New Years Eve - 1980.
Waking to the sound of a knocking noise, Clarisse blearily opened her eyes and turned onto her back, having a stretch before turning her head to check the time on the clock sitting on the bedside table. 10.10am it read. And that's when she realised, where the knocking sound was coming from. There was someone knocking on her hotel suite door. Quickly climbing out of bed, she grabbed her robe and slipped it on while hurrying through into the suite to answer the door, just as they knocked again.
"Oh, Sabrina," Clarisse exclaimed as she opened the door to see her best friend stood there looking at her, "I am so sorry," she said and looked for Joseph, but he wasn't there. Andre was instead. "I hope you haven't been knocking for long?" She asked, looking back at her.
"No," Sabrina said with a shake of her head as she stepped closer and kissed her cheek before looking back at her. "I'm so sorry, did I wake you?"
"You did, yes," Clarisse nodded, "but it's okay I needed to get up, um... just give me a moment," she said and looked back at Andre, "Andre?"
"Yes, your majesty?" Andre said as he turned to her standing there in her pyjamas and robe, her face pale, her hair unbrushed.
"Where's Joseph?" Clarisse asked while holding her robe closed.
"He's gone for a rest, your majesty," Andre said.
"When? He was meant to have woken me when you came to take over," Clarisse said, feeling annoyed that he hadn't woken her.
"I know, I said that to him your majesty," Andre nodded, "but he insisted, because you hadn't slept well last night, on leaving you to rest."
"I see," Clarisse nodded and took a step back, letting Sabrina past and into her suite, "thank you, Andre."
"Your majesty," Andre said and bowed his head as Clarisse closed the door.
"Is everything alright?" Sabrina asked as she watched Clarisse close the door before turning to her.
"Oh, Joseph was meant to have woken me earlier," Clarisse said as she walked over to her friend while brushing her hands through her hair before letting her hands rest on her neck, "I'm sorry that I'm not ready."
"Oh, it's fine, honestly," Sabrina said as she studied her friends face a moment, "it's not like we haven't seen each other this way before."
"That's true," Clarisse nodded while lowering her hands from her neck and wrapped her arms around herself, "let me go shower and get ready real quick, I won't be long."
"Take your time," Sabrina nodded, "I'll order us some tea, and you some breakfast?"
"Please," Clarisse nodded and waved her hand towards the sofa in her hotel suite as she turned to walk over to the bedroom door, "make yourself at home."
Nodding, Sabrina watched as Clarisse disappeared into the bedroom and push the door up behind her before she placed her handbag down on one of the armchairs. Removing her coat, hat and scarf, and hanging them up, she set about ordering them both some tea and some breakfast for Clarisse.
After having a quick shower and getting dressed in a pair of casual trousers and a cozy cashmere polo neck jumper, Clarisse returned to Sabrina in the suite. "Alright, I'm back."
"Perfect timing," Sabrina said from the table in the suite and poured them both a cup of tea as Clarisse walked over to stand beside her, "they just brought up the tea and your breakfast a few minutes ago."
"That was good timing," Clarisse said as she reached out one hand and lifted the lid from the serving tray to find an English breakfast underneath. Screwing up her nose, she replaced the lid and opted for a croissant, that Sabrina had also ordered, instead. Not that she felt hungry.
"So talk to me, what's going on?" Sabrina asked as she and Clarisse picked up their cup and saucers from the table and moved to sit down on the sofa. "How come you suddenly changed your mind on coming to London?" She said while placing her cup and saucer down on the coffee table and sat back in the sofa.
Placing her croissant down beside her teacup on the coffee table, Clarisse sat back against the cushions on the sofa, slipped off her slippers and turned her body slightly, tucking her feet under her before looking at her friend. "I caught Rupert with another woman," she said and watched as Sabrina gasped, her hand flying up to her mouth in shock.
"Where, when... what? Oh god Clarisse, I am so sorry," Sabrina said while turning to face her on the sofa and reached her arm out to her, taking hold of her hand.
"The day I spoke to you about coming to London, I walked into Rupert's office earlier that day and there he was, having sex with her on his desk," Clarisse said.
"Oh my god, how could he do that to you," Sabrina said with a small shake of her head, "do you know who the woman was?"
