Clara in America (Clara Andrews Series - Book 7)

by Lacey London

  Stretching out my legs, I roll onto my side and immediately spot Janie striding across the sand with a towering tray of drinks. Clearly struggling with the many cups, she finally manages to make it back to us without spilling a drop.

  ‘Tequila Sunrise.’ Handing over a crimson glass, she props a pink umbrella on the rim and points to my cherry. ‘Do you want that?’ Not waiting for an answer, she reaches down and pops it into her mouth.

  ‘Are you sure this is mine?’ I ask, eyeing up the strong liquid and begrudgingly taking a tiny sip. ‘I thought I asked for a soft drink?’

  ‘That is soft!’ Laughing loudly, she passes a couple of bottles of water to Oliver and points to the remaining plastic glass. ‘Take mine instead.’

  ‘What is it?’ I go to place the Tequila Sunrise back on the tray and peer at the other drink uncertainly.

  ‘Long Island Iced Tea.’

  Quickly back tracking, I take the Tequila Sunrise and wedge it into the sand next to my lounger. ‘On second thoughts, I’ll stick with mine.’

  Oliver slugs away at his bottle of water and I can’t help but feel a little envious. With him being the designated driver, it’s down to me to be Janie’s drinking partner. Not wanting to kick up a fuss now that we are all getting along, I smile gratefully at her and lie back in my seat.

  ‘So, what’s the plan for the afternoon?’ Janie asks merrily. ‘Where do you wanna go? What do you wanna do?’

  ‘Nothing.’ Oliver fires back immediately, answering on behalf of us all. ‘I just wanna lay right here and do absolutely nothing at all…’

  ‘Sounds good to me.’ I add, twisting my hair up out of my face.

  ‘Me too!’ Noah yells, causing the three of us to burst into a fit of laughter.

  ‘I guess that’s decided then.’ Janie slugs away at her lethal cocktail whilst trying to manoeuvre her lounger directly beneath the sun. ‘We’re just gonna stay here and enjoy doing nothing at all…’

  A young couple further along the sand set up a few loungers and strategically place their boom box for the rest of the beach to see. Bracing myself for a racket, I am pleasantly surprised when relaxing, almost hypnotic notes float our way. Now that’s what I’m talking about! Could this day get any better? I think not. After checking that Noah is completely smothered in sun cream, I brace myself before taking a sip of the dreaded Tequila Sunrise and tug down the straps of my swimsuit.

  My eyes become heavy and I allow myself to give in to the lure of a much needed nap. The strong rays of the sun shine down onto my skin, warming every inch of me from within and making it almost impossible to move a muscle. Enjoying the gentle music that is encompassing us in a warm haze of relaxation, it’s not long before I find myself well and truly away with the fairies.

  When I finally open my eyes, I have no idea how long I’ve snoozed for. Five minutes? An hour? I really do not know. What I do know is that there’s a person making his way over to us and that person is one that we least want to see. What the hell is he doing here? Does he have a tracking device on our car or something? Blinking twice to make sure that I’m not hallucinating, I push myself to my elbows and wonder if we can run away before he reaches us.

  ‘How about we go for some lunch?’ I ask hastily, rolling off my lounger and feeling around for my dress.

  ‘We just had breakfast!’ Janie scoffs, lifting her head a millimetre. ‘You got worms or something?’

  I manage a nervous laugh and look over my shoulder at the nightmare who is fast approaching us.

  ‘How about another drink then? A walk along the shore? Oh, I know! Who wants to go shopping?’

  ‘Is that…’ Oliver flips on his sunglasses and passes me Noah. ‘Jesus Christ! I don’t believe it!’

  Janie fidgets uncomfortably, obviously not wanting any confrontation when we have been getting along so well. Still not knowing what went down between the three of them last night, I’m not sure how this is going to pan out. Although something tells me that it isn’t going to be all cupcakes and kittens. Noah struggles to get down and I try to pacify him with his beloved dinosaur.

  ‘Hey.’ Paulie smiles widely as he comes to a stop at the foot of Janie’s lounger. ‘You didn’t tell me you were coming down here.’

  Dropping onto the sand next to Janie, he throws an arm around her shoulder and kicks off his sneakers. Who the hell wears Converse to the beach? His yellow bandana, which I am now convinced is superglued onto his head, clashes violently with his neon shorts and orange tank top. He couldn’t look more hideous if he tried.

