Darn Knit All (All Access #3)

Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

THEO

Theo

I need a favor

Mai

Uh-oh

Theo

Why uh-oh? What have I ever done to deserve this reaction?

Mai

You're really going to ask that question?

Theo

Yes! I deserve an answer!

Mai

Where should I start? How about the ball game

Theo

You didn't even like those shoes

Mai

True. But I like not walking home in vomit

Theo

One example. Big deal

Mai

And the cow incident

Theo

Could have happened to anyone

Mai

And yet it happened to you… and me. You know I lost money when I sold that car

Theo

So… is this a no on the favor?

Mai

It depends. Are you expecting any form of bodily fluid to be involved?

Theo

I'll ask someone else

Mai

Good thinking

A sea breeze ruffled my hair, carrying the salty tang of the sea. Waves crashed rhythmically against the shore, the sound at once familiar and soothing.

In the distance, seagulls called to each other, searching for unattended scraps as young parents played in the sun with their kids, making the most of these last days of warmth before the autumn storms rolled in.

I loved Capricorn Cove, with its wild coastline and dramatic seasons. As much as small-town life sometimes chafed, I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

“What’s going on between you and my sister?”

I turned away from the view to see Ren stabbing a stray tomato piece with his fork. We’d met for lunch in a local park on one of Ren’s rare days off. The guy worked for the local fire department—a department that currently faced a near chronic shortage of staff. If I didn’t have an overwhelming fear of heights, I’d be tempted to join just to help remove some of the shadows from under his eyes.

Not that I’d pass the physical. The fire department wasn’t exactly looking for a guy with a prosthetic leg.

“What do you mean by ‘going on’?” I asked, making quotation marks with my fingers as I shifted on the bench seat of the ancient picnic table.

“You know what I mean.” Ren stabbed another tomato. “Are you dating?”

My eyebrows lifted. “Dating?”

Ren’s dark eyes met mine. “Stop answering my questions with questions. You heard me. Are you dating?”

One couldn’t miss the family resemblance between the siblings. From their dark eyes, button noses, and black hair that held the same adorable cow lick, one glance could tell they were related.

Only, I wasn’t attracted to Ren. My attraction to his sister, however… well, she was a whole other story. And one I didn’t let myself dwell on for too long.

“Dating,” I murmured, tasting the word on my tongue. “Are we dating? I must have missed the memo.”

Ren shifted, the muscles in his arms flexing. “Don’t give me shit, Theo. I wanna know.”

I leaned back, enjoying torturing him far more than I should. “Why do you ask?”

He dropped his fork to list the reasons on his fingers. “You’re always at her house. You’re regularly seen together eating out. You’re happier than you have been in five years. You text her religiously. She constantly talks about you when we hang out. You?—”

“Wait. Dial back. She talks about me? What does she say?”

Ren flapped a hand dismissively. “Stop grinning like the cat who ate the cream and answer the question.”

I knew Mai wasn’t interested in me, but knowing I was on her mind pleased the fuck out of me.

“Have you asked Mai?”

He frowned, glancing away. “She said you’re just friends.”

I couldn’t stop my pleased chuckle. There was something rather satisfying about riling him up.

“There you have it. We’re just friends.”

“Just friends my ass,” Ren muttered darkly, picking up his fork. “You’re both too happy to be just friends.”

“Ah, and now we get to the real issue.” I pretended to hold a notepad and pen, giving Ren my best upper-crust British accent. “And when did your sexual dysfunction start? Was it before or after you met Flo?—”

A slice of cucumber hit me square in the forehead.

“You fucker.” I caught the piece as it fell, tossing it in my mouth. “Ooh, pickled. Yum.”

He shot me the bird. “This isn’t about me.”

“It absolutely is.” I leaned in. “You could just tell her, you know.”

For a second, naked longing flashed across Ren’s face before he shuttered his emotions.

“We’re talking about you and Mai.”

I guess we’re ignoring his obsession with Flo.

