At dinner, a fabulous feast awaits us.

“Do you ever feel like working in a kitchen spoiled fine dining for you?” I say, leaning over to Zach, after the appetizer. Luz, Ari, and Ben are also at our table, along with a few of Luz’s cousins. Ari glances sideways at Ben. I guess this is a question for both of them, too.

“Not really,” Zach says. “That tuna tartare was to die for. This is all so awesome. Thanks for inviting me.” His warm smile has been replaced by a grin I can only describe as wildly kissable. Which is exactly what he leans over to do. Swoon.

“What’s for main?” he says, checking out the printed menu on the table. “Miso glazed sea bass? Score!”

I chuckle. “Almost sounds like you came for the food.”

Zach takes in the room, the mood lighting, the DJ station, and the dessert bar set up at the back.

“And the party afterward!” he says, missing my joke. “Lucky we bumped into each other just in time.”

“Right, so you could eat wedding cake?”

Zach shrugs. “I’m more of a savory kind of guy.”

There’s an awkward silence around the table, but I keep on smiling. Attending my dad’s wedding together when we just reconnected might be a little much. It’ll be easier when it’s just the two of us. Right? Then we’ll get to really know each other.

“Well, it’s not too often we get to eat food we didn’t cook,” Ari says. “But some of us are pretty good at picking our way around different plates.” He shoots a weird glance at Zach, who ignores him.

“What’s Ari’s deal?” I whisper to Luz. “This is a wedding. It’s supposed to be fun. Why is he acting like his old grumpy self?”

This has been going on since we sat down for dinner. After the ceremony and during the cocktail hour, Luz, Ari, and Ben mostly hung out with Luz’s family. I found Zach again after my conversation with Maman—he was chatting with a girl near the bar, a guest on Miguel’s side. But ever since we got to our table, Ari has been making snide comments toward Zach, who focused on me instead. I know I promised Luz I’d cut Ari some slack, but I am not into his attitude. Not today.

“I don’t know,” she whispers back. “He and Ben keep mumbling about Zach, but when I asked them earlier, they just said it was nothing.”

She grimaces. I expected her to tell me to be nice to her boyfriend, and her response gives me a strange feeling.

Zach grabs a piece of bread and tears it up. “Well, I think it’s nice to enjoy the good life while we can.”

“Yeah, we believe you,” Ari says right back.

I glance at Ben, who’s sitting tight with his jaw clenched. You okay? I mouth.

Are you? he mouths back. The look on his face is of pure concern.

Something feels off. I want to talk to Ben some more, but he starts up a conversation with Luz’s cousin next to him, and I don’t feel like trying to catch his attention across the table.

“Let’s go mingle,” I say, grabbing Zach’s hand.

He’s looking at his phone, and it takes him a moment to tear his eyes away from it and follow me. I can’t wait until the grooms have their first dance and the floor opens up to everyone. The DJ is playing my kind of pop music and any minute spent in Zach’s arms is my favorite kind of minute. But for now we go check out my masterpiece, which has been set up in a corner of the room: the dessert bar. It looks as perfect and delicious as I was envisioning it: the traditional pièce montée with puff pastries, the strawberry and vanilla naked cake topped with fresh flowers, the multitude of cupcakes in various flavors and colors, the tower of macarons in rose petal, pistachio, and passion fruit…It makes my mouth water. But we have a few more courses to get through before this.

“You did a great job,” Zach says, taking a snap of me in front of the colorful display.

Then he grabs me in his arms and kisses me. A few selfies ensue, more memories of our first official date together. I don’t know how we’re going to top it on our next one, but I’m sure we’ll manage somehow. Every time we’ve spent together has been more exciting than the last.

The thrill starts to die down when we get back to our table. Ari and Ben won’t look in our direction, and Luz seems stuck in the middle, shooting me apologetic smiles. I try to focus only on Zach as we finish off our mains, and then while the cheese course is being served. Papa insisted upon this French tradition, which required a bit of convincing with the catering company. But here they are: a full wheel of Camembert, a slice of Roquefort, another one of Ossau-Iraty—a medium-firm cheese made from sheep’s milk—and a Reblochon, along with chutney, honey, and grapes. Not to mention the baguettes, obviously. Never forget the baguettes.

But by the time I tear off a piece, Ari has moved on to giving us full-on death stares. I know Luz loves him, but this guy is a lot to deal with.

“Having fun?” Ari says to Zach, his tone all snarky.

“I am, actually,” Zach says, turning to me and giving me a peck on the lips.

“Of course you are. Lots and lots of fun,” Ari quips back.

“Ari,” Luz says. A warning.

“What’s going on?” I say.

Luz is a little too quick to respond. “Nothing!” She sounds too chipper.

“But—” I start. Luz smiles at me strangely and I stop. Weird.

Silence falls on our table as we fill our plates.

“I can’t wait to start dancing,” Zach says, turning to me in a way that obscures Ari and Ben.

But he’s not quiet enough. “Yep, you can’t wait for anything!” Ari says loudly.

This is too much. “Do you two know each other?” I say.

