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Chapter Nineteen

Hania kept Dina hopping for the rest of the night, posing for pictures, finding snacks for her and Samir, checking in with the wedding planner, coordinating with the A girls, and running any number of errands she only trusted Dina to get right. Every time there was a break, Dina’s gaze inexorably tracked Lucky. She watched him mingle with the guests, and when she returned from checking on the catering, found him cozying up next to a familiar woman at a table in the back of the hall. It took her a moment to place her: Aliyah, Samir’s cousin from California.

One of the A girls, Marya, noticed her interest. “Looks like Aliyah got her hooks in Lucky. That leaves only a few cute single guys at the wedding. You’re so lucky you’re already married, Dina. It’s a dumpster fire out there.”

Dina didn’t feel lucky. She wasn’t a fool: She knew a single man who looked like Lucky, who was as nice and effortlessly charming as Lucky, was unlikely to stay unattached for any length of time, let alone during a desi wedding. It was a miracle he was single in the first place.

As far as anyone in this room knows, you’re not single at all, Dina told herself. Yet her gaze was drawn back to Lucky again and again, every smile he bestowed on Aliyah a shock to her system.

“Careful, Dina,” a familiar oily voice said. Arshad stood next to her, following her gaze. “If you keep staring at another man, people will start to talk. After all the lengths you’ve gone to, it would be a shame to throw it all away now.”

“As if you’re impervious to what people think,” Dina hissed. “Status is all you care about.”

“I’m keeping my end of the bargain, sweetheart. At this wedding, I only have eyes for you.” Arshad batted his eyes at her, and she looked away, back to Lucky, before dragging her gaze back to her ex.

“Go away,” Dina muttered.

“I think I’ll stay and save you from yourself,” Arshad said. “I will also remind you that Lucky has never had trouble finding female company. If he had wanted to settle down, he could have done so at any point. I’m no saint, but I could tell you stories. Where do you think I learned my tricks?”

“I don’t believe you,” Dina said. She watched one of the servers carefully wheel an ornate three-tier wedding cake to the front of the room. Her presence would be expected soon for more pictures.

Arshad shrugged. “Let’s talk about something far more interesting. Such as that favor you owe me.”

Dina stiffened. “Can’t you wait until after the wedding to collect?”

“The favor is easy. Have breakfast with me tomorrow.”

Dina narrowed her eyes at Arshad. “Why?”

“Because I enjoy your company,” he said. “Also, because I need your help entertaining a few VIP guests. I think they’re close to transferring their business to Haq Law.”

Dina stared at him. “Does my father know about this?”

“Who do you think asked me to set up the breakfast meeting?” Arshad asked. “You can ask him yourself if you don’t believe me. Come on, Dina. Breakfast and some schmoozing. Not a bad way to pay back the massive favor you owe me. I made reservations at the Ritz at ten a.m. Do me a favor and try to sleep in your own bed tonight—or at least set an alarm so you won’t be late again.”

He walked away before she agreed, but they both knew she didn’t have a choice.

When the host led her to a chic oversize booth in the corner of the Ritz-Carlton the next morning, she was surprised to recognize that Arshad’s VIP guests were Samir’s parents. Even more startling, Lucky was there too, seated next to Aliyah.

Dina greeted everyone politely before taking a seat beside Arshad, Lucky and Aliyah across from them. “My parents should have been here too,” she said to Arshad in a low voice.

“Dad asked me to take the meeting. He said they were exhausted after yesterday,” Arshad said. “He trusts us to keep our guests entertained,” he added pointedly. Dina took the hint and turned back to their company, though she couldn’t bring herself to meet Lucky’s eyes.

“I’m glad you’re here, Dina. We barely spoke at your mom’s house,” Aliyah said.

“Didn’t Lucky fill you in last night?” Dina said, more caustic than she had intended.

Aliyah looked confused. “Do you two know each other?” she asked, looking from her to Lucky.

Arshad leaned forward. “We’re all friends here, Aliyah.” His smile was suave, the charm dialed up to nine, but Aliyah barely looked at him, her attention focused solely on Lucky.

“Dina, Arshad, and I went to school together,” Lucky said. “I grew up in Toronto.”

“Lucky is being modest,” Arshad said. “We all attended law school together at the University of Toronto, one of the best law schools in the country.”

Aliyah blinked in surprise. “I didn’t know you were a lawyer,” she said to Lucky, and Dina felt a bleak sense of satisfaction. Lucky hadn’t confided in this woman, at least not yet.

“I’m not a lawyer,” Lucky said shortly, shooting Arshad a glare. “I never finished.”