Soaps in Depth Cover Story....
Love's Last Chance
�
���� ERIC
�� �� Can He Keep Lucas From Nicole?
Recently, Eric and Nicole's relationship has become hot enough to melt the polar ice caps. But there may be a cooling trend ahead for the young couple.� Nicole's ability to fabricate the truth may soon put the brakes on thier newfound intimacy, suggests Eric's portrayer, Jensen Ackles.� "I think that things will begin to come out about Nicole that ERic hasn't seen before, because he's been so blinded by the thought of her".
Actually, these days, Eric isn't quite as blind to his girlfriend's faults as he once was.� "She tainted his trust when he caught her in a lie before," Ackles explains. � "And I think that like most people, when you realixe that someone has lied to you, it's hard [for her] to regain that trust so quickly."
Indeed, as the week begins, Eric shows his lack of faith in Nicole when he encounters Austin at Titan, and quickly hides from the leggy blonde.� Not a das idea considering how close Nicole and Lucas have become.� Even though Nicole is genuinely attracted to Eric, she is well aware that Lucas would like to have their relationship move from the professinal to the personal level.
However, Eric doesn't regard Lucas as competition for Nicole's heart.� "I don't think he's threatened," Ackles syas.� "I think that he looks at Lucas as more of a pest, somebody who he wishes would just get out of her hair."
The Sami Factor
Still, Nicole has carefully cultivated her friendship with Lucas.� As her boss, he appeals to her modeling ambitions.� Plus, she already as fantasized about what it would be like to live in the lap of luxury as the country-clubbing wife of Lucas Roberts.
Of course, Eric has no idea how cozy Nicole actually has become with Lucsa.� So far, says Ackles, Eric has looked at her behavior as simply a way of tryng to kiss up to the boss. � "It's hard on him because he doesn't understand why she would do that, because he wouldn't do that.� But I think that he sees her as only trying to appease the boss."
Yet suspicions hasve croppped up in Eric's mind regarding just how far Nicole will go to "appease" Lucas.� She already has prevented Lucas from confessing to Franco's murder, which quite naturally made the hackles on the back of Eric's dad Roman's neck stand in distrust.� And even Eric--who once was open with Nicole regarding his famil's plots to capture Lucas in his lies--has become more reserved about sharing his thoughts with her.
But ultimately, Ackles ventures, it may be Eric's derermination to clear Sami's name and save his twin from a life vbehind bars (or worse) that will do the most damage to his budding reltionship with Nicole.� "Eric can be so distracted by the whole Sami situation, so caught up with that that he loses sight of Nicole, and Nicole goes off with Lucas."
Going... Going... Gone?
Indeed, Nicole is already more involved with Lucas that she would care to admit.� Not only has she convinced Eric to hide their new intimacy with each other for fear of turning off Lucas, but while Eric is helping Austin, Nicole actually accepts a date with Lucas--a fact that she "forgets" to mention to Eric.
Later, Nicole nearly is caught in her two-timing ways wehn Eric reminds her about their date for that night.� Nervously, Nicole breaks the news to Lucas that she had a prior commitment with Eric.� Lucas, however, isn't about to take no for an answer, and suggests that Nicole simply dump Eric.� Luckily, before her loyalty is put to the test, Eric tells Nicole that he has to cancel.
After Eric leaves, Lucas questions Nicole about her relationship with his rival, asking point blank: � Just how close are they?� Fearing she will lose Lucas' interest if she answers honestly, Nicole insists that he already knows all there is to know about her and Eric. � Lucas drops the subject, but before they can leave Titan, he learns that the company's truckers aer preparing to strike.� As a result, he is forced to cancel their date in order to handle the crisis.
All dressed up with no place to go, Nicole hangs around the office and is impressed when she overhears Lucas' concern for teh well-being of the strikers.� The situation casts him in a new light for the poser, who my begin to regard Lucas as someone other than the boss.� If thay happens, Ackles predicts firewordks down the line.� "Nicole could actually fall for Lucas and that would definitely throw a curve ball into the situation," he says, noting, "Eric and Lucas may end up having to battle it out for Nicole after all."
-taken from the Feb. 9, 1999 issue of Soaps in Depth
