Page 30 of The Lineman

“He’s Matty’s better half. Hell, he’s the better half to all of us.” Elliot smirked. “Omar is the most infuriatingly composed man on the planet.”

“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow. “More than you?”

Elliot nodded. “While the rest of us are being idiots, he just sits there, drinking wine or some god-awful fruity concoction he claims is sophisticated, silently judging us.”

I grinned. “Sounds like he’s the group’s therapist.”

“Or creeper.” Elliot chuckled. “But, you know, he’s our therapist in a way where he never actually offers advice—just lets you spiral while he watches.”

I laughed into my drink. “God, I love that.”

Elliot gave me an amused, thoughtful look.

“What?” I asked.

“You’re dangerously close to passing the friend test.”

I set my glass down. “Oh? And what happens if I pass?”

Elliot’s eyes flickered with something unreadable. Something warm. “Guess you’ll have to find out.”

Chapter nine

Elliot

“Allright,Elliot,”Mikesaid, leaning forward, resting his elbows on the table. His glasses had slipped a little down his nose, and his eyes were sharp and curious, like he was preparing to interrogate me. “What do you do for fun?”

“Fun?” I asked as though he’d just slipped into speaking Croatian.

Mike smirked. “Yeah. You familiar with the concept?”

“Vaguely.” I shrugged. “I work a lot.”

Mike rolled his eyes. “Lineman workaholic, got it, but when you’re not risking your life climbing power poles, what do you actuallyliketo do?”

I thought about it. “I hang out with my friends. Play poker or darts or pool. Work out. Refurbish furniture, anything I can do with my hands.”

Mike’s eyebrows lifted. “Poker, huh?”

I smiled. “Yeah. Matty thinks he’s a professional.”

Mike huffed a laugh. “And I assume he’s not?”

“Absolutely not,” I confirmed. “He’s a disaster. He goes all in when he has a pair of threes and then hurls chiffon about when he loses.”

Mike grinned, taking a sip of his wine. “I’m guessing Omar’s the opposite?”

“Oh, Omar’s a menace. He doesn’t even react when he’s winning, just sits there, sipping whatever vile concoction he ordered, silently collecting all our money.”

Mike laughed. “So he’s the poker king?”

“More like the poker executioner.”

Mike shook his head, smiling. “And Sisi?”

“Sisi plays purely for chaos.”

“Oh, I like her already.”

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