Page 10 of Totally Wrecked
Thank goodness for that. I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but especially not the feelings of this man I’ve only just met. This man with sad, sea-mist gray eyes.
“OK, just casual, err, coitus? That’s good then. I guess?” I take a sip of the cold wine “So how did I give myself away?”
“I thought it was really odd you didn’t remember me, especially after our night together.” Then Killian nods to the next table, “And when I noticed those kids, I was reminded you were an identical twin, or rather Brooke was, then all the pieces came together.” He gives a baffled grin. “What the feck is your endgame? I can’t for the life of me figure it out.”
I guess I'll just have to tell him everything and hope he agrees to keep quiet. “Because Brooke broke her leg last week, and with only her and two guys left in the competition, she couldn’t bear to drop out.”
“Aye, I do remember that she’s very competitive,” Killian replies, “and very bossy.”
I give a big sigh; he’s not wrong. I gulp down more wine and then refill my glass.
“Do you really think you’ll get away with it?” Killian asks. He is obviously highly amused by this whole thing.
“Obviously, no. I mean you saw through me straight away. I’ll have to go and confess to Frances; everything is going to get very messy. To be honest,everythinghappened so fast, I haven’t had that much time to think at all. The end game is Brooke remaining in the competition. She broke her leg five days ago, and, well, I owe her big. She called in the favor. Also, she said that I’d hardly be in contact with anyone as soon as we got to the island, so I’d be fine.”
“It’s true, no one is allowed to interact with you once the competition starts…” Killian is looking thoughtful, “...so you could probably get away with it. But no offense, do you have the same skills as your sister? What’s the point of risking this parent-trap shite if you can’t win the competition for her?”
“The points are cumulative,” I tell him. “Brooke said she’s so far ahead right now, that even if I score a zero, she’ll still be in with a chance at the finale. And her leg will be mended by then. Even if I’m a zero, she can be a hero. Story of our lives!”
“And a very rich hero with her $5,000,000 win,” he murmurs.
Yep, the old five-mill. I’m thinking that obtaining $5,000,000 through false pretenses is highly illegal. Once again, I can’t believe my sister would put me in this position. I hope I don’t get sent to prison.
Prison.
What am I going to do? Brooke took the fall and did something illegal for me so…
I look up at the gorgeous Irish man sitting opposite me. He has the power to bring all this tumbling down.
“I think I have to keep going—try and do this for Brooke. But only if you are willing to turn a blind eye…are you going to tell?” I whisper.
“Going to tell? What are you? Five?” he laughs.
I reach behind me and extract the cushion that is on the back of my chair, then put it over my face. I'm pretty drunk by now, so I am kinda falling apart.
Keanu—I mean Killian—sighs. Eventually I pull the cushion down so just my eyes show. “In my defense, I do spend a lot of time around five-year olds.”
“You have kids?” His voice hitches. I remember what he said about not becoming a father after all. Poor guy,
“No, no. I’m a children’s librarian,” I tell him.
He snorts, and whiskey shoots out of his nose. “Oww, feck that stings.” I pass him a napkin, and he looks at me and shakes his head from side to side, still chuckling. “A fecking children’s librarian! Classic! You most definitely are not Brooke 'Action' Jackson.”
“I’m afraid that is all too obvious,” I sigh miserably. “Don’t laugh! I’m in such a mess!” Passing him another napkin, I also signal for another round of drinks. “It's like I’m lawful good,” I tell him, “and Brooke is chaotic neutral, at best. How does one make an alignment switch like that? I just don’t know how to play it!”
Killian has tears pouring down his face. “Did you just make aDungeons and Dragonsreference? I take it you don’t have a lot of sex?”
“OK, I am a nerd, and yes, my sex life is lacking. ‘We are not always what we seem, and hardly ever what we dream’ as Michael Beagle would say.”
“Eh?”
“Quote fromThe Last Unicorn.”
As Killian cracks up some more I put out a hand. “Also, my name is Daisy.”
“Daisy, eh? Brooke must have something powerful to hold over your head to get you to do this, right? What is it, she donate you a kidney, or something?”
Giving a humorless chuckle, I try to refill my glass but the bottle is empty. “Something like that.”
