Page 45 of Darn Knit All

“Why do you say that?” I asked.

“You’re from a small town, determined to make it big. You’re unknowns on the fashion circuit, and while your design sampleswere good….” He made a gesture with his hands that I took to mean he wasn’t overly impressed with Mai’s efforts.

I bristled. “Are you saying that?—”

“Here it is,” Bruce interrupted, ignoring me.

A black limo slid into the pickup space, idling by the curb.

“Theo.”

I glanced down at Mai, my jaw clenched. She smiled up at me, her expression serene.

“It’s okay,” she assured me, squeezing my hand. “We knew coming in we were the underdogs. It’s not a problem.”

I blew out a breath. “You’re right.” I forced a smile. “Should we make underdog t-shirts to wear on our first day? Perhaps a hound dog expression with ‘Underdogs are the best dogs’ written above it.”

Mai snorted. “We’d be tossed out.”

“You say that, and yet I’ve seen some of the things celebrities wear.” I helped her slide into the back of the limo. “Our shirt would be iconic.”

“I doubt that very much.”

Bruce followed me in then shut the door, sealing us into the dim interior.

I’d never traveled in a limo before and was surprised to find it… underwhelming. Oh, sure there were snacks, interesting lighting, and a cool partition that separated us from the driver, but otherwise, it was just a car. And cars didn’t hold any appeal for me.

The woman seated beside me, dressed in a cute sundress of her own making, however…

“Theo!”

I pulled my hand back from the control panel, flashing Mai a sheepish grin. “What?”

She inclined her head toward the driver. “I’m sure they don’t enjoy you opening and closing the partition repeatedly.”

I muttered something petulant under my breath but leaned back in my seat.

Bruce laughed, holding up his phone. “You mind scooting closer together? I want to snap a picture of you two for our socials.”

We exchanged a glance but did as asked. Bruce twisted this way and that, taking picture after picture, directing us to “look natural” and “smile more.”

How one smiled with all their teeth while looking natural I would never know.

A tinge of exhaustion hit me as the limo pulled into the hotel driveway. My residual limb had begun to throb on the plane—no doubt a mixture of swelling from the pressure and from all the walking on slippery surfaces—tiles were the bane of my existence.

“I’m looking forward to room service and bed,” I admitted quietly to Mai as we shuffled to exit the limo.

“Oh, did I not mention tonight’s events?” Bruce asked, overhearing our conversation.

“Mention what?” I asked, straightening from the car.

“We have interviews scheduled followed by welcome drinks. You’ll meet the host and the other teams. It’s compulsory.”

Mai and I exchanged a frustrated look.

“No,” I said tightly. “It must have slipped your mind while you were taking a million pictures of our shoes.”

He chuckled, seemingly oblivious to my sarcasm. “Don’t worry, makeup is on standby and will have you looking incredible before you can even blink.”

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