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

carry a hundred condoms in your handbag for the sake of it! Especially married women of your mum’s age…’
    An unreadable expression appears on his face as he studies me carefully. ‘What are you saying?’
    ‘I’m not saying anything!’ Suddenly feeling a little defensive, I start to regret even bringing it up. ‘I just thought it was weird!’
    We both sit there in complete silence, neither of us wanting to address the elephant in the room. A waitress drops a glass behind the bar, causing Noah to start whining in his pram. Sliding out of the booth, I push the pram back and forth for a while, slowly realising that that he isn’t going to settle.
    ‘We should probably take him up to the room.’ I sigh, resorting to picking him up and holding him on my hip.
    Finishing the last of his drink, Oliver throws down some cash and takes control of the pram. Following him out of the bar, I have a quick scan of the reception area for Brittany. Not seeing her familiar mop of hair, we are about to step inside the lift when a tiny voice grabs my attention.
    ‘Mrs Morgan?’
    Spinning around to see a tall girl with a blonde bob running across the foyer, I pull Oliver aside and let another couple take the lift.
    ‘Your suitcases have arrived from the airport.’ Handing me a small ticket, she flashes me a grin and points at an elderly man behind the desk. ‘Robert has taken them up to your room for you.’
    ‘Brilliant!’ After the shock of discovering Janie’s condom stash earlier, I had totally forgotten about our missing cases. ‘That really is fantastic. Thank you so much.’
    Looking up at Oliver happily, I slip the ticket into my pocket and step into the adjacent lift. Finally! Finally I can get my make-up bag back and start to look alive again. Lianna might be able to rock the au naturel look, but without my Touché Éclat and lengthening mascara, I always get those - Are you sick? You look a little different, but I can’t quite put my finger on it comments that make my blood boil.
    Quickly stripping Noah of his shorts and t-shirt, I hand him over to Oliver for a bedtime story.
    ‘My case!’ I squeal, running over to the fluorescent pink suitcase and throwing my arms around it. ‘Oh, how I have missed you.’
    Dragging it onto the bed I fumble with the lock until it springs open, revealing all my precious belongings. Designer dresses, stunning swimsuits and spectacular sandals spill out onto the sheets. Resisting the temptation to dive onto the bed and roll around in them, I perch on the edge and run my fingers over the soft fabrics. Making a mental promise to myself to never take them for granted ever again, I arrange them neatly in the wardrobe before setting out my cosmetics on the dresser.
    Wandering over to the window, I hold back the curtain and watch the fireworks in the distance. Flashes of red, green and gold sparkle against the black backdrop, creating a dazzling rainbow for all the world to see. The bursts of colour are almost electrifying and I find myself mesmerised by the dancing collection of gems in the sky. Tearing myself away, I plop down onto the bed and flick through the pile of shiny pamphlets. From water parks and restaurants to museums and beaches. You could visit Florida for an entire month and still not manage to hit up every tourist spot.
    ‘Which one of these is on the agenda for tomorrow?’ I ask Oliver, who is stripping off his t-shirt and climbing into the shower.
    ‘Mom seemed pretty set on Magic Metropolis. I did suggest going there on Friday, but she was adamant that we went tomorrow.’
    I hear the power shower turn on and water thrash down onto the tiles. A mischievous part of me wants to go in and join him, but I can tell from his tone of voice that the whole condom saga is still bothering him. Deciding to leave him alone for a while, I climb into bed and snuggle into the soft sheets. All this walking has left me feeling like I’ve been attending a high impact gym glass. My