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

by Lacey London

  ‘Isn’t this so surreal?’ He remarks, sliding across the leather seat to make room for us to sit down. ‘I probably shouldn’t say it yet, but I have a really good feeling about this…’

  ‘Me too!’ I look over my shoulder at Gina and I hope that she is now feeling as enthusiastic as the rest of us.

  As Vernon embraces Gina warmly, I take a seat next to Lianna and eye up her collection of folders. ‘You’ve come prepared!’

  ‘I most certainly have!’ Putting the paperwork to one side, she whips a pair of reading glasses out of her handbag and rests them on the bridge of her nose.

  ‘You don’t need glasses!’ I let out a laugh and snatch the spectacles from her.

  Realising that they have clear lenses in, I roll my eyes and hand them back to her.

  ‘Don’t you think they make me look more intelligent?’ Pouting her lips, she tosses her hair over her shoulder and strikes a pose.

  ‘Well, they did until you did that!’ She hits me on the arm and we both erupt into a fit of giggles.

  ‘What are you two laughing at over there?’ Vernon asks, ordering a round of coffees with the waiter. ‘You’re supposed to be taking this seriously!’

  ‘We are taking it seriously.’ Fighting against the overwhelming urge to laugh, I try to compose myself. ‘Sorry, Vernon.’

  ‘Hey, you don’t need to apologise, but we’re asking Owen for a pretty huge favour here.’ He glances down at his watch and scratches his stubble clad chin. ‘We’ve got one shot. Time is of the essence. If Owen doesn’t go for this, the opportunity will be gone forever.’

  ‘He’s right.’ Gina chips in, concern etched onto her face. ‘There’s a whole lot resting on this…’

  Before I can tell them that I’m very aware of just how much is at stake, I spot Dawn and Hugh walking past the windows. Wearing matching trench coats and carrying identical briefcases, they smile broadly as they make their way over to us.

  ‘Oliver’s outside with Marc.’ Hugh declares, placing his briefcase on a chair and pulling out a futuristic looking laptop. ‘They’re on the phone, they said they won’t be too long.’

  ‘Oh…’ Sliding over to make room for Dawn, I give her a quick hug and try to pay attention as Hugh and Vernon immediately start talking business.

  Listening to them reel off facts and figures is quite surreal. I know this whole thing was my idea, but not once did I genuinely believe we would get this far. The biggest thing we have ever attempted to do is at our fingertips and we shall soon be finding out if this is the end of the road.

  ‘Clara…’ Lianna digs me in the ribs as Oliver strides into The Bistro, followed swiftly by Marc.

  With his hair in disarray and a beard that is way overdue a cut, Oliver looks like he has escaped from the local mental facility.

  ‘Are you alright?’ I whisper, wiping some crumbs from his crumpled shirt. ‘You look a little… frazzled.’

  ‘Sorry?’ Oliver pulls over a chair and looks at me with wild eyes. ‘Yeah, I’m good. Have you guys ordered drinks? I think I need another coffee.’

  ‘Me too.’ Marc stutters, his hands shaking as he raps his knuckles on the table.

  ‘I think you two have had quite enough coffee.’ Lianna pushes her sparkling water towards them and hides the coffee menu under the table.

  ‘Yeah, you both look wired.’ Gina wags her finger at Marc and orders more water with the waiter. ‘You don’t want to make yourselves ill.’

  As the boys concede to the fact that coffee is off the menu, I sip my pumpkin latte and try to relax. Looking around the booth, my heart races in my chest as I take in the buzz that is whizzing through the air. To anyone else, we probably look like a group of experienced office workers taking a business lunch. The laptops, notepads and crazed caffeine-induced expressions probably give the image of professionalism, but little do they know we don’t have a clue what we’re doing here.

  Too consumed with my own thoughts, I fail to notice Owen and Eve heading our way. My ears ring with adrenaline as our table falls into silence. This is it. Make or break.

  ‘How are we all doing?’ Owen asks, smiling thinly and shaking off his coat. ‘Are we all good?’

  No one says a word as Owen expertly orders beverages with the waiter. Unlike the rest of us, Owen is used to these kind of meetings. Meetings where you don’t dare breathe for fear of ruining the atmosphere. I nudge Li under the table and she suddenly springs to life.

