Page 30 of Statler

“And if she’s not? Holden, that is?” Blue asked, still not looking totally convinced. “How far will you go to extract information?”

“What are you saying, Blue?” Statler growled, hearing the underlying accusation in her voice. “Spit it out.”

“Fine,” Blue responded.

Not intimidated in the least, she crossed her arms over her chest and met his gaze, directly. “Will you fuck her for what you need, then leave? If you do, your actions will undoubtedly make her more broken than she already is.”

Statler could feel his face turning red.

“Blue, I’m not an asshole,” he snapped, appalled at the possibility that it could happen just as his workmate suggested, despite his good intentions. Still, he needed to defend himself. “I have no plans to ‘fuck her’ as you so succinctly put it.”

Had he already thought of having her in his bed, her creamy limbs wrapped around him?

Uh, yeah.

But that was just typical guy-shit, he told himself.

Statler huffed. “I promise to be nice, do some flattery stuff, and maybe take her out a time or two. There might even be…”

Should he even say this?

Yes. Because if he didn’t, his team would call bullcrap on him.

“…a kiss or two. But I will not lead her on. I promise. I’ll let her know right up front that I don’t do relationships, and that once our job here is over, we’re gone.”

Why did it hurt, saying that out loud?

The plan had seemed solid when it was in his head, but airing his intended trajectory, even to his own ears, sounded…crass.

“Fine.” Blue gave in. “But for the record, I don’t like it.” She shook her head, then stabbed Stat with a glare. “If Eliza ends up a basket case, just know that I’ll personally kick your ass from here back to Bangor.”

“Done.” Statler was more than ready to be finished with this conversation.

“Now,” he segued, “if we don’t have anything else to natter on about like a bunch of old biddies, we need to get to work,” he ordered.

“Thank cripes,” Pipes put in with an exaggerated sigh. “Do you know how hard it’s been to keep my mouth shut, when I’m the one who knows the most about women?”

Projectiles; vests and measuring tapes flew in his direction via his teammates, all of which he easily and laughingly avoided.

“You guys are just jealous,” the team’s gigolo quipped. “Because you all know I’m the best with the opposite sex.”

They all grudgingly agreed, just to shut the man up. They knew if they didn’t, he could expound on his conquests for hours.

As if on cue, they all began their inspectional rounds.

Statler’s brain, however, was still fried.

He was totally fucked.

He was actually thinking of asking Pipes for some pointers when they finished up for the day.

CHAPTER SEVEN

“Boss. Pipes. Over here,” Dizzy called out, sounding far more serious than normal.

Statler, before answering, marked off a spot on a sidewall of concrete he needed to remeasure.

At first glance, it was half an inch off.