Read Sweet for Free Online Page B

wasn’t a part of the plan.
    I tried and tried to hold those pants on and that’s what made everyone laugh so hard.
    â€œTelevision history!” Luka Harris bellows.
    I tell you, as a six-year-old boy, I just didn’t want my pants to fall off.
    I just didn’t want my butt to show.
    If my smile looked fake before, I’m sure it looks forced now.
    â€œBaby Tom-Tom! Dude. You’ll always be Baby Tom-Tom!” Luka crows. He pats me on the back.
    It’s all I can do not to grab Luka Harris by his trademark blond shag and slam his head into the table.
    â€œDidn’t you hear him?” Sabbi says, her voice suddenly cold. “He prefers Tom.”
    â€œYeah, but—”
    â€œNo,” she says. And that’s that.
    Luka mumbles an apology and starts a conversation with the Grub Guy.
    I look at Sabbi and she gives me a wink.
    Saved by Sabbi Ribiero … Maybe she’s not so bad?
    There’s the sound of microphone feedback and all eyes turn to the bandstand.
    â€œExcuse me, ladies and gentlemen,” says the captain, who’s now standing in front of the band. “I’m Captain Kevin Hammonds and I’d like to take this moment to welcome you all aboard.”
    I see Cubby set up, taping, nearby.
    â€œIt is my privilege to welcome you to the Extravagance. My crew is going to take special care of each and every one of you. We are honored to host the momentous and historic launch of the new sweetener, Solu.”
    Big cheers from the audience.
    â€œPlease welcome Timothy Almstead and Dr. Elisa Zhang to the stage.”
    Almstead and Zhang come to his side.
    â€œHello, everyone,” Dr. Zhang says, way too loud. You get the feeling she doesn’t know her way around a microphone. “When I was growing up in Shanghai, I never dreamed I would be on a ship like this, talking to people like you. Much less did I dream that I would create a new substance that would bring such important change to the world. Science is all about change. And our world needs change. I think.”
    Everyone applauds. She has a unique charm to her. An I-don’t-get-out-much thing going on.
    Almstead takes the mike.
    â€œThat’s right, Elise. Hey there, everyone! You know why we picked the name ‘Solu’? Well, research and development, of course. They said people liked it the best, so there you go. But why did people like it best? Solu. It’s short for ‘solution’! We got a problem—people don’t like to be fat. And Solu’s gonna fix it. Solu-tion! Maybe that sounds like an oversimplification, but I’m a simple guy!”
    Cheers for this. People love this guy.
    â€œYou know, we picked the Extravagance because it could seat all of you at the same time. It’s the only cruise ship that can do it. Dinner for five hundred! Imagine that!” Almstead says, grinning. “We wanted you all to get your first taste of Solu at the very same time. So without further ado … here we go, folks.”
    At this point, waiters swarm out of the kitchen with trays loaded with pastries.
    They set a dessert plate in front of each of us.
    â€œLadies and gentlemen, you are the first people in the public to taste … Solu!”
    And everyone goes nuts, applauding and cheering.
    Now the only sound you can hear is the tinkling of cutlery as people cut into their cream puffs.
    This is the moment I had hoped would not come.
    â€™Cause I’m not taking Solu.
    I discussed it at length with my trainer, Derek. Several times. Diet pills can backfire. I’ve seen it a hundred times.
    I’ve worked too hard to get my body the way it is. Every pound I lost, I lost the hard way. Clean eating and exercise.
    I’m not going back.
    I cut up the pastry and move it around on my plate.
    â€œOh, wow, it’s really good!” says Jenny.
    Tamara digs in with gusto.
    â€œYeah, I like it,” Sabbi says. She licks the cream off her