Page 4 of The Big Fix

“No, sir, I’m sorry, but we’re both buried in this project for Aaron Sutter, so I don’t expect to see him until tomorrow. He’s probably at the main office downtown if you want to call there.”

Checking up on Owen at work would get me promptly murdered, so that was not even a remote possibility. I was supposed to go to Paris to oversee a spy exchange for my friend Mikhail, a supposed Russian attaché, but I was hesitant to go without having everything ironed out with Owen. Plus, I was staying there even after my business with Mikhail, as I had jobs there to oversee.

Maggie went on, “It’s so exciting! Mr. Sutter picked the two of us to go to Thailand to oversee the infrastructure of his newest property.”

“Meaning?”

“We’re on our way to Bangkok as soon as we finish looking over the final blueprints and schematics, and we finished yesterday,” she announced happily. “And once we get to Thailand, we’re vettin’ the vendors. Mr. Sutter likes to hire local as long as they can handle the job. I can’t wait!” she squealed. “We’re going on his private jet with the security team.”

“And this is when?”

“In the next couple of days.”

Basically Owen was leaving a day after me, so whatever was going to be ironed out wouldn’t be happening until we both returned home. It was disappointing. I didn’t like to leave things unsaid between us. “Okay, thanks so much, Maggie.”

She sighed deeply. “Are you guys fighting again?”

“Is that what he told you?”

“No,” she said, her tone sad, “but it seems like every other day lately.”

I remained quiet, unsure how to respond, and I was supposed to be the older, wiser person in this scenario.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Colter. I shouldn’t have said anything. That wasn’t my place.”

“Don’t apologize,” I soothed her. “We’re just…having trouble connecting.”

Her grunt was not subtle.

“What was that for?”

“It seems you’re always having some sort of miscommunication.”

She was painting us both poorly.

“But men have trouble with that, don’t they?” she offered.

“I don’t think that’s a—”

“It’s okay. My dad and his brother, my uncle Stan, are the same.”

That was somewhat helpful to hear. “And what happens with them?”

“Well, now they only speak on holidays.”

I changed my mind. That was not helpful at all. “I appreciate your taking the time to talk to me. And thank you for your candor.”

“Keep in mind, Mr. Colter, that Owen can be a real ass, okay? When he thinks he’s right, he can be so annoying, so self-righteous, that all you want is to kick the crap outta him.”

She wasn’t wrong. Owen on his high horse could be insufferable, especially when he felt the need to lecture me on things I already knew.

But now, fighting, again, I was simply tired. I wanted us to call a truce and make it last. I just didn’t know how because I was clueless as to what was setting him off.

Getting on the plane that night, knowing that the two of us were heading to opposite ends of the globe, me to Paris for the next two weeks, him to Bangkok, I had an odd feeling that I shouldn’t have been going. It didn’t make any sense, so I called Owen again and left another message. Of course, by then I was angry about being ignored and told him to grow up and call me.

“If you want respect, Owen, you need to give me some in return.”

I wasn’t surprised that he didn’t call me back.