Clara Bounces Back

by Lacey London

  ‘I’m gonna save you both some time here, I am not wearing that.’ Janie hisses, hitching up her short skirt.

  ‘The sleeves will be super flattering.’ Lianna replies calmly, holding the dress in the air and placing it inside a cubicle. ‘Come on. Get your clothes off.’

  ‘Are you deaf or just stupid?’ Swapping her empty glass for a full one, Janie shakes her head rebelliously.

  ‘The Rémy Martin depends on you wearing that outfit.’ Taking the champagne out of her hand, I usher her into the booth and pull the curtain behind her. ‘If you don’t come out wearing it, you can kiss goodbye to the cognac you love so much.’

  Hearing her curse loudly, I force a cough in a bid to cover it. The last thing we need is to be kicked out of the only alcohol-serving department store in the city.

  ‘If she doesn’t go for this one, we can try the navy trouser suit.’ Lianna muses, sipping her bubbles and looking through the remaining outfits. ‘This pencil skirt is gorgeous, too. Maria has a fabulous eye, doesn’t she?’

  Before I can answer, the drape is pulled back and Janie steps out into the seating area. With a scowl firmly in place, she holds her arms by her sides and looks up at the ceiling.

  ‘Janie!’ I squeal, ignoring her obvious detest for the dress. ‘You look amazing!’

  Deserting the rail of clothes, Lianna smooths down Janie’s outfit and motions for her to spin around. ‘It’s a little tight on the chest, but with a minimiser bra it will be perfect!’

  ‘Minimiser bra?’ Janie repeats in horror. ‘I paid far too much money for these to have them squashed down like a pair of pancakes!’

  ‘A minimiser bra will just give you slightly more room and make the dress hang better.’ Lianna says reassuringly, taking the pashmina that Janie has tied around her waist and draping it around her shoulders.

  Passing her the pearl necklace, I kick off my black stilettos and motion for Janie to put them on.

  Waiting for her to remove her skyscraper heels, we stand back and admire the finished product.

  ‘I can’t believe how different you look.’ I mumble, not being able to accept that the woman in front of me is Oliver’s crazy mother. ‘You look so reliable, so trustworthy and so…’

  ‘I look like Hillary Clinton.’ Janie remarks in horror, taking a step towards the mirror and immediately recoiling. ‘I hate it.’

  ‘That is exactly what we wanted!’ Lianna says happily. ‘You look fabulous!’

  Cursing under her breath, Janie shrugs off the pashmina and reaches for yet more wine.

  ‘Now we just need to fix your hair and makeup.’ Gathering Janie’s discarded clothing, Li ushers her out of the fitting room.

  Knowing this is going to be the trickiest point to combat, I beam at my perturbed mother-in-law and flash her the thumbs-up sign. ‘Just remember, Janie. All the Rémy Martin you can handle…’

  Chapter 19

  Watching the chatty hairdresser work her magic on Janie’s tangled mane of hair, I flip through the magazines in my lap and try to eavesdrop on their conversation. Lianna has been telling the makeup artist exactly how she wants Janie to look for the last thirty minutes, but so far, I haven’t seen more than a glimpse of the finished product. Catching the words subtle, understated and demure, I pretend not to notice Janie’s livid stare.

  ‘The makeup artist should be done with her in thirty minutes!’ Li says excitedly, dropping down onto the sofa beside me. ‘And twenty of those are going to be spent removing the mountain of slap she already has on!’

  ‘I hope she’s got a trowel…’ Hiding my smile behind a magazine, I slide along the bench to make room for other clients. ‘What did you arrange for her hair?’

  ‘I tried my hardest to talk her into a bob, but she wasn’t budging.’ Lianna sighs and points to where Janie is currently being preened. ‘We went for low-lights and a much-needed trim. To be honest, the curly blow-dry has disguised her birds nest pretty well…’

  ‘I heard that!’ Janie yells, from her position in front of the mirror. ‘One more snipe from you two and I’m walking!’

  ‘I’m kidding!’ Quickly backtracking before Janie can decide she’s had enough of this charade, Lianna beams brightly at her. ‘You’re doing so well. Not long to go!’

  Giving her the biggest smile I can muster, I ask the makeup artist to speed things along and turn back to Lianna. ‘I keep having to remind myself that she’s doing us a huge favour. It’s easy to forget when she’s swearing like a sailor.’