  ‘I think the question is, how are you?’ She asks, causing Gina to inhale sharply.

  Clasping his hands together, Owen raises his eyebrows before flipping open his laptop to reveal a series of scary looking graphs.

  ‘The thing is…’ Running his hands through his greying hair, he presses a few keys and looks around the group uneasily. ‘My area of expertise is in property and as much as I want to do this for you guys, I just wouldn’t know where to start with Suave.’ He turns the screen around to face us and points at a vertical red line. ‘I have been looking at the figures in great detail and it would be such a risk to invest…’

  My stomach drops as his words hit me like a blow to the stomach. That’s it. It’s all over. Tears prick in the corners of my eyes as I steal a glance at Lianna. Her bottom lip trembles and I kick myself for believing that we could actually do this.

  ‘It’s a huge risk.’ Marc stammers, panic written all over his tired face. ‘But I promise you that we can make this pay off.’ Reaching into his backpack with shaky hands, he produces a notepad and starts to circle a list of names. ‘I have been in touch with every contact that I made at the company and over seventy percent of them are happy to talk about new contracts if Suave pulls through.’

  Owen shakes his head slowly and places his hands palms down on the table. ‘Even if they all signed new agreements, I wouldn’t know what to do with them...’

  ‘But we would.’ Lianna declares, whipping out one of her folders and pointing at a laminated sheet. ‘Our six-figure investment and my history at the company would enable us to have a head start on getting things back to how they were.’

  Hugh lets out a cough and leans forward in his seat. ‘My years at Vision have helped me to build up a client list that would be very interested in possible future collaborations. I have a portfolio right here detailing the accounts.’

  ‘I hear everything that you’re saying and I want you all to know that I haven’t come to this decision lightly. Even as we made our way down here I was still undecided.’ Owen shakes his head and consults his graph for what feels like the millionth time. ‘The fact of the matter is that these figures are abysmal…’

  ‘I totally get that.’ Oliver rests his elbows on the table and stares at Owen intently. ‘I completely understand what it looks like on paper and I am also aware of what an uncomfortable position we have put you in. But between us, we can take Suave back to what it used to be. That place was on fire until six months ago. I can put my hand on my heart when I say that we wouldn’t be asking for this investment if we didn’t think we could do it.’ Oliver pauses for breath and looks around the table. ‘If you invest in Suave, you’re not just investing in the company, you’re investing in each and every one of us.’

  A lump forms in my throat and I glance over at Eve, who is shifting around in her seat uncomfortably. Not knowing where to look, I cover my eyes and try to steady my breathing. After what seems like an eternity, Owen closes his laptop and exhales slowly.

  ‘Alright…’ He sits up straight and bangs his hand down on the table. ‘What the hell, I’ll do it.’

  A stunned gasp rings around the group and I feel my jaw physically drop open.

  ‘You will?’ Marc manages, his face white with shock.

  ‘I will.’ Owen confirms confidently, draping an arm over the back of Eve’s seat.

  Excited chatter starts to build and he motions for us to quieten down. ‘Don’t get too excited just yet. There’s still a lot of groundwork to be done. I will need to meet with my solicit
or to get this all official and even when we have done that, there’s no guarantee that our offer will be accepted.’

  Despite his reality check, I can’t stop myself from grinning inanely. He’s going to do it! He’s actually going to do it! I want to laugh, I want to cry, but more than anything, I want a drink. Feeling happy tears spill down my cheeks, I catch the waiter’s eye and order a bottle of bubbles. It might be too early to celebrate, but it’s never too early for champagne…

  When snow falls, nature listens…

  Chapter 14

  Waving off my first customer of the day, I close the till with my hip and glance up at the clock on the wall. After the momentum of yesterday, it feels so surreal to be back in the florist like nothing has happened. Owen is at his solicitors with Lianna, Oliver and Hugh as we speak, but for the rest of us it is business as usual.

  ‘How do you think they’re getting on?’ I whisper to Dawn, who is keeping herself busy by topping up the Christmas window display.

  ‘I’m trying not to think about it.’ Standing back to admire her work, she wipes a bead of sweat from her brow. ‘My stomach has been churning all morning.’

