Episode 7558

Extended Summary

Irene finds Jasmine standing on the Diner veranda looking thoughtful. She notes she understand how Christian feels, wondering what it’s all for, but whereas he’s found energy from it, she just feels lost. She notes she needs to find something that excites her. Meanwhile, Dean enters the flat, finishing off a phone call with Jai. He notices discarded clothes lying around and calls out for Mackenzie, moments before the man from Salt emerges from her room and awkwardly retrieves his shirt. Mackenzie emerges moments later and calls him Jason: He corrects her that it’s James before he departs. Dean declines to comment.

Next morning, Ryder is sorting through bait outside the shop to cover for Nikau, with Roo telling him a delivery’s come through. Mackenzie comes past and comments that quitting Salt’s really worked out for him. Ryder says he and Chloe are starting their own business in competition to her. Chloe arrives after Mackenzie’s gone and Ryder tells her they need to get their food van straightaway because he’s just told Mackenzie it’s definitely happening. He tells Roo she needs to take over the bait shop. Shortly after, Dean returns to the flat to find Mackenzie there. She tries to bait him into judging her for what happened but he refuses, instead suggesting that it seems like she’s the one judging herself. He sarcastically thanks her for asking how it went with the solicitor.

Ziggy is watching on as Ari and Tane finish work on the bike, which Ari manages to start. Tane suggests he’d need tape to hold the exhaust in place. Ari wants to ride the bike and Ziggy quips that he’s going to the hospital anyway. Mia appears and says Ari’s not riding it until he gets medical clearance. After they’ve gone, Ziggy and Tane muse that Tane’ll be out of a job if Ari goes back to work and Tane suggests he might need Ziggy’s help with a CV again. At the hospital, Jasmine is putting up a notice on the board. She meets Ari and Mia who explain why they’re there. Jasmine takes Mia for a coffee while Ari sees the doctor and they talk about the bike.

Ziggy and Tane are about to leave the house when Ryder and Chloe arrive with Ryder frantically asking about the food truck. Chloe explains he oversold it to Mac. Ziggy has spoken to her friend at the junk yard but he had nothing. Ryder asks her to try her other contacts. Ziggy asks him how Mackenzie was and he says she was a ray of sunshine. Tane says it’s not her problem anymore. Later, at the surf club, Ziggy makes another unsuccessful phone call. Mackenzie comes past and Ziggy asks how she is, suggesting they put things behind them and be friends. Mackenzie is dismissive however and suggests Ziggy needs professional help.

Jasmine tells Mia she needs to give the new cleaner keys and sort out the rosters but Mia says she’s already done it and also wants to hire new staff. Jasmine is pleased with her and says she hopes she’s not going to leave; Mia looks awkward. Ari arrives and says he got the all clear, giving Mia a celebratory kiss. Later, the pair of them are outside the Parata house. Mia tells Ari what Jasmine said and worries about the fact she might have to ask for maternity leave which she might not even qualify for. Ari points out she’s not pregnant yet and they don’t have to tell anyone. Ziggy and Tane come past, complaining about Mackenzie and only pausing briefly to ask how Ari went on.

Roo is still outside the bait shop when Ryder and Chloe come back. Chloe notes she’s trying to distract Ryder, who nearly texts Ziggy for information. Roo tries to encourage him but Ryder says they’ve got no Plan B. Chloe points out they don’t even know what food they’re going to sell and suggests they brainstorm. Roo gives them money for coffee. Ryder is depressed that he has to get his aunt to buy it for him, despite Chloe pointing out he was bludging off everyone last week. Soon after, inside, Chloe tries to work out what people would want. They ask Marilyn what she’d like and she says vegetarian burgers, kale and no plastic. Marilyn asks Irene if she should do a tarot reading for the pair but Irene thinks they need financial advice more.

At Salt, Mackenzie gives Jasmine a takeaway and wonders if she came in to check up on her. She says she’s fine and comments on getting rid of toxic friendships, before noting Jasmine’s lucky to have a job that she loves, compared to Dean having to drag her into work. Jasmine agrees it’s the only thing giving her direction. Later, Mackenzie arrives home with a bag full of bottles. She doesn’t take kindly to Dean asking about it but does ask him about the solicitor. Dean says he and Amber are on the same page and he gets to be Jai’s dad. Mackenzie says he’s lucky to have family whereas she can’t rely on anyone. Dean is unhappy that she seems to include him in that and says if she keeps pushing she’ll have no-one left.

Ari is cleaning up the bike outside the house and jokes to Tane and Ziggy that it’s like riding a bike. Ziggy gets a text and says she has to go, offering Mia a lift to work. Tane asks Ari about issues between him and Mia. Ari says they’re trying for a baby. Tane goes to the gym to question Mia, saying it’s not long since she didn’t want to talk about it. Mia says she and Ari talked over what happened with Kauri but they’re different people now.

At the hospital, Jasmine stops in front of the notice she put up earlier: It is a list of positions vacant, including two nursing unit manager posts. At the Diner, she tells Irene that she’s going to apply for a job: Maybe in Emergency, but there’s a job in ICU available as well. Nearby, Roo approaches Ryder and Chloe who reveal they’ve decided to sell Mexican food and have a design done for the food truck. They then get a text from Ziggy saying she needs to see them urgently.

Ryder and Chloe run into Tane outside the house, wondering where Ziggy is. Moments later, Ziggy draws up, pulling a rather dirty trailer on the back of her car. She assures them it’s mechanically fine and it’s theirs: They can discuss paying her back for it after they’ve started making a profit. Ryder and Chloe are delighted, with Ryder noting he can’t wait to throw it back in Mac’s face. Tane asks to talk to Ziggy. At the gym, Mia tells Ari that Tane spoke to her about the baby plans and she’s surprised Ari spoke to him. However, she tells him that she’s not going anywhere no matter how things work out.

Tane gets Ziggy a drink and tries to make small talk about her helping Ryder and Chloe but Ziggy asks him what it’s really about. Tane says it might be a full house there soon, and already is, so suggests he move in with her. Ziggy looks stunned.