On Friday, Jimmy went to the supermarket to buy cooking materials and packaging boxes, and ca back to make Brownie chocolate cake. He originally wanted to make cookies, but those were too ordinary and lacked sincerity. Anything too complicated was beyond Jimmy's skill, but brownies were relatively simple, plus they were popular here in Arica, and there was practically no chance of ssing them up.
He heated a container over boiling water, lted dark chocolate, milk, and sugar, then added butter, stirring until it lted and mixed. Once everything was fully combined, he added beaten eggs and a small amount of flour, stirred evenly, and poured it into the mold to bake. Of course, the mold needed to be greased with butter first to prevent sticking, and water needed to be added to the baking tray to make the inside of the cake softer.
After baking, he took it out to cool, covered it with plastic wrap, and put it in the refrigerator to chill overnight. The next day, he would take it out before leaving, cut it into small pieces, dust with cocoa powder, and pack it into boxes.
With everything ready, Jimmy finally breathed a sigh of relief. Speaking of this visit to et Nia's family, he was still a little nervous. After all, he had been "eyeing the cabbage" for so long without eting her family, which was not quite right. Going to et Nia's family now was a step forward in their relationship.
On Saturday evening, Jimmy drove to the apartnt building where Nia lived. Nia was already waiting for him in the lobby downstairs. Jimmy walked into the lobby with the box, "Nia."
Nia ca over, gave him a kiss on the cheek, "Nervous?"
Jimmy nodded with a smile, "A little."
Nia: "No need to be nervous, they are all very nice people. Let's go, we'll head upstairs." With that, Nia took the cake box from Jimmy's hands, hooked her arm through his, and walked into the elevator.
The elevator reached the floor where Nia's family lived, and directly there was a door. It was a big flat, and Jimmy could already see three people sitting in the living room and two people in the kitchen.
Nia ca over, grasped the doorknob, opened the door, and walked into the living room, introducing Jimmy as she moved towards the couch, "Jimmy, this is my grandfather, this is my father, this is my Uncle Mark. My mom and aunt are in the kitchen. Grandpa, Dad, Uncle Mark, this is Jimmy."
Nia introduced Jimmy to the three people sitting on the living room couch: an elderly man with white hair and two middle-aged n with blond hair. The man sitting on the left side of the couch was soone Jimmy had seen in pictures before, it was Nia's father, Kevin Miller.
All three were dressed in casual ho wear. Jimmy might have taken this visit too seriously; he was wearing a dark handmade Italian suit, which was too formal. Moreover, to leave a good impression on Nia's family, he only brought a revolver, ensuring that his clothes wouldn't be distorted by having too many weapons.
Jimmy politely greeted, "Hi, I'm Jimmy, nice to et you all."
Kevin stood up, "So you are Jimmy, Nia has ntioned you many tis. Please, have a seat."
Jimmy handed over the box of wine, "Mr. Miller, a small gift, I hope you'll like it."
Kevin: "You're too kind, Jimmy. May I open it?"
Jimmy smiled as he sat down, watching Kevin open the box on the coffee table in front of him. His earlier inquiry was just a formality, "Wow, Romanee-Conti, very thoughtful of you, and it's from 1990."
Nia's grandfather suddenly spoke, "Kid, where are you from?"
Jimmy sensed the tone was not quite right, rembering Nia ntioning that the old man used to be in the K Party, cautiously replied, "Little Rock, Arkansas, currently working in New York."
Kevin: "Alright, father, I've already checked. He's fine."
The old man didn't say anything further, but his face still seed devoid of a smile. However, Deputy Director Kevin was quite warm, and his brother Mark also said a few words, gradually easing the tension.
While they chatted, Nia's mom and aunt also left the kitchen and ca over. Jimmy greeted them and presented the cake he brought. After learning that it was made by Jimmy himself, they tried a piece and complinted his good skills.
Jimmy knew that his cooking skills were certainly not on par with homakers who manage family affairs for years, but even a superficial complint was nice.
Today was Nia's family gathering, but her Uncle Mark's children couldn't attend due to other commitnts, so when everyone was seated in the dining room, the conversation mostly revolved around Jimmy and Nia.
Without realizing it, most of the questions about Jimmy's personal background had already been asked. He wasn't a fresh graduate; although he was a bit nervous initially, he gradually relaxed as the conversation went on.
Since both Nia's father and she worked in the police departnt, they naturally took an interest in what Jimmy, as an FBI agent, did. The FBI didn't have the best reputation, quite different from the positive depictions in movies and TV series; in reality, many people don't like them.
Nia was also making an effort to earn Jimmy so points, specifically ntioning one or two major cases Jimmy had worked on, of course, ones he had told her about, such as that frustrating bomb terrorist attack case.
As the conversation unfolded, Jimmy learned more about Nia's family. The old man had served two terms as a State Senator. Although not comparable to a U.S. Congress Senator, he was a significant figure in the state. Her Uncle Mark was a trustee of a private university and also owned a considerable company. This family clearly was not to be underestimated.
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