Clara Bounces Back Read online

  ‘Stelios!’ I correct, my heart sinking.

  ‘Stelios!’ She repeats loudly. ‘What did I say?’

  ‘Never mind what you said!’ I scold, suddenly becoming rather angry. ‘What happened?’

  ‘As I was saying, that little man is very persuasive…’

  I stare at my mother-in-law, feeling completely let-down. When everyone else said this was a stupid idea, a tiny part of me genuinely believed she would prove them wrong. I actually thought she would come out of this at the other end gaining a whole new respect from Marc and the group.

  ‘Don’t be too hard on her.’ Lianna says decidedly. ‘Just think, Hugh isn’t exactly known for being a big drinker and he steamed into Artemis last week like Thomas the Tank Engine!’

  Marc shakes his head and throws his glasses onto the counter.

  ‘All that matters, is the outcome.’ Lianna insists, trying to calm the situation before Marc loses his temper. ‘So, Janie, did you get the signature?’

  Taking the contract from her handbag, Janie squints at the text before realising it is upside down. Pointing at a tiny squiggle on the bottom line, she smiles proudly as the others start to rejoice.

  Not being convinced, I grab the papers from her and hold them to the light. ‘Janie! That isn’t a signature! It’s a phone number!’

  ‘A phone number?’ Oliver booms, snatching the contract out of my hand. ‘What the hell is this guy playing at?’

  ‘Let’s all just calm down for a moment.’ Li sings, trying to bring some order back to the room. ‘We gave Janie seven days. This is just day one. No one stipulated that the deal had to be done today. Correct?’

  Hesitantly agreeing, Marc and Oliver nod their heads.

  ‘So, what’s with all the pressure?’ Standing next to an intoxicated Janie, Lianna rests a hand on her shoulder. ‘There are six more days to get that signature. Janie is doing us a favour here. I think it might pay for us all to remember that.’

  ‘Damn straight!’ Janie slurs, nodding at Lianna in agreement.

  ‘Well, have any of you bothered to ask Janie how the initial meeting went?’ Li folds her arms and looks around the room. ‘No, you haven’t. You have just bombarded her with accusations the second she walked in here.’

  Suddenly feeling rather guilty, I chew the inside of my cheek as Lianna lays down the law.

  ‘How did it go, Janie?’ Lianna asks tactfully, quickly whipping up an espresso and passing it to her. ‘Fill us in.’

  Pulling out a stool at the kitchen island, Lianna motions for the rest of us to do the same.

  ‘I’m gonna start by saying for a small guy, he’s a handful!’ Sniggering into her cup, Janie’s grin falters when Oliver’s face turns purple. ‘Oh, come on! I’m kidding!’

  Clearly not seeing the funny side, Oliver turns his back to her and frowns.

  Not being fazed by her son’s reaction, Janie carries on regardless. ‘Stelios took me to dinner at the Two Trees…’

  ‘Three Palms.’ I correct, unable to stop myself.

  Throwing her arms into the air, Janie huffs loudly. ‘Do you wanna know what happened, or not?’

  ‘Yes!’ We all exclaim in unison.

  ‘The truth is, Stelios didn’t mention Suave all evening.’ Janie confesses honestly, much to Marc’s alarm. ‘I pulled the damn contract out on more than one occasion, but he refused to look at it. He’s just biding his time. I mean, who wouldn’t wanna spend seven whole days with me?’

  Janie’s laugh falls on deaf ears and I manage a nervous smile in response.

  ‘See?’ I say gently, nudging Marc. ‘We know this game inside out. Let him think he is King of the Jungle for a few days. We all know how this charade ends.’

  Marc doesn’t reply, so Lianna jumps on the pro-Janie brigade.

  ‘Hugh warned us that Stelios would play the long game. He knows the stipulations. He knows the deadline. If Stelios wants to paint the town red with Janie until he gets it out of his system, so be it. He isn’t hurting anyone and by the looks of things, Janie is going to enjoy being dragged along for the ride.’

  Not listening to what we’re saying, Janie pulls the minimiser bra from beneath her dress, causing her huge chest to make a bid for freedom. Distracting Oliver with a hug, I motion for Lianna to take Janie to the spare room.

