-58-.

Rapprochement I can't thank you enough, Jake," Victoria said. "You were magnificent."

"Yeah, that goes for me, too," Solomon said. "And I apologize again for not trusting your judgment."

"Aw, jeez. My new BFFs. I think I'm gonna cry."

"Jake, be real," Victoria told me. "You pretend to have that hard bark, but you're cotton candy underneath."

"Okay, this is real. I didn't win the case. You did, Victoria. Whatever you told Hostetler worked. I just shut up and got out of the way."

It was just before noon the day after the trial ended, and we were in the bar at the Hyatt Regency downtown. Gerald Hostetler had called Victoria, saying Nadia wanted to see us. We were waiting for them while drinking mojitos and eating guacamole and chips.

"You're not really quitting the practice, are you, dude?" Solomon said, clopping me on the shoulder, all buddy-buddy. "Because I was thinking we could try a case together sometime."

"Funny," I said. "I was thinking we could try cases against each other."

"How?"

"There's a courthouse rumor that Ray Pincher isn't running for reelection."

"Oh no!" Victoria said. "You're not going to run for state attorney."

"Something to think about when I fall asleep in the hammock tonight, sipping a martini. Gin. Not vodka."

"I think it would be great if you're the chief prosecutor," Solomon said. "But I'd kick your ass in court. Being a defendant will make me a better trial lawyer, don't you think?"

"From personal experience, I know it will."

"Whatever the future holds," Victoria said, "we'll always be grateful to you, Jake."

"You're welcome," I told them. "So Victoria, what did you say to Hostetler that flipped Nadia?"

"Already told you. That you can bend the law like a baker twisting a pretzel. Just don't break the dough when you bend it."

"I always thought that was a little vague," I said.

"Me, too, Vic," Solomon said. "What's the rest?"

She poked her straw into the bottom of the mojito glass, crushing the mint leaves. "Nothing."

"Hey, babe, it's us you're talking to," Solomon said. "Steve and Jake. Your lover and my lawyer. We're a team . . . unless Lassiter gets elected state attorney. You can't hold out on us."

"I'm with Solomon on this one," I chimed in.

Victoria sipped at her mojito before answering. "Gerald was afraid if Nadia backed Steve's story, she'd be charged with perjury, so I broke down the case for him. There were three people in that office. One was dead. If the other two told the same story, no one could prove either one was lying. As a practical matter, she faced no chance of a perjury conviction if she backed Steve's story that she fired in self-defense."

"Nice work, Vic," Solomon said.

"Ditto," I said.

I spotted Hostetler and Nadia walking into the bar, pushing carry-on luggage. She was wearing a yellow polka-dot sundress that gave her a girl-next-door air of innocence. He wore a "Save the Everglades" T-shirt and jeans. They were headed back to Pennsylvania. The three of us stood as they approached our table.

A great deal of hugging commenced.

Victoria hugged Nadia, then Hostetler.

Solomon hugged Hostetler, then Nadia.

I just shook Hostetler's hand and said thanks to Nadia. Sorry, I'm just not that touchy-feely.

"I want to apologize to you in person, Steve," Nadia said. "So much trouble I caused you."

"It all turned out okay," he said.

"Could I speak to you privately?"

Solomon shot a look at Victoria, who shrugged a yes.

"I'll go check out, sweetheart," Hostetler said to Nadia, wheeling their luggage away.

Nadia and Solomon retreated to the far side of the bar, where they began whispering. Victoria watched a moment, then said to me, "What's going on?"

"No idea."

"You don't think . . . ?"

"What?"

"What I said before. That there was anything going on between them."

"No way, Victoria. Trust me. I can tell from their body language."

Which, of course, was precisely the moment Nadia kissed Solomon on the lips. Just a little kiss, not a long, lingering, can't-wait-to-hump-again kiss.

"What the hell!" Victoria said.

"Relax. It's just a Russian greeting."

"You're making that up. They already greeted."

We both watched as Nadia reached into her purse and handed something to Solomon. No way to tell from here what it was. Something small, though. It fit into the palm of his hand.