“There’s nothing here beyond friendship,” I answered easily.

And the occasional wet dream.

I brushed off the errant thought. “Your sister and I have built a friendship based on a mutual love of cake, reality TV, and obscure pop references. And she’s trying to teach me how to sew. It’s going well.”

If we didn’t count the trip to the hospital last month. It was fine; the stitches had only left a tiny scar.

Ren did not seem reassured. “Look, I’m not going to warn you off—God knows you’d treat her like a queen.”

“Thank you,” I drawled dryly. “That means a lot.”

“And having you for a brother-in-law would be great.”

“Hanging with my buddy every major holiday?” I nodded solemnly. “We’d be living the dream.”

“But, and this is a big but.”

“You cannot lie?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Ren ignored my joke. “Mai is….”

“Awesome, brilliant, wonderful, intelligent, successful, witty, kind, generous, a wonderful human?” I prompted.

“Conflicted. She deserves so much more than she allows herself to have.” Ren held my gaze. “I don’t want to see her hurt.”

“You think I’d hurt her?” I asked lightly. “I didn’t realize I was the devil.”

It hurt to know your best friend thought you weren’t good enough for his sister. Sure, it was all hypothetical since Mai and I were just friends. But still, it hurt.

“No.” Ren scrubbed a hand over his face. “Shit, I’m fucking this up.”

“Yeah, you are.” I crossed my arms over my chest, my foot tapping under the table. “Don’t mince words trying to search for the right ones. Just spit out the imperfect and we’ll work out what you mean.”

He grinned, shaking his fork at me. “See? That’s what I mean. You’d be easy to fall in love with, Theo. You’re far too charming and good-looking for any one woman.”

I tilted my head to one side. “You hitting on me, Sakamoto? ’Cause I can safely say, you’re not my type.”

He snorted. “You wish.” He ran a hand over his chest. “This is more than you could ever handle.” He sobered. “But seriously, Theo. I know my sister—perhaps better than she knows herself sometimes. Be careful with her. Okay?”

I nodded, hiding my frustration. I understood he was the big brother swooping in to ensure that Mai was looked after—but fuck it. We both deserved better. Mai could look after herself, and he’d known me for long enough to know I’d rather be hit in the face with a baseball bat than hurt her.

We returned to our lunch, chewing quietly as we enjoyed the late summer sun. Autumn would be here soon, and with it the quiet fall of leaves and changing of the seasons. But for now, the park burst with activity as families enjoyed the warm weather.

“Why the interrogation?” I asked, breaking our silence. “It’s not like Mai and me are anything new. If you had concerns, why not raise them years ago?”

Ren hesitated. “You’ve become a big part of her life. Call me a remiss brother for not having spoken to you earlier about taking care with her.”

I didn’t buy that for a minute. The guy could be called a lot of things, but an absent brother wasn’t one of them. I thought about defending myself but shrugged off the impulse. Either he trusted me or he didn’t. Nothing I said would change that.

“Was this all you wanted to talk about?” I asked, tilting my head back to catch more rays on my skin. “You could have texted.”

“No.” Ren began to pack up his lunchbox. “You also owe me a hundred bucks.”

“For what?”

He stood, brushing down his jeans. “For losing our bet.”

I racked my brains trying to remember what foolish thing I’d agreed to this time.

“Nope, can’t remember any bets.”

Ren pulled a bedraggled scrap of paper from his jean pocket, tossing it down on the table.

I picked up the worn sheet, unfolding it to find my messy handwriting scrawled across the face.

I, Theodore “Theo” Garrett, owe Ren Sakamoto $100 if I am not married by my thirty-third birthday.

God damn it.

We’d all filled out these stupid slips after Annie and Linc’s wedding. We’d been drunk and high on endorphins. I couldn’t remember why we’d done it or what anyone had committed to, but it appeared that Ren hadn’t forgotten.

“The fact you’ve kept this from an event that occurred three years ago is disturbing.”

