Previously
- The #32 household finding unity after Jane's accident
- Nicolette deciding to forgive Chloe and Leo
- Chloe hoping she can have a relationship with Nic again one day
- Chloe offering to support Kyle through his cancer treatment
- Glen telling Terese he won't let Paul ruin more lives
- Paul giving Terese another wedding ring as a token
- Glen secretly keeping Terese's OG ring in his hotel safe
Lassiters Hotel - Glen's Room
Glen quickly puts the ring back into the safe when there's a knock at the door. Paul has stopped by to see if Glen wants to catch up for a drink later, but Glen's curious as to why Paul's acting so chipper. "I managed to speak to Terese and she's changed her mind about wearing the ring," Paul grins. "Just as a memento for the time being," he adds, "but it seems like a pretty positive thing, don't you think?" Concerned, Glen wonders if Paul's getting his hopes up too high, but Paul assures him it'll be fine and that he's focusing on work as a distraction. He's been doing a lot of distillery research that he wants to run by Leo, which also raises concern in Glen.
Ramsay Street
Chloe has driven Kyle back home after keeping him company in the hospital after his second round of chemo. Kyle's a little woozy, so they take a seat on the front of car and have a chat. Chloe was thrilled to hear all about Roxy and Kyle's wedding plans - it's actually given her inspiration for her own love life. Chloe says she has no expectations, but last week Nicolette opened the door towards friendship again and she thinks it might be time to step through it.
Number 32
Nicolette is making sure Jane's comfortable on the couch in the back room, while David brings her a cuppa. Jane doesn't think she needs all the pampering, but does appreciate how peaceful things are around the house now. Chloe drops in to ask Nicolette if she'd like to see a contemporary dance show in the city with her (a work contact gave her free tickets). Nicolette's surprised and isn't sure how to answer, but Chloe says there's no pressure, she can let her know in a few hours.
Ramsay Street
Glen takes a moment to absorb being back on Ramsay Street. He looks fondly over at Number 26, then makes his way up Number 22's driveway.
Number 22 Backyard
Toadie is having a coffee with Terese when Glen joins them, letting them know Ned invited him in. Terese starts making introductions between the men, but Toadie says Mel introduced them last night. Glen says he thought he'd check out the old stomping ground, complimenting Terese on what she's done with the yard. He becomes troubled, though, when Terese pours him a coffee and he notices she's wearing the new ring Paul gave her. Toadie's a bit lost when Glen mentions the ring, so Terese explains to him that she lost the original at the beach.
GLEN: You said you told him to go and stick it.
TERESE: Yeah I did, but he came to see me again to explain where he was coming from. And he said it's nothing more than a token to honour the past.
TOADIE: Sounds like Paul-speak for 'there will be strings attached'.
GLEN: My thoughts exactly.
TERESE: The truth is I wasn't ready to take the old one off anyway, so I felt awful when I lost it.
GLEN: I just don't think you should have pushed it. You made yourself clear; he's playing on your emotions.
TERESE: So you don't think I should be wearing it?
GLEN: Honestly, no. I think it was wrong of Paul to even ask you.
Toadie can't help but look curious at how invested Glen appears to be in Terese's decision.
Lassiters Hotel Exterior
Paul wanted to have a chat with Leo about the fit-out of the distillery, but Leo says he's got it all under control. Leo becomes frustrated when Paul continues to blather on with more suggestions, wondering if they need a refresher on the meaning of "silent investor". Paul says he's merely trying to help, and Leo will make all the calls in the end, so Leo gives in and tells him to make it quick.
Greenway
Chloe and Nicolette make awkward small talk on their way to the dance performance. Nicolette is distracted, checking her phone every few seconds, and admits to Chloe it's the longest she's ever gone without Isla and she didn't think it would hit her so hard. "Of course it would because you're a boss mama. You should try and relax and have fun, you deserve it," Chloe says, earning a smile of thanks from Nicolette. There's a brief 'moment' between them before Nicolette says they should get moving or they'll be late.
The Waterhole Exterior
Terese is on the phone with someone about damages that need to be repaired up on the hotel's rooftop. After her call she joins Glen at a table and says lunch is on her. Paul sees them from afar and looks pleased when he notices Terese is wearing the new ring, walking away with a smile on his face. Glen notes that Terese keeps playing with the jewellery and she admits she's not used to wearing it again.
TERESE: I know you don't approve.
GLEN: You don't need my approval. It's just you weren't impressed when Paul tried to fix things with an expensive gift. And yet you let him talk you into putting it on.
TERESE: Look, it's not about the ring itself, or how much it cost. There are so many things about our marriage that I miss, and wearing Paul's ring just means that I don't have to let go of everything at once.
GLEN: What would Paul think if he sees it? He might think he's still got a chance with you. He might even think you've forgiven him.
Terese takes this on board and concludes that Glen is right. She slips the ring off her finger and says she has to stop dwelling on the past: "That's what Paul is, the past."
Number 32
Kyle isn't looking too crash hot, but he wanted to get out of the house and see how Jane was faring. Worried about both of them, David tells Kyle and Jane to take a seat and he'll make them ginger tea. Talk turns to the upcoming Police Ball and Kyle says he's determined to attend, despite feeling rough, so he can support Levi. David makes Kyle's day when he says he was planning on attending anyway to support Leo and the charity, so he'll keep an eye on Kyle while he's there. Kyle then asks where Nicolette is, surprised to learn she's out with Chloe.
KYLE: She doesn't muck around!
JANE: I think Chloe's just following Nicolette's lead trying to re-establish their friendship.
KYLE: Sure. But it's no secret that Chloe's still into Nicolette though, right?
JANE: You think there's something more to this outing?
