“Reena and Nadim! Welcome! Wow, you two have the exact same energy you have in your videos. Makes our job easy, to be honest.” The man was East Asian and had unbridled enthusiasm along with high cheekbones and full lips. Reena liked him instantly. “I’m Anderson Lin,” he said. “So great to finally meet you.”

Tic Tac ears! Reena grinned, struggling to resist conspicuously looking at the man’s earlobes. Then she remembered that this delightful young thing had dumped Shayne, which meant she had also had to start resisting the urge to outwardly glare at him.

Nadim, thankfully, had no scruples and behaved like a perfect gentleman. “We’re thrilled to be here!” He shook Anderson’s hand. “I never imagined we would get this far when we made that drunken bhajias video.”

“That video was epic,” Anderson said. “I can’t believe it was unplanned. You two were made for the screen. Let me take you to meet the other contestants. Then we’ll get you set up at your station.”

The courtyard wasn’t huge, but it was full of people and camera equipment. Four small cooking stations had been set up in the middle of the space, each with a two-burner cooktop and a gas grill. Off to the side, big tables were piled high with ingredients for the challenge. Reena peeked and saw pretty much what they’d told her to expect. Fruits, vegetables, and several different cuts of meat.

The other three pairs who had made it to the semifinals were the Jeffs, the front-runners from Winnipeg; Nate and Amanda, a Black couple from a small town north of Vancouver; and Luc and Renée, a white francophone couple from suburban Montréal. Reena had been pleased when she saw who was in the semifinals, although a touch disappointed for Hala and Maya, the Syrian mother-and-daughter team, who were also from Toronto.

The others were as nice and supportive and pleasant as they had been in their videos. After a bit of small talk with them, Anderson brought Reena and Nadim to their station.

“We’ll go over the rules for everyone in just a minute, but first Lana will be coming by with a makeup kit. She’ll do a quick touch-up—these high-definition cameras can be a little uncharitable, so you’ll want powder.”

Anderson suddenly stepped closer to Reena and Nadim. “But while we’re alone … I know this is a bit awkward … I am not sure you know that I know … actually used to date your friend Shayne.”

Shit. This was it. The end of the charade. Anderson, of course, knew Shayne and knew this engagement was fake. Damnit. Why hadn’t she anticipated this? Reena tensed, not sure if it would be better to come clean, or to double down. Nadim put his arm around her waist. It appeared he intended to double down.

“So,” Anderson continued, leaning closer to Reena, “this is probably not my place, but … ”

She wasn’t getting the Asler scholarship. She was going to be disqualified. Humiliated. Sent home with nothing but a security tag with a bad computer printout of her face.