Joey's loafing around in the garage. To put it bluntly, he's swinging the lead and not pulling his weight! Jackie is fed up with his attitude, but following her show of strength a week or so ago when both Joey and Luke were furnished with written warnings, she seems to have slipped back into her old too-easy-going routine which, of course, Joey will milk for all it's worth.
However, the dung finally hits the fan when a car refuels, drives off without paying and Jackie discovers that the security cameras haven't recorded the incident because Joey hadn't bothered to change the tapes despite having been specifically asked to do so. His 'couldn't care less' response to Jackie's remonstrations are the last straw as far as she is concerned. They have a bust-up and Jackie dismisses him.
Back home, Jackie recounts the story to Jimmy. She offers him some part-time work in the garage and poor Jim has to do a spot of quick-thinking in order to extricate himself from what he feared would be a fate worse than death. Actually, he cited the fact that he a Jackie were currently getting on better than then had done for a long time (true) and how he had no wish to put that in jeopardy. Ha! *And* that he wanted to concentrate on his "pro-ject". Now, *that's* probably slightly more honest!
Talking of Jim's millennium pro-ject, Ray was more fortunate than us poor viewers (if 'fortunate' is the right word), for he was invited into Jimmy's shed to see it. Still, it gave him a break from creating a display of "wind sculptures" outside the bungalow.
And the residents of the bungalow? How are they faring? Well, Nikki *said* that she was going into university, but actually wound up in Bar Brookie. So, no real surprise there, then. She remained in Bar Brookie all day, got totally out of her tree, fell off a bar stool and made the usual exhibition of herself.
Nathan, gamely tried to help her to her feet. "Let's get you sat down," he suggested, but immediately wondered why he'd even bothered.
"Who are you talking too?" slurred Nikki. "You're pants."
Eventually, Jessie and Ray are summoned to drag her (yes, literally!) home, and she proceeds to have a tantrum outside the bungalow, during which she manages to destroy most of Ray's wind sculptures, before collapsing, sobbing, in a heap (where *hopefully*, she was left!).
Tim and Emily fill out the spam credit card application, carefully forging Greg's signature at the bottom, although Emily was clearly having second thoughts as to the wisdom of this little venture.
Mick and Sinbad are unable to control themselves with excitement when their new TV and various pieces of associated equipment are delivered and Mick decides that he's "in heaven". Leo's particularly under-impressed and is more concerned with their continuing indifference to the state of the house/washing/cleaning/decorating etc.
Jacqui Dixon tells Nathan that she's found what she was looking for - him (ugh, pass the bucket, someone, pur-leese!) and that she wants to sell the bar, salon, not-even-open-yet-wine-shop (offie to you and me) *as well* as her share of the club.
This club debacle has been doing Jacqui's head in. Lindsey attempted to explain why she felt it necessary to redirect the contents of the safe into her handbag and how, once again, she has managed to embroil herself in the shady dealings of the redoubtable Finnegans.
Jacqui wasn't having any of her stories, excuses or mega-whinge-sessions and set-off a spiel of her own, presumably intended to avoid Lindsey having the chance to get a word in edgeways:
"The Finnegans have got their filthy hands all over that club," she begins. "And I don't want anything to do with it. Bullying, fighting, bombings... people died for God's sake. Why should I want to hold on to any of that? And then to top it all, the person I'm in business with has started robbing me."
"But the trouble's only a temporary thing," starts Lindsey, who worryingly, actually seemed to believe that statement.
"Well, me packing the club in, isn't" retorts Jacqui. "I'm putting my side of the club up for sale and I'm out of there as soon as possible."
Jacqui demands a return of the missing money. Lindsey says that she's not ready to do that yet, so Jacqui threatens to bring in the police.
After Jacqui storms out, Lindsey summons Shelley and pours her heart out to her. Once calmed down, Lindsey makes a move on Shelley but has her advance flatly rejected.
"I can't do this," says Shelley rushing out and leaving a very stunned-looking Lindsey behind.
Hehe! It finally looks like Lindsey is going to have to get used to *not* getting her own way, every time. At last! Gratifying, isn't it?
Episode written by Maurice Bessman
Summary © 1999 Graeme Selway
Brookside and all related materials are © Mersey Television 1982-2001