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Here's the next chapter for you all... enjoy :)
New Years Eve - Part 5.
"Okay, here we are," Sabrina said later that night as she lead the way into her and Harry's suite and flicked on the light as her husband, Clarisse and Joseph all followed her inside. "Make yourself at home while me and Harry get our drinks."
"Lovely, thank you," Clarisse smiled as she placed her clutch bag and shawl down together on the sideboard and slipped off her shoes before smiling over her shoulder at Joseph, who was stood close by, and walking over to the sofa.
"I wonder if Helen said yes, Clarisse," Sabrina said from the bar they had in their suite and poured her and Clarisse a glass of champagne each as Harry prepared his and Joseph's drink.
"I know, I was just wondering the same thing actually," Clarisse smiled as she bent forward slightly and smoothed her hands down the back of the skirt of her dress before taking a seat one end of the sofa.
"What's this? Said yes to what?" Harry asked curiously as he looked over to Clarisse and Joseph, just as he took a seat the other end of the sofa.
"Oh, Philippe and Helen," Clarisse said while crossing her legs, causing her skirt to ride up her thighs ever so slightly, and looked over at him and Sabrina still standing at the bar, "he was going to ask her to marry him tonight."
"Oh, he was," Harry said in surprise while picking up his and Joseph's drink and walking over to him sitting on the sofa, "he's at that age already?" He said, holding out one of the glasses to Joseph. "One scotch on the rocks."
"Thank you," Joseph smiled while taking the glass from him and took a sip.
"I know, hasn't it gone quick?" Sabrina smiled as she picked up hers and Clarisse's drink and turned to walk over to the other end of the sofa where Clarisse was sat. "It only seems like yesterday I was holding him for that first time when he was two weeks old."
"It really has, I remember that day," Harry nodded and took a seat in one of the armchairs as Sabrina handed Clarisse a glass of champagne before taking a seat in the armchair opposite him.
"Thank you," Clarisse smiled and tipped her glass slightly.
"So I guess then, Clarisse, if she says yes and they get married, the next thing will be you'll become a grandmother?" Harry said while resting his arm and his glass on the armrest of the chair he was sat in and looked up at Clarisse.
"Harry," Sabrina exclaimed in surprise and looked across at her husband. "They are still quiet young, they won't be getting married for a good few years yet, I would have thought."
"Hopefully that'll be the case and they will wait a couple years before getting married," Clarisse smiled and placed her free hand down on the seat between her and Joseph and leant on her arm as everyone looked at her, "because quite frankly I'm not ready to become a grandmother just yet, I'm still to young," she said, pulling a mock sad face and they all laughed.
"I think, whenever the time does come, you will make a wonderful grandmother, Clarisse," Harry smiled.
"Thank you, Harry," Clarisse smiled over at him and took a sip of her champagne.
"I couldn't agree more," Joseph said while looking at Harry before smiling at Clarisse, as she turned her head to look at him, and held her gaze a moment before taking another sip of his drink.
"Anyway," Harry said while leaning forward and extending his arm out across the coffee table and watched as everyone looked at him, "happy new year everyone."
"Happy new year," Sabrina, Clarisse and Joseph all said in unison as they all clinked their glasses together and took a sip of their drinks.
"Here's to many more years celebrating our friendship," Clarisse said.
"Here here," Joseph smiled and they all raised their glasses.
"Right, I think I am going to head out onto the balcony for a cigar," Harry said while getting to his feet and looked at Joseph. "Care to join me?"
"Absolutely," Joseph nodded while scooting to the edge of the sofa and stood to his feet as Clarisse watched him, "we will leave you lovely ladies to talk a while."
"Thank you," Sabrina smiled up at them then at Clarisse a second before looking down at the glass in her hand.
"We won't be long," Harry said and headed out onto the balcony with Joseph. Shutting the door up behind them, he pulled two cigars from his jackets top pocket and handed one to Joseph before taking a seat in one of the balcony chairs and placing his glass on the balcony table. "First cigar of the year," he said and sighed happily.
"Mhmm indeed," Joseph nodded and took a seat in one of the other balcony chairs and placed his glass down on the table before looking up at Harry, "and I'm going to enjoy it too."
Smiling, Harry nodded in agreement and proceeded to light his cigar. Taking small, shallow puffs, he held the smoke in his mouth for a few seconds before tipping his head back and blowing it out above his head. "I'm sorry that I interrupted you and Clarisse out on the balcony earlier," he said and took a sip of his scotch before looking at Joseph as he done the same with his cigar as what he had just done.
"Please, there's no need to apologise," Joseph said and sat back in his seat while resting both arms along the armrests and looked over at his friend, "we should have been more careful, but it happened so quickly that we didn't really think that someone could come out at any minute."
"Mhmm, you both got caught up in the moment," Harry smiled as Joseph nodded.
"Yes, that's exactly it," he smiled, "I am glad it was you that walked out though, and not one of the other guests." He said and Harry nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, inside Clarisse took a sip of her champagne and put her glass down on the coffee table in front of her before looking at her friend. "Can I borrow your brush? I want to remove all these pins and let my hair down."
"Sure, I'll go and get it," Sabrina smiled as she rose to her feet and walked through into the bedroom. "There is something that I want to talk to you about while the men are out on the balcony," she said, coming back in with her brush a moment later.
"Okay," Clarisse said as Sabrina handed her the brush. "I think I know what about."
"If you think it's about you and Joseph, then you would be right," Sabrina said as she moved to sit back down in the armchair she was sat in moments before. "Harry told me about the kiss between you out on the balcony."
"I thought he would," Clarisse said as she removed the barrette from her hair and placed it on the sofa beside her.
