Accidentally Engaged(23)

She blinked, annoyed at this interruption. The weird pang of attraction she had felt last night seemed to have left the building along with the man’s hair. Maybe the douche-beard had magical, magnetic qualities?

And anyway, we need to talk never went well, so more bad news seemed inevitable. She motioned him in and went straight back to the kitchen and dumped the dough onto her big butcher-block board for heavy kneading. He stood opposite her in front of the breakfast bar.

“What’s that?” He nodded to the dough as she formed the blob into a big ball and started working it.

“It’s going to be challah. What’s up?”

“Are you standing on a stool?”

“Yes. I’m too short to knead well otherwise. You look…healthier.”

“I’m on cold pills. Why does it smell like a pepper mill in here?” He looked around, trying to find the source of the overwhelming scent.

Reena rolled her eyes and closed the container of her sister’s soup. “Is this twenty questions, or are you going to tell me what we have to talk about?”

His eyes shifted to the door. Why did he seem nervous? Had something happened with her father? Had Dad found out about Reena’s job? Crap, did Nadim discover they’d made the finals in the contest? She hadn’t planned on telling him about it—since she wasn’t sure what to do about it yet. She squeezed the dough against the worn wood surface.

“Okay,” he said as he sat on the barstool. He took a long breath. “I don’t know if you know this, but I got here to Toronto a couple of weeks before moving into this building.”

She didn’t know that.

“I stayed with this distant friend of the family. Some aunty and uncle I’d never met. Anyway, I went out a lot because they were a little…cold…and…” He paused, mesmerized by her hands on the dough.

“And what?” she said, hoping he would get to the point. If the point would be particularly sharp for her, she’d like to get it over with as soon as possible.

“And I met someone. At a bar. And we…well…met up several times that week.”

Reena squeezed the dough. Why the hell was he telling her this? She didn’t even know he existed back then. Why would it matter if he hooked up with someone before they met? She’d already pegged him as a player, and she had no intention of going along with this blasted arranged marriage anyway…

She slapped the dough on the counter, glad to have an outlet for her frustration. This couldn’t be jealousy, could it?

Nadim continued. “Sharon. She’s a kindergarten teacher. And…camp counselor. It was casual. I haven’t seen her since I moved to this building and didn’t expect to hear from her. But she called me late last night. She had to tell me…”

Holy shit. Nadim had knocked up this kindie teacher and now he had to marry her, which meant he couldn’t marry Reena. Dumped by the fiancé she didn’t even want. Figures. Could this week get any worse?

Nadim continued. “She needed to let anyone who could be exposed know. And I have to tell you now, since you are at risk, too…”

Reena froze. She’d seen this after-school special before. Kindie teacher gave Nadim some STD, and he exposed Reena to it. She’d need blood tests and antibiotics and…wait. She hadn’t even kissed the guy…

What the hell was he going on about?

“Nadim, can you get to the point sometime soon?”

He took a deep breath, before running his hand through that cropped hair again. She’d liked his hair better last night. Long enough to fall into his eyes when not styled within an inch of perfection. But she couldn’t deny that this new velvety head looked deliciously touchable now.

“I have head lice,” he said.

Okay, maybe not so touchable. Lice? Ew. But at least not pregnancy or an STD…yay for blood-sucking parasites?

She wrinkled her nose. “Gross.”

“I know. I didn’t even realize it, but Sharon said she may have given it to me, so I googled it, and then looked, but I couldn’t really tell.”

“That’s what this new hairstyle is about?”

He nodded. “I figured I’d rather be safe than sorry and shave everything. I found a twenty-four-hour drugstore and got hair clippers. But…” He looked at her face, eyes wide. “I’ll have to check your hair. You may have picked up some bugs when you slept in my bed.” He sighed. “I’m very sorry, Reena.”

She said nothing. Her dough felt smooth and pliant now with the gluten fully developed, so she dropped it in a greased bowl, covered it with plastic wrap, and placed it on top of her fridge to rise. Washing her hands and the counter, she considered this new blow to her life. Head lice. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at this one.

“I’m not shaving my head,” she told him, not meeting his eyes.

“No,” he assured. “I won’t let you…I’ll help you. I bought special shampoo and a comb. I just want to check your hair…” His voice trailed off, hopefully as he realized how utterly ridiculous their relationship had become.

“Nadim, I—”

“Please,” he pleaded. “Let me help. I feel terrible, Reena. I know I messed up again. Your father’s going to—”

She put her hand up to stop him from continuing that statement and moved around the kitchen to sit on the barstool next to him. “I have no intention of telling my father this.”