“Beginnings?” she asked. He hadn’t said that in their rehearsal.

He grinned widely and turned to the camera. “As you can tell from my accent, I’m new here. I was worried about being comfortable in this country, but I quickly learned that our common food can make any beginning can feel like home.” He planted a quick kiss on Reena’s lips before Shayne yelled “cut.”

CHAPTER TEN

Good lord. If their drunken potato bhajias video managed to beat hundreds to get a spot in the contest, the maani/ aloo gobi matar video was going to win it.

With Nadim’s heartfelt enthusiasm, his affectionate gazes, and that off-script speech about food and home, getting through round one seemed inevitable. Reena didn’t have to see the footage to know that her fake fiancé had the ability to turn the insides of anyone watching into mush.

She wanted to win, but … ugh. Her emotions were tied up in knots she couldn’t come close to untangling. Gratitude. Euphoria.

Fear.

She’d been pushing down her growing attraction pretty well so far, but faking an engagement added a new layer of complication to their already bizarre relationship. She couldn’t let herself forget he was acting. He didn’t mean those loving gazes, and subtle brushes on the hand. The firm, warm weight on the small of her back.

That kiss.

“Wow,” Shayne said, turning off the bright lights. “You were fantastic. Both of you. But seriously, Nadim, you were born to be in front of a camera. You two are going to rock this.”

Reena forced a smile in gratitude and quietly started cleaning up, hoping to hide how off-kilter she felt. The sun had set, and with the powerful LED lights off, the dim room seemed to revert back to the real world. The loving fiancé was just her neighbor, pretending. The skinny designer jeans were cutting off circulation and giving her an epic muffin top under a borrowed silk blouse. She bit the inside of her lip. She shouldn’t be doing this. This creative and fun project to distract her from her problems was only amplifying them. She hadn’t anticipated the crushing low after coming down from the dazzling high.

Marley rushed out to meet her date while Shayne finished packing his equipment.

“So, I’ll cut and edit as fast as I can,” Shayne said as he opened the door, “and upload the video to the cloud for you to look at on the weekend.”

“Take your time. We’re not submitting until Sunday night after I get back from Amira’s,” Reena said, following him into the hallway. She held open the exterior door for him.

Shayne smiled at her before climbing down the stairs. “You okay, Reena?”

“Yeah. These shoes are just killing me. Can’t wait to get out of them. Thanks again, Shayne.”

He nodded, taking his equipment to his car. Reena headed back into the hallway, where Nadim was unlocking his door.

“Hey, thanks again for doing that,” she said.

He smiled. “I had fun. And thanks for letting me have the leftover food.”