The JP arranged everybody, then read the standard wedding ceremony, while Evan and Gigi made the appropriate responses. Stone noticed that Gigi didn’t have a problem with vowing to obey. The JP pronounced them man and wife, they kissed, then Evan opened a couple of bottles of Dom Perignon, while Gigi distributed champagne flutes. They toasted and drank for a few minutes, then they went off to lunch in the hotel’s restaurant. 2 3 0
L o i t e r i n g w i t h I n t e n t
The JP accepted an envelope, then excused himself, leaving the five of them at a round table in a far corner of the restaurant. More champagne was drunk.
“Where are you going to live?” Stone asked Evan.
“Here, in the winter,” Evan replied. “We like living on the boat, but I expect I’ll buy a house pretty soon. The rest of the year we’ll just wander, until we find someplace we like for the summers.”
“Sounds like an interesting life,” Stone said.
“Stone,” Gigi said, “I want to apologize for hitting you when we first met. I thought you were some sort of threat to Evan, and I just reacted.”
“Thank you, Gigi,” Stone said. “I seem to have recovered, and if not, I know a doctor who can help me.” He kissed Annika on the ear. “Where are you from, Gigi?” he asked, changing the subject.
“I’m from Coral Gables,” she replied.
“And what did you do before you were married?”
“Oh, lots of things,” she said. “I sold real estate, I sold boats, I started a couple of small businesses. I was even a private investigator for a while. That’s how I met Evan.”
The waiter interrupted them to present a huge crown roast of lamb, which, apparently, was the wedding feast. Everyone applauded and then, when the lamb had been served, began eating.
“Have you spent your whole career as a lawyer?” Evan asked Stone.
“No, I was a police detective, which is where Dino and I met; we were partners.”
“Are you still a cop, Dino?” Gigi asked.
“I certainly am,” Dino replied.
“Dino is the lieutenant in charge of the detective squad at the Nineteenth Precinct, on the Upper East Side of New York City,”
Stone explained. “That’s how we both knew Tommy Sculley, who moved down here when he retired.”
“Sculley seems like a good guy,” Evan said. 2 31
S t u a r t W o o d s
“He is,” Stone replied. “We hadn’t seen him in years, until we came down here looking for you.”
“Well, I’m glad you found me,” Evan said.
“By the way,” Stone said, “you should see somebody right away about investing the proceeds of the sale; you’re losing a lot of interest every hour you wait.”
“My grandfather is already dealing with that,” Evan replied.
“He’s been heavily into investing ever since he retired from the company, nearly twenty years ago, and he’s done very well. He just has more to play with now. He’s put me on an allowance.”
“I hope he hasn’t been too strict with you,” Stone said.
“No, very liberal. And I don’t have to mow his lawn to earn it, the way I used to.”
Stone laughed. “I used to have to sweep out my father’s woodworking shop every day to earn mine.”
Annika, who was sitting next to Evan, reached for the bread basket and knocked over Evan’s champagne, some of it into his lap.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, half rising and bending over to use her napkin on the spill.