by Lacey London
Gathering together our belongings, I shoot a mournful look at the pile of smoked salmon on my plate.
‘What?’ She snarls, reaching for a toothpick and poking at her gums in a rather unladylike manner. ‘Don’t look at me like that.’
‘I didn’t look at you like anything!’ Suddenly feeling defensive, I sit Noah on my hip and scowl. ‘Sometimes you really are your own worst enemy, do you know that?’
‘Listen here, just you remember who’s paid for this vacation.’ Rising out of her chair, she points a long red talon in my face. ‘Damn ungrateful son of a…’
‘Do you know what, Janie?’ I squint my eyes at her as anger bubbles in my chest.
‘What?’ She spits, flipping open the drinks menu.
‘You really need to learn when to shut the hell up...’
You can be your own best friend
or your own worst enemy.
Choose wisely.
Chapter 13
Turning on my heels, I narrowly avoid walking into the world’s tallest waitress and march off after Oliver. Smiling apologetically, I pick up my pace and scan the hall for my sulking husband. This is getting ridiculous. If this is how the rest of the holiday is going to be then we might as well just go straight to the airport and catch the next flight home. To be honest, I would give anything to be back in London right now. In our apartment with our friends and miles away from Janie and the constant headache I’ve had since I found out about Paulie.
Dodging a row of neatly stacked suitcases, I slip through the giant double doors and wander around the carpark. Finally locating Oliver at the car, I hold Noah on my hip and slowly make my way towards him. Holding open the passenger door, he takes Noah from me and proceeds to buckle him into his seat. Once was are all safely belted up, I turn on the radio to drown out our voices and hand Noah the portable DVD player. Waiting for him to become engrossed in his movie, I turn my attention to Oliver.
‘This has to stop, Oliver.’ Keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the road, he taps his knuckles on the gear stick. ‘I mean it. This angry, passive aggressive attitude is not good for anyone.’
‘How do you expect me to react? You tell me, what exactly should I be doing right now?’
His eyes look livid, but I can see right through his steely expression. Lashing out is Oliver’s way of dealing with things.
‘You will never change you mother, you know that. There’s no point in trying to fight her on this.’
He lets out a scoff and puts his foot on the accelerator. With him refusing to show any remorse, I flick through the radio stations until I hear teen pop and turn it up loud. For a moment he refuses to acknowledge what is spilling out of his speakers, before finally giving in and jabbing at the OFF button.
‘What do you want me to say, Clara? That it’s OK? That I am completely cool with my mom leaving my dad for a dude who probably still wears diapers?’ He runs his hands through his hair and swings the car into the left hand lane. ‘I know that I’m not handling this all that well, but the truth is, I don’t really know what I should be doing right now.’
Looking the other way, I glimpse at Noah in the rear view mirror and reach for Oliver’s hand.
‘Maybe we don’t have to know how to deal with it. Maybe we just need to put brave faces on, for Noah’s sake if no one else’s. Do you think you can do that?’
‘I don’t know.’ We come to a set of lights and he brakes gently, refusing to look at me. ‘What I really don’t understand, is why I can’t get in touch with my dad. Something’s going on and I don’t know what, but I’m gonna find out…’
‘Well, until you do, can you turn that frown upside down and please start to enjoy the damn holiday again? Because right now I am miserable and that is not how you should feel on holiday.’
Tugging on the handbrake, he turns to face me and gives me a subtle nod.
Taking that as a yes, I wink in response and slide out of the car. With our rather intense conversation on the journey here, I didn’t give a second thought to where we were going. When Oliver said I-Drive, I expected shopping centres, the odd restaurant and maybe a few hotels. The truth is that I haven’t ever seen anything quite like it. The sun is casting a blinding white light over us, making it almost impossible to see properly without sunglasses. Realising that they are well and truly embedded in my mountain of curls, I resort to stealing Oliver’s and dig out my phone for some photos. Wow! This place is really cool! From the huge Ferris wheel in front of us to the frankly fabulous upside down house across the street, the tourist inside me is just itching to get the show on the road.
