The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of Clara Wild by Natasha West

Author:Natasha West [West, Natasha]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-03-22T00:00:00+00:00

Twenty-Four

There it was. The itinerary was in her email. Clara’s parents were visiting her this weekend. This was not the way Clara handled them. She had a clear set of rules for family visits.

Firstly, Clara always went there, to Boston. They never came to her. No one questioned it because she was one, they were many, and it made logistical sense. Though, of course, the real reason she always went there was so she could leave when she wanted.

Secondly, she didn’t stay at anyone’s home. She was always in a hotel for the overnight portion of the visit. There was breathing room for all concerned. More importantly, no one felt the pressure of hosting. No extra resentments could build because Clara accidentally left a wet towel somewhere she shouldn’t have.

‘And thirdly, I turn up at lunchtime on Saturday, and I leave twenty-four hours later,’ Clara explained to Lily back in the basement the following day.

‘Every time?’ Lily asked.

‘Every time,’ Clara said emphatically. ‘Because I need to get back. For Biscuits.’

Lily raised an eyebrow. ‘For…’

‘My dog.’

Lily looked around her. ‘Is he here? Did I miss him?’

Clara held up a picture of a tiny, nervous-looking white dog on her phone. ‘This is Biscuits. A very highly strung chihuahua rescue with a mildly tragic backstory who cannot be left with anyone else for longer than a day or his hair falls out. I’ve had him for nine years. On my phone, at least. His pictures come from an old friend's Instagram account, set to private, so no one could ever reverse image search them and figure out the ruse.’

Lily looked at the dog. ‘You picked the perfect dog. He looks deranged.’

‘Family. You gotta have an exit strategy,’ Clara explained.

‘But they’re coming here.’

Clara nodded. ‘Yes.’

‘And they think we’re a couple.’

‘That’s right,’ Clara said.

‘And that you have a dog,’ Lily went on.

‘Those are the bullet points, yes,’ Clara agreed.

‘What are we going to do?’ Lily asked, aghast.

Clara was confused. ‘We? How is this your problem?

‘Because this is my fault,’ Lily said simply.

‘Well…’ Clara began and trailed off. She couldn’t completely refute it.

‘I’m so sorry I said that,’ Lily moaned. ‘That we were… Me and my mouth again.’

‘I told you, I’m grateful,’ Clara said kindly. And she really was. Clara had gone quiet in the face of a parental attack. It was a childhood habit she couldn’t shake with them. She’d practically been foetal. Of course Lily had felt the need to step in and shut them up. Clara found it to be a sweet gesture, even if it meant she was now riddled with anxiety at the knowledge that they were going to descend on her imminently.

‘So, can you talk them out of it?’ Lily asked hopefully.

Clara laughed darkly. ‘Once they book, it’s kind of a hell or highwater situation. They don’t believe in cancellation fees.’

‘So, how do we handle this?’ Lily asked helplessly.

‘You keep saying we,’ Clara noted. ‘My parents aren’t your problem.’

Lily uncrossed her legs and leant forward in the old armchair, clear-eyed and serious.

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