“Hello! I’m Reena! And this is my … ” She looked up at Nadim, unsure if she could say the word.

“ … fiancé, Nadim.” He smiled that charming camera-ready smile “Today we’re making—”

“Maani. Also called Chapatti,” Reena interrupted. “And aloo gobi matar.”

“Cut!” Shayne said, shaking his head. “Stop with the finishing each other’s sentences. You sound like Tweedledee and Tweedledum.”

Why had she agreed to this? Reena wanted to rub her face, but Marley had contoured her within an inch of humanity. Her feet hurt. The lights were in her eyes. Laughing and making a drunken midnight snack was one thing, but this felt so much more real.

Nadim rubbed her upper arm. “We’re doing fine, Reena. Don’t be nervous. Pretend no one else is here. It’s just you and me.”

She looked into his dark eyes. Warm and so kind. She nodded.

“All right, take it from the top,” Shayne said.

They got through the intro sounding less like cartoon characters this time. And Reena managed to get the flour, salt, and oil in the bowl without freezing again.

“What’s the point of this step?” Nadim asked as he rubbed the oil into the flour.

“We’re coating each grain of flour in oil. It helps with tenderness.”

He wagged his eyebrows. “I agree. Lubrication always helps with … tenderness.”

Reena’s head fell forward in laughter. “I can’t believe you said that. Here, I’ll add water. Keep squishing it with your fingers.”

She poured warm water into the flour mixture as he mixed with his hands.

He hummed with pleasure. “This is surprisingly sensual. I’m not sure I’ll be able to watch you knead bread again without blushing like a schoolgirl.”

She giggled. It appeared Nadim didn’t need to be drunk to be comfortable and flirty on camera.

While the dough rested, she showed him the simple curry. First they lightly fried mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves before adding onions, crushed garlic and ginger, and tomatoes. Finally, the diced potatoes, cauliflower, and peas.

“Cauliflower is a weird vegetable, isn’t it?” Nadim said as he stirred the pan. “Did you know that it comes in four colors, but similar to people, white is considered standard.”

Reena tried hard not to snort with laughter again while his bubbly morning show host-type banter continued. “It’s a flower, isn’t it? You should totally carry a head of cauliflower as your bouquet at the wedding. Purple, green, and orange, though. No boring white.”

Shayne had been spot-on—Nadim was like a brown Jamie Oliver, with a genuine enthusiasm that felt downright infectious. And he was affectionate—he repeatedly touched her arm or put his hand on the small of her back. His playfulness helped her fight through the stage fright. Their final sequence, as they rehearsed, had Reena tearing off a piece of the round flatbread, scooping up some curry with it, and feeding it to Nadim with her fingers.

“Mmm …Tastes like home. But also tastes like new beginnings,” he said.