“Priya?” Ethan said, removing his baseball cap as if offering a silent eulogy for her teenage delusions.
Priya scanned his face, taking in the transformation from boyish charm to raw, rugged appeal. She had seen that face on countless posters and billboards, but nothing prepared her for the electric jolt of his attention. His steel-gray eyes swept over her, and suddenly, she was untethered, like a comet ripped from its trajectory. Ethan Knight wasn’t just astar. He was heat and gravity, a supernova pulling everything toward him. She had to distance herself or she’d end up spiraling right back into his orbit.
“Ethan,” she said with a curt nod.
Without breaking eye contact, Ethan extended his hand out to Brooke. “I win.”
Brooke groaned, then reluctantly slapped a ten-dollar bill into his palm.
“I told you, Brooke.” Ethan’s mouth curved into a half smile as he spoke to his sister. “Priya Solanki isn’t one to swoon. Never has been and never will be.”
“Damn it, Priya.” Brooke snapped the clasp of her handbag shut. “You could have at least shown ahintof awe. A burst of starstruck silence. It’s been, what? Twelve years since you last saw each other?” Her eyes flickered between her friend and brother.
Twelve years, eight months, and I’m-glad-I-don’t-remember-how-many days because that would make me truly pathetic.“That’s what you get for making a bet without consulting me.” Priya gave Ethan a dismissive shrug before turning to Brooke. “We could have split that tenner.”
“Hell, I would have even autographed it for you,” Ethan teased. “For old times’ sake.”
His words made Priya’s heart lurch.For old times’ sake. Once, they had shared a connection, quiet and unspoken, something that even Brooke had never caught on to. But Priya had been just a kid back then, starry-eyed over her best friend’s older brother, long before fame swept him away.
“So, what brings you back to Toronto?” Priya asked, trying to sound breezy.
“I need to get into the right headspace for my next project,” Ethan replied. “Plus, it was a good excuse to see Brooke before she sailed off again. And you? Brooke said you just moved back.”
His eyes lingered, steady and curious, and Priya felt her stomach tighten. She glanced at Brooke, who grimaced apologetically and gave her an awkward smile.
Ah. So, he knows. Priya swallowed the wave of embarrassment creeping up her throat.Great. Now he thinks I’m some sad divorcée limping back home.
“Yeah, it just felt like the time was right for a fresh start,” Priya said, keeping it light and casual.As if Ethan Knight would ever want to hear about my train wreck of a life.
“That’s great. And what’s keeping you busy these days?” His presence was even more intense than she remembered.
Priya scrambled for words. “Figuring out my life” was not an option.
“I, uh, just stepped away from the company I cofounded,” she said. “We built and managed websites, but I’m also starting to branch into app development now.” As she spoke, a well-worn fantasy flickered to life in Priya’s mind. She had imagined running into Ethan many times over the years—always on a red carpet, wearing a stunning gown, her hair cascading down her back, makeup done to perfection. The setting: Oscar night for non-celebrities, because the world had come to realize that ordinary people deserved awards, too, for their convincing performances in life.
The paparazzi trip over each other, hollering her name. Priya sashays down the carpet, radiant in her confidence, her smile bewitching as she poses—left, right, center. Well, maybe not right. Not her best side.
Ahead, Ethan Knight is surrounded by a swarm of reporters. As he answers their questions, he catches a glimpse of her. His words falter, his jaw slackens, his eyes widen. He is mesmerized by the enchanting woman before him, the woman he’s overlooked all these years. He takes her hand, draws her close, and confesses she’s the only one he’s ever truly wanted. Cameras flash. The crowd erupts as they embrace in a passionate kiss—
“Earth to Priya.” Brooke waved her hand before Priya’s face.
“Sorry. What was that?” Priya blinked, jolted back to reality as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice over her daydream.There was no red carpet, no perfect makeup, no grand and fiery declarations of love. Just her, standing in front of Ethan in shapeless sweatpants and glasses, feeling about as glamorous as a forgotten sock at the bottom of the laundry basket.
“I said maybe we should go inside.” Brooke tilted her head toward her brother.
“Of course.” Priya’s eyes darted to the street. She had been so caught up in the whirlwind of seeing Ethan again that she’d forgotten he wasn’t just Ethan anymore—he was someone the world watched closely.
As she led Brooke and Ethan up the apartment stairs, Priya cringed internally. The peeling paint and sagging banister seemed impossibly worse in their presence, and the dim lighting screamed low-budget horror movie. Priya hesitated at the door. Her parents would freak out upon seeing Ethan, but it was too late to warn them. She let Brooke inside, then barred the way. Mindful that Priya’s family removed their shoes upon entering, Brooke slipped her shoes off.
“Hello, hello,” Puppa greeted her with his standard handshake and half bow. “It’s been a while. The last time we met, you and Priya were…” He trailed off as he caught sight of Ethan. “You were…um…” His eyes widened before flicking around the room in urgent search of Mumma. Failing to locate her, he cleared his throat and edged past Priya to welcome Ethan.
“Mr. Ethan.” Handshake, half bow.
It was customary for the Solankis to add-jiat the end of a person’s name as a sign of respect, but Puppa adjusted for Ethan’s Canadian roots, settling on “Mr. Ethan” instead of “Mr. Knight.” He held on to Ethan’s hand and gave him another half bow.
“Please, call me Ethan.” Ethan reciprocated with a slight bow of his own. But Puppa, a seasoned player in the game of deference,had to have the final say and slipped in one more bow before releasing his grip.
Ethan bent to unlace his shoes, and the sight of a superstar at his feet—a gesture traditionally meant to seek blessings from an elder—sent Puppa into a tailspin. He defaulted to another half bow as Ethan straightened. Their heads bumped, colliding like two coconuts in a monsoon rainstorm. Priya winced, her face heating up as she fought the urge to bury her head in her hands.Perfect. Just perfect.
