Derek’s Proposal to Ashley Goes Down in Flames — and Martin Attacks [Spoiler] at the Country Club!

We begin at the country club, where Martin swears a busboy whispered “Let’s see what color’s your money” into his ear, although the man in question insists he was simply asking if Martin was ready for his check.

When Vernon asks Martin what has him so worked up, he says he’s worried that he’s beginning to hear things. When Martin repeats “What color’s your money,” Vernon says that’s exactly what was said that night.

Then Martin goes full conspiracy theory: What if the busboy really did say those words? More than that, what if the busboy is the same man who originally said those words to Martin on that night?

Vernon says it couldn’t be possible. He hired someone to keep an eye on the guy after he took the settlement money and left the country. Still, Martin can’t help but give the waiter a second look as they exit the country club.

Actually, Martin gives the guy more than just a second look. The episode ends with Martin slamming the busboy against the wall and asking him some questions: “Why are you talking to me? And what do you want? And who the hell are you?”

Andre and Naomi Analyze Derek and Ashley

Andre bumps into Naomi, hard at work at Orphey Gene’s, where she gives him a hopeful update about her father’s condition. She invites Andre to join her booth, at which point the conversation turns to Ashley and Derek.

Andre feels bad talking about Ashley and Derek’s problems behind their backs, but Naomi says it’s OK to do because they’re both trying to keep the relationship together… right? (Wrong!)

Andre pretends to be happy when Naomi tells him that Derek is planning to propose, but even she admits that it might be too soon. She’s afraid that Derek’s near-fatal accident messed with his and Ashley’s emotions, which is why they moved in together so quickly in the first place.

*Now* Are Derek and Ashley Over?

Over at Uptown, Ashley is speechless at the sight of Derek’s engagement ring. She’s also surprised to hear that Naomi knew he was going to propose — and when he goes to slip the ring on her finger, she totally freaks out.

He tries to calm her down, saying that he isn’t asking her to elope that night or anything. He just wants to “make it official” and “make a statement about who we are … that we belong together for our whole lives.” With each word he says, you can feel her spiraling further. After all, she went into this dinner thinking that Derek was going to break up with her!

“The love that this ring represents, it ties us together… forever,” he tells Ashley. “Will you wear it?” Unfortunately, he doesn’t get the answer he’s hoping for. “I’m so sorry, Derek, I can’t,” she says. “I’m just not ready for this.” When he pushes her for an explanation, she says it “just doesn’t feel right.” When they moved in together, a voice in her head said they weren’t doing it for the right reasons, and now she’s finally listening to it.

He says there’s a voice in his head, too, one telling him that Ashley is “playing” him, but she says she’s just being honest. “I think you just finally happened to blurt out the truth,” she says, “that you’re just as unsure as I am of where things stand with us.”

Ashley insists that she isn’t stringing Derek along while she waits for a better option. She says she isn’t looking for anyone else, but Derek says, “Maybe you should. Maybe we both should.” With that, he leaves the bar — and leaves Ashley in tears.

Right on cue, Andre appears at Uptown, where he offers Ashley a shoulder to cry on. Ashley tells him that Derek proposed, but it wasn’t a proposal as much as it was an ultimatum. Andre says Derek is a hothead, but he’s going to cool off and realize he made a mistake.

Ashley isn’t sure. “When he left, I felt like I was watching my whole future walk out that door with him,” she says.

Vanessa Makes Joey an Offer He Can’t Refuse

Joey meets Vanessa at the casino, where she reads him for filth. “You must have found it so amusing to seduce me on the same table where you’d been cheating my husband at cards,” she says, adding that she knows Joey must be desperate to get his hands on her real estate firm.

She knows he needs a reputable business that can fly under the radar while still handling multi-million dollar transactions, one owned by someone “beyond reproach” with ties to business leaders in the community. “My firm is ideal for laundering your wayward windfalls, agreed?” she asks.

“Not quite,” he replies, telling her to be more reasonable. “You have no bargaining power. You owe me a pretty hefty chunk of cash.” He admits that he cares more about Vanessa than he does about Doug, which is why he’s come up with a proposal: Vanessa will arrange real estate deals for Joey, taking enough of a commission to pay Doug’s gambling debts. “Simple, painless and best of all discreet,” he says.

Then Vanessa really throws Joey for a loop: “The joke’s on you,” she says “Putting in all that effort? The whole time, all you had to do was ask.” She doesn’t want to be Joey’s “mark,” she wants to be his partner, suggesting a 6% commission for Doug and a 12% commission for her — in addition to wiping Doug’s bogus debt clean at the start.

Joey tells Vanessa that she’s overplaying her hand, but she has another card up her sleeve. If he refuses, she’ll use her business connections to shut Joey’s illegal activities down for good. “I like you, Joey, I really do,” she says. “There’s no reason for us to go to war when there are such better options on the table — so to speak.”

Joey agrees to Vanessa’s terms, but rather than signing on the dotted line, they just… have sex on the table again. These two!

Chelsea and Madison Take Things to the Next Level

Chelsea and Madison sit down for dinner, where they do some hardcore flirting over Chinese and chopsticks. Chelsea tells her about her plan to go from model to designer, giving her a tour of her studio space.

Madison says she feels like she’s been in the room already, having followed Chelsea for so long on social media. Madison is unsettled by the idea of millions of people feeling like they know Chelsea, but she explains that they only know what she wants them to know. She promises Madison that she’d never put anyone on socials without their permission. (Apparently she learned her lesson after filming Dani shoot up Bill and Hayley’s wedding.)

Madison gives Chelsea a quick rundown of her coming-out journey with her father, which leads Chelsea to talk about Bill. “It’s hard to open up to someone who has betrayed your trust,” she says, then redirecting the conversation back to Madison.

Chelsea tells Madison that she identifies as queer, and this isn’t an experiment. She hasn’t technically had a “relationship” with a woman before, but she has had dalliances. Madison appreciates the clarification… and the kissing.

In case Madison wasn’t sure whether to commit to Chelsea at this point, her fortune cookie is happy to give her a push: “Go for it.” Just like that, she and Chelsea get hot and heavy. Candles, music, the whole nine yards.

Smitty vs. Marcel, Round 1!

Smitty shows up to interview Marcel for The Washington Record, and Jacob’s shady partner couldn’t be more worried. When Smitty mentions their shared connection to Jacob, Marcel mentions that he also knows all about the Leslie Thomas case — and the Dupree family.

Smitty proves he also knows a lot about Marcel, calling up information about his yacht club membership. He even shows Marcel a picture of himself with Joey in the background, asking how they’ve never come in contact with each other as members of the same club.

Marcel objects to the odd line of questioning, so Smitty gets back on track… sort of. He asks about an unsolved case involving Joey that seemed to benefit both Joey and Marcel. “It’s funny how your path and Joey’s path seem to keep crossing,” Smitty says.

Marcel cuts the interview short, suggesting that people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. When Smitty asks what he means by that, Marcel says, “Don’t ask me. You’re the investigative reporter.”