Clara Bounces Back

by Lacey London

  Chapter 16

  Waiting until the limousine pulls away from the building, I slowly turn around to face the music. Preparing myself for the barrage of abuse I’m about to receive, I cover my eyes with my hands and peek through my fingers.

  ‘What have you done?’ Hugh whispers in horror. ‘What the hell have you done?’

  ‘Marc is going to freak out.’ Not being able to bring himself to look at me, Vernon stares down at the ground. ‘I don’t even know what to say.’

  ‘Will you two stop?’ Lianna exclaims, plucking the last of the halloumi from the buffet. ‘We were all aware that we had to get this deal no matter what.’

  ‘We haven’t got this deal.’ Vernon interrupts in frustration. ‘The deal now rests on Janie sweet-talking Stelios for the next seven days.’

  One by one, we turn around and look at my mother-in-law sceptically. Tipping the contents of her shopping onto Owen’s desk, she holds each thong against her body and poses in the mirror like an ageing glamour model. Being too consumed in her own little world, she was completely oblivious to what was going on and even now Stelios has gone, she’s still none the wiser.

  ‘What the hell are you all looking at me for?’ She snarls, throwing a pink thong at Vernon and laughing when it lands on his shoulder.

  Realising that I have to take responsibility for my actions, I inhale deeply before speaking.

  ‘Janie…’ I say gently, slowly making my way over to her. ‘Can I talk to you for a moment?’

  Letting out a groan, she collapses into Owen’s chair and yawns. ‘If it’s about Noah, Oliver told me to leave.’

  Biting my lip, I rub my sweaty palms on my skirt nervously. ‘No, it’s nothing to do with Noah, but we do have a job for you.’

  Obviously sensing that I’m struggling with this, Lianna picks up the conversation. ‘Janie, you clearly saw that Stelios Christopoulos took a shine to you just now.’

  ‘Honey, all men do.’ Janie purrs, deserting her new underwear and resorting to her usual trick of scouring the office for booze.

  ‘Well, we are desperately trying to collaborate with him.’ Li explains, gathering Janie’s thongs and putting them back into her shopping bags. ‘However, he needs a few more days to look into our offer a little more and pretty much just be schmoozed into signing the contract.’

  ‘What does that have to do with me?’ Taking a lipstick from her bra, Janie pouts into the computer screen and applies a thick layer to her scarlet lips.

  I notice Hugh and Vernon glare at me, but keep smiling regardless.

  ‘It has everything to do with you!’ I gush, trying to make this sound as though it’s a great opportunity for her. ‘Because he wants to deal exclusively with you!’

  Pausing with the lipstick to her mouth, Jane attempts to pull her frozen forehead into a frown. ‘What the hell are you talking about? I don’t work here!’

  I look down at her revealing choice of outfit and raise my eyebrows. ‘Let’s just say he appreciates your unique style and beauty.’ I whisper quietly, already knowing that Janie welcomes any sniff of male attention, regardless of who or where it comes from.

  ‘Really?’ She replies, clearly intrigued as to where this conversation is heading. ‘So, what would I have to do, exactly?’

  ‘You would have to act on behalf of the company.’ Hugh interjects, joining us at Owen’s desk. ‘You would have to accompany Stelios on business lunches, laugh at his jokes and basically endorse Suave until his ego has been massaged enough for him to sign the damn papers.’

  Janie whistles loudly and puts her feet up on Owen’s desk. ‘What’s in it for me?’

  ‘The satisfaction that you would be rescuing the company.’ Hugh replies quickly, evidently irked by her attitude.

  ‘And potentially saving hundreds of jobs.’ Vernon adds, trying his hardest to make it sound appealing to her.

  Not taking the bait, Janie spins around in Owen’s plush chair.

  ‘Also, judging by the limousine that he arrived in, you would be wined and dined in some very fancy places.’ Lianna muses, pretending that she doesn’t really care if Janie agrees to this or not. ‘Spending the week with a millionaire, sorry, billionaire is obviously going to have its perks.’

  Fixing her gaze on mine, Janie waits for me to add my offering.

