I covered my surprise by glancing down at the mixed bouquet I held. When I looked up, the woman had already slipped away. A small orchestra played on the far side of the wall, under a bank of tall arched glass doors framing them like a canvas. We were in a ballroom that opened out to the gardens and a pool beyond. About one hundred yous dressed in their finest mingled in the ballroom while servers weaved their way through the crowds carrying silver trays. One server stopped in front of me, offering small gilded dishes of scallops nestled over greens. I shook my head, and he drifted away. I had no appetite.

A chandelier as magnificent as the one in the foyer hung in the center of the rectangular room, with wall sconces casting a soft glow on the beautiful crowd. I saw Daiyu almost immediately, surrounded by a group of yous our age, each one of them holding a flute of bubbling champagne, laughing or smiling. The picture of wealth, happiness, and perfection.

I made my way to her, bumping a few elbows along the way—not the done thing, I assumed, by the sidelong glances I received. It wasn’t until I neared Daiyu that I realized I had been holding the flowers thrust out like a weapon, my anger and discomfort rising with each jacket sleeve I brushed, with each diamond choker and large ruby or sapphire earring I glimpsed swaying above bare shoulders. Daiyu caught my eye and broke into a wide smile.

I stopped dead, loosening my grip on the bouquet. I hadn’t noticed that my pulse had been racing, and sweat had gathered at the back of my neck, clammy against the stiff collar of my tuxedo shirt. I drew a slow, deliberate breath, and grinned back, shrugging sheepishly. Hi, I mouthed.

She broke away from the group and came toward me. Every one of her you friends tracked her movement like a hawk. It would have been ridiculous and funny if I wasn’t already feeling so much out of my element. “Are those for me?” she asked.

I had forgotten the flowers and proffered them. “They are,” I said, wishing I had asked Victor for a list of charming one-liners to use. “In exchange for the lilies you sent.” I groaned inwardly. So not suave.

She breathed in the fragrance of the blooms, smiling into the bouquet. “Oh,” she said, “these are lovely, Jason.” Then she leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek, suffusing my senses with her subtle floral perfume. Several pairs of eyes narrowed among her group of friends, and I could actually feel their appraisal and suspicion from this short distance.