Miles grabbed a soda from the fridge and said, “Thanks! Catch you later. Enjoy your dinner.”
“He’s not eating with us?” Harlow asked after Miles left the kitchen. “I hope that’s not on my account.”
“No worries, Harlow. Miles loves chicken nuggets and fries. He begged me to let him order through DoorDash tonight.” He locked eyes with Harlow. “He said that he didn’t want to be a third wheel.” Nick laughed. “I’ve got my hands full with that one.”
“He’s a really great kid, which I’m guessing you already know.”
“I do,” Nick said. “Not sure what I’d do without him.”
Harlow walked over toward the stove. “So, what are you making? It smells amazing.”
“Beef bourguignon. It’s a French dish.”
Harlow fluttered her eyelashes. “Ooh la la. Sounds fancy. But then again, I can’t cook, so everything sounds fancy to me,” she said with a chuckle.
“If you play your cards right,” Nick said, flashing her a flirty grin, “I’ll give you some lessons.”
She waved him off. “I wouldn’t do that to you. You’d die of frustration.”
He shook his head and joined in on her laughter. They were at ease with each other, developing a natural rapport the more they were in each other’s orbit.
A short while later, Nick announced that dinner was ready. He led her into the dining room, where he had set a beautiful table for them, with a red table runner stretched down the middle. He’d lit a few candles and scattered them around the table. Gold-and-cream plates were set out, along with two wine goblets and silver utensils.
“You didn’t have to go to all of this trouble, Nick,” she told him as soon as she sat down.
Harlow was secretly glad he had gone all out. She hadn’t felt this special or cared for in a very long time. Most of the men she’d dated had been more concerned with what Harlow could do for them rather than making her feel special. No wonder she’d never really been in love.
His eyes twinkled. “Are you kidding me? Most nights I make mac ’n’ cheese and grilled hot dogs or something else Miles enjoys. I actually feel like a grown-up tonight.”
Harlow took a bite of the meal, letting out a hum of appreciation. “This is great. You really can cook your behind off.”
“That’s high praise,” Nick said, grinning. “Save some room for dessert.”
“You made dessert?” she asked, letting out a little moan. At this rate, Nick was going to spoil her for the mundane meals she’d been eating. Most nights she picked up takeout or heated up leftovers.
He shrugged. “Nothing too fancy, just a chocolate molten lava cake with raspberry sauce.”
A sigh slipped past her lips. “Good thing I’m not watching my calories, because I’m going to eat every single morsel you put in front of me.” She continued eating the beef bourguignon until her dish was empty. Harlow had literally cleaned her plate so it was gleaming. Nick glanced over at it and smiled.
“I’m glad you liked it. Julia Child’s recipes never disappoint.”
“It was really great,” Harlow raved. “You’re inspiring me to take cooking lessons. Or at least buy a decent cookbook.”
“Well, I have loads of them if you ever want to borrow any. I had to learn how to cook meals that Miles enjoyed, which is a bit different than the type of food I was used to making.” He wrinkled his nose. “There were a few bumps along the way, but I really enjoy cooking. I actually make special dinners for my search and rescue teams a few times a year. They come over to my house and chow down.”
Visions of stuffed lobster and chicken cordon bleu danced in her head. “They must love you for that! That’s the kind of bonding experience with your colleagues I’ve always been hoping for.” But had never found, she wanted to say.
“Whitney’s a great boss and an even greater person. I think she would be receptive to hosting team bonding events.”
“She’s a class act. Maybe I’ll suggest something like a painting night or wine tasting,” Harlow said. The wheels were beginning to turn in her head. Getting to know her coworkers outside the office would help her acclimate to Mistletoe.
“So, I haven’t met a lot of Black female veterinarians,” Nick said matter-of-factly.
Nick was right. That had been her perspective growing up. “Historically speaking, no, there haven’t been a lot. It was one of the reasons I wanted to pursue a veterinary career. But that’s changing, especially with more opportunities to attend vet school and scholarships. It’s really an expensive road to go down. Honestly, I doubted myself at the outset, but I pushed through and got my degree.”
“From what they say, it’s harder to get into vet school than law school.”
“So they say,” Harlow answered. “There are only thirty-two vet schools in the United States, so it’s difficult to get admitted. The process is pretty much jumping through hoops.”
