She checked Waze. Okay, Key Bridge was better. But only by two minutes.
She wanted to shower and even put on a little makeup. Twenty minutes, minimum. Seven-minute walk to the restaurant. And she was still fifteen minutes from home.
Twelve minutes late. That’s not bad.
But she had to walk Frodo. The service took him to the park at lunch, but there was no way he would make it until she was back from dinner. Even if dinner was over early—which she was definitely hoping would not be the case.
Maybe Ali. They had been in the same class at CIA, they both lived in Adams Morgan, and they were both Lord of the Rings fans. Ali even had a terrier mix like Maya’s that she’d named Pippin, and they covered for each other on dog care. Pippin had been visiting with Ali’s parents for the last few weeks, so lately Ali had been there more for Frodo than Maya was for Pippin. But Ali missed Pippin, and never seemed to mind walking Frodo anyway. Plus she would understand the reason . . . if she was home . . .
She called. A ring, and . . . success. “Hello?”
“Ali? Hey, I have to ask a favor . . . are you home?”
“Not quite. I’m on Mass Avenue.”
“Yeah, I should have gone that way myself. Listen, I’m running late, and I have a date . . . that guy I told you about.”
“The jazz dude? Dave something?”
“The trumpeter. Yes. He’s back in town and I’m meeting him for dinner at Lapis—”
“Score!”
“Hah, well, we’ll see. But—”
“You want me to walk Frodo?”
“If you could. You have your key, right?”
“Of course. Want me to feed him?”
“No, he can wait until I’m home.”
Ali giggled. “What if you’re home late?”
“You’re bad.”
“Trumpeters. I hear they can do magic things with their mouths.”
Maya laughed. “You’re extremely bad. Okay, if you could feed him, too. I’ll totally pay you back.”
“You can pay me back by having a great night.”
“Deal.”
“And then telling me all about it.”
Maya laughed again. “Hey, first there has to be something to tell.”
“I have a good feeling.”
“Anyway, I should be home in . . . thirteen minutes. And out the door twenty after that.”
“I’ll come by after you’re gone. Don’t want to interfere with the preparations.”
“There are no preparations! Okay, maybe just a few. But thank you so much. You’re a lifesaver.”
“Can’t wait to hear about it . . .”
“We’ll see. Bye!”
Exactly thirty-three minutes later, Maya rushed out the back of her apartment building. Ali was coming the same way.
“Don’t hold the door!” Ali said. “Just go, we’re good.”
“Thank you again! Don’t forget, he—”
“Likes a little chicken with the regular food. I know, you spoil him. Go!”
Maya cut through the parking area behind the building and zigzagged west. She wondered if she should call Dave. What time was it? She reached for her phone and realized she had left it in her other jacket—the navy peacoat. At the last minute, she had decided the leather looked cooler.