Pawnbroken - My Girl

EPISODE ONE – MY GIRL One of Jim's two assistants announces he's leaving at the end of the week to travel. This leaves Jim with a headache. He needs to replace Carl as soon as possible as Patrick is due to go on his holiday, and Vanessa has shown a rare sense of altruism and has offered to work part-time, albeit her real reason is to keep an eye on her ex-husband, which horrifies Jim. He interviews three candidates, of which the final candidate, Natalie, is offered the post. Vanessa makes a flying visit and asks Patrick to find out if Jim is seeing anyone as he has been behaving 'nicer' to her recently. Patrick also thinks he is, as he's overheard Jim on the phone with a female several times recently and has heard him promise to take the mystery woman to Brighton at the weekend. Patrick immediately regrets saying anything. Vanessa sweeps into the shop later in the day and spies Jim in an embrace with a younger woman. She storms around the counter and accuses him of being a cradle-snatcher, which is ironic as she is seeing a man 15 years her junior. The mystery woman turns around and reveals herself as their daughter, Lucy, who had come in to see her Dad. Lucy is not impressed with her mother's outburst and walks out, with Vanessa in tow, apologising profusely. Carl explains to Patrick that this sort of scene is the reason he is delighted to be leaving.