Page 95 of The Honest Affair

Chapter Twenty-Three

Nina

We found Jane and Eric setting the table in their dining room for a lunch of roasted chicken and salad along with a bottle of Sancerre. Over the last several months, I’d only just gotten used to the fact that Jane and Eric preferred to take turns cooking rather than employ a chef. With only a housekeeper and their security, their staff was quite minimal compared to what I had grown up with. Not much of a cook myself, I had at least learned to do dishes particularly well.

“Eric always overcooks the chicken, so I’d recommend the dark meat,” Jane said as she set a serving dish of carved pieces on the large table that took up most of their dining room.

“I think you’ll find this is perfectly basted,” Eric countered as everyone took their seats. He poured out the wine as Matthew served me some salad, then took some for himself.

“You always say that too,” Jane said.

“Just try it, pretty girl.”

Jane blushed and looked down at her food without answering. Beside me, Matthew chuckled to himself. Though on the outside Jane and Eric appeared to bicker constantly, those who knew them well could see it for what it was: their remarkable chemistry that really never seemed to fade.

“This looks great,” Matthew said.

“It’s not much, but we’ve been missing meals a bit,” Jane said. “Nina’s only been home, what, twice this week?” She winked at me, then looked knowingly at Matthew. “My theory is that she’s seeing someone on the sly. She was gone with Olivia for ten days on Long Island, and then all this week, she kept sneaking out.”

“Is that so?” Matthew asked. “Who’s the lucky guy, huh?”

I stared resolutely at my plate, knowing that if I looked at him, I’d lose my battle against the rising flush in my face. “No one,” I muttered and took a drink of wine.

Eric, who was a bigger fan of privacy than all of us, just shook his head at Jane.

“You should come for dinner this weekend, Zola,” he said instead. “We’re having a couple of investors over. One of them is Karl Kramer.”

“We’ve met before. In court.” Matthew didn’t look as if he had enjoyed the experience.

“Who is Karl Kramer?” Jane asked.

“He’s one of the top defense attorneys in the city,” Eric said before taking a bit of chicken breast. By the look on his face, it seemed Jane was correct—it was overcooked. He chewed it anyway.

“And one of the biggest scumbags too,” Matthew said.

“Yeah, well. Contacts are contacts, aren’t they?”

I nudged him on the shoulder. “Perhaps it might be good for you to meet him in this kind of setting.”

Matthew put his fork and knife down on his plate and turned. “Is that what you think I should do?”

I sighed. “Given the circumstances—”

“What circumstances?” asked Jane. “What’s going on?”

Matthew grimaced at me, then took a long drink of wine before speaking. “As I told Nina downstairs, I was fired today. The DA found out about my trip to Italy with Nina, and he viewed it as a pretty bad conflict of interest. They made my leave permanent. I am no longer an assistant district attorney for the Brooklyn DA, and probably won’t be for any other DA in New York.”

“Are you serious?” Eric demanded. “After the check I just wrote?”

Matthew frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, nothing,” Jane said. “Just that he thought this might happen and tried to encourage the DA to keep you on with a fat campaign contribution.”

Matthew’s face turned white. “Oh, fuck. Eric, you didn’t.” He rubbed a heavy hand over his face. “Shit, no wonder he was suspicious. Ruggeri’s call was just the nail in the coffin.”

“Petri dish, you’re getting corrupt in your old age,” Jane said sadly. “Not everyone can be bought.” She turned to Matthew sympathetically. “That really, really sucks, Zola. I’m so sorry.”

“Shit, man,” Eric said. “I’m sorry too.” He looked at him more carefully. “But look. Since we’re at least partly responsible here, the least we could do is hook you up with contacts for a new job. I heard Kramer’s firm bills a lot. Hell, I’m sure there’s a spot in the DVS legal team if you want to work for me.”

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