“No, it’s a testament to my commitment to winning a bet.”

I wadded up the slip and tossed it at him. “Joke’s on you, my birthday’s not for another two months.”

Ren laughed, shoving his containers into his bag. “Brother, with your dating history? I’m a shoo-in for this cash. Short of a quickie wedding to a mail-order bride, I’m about to be a hundred bucks richer.”

I threw him a haughty look. “Says the man who hasn’t had a date in five years. How’s that hand going?”

He swung his backpack over his shoulder. “Pay up, Garrett. I’ll take cash, card or goods and services.”

I offered him a middle finger instead. “Is this why you dragged me out here? To make sure I didn’t get hitched to your sister?”

Ren walked backward, laughing smugly. “As if she’d ever say yes to you.”

With that shit-talk, he turned, heading for his motorcycle.

“Just for that, I’m gonna ask her!” I yelled at his retreating back.

He flicked me the bird.

“Wait, what was your bet?”

He twisted, his lips quirking into a smile. “As if I’d ever tell.”

Muttering under my breath about annoying friends, I reached for my phone ready to convince Mai to help me drive her brother crazy when it chirped, the screen lighting with Mai’s name.

“Speak of the woman and she shall appear.”

Mai

Next time, we read the fine print

I tilted my head to one side, trying to remember what new mess I’d gotten myself into.

Theo

What have I done now? Did I sign a contract that requires llamas? Cause I can get us llamas. I know a guy

Ren’s motorcycle roared down the street, the pipes rumbling across the bay.

Theo

By the way, I was just having lunch with Ren. Do you want to get married? It’ll drive your brother crazy

Mai

Funny you should say that… read your email

Intrigued, I clicked the link she’d sent me.

Dear Ms. Sakamoto,

We are pleased to invite you to participate in Perfect Fit, a realityfashiondesign competition series hosted by Michelle Conliam.

Theo

Holy Shit!! IT HAPPENED!! MAI!! YOU’RE GONNA BE FAMOUS!!

Mai

Keep reading

I frowned and clicked back, scanning the contents. It took me three read throughs before I registered the catch.

This year, we’re profiling design couples. Be it Stella McCartney and Alasdhair Willis, or Rick Owens and Michèle Lamy, these famous couples became better designers because of the love they shared for each other and their fashion. Watching two people push each other to greater heights is an act of love our audience desires to see.

Good designers create memorable pieces, great designers build legacies.

I hit dial, my heart sinking. She picked up on the first ring.

“I’m sorry.” I ran a hand through my hair. “We can fix this.”

“You signed us up for Love Island with sewing machines,” Mai said, her tone dryly amused. “Considering I’m as single as a nun, I’m not really sure how we fix it.”

“Fuck, Mai. You deserve to have your dreams realized. I’m sorry for being a fuck-up.”

“You’re not a fuck-up,” she said loyally.

I snorted, begging to differ. Lincoln, my twin, had always been the wanted son—I was the unexpected spare. Born a minute too late, some of my earliest memories were of my parents telling me how little they cared for me and my poor decisions.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, sucking in a breath.

I knew better than to be impulsive, and yet with one of the people I cared about most I’d been just that. And worse, it had resulted in her being offered everything she wanted—only to have it snatched from her at the first step.

“At least I don’t have to be on national TV. No one wants to see a woman having a nervous breakdown every five minutes.” Despite her joking tone, I could hear the undercurrent of her disappointment.

I needed to make this right.

“Maybe it’s not as bad as it looks,” I said, trying to inject some hope into the situation. “I mean, we could email them and get some clarity as to what they mean by ‘couples.’ Maybe there’s an opportunity to?—”

“They mean dating, de facto, or married.” She huffed out a little breath. “I already checked the fine print.”

I deflated like a lead balloon. “Damn.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry. You deserve the chance to show the world your talents.”