  Knowing there’s only one thing for it, I take a deep breath and give her the one thing she’s holding out for. ‘And you can have as much Rémy Martin as you can drink…’

  ‘Deal!’ She yells loudly, holding out her hand to make it official.

  ‘Only once he has signed.’ Positioning my hand an inch from hers, I wait for her to agree before allowing her to take it.

  ‘You better have that cognac at the ready!’ She hoots brashly, banging her hand down on the table. ‘I’ll have that contract by this time tomorrow!’

  ‘As much as I would love that to be true, I don’t think it’s going to be quite as simple as that.’ Hugh explains, bringing us back down to earth with a thud. ‘Stelios is going to expect you to give him the hard sell. He’s still to be convinced that this is a great opportunity for him and when there’s a lot of money at stake, convincing him will take more than a quick fluttering of the eyelashes. You’re going to have to put the work in if you have any chance of pulling this off.’

  ‘Just relax!’ Janie trills, finally finding Owen’s brandy and swigging straight from the bottle. ‘I’ll have him eating out of the palm of my hand.’

  ‘This isn’t a joke, Janie.’ Rubbing his face restlessly, Vernon takes a deep breath. ‘Everything is riding on this. Everything is riding on you.’

  Seemingly becoming uneasy with the sudden pressure, Janie stands up and grabs her collection of bags. ‘You know what? I’m not sure I want to be involved with this. Maybe you should ask someone else.’

  Blocking her exit, I let out a nervous laugh. ‘There isn’t anyone else, Janie. His stipulation is that he deals with you and only you. Without you on board, the whole thing falls to pieces…’

  Staring back at me, Janie throws back her head and wails dramatically. ‘Jeez! And to think I just came in here to say hey…’

  Chapter 17

  After the bizarre meeting with Stelios earlier, it took us a good couple of hours to persuade Janie to take on the mammoth task of being our representative for the next seven days. Today has been both mentally and physically draining and just when I thought it was over, I now face the biggest challenge of all.

  Convincing Marc and Oliver that I’ve made the right decision was never going to be easy, but now that the words have tumbled out of my mouth, I’m feeling less confident than ever in my choice.

  Looking at the two stunned faces staring back at me, I silently pray that they don’t give me a hard time.

  ‘Good one!’ Suddenly bursting into laughter, Marc takes off his glasses and bats my arm playfully. ‘You really had me going there!’

  Smiling awkwardly, I shake my head and chew the inside of my cheek. This is not how I hoped this conversation would unfold.

  ‘You’re not joking, are you?’ Oliver whispers, his jaw dropping open in shock.

  ‘Of course she’s bloody joking!’ Laughing out loud, Marc bends down to stroke Pumpkin as she runs across the balcony. ‘Even Pumpkin wouldn’t be stupid enough to leave the future of the company in the hands of Janie…’ Marc’s words fade into silence as he studies my face closely. ‘Right, Andrews?’

  ‘Please don’t freak out.’ I say gently, searching for something to add to my story that will make it seem plausible.

  ‘Clara!’ Oliver cries in despair. ‘Why? Why would you do this?’

  Blood rushes to my face and I look down at the ground in embarrassment as Marc pushes himself up and walks away. When Stelios demanded to deal with Janie, it didn’t seem like that big of a deal, but seeing their reaction is making me view things in a whole new light. Have I really just thrown away our last chance at salvaging the business?

  Hearing M
arc gabble to himself hysterically, I force myself to walk over to him and place my hand on his shoulder.

  ‘How the hell did you think this was a good idea?’ He seethes, leaning over the balustrade. ‘All you had to do was get the damn contract signed.’

  ‘He wouldn’t sign the contract.’ I protest mildly, not wanting to argue with him. ‘Stelios demanded seven days to assess the proposal and he also demanded that he deals exclusively with Janie.’

  Staring down at the streets below, Marc swears angrily.

  ‘Don’t think we came to this decision lightly. We didn’t hand it to him on a plate.’ A police car fires past the building and I wait for the sirens to fade into the distance before continuing. ‘You said to do whatever it takes. It was this or he walked.’

  Oliver strides across the balcony and joins us by the railing, his expression slightly softer than it was a few moments ago. ‘Letting him walk wasn’t an option, I’m aware of that. It’s just… my mom, really?’

