Page 53 of One Sweet Day I Found You

Fourteen

The restaurant had a lively but sophisticated vibe. White tablecloths, flickering candlelight, all of the servers in smartly pressed, black-and-white uniforms. Nick and Courtney’s booth sat against a wall of windows that overlooked the shimmering lake. Courtney wanted to pinch herself.

The waiter stopped by to fill up their ice waters. Nick poured more wine from the bottle of white they were sharing into Courtney’s glass. The waiter had already taken their orders.

She took a sip. It was delicious, fruity. She gazed across the table at Nick. She was so impressed by him. He seemed so smart and so even-keeled, often quiet. He seemed so deliberate about the things he did—a good complement to her occasional impulsiveness and frequent spontaneity.

She set down her glass and sat back. “So, Nick, I feel like I still don’t know that much about you, even though we’ve been hanging out more lately.”

Nick shifted in his seat and looked up at her with just his eyes, his head still angled toward the table.

He was a hard nut to crack. She’d have to be conversational enough that it didn’t feel like the Spanish Inquisition, but she really needed to know more about him if she were going to allow her heart to get involved. She plowed forward with the interview, the reporter in her taking the reins.

“Like, for instance, you told me you went to the University of Chicago. But—how did you like it there?” She couldn’t deny it made her a little nervous to start in on him. She couldn’t help but chatter about her own experience to avoid putting him on the spot. “Personally, well, I had a blast in college.”

“You went to U Madison, right?”

He was also very good at answering a question with a question. Noted. “Yeah.”

“Well, yeah, I had a great time, too. You know what they say—best four years of your life. It definitely rang true for me.”

“Me, too. Onward and upward though, right? I’m certainly enjoying life right now.” She looked around at the lovely setting. “I mean, look at this place. Thank you for bringing me here.”

He reached across the table and placed his hand on hers, then softly stroked it with his thumb. “You’re welcome. I’m really enjoying things lately, too.” He looked a little nervous. “And you’re so cute, by the way.”

She curled up her nose at him, grinning. “Thanks. So, do you still keep in touch with friends from college?”

Nick pulled his hand back and leaned against the seat. “Yeah, actually, I do. Bunch of good buddies. Oh, and we had agoodtime. I definitely got my four years’ worth,” Nick crowed. “I talk with those guys every once in a while. I see them online, too. We’ve all spread out.”

“Right. Same here. Cheers to that.” Courtney held up her glass.

“To the good old days.” Nick clinked his glass with hers.

“To the good old days—of three years ago.” They both laughed ironically. Courtney sipped then set down her glass and leaned forward, crossing her hands on the edge of the table. “So, what was your major in school?”

Nick hesitated, then sat back, stretched out his shoulders, and looked her in the eye. “Uh, so—I was pre-med.”

Courtney looked surprised. “Really?”

Nick sat up straighter. “Yeah, and, uh, that’s actually something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”

Courtney sat up, her interest piqued. “Oh. Okay.”

“Yeah, so, my dad’s a surgeon, in downtown Chicago. Cardiology. My older brother, Kenny—he’s studying to be one, too. Orthopedics.”

Nick fidgeted with his silverware and grinned. “Bunch of overachievers.”

Courtney laughed. “Wow. I’ll say.”

“I thought I was going to be one, too. Did my first four years. Got into med school. And, well, you’ve probably heard how that goes. Insane amount of work. No sleep. No life.” He rolled his eyes. “Typical sob story. Blah blah blah.”

Courtney snorted softly. “Totally.”

He took a long sip of his wine. “I managed to do all right the first year. But by my second year, things started going south.” He hesitated again. “I fell behind. My grades dropped.” He tapped on the stem of his glass. “By the end of the spring term, I, uh—I dropped out. Said goodbye to the life of a physician for good.”

“Wow. Really?” Now she was even more intrigued. It took a brave person to make difficult choices, and to tell her all this right now. “And when was that?”

Nick lined up his fork and knife on the table. He looked anxious. “Last year.”

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