“Yes,” I say, thinking of him urging me to live my life to the fullest. Nandini drops a handful of puzzle pieces and Cora squirts out a ridiculous amount of face wash. I look up to see the alarmed expressions on both their faces and hurry to add, “No. No, sorry, I—no. He wouldn’t pressure me to do anything.”

Even the times when Ace has crossed my personal boundaries, he’s always been willing to listen and apologize. He learns from his mistakes and doesn’t make them again. I can’t put into words how important that is to me.

“Then just relax,” Nandini says, her voice soothing as she gathers puzzle pieces again. It helps my nerves only slightly. “So what are you going to wear?”

“Oh God, don’t remind me.” I fall backward onto my bed. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. The fear of getting caught and the fear of messing up are terrifying, and both have made a home inside of me. “I want to die. I’m going to jump off my balcony. This is the end.”

“Karina,” Cora says softly on the other end. For a moment, I feel pathetic at how worked up I must sound just because I’m going on a date. It’s not like Ace asked for my hand in marriage.

“Yeah, okay. Will you guys help me choose?”

Nandini smiles. “Always.”

When I arrive at Ace’s house, my jaw drops. He sent his driver—apparently he really is that rich—to pick me up and bring me to his house, and now I’m staring at a rose-petal path.

I text Ace in confusion, and his only reply is, follow the roses

The heart results in a strange swoop in my stomach. I follow the petals along a stone path, leading to a greenhouse. Ace is waiting for me inside with a candlelit dinner and a stupid grin on his face that I feel the strange urge to kiss.

As I step closer, I realize they’re lavender-scented candles. My lips turn up of their own accord.

“What’s this?” I ask, wiping my sweaty palms against my skirt.

Nandini and Cora helped me pick out an outfit, a deep blue blouse interwoven with silver designs of flora and a high-waisted black skirt that I wore over black tights. More importantly, they helped me pick out jewelry which I borrowed from my mom’s collection. Maybe wearing traditional Bangladeshi jewelry for a first date is a little over the top, but I think it’s fitting.

Ace has abandoned his leather jacket for a white button-down shirt and black slacks paired with dark loafers. I try not to feel giddy at the thought of him dressing up for our date.