Meet Clara Andrews: A totally vacuous girl with a hangover... (13 page)

I awake on Friday morning momentarily forgetting the chaos of yesterday. In a matter of seconds, my mind is flooded with flashbacks of the bedlam that occurred in Lori’s clinical apartment. I fumble around under the duvet for my mobile. Where the hell is it? Rolling out of bed, I drag every sheet off before realising that I threw it across the room last night. I slip on my pink, floral dressing gown and scout the room for the missing phone. It has to be here somewhere, it can’t just vanish. Well actually, Oliver did a pretty good Houdini impression last night so I wouldn’t be surprised.

Finally spotting the phone under the radiator, I bend down to grab it, pretending not to notice my knees crunching like a ninety year old. Unlocking the screen, I am notified of two messages. One from my mother and the other, Lianna. Oliver has to talk to me sooner or later. We work together for God’s sake! Heading for the bathroom, I decide that I will get us some breakfast on the way in. No one can stay mad when presented with a sausage and egg bagel and a grovelling apology, can they? Best get a bacon bap too, just in case.

I get to Suave half an hour early. Armed with every breakfast option they had on the menu. Laying out enough food to feed a hungry army, I fold the napkins into paper swans and stand back to admire my handy work. I am still marvelling at my delicate paper birds, when I hear the studio doors squeak open. I hear Oliver before I see him. Unfortunately, they are not the words that I want to hear.

‘I think we need to talk.’ He sounds tired and flat.

Spinning around in my seat, I offer a smile and pretend I haven’t heard him.

‘I’ve brought breakfast. Bagels, baguettes, rolls, wraps, what do you fancy?’

‘I already ate.’ Not moving from his spot by the door, he drops his bag on the floor with a bang.

‘Oh. Are you sure you can’t fit something in?’ I know he is lying, but I decide not to push it.

‘Oliver, I did not sleep with George. Hand on my heart, I didn’t. I went on a couple of dates with him before I started to date you. I told you I was dating someone, remember?’ I look at him for a reaction, but he doesn’t say anything so I carry on.

‘After Manchester, I decided not to see him anymore. I didn’t want to tell him over a text so I was going to meet him tonight and break it off. I haven’t done anything wrong. I swear.’

‘You were going to meet him tonight? After everything we spoke about in Manchester? My God, Clara! I told my parents about you! I introduced you to my friends!’ He bangs his fists down on the table in anger.

‘I was meeting him to break things off! I swear!’ My pleading doesn’t seem to be having any affect. How can he not get this?

‘You know what, I don’t even wanna know. I just want to forget the entire thing. We have three designs to finish this line. Let’s get them done.’ Oliver sighs heavily and rubs his face.

‘So do I. I want to forget the entire thing. I’m so glad you believe me.’ I run over happily and hold out my arms for a much needed hug.

‘No, Clara.’ He backs away and puts his hands up in protest. ‘When I say I just want to forget it, I mean I want to forget us.’ Staring at me with sad, glassy eyes, he reaches down for his bag and pulls out his laptop.

His words hit me like a bullet to the chest. I have a slight ringing in my ears and suddenly feel very cold. Not wanting to cry in front of him, I pack up the breakfast buffet in silence and slip out of the room.  Taking the stairs to my old floor, I replay the argument, with his words going round and round in my head. I honestly can’t see where I have gone wrong. Granted dating two men is frowned upon, but they were only dates! As soon as Oliver told me he wanted a relationship, I planned to end things with George. If we wouldn’t have gone to that party last night, I would have broken things off with George tonight and everything would be OK.

I arrive at the seventh floor and paste a smile on my face before going in. Lianna is at her desk, tapping away on the keyboard at the speed of Road Runner.

‘Hello.’ I put the bag down on her desk, the whiff of bacon immediately gaining her attention.

‘Who is all this for?’ She routes through the bag and digs out a bacon roll, squeezing three sachets of ketchup onto the bread.

Not wanting to go into the sorry story now, I kick out the chair next to her and sit myself down.

‘Good deed for the day?’ I shrug my shoulders and Lianna looks at my suspiciously.

‘What’s wrong?’ Putting down her roll, she looks at me with concern.

‘Nothing, are you free later?’ Hoping she takes the hint and drops it, I fiddle with the ends of my hair.

‘I did have plans with Dan, but it’s not important. Want me to come to yours after work?’ She smiles and returns to her sandwich.

I nod and smile back. What would I do without Lianna? She unpacks the bag and proceeds to hand them out around the office. Coming back to her seat, she picks a piece of fluff off my jumper.

‘Is this a bottle of red and Doritos kind of problem?’

‘Actually, it’s more a case of red and entire Dominoes menu kind of problem.’

