“Rehab can do that for you. He says he liked the rehab so much that he applied for a job there.”

“That’s right, I haven’t been seeing him during the day, and it’s been silent next door.” Liza let the silence ring between them. Quiet next door meant Chicho’s father hadn’t hurt her mother since he’d been back. Liza could hear Chicho’s relieved exhalation of breath.

“Come on, Liza, let me call the car for you. I can ask my mother to make mofongo for you. You can eat it all week without me judging you or calling you gordita.”

“Oh snap, your mother’s mofongo is the best in DC. Okay, call your boy. I’ll be packed and ready.” All she had to do was play nice with Colin—easy.

BOILED POTATOES

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

I’d love to pop over to DC with you. I can’t wait to meet this “friend” you keep talking about. Been scrolling through the feeds, and OMG she looks like that French woman I was obsessed with for like three years, Cindy Bruna . . . with an American ass tho and funny captions too. Punching above your weight, bro! You need all the help you can get. Be there @6pm.

Park

“I’m going to tell it to you straight. You need to shit or get off the pot with this Netherfield deal.” Senator De Berg squinted at the copy of Making Marriage Work he had been flipping through, then turned to Dorsey.

Dorsey was once again in a DC municipal building, getting a lecture about how he should handle this situation.

“We’re hungry for new development. You can’t allow these permit tricks to stall you. The Alexandria council welcomes you with open arms, and you don’t seem to want to make a move,” the senator said.

“Do we know anything about the communities that we’re bulldozing?” Dorsey asked.

“What communities? These are mostly abandoned homes. If people cared about them, they wouldn’t be abandoned. It really is simple. Don’t let those people get under your skin.”

“No one’s under my skin. I just don’t understand why this isn’t going the way these things usually go.”

“You can get away with a lot of stuff in Philly that won’t fly in DC. Everything is linked here. If you screw up in DC, you can kiss the federal government, Maryland, and Virginia goodbye.”

“I am aware of the stakes, Senator.” Dorsey pulled up the knees to his pants and sat.

“If you are aware of the stakes, what were you doing making goo-goo eyes at that Bennett girl at your company’s event?”

“Her grandmother won a contest fair and square.” It seemed like every step was a misstep where Liza was concerned.