  ‘Not as much as Owen’s going to swear when he finds out what we’re doing.’ Holding a magazine to her face, Li points to a page of redheads. ‘Do you think I could pull off auburn?’

  ‘Owen can’t know what we’re doing.’ I reply, shaking my head at the auburn suggestion. ‘If he gets so much as a whiff of this, he will shut it down immediately.’

  ‘I think Owen has more vision than you give him credit for.’ Lianna mumbles, flipping through the pages of the magazine. ‘His reaction might surprise you.’

  ‘Marc’s one stipulation was that Owen is left out of this until the deal is done. If he finds out that the future of his investment is in the hands of Janie, he isn’t going to be very happy. In fact, he will be absolutely outraged.’ I warn, closing the magazine to get her full attention. ‘He is not to know. That goes for Eve, too.’

  ‘How is Eve?’ Lianna asks, obviously not taking me seriously. ‘I feel like I haven’t seen her in forever.’

  ‘I haven’t seen much of her either.’ Pausing with my hand on the magazine, I try to think back to when I last spent some quality time with Eve. ‘With the chickenpox outbreak, I thought it would be best to keep my distance.’

  The truth is, there’s an awkward atmosphere when we’re together and it’s starting to make me avoid her. Knowing that her husband invested millions of pounds in our failing business makes me feel incredibly guilty and even though we agreed that the investment wouldn’t affect our friendship, it’s impossible to ignore the elephant in the room.

  ‘We should arrange a lunch with her.’ Li says casually, taking the hair samples from the display and holding them against my cheek. ‘She’s probably feeling a little left out since the twins were born.’

  ‘That’s a great idea!’ I reply, batting away a swatch of pink hair. ‘We could do afternoon tea! I’m thinking finger sandwiches, jam scones and fizz!’

  ‘She would love that!’ Lianna agrees, finally putting the hair samples down and checking her watch. ‘Afternoon tea is so Eve.’

  Smiling back at her I feel my spirits rise. A sparkling dinner date with our good friend is just what we need to take our minds off Suave and the pox epidemic.

  ‘Excuse me?’ The makeup artist says, wiping one of her brushes on a white cloth. ‘I think we’re just about ready, if you want to take a look?’

  Both jumping up, Lianna and I exchange excited glances as we wait for the big reveal. Hearing heels clack on the glistening tiles, I strain my neck to get the first glimpse of Janie post-makeunder. Begrudgingly stepping out of the shadows, she comes to a stop in front of us, causing me to be momentarily speechless.

  ‘You look incredible!’ Lianna cries, jumping up and down with glee. ‘For a second there, I didn’t even recognise you!’

  Being completely lost for words, I stare at my mother-in-law in a dumfounded silence. Her hair has been blown into sleek waves, which frame her barely-there makeup perfectly. The subtle nude tones make a stark difference to the heavy layers of slap she usually wears and the absence of her heavy eyeliner makes her appear years younger than she actually is.

  ‘I feel like a principal.’ Janie complains, reaching inside the minimiser bra and rearranging her squashed boobs. ‘And a frigid one at that.’

  ‘You look like a businesswoman on a mission, which is exactly what you are!’ I exclaim, giving the makeup artist a high-five. ‘Let me take a photograph of you to send to Oliver.’

  Adjusting the flowing pashmina, Janie strategical
ly places one foot in front of the other and drapes herself around a pillar like a pole dancer.

  ‘Do you have to stand like that?’ I whisper, digging my phone out of my handbag. ‘That pose doesn’t have the same effect when you’re dressed so conservatively.’

  Swearing as Lianna sets her into a more ladylike pose, Janie smiles stiffly for the camera. Happily snapping away, I wait for Lianna to exchange the company credit card for Janie’s extensive treatments and nip outside to flag down a cab.

  Watch out Stelios Christopoulos, Janie is ready for you…

  Chapter 20

  ‘You just look so… different.’ Oliver whispers, peering at Janie’s face closely.

  Narrowing her eyes, Janie throws back a strong measure of whiskey. ‘Good different?’

  ‘I don’t know. You kind of look like Aunt Mindy…’

  ‘Aunt Mindy?’ She screeches, lunging towards him. ‘I’ll give you Aunt Mindy, you little…’

  ‘Take that Jack Daniel’s off her right now.’ Marc hisses, checking over the contract. ‘We can’t have her showing up half-cut!’