‘Want me to bring Marc?’

I nod again pathetically. I think it is safe to say I need as many friends as I can get right now.

I have never been more relieved to get out of work. Today has been like a gerbil’s funeral. Sad, strange and you don’t really want to be there. After the cross exchange this morning, Oliver didn’t say more than two words to me all day. I have never felt more alienated around another person in all my life.  Thank god Marc and Lianna are coming over shortly, I really need to vent my anger on the whole situation. They are dropping their cars off at home and getting taxis here so they can have a drink. I stopped off at Sainsbury’s on the way home and filled the boot with as much wine as possible, fully intending to drown my sorrows in a sea of Rioja.

No sooner had I filled the wine rack, there’s a knock at the door. Peeping through the spy hole, I watch Marc and Li huddle under an umbrella, fighting for shelter from the rain. Flipping down the latch and opening the door, they push their way in.

‘It’s freezing! I hope you have got the heating on?’ Marc grumbles as he balances three giant pizza boxes.

Lianna automatically goes into the kitchen and grabs a bottle of red and three glasses, whilst Marc opens up pizza boxes on the coffee table. Once we are snuggled around the table with a glass of wine and a slice of pizza, Li plucks up the courage to ask what is wrong.

‘So, are you going to spill the beans then, Andrews?’ She cocks her head to one side and squeezes sweet chilli sauce over a deep pan cheese and tomato.

‘I’m glad you have already got a drink because you are going to need it.’ I sigh before taking a gulp of my own wine.

I recap The Valentina and our amazing train journey, feeling depressed at recalling the memory. I watch Marc’s jaw drop at the sex and romantic declaration and I almost enjoy seeing their reaction to George being Oliver’s old buddy. By the time I have finished with this morning’s heated escapades, they are both staring at me in deathly silence.

‘So, what do you think? I haven’t done anything wrong, right?’ I look from Marc to Lianna, waiting for the verdict. Marc speaks up first.

‘Well to be honest, you kind of have.’ He says the words carefully, as though talking to a psychopathic three year old. I am too shocked to say anything, so I just stare at him, waiting for the elaboration. He glances at Lianna who is frowning at him furiously.

‘All I am saying, is that you did date two men at once. How would you feel knowing he was dating someone else at the same time as you?’

‘I would be totally fine with it.’ I lie blatantly in retaliation.

‘No you would not.’ Marc rolls his eyes and shakes his head.

Lianna wipes her greasy paws on a piece of kitchen roll and butts into the conversation.

‘I disagree. Clara was young free and single. She went on a couple of dates with two different guys, when things got serious with one of them, she decided to break things off with the other. It’s just unfortunate that they turned out to know each other. Anyway, I have known you date ten women at once so you can’t say anything!’ She digs him in the ribs with a bony finger.

‘Not any more. There’s only one woman for me.’

I wait for him to laugh but he seems deadly serious. Lianna shoots me a questioning look and puts her hand on his forehead.

‘Are you feeling OK?’ I can tell that she is only half joking.

‘I have never felt better.’ He dips a pizza crust in a dollop of garlic mayo and reaches for his drink.

‘There is something I’ve been meaning to tell you both. I don’t want it going any further than this room for now, but I wanted to share it with you.’

Lianna and I exchange concerned glances. What on earth is he going to say? Is he leaving Suave? Is he coming out of the closet?

‘Gina’s pregnant.’

I feel my jaw drop and automatically look at Li for her reaction. She claps her hands over her mouth, eyes like a startled blowfish.

‘Well?’ He looks between us, waiting for the first one to speak. Thankfully, Lianna breaks first.

‘Just so we are on the same page, that’s a good thing, right?’

‘It’s an amazing thing! I’ve never really thought about children before, but I couldn’t be happier. We both couldn’t.’ Marc smiles and takes off his glasses to rub his eyes. Is he crying?

‘Are you crying?’ I exclaim, genuinely touched at finally seeing an emotional side to the usual sarcastic Marc.

‘No! It’s just this pizza has so many onions.’ He quickly pushes his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

‘Well, I think congratulations are in order!’ I jump to my feet and grab a bottle of pink Moet from the fridge.

‘I had been saving this for a special occasion and I don’t think it gets more special or surprising than this.’ 

I grab a chair to reach the champagne flutes that are hiding at the back of the cupboard. Filling the glasses with pink, fuzzy suds, I watch from the kitchen as Lianna throws herself at Marc like the Honey Monster. Seeing my two friends full of joy and good news makes me temporarily forget about my own sorry problems. Marc having a baby with Gina has to be the most bizarre, funny yet weirdly adorable thing I have ever had the fortune of hearing. It shows goes to show, you never know what is around the corner.

