Dating Dr. Dil (If Shakespeare was an Auntie #1)(32)

“I told you.”



“Cars? That’s probably the hottest thing I’ve ever heard,” he said.

Kareena shrugged. “I think my obsession was born out of necessity.”

“Because your car means family to you, right?”

“Yes. And the memory of someone I’ve lost.”

“I can’t tell you how much I understand that,” he replied.



Prem crouched to inspect a tire. “I know you said you finished the engine last year, but what are you working on right now?”

“I just have to replace the dash instruments, and then the rest of the work needs to be completed in a shop. Upholstery. New mirrors and windows. Refitting with interior trim. Body work.” Kareena hated that she couldn’t do all the work at home, but some skills required years of apprenticeship to get just right. Not to mention tools.

“Is this why you’ve been busy?”

“And because we don’t have anything else to say to each other.”

“We were able to communicate pretty well when we first met.”

Kareena put the wrench she’d been holding on the makeshift bench covered in a grease-stained towel. “I’ve read a lot of romance novels, and do you know what happens at the end of every single one that has a fake relationship in it? Someone finds out. And then the whole thing blows up. Except, we won’t have a happily ever after. Why? Because we’re too damn different, Prem. What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

He was grinning, hands tucked in his back pockets, as he rocked back on his heels. “Nothing, it’s just you sound really cute when you’re freaking out.”

She adjusted her glasses, praying that the heat in her cheeks wasn’t noticeable. “Stop trying to distract me with flirting. You have to keep your distance until I have no other options. Use this time to find other investors.”

“Rina, there are no other investors,” he said. He motioned to her shed, then outside her double doors at the house. “Four months will go by before we know it. The sooner we accept that, the faster we can secure the money we need. I told you. I’ll protect you when we walk away from each other.”

“Let me do it my way first,” she said. The thought of pretending to be in love with him made her nauseous. Especially since everyone would know that he didn’t believe in love and couldn’t possibly feel the same way. “I just started looking . . .”

“Swiping right on dating apps isn’t going to work when you’re on a deadline.” He shoved his hands in his pocket. “You’ll barely be out of the ‘talking phase.’”

“Excuse me?”

His smug expression rubbed her raw even as his long, tapered fingers brushed gently over the hood of her car. “You know, where you just message back and forth until one of you says something completely ridiculous, and you end up ghosting each other. Since your last date I’m assuming that’s what you’re doing, too, right?”

Kareena scowled at him. Damn him for being right. She was currently having mind-numbing conversations with four different people, and trying to figure out if any of them were worth an in-person coffee meeting.

“Come back in three and a half months, Prem. I’m busy right now,” she finally said. “I’ve said it before and I’m going to say it again. You are my Plan B.”

Prem turned to her, and the corner of his mouth curved up, as if he knew all her secrets.

Calm down, bitch. He ain’t for you.

“Do you really think the aunties are going to believe you when you show up with me by your side two weeks before your sister’s engagement party? Will your dad believe you?”

She scowled at him. He had a point. Everyone was going to think she’d lost her mind.

Kareena very well might before the end of this.

She began lining up the rest of her tools on a felt mat after wiping them down with the towel. Without turning to him, she said, “I’m not saying yes, but how do you propose we make this look like we’ve been dating for months?”

“Get dressed in something other than your Mechanic Indian Barbie outfit, and I’ll take you out to lunch. We’ll take pictures and talk about logistics. Or we can pick up where we left off last time.”

She whirled on him. That had to be a joke. “I think you need to stop bringing up my birthday mishap.”

Prem slowly shook his head, his eyes darkening. “If you’re asking me to forget my one night with you, no matter how short it was, then you’re out of your mind.”

She stopped, every part of her frozen with confusion. “Prem . . .”

“Come on. Get dressed. I’ll buy.”

Kareena thought about it for a moment longer. “Fine,” she said. “But I want Indian food.”

“Punjabi Express?”

Her jaw dropped. “You remembered?”

He rolled his eyes, as if her surprise was a ridiculous reaction. “Of course. Now hurry up. Let’s get out of here before your grandmother and sister come out to find us.”

Kareena grabbed her phone. “Speaking of my family, you don’t want to go through the house unless you plan on spending time helping Bindu plan her engagement party. I can meet you out front by your car.”

“Good idea.”