllis truly believe they would be together forever and ever, until the end of time? To me, they have always been on fairly shaky ground.

Jack had a point, also, when he insisted to Phyllis that Billy would do anything to get back at his older brother. So, revenge on Jack and remaining close to Victoria at the workplace trumped his devotion to Phyllis, huh? At the same time, Jack was trying to destroy Brash & Sassy, Billy was attempting to take down the family business. It's rather sad, really. Billy sure seems to go to extremes. Even after he had helped demolish Cane's marriage and life, it still wasn't enough for him. Billy had to pile pain upon misery for poor Cane. It truly would be a shame to ruin his own father's company just to spite Jack. After all, Billy is the one who started it all by pursuing his brother's wife. While it's not surprising that Jack would want to do the "eye-for-an-eye" thing with Billy, it's weird that Billy would want to hurt his entire family by trying to take Jack down professionally. Isn't blood supposed to be thicker than water? Where's the loyalty, man?

At least Victor had enough sense to realize that Jack was probably up to something -- in it way up to his neck. Of course, Victor trusts Jack about as far as he can throw him, which would not be far at all. Even if Jack didn't have some secret scheme lurking around in his mind, Victor would still think he had. In Victor's eyes, Jack can do no right. But Jack's plot against Brash & Sassy seemed to be luring his target in, because he had used the tastiest bait. And he was hoping that Victoria and Billy would get all tangled up in his line -- Jack's so-called plans for the men's line, that is. Victor should be leery. Neil had put his faith and his company's funds into Victoria, and he would sure hate to see that money go down the drain. Even Lily's promotion couldn't make up for that kind of loss.

"Jabot breaks bread with Brash & Sassy." Well, Hilary may have exaggerated Jack and Billy's handshake a bit, but I was pleased to see that they had both called a truce for their sister's sake. I worried a little about Billy, especially when Jack held out his hand. I almost thought Billy would just walk away. Hilary and the cameras may have influenced Billy to play nice with Jack while they celebrated Ashley's success as "Innovator of the Year." After all, they are supposed to be grown, mature men now, not two boys duking it out for control of the sandbox.

It's not the least bit surprising to me that Traci might have known Graham from her high school days. It would make sense, since Graham seems to be a little too concerned about the happenings in Genoa City, especially the ones that involve the Abbotts. I wondered, if Brent is Ashley's father, could he be Graham's daddy also? That could explain Myrna's hatred for Dina. Myrna could have been nursing a grudge all these years if Dina had cheated on her husband, John, with Myrna's husband, Brent, and as a result, Ashley was conceived. And if Myrna was Brent's wife at the time with Graham as their son, there would have been plenty of resentment to go around. Sure, I could see where Myrna would believe that Dina had wrecked her life and her family, if that was indeed the case.

And Graham promised Myrna that everyone at Ashley's Innovator of the Year celebration would get an unexpected surprise. Why did I have the feeling that this would be the kind of surprise that Dina would rather skip? It was bound to be explosive -- and not in a good way. And true to his word (which may be a rare occurrence), Graham delivered the big explosion that the only father he had ever known and loved -- his stepfather, Brent Davis -- had cheated with Dina and had then left Graham's family for the lying tramp. Well, those may not have been his exact words, but they are pretty darn close. So, I was partially correct, although Graham and Ashley aren't blood related after all. That's too bad. It would have been a more interesting story if Graham and Ashley had been siblings. That probably also means that Graham's days on Y&R are numbered.

While I can understand that the Abbotts are the upper crust of society, and any kind of a shake-up of the family tree can be considered quite scandalous, I don't really understand all the brouhaha about John Abbott not being Ashley's biological father. No matter who sired her, Ashley was the apple of her father's eye, and John raised her to be the remarkable woman she turned out to be. For all intents and purposes, Ashley is an Abbott. Billy had the right attitude when he stated that even though they weren't related by blood in any way, Ashley would always be his sister. Ashley has known this secret for quite some time, but I am sure she didn't want it announced to the world (and on camera) at an event celebrating her successes.

And I'm not sure what Graham's motivation was to confront Ashley and Dina at the gala. I mean, where exactly did it get him? If he had wanted to make the night miserable for the two ladies, mission accomplished. But did he still really think that everything would be all hunky-dory with Dina after the showdown? It seems he lost everything, thanks to his mother's plans of vengeance. Graham had a good thing as Dina's confidant, and he let it go, the fool. And now that Dina has collapsed, Graham's life in Genoa City may very well be done.

I have been intrigued by Nick's plan to remove his father from his life permanently, especially since his plot included Hilary. Even if Devon thought Nick's interview on The Hilary Hour showed that Hilary was trying to clean up her act, obviously, it was the other way around. Nick needed Hilary to help him get a little dirty so he could get down in the muck of his relationship with Victor. Only by clawing through the filth could he wash his hands of his father forever -- or so he believed. But we know nothing is ever that easy when it comes to Victor Newman. No amount of sanitizer exists that could ever cleanse Nick of his diabolical dad.

