Over The Rainbow - Georgetown Book II - 1. Over The Rainbow • Part I

CJ moved to Washington at the height of the Miami HEAT’s domination of the National Basketball Association. At the time, in an effort to help ease their son’s transition to a new city, his fathers subscribed to NBA TV so he could continue watching the out-of-town team’s games. Over the subsequent three years, his interest in the Miami franchise waned somewhat but Ritchie’s arrival convinced the men it was a good idea to continue the service. They thought if it had helped the older teen acclimate, it might do the same for his younger brother. CJ agreed when they discussed it with him.

“You’re not gonna believe where we get to sit, Fadi.” Ritchie occupied the last row of César’s Escalade with the classmate they had just picked up. “It’s gonna be fucking sick, dude!”

“Ritchie! Language!” César turned around and stared at the two fourteen-year-olds while next to him Brett tried not to laugh. “You know you can’t use that kind of language once we’re in the arena.”

CJ kept glancing in the rearview mirror and shook his head. He remembered receiving the same admonition the first time the fathers took him to a game. When the current year’s schedule for the hometown Washington Wizards was released, César arranged for tickets to both games against the HEAT. For this mid-November Saturday night, they had access to a luxury suite owned by one of his clients.

“So you think the HEAT’s going to win tonight, Ritchie?” Owen turned in the passenger seat as CJ slipped the large SUV into a parking spot.

“Hell yeah!” Ritchie slapped a hand over his mouth. “Oops, sorry, Mr. A. Heck yeah, Ozzie!”

Brett could not hold back any longer and started chuckling. He looked at his husband who rolled his eyes and pushed the retired marine to exit the vehicle. The two men waited until the car was locked then walked side by side with their older son and his boyfriend flanking them. Ritchie and his classmate took the lead towards the entrance.

“How come you call your dads Mr. A. and Captain?” Fadi had met Ritchie’s family before but this would be his first time spending the night at the Georgetown townhouse. CJ was interested in hearing his brother’s answer and raised a finger to his lips.

“I don’t know. It’s what I’ve always called them. Even when I was living with my mom and dad. Before they died and I moved up to Washington.”

A smile crept upon CJ’s face. Ritchie referred to César and Brett as the dads, but had mentioned he did not feel right calling either one dad or anything like it. The boy still missed his parents and in all likelihood would for the rest of his life. The two older men told CJ not to push, but if the kid ever asked about adoption to let him know it was his choice.

“Hey, Ritchie.” CJ took a couple of quick steps and wiggled his way between his brother and his friend. “I’m not so sure about the HEAT winning, bro. They’re not the same team they used to be. You better start praying to Nike for a victory.”

“Why would I pray to a pair of sneakers? They all don’t wear the same brand.”

“No, you dork. Not the sneakers. Your brother’s prolly talking about the Greek goddess of victory.” Fadi moved around CJ and elbowed Ritchie while berating him. “Greek mythology, doofus. Greek mythology.”

As soon as they reached their destination, CJ looked around the room until he spotted the head of the company that owned the suite. Taking Owen by the hand, he steered his boyfriend towards the man, asking Ritchie and Fadi to follow him. He thanked their host profusely and introduced him to his companions before directing them towards the buffet table and the bar. He ordered three beers and three sodas, and told the kids to help themselves to the food while he and Owen took beers to the dads.

“Excuse me, sir. Are you CJ Abelló?”

“Hi, yes I am.” It was close to the end of the second quarter and the question surprised CJ.

“Hi. My boss asked me to come over and talk to you. He has the suite next to this one.” The man pointed to the right. “Two of our guests would like you to visit with them at half time.”

“Ummm, okay. Do I know these people?”

“One of the ladies said the two of you met at some convention this summer. She asked me to tell you she’ll think about retiring as soon as you’re old enough to run for her job.”

“Shit!” CJ slapped a hand over his mouth and took a furtive glance around to see who might have heard him. Ritchie had an evil grin on his face. “Please, tell Eleanor I’ll be over in a few minutes.”

CJ slumped in his seat and looked at his fathers who stared at him, smiling. He shook his head and glanced down at his attire. He had not shaved since the day before the election. He wore motorcycle boots, faded Levi’s 501s, a ratty, old HEAT t-shirt, and his leather jacket. Atop his head, he had a Wizards knit cap.

