Episode 7699

Extended Summary

Mia is wryly unpacking the energy drinks and protein shakes that Ari and Tane brought back from the trade fair. Ari says Tane chose them. Tane says he’s made plans and leaves. Chloe comes through and gets texts with orders, admitting she’s only still working with Ryder to pay off the debt, although at least it’s not Theo. At Salt, Felicity arrives to meet Tane. She says she thought he’d let Cash warn him off. Tane says he’s been out of town at a trade show and Felicity is shocked to realise he’s telling the truth. She says Cash is fine with them being friends now and guesses Tane wants some fun. Tane hands her a drinks menu.

Chloe shows a last few customers out of the Diner: The only one still there is Matthew. She tells him kitchen’s closed and he asks for a latte. He asks about her catering business. She remembers meeting him before and tells him she’s having business partner issues. Matthew says he had the same problem starting out as a lawyer until he went solo. He explains he’s in town to meet his daughter. On the Salt balcony, Felicity is saying she can think of a better rite of passage than burning your feet, recalling how she found out next door were going to eat a cute pig for Christmas so stole it and accidentally let it escape. She asks about him. He says after Mikaere died, Ari took a lot on and began relying on him more, slowly. Cash suddenly sits down with them and asks what “we’re” talking about.

Ari tells Mia that he missed her and admits that he hated the trade show, jokingly telling her not to send him to something like that again. He says she seems happier. Mia says she hasn’t heard anything from Matthew and hopes never to see him again. Back at the Diner, Chloe gets a call from Ryder saying he can’t stand up and says she’s got thirty orders to handle on her own. Matthew asks if she’ll be all right there on her own. Chloe suggests he leaves and is shocked when he calls her by name. He explains she’s the daughter he’s visiting. Chloe says Mia always told her he didn’t want anything to do with her. Matthew says that’s not the case; Mia disappeared before she was born, then he saw her photo in the paper. Chloe tells him to leave. Matthew does so, leaving money and a card with his name and number on behind.

Mia cuddles up to Ari, with him saying he missed her. They are interrupted by a phone call from Chloe. Mia says she’ll be right there. They both head to the Diner where Chloe tells them about her meeting with Matthew and the fact that he said he’d met with Mia, which is news to Ari. Chloe is shocked to realise that Matthew was telling the truth and they both knew about it. She heads out onto the pier with them both following. Chloe asks why Mia told her that her father wanted nothing to do with her. Mia just says that it was a complicated situation and suggests they go home to talk. Chloe says she has to work but Ari convinces her to cancel the orders. She goes back inside, with Ari realising this is why Mia sent him away. Chloe retrieves Matthew’s card.

Once the three of them get home, Chloe says it should have been her decision whether or not she saw her father and asks why Mia didn’t keep in touch with him. Mia says she had her reasons but Chloe says Matthew seemed nice enough and notes that Mia’s lied to her all her life, again. Tane comes home and is told everything’s fine. He says he’ll pretend to believe that and goes to bed, with Chloe and Mia soon following. Ari sees Matthew’s card and looks him up on his phone, finding his photo on a barristers’ website.

Next morning, Justin is finishing a phone conversation with Leah. He slaps Theo with a tea towel, saying that’s from Leah for being an idiot, then slaps him again, saying that’s from him for telling Ryder about the kiss. Theo says it gave the video a great ending. Ryder arrives and Justin cautiously leaves them alone. Ryder says he wants out of the challenges. Theo protests that they’re a double act. Ryder says they were never friends, but kissing Chloe and rubbing his nose in it has shown him he doesn’t even want to be around Theo.

Felicity wakes Cash up and insists he talk to her outside. She is annoyed he crashed her date but he points out she always crashes his. He says she won’t talk to him and hasn’t gone back to the night club she spent with Anne. He thinks she needs to talk about it and is fine if she wants to do it with Tane, since she can’t bottle it up. At the Parata house, Tane questions Ari and Mia about Matthew. Chloe interrupts, annoyed they’re talking about it without her. She hasn’t decided if she wants to see him again and isn’t sure what to do if he turns up at work. Ari says he shouldn’t put her in that situation and Chloe says Mia shouldn’t have either. She goes to get changed and Tane and Mia try to dissuade Ari from going after Matthew.

Tane and Felicity meet up on the beach. She apologises about Cash turning up and notes he thinks they should talk about what happened, since she tends to unravel. She says she’s glad it was him she went through it with. They kiss. Meanwhile, Matthew is standing on the end of the pier. Ari watches him from near the bait shop, then grabs a fishing rod and a bucket of bait and heads to the end of the pier as well. Matthew casually greets him, not noticing Ari giving him murderous looks.