  Springing into action, I slip behind Janie and discreetly whip away her glass. Quickly pouring the whiskey into a plant pot before she realises it’s missing, I replace it with a beaker of water.

  ‘Gee-Gee?’ Noah mumbles cautiously, giving her a dubious glance. ‘Why do you look funny?’

  ‘Ask your mom.’ She growls, hitting his hands away as he scratches a spot on his arm.

  Turning his attention to me, Noah runs into the living room and throws himself into my arms. ‘Mummy, why does Gee-Gee look funny?’

  Grabbing the calamine lotion from the coffee table, I squirt a dollop of the pink liquid onto a cotton pad and pull Noah onto my lap. ‘She’s going to work.’ I explain, covering him in the foul-smelling liquid.

  Grimacing as I attack his cheeks with my cotton wool, he screws up his nose. ‘Why is Gee-Gee going to work at night?’

  ‘Because she has a very important job to do and it can only be done at night-time.’ Spotting a new set of chickenpox on Marc’s forearm, I lean over and smother him in cream.

  ‘Why?’ Noah persists, letting out a yawn.

  ‘If I tell you, I am going to have to kill you.’ Kissing his nose, I usher him to the floor. ‘Please go and put your pyjamas on and take Pumpkin with you.’

  Picking Pumpkin’s favourite toy from her bed, Noah waves it around to get her attention and races into his bedroom. Smiling to myself as Pumpkin charges after him, I feel my heart swell with pride. Despite being plagued with chickenpox, Noah has been his usual energetic self and ironically, his bad behaviour seems to have diminished, too.

  Hearing Oliver tease Janie about her new hairdo, I send Lianna over to defuse the situation before she backs out.

  ‘I’ve got a really bad feeling.’ Marc groans, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. ‘If she blows this, we’re back to square one. I’ve got Hugh and Vernon exploring other avenues as we speak, but we all know everything hangs on this contract. Maybe we should just call it a day and tell Owen we give up…’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ I scold, shaking my head at his negativity. ‘What kind of attitude is that?’

  Responding with a desolate shrug of the shoulders, Marc looks down at the ground.

  ‘Hey, this isn’t the Marc I know.’ Giving him a reassuring squeeze, I turn my back to the rest of the room. ‘Come on, where’s that winner’s mentality?’

  Eventually smiling, Marc reaches for the folders and nods. ‘Can you get her over here, please? I want to go over the proposal one last time.’

  Flashing him a wink, I take a deep breath and wave over Janie. After adjusting her hair, I pop a mint into her mouth to mask any whiskey breath and push her towards Marc.

  ‘Alright, Stelios should be here to collect you at any moment.’ He says sternly. ‘So, let’s go over the details…’

  ‘Again?’ Janie moans, stamping her feet in protest. ‘If I have to see that damn folder one more time!’

  Clearly sensing that she’s tired of this game, Lianna clears her throat and shoos Marc away. ‘I don’t think that’s necessary.’

  ‘Lordy hallelujah!’ Janie yells, tugging on her dress and retreating to the kitchen.

  Marc fires daggers at Li and throws his folder onto the couch. ‘What are you playing at?’

  Holding her hands up in defence, Lianna looks at me for backup. ‘We’ve been over the proposal a million times already. I’m sure Janie knows the drill by now, don’t you Janie?’

  ‘Yes, ma’am!’ Catching a glimpse of her reaction in the mirror, Janie scowls and hops onto a bar stool.

  ‘And are you aware of the stipulations?’ Marc asks, his tone of voice indicating that she does not. ‘We’ve got one shot at this. We can’t afford for it to go wrong…’

  ‘I know the damn rules.’ Janie cackles, rolling her eyes.

  ‘And they are?’ Marc fires back.

  ‘There are no rules…’ Janie whispers mischievously, draping herself across the kitchen island.

  The vein on the side of Marc’s head pulsates and he inhales sharply.

  ‘He has seven days to sign the paper. No changes, no amendments and no extensions.’ Janie grumbles, not impressed at Marc’s lack of a sense of humour. ‘Deal or no deal.’

  Finally accepting that Janie knows what she’s doing, Marc takes a step back. ‘That’ll do.’

  ‘Are we done with the interrogation?’ Oliver asks, from his place by the window. ‘Because Stelios is here.’

