convinced I’m crazy.

Brad pulls out his chair and takes a seat, pointing at me. “You should get
some Rodan and Fields. The amp roller works wonders for scarring.”
I immediately laugh at his random response. Somehow.
“Jesus, Brad!” Darin says, finally sinking into his seat. “You’re worse
than your wife with this direct sales shit. You’re like a walking
infomercial.”
Brad raises his hands in defense. “What?” he says innocently. “I’m not
trying to sell her anything, I’m being honest. The stuff works. You’d know
that if you’d use it on your damn acne.”
“Screw you,” Darin says.
“It’s like you’re trying to be a perpetual teenager,” Brad mutters. “Acne
isn’t cool when you’re thirty.”
Brad pulls out the chair next to him while Darin begins shuffling a deck
of cards. “Have a seat, Lily. One of our friends decided to be an idiot and
get married last week, and now his wife won’t let him come to poker night
anymore. You can be his fill-in until he gets a divorce.”
I had every intention of hiding out in my room tonight, but these two
make it hard to walk away. I take a seat next to Brad and reach across the
table. “Hand me those,” I say to Darin. He’s shuffling the cards like a one-
armed infant.
He raises an eyebrow and pushes the deck of cards across the table. I
don’t know much about card games, but I can shuffle cards like a pro.
I separate the cards into two piles and scoot them together, pressing my
thumbs to the ends, watching as they beautifully intertwine. Darin and Brad
are staring at the deck of cards, when there’s another knock on the door.
This time the door swings open without pause and a guy walks in dressed in
what looks like a very expensive tweed jacket. There’s a scarf wrapped
around his neck, and he begins to unwind it as soon as he slams the door
behind him. He nudges his head in my direction as he walks toward the
kitchen. “Who are you?”
He’s older than the other two, probably in his mid-forties.
Atlas definitely has an interesting mix of friends.
“This is Lily,” Brad says. “She’s married to an asshole and just found out
she’s pregnant with the asshole’s baby. Lily, this is Jimmy. He’s pompous
and arrogant.”