Episode 7570

Extended Summary

Bella excitedly runs up to Dean outside the surf club, telling him about the exhibition Emmett is arranging for them both. Dean is somewhat bemused by the whole thing, since last he heard, Emmett had told her she didn’t have any talent. Bella says that was just a misunderstanding and revels in the idea of doing real photography and having it on display. Up in Salt, Mackenzie is serving Emmett and says he should have let her know he was coming. Emmett indicates he’s not there for her and points out she didn’t give him a number but shoved him out the door. Despite him saying he’s meeting Bella, Mackenzie thinks the fact that he came to Salt suggests he was hoping to bump into her as well.

In the gym, Bella fills Nikau in on her exhibition. She asks him to come with her to meet Emmett but Nikau wants to carry on exercising. He talks to Ari and Mia about signing up for the gym, although he doesn’t get very far in asking for a family discount. Mia says she’ll help him out with a training programme as he takes a selfie of himself holding a dumb-bell. Up in Salt, Bella tries to get Emmett’s opinion on some landscapes she did but Emmett is more interested in taking snaps of Mackenzie, leading to some flirty banter between them. Emmett tells Bella they’ll have the meeting tomorrow, since he’s sure he’ll still be around then. After he’s gone to take a phone call, Bella complains to a less than sympathetic Mackenzie.

Down in the surf club, Roo is frustrated to find Alf still working. Alf says he was just taking some folders home to work on there, but also has to head to the bait shop now since Tane has quit to work at the gym. When Roo tries to get him to take it easy, he snaps at her. At the Diner, Irene thanks Marilyn for agreeing to cover her shifts. She notes she has a breast cancer screening and is then going to catch up with Fin and others. Roo comes in, complaining about Alf’s stubbornness. She suspects he still hasn’t got over the business at the surf club. Marilyn notes it’s a shame there aren’t more hours in the day. Roo says she’s a genius.

Bella runs into Dean after coming down from Salt, telling him she was meant to be having an important meeting with Emmett but Mackenzie made him a better offer and is always ruining things. At the Parata house, Ari suggests to Mia that with Tane working at the gym she might be able to take time off for a road trip. Nikau is glued to his phone checking his socials, although he does register Ari telling him to take the rubbish out. Ari is bemused that Nikau never used Tane’s home gym but suddenly wants to exercise because Sienna told him to. He and Mia try to convince Nikau he needs to take a break between sessions. Bella arrives, still upset about her meeting with Emmett being cut short.

Roo and Marilyn are having dinner together in Salt. Roo explains she’s arranging to cut her hours at the school and isn’t going to tell Alf until it’s done, to stop him going on at her about it. Dean comes in and asks if they’ve seen Mack. He is unimpressed when Mackenzie and Emmett emerge from the store room, their clothes in a disarray. Back at the Parata house, Ari comments on Nikau leaving a lot of food and notes it’s his lunch for tomorrow. Ari and Mia go to bed and Nikau commiserates Bella over the cancelled meeting. Bella hugs him and notices the vial in his top pocket. Nikau says it’s a hunger suppressant Allegra gave him. Bella says he shouldn’t put anything in his body if he doesn’t know what it is. Nikau says he only took it because she insisted. He goes to empty the bin and Bella tells him to throw the vial away too. Instead, he puts it back in his pocket.

Next morning, Ari is helping Alf out with a delivery and apologises for Tane not lasting long. Mackenzie and Emmett appear from the direction of the flat and Mackenzie makes a bit of a show in front of Ari before they head off. Dean also appears and asks Ari about Bella; he is suspicious of Emmett. At the surf club, Emmett tries to get Mackenzie’s number. She insteads tells him to give her his number, saying she might message him. After Emmett has done so and Mackenzie has gone, Dean approaches Emmett and insists they talk outside.

Emmett thinks Dean is playing the protective brother because of Mackenzie but Dean says he’s more worried about Bella and wonders if the exhibition is just another way of keeping Nikau with the agency. Emmett insists that he’s serious about Bella being talented. He admits he warned her off because the industry can chew people up and spit them out but says he won’t let that happen to her. Bella comes along and Dean and Emmett tell her everything’s fine. In the gym, Ari and Mia watch Nikau exercise and note that when he commits to something he does it right. Neither of them see Nikau toying with the vial.

Alf runs into Marilyn at the Diner and notes he didn’t see her at breakfast. He admits he thinks he should be the one helping other people out and doesn’t like being the one who needs help. Marilyn suggests if he accepts help he’ll have more time to do things he likes, such as fishing, visiting Martha and going out on the Blaxland. Later, Alf meets Roo at the surf club and apologises for having a go, saying he does need her help. Roo tells him about cutting back at school.

Nikau joins Bella at Salt. She is in a much better mood after her meeting with Emmett, saying he was really supportive. She asks Nikau what he wants for lunch but he says he’s already eaten, even though they’d arranged to eat together. Dean comes in and asks Mackenzie to stay away from Emmett, not for her sake but for Bella’s, pointing out it’s the first time she’s looked happy since Colby left. Later, back at the Parata house, Ari also offers Nikau food but he says he ate with Bella. Ari tells him he needs fuel to work out. Nikau shows him the positive response he’s getting on the socials.

Emmett is snapping photos of Mackenzie in Salt and thanks her for calling him. Mackenzie asks him to walk her home. After briefly protesting, Emmett lets her lead him out.