“What? Your outfit not good enough for meeting your fans?” Brett’s comment and eyebrow wiggling earned him a discreet one-finger salute from his son.

“Not funny, Papa. That little joke about me taking her job when I’m old enough means it’s Eleanor Holmes Norton. She told it over and over in Philadelphia.” CJ looked at Ritchie who seemed to be enjoying his brother’s discomfort. “And before you ask, bro, she’s the Congresswoman for the District of Columbia. I look like crap.”

“You look fine, CJ. You’re a freshman in college. You’re dressed the way most kids your age do.” César stole a glance behind CJ towards the other suite. “Not to make you even more nervous, but the other woman the guy mentioned is another Congresswoman. One from Miami.”

“Ileana?” A nod and a smile answered CJ’s question. “Oh, heck. Dad will tell you who she is, Ritchie. Come on, Ozzie. If I have to do this, you’re going with me.”

Owen failed to hide his smile and CJ glared at him. After the election, CJ swore he was staying away from politics until he graduated from college. He wanted to enjoy the next four years, concentrate on his studies, and everything Georgetown University offered. It was clear now he would not be able to fade away; he was at a sporting event and two members of Congress wanted to talk to him.

“Ms. Norton, it’s great to see you again.” CJ and Owen slipped into the suite, acknowledging those who questioned their appearance with inquiring expressions by smiling and nodding. He otherwise ignored everyone and approached the two women sitting at the front row talking.

“CJ! You look different with all that facial hair. It’s good to see you too, my friend. Have you met Ileana?”

“Ummm, no, I haven’t. But I know who she is.” CJ reclaimed his hand from the Washington politician and offered it to the one from Florida. “Congresswoman, it’s a pleasure to meet you. My grandparents think the world of you.”

Ros-Lehtinen chuckled while shaking CJ’s hand. “Grandparents? Are you trying to make me feel old, young man? Couldn’t you at least have said it was your parents who like me?”

CJ stared at his boots for a moment. “Sorry. My parents live here in Washington so they don’t get to vote for you. My grandparents are all still in Miami. But if it’ll make you feel better”―CJ flashed her a sly smile―“I would have voted for you.”

“Gentlemen, do you have time to sit and visit with us for a little bit?” Representative Norton waved a hand towards two empty chairs.

“I’m sorry, I’m being rude. Ozzie, this is Eleanor Holmes Norton. She’s the District’s representative in Congress. And this is Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. She’s one of the representatives from South Florida.” He looked up at Owen while sliding one of the empty chairs towards the two women. “This is my boyfriend, Owen Liston.”

The women asked Owen about his accent, the reason for his presence in the United States, and the circumstances under which the couple met. The conversation veered towards the recent presidential election and Congresswoman Norton asked for his impressions on the process and his boyfriend’s involvement.

“I’m sure you two are wondering why we wanted to speak to you.” Ros-Lehtinen’s pleasant expression turned somewhat serious. “Eleanor noticed CJ when he leaned over the edge and I recognized his name since I’d talked about him with Marco Rubio before.”

“I hope Senator Rubio was kind. I may have been a bit rough on him when I told him I wouldn’t support his candidacy.” CJ gave the Congresswoman an apologetic smile.

The woman’s laughter attracted looks from most of the suite's occupants. “You’re being modest. He and I were at a Florida Caucus function soon after his announcement. He mentioned a young man who’d interned at his office one summer but had trashed him when Marco asked for his support.”

CJ wanted to crawl into a corner and hide. César had warned him to go easy on Rubio while Brett encouraged him to rip the Senator a new one. He was learning a lesson about how politicians remembered people and their comments. “I… I’m not sure what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything, CJ. Marco was complementary when he spoke about you. He said you were polite but made your point of view clear.” Ros-Lehtinen shifted her gaze towards Owen. “You see, Ozzie―I hope it’s okay to use the nickname―most of us accept we can’t entice everyone we represent to support us. However, we can recognize when someone has exceptional abilities. Regardless of party affiliation. Eleanor and I belong to different parties. But we work together and we’re friends.” She stopped for a moment and her smile grew. “Except when the HEAT play the Wizards or the Dolphins play the Redskins. Then we’re mortal enemies. Now, CJ may be a Democrat―”

“Actually, ma’am, I’m not. I’m registered as an independent.”

