Lunch Monkeys

Gloria reckons she’s chronically understaffed so new girl Shelley joins the team. Unfortunately Gloria is too tempted by cakes on the fifth floor to be bothered to give her an induction and leaves the job to Darrel. Darrel is the longest serving member of the admin team, but also the least competent and only keeps his job because he’s loyal, loves Fox Cranford and, bless him, at least he tries. He also tries to cop off with Shelley while he’s inducting her, but is devastated to discover she has a hardnut boyfriend, Swanny. Shelley fails to make a good impression on her first meeting with Mike and things get worse when she takes a two hour lunch to get a tattoo.

Mike has just settled a big claim for a difficult client, Mr. Benson, who is coming in to collect his cheque. When the post arrives Gloria gives the cheques to Darrel to sort out and naturally he manages to misplace Mike’s cheque while he is playing Jason Bourne versus Jackie Chan with Asif. Asif has learnt hypnosis and puts Darrel in a trance to find the cheque. While under Darrel tells him (and Kenny) what he thinks of everyone, so Asif decides to give him a trigger word which makes him behave like a dog.

It’s a baking hot day… Asif has a crush on hard-nosed solicitor, Lee Ann, and is determined to ask her out, but she only goes out with rich businessmen. When his Dad turns up with a business opportunity – a load of ice pops to sell – Asif, well prompted by Shelley, decides to become an entrepreneur.

There is a fire safety officer visiting Fox Cranford and Gloria needs to appoint a Fire Marshall. She chooses Darrel who then turns up to the briefing in high-vis gear with an axe. Tania has resolved to keep the baby and she’s due to have a special lunch with Charlie at Nandos. While delivering the post Lee Ann asks Tania to help her deal with an irritating client on the phone – she handles it well and Lee Ann spots an opportunity to ease her workload and give Tania some stuff to do.

A new temp is in the office for the day and takes a shine to Darrel when he offers to help with her photocopying. She asks him out to lunch, much to Asif’s annoyance. Tania has been off sick for a few days and arrives in the post room upset to be confronted by Darrel – she’s lost the baby. Gloria gives Tania a disciplinary and because she’s taken too many sickies she’s given an automatic warning. Tania is about to tell Gloria about her miscarriage, but stops when Gloria goes too far saying that she is technically eligible for promotion, but the baby would stop her doing the job. Tania is incensed.

Tania has been asked to supervise the office move – the place is being refurbished – and Mike has promised her a promotion if it all goes to plan. Things look shaky when the lights flicker and there seems to be a problem with the electrics. Boyfriend Charlie is off out to a work do with colleague Lee Ann and Kenny is suspicious. Shelley is upset because she’s split up with boyfriend Swanny and when Darrel tries it on she isn’t impressed.