Free Clara in America (Clara Andrews Series - Book 7) by Lacey London

handles of the pram as Oliver comes to a stop at a slushy stand. Tons of cocktails and mocktails fill the chalkboard, each one sounding more delicious than the last.
    ‘Can we take three daiquiris, please?’ Oliver asks the vendor. ‘Mom, what flavour do you want?’
    Applying yet another layer of pillar box red to overly inflated lips, Janie slips the lipstick back into her handbag and flashes me a wink.
    ‘Strawberry…’
    Fixing her eyes on mine, she lets out a loud hoot and shakes her messy beehive. A shudder runs along my spine as I look away and try my hardest not to laugh. I think it’s safe to say that I won’t be looking at a strawberry the same way ever again…
     
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    In a world filled with peas, be a strawberry…
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
                 

Chapter 8
     
    Kissing a sloshed Janie on both cheeks, I watch her wobble off along the lobby and disappear into her hotel room.
    ‘Do you think she will be alright?’ I whisper to Oliver, who is shaking his head in revulsion at the sight of his highly intoxicated mother.
    ‘She’ll be fine.’
    ‘Are you sure? She has had so much to drink!’ Janie’s drunken state might be very funny, but I am genuinely a little concerned about her welfare.
    ‘Trust me.’ Oliver laughs and turns the pram around. ‘I’ve seen her drink more at breakfast.’
    Stifling a giggle, I link my arm through his as we make our way back to the lift. Luckily for us, there weren’t any available rooms on our level, so Janie is an entire floor beneath us. I know this might sound mean, but if you’ve ever had the displeasure of sharing an adjoining room with her, you would be relieved too. Peeking into the pram, I am thankful to see that Noah is finally starting to doze off.
    ‘Do you think we could sneak one final drink before we hit the hay?’ I look up at Oliver hopefully and smile as he steps inside and jabs the button labelled bar .
    With Janie being so sozzled, we have spent the entire evening making sure that she didn’t offend anyone with her drunken ramblings. From brandy and vodka to gin and bourbon, I am pretty sure she has made her way through the entire bar menu. Babysitting a bold sixty something as well as a grumpy two-year-old is not easy. I think a quiet drink alone is well deserved, even if I do say so myself. The lift doors ping open and we step out into the reception hall. Clocking Brittany behind the check-in desk, I flash her a smile and the thumbs up sign.
    ‘Is she OK?’ She asks, tossing her shiny brown hair over her shoulder.
    ‘She is, thanks for asking. We’ve put her to bed.’ Rolling my eyes, I let out a little laugh as Brittany chuckles into her white collar.
    Thank goodness she saw the funny side! A lot of other hotel workers would have probably thrown us out. After all, not everyone finds the sight of a befuddled grandmother hilarious.
    ‘She did seem to be really enjoying those cocktails…’ Brittany winks and bats her unbelievably long eyelashes.
    ‘I think she enjoyed them a little too much.’ Oliver muses, pushing the pram towards the bar.
    ‘Have a great evening and make sure you come see me tomorrow for the park tickets!’ Turning her attention to a waiting customer, she gives us a wave and gets back to her work.
    I must remember to mention Brittany on our hotel feedback form. She is easily the friendliest, most helpful member of staff I have ever encountered. I’ve already passed on my comments to her manager, but isn’t it rare these days that you find someone who actually loves doing their job? Those people whose passion just shines out of them like a beacon?
    ‘Isn’t Brittany lovely?’ I gush, taking a seat in a booth at the back of the room.
    ‘Yeah, she’s great.’ Strumming his fingers on the table, he pushes the drinks menu towards me. ‘What do you want?’
    ‘Surprise me.’ Pushing it back towards him, I smile