Maya's grooming of Jacob rumbled in Emmerdale as seduction plan fails?
Someone noticed the teacher's inappropriate attention at her pupil's birthday party
Emmerdale sexual predator Maya Stepney (Louisa Clein) was foiled in her plan to sleep with smitten teenager Jacob Gallagher (Joe-Warren Plant) on his 16th birthday when a chain of events prevented the twisted teacher from having her wicked way. She managed to maintain her hold over the lad with her usual mind games, but has one local started to suspect there is something inappropriate about the teacher-pupil relationship?
Jakey was celebrating his 16th birthday on Thursday 28 February and eagerly awaited for his cougar crush at the village summer house having arranged a lusty liaison with Maya who promised they would have sex for the first time. Liv Flaherty (Isobel Steele) unexpectedly arrived and mistakenly assumed the romantic setting was for her, which Jacob was forced to go along with so as not to arouse suspicion about who he was really meeting.
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Pretending he wanted to sleep with Liv, Jacob then gently put her off the idea saying he didn't want to force her into anything and gave her a plutonic hug - witnessed by Maya when she turned up outside, driving her insane with jealousy.
At Jacob's party that evening, livid Maya laid into her victim accusing him of betraying her with Liv and spitefully told him they were finished, despite the heartbroken schoolboy's insistence nothing happened. Angry Jake then started secretly necking booze in rebellion but in typical manipulative Maya fashion she then softened towards her target and gave him fresh hope things were still on, sneakily handing him some alcohol - witnessed by an intrigued Eric Pollard (Chris Chittell)…
What will Pollard do after seeing Maya give Jacob alcohol?
Confused by Maya's mixed messages Jacob almost outed his dad's girlfriend's grooming with a slurred, drunken rant to the baffled partygoers about people 'messing with your head', which to Maya's relief was cut short when he threw up after too much vodka.
Back home a row erupted as David berated his son for his embarrassing behaviour only to be antagonised by Maya defending his underage drinking as a typical teenage rite of passage. Shamed Jacob was sent to his room and David stormed out feeling unsupported by his partner, leaving cunning Maya to get the teen on his own and reignite the promise they would sleep together soon…
Maya has got brainwashed Jacob back under her spell, leading to more drama next week when he jealously tries to sabotage his dad's romantic night away with Miss Stepney hoping this will finally give them the chance to consummate their forbidden passion.
Keep your eye on Pollard, though - his wordless observation of Maya supplying Jacob with booze in a fleetingly charged moment at the party may signify the beginning of the abuser being exposed. Will Pollard alert David to what he saw, or confront Maya herself? Is he putting it down to Jacob's sort-of-stepmum giving him a harmless cheeky drink on his 16th as an innocent treat? Or is the start of Maya's systematic sexual grooming of Jacob being rumbled?
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