"Yes, it was Ruth," Clarisse nodded and watched as Sabrina raised her eyebrow in confusion, "his assistant."
"His assistant? Wow," Sabrina said in surprise before asking, "wasn't it his assistant you caught him with before you two got married?"
"That was his mothers assistant," Clarisse answered and watched as Sabrina nodded.
"Oh yes, I remember now," she said, still nodding slightly, "I just can't believe it, after everything you have both been through this last year. How he could do that to you?"
"Apparently it's my fault, I became distant with him after losing our baby," Clarisse said sadly, "I didn't fulfil his needs."
"Oh, he's got some nerve! He's the one who made the decision to move out of your suite," Sabrina exclaimed as Clarisse nodded in agreement while looking down at their hands resting on her thigh.
"The thing that gets me, he accused me of cheating on him with Joseph while we were out walking together on Christmas Eve, claimed he was jealous over how close we are. Jealous over the fact he was my first," Clarisse said as she looked back up at her friend, "told me it hadn't bothered him before, him being around me."
"But Joseph's been around all these years, why suddenly now?" Sabrina asked.
"He told me that he felt because he's older now, and knowing that Joseph and I are attracted to one another, with us being the same age that I'm going to prefer to be with Joseph instead of him," Clarisse said.
"But yet he was the one cheating all along," Sabrina said as Clarisse nodded, "wait, how long has it been going on, do you know?" Sabrina asked.
"He's told me six months," Clarisse replied.
"You don't think that's why he cheated with Ruth, he got it into his head that something was going on between you and Joseph," Sabrina said.
"Probably, but it all backfired on him," Clarisse said, thinking about what her friend had said.
"Oh Clarisse, I wish you had told me this when we spoke on the phone the other day," Sabrina said as she rubbed her thumb over the back of Clarisse's hand, "I would have come yesterday instead, been here for you sooner."
"It's alright, I was alright, I just needed sometime alone to try and get my head around everything and figure out what I'm going to do," Clarisse said as she rested her arm on the back of the sofa and bent her arm up to rest her head on her hand.
"I can understand that," Sabrina said and nodded, "what about Pierre and Philippe, with you being here do they know what's going on?"
"No, they had just left for their trip when I walked in and caught them together," Clarisse said, "and as far as I'm aware, they don't know that I am here yet."
"Okay," Sabrina nodded slightly, "and what about Joseph? I know that he's here with you, but does he know?" She asked and watched as Clarisse nodded, "okay, and what does he think about it?"
"When I told him, he wanted to kill him," Clarisse said, "he still does!"
"I can see that," Sabrina nodded, "I feel the same way."
"In all seriousness though, he has been a great help, made sure that I ate dinner yesterday and kept checking on me to make sure I was alright," Clarisse said as she looked across the room, her mind drifting off.
"Wouldn't expect anything less from him," Sabrina said and watched as Clarisse averted her gaze to her before nodding in agreement and looking down at her hand. "Have you been out for any air since you arrived?" Sabrina asked after a moments silence and watched as Clarisse shook her head before looking back up at her, "shall we go for a walk in the park then, get you out for a bit?"
Looking up, Clarisse nodded. "Yes, please."
After taking a walk around the park together in the snow, with Andre following close behind them, Sabrina linked her arm with Clarisse's arm as they began to make their way slowly back to the hotel. "So, what's going to happen now?"
"Well I am going to stay here a couple days, spend sometime with you before heading to stay with my sister for a few days," Clarisse answered.
"Okay," Sabrina nodded as she looked on ahead, "did you speak to Rupert before you left?"
"Not properly, he just kept begging me to stay," Clarisse replied.
"Thought he would, all cheaters are the same," Sabrina said as she looked back at her friend, "but is he going to end the affair?"
"I don't know we didn't get that far the other night," Clarisse said with a shrug as they came to a stop at a crossing and waited to be able to cross the road.
"Well make sure you do not return until you have fully thought about everything," Sabrina said as Clarisse nodded. "You need to go back prepared."
"Oh I am, I'm going to have a long hard think about what I'm going to do then go back to Genovia and talk to him properly, but honestly I don't think he cares. If he did, he wouldn't have had the affair," Clarisse said as they began to cross the road, still arm in arm. "But you know what I did decide?"
