Chapter 30: Date Night
** Harper **
As it turned out, what Harper expected to be a casual homemade dinner was actually a full onslaught of the senses. She didn't really consider herself a foodie — no foodie would've survived years on microwavable TV dinners — but when the meal was laid out on the table, she still found herself swallowing hard in order to not drool.
Everything looked divine. Veal Milanese with a picture-perfect golden crisp, saffron risotto shimmering in an intoxicatingly rich wine sauce, caprese salad straight from the plant to the table. Topped with a vintage Barolo brought out from the temperature-controlled cellar ...
Harper suddenly had a distinct illusion that this was not a friendly "just stop by for dinner" situation at all, but rather a romantic first date. How many ladies had Eli managed to swoon with such a charming evening treat?
"Someday when we both have a little more time," Eli broke her reverie as he popped the cork, "I'll make something that requires more patient waiting. Confit, maybe. We can watch a movie while it cooks — the built-in surround sound in this place is probably the second best perk of living here, after the harbor view."
Harper watched the wine pour from his hold in regal grace. "Somehow I'm not even shocked anymore to hear you casually talk about making confit," she admitted, then offered him a sly grin. "Should I assume this is simply a typical weekday meal for you, or did it take you a few date nights to build up such a classy menu?"
Eli arched an eyebrow.
Belatedly, Harper realized there was something in her words that sounded suspiciously like jealousy. Before she could correct it though, Eli's expression turned back to neutral. "As a general rule," he said, "I don't make dinner for other people. Like I said, cooking is my way to unwind after work, so I keep it private. It won't feel the same anymore once I start using it as a way to impress someone else."
Oh ... Well, that was a bit unexpected, and Harper wasn't quite sure how to process the information. Should she be flattered that he made an exception just for her, or was this another one of those friend-zoned situations?
Eli saw the question on her face. Or at least a portion of it. "You are family, Harper." He swirled one of the filled glasses elegantly and placed it in front of her. "Family is not subject to general rules."
... Alright, family-zoned then. The romantic halo glowing over the dinner table seemed to have dimmed a little at that revelation—