Page 116 of Darn Knit All

Ditto times infinity

Mai

That’s a lot of missing

Theo

T-minus 24 hours and counting….

I’d spent my final week of the internship working around the clock to deliver on the pieces Erike wanted me to display—ones he’d be proud to endorse.

Our show started in less than three hours.

I paced nervously in the quiet backstage area, my heels clicking on the polished floor.

Just a few weeks ago, I’d been a small-town girl with big fashion dreams. And now, thanks to Erike’s mentorship and this incredible opportunity, those dreams were within reach. ButI couldn’t fully savor the moment, not with the weight of our deception hanging over me.

I pulled out my phone to check my messages and winced. My inbox continued to explode with abusive messages from strangers. The show hadn’t even aired yet, and already they’d made assumptions about me and Theo.

I hit delete all and tucked the phone back in my pocket as I attempted to calm my nerves.

“Hey, you okay?”

I turned to find Frankie, Flo and Annie walking my way.

“How was the museum?” I asked, forcing a smile.

My best friends had dropped everything to fly out here and support me. The last week had involved copious amounts of gelato, lots of tears, and far too much red wine.

“I got to touch David’s dick,” Flo enthused, holding up her fingers and wiggling them.

“The museum had a special accessible wing,” Frankie explained. “Which included a touchable replica of Michelangelo’s David.”

“He seemed cold,” Flo said, using her cane to search for a seat. “Or shy.”

I snorted. “The man has had his junk stared at by billions of people. I don’t think he’s shy.”

“How you doing?” Annie asked, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “You ready for tonight?”

I swallowed, glancing at the multitudes of empty chairs around the warehouse. “I’m trying not to think about it.”

Annie slung an arm around my shoulders. “You’ll do great. You’ve worked hard for this.”

“I’m worried that someone might derail it. The public backlash has been brutal.”

My fingers began to dance across my thumb, tapping out a familiar beat.

Flo propped her chin on her hand. “I know it’s hard to ignore their negativity, but don’t give them your peace. They don’t know you or Theo.”

“Speaking of….” Frankie spun her chair until she was seated beside Flo and adopted the same pose. “Tell us more about you and the delectable Mr. Garrett.”

“Yes,” Annie agreed, taking the seat on Flo’s other side, also propping her chin on her hand as she looked at me with a cheeky grin. “All the glory details please.”

“I believe the saying is ‘gory details,’” I said, crossing my arms.

“Not if it involves multiple orgasms.”

Snorting, I too took a seat, opting to sit facing them. “It’s complicated.”

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