Clara in America (Clara Andrews Series - Book 7) (4 page)

‘You guys have just had a holiday!’ Pouring out the bubbles, I push her out of the way to put the bottle back into the fridge.

‘I don’t think four nights in Cornwall with three hyper kids really counts as a
holiday
.’ Grabbing a glass before I have the chance to put any orange in, she takes a sip and scowls. ‘Plus it rained the entire time that we were there!’

Not wanting to tell her about our last minute trip in case I put her nose out of joint, I decide to keep schtum and join her in a glass of fizz. I am making a mental note of everything that I need to pack when Madison squeezes through the crowd and throws herself at Gina’s legs.

‘I want to go on a plane!’ She wails, her chubby cheeks turning a rather worrying shade of purple.

Oh, God. Great timing, Madison.

‘Maybe next year…’ Gina grumbles, trying to palm her off with yet more cake.

‘Not next year! I want to go
now!
Now! Now! Now!’ Stamping her feet, Madison proceeds to shout until Gina crouches down to her level.

‘You, young lady, are heading right for the naughty step!’ Trying to get her to calm down, she succeeds only in making her scream ten times louder.

Resorting to throwing her over her shoulder, Gina lets out an embarrassed laugh and disappears into my bedroom. Stifling a laugh, I smile apologetically at the mums from playgroup who are obviously perturbed at Madison’s diva like behaviour.

‘Where’s my Mimosa?’ My mother yells from across the room, holding her hands to her throat as though she is going to die from dehydration.

That woman gets more like Janie every day. Shaking my head at her demands, I manage to clutch three glasses at once and get them through the crowds of children without spilling a single drop. Score. Before I can bring the glass to my lips, Noah lets out a wail to rival Madison’s. Someone once told me that you know you’re a mother when you can hear a child scream from three rooms away, but you can be three
streets
away and still hear Noah when he decides to throw a tantrum. Thankfully, Oliver gets there first and beckons me to follow him into the playroom.

‘I think he’s tired.’ I take off his jumper and hold him on my lap. ‘Balloons, birthday cake and a room full of people is a lot to take in when you’re just two years old.’ Planting a kiss on his head, I rock him back and forth until his eyes start to close.

‘Did you tell Madison about Orlando?’ I whisper, once I am confident that Noah is drifting off.

‘No, I told Marc and
he
told Madison.’ Oliver mumbles, picking up a toy car and running it across the carpet.

‘Why would he do that?’ I shake my head at his stupidity and lay Noah out on the couch.

‘Beats me…’ Oliver crashes down in a chair opposite and lets out a yawn.

‘Err, what the hell are you doing?’ I hiss.

‘Taking a nap.’ He closes his eyes and gets comfortable. ‘I’m sure they can entertain themselves for a little while.’

‘Oi! There’s two dozen people out there!’ Kicking his legs playfully, I tickle him until he stands up. ‘Let’s just get through this afternoon and then we have seven whole days of relaxation to look forward to.’

‘You’re kidding, right?’ He lets out a little laugh and rubs my shoulders. ‘If you think Orlando is about calm and relaxation, you are going to be
majorly
disappointed.’ Firing him a confused look, I pause at the door and wait for him to elaborate. ‘Adrenaline and adventure, yes. Massages and margaritas, not so much.’

Determined to prove him wrong, I push my way back into the kitchen. As far as I’m concerned, Orlando involves juicy cheeseburgers, abundant sunshine and some of the world’s best rollercoasters. Now tell me, what could possibly be stressful about that?

Stress really doesn’t go with my outfit…

‘I don’t understand.’ I stammer, trying to process what the airport assistant has been attempting to tell me for the past thirty minutes. ‘How?
How
can that even happen?’

I don’t actually believe what I am hearing here. Smiling apologetically, he shrugs his shoulders and continues to talk, but the sound of my heart pounding in my ears drowns out his every word. After a long haul flight with a two-year-old who howled like an angry wolf for the entire journey, this is the
last
thing I need. Of the millions of cases that arrive at airports all over the world on a daily basis, what are the odds that it’s
ours
that have gone bloody missing?

‘When can this be resolved?’ Oliver asks, handing over Noah and attempting to take control of the situation.

Shaking my head furiously, I take Noah by the hand and weave through crowds of happy people. Thankfully he is so consumed by his dinosaur to even notice the chaos that is going on around him. Whilst everyone else floats through the airport on cloud nine just itching to start their holiday, I take a seat on a rather lonely looking bench and try to calm my racing heart. Our cases are lost.
Lost.
I watched them being loaded onto the plane back in London and now they have
gone
. Unless they have vanished into thin air or someone is walking around Orlando in my precious Marc Jacobs sandals, I fail to understand what the hell has happened.

