Clara's Last Christmas (Clara Andrews Series - Book 9)

by Lacey London

  We hold each other’s gaze for what seems like an eternity before Oliver finally speaks up.

  ‘Alright, that’s enough of this for now.’ Banging his hand down on the table, he drains his coffee in one gulp. ‘We’re taking a break.’

  ‘Already?’ I reply, looking up at the clock on the wall. ‘But we’ve only been going for an hour?’

  ‘Yup.’ Pushing himself to his feet, he stretches out his arms before bending down and scooping me up like he does to Noah.

  ‘Put me down!’ Letting out a squeal, I throw my arms around his neck and hold on for dear life.

  ‘We’ve got work to do!’ I giggle, my stomach throbbing with laughter. ‘What are you doing?’

  ‘We’re making the most of my unemployment…’ He growls, marching across the living room and kicking open the door to our bedroom.

  My skin prickles with adrenaline as I look up at my husband in anticipation. It’s these stolen moments which serve to remind us, no matter what life throws at you, behind the clouds the sun is always shining…

  * * *

  ‘Would it be really naughty of me to pinch one of those chocolates from the tree?’ Licking my lips, I eye up the delicious decorations as my stomach rumbles loudly.

  ‘Yeah…’ Oliver mumbles, his face glued to his laptop screen. ‘But do it anyway.’

  Holding on to the back of his chair, I lean across him and grab a couple of the snowman shaped chocolates that have been teasing me for hours. As I tear off the foil wrapper, I roll my aching shoulders and stretch out my legs. Apart from our quick detour to the bedroom earlier, we have literally spent the entire day emailing, calling and applying for no less than forty-three jobs. Now, I don’t want to get my hopes up too high, but if we have made this much progress in just one day, we will be out of the woods in no time at all.

  ‘Are you hungry yet?’ I ask, with a mouthful of yummy chocolate. ‘Should I put the oven on?’

  ‘Actually, I thought we could go out for dinner.’ Oliver smiles up at me and closes his laptop. ‘I think we’ve earnt it, don’t you?’

  I bite my lip and look at Oliver uneasily, playing with the discarded chocolate wrapper. I would love to go out for dinner, but should we really be spending money so frivolously with Oliver out of work?

  ‘What is it?’ He asks, tickling me under the chin. ‘Why the long face?’

  ‘It’s nothing!’ Pushing out my chair, I fake a yawn and wander over to the fridge. ‘I’m actually pretty tired. Why don’t we stay in and have pasta instead? I’ve been meaning to use this ravioli for ages!’

  Hearing Oliver slide out of his chair, I fix my face into a smile and spin around with the bag of pasta in my hand.

  ‘You’re telling me that you want to pass on steak to eat the stale pasta from the back of the fridge?’ Folding his arms, he looks down at me and frowns. ‘What’s going on?’

  Not wanting to ruin our positive outlook, I rack my brains for another excuse to stay in for dinner. Just as I am going to cave, I am saved by a knock at the door.

  ‘I’ll get it!’ Squeezing past him, I practically run across the kitchen and throw open the door.

  ‘Mummy!’ Noah squeals, hurling himself at my legs. ‘I’m hungry!’

  I let out a laugh and lean down to ruffle his hair. ‘Well, isn’t that a coincidence, because we were just talking about dinner.’

  ‘You were?’ He shakes off his coat and slips past me in search of his dad.

  I nod in response and watch him throw himself at Oliver. Turning back to Gina, I hold out my hand for his lunchbox.

  ‘Didn’t we say six?’ I look down at my watch and frown as I realise that it’s only five o’clock. ‘Is everything OK?’

  ‘Yes. I’m fine. Noah’s fine.’ Smiling back at me, she hops from one foot to another. ‘Everything’s just fine.’

  ‘You sure?’ Not being convinced by her terrible acting, I pull the door behind me and step out into the lobby.

  ‘Positive!’ Gina purses her lips and sends me a mental SOS. ‘I’m just heading to the chip shop, want to join me?’

  ‘Sure…’ Popping my head into the apartment, I slip on my trainers and grab my handbag from the couch. ‘Who fancies chips for dinner?’

  ‘That works for me.’ Oliver grunts, struggling to wrestle his socks out of Pumpkin’s mouth.

  ‘Me too!’ Noah yells, jumping up and down on the spot. ‘Can I have fish too? And a sausage? And some peas?’