Both women looked surprised at the revelation but while the Miami Republican nodded her approval, the Washington Democrat had a concerned expression. “When did this happen? You were a Democrat when we met. It’s the only way you could have been a delegate for Secretary Clinton.”

“I changed it after I returned from Philadelphia.”

“And may I ask what led you to that decision?”

“Ummm, there wasn’t one particular reason. You have to realize my grandparents and one of my fathers are life-long Republicans. My other dad has no party affiliation. But he’s an accountant, quite conservative when it comes to fiscal matters, and his views influence mine. Anyway, you can blame some of it on Bernie Sanders’ supporters. Their opposition to anything having to do with the military annoyed me to no end.

“One of my dads’ a marine and I took it personally. Don’t get me wrong, I support their right to express their opinion, but I don’t want to be associated with them. And I don’t believe government’s the answer to all our problems. Once basic rights and protections are in place, I believe power should reside as close to the people as possible. I’ve learned both the right and the left see everything from their own point of view without realizing or believing there could be another. I want to be part of that other group.”

Ros-Lehtinen threw her head back and laughed. “You sound like a Republican! Or at least a Libertarian. Listen, I’m going to give you my card. I want you to call my chief of staff next week. I’d like you to join me for lunch sometime soon. I’d be honored if you indulged me so I can try and convince you to accept an internship in my office.”

• • •

Ritchie was ecstatic with the game’s outcome. Miami trailed after the first quarter but went into the locker room at the end of the second with a one-point lead they did not relinquish during the last half of the game. His cheering and bragging earned him benign smiles from several of the suite’s occupants. Back home, he and Fadi made a beeline for the basement and parked themselves in front of the large screen, game controllers in hand.

“Fadi seems like a nice kid. He was a little quiet tonight, but I was surprised how well he dealt with being surrounded by all the adults.” Owen was already in bed when CJ warned the two kids to keep the noise down as he closed the bedroom’s door.

“He was quiet because my brother wouldn’t shut up the entire game! I think Fadi’s used to being around grownups. What with his mom being part of the diplomatic staff at the Indian embassy and all.” CJ took off his boots and jacket as soon as they arrived home and now left a trail of clothing on the floor as he walked towards the bathroom.

“I talked to him a bit during the game. He sounds smart as hell.”

“Yeah, Ritchie told me Fadi’s a computer genius. The two of them met in the school’s science club.” CJ flushed the toilet and turned off the light before crawling into bed.

Owen turned on his side and stared at CJ. “So, what are you going to do about Ileana’s offer?”

“Offers… I’m going to call her office and go to lunch with her. But I’ll turn down the internship if she offers it for real.”

“That’s a surprise. I’d thought you’d jump at the chance to go back to the Capitol.”

“Nah, and I have a standing offer to become a Senate page anyway. I could have gone back already if I wanted to.”

“Then why haven’t you and why aren’t you?”

“Dude, you know what the last year’s been like. The Clinton campaign kept me too fucking busy. And as far as the future goes, I already told you I’m stepping back from politics.”

“Yeah, right. I’ve heard that song before. I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“No, I’m serious. I need a break.” CJ was quiet for a moment, trying to put his thoughts and feeling into words. “Look, Ozzie, I’m only eighteen and―”

“Nineteen in a month…”

“Big fucking difference! I wanna be a student. I want to enjoy college. And I need to study. All those classes I’ve missed are coming back to haunt me. My grades are going to suck this semester. Physics is kicking my ass. Ritchie definitely got the science gene in the family.”

“How bad do you think it’s going to be?”

“I’ll be happy if I get a C in Physics. I expect a B in German and Theology and an A in my other two classes.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad.”

“Maybe not, but it’s going to get tougher in the future. I’m taking all introductory courses right now and I already have more work to do than I ever did at Walls. Advanced courses ain’t gonna to get any easier.”

“So, what’s your plan then? Move into the library or lock yourself in here to study all the time?”