My brow furrows into a frown as I get more and more agitated with every passing second. Eyeing up a passer-by’s very cute dress, I shoot her a suspicious look as she slips on a pair on sunglasses which are incredibly similar to mine. Before I can accuse a complete stranger of stealing my designer sunnies, I spot Oliver making his way over to us. Squeezing past a mob of excited children, he catches my eye and shakes his head. I can tell from the pained expression on his face that he hasn’t got good news.

‘Well?’ I ask, trying to stop Noah from tearing up a bunch of theme park pamphlets. ‘What did they say?’

Scratching his beard, he stuffs some paperwork into my handbag and exhales loudly. ‘Our cases are on their way to California.’

‘
What?
’ My mind goes into overdrive as I try to work out if he’s joking. ‘You
have
to be kidding me.’

‘Definitely
not
kidding. Someone at the airport labelled them incorrectly and they’ve stayed on the connecting flight.’ Picking up Noah and heading for the exit, he motions for me to follow him. ‘They’re going to get them back to us by Wednesday at the latest.’

‘Wednesday!
’
My voice is ten decibels higher than I intend it be and as a result people are starting to stare. ‘Oliver! We can’t wait until Wednesday!’

‘Come on, Clara. It’s just a couple of days…’

‘But we don’t have any clothes!’ Cutting him off mid-sentence, I try not to have a complete melt down. ‘What are we going to wear? My swimsuits! My shoes! Oh, God!’ A wave of horror washes over me. ‘
My make-up!
’

‘Can we
please
just get to the hotel?’ Spinning around to face me, he shoots me a glare that tells me to pull myself together. ‘Please?’

Not wanting to cause even more of a scene, I bite my lip and scurry after him. This cannot be happening. I was already questioning our decision to come out here and now this whole lost suitcase debacle is about to push me over the edge. To be completely honest, this trip has been a total nightmare since we left the house this morning. From the taxi not turning up on time to the flight being delayed and Noah throwing an almighty tantrum the whole way here, absolutely
nothing
has gone according to plan.

A young family skips past us, racing one another to the exit in a flurry of excitement. Watching them laugh and giggle as they wait for their grandparents to catch up, I try to look on the bright side. I guess it’s not quite the end of the world that we’re going to have to go forty-eight hours without our belongings. Without our toothbrushes, our underwear or any of our other daily essentials…
Eeek!
I’m trying to be positive, but my stomach churns at the very thought.

‘The hotel will have shampoo, towels and all that stuff.’ Oliver sighs, throwing an arm around my shoulders as we step out of the airport and into the warm evening air.

Nodding in response, I try to force my lips into a smile. Let’s put our positive caps on. We’re in Florida! The fabulous Sunshine State! So what if we’re missing some creature comforts of home. This is Noah’s birthday treat; the least I can do is put on a brave face for his sake. Watching him twirl a handful of curls around his little fingers, totally oblivious to the pandemonium, I have to admit that Noah won’t be bothered in the slightest about the missing luggage. Reminding myself that I packed some of his things in the hand luggage, I start to feel a little better.

‘Don’t let it ruin the vacation.’ Oliver whispers, giving my hand an encouraging squeeze. ‘There’s nothing we can do, so let’s just try and make the most of it…’

*   *   *

Thank God for hotels. I’ve never been so grateful to see those mini toiletries in all my life. Seriously, complimentary shower gel never smelt so damn good. Why have I always taken these for granted in the past? Letting the warm water wash over my face, I tip back my head and rinse the last of the conditioner out of my hair. After a good night’s sleep I am feeling a little more positive about suitcase-gate. I say a little, because the thought of not having any make-up still makes my belly flip, but I’m beginning to come to terms with the situation. Reaching out for a towel, I wrap myself up like a fluffy marshmallow and pad over to the mirror. I might not have a fresh change of clothes, any moisturiser or my precious Frizz-Ease, but at least I don’t stink and that’s more than I could say last night.

When we finally made it to our hotel yesterday, the annoyance of our lost suitcases was massively eased by the fabulousness that is Florida. I have to admit that before now, Orlando wasn’t a place that I’ve been desperate to visit, but from the very moment we picked up the car I found myself falling head over heels in love. I’m not completely sure what I expected from the Sunshine State, but this was not it. The bright lights, the buzz of exhilaration in the air and the all-encompassing magic of the place just consumed me as we sped along the highway. With my nose pressed firmly against the window I could easily be mistaken for an overly excited toddler on her way to see Mickey and Minnie. Orlando had most definitely redeemed itself.

Looking at my reflection in the steamed up bathroom mirror, I splash some water on my face and reach for the complimentary hand wash. After using the tiny travel toothbrush in a poor attempt to clean my teeth, I roughly towel dry my hair and tug on yesterday’s worn leggings. Realising that they have the remnants of Noah’s supper on them, I let out a groan and throw open the bathroom door.

‘I haven’t got any pants!’ I wail, throwing myself down on the bed next to a smiling Noah. ‘What am I going to do?’

Looking up from the room service menu, Oliver spins around to face me. ‘Can’t you just turn them inside out? I did.’

