Page 6 of Bride By Committee

“Have you ever been in love?” she shot back. “Do you believe in the sort of instantaneous love Jones describes?”

“I confess that I’m almost as practical as you.”

“Really?” For some reason that delighted her. So he really was a down-to-the-bones, rational sort of Harry, despite the rough-and-rumbly voice. Just as she’d thought. Perfect. “Then you believe the same as I do. This spiritual, everlasting love is nothing more than a myth perpetuated by dreamers, foolish romantics, and a few unscrupulous con artists.”

“Not at all.”

“I’m glad we agree—” No, they didn’t agree. Impossible man! How could someone who claimed to share her practical nature argue with her, particularly when she was right? It didn’t make the least bit of sense. “Wait a minute. How can you—”

“I’m reserving judgment,” he interrupted. “Because I haven’t experienced it myself doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”

“Piffle.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s a word my grandmother, Sunny, uses,” Madison confessed. “I like it. It has a nice, defiant ring to it. It also sums up my reaction more precisely than any other word I know.”

“Piffle.”

An unexpected laugh escaped at the way he sampled the word. “Slides right off the tongue, doesn’t it?”

“I’d say it’s more like trying to spit out a mouthful of feathers.”

“I guess it’s not a man’s word.”

“Not even close.”

“Still…” Her defiance came through loud and clear. “It expresses my feelings about our discussion.”

“About love, you mean.”

For such an intelligent man, Harry possessed more than a few cockeyed notions. Perhaps she’d have time to set him straight before they went their separate ways. She shivered. Not that she wanted to spend any longer on this elevator than necessary, but she was enjoying their conversation. If nothing else, it was keeping her mind off their situation. He was keeping her mind off their situation, sweet man. Sweet, annoyingman.

“Normally I like people who are direct and to the point,” Madison informedhim.

“Just not so irritating?”

She managed to laugh. “Should I regard that as an added bonus?”

“Consider the entire package an occupational hazard. At least the direct and to-the-point part is work-related. Being irritating comes naturally.”

“Really?” He’d snagged her curiosity. She hadn’t pegged him as the irritating sort. Wrong on a few issues, sure, but basically nice. “What do you do when you’re not trapped in elevators or being naturally irritating?”

“Prepare yourself.”

Madison settled herself more comfortably on the floor, folding her legs against her chest and wrapping her arms around them. “I’m prepared.”

“I spend my days conducting statistical analyses of economic structures and models.”

“Impressive. What does it mean?”

“I’m an economist. Iguess you could say I’m part economist, part accountant with a pinch of analyst thrown in for good measure. Itake complicated data and interpret it. Then I explain the facts as simply and exactly as possible.”

He couldn’t have had a more “Harry” sort of job, unless he’d been a banker. Poor man. Did he mind being so average? “And who do you analyze these facts for?”

“I’m an independent consultant.”

“Got it. So you explain your economic models to whomever pays you.”

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