“Fuck no! I want to spend time with you. I want to keep going on motorcycle rides every weekend we can. I want to hang out on campus some more and meet more people…”

“You wanna be an average college student? HA! Good luck with that, mate. You’re anything but ordinary.”

• • •

“Rachel! It’s so good to see you.” CJ kissed Rachel Stout on the cheek and gave her a hug. “Hey, I’d like to make an appointment and come talk to you. But it’s something personal so you need to bill me and not the dads or the foundation.”

The attorney who handled most of the day-to-day legal matters for Brett’s business and the family foundation gave CJ a questioning look. “You’re not in trouble, are you?”

“Nah… How much do you know about immigration law?”

The woman did not get a chance to reply; Sebastián Abelló pushed his grandson out of the way and greeted Rachel by giving her a hug. “He’s on to something, you know? Rosario and I only get to see you once a year. You and your girlfriend should come visit us in South Florida sometime.”

CJ’s grandparents arrived the weekend before Thanksgiving, settled into the open room on the second floor, and planned on their now usual ten-day stay. Accommodating CJ’s schedule, César reserved a private room at Forbes Grill for a very late lunch. The CBC Foundation conducted most business through mail―traditional and electronic―but the two fathers insisted on an annual physical gathering.

While his grandfather talked to the attorney, CJ sat at the table next to Martha Edwards―the principal at School Without Walls High School. “I never had the chance to thank you for inviting me to speak at Walls at the beginning of the semester, Mrs. Edwards.”

“I wish you’d call me Martha, CJ. You’re not a student anymore. And I hope you’ll come back and do it again next year. After all, you were the catalyst for our anti-bullying assemblies. I’m not sure we could have pulled it off without your help. Bringing Ben Cohen and Hudson Taylor into the picture gave us an edge over other area institutions. We had quite a few administrators from other high school there this year.”

“It was great to go back. You know I loved my time at Walls. Listen, I wanted to talk to you about Thiago…”

Brett was the last one to arrive. “Sorry I’m late. Damn banker wouldn’t shut up and my meeting ran late. I’m starving. Can we order some food?”

“Come here, Brett. You get to sit next to me.” Owen smiled at his fellow surfer and patted the chair cushion adjacent to him.

Knowing his grandmother was home cooking up a storm, CJ ordered a salad for his meal. Anticipating a home-cooked Cuban meal, he did not want to fill up too much. César ordered the same thing while Brett and Owen both asked for a steak. There was not much to discuss, but by meal’s end the foundation’s board of directors agreed to continue funding a college scholarship at Walls and start a new one at Sidwell Friends School. CJ thought his brother would be pleased even if the kid did not pay much attention to the family’s wealth.

Since Martha Edwards was the chair of the scholarship committee, appointments to it were within her purview; the board approved a motion recommending she add Thiago Baravento to her group. CJ’s motion to invite the first recipient of the Walls scholarship to become a member was received with enthusiasm and passed without objection. He promised to talk to his friend over the weekend.

• • •

CJ sat at the kitchen counter with Owen and his grandfather while Rico stood staring at the refrigerator, reading over invitations attached to it with miniature, vegetable-shaped magnets. “I see CJ may claim he’s going to step away from politicians but the politicians are still after him.”

“What are you looking at?” César glanced at his older brother from behind the bar where he was mixing martinis.

“The one from the White House.”

CJ tipped the beer he was sipping to his lips. His aunt and uncle had landed in Washington earlier in the day and they were all waiting for the rest of the family to arrive. Rod had gone to the airport to pick up his twin brother, Randy, Randy’s husband, Tyler, and their foster son, Silas. “That ain’t there because of me, Uncle Rico. Ritchie’s the one with the connections to the President.”

“Dude, don’t even try that shit.” Brett grabbed the jar of blue cheese stuffed olives from his brother-in-law and took it over to César. “Ritchie may have been the one with the initial connection, but you’re the one Obama talks to most. I still can’t believe we’ve met him and his wife. And it was our kids who introduced us to them.”

“You should be used to it.” Owen accepted the martini glass Brett handed him. “I’ve lost count of all the people I’ve met because of CJ. He’s like a celebrity magnet.”

“Okay, that’s it. If y’all are just gonna talk about me, I’m going downstairs to play pool with my brother. Anyway, the invitation isn’t just for me. We got five of them. Ritchie, the dads, and Ozzie also got one.”

