Krystal - The invitation

Seven.7.

     "Courtney, you won't believe it. I saw the Vegas stranger… I saw the stranger at the office today, he came….and he's Lucas Vanowen….. Lucas Vanowen the CEO of the Vanowen group of companies. I told you about him, right? I'm just so shocked and disheveled and……." I spoke in haste, saying everything my brain popped up.

   I was down in perplexity, I was nervous. 

I can't think straight, my head was banging seriously.

     "Krys! Krys! Take it easy. I can barely hear a word from you, calm down okay?....... Breathe in and then breathe out," she commanded and I did.

     "Here. Have some coffee. Drink it." She offered me a glass of wine to cool off and calm down. It wasn't working but I pulled still.

    "So tell me bit by bit, what happened?" She asked.

"Courtney, I saw the Vegas stranger earlier," I said sulkily.

    "The stranger... Errm…. The one who took advantage of you?" She asked and I nodded.

    "He's the one and he's Lucas, I saw him right with my own eyes…."

       "And who is Lucas? You never told me about any Lucas, I don't know anyone that goes by that name here."

     "He's Lucas Vanowen, CEO of the Vanowen group of companies.

        "Lucas Vanowen? The only man I know that goes by that name stays in Veg….. Hold on a second." she suddenly paused and gasped loudly.  

       "…. Ahh! Lucas Vanoweeeeeen?" She screamed, stressing out the last name like jelly.

     "Are you sure he's the one? Because that night you were drunk and devastated like you said. How could you be so sure?" She asked, trying not to believe what I said.

    "Courtney I'm certain, it's him. He was dressed in the same outfit, with the mask on just as that night. The same eyes, blonde hair. How could it not be him?" I fluttered, losing patience

     "Erm…..Krystal, people do look alike. The stranger might just be Lucas' doppelganger." She suggested.

    "Courtney it's him, he's got no doppelganger. It's Lucas I saw. He even asked me out on a date tomorrow. If he doesn't know, he wouldn't ask for the date." I persisted, trying to win her side.

        "Oh wow!!" She exclaimed silently, alias shockingly.

     

   We both kept mute for a while, staring at each other, taking in the shock of Lucas being the stranger as it came.

    I broke the silence eventually like I always do.       I'd inform her about the obvious pregnancy signs I've been exhibiting but as crazy as Courtney would be, she laughed and screamed gleefully.

      She'll never help when it comes to issues like this. She always finds pressing situations funny.

     "Wow! My instinct was right, someone's going to be a mother soon." She giggled, fanatically.

    "Courtney, it's not funny okay? Mom isn't aware yet and it doesn't belong to Chris." I said and her excitement faded.

     "Who would it belong to, if not Chris? I mean he was your boyfriend and fiancé right?…." She was saying but stopped when she saw my frown. 

        "Oh!...sorry…. I forgot." She apologized.

       "But you had sex with Chris, didn't you? You told me that yourself." She asked again curiously.

       "Of course, we did have sex but we used protection, and then a few nights later, I ……"

     I stopped dead when she suddenly gasped. She's gotten the point. She'd mapped it out.

      "Ahhh….. No Krystal, could it be what I'm thinking? You are pregnant by a stranger… I mean for Lucas Vanowen? Wow! That's a good thing, Krystal!" She giggled again, clapping her hands, leaving me confused. 

    "No Courtney, that's not a good thing for me, and with Mom it's suicide. Being pregnant for a man you don't know is not a good thing Courtney." 

     "Of course not, you know Lucas don't ya? Okay, look here Krystal, when your mom finds out you're pregnant for another man, she'll be forced to call off the deal. 

    No one would want to get married to a woman who's carrying another man's baby right? This came at the right time, let's use it to our benefit."  She said wisely.

    Smart ass.

   

     I scoffed. How I wished her plans were going to work. Well, she's partially right and wrong though.

      If I should tell Mom about this pregnancy, two things are bound to happen.

      First, it's either mom have me abort the pregnancy and proceed with the marriage or she'll indulge the Sullivans into believing that the baby is for Chris and then marry me off. 

       There is nothing mom won't do, so long as the marriage holds.

     I'm dead meat already. I don't even know when the tears dropped out of my eyes.

"Oh no! Courtney I'm finished, I don't know what to do." I cried like a baby.

     "Hey hey! We promised no more tears, so don't do that now okay…. Come here." She calmed me, wiping off my tears.

    "This is what we are going to do. For a start, I think you should honor Lucas' date tomorrow. Confront him and tell him about the pregnancy, don't feel ashamed. Only with his replies and actions, we can move to the next plan." She cuddled me.

     I nodded and wiped off my tears with my palms.

      What can I ever do without Courtney? She's just the best thing that I've ever gotten aside from Daddy.

     Thinking about telling Lucas about the pregnancy makes me feel awkward. 

     How I'm going to face him and tell him that I am pregnant without looking like a harlot?

 But telling him right now is the only way and answer to decide my fate.

   I have barely two months to get married to Chris. I just hope Lucas responds in a positive.

    "You should also let your mom know about it. What do you think?" Courtney asked.

     "Courtney, it would be drastic. I can't tell her just yet. Let's wait for Lucas's reply."

   Anticipating the date, I couldn't help but grow anxious about  Lucas and how to approach him with the topic.

      'Lucas, I'm pregnant and you are responsible for it. Are you gonna accept the baby or not?'