“Right,” Davis said.
Gloria looked at Celinda. “In other words, you didn’t meet through a matchmaker.”
“Good grief, no, Mom.” Celinda rezzed up a reassuring smile. “Neither of us is looking for a permanent match at the moment. I mean, we’re both so busy with our work. We’re just enjoying each other’s company. Nothing serious.”
She didn’t have to make it sound that casual, Davis thought, irritated.
“I see,” Gloria said. She did not appear greatly relieved, but there was not much she could say.
“Was the relic valuable?” Newell asked with genuine curiosity.
“The shopkeeper only charged me five dollars for it,” Celinda said quickly.
Newell frowned. “Someone hired a private investigator to track down an artifact worth only five bucks?”
“It has a lot of sentimental value to my client,” Davis said smoothly.
Celinda nearly choked on a sip of her drink. She lowered the glass and grabbed a napkin. Davis decided she was probably having a tough time imagining a sentimental Guild boss. He had to admit it was a bit of a stretch.
“How long have you two known each other?” Gloria asked.
“A while,” Davis said before Celinda could speak.
“And you’re not serious about each other,” Gloria said, coolly polite, “yet she brought you to a family wedding.”
“Celinda is the one who said we weren’t serious.” Davis sipped his drink and lowered the glass. “I’m hoping to change her mind.”
On the other side of the table, Celinda’s eyes widened in shock. “No, really,” she got out weakly. “We’re just friends.”
“Yeah, really,” he said. He turned back to Gloria. “Don’t worry, though, I plan to give her plenty of time to get to know me.”
Gloria cleared her throat in a very meaningful way. “If the two of you do get serious, I’m sure you will, of course, consult a marriage consultant.”
It was not a suggestion, Davis thought. More like a parental demand.
“Definitely,” Celinda said, bobbing her head up and down very quickly. “Don’t worry, Mom. You know me; I wouldn’t dream of doing something stupid like getting married without the advice of an expert. Goodness, no one knows more than a marriage consultant just how important it is to get professional help. I’m sure Davis agrees. Don’t you, Davis?”
“Right,” Davis said neutrally, “professional help. It worked so well for me last time. Why wouldn’t I want to repeat the experience?”
Celinda glared at him.
Newell’s brow crinkled. He looked vaguely baffled.
“I beg your pardon?” Gloria said, rounding on Davis in sudden suspicion. “Are you married, Mr. Oakes?”
“No, Mrs. Ingram.” He watched Celinda over the rim of his glass. “Had a close call a while back, though.”
“Davis had a somewhat negative experience with a marriage consultant,” Celinda explained in icy accents. “He employed a matchmaker who evidently did not know what she was doing. Fortunately, he and his fiancée discovered that they were not right for each other before the Covenant Wedding took place, so there was no harm done.”
“No harm done,” Davis repeated thoughtfully. “Now, there’s an interesting way of looking at it. I, however, take a somewhat different view.”
Celinda’s glare grew more stern. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“As far as I’m concerned, my experience with a marriage consultant can pretty much be summed up as nonrefundable,” he said.
Celinda and Gloria were both looking mystified now, but an expression of deep sympathy appeared on Newell’s face.
“Nonrefundable.” Newell shook his head with a grave air. “Not good. Not good at all.”
Celinda and her mother switched their attention to him and then back to Davis.
“What are you two talking about?” Gloria demanded.
“Nonrefundable honeymoon cruise tickets,” Davis said. “Nonrefundable deposits on the caterers’ bills and the rental of the hotel ballroom and a few thousand bucks worth of flowers. Did you know that flowers are not returnable? And then there was the champagne. Didn’t open one damn bottle, but I still got charged for most of it.”
“Wait a second,” Celinda said, “the cruise tickets I understand. Are you saying you got stuck with the rest of the expenses, too?”
He gave her a steely smile. “My fiancée had always dreamed of a full-blown Covenant Marriage, but her family didn’t have enough money to pay for it. So, thinking I was making a long-term investment, I picked up the tab.”
Celinda winced. “Oh, dear.”
Newell shuddered. “When I think of what I would have been out if Rachel and Josh had called off their marriage at the last minute, I get cold chills down my spine.”
“Nevertheless,” Gloria said, exuding womanly wisdom, “far better to find out that things are not going to work out before a Covenant Marriage takes place than afterward.”
“I won’t argue that point,” Davis said. “I’m just saying it was an expensive lesson about the fallibility of professional matchmakers.”
Celinda fixed him with an air of grim challenge. “Surely you don’t mean that you would rather trust your own judgment than use a professional consultant the next time?”
He shrugged. “I don’t see how I could do any worse.”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake,” she shot back, “that’s like me saying I’d rather do my own detective work rather than hire a professional investigator.”
“It’s not the same thing at all.”
“It is, too. There is solid statistical evidence and a number of parapsych studies proving that people who follow the advice of a properly trained matchmaker are far more likely to contract happy, fulfilling marriages than those who don’t use a professional.”
“Sounds like you’re quoting from that book of yours again.”
“Maybe you should read it.” She folded her arms on the table and narrowed her eyes. “The statistics and the citations for the studies are all in the appendix.”
“Wow,” he said, deadpan. “It has an appendix? You know, I’m really going to have to take a look at that book one of these days.”
“If you ever get around to actually buying a copy,” she said, acidly sweet now, “I’d be happy to sign it for you.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Davis saw Newell and Gloria exchange an odd look. Newell slid out of the booth and reached back to help Gloria to her feet.
“If you two don’t mind, we’re going upstairs to our room,” Newell said genially. “Been a long day, and it will be an ever longer, busier one tomorrow.”
Davis got to his feet and shook Newell’s hand. “Thanks for the drink, sir.”
Gloria leaned down and kissed Celinda on the cheek. “Good night, dear. See you in the morning.” She straightened and looked at Davis. Amusement sparkled in her eyes. “I’m so glad we had this little chat, Davis. I feel I know you much better now. See you at the wedding.”
“Good night, Mrs. Ingram.”
Newell and Gloria disappeared into the hotel lobby, heading toward the elevators.
Davis sat down and looked at Celinda.
There was an acute silence.
He cleared his throat. “I think that went well, don’t you?”