  ‘Maybe…’ I bend down and kiss him on the head. ‘Go and put your pyjamas on. I won’t be long.’

  ‘Oliver, what do you want?’ Tugging on my coat, I look behind me at Gina who is waiting impatiently.

  ‘I’ll take my usual.’ Giving me a quick squeeze, he declares bubble war on Noah and chases him into the bathroom.

  Laughing at the two of them charging around the apartment, I wait until I hear the bathroom door click shut before following Gina outside.

  ‘What’s going on?’ I ask, once we’re halfway down the staircase. ‘You’re freaking me out.’

  ‘Nothing! Honestly, things are fine. I just needed to get out of the apartment for a little while.’ She smiles easily at me, but I have known her for long enough to recognise when she’s upset. ‘How’s Oliver’s job hunt coming along?’

  ‘Well, considering that he has an interview lined up already, I think we have done pretty good.’ Making our way out onto the street, I bury my chin in my woolly scarf. ‘I don’t want to speak too soon, but I am feeling rather optimistic.’

  ‘You are?’ Gina eyes me up suspiciously as we walk along the busy street.

  ‘I really am. We must have applied for nearly fifty positions today, so I am sure something good will come from at least one of them.’ Dodging a young couple who are arguing outside a wine bar, I quicken my pace to keep up with Gina. ‘How is Marc doing today?’

  ‘Well…’ Keeping her eyes fixed firmly ahead, Gina shrugs her shoulders and sighs. ‘He’s OK, I guess. He spent all morning on the phone to Suave, but no one would listen to him. I’ve tried to tell him that he’s wasting his time, but he’s convinced he can salvage his position if he can just speak to the right person.’

  Ouch! I don’t want to say it, but frantically calling your old workplace after being given the heave-ho just smacks of desperation. Poor Marc. The thought of him not being ready to give up on Suave makes my heart hurt. Choosing not to say anything, I shove my hands in my pockets and keep walking. The sleet that has been building up over the last few days has turned to ice due to the drastic drop in temperature and everywhere you look people are taking care not to end up on their backsides.

  ‘Don’t you wish we could just jump on a plane and pretend that this whole thing isn’t happening?’ Gina exhales loudly and links her arm through mine. ‘I haven’t got the energy for this right now. I really haven’t...’

  Smiling sadly at my good friend, I rest my head on her shoulder as we walk. ‘I know this is awful, Gina. It really is devastating, but I just keep telling myself that these things are sent to try us.’ She nods and pauses outside the chip shop, her hand on the door. ‘And you know, we have been through much worse than this, haven’t we? Just think, soon the guys will have new jobs and we will wonder what on earth we were worrying about.’

  Responding with nothing more than a strained smile, Gina nods her head and pushes open the door. Placing an order for my usual, plus Noah’s special requests, I leave Gina to reel off her list and take a seat on a plastic bench by the window. A brightly decorated leaflet tells me that the shop is open on Christmas Day. Not being able to resist picking it up, I scan the text and turn the pamphlet over in my hands. It seems that they offer a set meal for one, which consists of chips, fish, mushy peas and a complimentary Christmas cracker. Wow, I think that’s the saddest thing I have ever read.

  ‘Seven pounds fifty?’ Gina mumbles, reading the leaflet over my shoulder. ‘That’s not bad. We might end up here if Marc doesn’t find a job soon.’

/>   ‘Don’t be daft.’ Taking her hand in mine, I pop the leaflet back onto the stand and turn it to face the wall. ‘It will be turkey with all the trimmings, just like last year and the year before that.’

  ‘Orders nineteen and twenty are ready to go.’ The elderly man places two large bags on the counter and smiles broadly. ‘Enjoy.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Sliding off the bench, I drop a few coins into the tip jar as Gina grabs the bags and heads outside.

  Taking extra care not to fall on the slippery floor, I shield my eyes from the cold wind as I hear my name being yelled in the distance. Quickly spotting Eve and Owen walking arm in arm across the street, I give them a wave as they make their way towards us.

  Wearing a purple beanie hat with an oversized camouflaged coat and some spiked Hunter wellies, Eve looks too cute for words. Owen on the hand is still in his suit and has his slick Burberry trench coat pulled tightly around him.