  ‘Actually, today is kind of a family day.’ Oliver stands in front of Paulie and folds his arms. ‘I’d appreciate it if you left.’

  ‘Could he not stay? It would just be for a little while?’ Janie’s voice is small and timid as she dusts sand off her legs and looks up at Oliver hopefully.

  I hold my breath and bounce Noah on my hip, waiting for the volcano to explode. Oliver stares at the pair of them for a moment before taking Noah from me and reaching for his sea shoes.

  ‘Fine.’ He growls, flipping on his baseball cap and swearing under his breath.

  Watching him walk off towards the ocean, I stare at the spot where he was standing and try to think of what to do next.

  ‘Well, that couldn’t have gone any better really, could it?’ I attempt a small laugh and reach for my drink.

  ‘I thought we could go out for shooters later.’ Paulie whispers to Janie, not so discreetly either. ‘A few Sambucas, maybe a whisky chaser… or ten.’

  Janie chuckles in response before shaking her head and taking a sip of her cocktail. ‘I dunno.’

  Blimey! Almost choking on my own cocktail, I peer at her from behind my sunglasses and try not to start coughing. Janie turning down the offer of alcohol is most definitely a first. A sudden gust of wind blows my dress up and I fight against it in a poor bid to maintain my modesty. Not that it really matters what I am wearing when all eyes are on the sixty-something wearing nothing more than a purple string bikini.

  ‘Come on!’ Paulie presses, clearly not happy at missing out on a night on the town. ‘What’s gotten into you?’

  ‘Nothing!’ She exclaims, reaching over and snuggling into his chest. ‘I’m just gonna spend the night with the rugrat, that’s all.’

  Rolling his eyes dramatically, Paulie runs a hand through his hair and tugs off his top before stuffing it behind his head like a makeshift pillow. Not wanting to get into a conversation with him, I pull a magazine from beneath my lounger and pretend to get lost in the text.

  ‘What about tomorrow then? A few of the gang are going to Bamboo Lounge.’ Slapping her on the thigh, he reaches over and takes a gulp of her drink. ‘It should be a blast. You loved it the last time. You won that wet t-shirt competition, remember?’

  Eww! Holding my magazine higher to cover the look of repulsion that washes across my face, I look up at the sky and try to stop myself from vomiting. What a vile creep! He has no idea how lucky he is that Oliver is not here right now.

  ‘Maybe.’ Janie coughs and applies tanning accelerator to her legs. ‘I’ll let you know.’

  ‘OK…’ He mumbles, a look of annoyance flashing over his face. ‘Well, if you don’t want to come out tonight, could you sub me some cash and I’ll go alone?’

  What? Trying really hard to pretend that I’m not listening, I watch in awe as Janie leans over and pulls a handful of dollar bills out of her purse. Paulie’s eyes light up as he pockets the cash greedily and plants a sloppy kiss on Janie’s lips.

  ‘Cool. Right, I gotta biz-ounce…’ Jumping to his feet, he winks at Janie and adjusts his bandana. ‘I’ll catch you later. You too, Carla.’

  ‘It’s Clara!’ I yell after him as runs along the beach.

  What the hell was that? Did she just give him money? I sneak a peek at Janie who is counting the last few notes in her now very empty purse. I am about to ask her what’s going on when Oliver emerges from the water and starts to make his way back along the sand.
Feeling a little concerned about what I’ve just witnessed, I fidget in my seat and hold out my arms for Noah.

  ‘Was that nice?’ I rub my nose against his, laughing as he shakes his head, showering me in wet droplets.

  ‘Where’s the gutterpup gone?’ Oliver asks, snatching a towel and rubbing down his hair.

  ‘He had to leave.’ Janie forces herself to smile and digs a shell out of the sand with her talons.

  Raising his eyebrows, Oliver grabs his water before pulling over another lounger. The waves crash wildly against the sand and I watch a couple of children running in and out of the water, laughing like crazy when they get knocked over. I’m about to suggest we go and join them when I spot Paulie turning on his heels and making his way back over. For God’s sake! What does he want now? More cash? Too busy cursing him into oblivion, I don’t realise that he’s with someone until he is just a couple of feet away. Squinting to avoid being blinding by the sun, I take in his new friend carefully. With wiry grey hair which has been tightly curled into a neat chignon, she looks like a wrinkly force to be reckoned with. Her tie-dye kaftan is obviously two sizes too small, making her look even more plump than she already is. Oliver spots Paulie a second too late, meaning that he can’t plan an escape before he is back in our presence.