I glance at Luz, who’s acting all innocent. Meanwhile, Ben is staring at his plate.

“Yes,” Ari responds at the same time as Zach says, “No.”

Um, okay?

“It’s really nothing,” Luz says. “We shouldn’t worry about it tonight. We’re here for this beautiful wedding and to have fun, right?” She tugs on Ari’s sleeve, but he’s fuming now.

“I’m sorry, I can’t do this,” Ben suddenly says.

“Let’s not ruin the night,” Luz says softly.

“Is anyone going to explain what the hell is going on?” It feels like everyone knows except for me.

Instead, Ben gets up, his chair scraping against the floor as he does. He shoots me one last look, and walks away.

I follow him. I’m practically running, as much as I can in my heels. I feel like I might sprain an ankle by the time I make it out onto the terrace after him. The view of Manhattan all lit up is splendid, a fairytale backdrop for a dreamy night. Though I have a feeling it’s about to take a different turn.

“I knew this was a mistake,” Ben says, wrapping his arms around his body. He left his jacket inside. “I shouldn’t have come to your dad’s wedding.”

There’s no one else on the terrace with us, it’s too cold for that.

“Is this about the shifts Raven promised you?”

“I like you, Margot. I can’t believe I have to say it out loud. I felt like we were…I figured it was…Anyway. When you invited me to the wedding, I thought it meant something. We were getting closer and yes, maybe I should have told you sooner, but I felt like it was mutual, even if you needed some time to get there.”

“We were looking for Zach!”

Even before Ben’s face drops, I know this isn’t really what I wanted to say. But what? Ben likes me. It’s a total shock and completely obvious at the same time. I’d never stopped to think about it, because…Zach. Ben knew from the start that my heart belonged to someone else.

“I know, Margot. I can’t control my feelings.”

“I’m not asking you to. It’s just that…I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Really?”

I don’t know what to say. We’re at my dad’s wedding. I’m finally with Zach. I’ve had the best time with Ben these last few months. This is all way too much to think about for one night.

“I’m sorry, Ben. I can’t—”

“I get it,” he says, cutting me off. He’s never sounded so curt before. “I hope you’re happy together. But I have to go home now.”

“Please don’t! I’m sorry we didn’t spend much time together tonight. I’ve been a bad friend.”

I step toward him but he shakes his head. “I can’t sit there and watch you with him. Please, Margot. You have to understand. If you’re my friend, let me go.”

My throat is so tight, I can’t speak. I nod instead.

“Bye, Margot.”

“Bye, Ben.”

But by the time the words come out, he’s already gone.

Feeling deflated like a three-day-old balloon, I get back to our table. Ben has already grabbed his jacket and left. Zach isn’t here either.

Luz guesses what I’m thinking. “He got a text message and I think he went off somewhere.”

I start to look around the room for him, but Luz gets my attention. “We need to tell you something.” We being she and Ari. Luz glances at her boyfriend and waits.

“You do it,” he says. “Margot already hates me.”

“She doesn’t hate you.” Luz looks at me for confirmation, but I’m feeling too raw to deal with whatever is going on here.

“I’m going to hate you both if you keep this up.”

Finally, Luz takes a deep breath and lets it out all. “Ari and Zach know each other. They have a mutual friend, and they’ve hung out before.”

“Okay?”

“When you found Zach again, I was so excited for you that I told Ari your whole story. How you met in Paris when he was just starting his trip around the world, your pact…and how you missed each other in Times Square but managed to get together again. He thought it was really cute. But then you guys arrived this afternoon and he put two and two together: your Zach was the Zach he knew.”

Zach didn’t say anything about knowing Ari, but I guess we’ve been kind of busy today.

Luz swallows hard before continuing. “They’ve only hung out a few times, but Zach is good friends with Ari’s buddy, which is how he knows that Zach—”

“Zach what?”

“I hate being the one to tell you this. And on this night, too. But when you and Zach walked away earlier, I had to ask Ari what was wrong. I didn’t want dinner to get any worse, so I made Ari spill the whole thing. I didn’t know until today, Margot. I promise! Otherwise, I would have told you.”

She grimaces.

“Told me what?” My heart is beating a million miles an hour and my toes feel crushed inside my sandals. I need this to end. Now.

Ari cuts in. “First off, his trip around the world lasted all of four weeks. He ran out of money and came back here to start working again.”

That would explain why Zach was vague when I asked him about his travels. He showed me some pictures of Berlin, but that’s it.

I guess he didn’t lie, exactly. “We’ve only just found each other again. He hasn’t had a chance to tell me.”

But Luz has more to say. “Zach hasn’t been waiting for you like you’ve been waiting for him. Ari says he’s seen him with a different girl at every party they’ve been to. He’s not who you think he is.”

I turn to Ari, hoping that he has an explanation for this. Maybe it’s all just a big misunderstanding.

“I’m really sorry, Margot. I know you might not believe me, but I didn’t want you to get hurt, which is why I tried to keep my mouth shut tonight. This guy’s a total player. You deserve better than that.”

Mostly, for now, I feel like I deserve a do-over on this entire day.