"Jake! What are they doing?"

I didn't know, so I didn't answer.

Solomon and Nadia hugged. Again. Just a quickie. Then she left to meet Pretzel Man at the front desk, and Solomon returned to our table.

When he sat down, nobody said a word for a long moment.

"Why are you blushing?" Victoria demanded.

"I'm not. I'm not." He was stammering. "I don't blush."

"Your neck is flushed. Do you have a fever?"

"I'm fine."

"What did Nadia give you?"

"I'm not sure this is the time or place," Solomon said.

"Why not?"

"Well, it's just that it's between the two of us."

"You and Nadia?"

"No! You and me, Vic."

"I'll leave," I offered.

"No, you won't," Victoria said. "I need a witness if I have sufficient grounds to slice Steve's throat. What did Nadia give you?"

Solomon reached into his pocket and pulled out a small brown cotton bag with a drawstring. He placed the bag onto the table. "Open it, Vic."

She looked at him dubiously, then picked up the bag, pulled the drawstring, and a rough glassy object a little smaller than a golf ball dropped into her hand.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Looks like quartz," I said.

"Uncut diamond," Solomon said. "Big one. Nadia estimates it'll be four to five carats when cut. She seems to know a lot about diamonds."

"I thought the feds recovered all the smuggled diamonds when they searched Hostetler's house," I said.

"They didn't get the ones Nadia buried in the backyard."

"So there are more?" Victoria said.

"Enough to build Hostetler a new factory," Solomon said. "Though they'll still hand-roll the pretzels. Anyway, Nadia wants you to have the diamond. I mean, I want you to have it."

"What are you saying, Steve?" she asked.

"Well . . ."

I fidgeted in my seat. "Solomon, am I sitting here listening to you ask Victoria to marry you?"

"Well. Yeah."

"Oh, my God," Victoria said.

"You're doing a shitty job of it, Solomon," I said. "Would it help if I left?"

"Damn right."

"I'm out of here, guys."

"Not so fast, Jake," Victoria said. "We're going to be seeing a lot of you."

"Why? Which one of you is gonna be indicted next?"

She ignored me and turned to Solomon. "Yes, Steve. Hell, yes! I want to marry you."

Solomon let out a long, low whistle like air escaping from a balloon. "Whoopee-ki-yay-yo!"

They leapt out of their chairs, embraced, and kissed. Slow and deep and long. So long I could have mixed a pitcher of martinis and polished off the first one. Just as I intended to do when I got home. But for now, I was still sitting while the two of them hovered above me, a-hugging and a-kissing. Making out is not a spectator sport, but there I was, the creaky third wheel. Sure, I was happy for them, but a part of me felt empty, too. Solomon was a lucky son of a bitch, and I was going home alone.

"Congratulations, you crazy kids," I said. "Now, may I leave?"

"Not yet, big guy," Solomon said, and they both sat down again. He gave me a straight-on, dead-serious look. "Jake, old pal, I want you to be my best man."

I was quiet a moment. Now I really wanted that pitcher of booze along with a bittersweet country song about dusty roads and broken hearts.

"C'mon, Jake. What about it?" he pressed me.

"Do I have to do a toast? I'm not good with cheerfulness and optimism."

"We'll call it closing argument and you'll be fine."

"You're not gonna write your own vows, are you? 'Love flew in my window on a seagull's wings.'"

"More like we met in a jail cell after being held in contempt," Victoria said.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked. "Not the marriage. My being best man."

"Relax, Jake," Victoria said. "You might have been joking when you called us your best friends forever. But the three of us? That's what we are."

I slumped in my chair. It's not that I'm antisocial. But coming from a fractured family, I'm not at ease at other people's festivities. Holiday dinners, communions, weddings? Not for me. Maybe joyous get-togethers remind me of what I've missed.

Solomon and Lord were reaching out to me, but I felt incapable of responding. Closeness with others, true friendship, had always been so elusive.

"Whadaya say, Jake?" Solomon said.