Page 98 of The Best Trick

“I like the body language,” Odin said. “The feds look apologetic.”

“As they should be,” I said. A waiter brought us bruschetta and fried shrimp. I dug in. Thor watched from the bar.

Finally the meeting looked to be over. The check was brought. iPads were put away.

When Zeus stood up, he was smiling. People shook hands. The feds left as a group. A few minutes later, Zeus strolled out with the lawyer, presumably to say goodbye and discuss next steps.

Moments later, he strolled back in and joined us at the table, with the biggest, most beautiful grin.

“Well?” I asked.

Zeus picked up a fried shrimp from the plate. “Shrimp? Please. This occasion calls for frog legs!”

“What does that mean? What happened?” I asked.

Thor came over to join us. “That took forever. I was sweating bullets.”

“Full immunity?” Odin asked. “Did we get it? All crimes?”

“Full immunity?” Zeus said, grinning from ear to ear. “They’re giving us full immunity…forstarters.”

“What does that mean?” I asked. I sort of knew, but I wanted it spelled out.

“We are getting full immunity for all crimes up until today. Plus, we’re gonna get a few awards, my friends. And there will be a settlement. Money. Lots of it.” He turned to Thor. “You get your license back. I told them there was no deal without that.”

“Just like that?” Thor asked, aghast.

“Just like that,” Zeus said. “I watched the paperwork get filed. I e-signed. How about you check your email.”

We all checked our email. There were things for us to sign, too.

“Click the little pen and type your name,” Zeus said, pointing at my phone.

“It seems too easy.”

“Just do it!” he said.

We all e-signed and sent the docs.

“Sooooo…we’re free?” I whispered.

“We’re free,” Zeus said.

I grabbed a glass off the table. It was a water glass but who cares? I raised a toast there in the middle of the restaurant. “Woo-oo!”

A few people in the restaurant clapped uncertainly.

Zeus was just laughing. “That’s your toast?”

“I don't know, they don't write toasts for people like us!” I raised my glass again. “No more running from the law! Woo-hoo!”

“Fuck that!” Odin grabbed a glass and raised it high. “I toast our enemies now rotting in jail, who falsely accused us, and relentlessly pursued us! You wish we were dead, motherfuckers, but we survived!”

People were clapping now; our exuberance was contagious. Zeus bought drinks for the whole restaurant. Odin said more outrageous things. Some tabletop dancing was done.

We took the party back to the hotel room. We talked all night. Made plans. Enjoyed the hot tub, and by enjoyed, I meanenjoyedin the dirtiest and funnest of ways.

Most of all, we couldn't stop planning for the future. How would it feel to never look over our shoulders again? To have a home?

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