The suspense that soaps create can sometimes drive its fans crazy. If even Hilary thought it was earth-shattering, Nick's reveal must be some pretty big stuff. And that would make a fan want to tune in the next day to find out what it is. Remember the good old days when viewers couldn't wait to tune in tomorrow (or Monday) after an especially gripping cliffhanger. It really was must-see TV back then. It's rather nice when we can catch a glimpse of that kind of excitement here and there again. Nick's interview pretty much had me on the edge of my seat. I sure hoped I was not disappointed.

Well, I can't say his grand announcement was horribly shocking, but his news was big and was true to the character of Nick. I almost hoped he would get down and dirty with his huge reveal, but that didn't happen. But giving his dad's money to charity was a step in the right direction, especially considering that the bucks were going to the Abbott-Winters Foundation. Nick even made a point of mentioning Jack Abbott's name on camera. That must have made Victor's blood boil. But I agree with Nikki on this. How will that permanently erase Victor from Nick's life? If anything, Nick almost guaranteed that Victor would make sure to torment his son for a long, long time. Nick crossed the line when he allied himself with Jack, his dad's most hated nemesis.

Victor must be bored. Seriously. I guess the Mustache grew weary of toying with Jack and needed a new contender. Victor desired some new blood to enter the fray, even if the challenge came from the blood of his own stock. Poor Nick can't seem to win, no matter what he does. Even when he tries to take himself out of the game, the threat intensifies. Since Nick will no longer have the money for his father to steal back, Victor will just find something else of Nick's to take. Nick cherishes his children, so manipulating Noah and Faith could very well be next on Victor's to-do list. Or would Victor be so bold as to even let the truth of Christian's paternity slip to Nick? That little fact could possibly destroy Victor's son. At the very least, it could certainly shake up Nick's life.

I am glad that Nick and Sharon are friends again and that he actually admires her now. I had been missing the days when they were close and could confide in each other, so it's good to see that back. Maybe Noah could take some tips from his parents to help him with developing the same kind of faith with Tessa. Noah's had a tough time with the ladies in his past, but that could partially be his own fault. He just has to learn how to select the right ones and stop being easy pickings for the more devious type. Predators can sniff out their victims, and Noah always seemed to be within smelling distant of the users. It's time that Noah learned how to be a winner and to put a stop to being victimized. Tessa isn't making it easy for him, though, since she's still so very secretive about her feelings to him.

Mariah appears to be in a no-win situation, since she still has the hots for Tessa -- her brother's girlfriend. I know that Mariah loves Noah, so why doesn't she even consider what she would be doing to him if she were to declare her love for Tessa? I guess that's what I find most baffling about the whole thing. In her mind, everything is about her pursuit of Tessa. Forget about Devon and Noah. It's almost like they don't even matter, which is such a shame, because I really like Mariah. I had thought she was so much better than that. Okay, I can see why she would be upset about Tessa moving in with Noah if Mariah is truly in love with the songbird. But if she truly loved her, Mariah would want Tessa to be happy, even if that happiness came with Noah and not with her.

Surely, Tessa must suspect Mariah's feelings for her, especially after Mariah kissed her. It's almost like Tessa is doing everything she can to keep their relationship on the friendship level, no matter how much Mariah tries to push it farther. I still believe that Tessa's true love is her music, and she probably feels that the best road to her singing career is through Noah and Devon. I'm sure Tessa loves Noah, but is she in love with him? You know that Tessa has to enjoy having Noah around as her biggest fan. He is the one who first gave her career a big boost through Open Mic Night at the Underground. Or maybe Tessa is totally clueless about Mariah's true feelings. A little self-absorbed, maybe?

Cane and Juliet and baby make three. And Colin makes four, I guess. In Juliet's world, they can all live happily ever after now. Hey, forget Lily and the twins. You have a new family now, Cane. Juliet is one of those people who can say the right words, but somehow the meaning is totally missing. It's all just a part of the game. Juliet pretends to go along with whatever Cane says, as long as it suits her purpose. Oh, Cane, I would never keep you away from your kids. Yeah, right. Blah-blah-blah. Talk is cheap, and Juliet's actions always speak louder than words. If she has her way, Cane will stay far, far away from Lily, Mattie, and Charlie, especially after Juliet saw she couldn't win the twins over. Juliet is so phony, she makes me feel nauseous. Only for me, it's not morning sickness.

At least Charlie and Mattie are speaking to their father again and act like they love him. I think that bothered me more than anything else. No matter what, Cane is still their dad, and he still loves them very much. That has never changed, and it's good that they acknowledge that now.

Victoria tried to play both ends against the middle, since she encouraged Billy to snoop on Phyllis' computer again while she made a legitimate attempt to actually find a successful product to add to their men's line. I guess whatever works, as long as she doesn't get trapped by her own subterfuge.

Nick told Chelsea that he heard on the baby monitor that Christian was a little restless. Well, of course, Christian was, since he's still young. Every once in a while, Y&R likes to remind us that our beloved characters consist of "the young and the restless."

Until next time, please stay tuned.Teddi

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