Rosario and Lynne Abelló were sitting on the couch facing the floor to ceiling windows at the front of the house, staring at the street. “CJ, could I get a little more wine, please?” Rosario held her empty glass up, looking at her grandson over the back of the sofa.

“Bring the bottle over, CJ.” Lynne smiled at her nephew. “Is this one of your family’s, Owen? It’s delicious.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, Lynne. That’s a Malbec from Argentina. Chipper’s mom sent CJ a case as a graduation present. My boyfriend’s been hoarding them. I’m surprised he broke into his stash. He must like you a lot.”

“Asshole!” CJ slapped the back of Owen’s head while carrying the bottle over to the front of the room. “Are you going to get drunk, Abuela? ’Cause if you are I want to take videos. I can’t believe Abuelo didn’t take pictures of you when you called me from the cruise ship on graduation day. You sounded pretty sloshed then.”

“Don’t pick on your grandmother, CJ.” Lynne took the bottle from her nephew and poured. “Just for that, we’ll keep the bottle. You can open another one if anybody else wants some. I miss your friend Chipper singing for us like he has in the past. Is he coming over tomorrow? Who’s going to be here anyway?”

“Nope, since he’s at school in Miami, he’s spending the weekend in Tampa with his father. I don’t think we’ll see Chipper until next year since Ozzie, Ritchie, and I will be out of town over Christmas. Matt and Dash are going to New York so they won’t be here either. The next-door guys will be though. And I invited one of my classmates to join us.”

“Is he a freshman like you?”

“Not he, she. Gina’s a sophomore. She’s from Alaska and from what she’s told us, money’s tight in her family. She can’t afford to fly home this weekend so I invited her to join us. Nice girl, you’ll like her.”

The blaring car horn announced the return of Rod, Taisha, and the remainder of the Chicago branch of the Abelló family. CJ shouted down the stairs for Ritchie to come up and headed out the back door to greet his cousins.

“Damn, you look like crap. When was the last time you shaved?” Randy’s first words―before he even stepped out of his brother’s car―made CJ shake his head and roll his eyes.

“Shut the fuck up, Randy. Don’t start with me. Didn’t you get the memo? Ty and Silas were invited. You weren’t.”

“I swear, the two of you turn into ten-year-olds whenever you’re together.” César had followed his son outside, and reached through the open rear gate for a piece of luggage.

“You can go back inside, Mr. A. I’ll help Silas since he’s sharing a room with me.” Ritchie darted around the older man and jogged the few steps towards the kid who was to be his roommate for the next few days. CJ’s brother had once again relinquished his room to Rico and Lynne and taken over one of the available ones in the basement.

“Hi, Silas. It’s good to meet you in person, man.” Ritchie bumped fists with the lanky, black teenager. “How much luggage do you have? I’ll help you take it in.”

“Thanks, Ritchie. I got just one. Hey, are you sure you don’t mind sharing with me? Rod said he has an empty bedroom in his apartment if I wanted my own room.”

“Yeah, right. He’d need like a week to empty all the junk he has in that room. I’ve been there. And anyway, we wouldn’t want to stay there when all the food and fun stuff is at this house. Come on, we’ll get you set up and then we can play some pool.”

CJ watched the kids head inside while hugging Tyler and Randy. “He seems a lot more relaxed, cuz. How’s he doing?”

“Much better. The nightmares aren’t as frequent. But he crawls in bed with us now and then. Your time with him when we were here in the summer helped. He’s still going to therapy and the counselor said he keeps talking about you. About how both of you were thrown out of your houses for being gay. And how both of you ended up finding better parents. Scares the crap out of me he thinks of me and Ty as his parents.”

• • •

“Who’s truck?” Tyler pointed at the black Ram 3500 parked by the garage while placing his other hand against the wall and trying to catch his breath.

“Dude, you’re sucking air like a vacuum cleaner! That little sprint back from the gym took it out of you?” CJ was also winded but doing better than his cousin. The two men woke up before anyone else in the house and headed to the gym. After lifting weights for about an hour, CJ challenged Tyler to a race back home. Navigating around the hills and staircases on campus, they jostled each other good-naturedly and arrived at the house at the same time.