KYLE: (backtracking) Probably not. It's just a couple of mates hanging out. Chloe's not stupid, she wouldn't push it.
David and Jane swap uneasy looks with each other.
Harold's Café Exterior
Glen sits out the back of the Café with Leo and notices that his boss is quite distracted. Leo admits he had a conversation with Paul earlier that rubbed him up the wrong way. Glen asks what happened and Leo says it was the usual rigmarole of Paul butting in where he's not wanted. Leo thinks it'll be an adjustment for Paul to try and not interfere so much. Glen has doubts that Paul will actually be able to leave things alone - especially since he saw Paul this morning with a folder full of business research. Leo looks frustrated and Glen says that Paul's desperate for something to keep his mind off Terese.
City Laneway
Nicolette thanks Chloe for inviting her out. Chloe hopes she won't ruin the rest of the afternoon, but she'd like them to address the elephant in the room. "Just one elephant?" Nicolette replies. "You and I have a whole safari park." Chloe says she's missed hanging out with her, and Nicolette says she's missed it too. Chloe assures Nicolette that there was never anything going on between her and Leo, which Nicolette understands, but she's still trying to process what was going on in Chloe's head back then.
CHLOE: I was a complete mess. I was losing it but things had come good between you and Aaron and David, and I didn't want to cause more problems. But that meant I wasn't honest.
NICOLETTE: You were in a pressure cooker. And I guess we both know I don't always behave well under pressure. I honestly thought that proposing was the best thing, but it just made everything worse, didn't it.
CHLOE: I should have talked to you instead of freaking out.
NICOLETTE: Yeah, you should have. But you were just trying to do what was best for everyone and something had to give. I'm glad I understand that now.
Chloe and Nicolette look relieved they've been able to have an honest, mature chat about things.
Lassiters Complex
Paul tells Leo he found a new supplier for the vineyard and has already placed an order with them. Leo gets annoyed and says this behaviour has to stop, there is no "we" in how things are run. "You're clearly not capable of being a silent investor," Leo adds. Paul says there's no need for him to overreact, reminding Leo that he was the one who wanted all hands on deck so he was ready for the Police Ball.
LEO: You're not listening to me. If you don't step back I'll just find another investor.
PAUL: Hey, woah, just slow down there. Of course you're the boss, all I'm doing is giving you a heads-up in terms of research.
LEO: Mmm, yeah, about that - Glen actually warned me about your whole dossier of information.
PAUL: He did what?
LEO: Yeah, he works for me, which is what I need. Not someone trying to take over, someone to follow my lead.
PAUL: And somebody to bankroll your venture if I remember rightly.
LEO: As an equity investor. Look, we need to set some clear boundaries here, all right? Because if you overstep the line again you're out.
Paul can't quite believe what he's hearing.
Number 26 Backyard
Chloe is having a debrief with Kyle after her day out with Nicolette. She admits there was stilted conversation at first but eventually it felt like old times. Chloe knows there's still a lot to work through, but she's happy she bit the bullet and brought up all the drama that happened before Nic left. Kyle wonders what happens next, but Chloe says it'll just be baby steps. "Hey, just so you know, David and Jane are a little worried," Kyle admits. "They think you might be rushing back into things." But Chloe says she's playing it cool. She knows there's a long road ahead, but she can see some light at the end of the tunnel.
The Waterhole
At first Paul is pleased that Terese sent him a message to meet up, but not so much when Terese hands back the new ring he bought her. Paul's confused when Terese says she thought things through again and can't accept the gift. He still wants her to keep it, however, but Terese doesn't want to give him false hope. She apologises and leaves the pub, just as Toadie walks in. He spies the ring box in Paul's hand and can't help commenting.
TOADIE: She gave it back did she?
PAUL: What do you know about it?
TOADIE: Oh, nothing. I'll leave you to it.
PAUL: No, hang on, seriously what do you know about it?
Regretting his choice to stick his beak in, Toadie says he doesn't know a lot. In fact, Paul should probably speak to Glen as he'll be able to shed more light on the topic.
PAUL: Glen?
TOADIE: Yeah he popped into her place when we were having a coffee earlier.
PAUL: Hang on, are you saying that Glen played a part in her decision to give this back?
TOADIE: I think he was keen just to see her do what was best for her.
Toadie offers Paul an awkward shrug as Paul mulls over this confusing development.
Number 32
David and Jane ask Nicolette how the outing with Chloe went and Nic says it went surprising well. They had a really good conversation that cleared the air between them. Jane and David admit they thought the day might have gone badly, so they're pleased to hear the opposite. Nicolette tells them to just be chill about it, then goes to take a nap while Isla's sleeping. "Seems like it went well," David says, much to his and Jane's astonishment. "Hopefully it stays that way," Jane replies.
Lassiters Hotel - Glen's Room
Paul has called in because he's befuddled and wants to get the truth from Glen. He tells him about his earlier conversation with Leo, and then Terese handing him back the ring. Paul doesn't know if it's some misguided attempt to be supportive, but it's not coming across that way.
PAUL: Glen I know it's been a very long time since we've been in each other's lives. And I honestly don't expect things to be perfect right from the start, but I am trying and I really thought you were as well.
GLEN: I'm supporting Terese and Leo.
PAUL: Sorry, I don't follow.
GLEN: You're no good for them. I told Terese that.
PAUL: What?
GLEN: You're toxic, Paul. Always have been, always will be. Terese and Leo are nice people, and I'm doing everything I can to protect them.
PAUL: So you haven't really forgiven me for what happened all those years ago?
GLEN: How can I, Paul? I've tried, but you're still the same. You try and control people, you're still hurting everyone that gets close to you. And I'm not going to stand by and let it happen anymore.