  ‘We’re looking at this all wrong.’ I say to Oliver and Marc, trying to raise the mood. ‘This time last week, we were on the verge of walking away from Suave. Now, we could be on the cusp of walking into something amazing.’

  The guys respond with a reluctant shrug as I force my lips into a smile. ‘Let’s stop worrying about the many ways this could go wrong and start focusing on how incredible things could be if this goes right…’

  Chapter 22

  ‘I have to tell you, the future isn’t looking bright for Suave.’ Owen says seriously, a solemn expression on his face. ‘In fact, it’s looking pretty awful…’

  Hugh and Vernon fidget uncomfortably as Owen continues to rant about the state of the company accounts. Not letting him in on the possible collaboration with Ianthe feels wrong, but revealing that Janie is cavorting around London with an elderly billionaire in a bid to save his investment might push him over the edge.

  ‘Having Oliver and Marc out of the office isn’t helping things.’ Owen grumbles, loosening his tie as he studies an email closely. ‘Chickenpox? I mean, really? How old are these guys? Twelve?’

  ‘Chickenpox can infect people of all ages, actually.’ I reply, not realising until it’s too late that I sound incredibly pedantic and not helpful as I intended.

  ‘When will they be back?’ He replies restlessly, not looking up from his computer.

  ‘I’m not sure. A week? Maybe more? Oliver is going to the doctor today…’

  ‘A week!’ Owen yells, cutting me off mid-sentence. ‘No. Absolutely not. I don’t care what’s wrong with them. We need them back before then.’

  I raise my eyebrows in surprise, completely flummoxed by Owen’s outburst. ‘I can assure you that Oliver and Marc do not want to be at home right now. They’re both incredibly annoyed they’re unable to be here, but unless you want the rest of the workforce to be exposed to the virus…’

  Owen rubs his face and leans back in his chair, clearly not agreeing with what I am saying.

  ‘You should also know that Oliver was extremely unwell this morning.’ I add, suddenly feeling rather protective over Marc and Oliver. ‘Marc is going out of his mind being confined to the apartment. He hasn’t complained once about his chickenpox. All of his thoughts are for Suave, despite his three children also being sick.’

  ‘I’m sorry.’ Owen’s cheeks flush violently as he starts to backtrack. ‘I know the guys would be here if they could. It’s just… it’s just that I don’t think you are realising how close to the brink we are right now. Without any new clients, we are weeks, if not days, away from folding.’

  Lianna and Vernon nod along solemnly as Hugh gives me a sideways glance before speaking up.

  ‘We’ve made contact with a potential lead.’ He blurts out, ignoring the sharp kick I give him beneath the table. ‘It’s very early in the negotiations, but this could turn everything around.’

  ‘You have?’ Suddenly springing to life, Owen sits up straight. ‘Who?’

  ‘I can’t disclose too much right now…’ Hugh coughs nervously as he tries to get his words out.

  ‘Can’t disclose?’ Owen repeats, immediately scowling. ‘You can’t disclose it to your chief investor? What the hell are you talking about?’

  Knowing that Marc’s only stipulation was that we didn’t let Owen know what was going on, I suddenly feel uneasy.

  ‘When I say, I can’t, what I really mean is, I would rather not.’ Hugh attempts a small laugh and stops when Owen doesn’t join in. ‘Alright, we are currently in talks with the director of a huge international handbag company.’

  ‘Handbags?’ Owen repeats, not being able to hide how interested he is.r />
  Nodding enthusiastically, Hugh smiles and paces back and forth in front of Owen’s desk. ‘Just think about it. What are the two things in any woman’s wardrobe that she adores the most? Handbags and shoes. We already have the shoes covered, so how incredible would it be to put the two together and collaborate with a brand that is the loved the world over?’

  ‘It would be incredible.’ Owen agrees, reaching into his pocket as his phone pings. ‘But no one with an ounce of credibility wants to touch us with a bargepole.’

  ‘That’s where you’re wrong.’ Hugh whispers smugly, clearly enjoying being able to tell Owen some good news for once. ‘We have managed to find a company that actually sees the Giulia Romano disaster as a positive reason to work with us.’

  Looking more confused than ever, Owen clicks his pen repeatedly. ‘Go on.’

  ‘As I said, I can’t say much right now…’

  Annoyed with being spoken to in riddles, Owen rolls his eyes and looks up at the ceiling.