  Scratching his spotty arm, Marc refuses to look me in the eye.

  ‘Stop that.’ I scold. ‘You’re going to scar.’

  ‘I think chickenpox scars are the least of my worries right now, don’t you?’ Marc scoffs, brushing off my concern.

  ‘Stelios is going to sign.’ I say decidedly, standing between him and Oliver. ‘He knows he is getting a fantastic deal and the opportunity to annoy Giulia is too delicious for him to miss. He simply wants the pleasure of Janie’s company for a few days before making it official.’

  ‘What a creep.’ Oliver growls, kicking his shoe against the ground. ‘The guy sounds like a jerk.’

  ‘Oh, come on!’ Throwing my arms around the pair of them, I pull them towards me. ‘It’s all a power game to him. Just give Stelios his moment of glory. Let him think he’s keeping us dangling and by this time next week, we will be popping the champagne.’

  Silence comes back at me until Marc breaks it with a whimper.

  ‘I hope you’re right, Andrews.’ Wriggling out of my grip, he half-heartedly nods as we turn to look at the skyline in the distance. ‘For all of our sakes, I hope you’re right…’

  Chapter 18

  For many years, a small part of me envied Marc for being the manager. It always secretly irked me that despite us being on an equal footing at home, in the office, he called the shots. However, after just a single day of taking the lead and making executive decisions, I can’t wait for his chickenpox to heal over so that he can get back here, where he belongs.

  Being in control seems so easy when you’re on the outside looking in, but when the shoe is on the other foot, you start to realise exactly how much pressure is involved.

  ‘I’ve got another ten bunches in the van.’ The delivery guy mumbles, handing over two enormous bouquets of roses. ‘You might want to make some room.’

  Staring at the mountain of flowers, I quickly pass one of the arrangements to Lianna and race after him. ‘Wait! You can’t leave these here! I’ve already told you there’s been a mistake!’

  The burly driver squints at his clipboard and points to the address. ‘This is Suave Enterprises, right?’

  ‘Yes.’ I stammer, trying to steal a glance at the clipboard before he whips it away. ‘But who are they from? Who sends someone a thousand red roses?’

  ‘Read the card!’ He yells over his shoulder, as he disappears into the lift.

  Quickly scanning the bouquet, I run back into the office and find Lianna smelling the flowers.

  ‘Is there a card in there?’ I ask, searching through the beautiful roses for a clue as to where they’ve come from. ‘The delivery driver is insisting there hasn’t been a mistake, but he can’t just leave them here! Stelios could show up at any minute and we can’t have him arriving to a bloody florist…’

  ‘Found it!’ Lianna announces, stopping my annoyed ramble in its tracks. ‘Let’s find out who the lucky person is and we can send them on their way…’

  Watching her eyes move across the text, I notice her visibly gulp.

  ‘What is it?’ I demand, leaning over the giant-sized spray.

  ‘They’re from Stelios.’ She whispers in awe, turning over the glossy card in her hands.

  ‘Stelios?’ I repeat, taking it from her. ‘Why is he sending… Janie a thousand red roses?’

  ‘This is a great sign!’ Lianna squeals, as the delivery guy returns. ‘If he’s so smitten with Janie already, she will have this contract signed in no time at all!’

  I take a moment to read the printed writing for the second time and feel a wave of nausea wash over me. ‘I don’t know, Li. This card makes it sound like he’s taking her on a date. This is strictly business. We can’t afford to have any, you know, funny business.’

  Lianna dismisses my apprehension and joyfully displays the bouquets around the office. ‘He’s simply invited her to dinner this evening to discuss the proposal. The roses are just his way of flashing the cash. Let him spend his money on Janie. As long as he signs, nothing else matters.’

  Thanking the delivery guy as he goes back to the van for the last of the roses, I try not to panic. ‘But it’s not just a business dinner, is it? He’s taking her to The Three Palms! There’s absolutely no way that Janie can go to The Three Palms. They won’t let her through the door.’

  Lianna blows a strand of hair out of her face and appears deep in thought. ‘The dress code is pretty strict. She can’t go as she normally dresses, that’s for sure.’