I am about to ask Oliver where we are heading first when I spot a young family climbing out of an adjacent car. A cute little girl wearing an adorable yellow dress fights her way out of her father’s arms and points animatedly down the road. Jumping up and down on the spot, she clearly seems extremely excited about something.
‘Crazy Cavern!’ She screams, grabbing her father’s hand and practically dragging him across the car park. ‘Come on! Let’s go already!’
Letting out a laugh, I raise my hand in acknowledgment as the mother turns around and shakes her head at me.
‘We have been here for five days and three of them have been spent at the damn Crazy Cavern.’ She rolls her eyes and pulls the squealing child onto her hip. ‘Have you guys experienced the joys of the Crazy Cavern yet?’
‘Fortunately, we have not. Although we may have to make today a first.’ I look down at Noah who is peeking at the little girl from the safety of his pram.
‘Well, I hope your little one enjoys it as much as Lottie here.’ Looking down at the little girl, she tickles her under the chin and pretends to let her fall. ‘What do you think of the Crazy Cavern, Lottie?’
‘It’s the best thing ever!’ She screams, her blonde pigtails bouncing around like crazy.
‘So, are you giving it a shot?’ Lottie’s mum asks, taking a couple of steps in the opposite direction.
Looking over my shoulder at Oliver, I shield my eyes from the sun and beckon him over. ‘What do you say? Do you think we can brave it?’
‘Sure…’ He says uncertainly, locking the car and heaving the nappy bag onto his shoulder.
‘It looks like we might be joining you!’ I flash her a smile, secretly glad to be having some extra company. ‘If you don’t mind, of course.’
‘Not at all!’ Holding out her hand, she points to the man next to her. ‘I’m Hannah and this is my husband, Joe.’
‘It’s lovely to meet you. I’m Clara, this is Oliver and our son, Noah.’ After shaking hands with everyone, I leave the men to talk and fall into step beside Hannah.
‘Is this your first time here?’ Hannah asks, flipping on her sunglasses.
‘For Noah and I, yes, but Oliver is from Texas and has been numerous times.’
Her eyes sparkle as she looks back at Oliver and I can’t help but feeling a little smug. Yes, he is gorgeous. Yes, I am aware of just how lucky I am. And no, he doesn’t have a brother. Sorry, ladies!
‘We have been before many moons ago, but this is our first visit with the little one.’ She smiles down at Lottie who is now marching on ahead. ‘It’s a lot different having a four-year-old in tow. I think we’re going to need another holiday to get over this one.’
‘That’s exactly what I said! It’s certainly different to Caribbean beach escape, isn’t it?’
‘Oh, it’s like night and day…’
I laugh along as Hannah tells tales of their previous visits to the Sunshine State. Listening to someone else’s adventures isn’t really how I like to spend my holidays, but as long as it keeps enough distance between Oliver and I, I am going to fix a smile to my face and pay attention. I understand that this whole Paulie thing is a lot for Oliver to take on-board, but a tiny part of me can’t help but think he’s over reacting ever so slightly. I thought his knee jerk reaction would wear off after he had time to digest the situation, but if anything it has just gotten worse.
We come to a stop outside a giant red building and I let out an inward groan as the sound of screaming children drifts out onto the street. At least I won’t be able to hear Oliver’s moaning. Letting Hannah take the lead, I wait for Joe and Oliver to catch up. I can tell from the look on Oliver’s face that he isn’t exactly thrilled to be talking to Joe.
Lottie taps me on the knee, clapping her hands together excitedly. ‘Are you going to go in the Crazy Cavern?’
‘I might do.’ I whisper, pushing the door open to reveal utter chaos.
‘Here goes!’ Hannah groans and throws Lottie onto her shoulders. ‘If we don’t get out of here alive, it was nice knowing you.’
I let out a nervous laugh and follow her inside. The entire building is either red or yellow and padded in a plush, spongey cushioning that you just want to throw yourself at. Picking up Noah, I dodge a group of chattering children and try to work out where to start. Curved slides leading to massive ball pits line the back wall with hordes of children throwing themselves down like bowling balls. Each one is beaming from ear to ear, shrieking with sheer delight as they land into the sea of multi-coloured balls with a bump. I think it’s safe to say that this place is going to leave me with one almighty headache.