  ‘But if we pull this off, we and more importantly, you, will be laughing all the way to the bank…’

  * * *

  Slipping beneath the sheets, I listen to Oliver ambling around the bathroom and smother my face in moisturiser. I intended on being in bed hours ago, but the second I arrived home I was tasked with the rather arduous job of dressing Janie for her second meeting with Stelios. Unlike yesterday’s mammoth effort, I decided on a simple pencil dress and her usual red lips. It seems Stelios didn’t care for Janie’s conservative makeover and neither did she, so I agreed to let her bring a splash of her usual self to the table.

  Looking up as Oliver steps into the bedroom, I pull back the duvet and motion for him to get in.

  ‘How are you feeling?’ I ask, grimacing as I notice his face is covered in calamine lotion. ‘Any better?’

  ‘Nope.’ Collapsing onto the mattress, Oliver stuffs a pillow behind his head and yawns loudly.

  ‘Oh, come on! Like you said, it’s only a few spots…’ I tease, flicking on the bedside lamp and brushing his hair away from his eyes.

  The low lighting casts a shadow across his face and I have to admit that he does look rather ill. Not that he would ever let you know. Oliver is the type of man who would rather suffer in silence than let you know he’s feeling under the weather.

  ‘It’s not the spots.’ He moans, reaching for the remote as Pumpkin dives onto the bed. ‘The spots I can deal with. It’s that creep who is making my stomach churn.’

  ‘What creep?’ I ask, rolling onto my side and getting comfortable.

  ‘The creep that’s currently drooling over my mom.’ Shooting me a scowl, he tugs his t-shirt over his head and throws it into the laundry basket.

  ‘Stelios?’ I say quietly, an image of the quirky billionaire jumping into my mind. ‘He’s not that bad. If you had met him in the flesh…’

  ‘Oh, please!’ Oliver scoffs, giving me a deathly glare. ‘You’ve seen the tape. You know exactly what kind of guy he is.’

  Nausea hits me at the mention of the tape and I try to brush past it. ‘I’m sure Janie won’t be doing… that.’

  ‘Damn right she won’t!’ He retorts angrily.

  ‘Shh!’ Holding my finger to my lips, I listen to see if he’s woken Noah.

  ‘Sorry.’ He whispers, pulling me onto his chest. ‘I just can’t believe it has come to this.’

  Looking up at him, I wrap my arms around his waist and listen to him speak.

  ‘This time away from the office has made me question a whole bunch of stuff. We poured our entire savings into this venture, only to watch it disappear less than a year later.’ He exhales loudly and rests his spare hand on Pumpkin. ‘I’m starting to think we should’ve let Suave go when we had the chance. We could all be happy in new jobs by now. We would still have a healthy bank account and we wouldn’t have this weird hostility with Owen.’

  Not being able to disagree with what he’s saying, I shrug my shoulders helplessly.

  ‘Be honest with me, would we really have poured everything into this if we would’ve known it was going to be this difficult?’ He asks, wiggling around to scratch his back on the sheets.

  ‘We knew it wouldn’t be easy.’ I reply, offering him a small smile. ‘We just hoped that it would be worth it.’

  ‘And is it worth it?’ Oliver persists. ‘Is having my mom accompany an old pervert to dinner all week in the desperate hope of getting a new client really worth it? Because when we signed on the dotted line, this is not what I envisaged us doing.’

  Shuffling onto my stomach, I prop myself up on my elbows. ‘I don’t really know what I envisaged us doing. I just thought things would carry on the way they were.’

  ‘Where Owen is concerned, I don’t think things will ever be the way they were.’ Oliver says dejectedly, turning down the volume on the television. ‘The Lakes invested millions in Suave. Things are already becoming strained at the office.’

  He pauses for effect and I think back to my hostile conversation with Owen today.

  ‘Can you really see us still taking trips to Barbados and having dinners on the roof terrace when we all walk away from this empty-handed?’

  Allowing his words to sink in, I close my eyes and listen intently.

  ‘I’m telling you, Clara. Nothing ruins friendships like money.’ Reaching for the calamine lotion, he applies another layer to his chin. ‘When we finally throw in the towel, don’t be surprised if Owen and Eve become strangers. Years from now, they will just be a couple of people who we used to know. Sad, but true.’