  ‘Where have you guys been?’ I ask, already knowing by the giant tub of olives under Owen’s arm that they’ve been on yet another craving run for Eve.

  ‘Harper and Harley were hungry.’ Eve smiles and huddles into Owen’s chest. ‘Oooh, have you got chips? I could eat some chips…’

  ‘We have plenty to go around.’ Gina mutters, digging her hands into her pockets as her teeth start to chatter. ‘But if we don’t get back inside soon they will be nothing more than ice chips.’

  I let out a giggle as the four of us start to walk back to the apartment block.

  So, how’s things?’ Owen asks tentatively, wrapping an arm around Eve’s tiny shoulders. ‘How are the guys?’

  ‘They’re getting there.’ Not wanting to discuss Suave again, I decide to change the subject. ‘Are you guys excited for Christmas?’

  ‘Oh, excited doesn’t cover it!’ Eve exclaims, her eyes sparkling as she prises open the tub of olives. ‘We have bought more for the babies than each other. Haven’t we, Owen?’ Nodding in agreement, Owen forces the olives from Eve and slips them under his coat. ‘We just bought the most gorgeous necklaces online. They are being dispatched from Paris next week!’

  ‘Wow!’ I breathe, almost losing my footing and falling over. ‘That’s amazing!’

  ‘Well, I couldn’t think of anything I wanted, but when I saw them I just had to have them.’ Eve stops in her tracks and fumbles around in her pocket before producing her phone. ‘Look, aren’t they adorable?’

  Squinting at the screen, I let out a gasp as I take in the stunning jewellery. Drenched in eighteen carat gold, the luxurious necklaces spell out the names Harper and Harley in a delicate swirly font. They’re luxurious, decadent and bloody expensive.

  ‘They’re beautiful.’ I reply, secretly thinking that it’s a little over the top to be spending thousands on jewellery for two babies that aren’t even born yet.

  ‘Aren’t they?’ She turns the screen to show Gina, who just widens her eyes and nods. ‘I know the twins won’t be able to wear them until they’re older, but I can enjoy them in the meantime, right?’

  We jump into the lift and I can’t help but notice that Gina doesn’t look too happy. I guess it doesn’t take a genius to work out why. Just thirty minutes ago, Gina was thinking of ordering Christmas dinner from the local chippy and now she has to listen to Eve gush about her excruciatingly expensive jewellery.

  Before I have a chance to change the subject, the door pings open and we step out onto my floor. Handing over the bags of fried goodies, Gina holds the door open and jabs at the buttons.

  ‘Take this. I’ll go and grab Marc and the kids.’ With a small smile, she disappears as the doors swiftly close.

  Fumbling with my keys, I turn the lock and stand back to let the Lakes inside. ‘I’m back!’ I yell, placing the bags onto the kitchen island as Noah runs over from the couch. ‘Look who I found along the way…’

  ‘Owen!’ Noah exclaims, his wet hair dripping down his new Batman pyjamas. ‘Can we go for ice-cream again?’

  ‘Well, you have a whole lot of chips to eat first. Let’s see how you get on with those, shall we?’ Bending down to scoop him up, Owen throws Noah onto his shoulders and tickles his tummy.

  ‘Are you sure you have enough to go around?’ Eve whispers, tapping me on the shoulder and shaking off her coat.

  I point to the two enormous bags and take some glasses from the cupboard. ‘I think we can just about stretch to two more.’

  ‘Don’t you mean four more?’ Eve teases, sticking out her bump and giggling. ‘Let me help you get some plates.’

  Placing the glasses on the worktop, I grab a handful of cutlery and start to the lay the table. Within a matter of minutes, we transform the makeshift office into something that wouldn’t look out of place in Good Housekeeping magazine. With the beautiful tree standing proudly in the background it looks like a rehearsal for Christmas Day, if you ignore the paper cartons and world’s biggest box of olives.

  ‘Alright, come and get it!’ I holler, flicking on the radio as Eve and I dish out the grub.

  Cheering with glee, Noah abandons Owen to take his pick of the food.

  ‘Don’t let your eyes be bigger than your belly…’ I warn, moving away the tray of sausages before he can pour the entire lot onto his plate. ‘Save some for everyone else.’

  Sticking his tongue out at me, Noah looks up as there’s a knock at the door.

  ‘Come in!’ Oliver shouts, putting down his beer bottle and wandering across the kitchen. ‘It’s open.’

