"All things considered, thank you regardless of your thought process," I said dryly.

Scratch inclined somewhat nearer to me. "What have I done to influence you to scrutinize my thought process?"

I was grateful the music was sufficiently boisterous that Jessie and Claire couldn't hear the discussion amongst me and Nick. "Goodness, I don't have the foggiest idea. Possibly it was the way you attempted to coerce me into going out with you or perhaps it was the way you deceived me into influencing a wager to cite to go through one night with you unquote.