Page 25 of Darn Knit All

“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 ajoke.”

“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 thisyourchallenge. 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?”

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