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“Thought you said you weren’t a gourmet cook,” Victoria says, amusement in her words. “Are you this methodical about everything?”
“Mise en place,” I say, chuckling lightly as I start to slice a bell pepper. “Everything in its place.”
The moment I say it, I realize that right now, everything trulyisin its place.
Victoria is here, after all.
I ask Victoria how she got into physical therapy, and as she tells me about how she’s always wanted to help people, I chop the vegetables and throw them into one pan to cook while the steaks sear in the other one. Soon, we’re sitting down at the dining table, digging into the meal while our conversation continues to flow.
And flow.
Somewhere along the way, I tell her about my divorce. I haven’t talked about it like this to anyone, but Victoria has this way of making me feel completely at ease. It’s kind of a trip, hearing myself open up like this, especially to someone I only just met.
What can I say? It feels right.
As nice as it is to open up about that part of my life, though, I don’t want to linger on it. This night isn’t about the past. Trying to lighten the mood, I smile and say, “Guess I should have known we were doomed when she told me she didn’t like the landscaping I did as a surprise for her.”
Victoria offers a gentle laugh. “Well,Ihappen to like your yard.” She runs a thumb over the edge of the label on her beer bottle. “It mirrors your personality.”
I arch my eyebrows at that. It’s the first time I’ve heard someone say it, but I guess she’s right. The yard is full of hard lines and sturdy plants, but there’s hints of softness around the place, too.
“Was it bad that I said that?” she asks.
I shake my head. “Nope. It’s a fair observation.” I glance out the window and see the sun starting to set. “Feel like taking a walk around the neighborhood?”
“Sure. That’d be nice.”
We carry all the plates and stuff from dinner over to the kitchen sink. Victoria tries to start washing the dishes, but I turn the faucet off and shake my head at her.
“I’ll take care of them later,” I tell her.
“I really don’t mind.”
“I do, though.” I smile down at her. “You’re my guest.”
A little bit of feistiness twinkles in her eyes. Fresh desire flares in my chest. For a split second, I imagine what it would be like to make love to her right here in the kitchen. I’d lift her up onto the countertop, drive deeply into her with her legs wrapped around me, make her scream out—
“Let’s go on that walk,” I say.
Outside, the air is warm and gentle. Everything is cast in the pinkish orange glow of the setting sun. Next door, Jack and Claire are sitting out on their front porch, her with a book perched on her lap, him with a beer. Their two kids are running wild around the lawn, laughing as they chase each other. Jack and Claire both wave at us, and Victoria returns the wave with a bright smile, as if this is already part of her everyday life.
After we pass the house, she glances over her shoulder one more time at the kids in the yard, then smiles at me. “Cute kids.”
I nod. “Yeah. They’re…energetic.”
“They look just like their parents, too. Especially the girl and her mom. I always think that’s so sweet.”
I acknowledge the statement with more of a grunt than anuh huh. I know I shouldn’t be surprised that Victoria likes kids. She’s young. She’s nurturing. But until this moment, I hadn’t considered the fact that she probably wants kids of her own.
We continue to walk around the neighborhood, eventually circling back to her car.
“I had a nice time tonight, Ethan,” she says.
“I did, too.” I run a hand over my chin. “Let me take you out on a real date, though.”
She frowns.
“I’m sorry,” she says. “I like you, Ethan. But I don’t go out with patients.”
