All's Fair in Love and Las Vegas

Chapter Fifty-Five

        Chaos ensued.

        Grayson and I, being normal and humane, gasped in excitement. A baby! Oh, it was wonderful. I would finally get the opportunity to be the cool aunt.

        Mr. Answell, also being humane and normal, smiled, but it was short lived, because of what happened to his wife.

        Laura let loose an unearthly scream, her throat stretched wide enough to swallow a whole egg. The sound was piercing, so screechingly awful that I had to cover my ears momentarily. It was by no means short, either. My ears were ringing by the time she finally lost her breath, and even then the noise echoed.

        "Clay Roseo Answell!" she shouted, clutching her pearls (oh, the irony). "Tell me you are playing one of your nasty pranks."

        "Not at all, mother," he said, smirking as he sat back down. Kylie, while smiling, looked rather horrified at the commotion. I think when he kissed her cheek a moment later, she was slightly more relieved.

        Laura was now hyperventilating. "Oh, the scandal of it all," she murmured, sinking down in her chair. "The first grandchild...of course it would be Clay's. Not to mention...oh, someone get me my smelling salts!"

        "A tad dramatic, wouldn't you agree darling?" Grayson murmured as servants arrived on the scene, armed with smelling salts.

        "A pity. I shall miss her dearly," I mourned. He choked on a laugh as he stood, going over to help.

        Mr. Answell was still attending to his wife (although I didn't see why) and fanning her face. He took a split second to say, "Congratulations, Clay!"

        "Thanks pops!" the young man said brightly, eating a deviled egg whole.

        Laura fluttered back into reality, woozily draped over the armrests of her chair. In her narrow, limited vision, she rasped, "Charles! Charles, oh, tell me it isn't so?"

        "Darling, why aren't you happy?" Mr. Answell asked with a frown. I can already tell he's going to be the cool grandpa.

        "I-Charles, I am not happy for good reason! Many good reasons!" she spluttered. "She's an American! They're not married! Clay is only eighteen!"

        "I am impressed you know my age," Clay remarked. Another egg down the hatch.

        "I too am impressed," Grayson chimed in, making me choke on my own egg.

        Laura was looking worse and worse by the second. "Perhaps it'd be best if we discussed this in the morning. Oh, I feel sick. Charles, please help me recover."

        "Mmm, we can try in the morning, but Kylie and I have a flight to Montreal. So you'll understand if we miss you," Clay said sympathetically. With that, he snatched my best friend's hand and they gallivanted away.

        Lucky.

        I stood. "Grayson and I shall retire for the evening as well," I said gracefully. "Laura, dinner was lovely."

        "Oh, thank you," she murmured, still in distress. Miraculously, she was in perfect condition to take credit for a meal I know she didn't cook.

        One, two, three steps later and Grayson and I were out of that dining room. We both ran upstairs, hoping to catch Clay and Kylie. We did. We are special that way.

        "You guys are having a baby!" I squealed. "Congratulations!"

        Kylie faltered. "Well–"