  The five of us freeze in our positions, not quite knowing how to react as we realise the moment has come. Forcing myself to move, I hand Janie the contract and watch as she slips it into her clutch bag. Without a hint of nerves, she smacks her lips together and looks down at the limousine outside the building.

  ‘No drinking, no cursing and definitely no flirting.’ Oliver warns, giving his mother a stern look before hugging her tightly.

  ‘You’ve got this, Janie.’ Planting a kiss on her cheek, I pull a stray hair from the back of her dress.

  ‘You look fabulous!’ Lianna assesses Janie’s appearance for the final time and straightens her pashmina. ‘Go knock him dead!’

  Marc deliberately hangs back and we all turn to look at him as Janie heads for the door.

  ‘Marc?’ I say gently, hoping that he doesn’t let her leave without a few words of encouragement.

  After momentarily hesitating, he decides to speak up.

  ‘It’s just one signature.’ He says quietly, bringing his eyes up to meet Janie’s. ‘Once he’s signed on the dotted line, we can finally breathe easy again and put this behind us.’

  Janie smiles confidently in response, but a flash of nerves hits her eyes as she reaches for the door handle.

  ‘And Janie?’ Marc adds, taking a step towards her. ‘Thank you. Thank you very much…’

  Chapter 21

  Jolting to attention, I look around the living room and blink in a bid to get my eyes to focus. My skin is sore from being squashed against a ridge in the sofa and my mouth feels drier than the Sahara. Pushing myself into a sitting position, it takes me a moment to realise that Marc and Lianna are snoozing on the couch opposite. On closer inspection, I notice that Oliver is sprawled out in the armchair and Pumpkin is blissfully snoring at his feet.

  Peering at my watch, I raise my eyebrows when I realise how late it is. Where the hell is Janie? Rubbing my eyes, I slide to the edge of the couch and physically jump when I hear Pumpkin stir in her sleep. Her pink collar jangles on the wooden floor as she allows herself a long stretch. Wagging her tail, she pads across the rug and waits patiently by the balcony doors. Slowly following her, I grab Oliver’s jacket as I release the lock and step outside.

  The evening air is cool against my warm skin, causing me to shiver as I dodge a puddle and lean against the balustrade. Watching a few cars race along the deserted street below, I tip my head back and take a few deep breaths. Janie left
six hours ago and judging by the snoring coming from the living room, we have been snoozing for a good few of those. I’m trying to convince myself that no news is good news, but in an ideal world, Janie would be back now with a signed contract tucked safely in her handbag.

  Hearing a car horn in the distance, I look down to see Stelios’s iconic limo coming to a stop outside the apartment block. Running back inside, I feel my heart race in my chest as I wake the others.

  ‘Oliver!’ Roughly shaking his shoulder, I resort to ruffling his hair when he doesn’t move a muscle. ‘Oliver! She’s back!’

  ‘She’s back?’ Marc repeats sleepily, straightening his glasses. ‘What time is it?’

  ‘Late. Really, really late.’ I whisper, not wanting to wake Noah.

  Leaving Marc to tell Lianna, I sprint over to the intercom to allow Janie access to the building. Adrenaline rushes through my body as we all gather around the kitchen island. Each one of us is more anxious than the last to see that all-important signature. Tapping my nails on the counter, I hold my breath until I finally hear footsteps outside the door. Watching the handle slowly release, I gasp as Janie stumbles into the apartment with a bang.

  Completely lost for words, I stare at the dishevelled woman in front of me in shock.

  ‘What the hell happened?’ Marc utters in dismay, horror written all over his face.

  Holding onto the kitchen island to stop herself from toppling over, Janie waves her shoes around in the air and giggles. Her perfect waves are now a tousled mess of curls and the pashmina is tied around her head like a bandana. Makeup is smeared across her face and the string of pearls are hanging precariously by a thread. Taking a red rose from behind her ear, she pops it into her cleavage and giggles to herself.

  Shaking his head angrily, Oliver walks away and holds his head in his hands.

  ‘What did you do?’ I ask, not sure whether or not I want to know. ‘You knew the rules! No drinking!’

  ‘In my defence…’ Janie slurs, dropping her shoes onto the floor and hurling herself onto a bar stool. ‘I didn’t want to drink. I told Spiros…’