Episode 145

Extended Summary

The Stewart house has been set out for the Macklin cocktail party, including a group of chairs set out in front of a projector and television screen.Brett arrives and tells a bouncer not to let anyone in without an invite.He asks Alf about Ailsa and he tells him she’s not going to be there.They also mention the pamphlets Ailsa sent out protesting against the development.Alf asks Brett to have a word with Roo, who has shut herself away in her room complaining she has nothing to wear.Brett goes in to see Roo and she worries that her maternity dress makes her look ugly.Brett tells her no-one’s coming to laugh at her and buoys her sprits by mentioning Alf and Ailsa’s trouble.Although they both play innocent, it’s clear they’re glad that Ailsa’s out of the picture.

Bobby and Frank arrive outside the house.Bobby is worried she’ll feel out of place but Frank encourages her not to let Brett intimidate her.Alf is glad that Roo is feeling happier and she goes to answer the door: Her smile drops considerably when she sees Frank has brought Bobby as his date.Alf is also impressed with Bobby’s new look and Brett heads into the dining room to get the pair some drinks.Alf asks Roo to help with the food.She offers Frank and Bobby some nuts, prompting Bobby to go and see how Brett’s getting along.Brett apologises for asking Frank to uninvite her, saying she wouldn’t have fitted in the way she normally looks but now she’s quite attractive.Realising he’s chatting her up, Bobby makes it clear she’s not interested.Roo is asking Frank if she can hang around him for the evening when Bobby comes over and stresses Frank already has a partner.

Floss and Neville are arriving outside the house with Floss wondering why Neville insisted on wearing a “monkey suit”.Martin, Steven and Narelle draw up in Lance’s sports car.Martin explains he’s there as Lance’s representative.Neville seems very taken with Narelle’s new dress and Floss drags him inside. Martin suddenly realises the bouncer is Russell and tells Steven and Narelle to go in without him.He goes back and sits in the car.

Frank and Bobby are telling a surprised Pippa that Narelle is coming with Steven as the pair arrive and are welcomed by Alf, drawing quite a bit of attention.Brett is giving a sales pitch to Tom and Don but, when they start asking awkward questions about the impact the development will have on the town and the environment, he quickly asks Frank to take over.He goes over to Pippa and Bobby but neither of them is interested in talking to him for long.Roo makes fun of Brett for striking out.Brett angrily takes her drink off her, saying he’s not having her drinking alcohol while she’s pregnant.Roo goes to her room, with Brett following, and takes out some cigarettes, saying he can’t watch her all night.She’s sick of being fat and ugly while everyone flocks around Bobby and Narelle.Brett tells her the only things he cares about are the baby and the development and, in a threatening tone, reminds her how much Alf and Frank are depending on the latter.

Alf and Pippa are chatting and he admits that Ailsa’s staying the night elsewhere.He doesn’t want Pippa’s advice because he thinks they need to sort it out themselves.Pippa suggests that if they both keep digging their heels in things are going to escalate and it isn’t worth it.Alf accepts what she’s saying.Brett decides that everyone’s there and calls for their attention.Steven wants to sit with Tom and Pippa but Narelle persuades him to sit with her in the back row.Martin is still outside, listening to the radio in the car, and notices that Russell isn’t on the door anymore.He sneaks towards the house.

Brett starts his presentation with a slide show of projected profit margins.Roo comes back in and sits with Alf.Floss asks how they know the predictions are true and Brett points to the profits of other Macklin resorts.Neville asks why he needs their investment and Bobby and Pippa ask a few questions about the impact on the town.Brett says that a man named Murray Thomas invested $5,000 in their first resort and it set him up for life.Tom and some of the others aren’t convinced.Narelle is bored at the talk and rests her head on Steven’s shoulder.Martin sneaks in the back way and crawls along the back row to sit with Steven and Narelle.Russell taps him on the shoulder and throws him out for not having an invite, with Steven and Narelle going with him.Martin then sees someone stealing Lance’s car and realises he left the keys in the ignition.

Next morning, Steven and Bobby are warming up before a training run and mention that Martin still hasn’t told Lance the car was stolen.Sally comes up behind them and overhears.They tell her not to tell Lance and she smiles and says she’ll try.At the flat, Martin takes a phone call from Barnett.He is relieved to hear the car’s been found but what he’s told next doesn’t seem to please him very much.

Roo finds Alf making a start on the tidying up, even though Brett was sending someone over to do it.She says that Ailsa must have gone straight to the shop.Alf tells her what Pippa said and that he thinks he’s being too stubborn.Roo argues that Pippa wants them to get back together because she agrees with Ailsa but Alf retorts that Roo wants them to stay apart and tells her to stay out of it.Roo agrees but tells him the problem isn’t just going to go away.

Steven and Bobby are going for their run on the beach and she teases him about him and Narelle.Brett comes running past and makes another failed attempt to chat Bobby up.Steven suggests that Bobby should go out with Brett.Bobby retorts that she’d rather go out with Steven and that’s never going to happen.

Sally goes running up to Lance’s mobile home and says that Martin’s on the phone and she thinks it’s about his car being stolen.Lance goes to the flat where Martin, Frank and Narelle tell him that the car’s been wrecked.Martin complains that he had to have the keys in the ignition to listen to the radio.Frank reassures Lance that the insurance will pay for it.Lance notices Martin’s expression and asks him if he sorted out the insurance like he promised.Martin admits he never got around to it.Furious at $100,000 being thrown away, Lance storms out, leaving Frank and Narelle looking at Martin in disgust.