  ‘Janie, there’s someone I want you to meet…’ Motioning to the woman besides him, he smiles lazily and pushes her forward. ‘This is my mom, Mary Beth.’

  My toes immediately curl and I look over at Oliver for his reaction. Weirdly, he doesn’t say a word. He looks as dumfounded as I am.

  ‘Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Mary Beth.’ Wiggling to her feet, Janie adjusts her thong and holds out her hand. ‘It’s great to finally put a face to the name.’

  Mary Beth squints for a moment before taking off her sunglasses for a better look. ‘Jeanette?’ She gasps, her mouth visibly falling open. ‘Jeanette Green, is that you?’

  A forgetful mind is a dangerous thing…

  Chapter 16

  ‘Yes?’ She replies uncertainly, obviously not liking where this conversation is going.

  ‘I knew it was you! I would recognise that face anywhere!’ Throwing her old arms around Janie’s neck, Mary Beth lets out a scream and jumps up and down excitedly.

  A startled look spreads across Janie’s face and I can tell that she is just as confused as I am. Her weight shifts from foot to foot as she looks over her shoulder at Oliver before returning her attention to Paulie and his mother.

  ‘Do I know you?’ She laughs nervously and fixes her beehive which Mary Beth’s hug has destroyed.

  ‘It’s me!’ Mary Beth squeals, clapping her hands together. ‘From the casino? Come on! You must remember me!’

  A look of recognition runs over Janie’s face and she suddenly looks a little ill. ‘Mary Beth…’ She breathes. ‘Of course!’

  Unaware as to what’s going on, I step off my lounger and eye up the situation. Do these two know each other or something? Paulie tugs off his bandana and looks between the two of them, the weirdness of the situation clearly disturbing him.

  Slapping Paulie on the arm, Mary Beth stamps her feet and jumps around like a deranged monkey. ‘Son! You never told me that your lady friend was Jeanette Green!’

  I look at Paulie, but it appears that even he didn’t know Janie’s surname.

  Call me old fashioned, but I would have thought that discovering her son’s girlfriend is in fact older than she is would have come as more of a shock to Mary Beth.

  ‘You guys know each other?’ He asks, taking a seat on my lounger. ‘No way! That’s so cool!’

  ‘We met in Vegas.’ Janie confirms, seemingly a little unsteady on her skinny legs. ‘Oliver, you remember that casino I used to visit with Aunt Mindy?’ Oliver nods in response, not bothering to get up from the sand. ‘Well, Mary Beth over here worked on the slots.’

  ‘That was a long time ago.’ Mary Beth sighs and looks Janie up and down. ‘I’m guessing all that time on the Poker table paid off! Your life must be very different from back then, huh?’

  ‘Well… I dunno about that.’ Pointing over to the bar, Janie attempts to usher Mary Beth and Paulie down the sand.

  ‘Oh, come on! I remember the days where you used to beg the security guard for one more go on the roulette! I bet you don’t even recognise yourself these days, do you?’

  Janie looks over at Oliver and I, not being able to disguise the panic that is written all over her face. ‘Let’s go get you guys a drink, shall we?’

  ‘As long as they’re on you! Let’s face it, you can more than afford it!’ Mary Beth sniggers and links her arm through Janie’s as they trudge along the sand.

  Watching them walk away, I wait until they are safely out of ear shot before kicking Oliver on the arm. ‘How weird was that?’ I gasp, blowing my hair out of my mouth. ‘I mean, what are the chances?’

  ‘To be completely honest, nothing that happens now will shock me.’

  ‘But…’

  ‘Clara! It’s taking every ounce of my strength not to lose my shit. So if you don’t mind, I really don’t want to talk about it.’

  Holding up my hands to surrender, I walk across the sand and watch them huddle around the beach bar. This trip just gets stranger and stranger. Armed with a bevy of drinks, they stop to do a shot before heading back in our direction. Not knowing what else to do, I pull over a couple more sun loungers and shuffle them around to make room. Oliver shoots me daggers and I return them with a set of my own. What the hell else am I supposed to do?