‘In there...’ Noah points at the slides with eyes like saucers.
Attempting to unbuckle himself from the pram, he squeals like crazy to get down.
‘One minute, just wait a second until I can see how it works.’ Trying to stop him from having a tantrum, I scan the noticeboard for any rules or restrictions.
All children under the age of five must be accompanied by an adult.
Well, I hope Oliver is up for diving in there because there’s absolutely no way I am going into that mad house. Hannah props Lottie up on the counter and taps me on the shoulder.
‘Who’s going in with the little one?’ She asks, handing over cash and swapping it for a red wristband which she immediately passes to Joe.
I look up at Oliver hopefully, hoping he doesn’t put up too much of a fight.
‘You’re kidding, right?’ Shooting me a scowl, he shakes his head and laughs sarcastically. ‘I’m six feet tall, Clara. You can’t seriously think that I am getting in there.’ I look him up and down and purse my lips, not giving up without a fight. ‘You’re tiny! You get in there!’
Hoping my silence speaks volumes, I plant a pink kiss on Noah’s cheek and pass him over.
‘Jesus Christ…’ Oliver sighs and holds out his wrist for a shiny band.
‘Let’s go, guys! Last one down the slide has to buy the gummy bears!’ Throwing Lottie in the air, Joe gives Oliver an enthusiastic high five and fires across the room.
Trying to swallow the laugh that is bubbling in my throat, I point over to the slides and wink cheekily. Watching him reluctantly wander off, I take a seat on the edge of a booth and wonder what happens next. Whilst Hannah snaps photos on her phone of Joe and Lottie, I spot a bar on the other side of the room. Grabbing my handbag, I squeeze past a couple of squawking kids and tap Hannah on the arm.
‘I’m going to grab a drink. Do you want anything?’
‘I’ll go.’ Digging around in her jeans pocket, she produces a red card and waves it around in the air. ‘We signed up to their member’s programme. We get fifty percent off!’ Her eyes glint as she turns over the card in her hands. ‘Maybe you guys should sign up too.’
I look over at Oliver who’s scowling like Oscar the Grouch and shake my head. ‘Something tells me that this will be the first and last time we come here!’
Hannah laughs heartily and dumps her cardigan on the seat next to me before heading off for some bargain snacks. Flipping through the pile of leaflets on the table, I am surprised to see that they have free WiFi. A quick glance at my watch tells me that Lianna should now be in the world of the living. With her being so far away, we don’t always get the chance to have a girly natter and talk through our day to day problems, but I think my mother-in-law having an affair with a near teenager most definitely qualifies for an emergency FaceTime session.
Plucking my phone from the depths of my handbag, I slide into the corner of the booth and hide behind a menu in a poor attempt at drowning out the noise. The familiar birdlike bleeping rings out from my handset as I mentally will her to pick up. Just as I am going to give up, the black screen springs into life.
‘Clara?’ Lianna’s tanned face peers out at me, her giant aviator sunnies pushed up into her hair. ‘Where the hell are you?’
‘I’m in Orlando!’ I yell above the chaos. ‘Remember?’
‘Well, duh! Where exactly are you and what is all that noise?’ She screws up her nose and covers her ears dramatically.
Laughing to myself, I attempt to turn up the volume on the speakers. ‘We are at the Crazy Cavern. It’s a children’s play centre.’ Turning around the screen to show her, I grimace as a high pitched squeal erupts from the ball pit.
‘It looks… fun.’ She says uncertainly, intentionally tilting her handset so that I can see the perfectly still water behind her. ‘Where’s Noah?’
‘In there with Oliver!’
‘I bet he was just thrilled about that!’ Giggling loudly, she takes a sip of what looks like rum punch and a wave of envy washes over me. ‘How are things with the in-laws? Janie still Janie?’
‘Janie is out Janie-ing herself right now…’ I let out a sigh and look down at my dress.
