Page 29 of Statler

She didn’t look happy.

Statler immediately felt as if he’d been called out by the school principal.

“No. I, um, was actually going to ask your opinions on that before I made any decisions,” he demurred.

“Hah,” Dizzy snickered. “Seriously? We all have eyes, boss. You spaced out over that woman like a man in the desert eyeing an oasis. Not to dis you, but your current drought is becoming legendary.”

“Wrong.” Statler tried to defend himself. “I go out with a lot of women.”

That might be stretching it. He’d been a lot more active in the past, but he was trying to make a point. “You’ve all watched me date.”

“Permission to get crude?” Tonka asked.

Seriously? Statler sighed.

“I’m not stopping you,” he huffed.

“Fine,” Tonk nodded. “Not getting into the weeds about how long it’s been, though, I’m calling you out on what you term ‘dating’. We’ve never witnessed you doing that,” he posited. “You pick up ladies to get laid,” Tonka expounded, before doing a bit of soft-peddling. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Especially since you always choose women who know the score. But making a move on Eliza…” Tonk trailed off.

“I’m with Tonk. It feels wrong,” Blue took up. “Eliza’s…sensitive. We can all see it plain as day just looking at her. She’s all efficiency and geniality on the outside, but there’s something lurking inside that’s eating away at her soul.”

Leave it to Blue to notice exactly what Stat did.

The question was…?

“So, you don’t think it’s worth it to possibly exploit those vulnerabilities to see if what’s bothering her has anything to do with our mission?” he pressed. “To see if she has valuable information she can impart that might not only help us, but relieve some of the burden that’s crushing her?” Statler posed.

He actually wanted to see a light in Eliza’s eyes, and if he was the one responsible for putting it there, so be it.

It was Sherbert who chastised him next, expounding on what Tonk had said.

“I call bullshit on that. I think your interest in her goes beyond what she might or might not know, boss, and you need to own it.”

When Statler opened his mouth to perhaps rebut, Sherbert cut him off.

“Uh, uh. Don’t go there and insult us all. During the small number of interactions we’ve witnessed between you two, there’s obvious chemistry. You dig her.”

Statler wanted to scoff, but dammit, he prided himself on being honest with his team.

Now was not the time to prevaricate.

He ran a hand back through his perpetually mussed hair.

“Okay. You’re right. I’ll admit it. I do feel…some kind of attraction. But…” Statler sucked in a breath and went for broke, “…won’t that play to our benefit? I won’t have to feign interest, which means she won’t pick up on any vibes that make her suspicious of my motives.”

It made sense to him, but…

Blue wasn’t the only one shaking her head.

Hazard and Tonka also didn’t look convinced.

“Boss, if she was an over-the-top snob, obnoxiously self-assured, or even bitchy, I’d be on board with your idea,” Haze interjected. “But there’s something about Eliza that makes you want to wrap her up in a comfy blanket and keep her safe.”

That thought was hitting close to Statler’s own feelings again.

He became gruff.

“Listen. I’m not looking to hurt her. I just think, vulnerable or not, she could be our way in; our best opportunity for getting much needed intel.” Stat continued. “We’ve speculated before that she could be the mysterious Holden, and if that’s the case, she should be relieved of her mental burdens; more than willing to share what she knows.”