  She’s not the only one. Ever since our meeting with Owen yesterday, I have had this strange tingling inside me that I just can’t shake off. No matter how hard I try to focus on the task in hand, my mind seems to flit back to Operation Save Suave. Fumbling with my sunflower brooch, I stare into space and picture the entire gang buzzing around Suave headquarters. Just as I am losing myself in my daydream, Eve steps out of the workshop and waves her phone around in the air.

  ‘That was Owen.’ She smiles brightly and pops the handset back into her pocket.

  My stomach flips as I stare at her with bated breath. ‘Well, what did he say?’

  ‘They’re going to be there for a while longer, but he did say that they could have a decision in as little as a week.’

  ‘A week!’ A squawk escapes Dawn’s lips and she abandons her display to come and join us at the counter.

  Rolling her eyes, Eve strokes her bump and pulls a tub of olives out of her apron pouch. With Eve witnessing each and every one of Owen’s investments, she just doesn’t get how exciting this is for the rest of us. To her, it’s just another bunch of numbers and business jargon that she doesn’t understand.

  ‘Anyway, are you ready for the big day?’ Eve asks Dawn, offering around her olives. ‘In just forty-eight hours you will officially be Mrs Hudson!’

  ‘I know!’ Dawn’s face lights up and she automatically looks down at her ring. ‘It’s just so hard to take in.’

  ‘You’re still bizarrely calm about the whole thing.’ Eve observes, resting her chin in her hands. ‘I would be a nervous wreck by now!’

  ‘The thing is, we don’t even really talk about it.’ Dawn shakes her head of auburn curls and looks into the distance. ‘We’re not bothered about the minor details. As long as we’re married at the end of the day, we couldn’t care less.’

  A lump forms in my throat and I stick out my bottom lip. Most women turn into demons over their wedding day, whereas Dawn would walk down the aisle in a bin bag if it meant she could spend the rest of her life with Hugh.

  ‘Do you need any help with the final arrangements?’ I ask, not wanting to let myself get emotional over someone else’s big day.

  ‘I think it’s all done.’ She smiles confidently and leans against the window. ‘Hugh’s mother has pretty much taken care of everything.’

  ‘Do you have anything exciting planned for your last night of freedom?’ Eve lets out a yawn and hops onto a stool.

  ‘Actually, Hugh and I are going to stay home together tomorrow. I know it’s not traditional, but we’re going to curl up on the sofa and watch old movies.’ She blushes profusely and tries to hide behind her hair. ‘That’s our favourite thing to do.’

  ‘Alright, you two are just too damn cute.’ Checking my watch, I decide to pass some time by tidying up the near-empty Christmas stall.

  With the entire group being so occupied with Operation Save Suave, Christmas has unfortunately been pushed to the side. If it wasn’t for Noah demanding that I write to Santa to ensure that he has received his Christmas list on a daily basis, it would be off my radar entirely.

  ‘I believe you have a special guest arriving tomorrow?’ Dawn flicks water at me and I stare at her in confusion.

  ‘Oh, God! Of course!’ My heart sinks as I remember that Oliver’s audacious mother shall be soon be descending upon us. ‘It had completely slipped my mind…’

  ‘That’s convenient…’ Dawn teases, taking a seat on the windowsill. ‘I thought Christmas was about getting nice things…’

  I suppress a giggle and glance over at Eve. It’s no secret that Dawn and Janie don’t see eye-to-eye, but they love each other really, somewhere, deep down.

  ‘Joking aside, it must be nice to have your family around you at Christmas.’ Dawn muses, turning over a snow globe and watching the flakes whizz around in the glass. ‘That’s what Christmas is all about, isn’t it?’

  I resort to a swift nod of the head as I recall the last Christmas that Janie was with us. Discovering my sozzled mother-in-law beneath the tree isn’t something that I’m in a great rush to repeat, but I guess Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without receiving at least one gift that you just can’t wait to return…

  * * *

  Pressing the doorbell for a second time, I adjust the wreath and tap my foot impatiently. Still not getting a response, I am about to walk away when the door swings open. Wearing a full tracksuit and a pair of fluffy slippers, Marc is almost unrecognisable from the friend that I know and love.

