"Occupational hazard," Elena said. "In the diner you learn faces. Who needs more coffee. Who needs to be left alone. Who needs someone to ask a question that isn't about the menu."
"What do I need?"
She glanced at him sideways, winged liner catching a blink of green.
"You need to stop pretending the jacket is the whole personality. It's a good jacket. It's not a biography."
Jake huffed a laugh.
"Harsh. Accurate. Dot says the same thing with fewer words and more judgment."
"Dot is a national treasure."
"Dot once banned me for a week in 1979 for bringing sparklers onto the floor. Fair ban. Educational ban."