"That was for laughing at the pregnant lady," huffed Sarah stalking back into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind her.
"Sarah!"
The next evening Clay was shuffling Sarah into the Venetian Hotel on the Las Vegas strip. She had only been to Vegas when on assignment, and never had a chance to see the inside of this hotel, much less any of the other higher end hotels.
"Clay, it is beautiful! Are we really going to be staying here?" She had given up trying to hide the awe in her voice when they had started into the hotel.
"Yes, my love, we are." Clay was amused at her reaction to the ambiance of the Venetian and was glad he had chosen this hotel to make her dreams come true. In the middle of the hotel was an actual gondola and this was where they would be tying the knot. He had made all of the arrangements with the hotel's manager, an old college buddy, last night. "Sarah, you told me I had Carte Blanc with our wedding, right?"
"Yes, Clay, I did. Why?" Now she was becoming suspicious, as Clay was becoming more and more nervous.
"Then we had better be getting a move on. You still need to pick out a wedding dress and Mother and AJ should be arriving soon," Clay had kept walking as he was talking, and it took him several moments to realize that Sarah was no longer next to him. He stopped, and looked around, noticing that she was about ten feet behind him, standing in the middle of the casino with tears flowing down her face. "Sarah? Are you all right, darling?" Clayton said as he rushed back to her side.
"A wedding dress, your Mother, and AJ?" Sarah couldn't believe all that he had accomplished last night while she had slept.
"Honey, lets go to our room and then we can talk about this. Okay?" He took her hand and led her to the bank of elevators that would take them to their suite. From there she would be able to look out over the beautiful city that never slept, something she had told him in passing that she had always wanted to do, last night before she had fallen asleep.
Clay tipped the porter and took the room key before firmly closing the door to their suite behind him. He turned around to find Sarah staring intently out the wall of windows. From this absolutely breathtaking view she could see all the way to the mountains.
"Sarah, did I misunder…" This was as far as he got before she raised her hand to him.
"I gave you Carte Blanc, because I trust you. I can understand why your Mother is coming, but why AJ? I'm not sure if I can even face him, Clay. I let him down, and disappointed him, again. Instead of going to him for help I went to a stranger."
"Sarah, maybe I was wrong to invite AJ here. Will you forgive me, my little donkey?"
Spinning around she said, "What did you call me?"
"I called you my little donkey…" He had been GOING to tell her the story behind the affectionate use of referring to her as a donkey, when the ex-marine took control, grabbed him by the hand, and with strength that Clay never knew she had, she flipped him! He landed him on his back on the plush cream-colored carpet of their suite. Sarah was so angry with Clay's derogatory comment to her, that she hadn't noticed AJ and Porter had entered the suite.
"What the hell did the spook say or do to get you that upset, Sarah? Do I need to break his nose again?" AJ demanded.
Spinning around, Mac saw AJ and Porter for the first time, and she angrily told AJ, "He called me an ass!"
"I did NOT! I called you my little donkey!" Clay protested from his resting place on the floor.
At this point Porter could hold her laughter no longer, everyone was looking at her in bewilderment at her merriment. When she could control herself enough to speak she asked Sarah, "Did he ask to 'sex' you tonight as well?"
"What?" AJ growled.
"What?" Sarah gasped.
"MOTHER!" Clay shouted.
To be continued…