“Fuck you, cuz. I’m not used to the hills. And those damn stairs are a motherfucker. So who’s here?”

“Oh, that’s Leo’s truck. Come on, I have frozen mango slices in the fridge. I’ll make us a couple of smoothies.”

“I hope you have protein powder.”

Inside they found a very crowded room; every stool at the breakfast bar filled, the overflow had settled around the dining table. César and Lynne were in the kitchen fixing breakfast.

“CJ!” Leo Dallas’ deep foghorn cut through the din of conversation and made everyone turn towards the back door. “Haven’t seen you in a while, buddy.”

“Hey, Leo. Been busy, man.” CJ shook hands with the retired marine―owner of Leatherneck Construction―who had become the go-to man for Brett’s projects. “I’ll be around more from now on.”

CJ sneaked into the kitchen over his aunt’s objections who claimed it was off-limits, and used the blender to prepare the promised protein drinks. He handed one to Tyler, suggesting the two of them go shower so they would be ready when everyone else headed out.

The Tacoma neighborhood project was near completion. Closings on the condominium units were taking place every week and the remaining work consisted of minor details and moving in kitchen appliances and fixtures. The family squeezed into the available vehicles and en masse headed to the construction site to check the unit Rod and Taisha planned to move into by the end of the year. Because of who they were, the couple had options others did not. They planned to select paint color and window treatments today.

• • •

Ethan was at his parents’ house in Long Island for the holiday weekend. Chipper was in Tampa with his father and sister. Brad was still in Georgia, having applied for and been accepted into a particular training program. Harley stopped by on Wednesday after flying in from Orlando, but spent the entire day on Thursday with his family. The Squad members in town came by on Friday afternoon to watch football and hang out.

Ritchie was by now used to being the mascot for his brother’s friends but the experience of being surrounded by a group of older men caused Silas to become shy again. After taking a break to walk Wingnut with Ritchie, the two boys returned giggling and CJ was certain his brother had broken into his Harley-Davidson coffee can. He decided to ignore the matter for the time being. He told the boys in a quiet voice to go use eye drops and glared at Ritchie, letting him know they would be talking soon. After discussing it with Owen, he decided to skip the lecture until another day and instead locked the stash in a desk drawer. Ritchie had a little wild streak in him and CJ planned to keep a closer eye on his brother. No need to bring the dads into it.

“Spread your legs, Ozzie.” CJ rolled his eyes at the catcalls. “You guys are disgusting. We have ladies present and all you think about is sexual innuendos? All I meant was I planned on sitting on the floor between his feet.”

“Don’t worry about it, CJ.” Taisha sat on the couch’s arm next to her fiancé, Rod. “Nadine and I know all you men are disgusting pigs at heart.”

Nadine―Thiago’s girlfriend―nodded vigorously. “Yeah, and anyway, we’re leaving in a few. I have to run to my place to get something and Taisha’s driving me over. By the way, you and Owen need to do something about this basement. Smells like a locker room in here.”

“And how is it you know what a locker room smells like, Nadine? You been trollin’?”

“Watch it, homes.” Thiago was without a doubt fighting the need to laugh. “You go picking on my girl I may have to hurt you.”

“Yeah? You and what army?”

“I don’t need no one else. I’ll take you down so quick―”

“Oh, shut the heck up, both of you.” Taisha gave Rod a quick peck on the lips and stood. “Come on, Nadine. Let’s get out of this place. Too much testosterone in the air. Next thing you know, they’re gonna start comparing penis size. I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings by laughing.”

“Ohhh, burn!” Ritchie bumped fists with Silas who was on the floor next to him with Wingnut in between them.

“Watch it, bro. I think she was talking about you.” CJ glared at his brother while at the same time giving him a small wink. “You’re already on thin ice. Your little worm could end up embarrassing you.”

“Asshole!”

 • • •

“Did you find out what Danno and Tank were talking about?” CJ slipped into bed next to Owen after closing the door to their bedroom. His grandmother insisted she could cook but César overruled Rosario and the group ended up at Rogo’s for dinner. At one point, they watched Danno―the restaurant’s owner―drape an arm around their friend and steer him towards the side door connecting to the residential space next to the bar.

