Episode 3672 (26th February 2004)

Plot
Laurel is on cloud nine after sharing a romantic taxi ride and a goodnight kiss with Ashley. Ashley pops round to see her in the morning and they decide to make their first date dinner at Ashley’s. Delighted Laurel rushes round to tell Nicola who pours scorn on the date, saying Ashley’s a cheapskate. The date doesn’t get off to a great start. Ashley is embarrassed that Laurel has made an effort and is over-dressed for quiche in the kitchen! In his usual clumsy way he tries to tell her that he doesn’t want to rush into things. After a while they relax and cuddle up on the sofa. The game’s up for Terry when Dawn bumps into Zoe and discovers he finished work two days ago. Things don’t go well when Dawn asks Terry what kind of day he’s had. Dawn is rapidly coming to the end of her tether and feels she is single-handedly holding the family together, now having ‘two babies to look after’. Completely depressed Terry asks Dawn what she’s doing sticking with a loser like him? When she admits it’s been hard, Terry’s pride gets the better of him and says that Dawn should just go now he knows how she really feels. Elsewhere in the village, Syd realises he is going to have to keep an eye on Chloe as he catches her trying to chat up Ethan, the curate, who has been banished to the pub by Ashley, who is entertaining Laurel. As Chloe talks Ethan into buying her a spritzer Val and Nicola are watching the conversation from across the bar and Nicola wonders just how many men Chloe wants.