  ‘She would need a complete makeover.’ I say decidedly, trying to figure out how I can transform my brash mother-in-law into a classy businesswoman in just eight hours.

  ‘Then a complete makeover is what she will get.’ Placing one of the bouquets in the window, Lianna takes a single rose and slips it into her bun. ‘The guys will be back from their lunch at any moment. We’ll grab Janie and whizz her around the shops. Once I’m finished with her, Cinderella shall be fit for the ball…’

  * * *

  ‘I ain’t wearing that!’ Janie sneers, tottering around the department store with her arms folded defensively. ‘Who do you think I am, Martha Stewart?’

  Ignoring her protests, I pluck the tweed bolero from the rail and hand it to Maria, our personal shopper. ‘She’ll try it on.’

  Knocking back the complimentary bubbles, Janie makes a beeline for the lingerie section.

  ‘I think you have enough underwear for all of us, don’t you?’ Grabbing her by the arm, I lead her back to the suits as Lianna motions to a classic shift dress with matching shawl.

  ‘This is the kind of thing we’re looking for.’ Li explains to Maria. ‘We want something elegant and formal, yet feminine and alluring. Do you know what I’m saying?’

  ‘Absolutely.’ Maria takes the dress and slips it onto her arm. ‘You guys go back to the dressing room and enjoy the complimentary champagne. I’ll grab some pieces and be with you shortly.’

  Hearing complimentary champagne, Janie gallops back the dressing room like a bat out of hell.

  ‘Did you have to choose somewhere that offered alcohol?’ I grumble, weaving between the mannequins as we follow Janie’s footsteps.

  ‘I had to offer her something to sweeten the deal.’ Pausing to admire a display of pearl necklaces, Lianna links her arm through mine. ‘I still can’t believe she agreed to do this in the first place.’

  ‘I suppose you’re right.’ Grabbing a strand of pearls, I pick up a delicate pashmina. ‘I don’t think many people would change their whole appearance just to secure a contract for a business that isn’t theirs.’

  ‘That’s true.’ Lianna admits solemnly. ‘But we don’t have any other option. What did Marc say about Project Janie?’

  Smiling as I recall my conversation with Marc this morning, I hang back as Maria slips into the dressing room. ‘I just told him that Stelios had booked The Three Palms and left him to come to the same conclusion we did. Although, he wasn’t very happy with giving me the PIN code to the company credit card. We’re u
nder strict instructions to be sensible.’

  ‘Sensible.’ Lianna repeats with a smirk on her face. ‘When are we anything but?’

  I stifle a giggle as we come to a stop outside the changing rooms and grab a flute of fizz from the counter.

  ‘I thought you weren’t drinking.’ Lianna teases, taking a glass for herself.

  ‘I wasn’t.’ I whisper, hearing Janie’s ear-piercing cackle drift out onto the shop floor. ‘But something tells me that I’m going to need a little Dutch courage.’

  Draining the flute in one swift gulp, I place the glass back onto the counter and walk into the dressing room.

  ‘I don’t care how much of this crap you feed me, I am not wearing that!’ Janie turns her back to Maria and I flash her an apologetic smile.

  ‘I’m so sorry about her.’ I mumble, as Lianna tries to talk Janie around. ‘We’re giving her an image overhaul and she’s not exactly open to the idea.’

  ‘I can see that.’ Keeping her professional smile firmly in place, Maria produces a rail of outfits. ‘I’ll give you a few minutes to have a look through these. If there’s anything you require in another size or colour, just press this button right here and I shall be right back.’

  With a final dubious glance at Janie, Maria disappears behind the velvet curtain, leaving the three of us alone.

  ‘Alright!’ Lianna trills, immediately pouncing on the rail of carefully chosen outfits. ‘Let’s see what we have here…’

  Flipping through the hangers, Li plucks a black tunic dress from the selection. ‘This is perfect! It would look stunning with the silk pashmina and pearls!’

  Whipping the expensive scarf from the rail, I drape it around the neckline of the dress and feel my lips stretch into a smile. ‘Smart and stylish. It’s exactly what we’ve been searching for!’

  Lianna nods approvingly and runs her fingers over the fabric. ‘We could team it with a pair of court shoes and an embellished baguette clutch.’