Accidentally Engaged(48)
After seeing her name on the website, she realized that she did want it. Not just the prize, but also the recognition. The prestige. She wanted proof that even though her life was a steaming pile of turd, she was still a great cook worthy of a national contest. She just wasn’t sure how wise it was to do this with Nadim.
He wrote again before she could respond.
Nadim: Come for dinner tomorrow. I owe you a home-cooked meal. We can talk. Total honesty.
Reena finally exhaled.
Reena: OK. What can I bring?
Nadim: Just you is all I need.
*
Her Canadian manners wouldn’t let her go to a dinner party without bringing something, so despite the flock of butterflies using her stomach for flight practice, she still went to a local microbrewery on Friday afternoon to grab some craft beer. When she returned, the most unexpected smell overcame her as she entered the first-floor hallway.
Bread. Home-baked bread. And there was only one place it could be coming from.
Nerves be damned, she knocked on Nadim’s door, despite being two hours early for dinner. The smell couldn’t be from him, though. He should still be at work.
But he answered the door, eyes wide, wearing a red plaid apron.
“You’re early,” he said, quickly untying the apron and pulling it over his head. He tossed it on the couch.
She handed him the six-pack. “What’s that smell? Sourdough? What bakery is it from?”
“I made it.” His shoulders fell. “But I messed it up. I was just about to go out and buy another loaf. I should’ve waited for you to teach me.”
“You made bread?”
“I tried. It’s to go with dinner.”
“How? With what? Where’d you learn?”
He raised an eyebrow, one side of his mouth barely curling up in a smile. “Have you heard of this new thing, Ree? It’s called the internet. There’s so much information there—”
“Let me see,” she said, still disbelieving.
She followed him into the kitchen. And sure enough, cooling on the kitchen counter was a golden, flat, sourdough loaf.
“I made it with Al,” he said, “but something went wrong. It didn’t rise like yours.”
Reena pressed her finger into the crusty loaf. Good spring back. Crisp crust. True, it was a little flat, but it had some lift. She lowered her nose to smell the crust. Nice, slightly sour, nutty scent. Not bad for a first time.
“You made it with what?”
“Al. My all-purpose starter. Remember, the puppy from Brian’s litter you let me keep?”
“You kept that starter? And you named him Al?”
“Yes, I told you I planned to keep it. I wanted a pet. I’ve been feeding him every day. Al’s quite robust.”
Reena tilted her head. This man. She’d spent the last four days wallowing in self-loathing, mind swirling with doubts about how he felt about her. And he’d spent it…figuring out how to make bread.
He was so strange. In all the same ways she was. They were a set. And, for now, at least, they should stay that way. She had to find a way to salvage this friendship. She opened her mouth to apologize for everything, when he interrupted her.
“I’m glad you came early. Before I say or do something else stupid, I wanted to say I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have, I mean. I know everything I told you Monday came out wrong. I hate that I upset you. We had this boundary between us, and I overstepped it when I kissed you, and I’m sorry. I didn’t come on to you because of my dad. Or yours. You were warm and smelled so good and I just forgot everything and…” He sighed.
He looked upset. And so weary. “Wait here,” he said. “I have to do this before I lose my nerve.”
He went into the living room, took a small white gift bag from the coffee table, and pulled a black velvet jewelry box out of the bag. Leaving the bag on the kitchen counter, he walked around until he stood in front of Reena.
He took a deep breath. “I took today off work and went shopping.” And then he did the unthinkable. Slowly, remarkably, eyes only on Reena’s, he lowered himself to one knee, and opened the box.
Inside, nestled in black velour, sat a beautiful, glimmering ring. A large, clear stone in the center, with several thin bands of rose gold and white gold dotted with tiny stones on each side of it. Reena’s eyes widened.
What. The. Hell. Reena tried to speak, but her tongue seemed to have grown three sizes.
“Ree, I know I haven’t known you that long, but I…I really like you. And that is completely because of who you are. You’re funny, and competent, and generous, and…I can’t lose this friendship. Remember when I told you that I don’t know who I am most of the time? I’m not like that with you. I feel like me with you. This…connection we have, it’s completely separate from our families. I would never, ever want something from you that you didn’t want, too.” He took a deep breath and held out the box. “This ring cost me thirty dollars, but it won’t turn your finger green. Will you keep it as a promise to never marry me?”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
She blinked. “You’re giving me an engagement ring?”
He smiled nervously and raised one eyebrow. “No. It’s an un-gagement ring. I called my father and told him things were going well at work and with your father, but you and I will not be getting married. The deal with your dad will still go on. I bought this ring because…I thought you’d need a better ring for the contest, and…” He bit his lip. “I don’t know…I just…”