“And don’t forget to get some water balloons and water guns pre-filled with water and more powder,” I remind everyone. “When you’re all loaded up, I’ll meet you all in the center of that field right here.” I point to an area to the side of the house, past a path dotted with sculptures, stone benches, and hedges with vibrantly colorful flowers poking out in their spring awakening.
“Is this going to destroy my grass?” Harrison asks teasingly while overfilling his powder bags.
“It’s organic,” I say, hoping that’s true. This is a bit last minute.
I carry my cache to the center of the lawn, water gun slung over my back and my fanny pack stuffed with powder baggies and water balloons, which are all earmarked for a very specific person.
The same person, unaware of the powder storm waiting for them, approaches me with a smile, loaded down with his own weapons.
“Hi,” Gavin says when he stops a respectable distance away from me. But it doesn’t matter than he’s not touching me, because I can feel his eyes on me, retracing the same path his hands and mouth took last night.
“Hello,” I say, a little breathless despite reminding myself he’s the competition.
He takes a furtive look around, and then returns those tactile eyes to me again. I hunch down and a little back at the look, trying to create a little space and prevent myself from throwing myself at him and recreating the night before. Right here in the open.
“You snuck out early this morning. I was hoping we’d have a chance to go another round, maybe slower. Maybe we get all our clothes off this time.” His voice is low, seductive.
“Oh, dear,” I whisper. Everyone else is still busy getting their equipment for the event, so I don’t have to worry about them seeing the temptation that’s being presented here. “Let’s not take out a full-page advertisement about that.”
Gavin physically pulls back. “Don’t you want to do it again?”
“It was just a one-off.”
“I’m not proposing, Priya. But I told you when you stole Stella that I wanted to go out with you.”
“But I didn’t think you were serious,” I say, throwing my arms out and shrugging. “Like maybe it was a way to get me to lower my guard and take away my edge.”
“Wow. Your terrible opinion of me aside, I thought we would be good together, and nothing that’s happened since then has changed my mind. If anything, it’s made me believe it more.” The nice words contrast sharply with the cool tone he says them in.
And he’s back to calling me Priya. I should be happy, since I hate when he uses the nickname, but I’m strangely disappointed to see it go. I feel like I’ve just lost something that I didn’t know I had in the first place.
So now I’m bereft and confused.
“I...” I start, but I don’t know what I’m going to say. But then I’m saved by the crowd of people heading our way. “Talk later?” I ask instead, taking the coward’s way out.
He nods curtly. He might have been taking this a lot more seriously than I originally thought.
I don’t want him to. It makes everything even more complicated. Having lustful feelings for Gavin is one thing, acting on them is another. But to go in on this 100 percent...for a relationship? That would be chaos. He’d eventually get sick of his girlfriend beating him, or I would change how I worked so I wouldn’t hurt his feelings.
Then I’d lose a part of me that I’ve carried since elementary school when I vowed to take over Loot.
And that’s if Dad would even let me be in charge. Which would be doubtful if he thought I was making bad decisions, like dating a Carlyle.
I shake off the thoughts and turn my attention back to the faces circled around me, which are a lot more eager than they were five minutes ago. Back to the work.
I think they’ve had time to get used to the idea of throwing things at their closest friends. My hypothesis is confirmed when I catch a few of them sending sneaking glances at each other when they think no one’s looking.
“All right, everyone, spread out a little so everyone starts with their own bubble. Give everyone a sporting chance.” I spread my arms out and turn in a circle, showing everyone how much space they should give. “And everyone has to participate. It’s good luck.” I wave Sarah and the other helpful staff over.
The crowd falls in line without too much fuss, but Harrison and Naomi are inching closer to poor Pari, who doesn’t see them because she’s looking at Cindy with unholy glee in her eyes.
I may be positioned a little close to Gavin as well. I’ve got a lot to work out here, through this powder battle.
I raise my hand up to get everyone’s attention. It works pretty well since everyone is raring to go.
“On your mark...” I draw out the big moment. “Get set...” I get some impatient looks. “Throw!”
In the next few minutes, a haze descends on the world as clouds of color fill my vision. The guests are laughing nonstop and I mentally pat myself on the back.