  ‘You look very… relaxed.’ I point at his unusual choice of clothing and follow him into the apartment.

  ‘We decided to have a duvet day.’ Letting the door close with a bang, he leads the way into the living room.

  ‘We?’ I repeat, padding across the plush carpet behind him.

  Coming to a stop in front of the sofa, my jaw drops as I take in the scene in front of me. ‘What’s going on in here?’

  The enormous sofa bed has been positioned directly in front of the television and buried beneath the many cushions and pillows are Madison, MJ, Melrose, Noah and most surprisingly of all, Oliver.

  ‘Like I said, we’re having a duvet day.’ Marc laughs and points to the TV screen, which is currently blaring out Home Alone.

  Not knowing what to say, I shake my head in disbelief as my eyes land on the collection of empty chocolate wrappers at my feet.

  ‘I thought you guys were working on the Suave deal?’ Dropping my bags on the floor, I perch on the arm of the couch next to Oliver.

  ‘There’s nothing more we can do.’ Marc plucks a Mars bar from the pile of treats and tears open the packet with his teeth. ‘It’s just a waiting game now, so we thought we might as well kick back and relax, you know, just for one day.’

  I smile back at him and look at the four tiny faces that are glued to the screen.

  ‘Where’s Gina?’ I ask, being very aware there’s no way she would have given this junk food binge the go-ahead.

  ‘We sent her to the hairdresser.’ Madison whispers, her eyes wide as she reluctantly tears her focus away from the movie.

  ‘A hairdresser?’ I repeat, looking at Marc quizzically.

  ‘Yeah, I thought she could do with a bit of pampering. Thankfully Oliver kindly offered to play daddy-day-care with me for the afternoon.’

  I look at Oliver and feel my heart pang with love. ‘That’s a fantastic idea. A bit of downtime will do Gina the world of good. It’s been a stressful time for her…’

  Shoving my hands into my pockets, I allow my eyes to momentarily close.

  ‘Do you want to get into our den, Mummy?’ Noah asks, finally realising that I am in the room.

  ‘Hmm…’ I weigh up the overloaded couch sceptically. ‘I don’t think I’ll fit.’

  ‘Let’s see about that, shall we?’ Oliver throws an ar
m around my waist and playfully drags me beneath the sheets.

  Kicking off my shoes, I pull the covers up to my chin and stretch out my legs. My body immediately settles into relaxation mode as Madison leans over Noah and hands me a packet of her sweets.

  ‘They’re snowmen.’ MJ explains, showing me his own little bag of treats. ‘And Melrose has snowflakes, because she’s too small for snowmen.’

  ‘I don’t think you’re big enough for snowmen…’ Oliver teases, dipping his hand into my bag and tossing a couple into his mouth.

  I stick my tongue out at him and get comfortable as a loud bang comes from the kitchen.

  ‘Mum!’ Melrose cheers, abandoning her gummy sweets and throwing herself at Gina.

  Standing at the dining table with a brand-new hairdo, Gina looks just as shocked as I did ten minutes ago.

  ‘You look amazing!’ I gush, taking in her golden highlights and perfect blow out.

  Beaming like the cat who got the cream, Gina shakes her head to make her tousled waves dance around her shoulders. ‘I feel amazing! Marc surprised me with a voucher this morning!’

  ‘So I heard!’ Looking over my shoulder at Marc, I shoot him a wink and hand the sweets back to Madison. ‘That’s some serious brownie points right there.’

  ‘Thank you.’ She whispers, walking over to Marc and planting a grateful kiss on his lips. ‘I love you.’

  ‘Eww!’ Madison pulls the sheets over her head and pretends to be sick. ‘How many times have I told you not to kiss Dad?’ Refusing to look at them, she turns her attention back to the television. ‘You two are disgusting.’

  Gina cackles and squeezes onto the sofa bed, which I am surprised hasn’t collapsed between the weight of us all. ‘Have you kids had fun with your Dad and Oliver?’

  ‘Yeah!’ All four of them yell in unison, clapping their hands together and cheering.

  ‘Can Dad stay home every day?’ MJ asks, not taking his eyes away from the screen.