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

brightly as he orders two Amaretto Sours with the waiter.
    A few people stop to coo over Noah, who is snoozing lightly in the comfort of his pram. Before we had Noah, we used to take moments like this for granted. You know, those precious few minutes of alone time where the only things you have to worry about are each other. Reaching over the table, I entwine my fingers with his and let out a yawn. An afternoon of walking around an amusement park in the intense heat has really taken it out of me. I don’t really know why. All I have done is wait with Noah whilst Oliver and Janie battle it out for the title of Rollercoaster King. To be honest, condom incident aside, I have actually had a lot of fun today. Watching Janie’s beehive become more and more erratic with each ride that she went on has been entertainment in itself.
    The waiter reappears with two elaborate looking cocktail glasses and I lick my lips greedily.
    ‘Just so you know, our special tonight is a strawberry mojito.’ With a quick nod of the head, he leaves a bowl of nuts on the table and scoots back to the bar.
    I shudder at the word strawberry and wonder if it would be weird for me to tell Oliver about condom-gate.
    ‘I could inhale a strawberry mojito right now…’ Gulping down his drink, he motions to the waiter that we will take two of the specials.
    Oh, God! Alright. I’m just going to have to say it.
    Running my fingers through my crazy curls, I try to keep a nonchalant tone to my voice. ‘You know when you went on that ride earlier? The very first one?’
    He looks up at the ceiling as he recalls the name of the ride. ‘Serpent’s Slave?’
    I nod my head and stir my straw idly around the glass. ‘Well, I borrowed some money from your mum’s purse to buy Noah an ice-cream and she had some pretty weird stuff in there…’
    Shooting me a puzzled stare, he leans into the pram to check on Noah. ‘What kind of weird?’
    I look down into my cocktail and rack my brains for a way to tell him that his mother carries more condoms than a brothel in her handbag. Maybe I should just keep it to myself. I mean, what man wants to hear that about his own mum? Having second thoughts, I open my mouth in an attempt to change the subject, but Oliver beats me to it.
    ‘Clara? What kind of weird?’ Oliver lets out a little laugh, but I can tell from the expression on his face that he is feeling uneasy.
    Suddenly feeling frozen to the spot, I try to think of something to say to steer the conversation in another direction. Anything. Think, Clara! Think!
    ‘Believe me, nothing you say could surprise me.’
    I doubt that very much. Deciding just to come out with it, I take a deep breath and attempt to keep my face straight. ‘Well, she had a ton of Xanax, enough anti-aging pills to smooth out E.T and…’
    ‘And?’ He prompts, obviously tiring of this game.
    ‘And… a jumbo pack of strawberry condoms.’
    Right on cue, the waiter returns and places two neon pink drinks down in front us.
    ‘Two s trawberry mojitos, enjoy!’
    Laughter starts to bubble in the pit of my stomach and no matter how hard I try, I can’t stop it from escaping my lips. Unfortunately, Oliver doesn’t crack a smile.
    ‘What the hell are you talking about?’ Furrowing his brow, he pushes the mojito away.
    ‘I’m being serious!’ Desperately trying to control my laughter, I will him to see the funny side. ‘I just thought it was weird, that’s the only reason I am telling you about it.’
    Refusing to look at me, he flips open his mobile phone as his cheeks colour up. Not being able to resist probing the subject further, I take a sip of my drink and lean back in my seat.
    ‘Don’t you think it’s weird?’ I choose my words carefully, making sure that I don’t erupt into a fit of giggles.
    ‘Jeez, Clara!’ Shooting me a glare, he bangs his hand down on the table. ‘Yeah, I think it’s weird! How could it not be weird?’
    ‘But why does she have them? You don’t just