“I’m just thinking about how nice you are.” I didn’t know who was more surprised. Him or me. “Okay. Let’s not get carried away. What I mean is, it was not right for me to call you an asshole the other night. We haven’t seen each other in two years, and people change. You aren’t as bad as I once thought.”

“I don’t recall you calling me that.”

“Maybe I didn’t actually say it out loud, but I’ve lost count how many times I’ve called you that in my head. Anyway, I’m only going to say this once, and I will deny it until my last breath.” I inhaled deeply before continuing. “You are a good person, Vladimir Ambrosia. And a good brother to Kris.”

If someone had asked me last week to choose between praising Vlad and cliff diving, I would have chosen the latter without a blink, despite being afraid of heights.

“This is a one-time thing?”

“Yes, don’t you know by now that I don’t hand out compliments so easily?”

That got him laughing. “No, you don’t.”

We stood awkwardly at the bar, people milling around us, music blasting. Vlad didn’t say anything, so I was the first to break the silence.

“How’s work?”

“Stressful. There are some things that I don’t agree with at the moment, but I’m doing my best.”

“Now I’m intrigued. Tell me more.”

He seemed hesitant, which only made me more curious. “Don’t be so secretive. You can tell me. I won’t judge, and my”—I zipped my lips—“are sealed.”

“I can’t. I can’t disclose anything to anyone—it’s illegal and against the code of ethics.”

“Okay. Then why don’t you tell me generically what it is that you do?”

“I think it will bore you.”

“Try me.”

He hesitated, and then said, “My work involves helping refugees get asylum, preserving human rights, fighting against irresponsible industrial waste—that kind of stuff. But I’m only an intern. Someday I’ll be doing more than preparing files for trial.”

Before I could form some sort of response, Kris came up behind us and linked her arms around our necks. “Hello, lovebirds, want to play a game?” Kris must have been well on her way to being drunk because she’d just called us lovebirds. She raised her hand to signal the bartender for another round, but I grabbed her wrist and pulled it down.

“Sure, let’s play!” I wanted to be excited. Over the top of Kris’s head, my eyes found Vlad’s. I knew my best friend. If Vlad played the big brother and scolded her for drinking too much, Kris would drink even more. Distraction was the way to go.

“Yay!” Kris yelped in joy, clapping her hands like a kid who had just gotten an early Christmas present.