‘Eww! That’s disgusting!’ Shooting him a scowl, I bury my head in the pillow and let out a silent scream.

‘I’m sure it won’t kill you just for one day. They’re just panties…’

‘Not my knickers, Oliver!’ I hold up my stained leggings to emphasise my point. ‘My
pants!
’

Even after all these years, the British/American translation barrier still rears its ugly head from time to time.

‘Oh.’ Letting out a chuckle, he pushes himself to his feet and scans the room for a moment before rifling through Noah’s outfits. ‘There’s gotta be something in here you can wear.’

Obviously realising that I’m not going to fit into a toddler’s onesie, he turns his attention to my leggings and gives them a closer look. With sticky chocolate mousse down the leg and what appears to be the last of Noah’s strawberry milkshake on the bum, they aren’t in any condition to be worn.

‘Well, there’s a mall right up the street. Let’s go and buy you something pretty.’ Oliver grabs his wallet and holds out his hand for mine.

‘I can’t leave the hotel like this!’

He flashes me a strained smile and I almost feel bad for kicking up a fuss.

‘Alright, give me five minutes…’

Watching him disappear into the bathroom, the offending leggings in hand, I check my phone for any messages from the airline. Annoyance bubbles in my chest as I realise that I haven’t received a single email. So much for award winning customer service! Tossing my phone onto the bedside cabinet, I blow a raspberry on Noah’s stomach and ruffle his hair. At least one of us is dressed in a fresh set of clothes and ready to face the day.

‘Stop!’ He yells, fighting for his freedom frantically.

A McDonald’s advert flashes up on the television and he lets out a little squeal, making me jump in my seat.

‘Yes, Noah. I’m hungry too.’ Thank God we kept our money in the hand luggage or this situation could be ten times worse. ‘Five minutes and we will go and get breakfast, OK?’

‘OK.’ He mumbles, chewing on his fingers to show me just how hungry he is.

The sun shines through the window and I can’t help but smile, despite the unfortunate circumstances. I don’t believe there’s a person in the world that doesn’t have their spirits lifted by the sight of a clear blue sky. Sunshine makes everything seem a little bit better, doesn’t it? Pulling back the luxurious drapes, I run my fingers along the embellished hemline and let them fall to the ground in a series of perfect pleats. In the chaos of last night, I haven’t even told you just how marvellous our hotel is. From the moment we arrived in a frazzled haze, the concierge went above and beyond to do everything they could to make our stay that little bit more comfortable. Brittany, the beautiful young girl who checked us in, was appalled at discovering the airline had lost our suitcases and made it her personal mission to ensure we weren’t left stranded. Making a mental note to pass my appreciation on to her manager, I press my nose against the glass and look down at the streets below.

The view from up here really is spectacular. From golf courses and lakes to rollercoasters and swimming pools, you could stand here all day and still notice something else. It’s like watching a silent movie, one where you don’t have a clue what’s going to happen next, but you just know it’s going to be something amazing. The bathroom door creaks open and I spin around to see a flustered Oliver tossing my leggings into the bin.

‘Oliver!’ I yell, running across the room and snatching them up. ‘What are you doing?’ Noticing that they are now covered in a sticky green slime, I drop them back into the bin and push past him for a towel. ‘Eww! What happened?’

‘I tried to use the bathroom products to clean them…’ Letting out a sigh, he shrugs his shoulders and pulls off his t-shirt. ‘Here, just wear this.’

I take the t-shirt from him and lean over to stop Noah from rolling off the bed. ‘And what do you expect me to do with this, exactly?’

Oliver rubs his face and I notice his stomach grumbling loudly. ‘Can you please just wear it while we go to the mall?’

Turning it over in my hands, I hold it against my body and screw up my nose. ‘If I wear this, what will you wear?’

He scans the room for a moment before reaching for his jacket and zipping it all the way up to his chin. Looking down at the t-shirt dubiously, I tug it over my head and wander into the bathroom, laughing as I take in my reflection.

‘I can’t go out like this! I look
ridiculous!’

Popping his head around the door frame, he takes off his belt and wraps it around my waist. ‘It covers your ass; it will do for a half hour until we can get to the store.’

I stare into the mirror, quickly realising that I don’t really have any choice in the matter. I can either lose my dignity and venture out wearing nothing more than my husband’s slept in t-shirt or I can stay in the room and trust Oliver to buy me something suitable. Yes, the dignity is going to have to go. Tugging at the hem, I let out a groan and grab my handbag. Just keeping smiling and hopefully no one will notice the crazy British chick who is wandering around Orlando minus her pants. Noah looks down at my bare legs and laughs hysterically, only adding to my misery.

‘You look silly!’ He cries, pointing and laughing loudly.

I lock eyes with Oliver who annoyingly joins in with Noah’s laughter. Not knowing what to else to do, I allow my face to break into a smile.

‘Let’s just get out of here…’