“Yeah, poor Tank.” Owen chuckled while fingering CJ’s chest hair. “He thought he was going to get laid. Turns out he got a job offer instead.”

“Really? He’s gonna be working at Rogo’s?”

“He hasn’t decided yet. Danno told him the job was his if he wants it. He also mentioned the apartment above the bar was available if he was interested.”

“You think Danno wants him to be the manager? Before he added the loft next door, Danno lived there. Then it was Adriano’s after his wife died.”

“I don’t know. Maybe. Tank’s going back on Monday to meet with him. Hey! What are we gonna do about Ritchie?”

CJ shook his head and sighed. “My little brother’s getting the wrong idea hanging with our friends all the time. He forgets he’s fourteen and doesn’t get to do everything the older guys do.”

“So, are you gonna tell the dads he broke into your stash again?”

“Nah, he gets one more chance. I’ll talk to him once everyone’s gone. He has to realize if he starts smoking pot and partying, he may not get to go to school where he wants. And he has his heart set on it so it may just scare him straight.”

• • •

Considering the semester was close to its end and final exams were about to begin, CJ did not want to miss any more classes. He rushed home after his last one, showered, and put on a suit while the rest of the family waited for him. He finished tying his festive, Santa Claus-patterned, red bow tie while his dad drove.

As guests of the first family for the 94th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, they were privileged to park on the White House grounds. First a Secret Service agent and then a Navy steward escorted them into the building, to the elevator which took them to the residential floor, and finally to a room where the President, the First Lady, their daughters, and a few other people milled about.

“You can say hello to Sasha in a minute. First you have to do so with the President.” CJ clamped a hand on his brother’s shoulder and whispered in Ritchie’s ear when the kid made to walk towards his classmate.

“CJ, Ritchie. Welcome back to the White House.” President Barack Obama bumped fists with the siblings before extending his hand towards the dads. “César, Brett, Owen. Welcome to the three of you too. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Mr. President.” César shook the man’s hand.

“Merry Christmas, sir. Thank you so much for inviting us.” Brett had discussed the possibility of wearing his dress blues but decided on a suit instead of his uniform.

“CJ! Mi amor!” The beautiful woman dressed in white was already hugging CJ and kissing him on both cheeks. “You haven’t called me like you promised.”

César shook his head while the President chuckled. “I was going to introduce you guys to Eva Longoria―she’s our host this evening. Considering your son gets hugged and kissed whereas I didn’t, CJ may be the better person to make introductions. That boy seems to make a good impression with everyone he meets. And she sure as heck didn’t call me her love.”

“You have no idea what it’s like, Mr. President.” Owen was at last able to greet the man. “His name gets called out in the strangest of places.”

“You didn’t tell me you knew CJ, Mr. President.” Longoria had put her arm through CJ’s and stood close to him. “I had such a delightful time with him when we met at the convention in Philadelphia.”

“I’m surprised at how popular our young friend is, Eva. Maybe one day you and I will be able to tell people we rubbed elbows with him while he was still in college. You have to meet the rest of his family.” While introductions were made, CJ tried to hide his blushing by staring at the details of the room.

“Stop looking at the room with so much interest, CJ. You can’t steal souvenirs.” The President’s joke earned him a slap on the arm by his wife.

“Hush, Barack. You’re not allowed to pick on our guests. Look to your heart’s delight, CJ. And let me know if you see something you like and want to borrow a backpack or something.”

CJ did not think his cheeks could feel any warmer. The President of the United States and the First Lady were cracking jokes at his expense. “Thank you, Mrs. Obama. But that won’t be necessary. I’m looking around because I realize this may be the last time I visit the White House. I don’t think the next occupant will welcome me here.”

Michelle Obama whispered something in the President’s ear, which made him smile and nod while staring at CJ. “I think you would have been a regular visitor had Hillary won. Let’s see if I can make this occasion a little more memorable. Gentlemen, Michelle and I would like you to come back to the house after the show’s over tonight. Please join us for a light meal along with the performers and some other friends. CJ, when we return we’ll stop by the Oval Office. You’ll get to check it out and we’ll have the official photographer take pictures of all of us. You want one sitting at my desk?”