While Brad is busy making plans for the wedding, he can’t help noticing that Sally isn’t exactly bouncing off the walls with excitement. Admittedly, he only picks up on her longstanding doubts over a debate about whether or not the combination of a cocktail reception and girls in heels are a match made in heaven, but at least he got there in the end. So, Sally finally gets a chance to set the record straight, explaining that she feels as if everything’s out of her control – but will Brad take heed? We’re sure you’ll have realised by now that words spoken to the pre-wedding Brad are, essentially, words wasted; clearly swept up in the excitement of the big day, he tries to persuade Sal that, as long as they both want to get married, it shouldn’t matter if it’s only six weeks away. As he fails to notice her half-hearted agreement, you have to wonder: is this shaping up to be yet another Home and Away wedding disaster?Just a flingDetermined not to see Tony’s heart broken, Drew has already gone straight back to thinking damning thoughts about his mother, thanks to his arriving home to see her with Dane (who has, incidentally, decided that his moral values concerning the Will shouldn’t come in between his chance for an extra-marital fling) – although, this time at least, Jazz is telling the truth when she claims that Dane’s only there on business. Legal business, that is. Still, Drew’s seen enough for him to decide that Jazz should really be calling things off with Tony before he gets hurt. Jazz reluctantly agrees and cancels a planned dinner – until she has a change of heart and, much to Tony’s surprise, offers to join him on a fishing trip. (“It’s not the fish she’s interested in,” Colleen quips.) When she arrives to find Tony’s laid out a picnic for them to share, Jazz can’t help but follow her son’s advice by coming clean; although she’s attracted to him, she can’t guarantee that she won’t see other people while they’re together. It may be good enough for Tony, who’s still not looking for anyone to replace Beth, but we very much doubt that Drew will be jumping for joy when he finds out that his mum’s entering into an open relationship with such a well-known face.

Boy racers

Suspicious of how often Dom seems to be coming by hard-to-find car parts, and the unbelievably low prices he asks for them, Ric warns Drew not to trust the dodgy dealer – a warning which proves to be well-founded when Drew later witnesses a suspicious-looking exchange between Dom and a mechanic.

Of course, Dom’s used to wriggling his way out of trouble, and claims that everything’s legit; he’s only helping out a friend (and trying to steal said friend’s girlfriend) by offering such crazy deals as, say, a $600 engine for a pair of concert tickets. Their discussion falls by the wayside when garage-owner Ray – also deeply involved in the hot parts scandal – offers Drew an apprenticeship, much to his and everyone else’s delight. Even Jazz can muster a word or two of congratulations, despite the fact that she’d rather see her son as a doctor or lawyer.

But that’s not all Drew has to be excited about. You see, Dom’s invited him and Ric to watch a drag race and, despite Ric’s warnings that it’s illegal, he’s determined to go. So, when Drew goes ahead with it anyway, it falls to poor Ric to break away from helping Matilda revise for her HSC trials – a task made all the more difficult by the fact of Martha having spilt coffee all over her notes – and save the day. Chance would be a fine thing. Despite a change of location, the Summer Bay police haven’t missed a trick (well, there’s a first time for everything), and make their way to the scene. While most of the spectators manage to make their getaway, a typically hapless Drew is left standing when he finds that Dom has made off with his car.

Still, he soon has company; after rushing back to pick him up, Ric ends up cornered, too – with, no doubt, those four words “I told you so” spinning through his mind.

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