By the time it goes dark on Saturday evening, I must have texted Oliver a dozen times and not heard anything back. Finally giving up, I dig my beautiful purple sandals out of their box and slip them onto my freshly polished feet. I used to think a pretty pair of shoes fixed all problems, if only that was true. Finally happy with my outfit, I totter down the stairs to wait for the cab. We decided last night that we would go into town tonight. Lianna has managed to tear herself away from Dan for the night and Marc, well Marc has used his get out of jail free card to nurse Gina through morning sickness, which ironically comes in the evening. Cute, I suppose.

After the initial excitement of the Immaculate Conception died down, we returned to the subject of my messed up love life. In the end, we all agreed that Oliver would come round eventually and if he didn’t, it was his loss anyway. The last part wasn’t something I was convinced of. Checking my phone for the trillionth time, I frown at the empty message folder and check the signal. Yep, still connected.

Hearing a horn blast outside, I pull my black, crochet poncho over my head and make for the door. I tip toe down the path, trying my hardest to avoid the muddy puddles and dive into the car.

‘Hello! Wow, that dress is pretty!’

As per usual, Lianna looks stunning. Her scoop neck, grey dress is gathered down one side, falling into a beautiful asymmetric hem. Everything about her screams Grecian goddess. Bitch.

‘So, the plan tonight is to have as many cosmopolitans as it takes to put a smile on that miserable face of yours.’ She pinches my nose jokingly and slips her arm through mine.

I manage a smile and change the subject. The single glass of red I had whilst getting ready is nowhere near enough to talk about Oliver gate.

‘Can you believe Marc and Gina are having a baby?’

‘I actually can’t! I wonder if they will get married.’ Lianna’s eyes light up.

She has always been in love with weddings. I have even spotted her buying bridal magazines in the past, although she would never admit it.

‘I doubt it. I don’t really see Gina as the traditional type.’

‘True, but did you see Marc as the baby daddy type?’

I think for a moment, but I can honestly say not in a million years would I have put Marc with a baby.

‘Good point. Oh, we’re here.’ I push a scrawled on note through the Perspex window to the driver and we head into the restaurant.  With the amount of alcohol I plan on consuming tonight, it is only wise to put down some solid foundations. And by solid foundations, I mean Indian food. And lots of it.

‘Li, I swear I had no intention of meeting with George for any other reason other than to end things with him.’ I scoop up some lime pickle into my chapatti and devour it in one.

‘I know, but Oliver doesn’t know that.’ She waves her glass around to emphasise her point.

‘But I told him! He just refuses to believe me! Instead he believes George who has told him I slept with him!’ Feeling my blood begin to boil, I fold my arms angrily.

‘Right, tonight is about making you forget Mr. American, not mope over him. Drink your cocktail.’ Lianna pushes my glass towards me and dives back in for the mango sauce.

‘You’re right. That’s the last time I will mention him.’ We clink glasses as our main courses arrive at the table.

Filling my plate with sugar, spice and all things nice, I munch away hungrily as Lianna tells me all about the wonderful Dan. I must admit, I am very surprised at how much he seems to have matured.

‘So, do you think it is for keeps this time?’ I ask, stuffing peshwari naan into my cake hole.

‘I really do. He has been amazing!’ Her eyes mist over and I roll my eyes.

‘Well, I am very glad that you are happy, but enough of the soppy stuff. If I can’t talk about my love life, I’m not spending my night listening to yours!’

‘Fine.’ She sticks her tongue out and picks up the drinks menu.

We go back to our food and I secretly take a peek at my phone. Still nothing! Refusing to give in to the temptation of texting him again, I turn my phone off and kick my bag under the table. There’s only one thing for it.

‘More cocktails?’

‘Most definitely.’

Completely stuffed and slightly intoxicated, we walk arm in arm down to Velvet, following the growing clusters of party people. The air is cold, but the high levels of alcohol in my system make it barely noticeable. The queue is longer than normal, but seems to fizzle down in no time at all. Once inside, I go and grab the last available booth whilst Lianna heads off to the bar. As I wait for her to return, my eyes scan the room, taking in all the loved up couples and groups of giggling girls. Velvet is known as being a local celeb hotspot and I am not ashamed to admit to keeping an eye out for Jude Law. To this day, the closest I have come is an ex Eastenders actor who was more sleazebag than heart throb. 

I am about to go and see what the holdup is when I spot a familiar face out of the corner of my eye. Spinning around so fast that I almost snap my neck, I blink twice trying to get my eyes to focus. I could have sworn that was George. Squinting in the dim light, I watch the figure head out of the door and down the street. Convincing myself that my eyes are playing tricks on me, I smile as Lianna plonks a bottle of red down on the table. My beer goggles must be working overtime tonight.