We were silent for a beat before an idea began to take shape—an idea so wildly inappropriate, so utterly villainous, I didn’t know if I should give it air.

“Anyways,” Mai said with a heavy sigh. “I should get back to work.”

The resignation in her tone fucking broke me.

“Wait.” I turned, beginning to pace up and down the sidewalk. “I have an idea. What if we pretend?”

“Pretend?” Mai repeated. “Pretend what?”

“To be a couple.”

Silence met my proposal. I held my phone away from my ear, checking the connection.

“Hello? Mai? You there?”

She cleared her throat. “Are you high?”

I snorted. “I wish.”

“We can’t pretend.”

“Sure, we can.” I moved to sit down but sprung back up, too filled with adrenaline. “You’re single, I’m single. People know we hang out. Why not capitalize on that and just stretch the truth for a bit?”

“Are you seriously suggesting we manufacture a fake-dating situation?”

I shrugged. “Why not? People do it all the time to get on TV. And it’s not like it’s a lie.”

“Except we’re not dating.”

“Well, we’re not-not dating. Right?” I waved my hand around, frightening a rogue seagull. “I mean, we have joked that we’re each other’s platonic life partners more than once.”

“That’s a joke. ”

“Please?” I begged. “It’ll be fun.”

She let out a strangled bark of laughter. “You’re seriously suggesting this?”

I sobered, running a hand through my hair. “You have potential, Mai. You have an opportunity to win this. Sure, taking me along is a risk cause God knows I’m going to fuck things up for you. But at least we can say we tried.”

“You can’t even cut straight!”

I winced. “Filming doesn’t start for another two weeks. We have time to practice and lay down the basics.”

“The basics.” She made a sound a little like a dying goose. “This is going be a disaster.”

“Come on,” I coaxed. “You know you want this.”

I heard her hiccupping laugh, and my chest ached.

“More than I ever thought,” she admitted, her voice low. “But us as a couple? I don’t know if I want to lie.”

I stared out at the shimmering blue-green water of the bay, listening to the gulls screech as a cool breeze touched my cheeks.

“Well then we find someone else.” I said, trying to sound reasonable. “Someone you’ve dated who’s into fashion. Or, at the very least, who can sew without requiring surgery.”

My suggestion—while valid—felt wrong. My jaw clenched as I imagined someone else being with Mai, supporting her, laughing with her, pretending to be a couple.

What the fuck? This is Mai. Your friend. Remember?

I rolled my shoulders, trying to throw off the tension that had settled there.

“No. If we’re going to do this—and I’m not saying we are. Then you’re it.” She cleared her throat. “Besides, having you there will help. You know how to talk me out of my panic.”

My jealousy dissipated as concern flooded in.

“Are you struggling now?”

“No, I’ve already dealt with the worst of it.”

Double fuck.

As much as I wanted her to agree to this crazy scheme, I needed to put Mai first.

“We don’t have to do this if you feel uncomfortable.”

I heard her moving around as she weighed my proposal. “I can’t believe I’m about to say yes to you.”

I chuckled softly. “So you’re in.”

She swore under her breath. “God help us, I’m in. But Theo?”

“Mm?”

“Consider this your challenge. Stepping outside your comfort zone and all that shit.”

It seemed the Sakamoto siblings were determined to remind me of my many impulsive decisions.

“Whose idea was that anyway?”

“Yours.”

I made a sound of disgust. “Remind me to never have a bright idea again. Alright, when do we begin?”

“Tonight?”

I thought of all the things I needed to do to make this happen.

“Tonight,” I agreed, beginning to make a mental list. “Let’s win you a million dollars.”

“It’s only two hundred and fifty thousand.”

“Not if we take it to a casino and bet it all on black, bay-bee .”

She clucked her tongue. “Goodbye, Theo.”

I was gratified to hear that some of the panic had eased from her voice.

“Later, Mai.”

I hit end and stared blankly at my phone, my gaze unfocussed.

Fuck. What the hell did I get us into?