"Listen, I know how you both feel about one another, have done for so so long now, but are you sure that it's such a good idea being involved with him romantically at the moment? I mean with everything's that is going on between you and Rupert right now, I'm just worried about you and don't want to see you get hurt again, that's all." Sabrina said as she watched Clarisse start to remove the bobby pins from her hair.
"I know, and I appreciate your concern but I'm not going to get hurt," Clarisse said while looking back at her and continued to remove the pins from her hair, "and besides, who said that I was going to get romantically involved with Joseph?"
"Oh come on, you have both been flirting with one another all night, and the kiss on the balcony," Sabrina said with a laugh and watched as Clarisse began to brush her hair.
"Doesn't mean I'm going to jump into bed with him, it was just a kiss," Clarisse said.
"Clarisse, I'm your oldest friend and I know you pretty well by now," Sabrina said as Clarisse stood to her feet and walked over to the sideboard to get her clutch bag. Closing her eyes, she gave her head a little shake, knowing that no matter what she said would change what will happen. "Alright," she said and opened her eyes to look back at her friend, "just be careful, okay?"
"Sabrina, nothing is going to happen," Clarisse said with a laugh as she sat back down on the sofa and put her barrette and her bobby pins in her clutch bag.
"Alright," Sabrina nodded and smiled at her, "okay, just make sure you use protection. Will Joseph have some?" She said as she averted her gaze away from her friend, "but then he may not, as he wouldn't have expected this to happen."
"Oh god, Sabrina," Clarisse laughed and looked up at Sabrina as she averted her gaze back to her.
"I know, I'll give you some of ours just in case," Sabrina smiled while standing to her feet and extended her arm out to her, "give me your bag."
"No," Clarisse laughed and shook her head, "thank you, but we won't be needing them."
"Clarisse, please give me your bag," Sabrina said with a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Oh, if it makes you feel better, here," Clarisse said and handed Sabrina her bag.
"Thank you," Sabrina laughed and walked through into her bedroom.
Shaking her head, Clarisse couldn't help but laugh as she reached forward for her glass and took a sip of her drink when the men came back in. "Where's Sabrina gone?" Harry asked as Joseph shut the door behind them.
"Oh, she's in the bedroom," Clarisse smiled up at them.
"You took your hair down?" Joseph said as he walked over to the sofa and sat back down on the other end.
"I did," Clarisse nodded, "I thought it would save me time before bed."
"Ahh clever thinking," Joseph smiled and took a sip of his drink before turning slightly in his seat and resting his arm along the back of the sofa, his hand resting just above Clarisse's shoulder. "I like it when you wear your hair down." He said and watched as Clarisse smiled.
"I was just thinking," Sabrina said as she came back into the room holding Clarisse's bag in her hands, "oh hello, I didn't realise you had come back in."
"Hello," Harry smiled as she walked over to him and gave him a kiss, "what was you thinking?" He asked while wrapping his arm around her waist.
"That we haven't done shots together for a long time," she said while looking up at him then at Clarisse and Joseph sitting on the sofa.
"Oh yeah, we haven't," Harry said, "and I think, if memory serves me well, there might be a bottle of tequila behind the bar if anyone's up for it?"
"I'm in," Joseph said and looked at Clarisse, "but only one for me though."
"Yes, you're the sensible one and will still need to make sure I get back to my suite safely," Clarisse said with a laugh.
"Oh I will," Joseph smiled and smoothed his thumb over the top of her shoulder as he watched her. "Don't you worry."
"So, are you in?" Sabrina asked and watched as Clarisse looked up at her.
"Absolutely, I'm in," Clarisse nodded.
"Great, I'll get the bottle then," Harry smiled as he turned and made his way over to the bar.
"And I'll get the glasses," Sabrina smiled as she placed Clarisse's bag down on the table and walked over to the bar with Harry.
"I can't even remember the last time we actually done this together," Harry said as he and Sabrina came back over to the seating area a moment later.
"I was trying to remember, but it's been that long I couldn't," Clarisse said as she scooted forward to sit on the edge of the sofa.
"When was the last time we were all together, just the four of us?" Sabrina said as she placed the four shot glasses down on the coffee table before kneeling down next to it.
"Um..." Harry said, thinking a moment as he sat down in the armchair that Sabrina had been sat in a short while before.
"I don't actually remember," Sabrina said as she looked up at her husband then at Clarisse and Joseph, as he too moved to sit on the edge of the sofa.
"Me neither," Clarisse said and they all let out a sad sigh.
"This isn't good that none of us actually remember," Harry said while opening the bottle of tequila and handed it to Sabrina, "but let's not be sad about it, we are all still friends after all these years."
"That is true, we are," Sabrina smiled as she poured tequila into the four shot glasses before putting the bottle down on the table, "and I don't know about you, but I'm gonna drink to that."
"Me too," Harry laughed as Sabrina handed him one of the shots.
"Us too," Clarisse said as Joseph picked up two of the shots and handed her one. "Thank you," she smiled.
"Ok, three, two, one, go!" Harry exclaimed and they all drank their shot down in one before all pulling funny faces and slamming their glasses down on the coffee table.
"This stuff never tastes any better each time we have it, but yet we still bloody do it," Sabrina laughed a moment later as she clambered to her feet, wobbling slightly as she straightened out.
"Careful there," Joseph said, reaching his hand out to her just as Harry grabbed hold of her waist.
"I'm fine, I just got up to quickly, that's all," Sabrina smiled and started laughing as Harry gently pulled her backwards to sit on his knee.
"Are you sure?" Harry asked while wrapping his arms around her waist, "or are you trying to cover up the fact that you are in fact drunk?"
"Hmm, maybe," Sabrina smiled at him, studying his face briefly before they shared a kiss.