Lindsey has only a couple of weeks to go before she's due to repay Rose the fifty-seven grand which she 'borrowed'. She hasn't got it. In fact, she isn't anywhere near having it and is now becoming desperate. Good! Hehe! She's due for a mighty big fall, that one!
She tries to talk to Jimmy about it, but he's not very interested and has other things on his mind. Lindsey wonders whether Rose might settle for a down payment. "It's not a risk, I'd want to take", was the only advice Jim offered her, and half-heartedly, at that.
Lindsey *has* been thinking about other ways to get some cash and in this regard has applied for a credit card. She plans to use it to withdraw "a couple of thousand from a cashpoint", which obviously will help. Hmm, are you going tell her, or shall I? Maybe she's actually applied for 29 credit cards - two grand from cashpoint machines on each of those will solve the problem *entirely*, won't it?
Jacqui Dixon doesn't give her any encouraging news either, when she predicts that the New Millennium Club won't make a profit at all for another twelve months. "We're up to our necks in debt," she points out. Lindsey holds her head in her hands.
Leo continues to bang on about starting his own business, but still doesn't have a clue as to what sort of business it might be.
Sinbad on the other hand, is hopeful about securing the warehouseman's position at EasyLec which Niamh had told him about. He's got an interview on Friday.
Mick hasn't made any progress on the job front. Well, in a way, I guess he has - he's decided that having worked solidly for 25 years, he's going to have a decent break before doing something else - and he says this immediately after moaning to Sinbad about Leo's laziness. Leo left school over twelve months ago and *still* doesn't know what he wants to do with his life, he tells Sin.
Gemma reappeared for the first time in months, looking rather older than I remember (was it really that long?) and told Mick that Caroline (her latest best mate from school) has invited her to Barbados for Christmas.
"Pleeeease, Dad. I promise I will never ask for anything else ever again," she pleaded. "Please, dad. Please."
Mick eventually said that he'll "think about it", a statement Gemma took to mean "yes", which in turn caused an outburst from Leo, annoyed that Mick would pay for Gemma to go away but wouldn't give him any money with which to start a business.
Katie's been ignoring Ryan and when he finally corners her, he's bemused by the strange mood she's in. (Being a Musgrove, you'd think he'd be used to people with odd moods, wouldn't you?)
Katie instructs him to meet her at lunchtime, when she tells him that she knows that he's slept with Abby. She calls him a "low-life" and a "loser". As she swans off into Bar Brookie, he follows, calling after her.
"I don't want to hear it. I've had enough of your lies," she insists.
Later, Ryan catches up with Katie again and this time he tries to deny that the accusation is true. Eventually, he admits it and works out that it was Luke who's spilled the beans and is enraged.
Luke and Joey have been watching Katie and Ryan from the petrol station. Joey seems to have sussed that Ryan's been hiding a secret and in fact, has guessed that the secret is female and lives in Scotland. Luke confirms that he's correct but gives away nothing more and swears Joey to secrecy.
Jackie Corkhill had the day off and Luke and Joey took the opportunity to do absolutely no work whatsoever. Methinks that Jackie will have her work cut out with those two!
Back on the Close, Jessie has also used some sort of secret power to deduce that Nikki has been up to something and Nikki admits that she and Bernie had been around to Harvey's - he'd been causing trouble and it was now sorted out, she told her Nan. Yeah, right, of course it is!
Whilst in the bungalow, we were also introduced to a character called Ray. Jessie knows him - he's Renee's husband. Renee from the bingo. You know.... Renee. Err... yeah.
Jacqui Dixon spells out to Nathan that he needs to convince Deborah that they're serious about each other.
"You'd better put her straight about us, or else," she threatens. Threatens what, I don't know.
Later Jacqui makes her way around to Number Nine, having decided that perhaps she should have it out with Debs, herself. When Debs opens the front door, Jacqui finds that she's wearing one of Nathan's shirts - a development which she wasn't prepared for. Actually, maybe I should point out that Debs was wearing *just* one of Nathan's shirts and nothing more.
Debs puts on one of her best smug looks, as Jacqui changes her plans and rushes upstairs to confront Nathan instead. Jacqui has a go at Nathan, accusing him of carrying on behind her back. He simply tells her that she's being "absurd".
"There is nothing going on between me and Deborah. And the reason that there's nothing going on between me and Deborah is because I'm in love with you."
"What?" Jacqui queries, meekly.
"You heard me," replies Nathan. "You. Not anyone else. Not Deborah. Not anyone. You."
Having made up, they waltz off to Bar Brookie arm in arm, much to Deborah's irritation. As they depart, they put on a little performance for Debs' benefit during which Nathan makes a comment about it being a cheap night out since he's sleeping with the landlord.
Unfortunately for me, I thought he was talking about the landlord of the house and not the Bar!
Now, how about *that* for a future storyline, eh?
Episode written by Richard Burke
Summary © 1999 Graeme Selway
Brookside and all related materials are © Mersey Television 1982-2001