Sweet

Sweet Read Free Page A

Book: Sweet Read Free
Author: Emmy Laybourne
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fourteen. I had always wanted to go on a cruise when I was a kid. It was one of those things my mom would dangle over me when I didn’t want to do another take. Then they canceled the show and we went and it was a nightmare. Every time we tried to go to the pool, drunk frat boys would chant “Tom-Tom, Tom-Tom, Tom-Tom!” I spent most of that week in my room playing Xbox.
    This is different.
    The ship is sweet. White glove. Done right.
    Most of the passengers are wealthy people desperate for thinness. I’d say a quarter of the passengers are minor celebrities and attractive “set dressing” party people. There’s no one really A level. Luka Harris and Sabbi Ribiero, I guess. And that grub guy from Survivor. I’m sure all three of them—possibly all the celebrities—are getting paid to be here.
    There is more than a fair share of pretty girls. We haven’t even set sail yet and a bunch of them have busted out bikinis. I don’t know, maybe they had them on under their clothes.
    It’s been suggested to me that I use this cruise as a way to remake my image when it comes to girls.
    The way Molly, my publicist, put it was that people saw me as a tender heart, but now it was time for me to show them all how cocky and wild I could be.
    Tamara, my producer, was less politic. “The thing with Bonnie made you look like a loser. You gotta party on this ship. Flirt. Grab ass. Get laid.”
    Cubby elbows me.
    â€œHey, what are the chances this shit works? The Solu?” Cubby asks, surveying the crowd. He’s got a sizable belly. He’s probably thinking about becoming a customer. “I’ll tell you what I’m going to do,” he tells me. “I’m going to wait a year and then try it. By then we’ll know if it works.”
    â€œIf it does, I bet they’ll give the inventor a medal,” I say.
    â€œA Nobel Peace Prize,” he adds.
    â€œClaire, quit dawdling!” says a bossy lady wearing tons of jewelry and a large, floppy hat. She’s dragging along a girl whose on the obese side of obese. The poor girl is wearing a giant nautical striped outfit and looks profoundly miserable.
    I tap Cubby on the shoulder, nod toward the girl.
    He doesn’t quite get my meaning. I guess he thinks I’m telling him to check her out because she’s fat.
    â€œIt’s a shame,” Cubby says, not meeting my eye. He thinks I’m about to say something mean about her.
    â€œNo, no,” I say. “That’s not it. Tape me.”
    Here’s why I want to tape her: We should interview the people who Solu might actually, really help , not just pretty girls and petty celebrities.
    â€œExcuse me, miss,” I say. I reach out and tap her on the shoulder. “I’d love to hear your thoughts about the cruise.”
    The girl’s face is polite at first, then goes slack, as she realizes that it’s me doing the asking, then she turns beet red.
    Cubby has the camera up and is taping.
    â€œAre you excited about the cruise?” I ask her.
    Her mother doubles back for her.
    â€œClaire, come on!” she says. Then she sees me and the crew, taping. Her mouth drops, too. “Oh.”
    â€œHow would you describe the boat?” I ask Claire.
    She’s looking at me, then back to her mom, then to me again. I’d put her at around twelve maybe. She’s definitely the youngest passenger I’ve seen so far.
    She’s quiet for so long I start to regret this. There’s an expression on her face that says she thinks I’m screwing with her.
    â€œI really do want to know,” I tell her. I give her a wink, smiling, encouraging.
    â€œI guess … it’s amazing!” she says, finally. “All the famous people and the ship’s really nice.”
    â€œDo you think Solu is going to deliver on its promises?” I ask.
    â€œGod, I hope so,” she says. And it’s funny, the way she

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