Accidentally Engaged(65)

“Ready,” he said. “Go change, and then we can start initial shots of you two with the chickens and goats before we start cooking.”

For Nadim’s outfit, they’d picked a cream cable-knit fisherman’s sweater and paired it with his well-worn jeans. For Reena, dark skinny jeans and gray boots (thankfully her own this time), paired with a subtly embroidered teal cotton kurta-style top and a worn gray denim jacket. After a quick touch-up of makeup and a de-frizz of her hair, they were ready.

“Action!” Shayne yelled once they were in place.

“Howdy, folks!” Nadim said with a definite country drawl. Reena raised one brow at him.

“What?” he said, clearly hamming a bit for the camera. “When in Rome, right?”

“We’re not in Rome,” Reena said, looking directly at the camera. “But we are far from home! First, thank you to all the viewers who voted for us in round one. We’re excited to be in round two because the theme is farm-to-table!”

“So, we put a big table in the middle of a farm!” Nadim said, cheerily. “My beautiful bride-to-be here is going to teach me how to make a dish my grandmother made for me as a child—Zanzibar egg curry. But first, I’m going to teach her how to collect fresh eggs.”

“Wait, you’re going to teach me what? I thought the farm people would just…give us eggs.” She now questioned Nadim’s insistence that they not rehearse this bit. She didn’t know she’d have to touch chickens. “How do you know how to collect eggs?”

“I’m a renaissance man. C’mon.” He picked up a basket and motioned her over to the corner of the barn where the chickens were. Shayne followed, carrying the camera.

“My boarding school in England had a chicken coop. We used to gather eggs all the time. It’s easy. Here, I’ll bet this pretty lady has an egg or two under her.”

Reena frowned, looking at the pretty lady in question. A shiny black bird with angry eyes and a red comb on her head, she was sitting in one of the nest boxes, scowling at them. At least that’s what it looked like. Unless she had resting-bitch chicken face.

“There are eggs here. We don’t have to bother her,” Reena said, indicating the neighboring chicken-less nest box, which had a few eggs nestled in hay in it. She picked up one gingerly and placed it in Nadim’s basket.

“Her name’s Agatha,” Duncan called out from behind Shayne.

“Cut!” Shayne turned and glared at Duncan. “Can you maybe, not, speak when I’m filming?”

Amira laughed loudly, pulling Duncan further away from the others.

“I thought you’d need the chicken’s name,” Duncan said. “Careful, though. Agatha’s a bit frisky.”

Reena put her hand on her hips and turned to Nadim. “See! That’s why you shouldn’t stick your hand under her butt.”

“Oh, I am absolutely not sticking my hand under her butt. You are.”

Before Reena could object again, Shayne yelled, “Action!”

“It’s easy,” Nadim said. “Just reach under her and take out the egg. She won’t bite.”

“She probably will bite,” Duncan yelled from the other end of the barn. Shayne motioned for Duncan to shut it but didn’t stop filming.

“If she does bite, it won’t hurt. Just a peck. Trust me,” Nadim said.

Reena reached in. “Okay. I’m not going to hurt you, Agatha,” she murmured, skimming the bird’s soft plumage. “I just want your egg…you don’t need it. It’s not fertilized so I’m not stealing your baby. Just slide over a bit and—”

It was at that moment that Reena began questioning her life’s choices. Because being recorded for a national cooking show while getting pecked at with vigor by an angry chicken named Agatha, while her fake fiancé/real boyfriend howled in laughter seemed like a situation that could have been avoided with a bit of forethought.

Shayne finally took some pity on Reena and yelled, “Cut! That was awesome footage! Let’s move on to cooking.”

Reena rubbed her hand. Nadim had been honest, at least. It didn’t really hurt that much. Only her pride was wounded.

“Let me just get the eggs.” Nadim reached into Agatha’s box and pulled out two eggs. “Thanks, beautiful.” He put the eggs in the basket and rubbed the chicken on her back. Agatha practically cooed.

Figured. That irresistible charm even worked on chickens.

He kissed Reena’s cheek. “And thanks for being such a good sport, even more beautiful.”

And Reena cooed probably more than the damn chicken.

No one was pecked or injured in the cooking segment, much to Reena’s relief. Nadim diced the onions, then peeled the potatoes and hard-boiled eggs while Reena explained to the camera the origins of the egg curry they were preparing.

She then dry roasted and pounded the spices, while Nadim talked about spice farms in Zanzibar, and his grandmother’s home there.

“I’ve always wanted to go,” Reena said.

“I’d love to take you. The sunsets are incredible. The markets in old town are so charming, and the spice farms! You’d be in heaven. That’s it, honeymoon decided. What do you say?” He winked at her.

Reena didn’t know if the wink was a reminder to her that this was all fake. If it was, she didn’t need it. Nothing that felt this good could really happen to her.