  Offering Mary Beth a small smile as he plonks herself down on the lounger opposite, I take a sip of my drink and pull Noah onto my lap.

  ‘I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Clara and this is Noah, Janie’s first grandchild.’

  Janie fires me a look that could kill and I immediately feel a little bad. That was probably a little below the belt, but I couldn’t resist getting a quick dig in there. I am about to introduce Oliver too when I notice that he isn’t even looking in our direction.

  ‘You’re British?’ Mary Beth asks, clearly picking up on my English accent.

  ‘I am. Oliver and I live in London.’

  Kicking off her flip flops to reveal toenails painted an extraordinary green colour, she throws back her drink in one gulp.

  ‘Cool. It must be nice to meet here and have a little family time then, huh?’

  ‘It is, but we video call and Janie comes over to London quite frequently, so it’s not like we don’t see one another.’

  ‘Ain’t that fantastic.’ Mary Beth smiles widely, showing me a set of heavily stained teeth. ‘I bet that little one doesn’t know how lucky he is, does he?’

  Furrowing my brow, I look down at Noah and shrug my shoulders. She’s laying it on a little thick, isn’t she? I remember back when I met Oliver, Janie gave me the worst time ever until she was absolutely certain that I was the one for her son. Whereas this woman doesn’t seem at all bothered that Janie is three times over the approved age limit, still married and has a terrible drinking habit.

  ‘You are all incredible lucky.’ Mary Beth continues, noticing that her glass is empty and reaching over for Paulie’s. ‘What my own family would do to be whisked out to Florida for a vacation by a generous relative…’

  I smile in response and look at Janie. That’s a weird thing to say. How does she know that Janie paid for this trip?

  ‘I’m sure we can arrange that. Right, Janie?’ Paulie wraps an arm around Janie’s shoulders and whispers into her ear.

  Batting away his advances, Janie pushes her sunglasses up her nose and makes a poor attempt at changing the subject. ‘Who wants another drink?’

  An annoyed frown appears on Mary Beth’s weather beaten face and she gives Paulie a not so discreet dig in the ribs. Glaring at Janie furiously, she hisses something to him and huffs loudly.

  ‘So, what do you say?’ He presses, rolling onto his side. ‘How about next time we bring my s
ide of the family out here?’

  Janie fidgets uncomfortably and I’m really not surprised. What is going on here? First the handful of cash and now he’s asking Janie to pay for his family to go on holiday? Don’t get me wrong, Janie isn’t exactly penniless, but she is most certainly not in a position to be paying for a near stranger’s family to top up their tans.

  ‘Oh, come on!’ Mary Beth yells. ‘You can easily afford to. What’s wrong with you?’ Janie opens her mouth to speak, but Mary Beth beats her to it. ‘Let’s face it, when you tie the knot, everything you have will be half Paulie’s anyway.’

  ‘What?’ I exclaim, tiring of this woman’s outrageous demands. ‘They are not getting married.’

  ‘Of course they are!’ Mary Beth snaps, giving me a look that could kill. ‘Tell them, Jeanette.’

  Looking down at the sand, Janie keeps her lips firmly sealed as Oliver and I exchange worried glances. ‘Well, we haven’t set anything in stone…’

  I let out a gasp as Oliver jumps to his feet angrily. ‘I’m not listening to this crap…’

  ‘What’s the matter, big man?’ A smirk plays on the corner of Paulie’s lips as he enjoys taunting Oliver. ‘Don’t want me to be your step daddy?’

  Oliver hurls himself at Paulie and I pass Noah to Janie before jumping in the middle of them.

  ‘Enough!’ I yell, keeping the two of them apart. ‘This is getting totally out of control! What the hell is going on here?’

  The two of them stare at each other, neither one wanting to be the first to break. If Oliver hits him then this situation is going to be made a million times worse. I can just picture it now. Hey, what did you bring back from Orlando? Oh, you know, a few souvenirs, a couple of extra pounds and an assault charge. No, I can’t let this happen.

  ‘We have to get married.’ Paulie turns his attention to Janie and rubs her shoulders encouragingly. ‘That was the deal, remember?’

  ‘What deal?’ Oliver spits, his roaring voice echoing down the beach. Janie purses her lips and looks out to sea. She’s attempting to keep her mask in place, but I can tell that she is on the edge of crumbling. ‘Does someone wanna tell me what’s going on here?’