Des's
Des is ironing and whistling along to the radio, waking Daphne up. She isn't too chuffed, but Des is on top of the world. Eventually she turns the radio off and asks Des what's wrong with him!

Daphne was at a bucks' party last night - she says she hates it. Des says women are just as bad when they go to strip clubs. Daphne says Des could go into stripping if he wanted too(!)

DAPHNE: At least when women have a night out, they don't carry on like a load of inebriated orang-utangs. It's enough to put you off marriage for life.
DES: Oh, I don't know!
DAPHNE: What do you mean?!
DES: Oh, just making an observation.

Daphne asks if Des is getting involved with that "Langdon woman" and enquires after Mr Langdon. Des says that Joan is divorced. Daphne asks Des how much he really knows about Joan - she intimates that Joan might be using Des as a meal ticket. Des is cross. He tells Daphne that actually, he invited Joan to move in with him and she said no! Daphne isn't pleased - what would have happened to her if Joan had said yes?! They quarrel a bit and Daphne starts shouting. Des shouts back that he won't let anyone ruin his life.

Terry catches the end of this argument and says that Daphne is behaving like a jealous wife. She says that Daphne seems to think she owns Des. Daphne says she's just worried about Des. Now it's Terry's turn to storm out.

DAPHNE: I'm not jealous! (door slams) I'm just tired, that's all. She lies down on the sofa for a snooze.

Max's bedsit
Max is sorting out Shane's clothes and tells him to be a bit tidier. Shane jokes about Mrs Harris who also lives in the block - she's always inviting Max round to "have a look at her plumbing". Max says that if he did want a woman, he'd give Shane a run for his money!

Just then, Terry comes in. She's surprised that Shane is going out with Daphne tonight.

Ramsays
Shane comes in and finds Danny watching TV. He creeps up on him and gives him a scare. He's come to pick Maria up to take her out to dinner. Shane suggests that Danny comes with them, but Danny says that Maria and Shane need a chance to talk on their own. Anyway, Danny is going to Scott's for dinner.

Shane and Maria head off.

Robinsons
Danny comes in and goes through to Scott's room to say hello.

Posh Restaurant
Maria and Shane have arrived at a posh restaurant. She thinks it's a bit expensive, but Shane tells her to relax and enjoy herself. They order oysters, beef wellington and baby strawberries for dessert...

Max's bedsit
...meanwhile Max is eating cold baked beans out of a tin. Just then, Mrs Harris comes round. She tells Max she's grateful for his help the other day. One of her tenants gave her a bottle of champagne for doing some cleaning for him, but she can't get it open. Max helps her to get the cork out. Mrs Harris notices that Max is eating beans and invites him to have some of her cooking - she's got loads.

Posh restaurant
Shane tells Maria that Max needs her more than he does at the moment - that's the only reason he's moved out. Besides, Maria has still got Danny. Maria would like to see more of Shane. Shane says he still loves Maria and he's not taking sides between her and Max. A woman interrupts just then and offers Shane to buy a rose for his "lady-friend". She comments that Shane and Maria make a "lovely couple". Shane and Maria laugh.

Max's bedsit
Mrs Harris has done Max proud. She's an old lady and is clearly pleased to have someone to share her meal with. Max tucks in and they chat about kids and their morals these days. Max says he blames Maria for spoiling the kids rotten. He says he believes in sitting down and talking things through.

MAX: I'm a reasonable man, Edith.

Posh restaurant

MARIA: Your father would be the most unreasonable person I've ever known.

Shane agrees - Max can be a bit pig-headed. Maria says if they could sit down and talk things through quietly, things might have been different. But now, there's no going back. Maria says she sometimes feels sorry for Max - sitting in a bedsit on her own. She suggests calling in on the way home to cheer Max up. Shane says there's no cheering Max up when he's in one of his moods.

SHANE: He'll be sitting at home, alone, feeling sorry for himself.

Max's bedsit
Max and Edith are having a great evening and laughing raucously at Max's plumbing stories. They are getting through the champagne quite well. Edith says they should eat together more often, rather than eating on their own all the time. They're clearly a bit drunk - not least because Edith put brandy in the meal. She comes and sits on Max's lap(!) and they both start singing.

Just then Maria and Shane come in and look rather shocked.

Robinsons
Jim isn't pleased that Scott is working at the Coffee Shop again - he doesn't want him neglecting his studies. Danny tells Jim that he's interested in going in to engineering or architecture. Jim offers him some books. Lucy comes out and says she's planning to be an actress. Helen sends her back to bed.

Danny heads off, thanking Helen for dinner.

Ramsays
Maria is very angry and says she'll never waste her time feeling sorry for Max again. Shane thinks it was quite funny. As he leaves, Maria thanks Shane for a wonderful evening, and asks Shane if he'd like to come back home again. Shane says he can't, but he'll let her know if he changes his mind.

Robinsons, the following morning
Helen is emptying Lucy's schoolbag. Jim is surprised at Danny's maths marks - Helen asks Jim why he doesn't offer Danny a job in the summer holidays. Jim says he was going to offer it to Scott, but Helen warns him not to try to push Scott into engineering, as he tried to do with Paul. Just then, Helen finds a very sticky letter in Lucy's bag. Jim opens it delicately and reads it. He says they've got a problem with Lucy.