With Joel’s court case looming over her in today’s EastEnders (Tuesday, January 27), Vicki Fowler was desperate to distract herself from what was to come by spending the evening with Zack Hudson.
Facing Joel for the first time since he brutally attacked her has been weighing heavily on Vicki. Although she is grateful to have her younger brother Mark Jr back in Walford to support her, the reality of what lies ahead keeps creeping in.
So when Zack popped into the cafe and casually offered to cook her dinner, Vicki did not hesitate.
Sparks flew for Zack and Vicki in EastEnders
Viewers will remember that Vicki and Zack already have a history after sharing a kiss last year. That moment was cut short when Kathy walked in on them, but the attraction never really went away.
Arriving at Zack’s flat armed with wine, Vicki quickly made herself comfortable. The ease between them was obvious, and the chemistry soon resurfaced. After Vicki tried Zack’s new menu ideas for The Vic, things escalated fast, and the pair headed to the bedroom.
Lost in the moment, Vicki failed to notice repeated calls from Ross, who had no idea where she really was.
Ross and Mark call a truce
While Vicki was with Zack, Ross was drinking alone in the pub, still struggling with everything going on. Tensions flared when Mark Jr arrived, given their last encounter ended with Ross sporting a black eye.
Alfie stepped in to calm things down, and eventually Mark and Ross agreed to put their differences aside for Vicki’s sake. Neither of them had any idea what was unfolding back at Zack’s flat.
Tomorrow: guilt for Zack and Vicki in EastEnders
In Wednesday’s episode, Vicki wakes up facing the consequences of the night before, but there is little time to process her guilt as Joel’s trial finally begins.
She heads to court with Ross and Mark by her side, while Zack makes a last-minute decision to join them. Inside the courtroom, Joel attempts to present a calm front as Tommy gives evidence.
But when it is Vicki’s turn to take the stand, the defence’s tactics prove too much, forcing her to rush out of court as her traumatic past comes crashing back.
Also in today’s EastEnders
Heartbroken following George’s baby bombshell, Ian’s tip-off to the local paper tipped her over the edge.
After seeing he had taken a picture of Councillor Barker going into her B&B with his mistress, Elaine was horrified to see the story had made front-page news. Fuming that her business had been painted in a bad light, she got revenge by ramming her car into one of Kathy’s cabs, pretending it was an accident. But what she didn’t realise was that Kathy was in the car at the time.
Also, Ravi’s family life was finally starting to look up, but he was oblivious to the danger he was in. Desperate to clear his name, Mark put pressure on Phil to find out who the local informant is. Surely it’s only a matter of time before they realise it is Ravi?
Elsewhere, Oscar and Kat were both horrified to find Jasmine had done a runner. While Oscar hit the bottle to mask his heartache, Kat was left wondering how she would get Zoe out of jail.
When Max revealed Jasmine lied about making a statement to the police, Kat was shocked.
Read more: Mark Jr affair ‘sealed’ as fan theory ties his return to EastEnders flashforward