  ‘Are you seriously doing that?’ I ask Eve, who is dipping her chips in the brine of her olives. ‘That is so disgusting!’

  ‘It’s no worse than dunking French fries into a strawberry milkshake…’ She shoots me a wink and pulls over a couple of bar stools as Madison, MJ and Melrose come racing to the table, each one in a fresh pair of pyjamas, just like Noah.

  ‘Are you guys hungry?’ I ask, helping Melrose onto the seat next to me.

  ‘Yes!’ They all shout in unison, immediately tucking into their chips.

  I catch Gina’s eye and she flashes me the thumbs up sign as Marc pulls her into a huge bear hug.

  ‘I’m so hungry, my tummy was angry!’ MJ says dramatically, holding out his hands for the ketchup.

  ‘What do you say, MJ?’ Marc prompts, sliding into a seat next to Gina. ‘Remember your manners.’

  ‘Thank you, Clara.’ MJ mumbles, taking the bottle of tomato sauce from me and smiling sweetly.

  ‘You’re very welcome.’ I chop Noah’s sausage into smaller chunks and scan the table. ‘Alright, who wants a drink?’

  A cheer rings around the room and I jump to my feet to play hostess. Landing a kiss on Oliver’s cheek as I pass him by, I do a quick head count before grabbing a selection of beverages from the fridge. As I pop the corks on a couple of bottles of wine, I lean against the counter and scan the room. The Christmas tree is twinkling brightly, my apartment is alive with the happy chatter of my friends and for the first time in a good while I actually feel relaxed. This might just be a dress rehearsal, but the festive season is finally starting to feel good again…

  When the snowflakes come tumbling, just remember that you’re the one who can fill the world with sunshine…

  Chapter 9

  ‘You’re doing it all wrong.’ Shaking my head, I attempt to pull the tissue paper towards me. ‘Not like that! You need to go under the stems…’

  ‘Just give me a bloody minute, will you?’ Lianna bats my fingers away and stares at the bouquet as though it is an algebra equation. ‘So, this piece goes here, right?’

  I purse my lips to stop myself from screaming out loud and silently count to ten. Due to her having absolutely nothing else to do, Lianna has been hanging around the florist all day like a stray puppy. Despite her insistence that she’s helping, she’s been driving us all insane since the moment she arrived.

  Rapping my knuckles on the counter, I smile apologetically at the poor customer. Obviously not impressed with Lianna’s wrapping skill
s, he narrows his eyes and scowls back at me. Deciding to give him a ten percent discount for the inconvenience, I swipe his card and return it along with his receipt. Not sticking around to say thank you, he shoves them into his pocket and scuttles to the door, letting it close behind him with a bang.

  ‘How about you leave the wrapping to me, OK?’ Shooing her away from the till, I dust down the counter and look up as Dawn comes out of the workshop.

  ‘Guys, I think I found my wedding flowers!’ Dawn pulls a stray leaf out of her hair and drops it into the bin. ‘What do you think of white peonies, viburnum berries and astrantia?’

  I scan the buckets of flowers and picture the three bound together. ‘Awwh! That would be perfect. Simple, classic and sophisticated.’

  ‘I have absolutely no idea what any of those things mean.’ Li frowns and grabs the brochure. ‘Show me.’

  Taking the heavy folder, I drop it onto the counter and skim through the laminated pages. ‘Kind of like this, but with these thrown in the mix too.’ I reach down and pull a stem of viburnum berries from a bucket in the display.

  ‘Wow!’ Lianna smiles brightly as she runs her fingers over the image. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that before. It’s so frosty, yet so beautiful.’

  ‘I know!’ Dawn nods along and takes the stem of berries from me. ‘I’ve been thinking about it for a while and the idea just came to me.’ Popping her head back into the workshop, she clears her throat and grabs the brochure from Li. ‘Eve, I’ve found my flowers!’

  ‘Finally!’ Eve shouts back, clacking away at the computer. ‘Get in here and show me!’

  Disappearing into the back, Dawn squeals as Eve gushes over her idea. It’s hard to believe that we will be soon be attending Dawn’s wedding. A warm, fuzzy feeling washes over me as my mind flits back to the day that Dawn and Hugh first met. From dinner and drinks to a winter wedding in just a matter of months. Who says that romance is dead?