In 1978, high-flying secretary Penny Warrender was due to marry bookie Vince Pinner but he jilted her at the altar. Penny has since had a disastrous marriage to Graham and is divorced whilst Vince remains single. By 1983, by chance, both are in the same pub with their new dates, neither suitable, and Penny and Vince meet by the cigarette machine. They realize that they cold get back together though maybe as just good friends.

Vince realizes how much he wants to get back with Penny and decides to brave a visit to her house to supposedly return her handkerchief, knowing that he will not exactly be welcome with her parents. This is an understatement as he has to run the gauntlet with Penny's imperious mother Daphne, who lets him know how she has always felt about him and how she has always believed that Penny was too good for him.

Penny and Vince meet in the park and he invites her to dinner at his flat - purely as a friend. The food is awful but the pair get on, Penny describing how her marriage broke down, but she resists Vince's attempts to get her to stay the night. She does start to soften when he whispers sweet nothings but leaves when she realizes he has stolen them from song lyrics - though she does give him her work number.

Vince decides to ask his scrap dealer father Les what he should do regarding his relationship with Penny and is surprised at the result given that it is the first time in years that he has needed advice. Penny meanwhile is also surprised - when her mother reveals to her about some of her past relationships, in order to put her daughter off seeing Vince again.

Penny hopes Vince will ring her so that she can tell him she never wants to see him again but when he fails to call she goes to his betting shop on the pretext of nervously placing a bet. Vince suggests a night out and collects her in his car where, encouraged by her friend Elaine on how to take revenge on a cheating lover she destroys his credit cards - unaware that his friends are in the back seat watching. At least her bet turns out to be a winner and Vince flatters her by remembering their first date.

Penny's mother Daphne is not pleased when Vince arrives at the birthday tea she and husband Norman have organized for Penny - and even more annoyed when Penny tells her that she and Vince are moving into a flat together. But it is Penny's turn to be angry when the flat in question is in a terrible state and Vince suggests she sells her car to pay for its renovation.

To her mother's annoyance, Penny moves into the newly decorated flat with Vince but disaster soon strikes as, due to Penny not locking the door, the flat is burgled and vandalised. A horrified Penny tells Vince she's finished with him and moves back with her parents but when they are away for the weekend, Vince turns up with good news and she has him back as they spend the night together.