Not Going Out - Season 3 (2009)

Lucy wants to go to Venice for her upcoming birthday but Tim and Lee plan a surprise party,which is no surprise because she finds out about it. Perturbed that so many couples have been invited and not wanting to be the singleton she brings work colleague Robin to pose as her boyfriend but when he starts coming on to her it's time for Lee to save her with the aid of the chocolate fountain.

When Lee goes to complain about the noise from the man in the flat above he is confronted by a literally ugly customer who threatens and intimidates him so that when Lucy announces that she has left a note telling the man to be quiet a nervous Tim and Lee go to retrieve it but end up trashing the man's flat. Simulating a burglary they trash Lee's flat too but when the neighbour comes down to beat Lee up Tim's sessions at the gym - and the steroids - come to his rescue.

Despite allowing Lee to pose as her P.A. when she goes to meet two potential clients Lucy impresses them sufficiently that they come to see her give a speech at a recruitment conference. Unfortunately she has also allowed Lee to write the speech for her,which goes down like a lead balloon - until she discards it to speak in her own words,thus winning the contract. (The fact that she was wearing no knickers probably helped too.)

Lucy is moved by the sad stories told her by Pavel,the handsome Eastern European who mended her car,and in order to prevent his being deported back to cruel uncertainty in his homeland,agrees to marry him. To Lee's horror, Geoffrey,Wendy and Tim all succumb to Pavel's account of his plight and uphold the idea of the wedding. Lee himself almost gives in too but comes up with a cunning plan that will save Pavel,make Barbara happy and keep Lucy free for him.

Lee gets a surprise visit from Frank, the father who walked out on his family thirty-five years earlier and who never paid any maintenance. Lee is hostile but Lucy urges him to forgive and forget. It is Christmas after all and Frank has terminal cancer and a hospital letter to prove it. But can Lee trust the man who ate his goldfish and made him take a drink-driving rap aged twelve? At least he gets to kiss Lucy under the mistletoe, which is the best Christmas present of all.