Page 58 of Tiger's Voyage

We went to an outdoor stand where we bought barbeque wraps. Mine was spicy chicken tikka wrapped in an Indian flat bread calledparatha. Even though Kishan asked them to make mine less spicy, it was still really hot. My mouth was on fire. We sipped on fruited lemonades to cut the heat. After that, we walked the markets.

I bought dangly golden earrings for Jennifer, a box of assorted incense and a marble incense stand for Mike and Sarah. It was shaped like a dragon. An incense stick poked through its nose so it looked like it breathed fire. For Sammy and Rebecca, we picked out a hand-carved wooden toy collection with soldiers, battle elephants, camels, horsedrawn chariots, and a royal family all painted in bright vivid colors. Kishan insisted we add a second prince. Ren rolled his eyes, but I laughed and let him pick another one. Ren spoke with the salesperson about having our purchases sent to the ship.

Next, we visited a store with beach toys and attire. I stopped short in front of several racks of women’s swimsuits.

“I forgot to pack my bathing suit. It’s hanging over the shower back at the house.”

Ren walked over to the rack. “Let’s get you a new one, then.”

I leaned in to whisper, “Can’t we just have the Scarf make one?”

“We could, but whenever a material has synthetic elements like spandex, for example, the Scarf substitutes natural materials. Your swimsuit might end up being made of thin cotton, which I am totally willing to let happen.” Ren winked and grinned rakishly.

I punched him in the arm and laughed. “No thanks. I guess we’ll buy one here.”

All three of us started thumbing through the racks. Ren selected bikinis with varying levels of nakedness.

Kishan stuck them back on the rack, saying, “Don’t you know Kelsey at all? She’s not a bikini kind of girl. What about this one, Kells?”

He held up a one piece metallic foil print with a twisted bodice.

“It’s okay,” I responded.

“Not her color.” Ren grabbed it and put it back on the rack.

Kishan countered, “And I suppose you want blue.”

Ren pushed more hangers to the side. “Actually, no. I want her in something bright, so we don’t lose her in the water.”

They rejected my own preference for a basic black suit, saying my choices were boring.

We all finally agreed on a twist-front halter in a Santorini red-andginger print with solid red hipster bikini bottoms. It revealed a little of my waistline but not enough to make me feel naked, and it was comfortable and bright.

Ren picked out deck shoes to go with it, a sun hat, and sunglasses, and we gathered up our purchases and headed to the bikes. The weather had warmed quite a bit. A swim in the pool would be nice when we got back to the boat. Kishan stowed both of our jackets as we got on the bike.

When I wrapped my arms around Kishan for the return trip, he was wearing only a thin T-shirt. I became overly aware of his warm, muscular body and held on only lightly. As he drove off and leaned into a curve, I almost fell. He grabbed my hand and yanked me closer, pressing my hands tightly against his middle.

I repeated the mantra I’d used with Ren in Kishkindha when I was trying to ignore his attractive qualities. I reminded myself that it was okay to appreciate the merchandise as long as I only window-shopped.Kishan’s just a very nice male specimen. So what if I wrap my arms aroundhis muscular torso on the ride back? I don’t really have any other options atthe present time.I sighed and enjoyed my ride home.

As Kishan helped me off the bike, I suddenly felt awkward and shied away from him, avoiding his eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

He grunted and took a step closer just as Ren drove up the ramp. The three of us agreed to meet at the swimming pool in ten minutes, so I could show off my new suit while we all cooled off.

I arrived at the pool first and found someone already swimming laps.

When the man reached the edge, he tossed his head, flicked his blond hair back, and then climbed the ladder and grabbed a towel. He scrubbed his face, arms, and legs dry and grinned at me. “You must be Kelsey.”

“Yes.” I smiled back tentatively and asked, “Who are you?”

He laughed in a way that made me think he did that a lot. “Do you want the whole name?”

“Sure.”

“Wesley Alan Alexander the third, at your service. But you can call me Wes.”