Chapter 21

"Shane?" Mac questioned.

When she got no answer and Clay still didn't move, she took a step back and asked, "Is that the woman from Italy?"

Giving his shoulders a small shake when he seemed to ignore her for the second time, she finally got his attention.

Pulling his eyes from the other side of the room back to Mac he said, "She's here with the Count she moved in with."

Mac didn't keep his attention long though. It was as if Shane was a magnet drawing his gaze back again. Then his eyes grew round and he turned paler than he was before. The Count and Shane had been dancing close enough that Clay didn't notice until they parted as the music ended. When they turned to go back to their table he said in a stunned voice, "She's pregnant!"

"Wait! Didn't your mother say that the woman she was trying to fix you up with was pregnant also? What are the odds in that?" Mac demanded.

"Huh?!" Clay was clearly not focused on what she was saying.

"Your mother said that Laurel, the daughter of her friend, was also pregnant by a guy she was living with."

"Yeah, she did, so what?"

"Oh come on Clay! What are the odds of that same scenario happening to two women at this event?!"

Almost as if he hadn't heard her, Clay muttered, "I have to talk to her!" and started across the room.

Mac had a feeling all was not as it should be with the situation and figured someone with a cool head might be needed.

"Shane!" Clay called out.

Spinning around at the sound of a voice she thought never to hear again, she gasped, "Tony!" as one hand went to her heart and the other reached out to her escort for support.

"Laurel?" the Count questioned.

Clay had been about to demand to know what she was doing there when what the other man said registered, "Laurel?! Why is he calling you that?"

"I think this is the woman your mother was telling you about, Clay," Mac informed him.

"Clay?!" Laurel/Shane asked, then wanted to know, "Why is she calling you Clay, Tony?"

"I think the two of you need to talk," Mac stated and then stepped forward to the Count motioning for him to follow her away.

The two involved had eyes only for each other, but the Count questioned the idea of leaving her, "Laurel?" he asked with his hand on her shoulder.

Forcing herself to break eye contact with 'Tony' she told him, "Its okay, Giraldo. I'll be fine."

"I'll be close," he told her and made his way over to where Mac was, determined to get some answers for himself.

Clay and Laurel stared at each other for a few moments and then finally ended up breaking the silence at the same time:

"So you are with the Count now?"

"I see you found a rich lady friend."

"What?" Clay was startled into answering, "No, Mac isn't rich."

"She's wearing a designer gown."

"My mother bought it for her."

"Your mother?!"

"It's a long story. I'm more interested in you and the Count."

"What about why you disappeared?" she countered.

Then again they both spoke at the same time:

"Why was he calling you Laurel?"

"Why was she calling you Clay?"

Looking around at the attention they were drawing by standing like they were at the edge of the dance floor, Clay said, "There seems to be a lot we need to cover. Shall we find some place a bit more private?"

"I guess so," she agreed a bit reluctantly, suddenly not sure if she really wanted to hear his explanations.

While that was taking place Giraldo VaTalli was questioning Mac. "So what is the story here, Signora?"

"I don't know what story you are talking about Signor," she answered evasively.

"I guess it was my mistake to think you were an intelligent woman. I was referring to why you were calling the man Laurel thinks of as 'Tony', Clay."

"I would guess it is a similar story as to why you were calling the woman he knows as 'Shane', Laurel."

"Touché," he said with a nod.

To be continued…