"No, what?" Sabrina said as she shook her head and looked at her friend.
"That I am going to attend your party tonight," Clarisse said as she turned her head to look at Sabrina.
"You are?" Sabrina exclaimed happily.
"I am," Clarisse nodded and looked on ahead, "tomorrow is the first day of a brand new year and tonight I am going to see it in with the people who really care about me."
"Oh, and what a night we are going to have?" Sabrina nodded, half smiling at Clarisse.
"Just like old times," Clarisse smiled as she looked back at Sabrina.
"Definitely," Sabrina smiled, pulling on her arm a little as she walked closer to her, "but only if you are feeling up to it though, don't push yourself if you're not, please."
"I will be fine," Clarisse nodded, "I promise."
"Okay," Sabrina nodded while looking on ahead and noticed Joseph stood waiting for them outside the hotel. "I know someone who does really care about you."
Looking up and seeing Joseph waiting for them, Clarisse nodded, her tummy somersaulting at seeing him. "I know," she nodded and looked back at Sabrina, "I know."
Smiling, Sabrina looked on ahead as they got closer to Joseph and the hotel. "Hello you," she said, letting go of Clarisse's arm and walked to stand in front of him.
"Hello," Joseph said and smiled as they kissed each other's cheeks before looking at Clarisse, "where did you get too, I was worried when I found you had gone."
"Sorry, that's my fault," Sabrina said as she put her hand up briefly and smiled, "I wanted to get her out for some air."
"I figured that was where you had gone after the hotel manager told me that you had left together with Andre and the car was still here," Joseph smiled from Clarisse to Sabrina, "anyway, where's that husband of yours?"
"Oh he's up checking on how things were going up in the hall for our party, which reminds me I should go check on him, make sure he's alright," Sabrina said as she turned to Clarisse, "are you going to be alright if I shoot off to check on him?"
"Of course, you go," Clarisse smiled as Sabrina stepped closer to her and kissed her cheek.
"Thank you," Sabrina smiled as she stepped back and looked at them both, "I will see you both tonight."
"You will," Clarisse smiled and watched Sabrina walk away before looking back at Joseph.
"Does that mean you are attending the party tonight?" Joseph asked as he and Clarisse began to walk towards the hotel entrance.
"I am, and I am going to have a good night too," Clarisse smiled before frowning at him, "oh yea, what happened to you this morning? You were meant to wake me before Andre took over from you."
"I know I was, but because you didn't sleep very well last night I wanted to leave you to have your rest," Joseph said and looked at her as the hotel doorman opened the door for them. "You needed it."
"Thank you," Clarisse said to the doorman as he bowed his head before she continued speaking to Joseph, "I appreciate that you were looking out for me, but you should have still woken me up like I had asked you too," Clarisse said and looked down at the floor as they walked through the hotel lobby towards the lift. "I wanted to be ready for when Sabrina arrived, but instead she was the one waking me when she knocked on my door."
"Alright, I'm sorry," Joseph said with a shrug and reached his arm out to press the button for the lift as they both stopped in front of it, "next time I will make sure I follow your orders."
"Make sure you do," Clarisse answered as they stepped onto the lift together.
Walking through her suite door moments later, Clarisse slipped off her coat and draped it over her arm as she turned to Joseph closing the door behind them. "I think I am going to go and have a lie down for a bit, can I trust you to wake me in a couple hours?"
"Yes, you can," Joseph nodded and removed his coat.
"Right, thank you," Clarisse said with a slight nodding as she turned and walked into her bedroom, closing the door up behind her. But after ten minutes of sitting on the edge of the bed, and knowing she wouldn't rest after the way she spoke to Joseph, she made her way back out into the suite to speak to him, to apologise. "Joseph, I..." she stopped, seeing him sat slumped on the sofa. "Joseph?"
Walking over to him, and realising that he had fallen to sleep, she wrapped her arms around herself and watched him sleeping a moment before she picked up her folded blanket from the armchair and carefully covered him over with it. Half smiling, she walked back over to her bedroom door, put her hand on the doorframe while glancing back at him a mere second before walking into the suite and closing the door behind her.
Thank you all so so much for reading and remember, please do let me know your thoughts on this chapter. I would really appreciate your feedback on what's going on and what you all think she should do. Thanks again Xx