“That you’re the type of person who’s definitely going to remember everything you ever eat.”

I laugh. “Oi? Is that good or bad?”

Victor laughs with me. “You’ll find out, I guess!” He studies me for a second. “How about you? Do you want to be a baker or...?”

“Me?” I wave my hands. “No.”

“Why not?” He looks genuinely curious. “Doesn’t your family own a bakery?”

I look him dead in the eye. “You know I can’t cook, right?”

For such a big secret, the words come out so easily when talking to Victor. And as scary as telling the truth is, I actually feel relieved to say it out loud. I needed to tell someone the truth.

“I’ve seen you cook,” he says plainly.

“Yeah, but... I had zero experience before joining the club. You knew, right?” Now I’m starting to think maybe I misread the way he helped me out at the club.

“I had a feeling,” he admits.

“Do you think Pedro knows?”

Victor frowns. “Why do you care so much what he thinks of you?”

“I don’t want him to use it against me,” I say, my voice rising a little with nerves. “Sorry. I just... It’s complicated. I want to learn to cook, but at the same time I don’t want Pedro to find out that I’m the only one in my family who can’t cook. Please, don’t tell anyone.”

“I won’t. And I get it... But have you ever considered a career as a baker, even if you’re not as skilled as you’d like to be now?”

“No, I’m going to be an accountant.” Victor looks like he wasn’t expecting that answer at all, so I quickly change the subject. “The quadrille is starting! Cintia looks miserable. Should we go rescue her?”

I try to laugh to smother the weird feeling building up in my chest that comes every time I think about studying econ in college. I still haven’t even submitted my application. Mom will murder me when she finds out.

There’s clapping and cheers all around, and I realize people are responding to the way Luana pulls Pedro along to join the quadrille.

He digs his heels in, but she moves behind him and pushes him to take position as her partner. And I realize they’re not going to be just any couple. They’ll be the bride and groom in this quadrille’s faux wedding ceremony!

“That’s the girl,” Victor says.

I whip my head to look back at him. “Who?”

“The girl who gave you her flip-flops.”

“Luana? Pedro’s date?”

Victor nods. So Luana helped me? Does that mean she’s overcome her grudge against me? She did defend me against Talita, and it makes me wonder if her closeness with Pedro has anything to do with this.