Lianna raises her eyebrows and props her iPad up in the sand. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Well… she has left Randy.’
‘No!’ She gasps, snatching the iPad back and holding it an inch from her face. ‘When? Why?’
‘I don’t know why but I do know that she has a new boyfriend.’ Even as I say it, the word boyfriend sounds absolutely ridiculous.
Staring blankly at me with a startled expression on her golden face, she opens and closes her mouth repeatedly. As sadistic as it is, a small part of me is enjoying watching her reaction. With us not having anyone else here, we haven’t been able to share this unbelievable piece of information until now.
‘Who’s the new boyfriend? Wait a minute…’ Running across the sand for a better reception, she throws herself into a hammock. ’Let me guess. Old, crinkly and filthy rich?’
I shake my head as I picture Janie’s love interest in my mind. ‘The total opposite! His name is Paulie…’
‘Paulie?’ Lianna interrupts me mid flow and lets out a cackle.
‘Paulie!’ I confirm, trying to keep my serious face on. ‘He is twenty-six, cocky as hell, not bad to look at and an aspiring actor.’
‘What is she playing at?’ Lianna gasps and allows her jaw to fall open. ‘Don’t take this the wrong way, but what the hell does someone like that want with Janie?’ She waves her arms around to emphasise her point, catching the attention of a couple of tourists who are strolling along the shore behind her. ‘She’s old enough to be his grandmother, drinks too much and swears like a sailor.’
‘Exactly!’ Truth be told, I hadn’t actually put much thought into Paulie’s motives behind this rather sickening relationship, all of my concern has been for poor Randy.
‘How has Oliver taken this?’ Lianna asks, bursting my thought bubble.
‘Pretty badly, as I am sure you can imagine. He hasn’t hit him yet though and I really thought he would, so I guess that’s a plus.’
‘Wait a minute, he’s there?’
‘He works as a character in one of the theme parks…’
‘Oh, God!’ Lianna scratches her chin, giving me a glimpse of her stunning sapphire engagement ring. ‘She really doesn’t have any shame, does she? How about Randy? Is he OK?’
‘That’s the thing. No one can get in touch with him! Oliver must have tried to call him a thousand times, but he just can’t get through.’ Screwing up my nose, I rub my temples and sigh. ‘I haven’t said anything to Oliver, but I’m getting a little worried. You don’t think Randy has done anything stupid
do you?’
She pauses for a split second before shaking her head adamantly. ‘No, I don’t think so. Randy is stronger than that.’
I am about to go into more detail about the whole torrid affair when Hannah places two plastic beakers down on the table. Motioning to her that I will wrap up the call, I flash her the thumbs up sign.
‘I have to go, but I shall phone you soon.’ I wave manically at the screen and move over to make room for Hannah.
‘Definitely! Keep me up to date!’ Blowing a kiss at the screen, she jabs at the monitor and it bounces back to black.
‘Sorry about that. I was abusing the free WiFi to call my friend in Barbados.’
‘Wow!’ Hannah passes me a beaker and stuffs her cardigan into her handbag. ‘Barbados!’
I take a sip of what appears to be orange juice and smile as I realise that it’s some kind of virgin cocktail.
‘She moved out there a year ago.’ I lean back in my seat and get comfortable. ‘She runs a beach bar with her husband.’
Hannah stares at me blankly for a moment before curling up her lip. ‘I think I just turned green with envy.’
‘I do every time I speak to her!’ Wanting to steer the conversation away from Lianna’s lovely life in the Caribbean, I attempt to chance the subject. ‘So, where have been your favourite places in Orlando?’
‘Well, as you can see, Lottie loves it here.’ She pauses to point out Lottie and Joe, who are diving head first down the slides.’ But we also loved Fantasy Fun Land, the park by the ocean near Rapture Realm and Magic Metropolis.’
My stomach drops as I recall our day at Magic Metropolis. Janie, Paulie, the bloody dinosaur costume. Bleurgh!
‘Have you been to any of those?’
‘We have been to Magic Metropolis.’ I slurp away at my drink and look behind her for any signs of Oliver and Noah.