  Pulling the covers up to my chin, I feel a surge of determination. ‘No, they won’t, because we aren’t going to throw the towel in. We aren’t going to give up and simply walk away. We’re worth more than that, Suave is worth more than that and The Lakes are worth more than that. We aren’t quitters.’

  Oliver sighs and unplugs the bedside lamp, causing the room to fall into darkness. ‘Owen’s already prepared to quit and at the end of the day, it’s his call to decide when we should walk away. We’re fighting a losing battle. Some would say we’ve already lost.’

  ‘That’s where you’re wrong.’ I whisper, kissing his cheek before rolling over. ‘Being knocked back doesn’t mean you’ve lost. You only lose when you stop trying…’

  Chapter 23

  ‘I think I’ll give Artemis a miss tonight.’ I mumble to Oliver, as I unpack the food shopping into the fridge. ‘I’d much rather spend the evening here, with you guys.’

  Looking up from his position on the couch, Oliver takes off his 3D glasses and gawks at me in alarm. ‘Why? You love going out with the girls.’

  Raising my eyebrows suspiciously, I finish replenishing the biscuit jar. ‘I do love going out with the girls, but I love spending time with my boys more.’

  ‘You spend time with us every day. You should go and enjoy yourself.’ Oliver smiles and returns to organising bowls of nachos on the coffee table. ‘Go on, have a cocktail or two and let your hair down.’

  Neatly folding the empty carrier bags, I place them into a drawer and frown. ‘Why do I get the feeling you’re trying to get rid of me?’

  Before he can reply, Noah charges into the living room wearing his Yoda costume. Throwing back his hood, he waves a lightsaber in the air as he comes to a stop in front of Oliver.

  ‘Where’s your lightsaber?’ Noah asks, his little face filling with disappointment.

  Reaching behind the couch, Oliver produces a lightsaber of his own and the pair of them dual as Pumpkin plays referee.

  ‘We’re having a Star Wars marathon!’ Noah announces, finally dropping his lightsaber and diving into the nachos.

  ‘Oh, now it makes sense!’ I tease, grabbing an orange from the fruit bowl and throwing it at Oliver playfully. ‘That’s why you wanted to get rid of me so badly! I suppose it makes a change from football.’

  Catching it with his spare hand, Oliver tears off the skin and pops a piece into his mouth. ‘We have absolutely no
idea what you’re talking about. Do we, Noah?’

  ‘No!’ He giggles, sticking out his tongue and running back into his bedroom.

  Taking a biscuit from the jar, I hand it to Pumpkin as Noah returns with his duvet.

  ‘Well, it looks as though you boys have got your evening all planned out.’ I say with a smile, laughing at the sight of them huddled beneath the blanket in their 3D glasses.

  ‘Is Gee-Gee coming?’ Noah asks, taking a piece of the orange.

  ‘Not tonight, buddy.’ Dimming the lights with the remote control, Oliver whistles for Pumpkin to join them.

  Looking up at his dad, Noah leans over to the bin to dispose of an orange pip. ‘Is she working again?’

  ‘Something like that.’ Oliver replies, almost curtly. ‘With a bit of luck, she won’t be working for much longer.’

  I smile as Noah reluctantly accepts this and leave them to watch their movie. Despite Oliver being hopeful that his mother’s time with Stelios is coming to an end, I have a feeling that Janie is wishing for quite the opposite. A few days spent in Stelios’s company have brought a sparkle back to her that I haven’t seen in a very long time.

  Secretly, I am starting to get concerned that she isn’t treating this as the business interaction it is. Although, I can see how being whisked around the city in a limousine on a nightly basis would cloud your judgement.

  Trying to shake all thoughts of Janie from my mind, I throw open the wardrobe and reach for my jeans. There’s a time and a place for worrying and Friday nights are certainly not one of them…

  * * *

  ‘To Suave!’ Beaming brightly, Dawn dances around in time to the music and raises her glass in the air.

  ‘To not counting your chickens!’ Lianna corrects, as we clink our flutes together. ‘It’s not over until the fat lady sings.’

  Taking a sip of her fizz, Dawn wags her finger confidently. ‘This deal is in the bag! Stelios is besotted with Janie!’