“Yeah, of course I won’t. So you’re pretending to be engaged … but you are actually nudge nudging, right? Because there was a lot of chemistry in that clip, and you don’t lie that well.”

It was really impossible to keep anything from Khizar, even with 450 kilometers between them. And she was fine with that—her brother always had her back. She wished he still lived in town.

“Yeah.” She sighed. “We’re dating. Just casually, though.”

“And Mum and Dad don’t know?”

“No, of course not. They still want me to marry him.” Her brother would understand. “Look, Khizar. Can we finish this later? I’m about to get on the highway.”

“Where you going?”

“Oh … just an off-site meeting. I’ll call you tonight.”

She disconnected the call before he could ask her about work, because she knew she wouldn’t be able to keep her unemployed status from him. Khizar would keep her secret about the contest and fake engagement, no question, but it would be harder to get him to agree not to let the family know she was unemployed. Because he’d want to help her. He was supportive and amazing, and she was always happy to hear from him, but he was still her big brother, and also prone to meddling like the rest of the family.

The whole conversation just increased her anxiety, which was already pretty high, thanks to the job interview. If Khizar, who wasn’t at all into food, saw the video, then others could have seen it, too. Would she and Nadim have to take their fake engagement public? They hadn’t even taken their real relationship out in the world yet.

But Reena needed to put it all out of her mind for now. She was on her way to an important interview. This was the secret food-industry job that Abigail had hinted about—and Reena had full-on squealed when she heard more about it. It was for a financial analyst position at the corporate office of Top Crust, a bakery chain. Reena spent the rest of the drive practicing interview answers in her head.

After parking at the building that held a Top Crust bakery on the main floor, and their corporate offices above it, she squared her shoulders and took a cleansing breath. She’d been to the bakery many times—for a chain bakery, they produced a decent crusty loaf, if a bit overproofed. Their soups and sandwiches were tasty, too, with unique and innovative combinations. This job was perfect for her. She needed to nail this interview.

It went well at first. Angie, the director of finance, described the position, the office culture, and the expectations in a no-nonsense professional manner that Reena liked.

“So, tell me, Reena? What will set you apart from the other applicants? Why do you think you’ll fit here?”

Reena put on her best professional yet enthusiastic smile, while ignoring her elevating heart rate. This was her chance to stand out in the crowd of other applicants. “Can I be honest with you, Angie?”