figured I'd rather be comfortable than try playing the part of
a femme fatale if it meant being unable to fit a single slice of
pizza into my constricted stomach.
By this time, however, it was already almost six, and
I realized with a flash of annoyance that I was running late.
I rushed out of the house, barely even stopping to catch my
breath, running as fast as I could over the lawns.
I coughed and spluttered as I came to a stop by the
front beach lawn, where the party was taking place. My
cheeks were burning red from the effort – providing me with
a warm glow more flattering than my attempts at sticking on
blush had been. But I at last caught my breath and walked
over to the party.
Twenty or so twelve-year-old boys were in various
stages of messiness, jumping in and around the enormous
pool, resting on floats and swim noodle. A myriad of
chocolate stains on their faces and trunks made it clear that
they'd already had the first round of snacks; the smell of
freshly-baked pizza wafted from the kitchen.
82
Princes of Paradise (M.A.G.E. #1 )
Varun was standing behind the large buffet table,
wearing nothing but a pair of swimming trunks. In the
evening light, his muscles glistened more visibly than ever.
He didn't look like Chance, to be sure – Chance's lithe,
sinewy body was darker – but was nevertheless every bit as
handsome. Good genes, I thought to myself, as Varun caught
my eye and shot me a happy grin. “Looks like you're not
tired of me yet, Mac! Or did you just come for the free pies?”
“Hey, kids!” he called. “Who's ready for pizza? I hear
that one lucky birthday boy is getting extra pepperoni and
sausage. And a MONSTER-SIZED crust!” He had that rare
talent of capturing kids' imaginations without ever
condescending to them – and it was clear that the kids sensed
it, too. One after the other, they all jumped up, shouting “Me!
Me! Me!”
“Okay, everyone. Jump in the shower then head
through to the dining room. My buddy Brandon will be
serving out the pies.”
I was surprised at how easily they followed his
directives. I'd never known twelve-year-old boys to be
particularly good at following directions. But Varun's warm
83
KAILIN GOW
voice and easy confidence seemed to inspire in them all a
desire to please.
“So, you ready to lead the activities after dinner?”
Varun asked me as the last of the children filed past into the
dining room. “I was thinking we could lead a game of Marco
Polo, then water-tag. How does that sound?”
I blushed, realizing my mistake. Everyone else was
in swimming clothes – except me. In my rush to figure out
what my most flattering outfit was, I had forgotten the most
important part. “I – uh – I forgot my swimsuit,” I said,
feeling stupid. “I could run back to get it...” I sighed,
thinking of the jog across the field.
“No problem,” said Varun. “The hotel gift shop sells
swimsuits...”
“Oh, I couldn't...” I didn't want to admit to Varun that
any bikini sold in the Cutter Imperial Hotel would probably
amount to half my mother's monthly salary.
“Hey – they give me free stuff all the time there! It's
a small perk, but a good one. Uncle Tony wants the staff to
treat me like everyone else, of course...but I'm sure I could
score you one for free if my man Tom's behind the counter.
84
Princes of Paradise (M.A.G.E. #1 )
You just hold on!”
He disappeared, only to emerge moments later
carrying a hot pink bikini. “I hope you like Electric Scarlet,”
he said. “That was all that was available in your size.” Now
it was Varun's turn to blush. “I mean, I kind of guessed your
size.”
“As long as you figured out I'm not the same size as
Alice,” I said. Varun looked confused, and so I regaled him
with the tale of my mortification that day at wrestling. Varun
tried to maintain a respectful silence, but burst into laughter
when I told him about Misty's response to the boys' cat-calls.
“Knowing the guys in that class,” he said. “They
probably deserved it.”
I slipped into a changing room, finding that – unlike
Alice's gym clothes – the bikini fit me perfectly. Varun's
“kind of guessing” had evidently been based on a more
detailed study of my curves.
I tied my scarf around my hips and re-emerged.
“Oh my...” Varun let out a gasp. For a moment, his
eyes seemed to go dark, like a clouded sea, and something
like pain came over his face. As his eyes lingered upon me,
85
KAILIN GOW
it looked like he was seeing something else, some one else.
He wasn't looking at me at all but through me, his mind and
face clouded up with something painful.
“What is it?”
That was enough to break the spell.
“Oh, nothing,” he said. “You just – uh – you forgot
to take off the tag.” He came closer and took hold of my
bared shoulder, pulling on the plastic tag. I could feel his
rough, warm
