Page 16 of The Fixer

Being sober among a group of drunk bigwigs had served her well during her career, but overindulging last night in the company of Fall River oddballs hadn’t served her in the least, and she went into self-rescue mode. First order of business: a strong cup of coffee to wash down a few ibuprofens.

She slipped a silk shorty robe over her matching nightgown and dialed the front desk. “Can someone please send up a carafe of coffee and artificialsweetener?”

A female clerk who sounded both young and earnest replied, “Oh, I’m sorry, ma’am, but we’re having a minor problem with the plumbing. The coffee ran out, and we can’t make more at the moment.”

“Plumbing problem?”

“Yes, ma’am. A pipe broke, and they had to turn the water off at the main.”

Joy came fully awake. “So there’s no running water in the entire hotel?”

“No, ma’am. There should be a note under your door explaining the situation. For now, there are no showers or washing hands or things of that nature, but you should have one flush left in your toilet.” The clerk announced the last bit with an overabundance of brightness.

“When do you expect the water to be turned back on?”

“Um, we have no way of telling, ma’am. They’re working on it now. We do have vouchers here at the reception desk for bottled water if you’d like to pick some up.”

“Where do I take the vouchers?”

“To the general store, three blocks down. They open in two hours.”

Two hours?That was so not going to help. Joy hung up, her head pounding even harder. God, she needed that ibuprofen, but she’d gag if she swallowed the pills dry. Remembering the water bottle she’d been handed in first class, she reached for her Tumi carry-on. Only half the contents remained, but it was enough to take the pills and give her teeth a quick brush. That left a drizzle, and she debated between cleaning off the makeup she hadn’t bothered removing last night or slicking down her unruly bedhead so she could gather her waves into a ponytail. She went with taming her hair, sparing a few drops to finger-swipe at the mascara smudging her puffy under-eyes. This of course left no water for her to take her meds, though she couldn’t muster any regret and kinda liked that she had a semi-legitimate excuse to skip them.

She quickly dressed, pulling on the soggy sneaker that still smelled of beer—it was either that or the stilettos—and exited the room. When she opened her door, her gaze was pulled to a folded note that had been propped against the frame. Scanning the message, Joy let out a sardonic chuckle. The message informed her of the “plumbing problem” and the vouchers she could collect, but only two per person—a whole half gallon.

She marched down the sidewalk toward Mountain Coffee. On the way, she phoned Estelle but only reached her voicemail. “Just checking in tofind out if you called to get the utilities turned on yesterday after we spoke. Let me know.” Right now her mother’s musty shop was her best hope to scrub herself and her shoe clean. Talk about irony!

When she reached the coffee shop, the line was practically out the door. The place’s popularity surprised her, though the scene was no different than her favorite coffee spot in Chicago. She expected lines in Chicago, but not in Mayberry of the Mountains. Usually, Estelle fetched Joy her cappuccinos in the morning, but on the rare occasion Joy had to get her own, her favorite barista always had her drink ready before she reached the counter. He’d hand it to her with a wink, and she’d hand him an extra-big tip. That’s how it worked in her world. A well-oiled system that saved her wasting time in line, and one she appreciated the hell out of—especially now.

This morning she was like everyone else clamoring for caffeine, and she reined in her impatience and let her gaze wander over the overflowing bookshelves lining one wall. The “bookstore” would barely fill one corner of the box store close to her work, but it offered a surprisingly sophisticated array of fiction and nonfiction, and its pleasing arrangement gave her a little hit of dopamine. Illustrated signs that reminded her of Charlie’s artwork on the Miners Tavern menu told customers they could order any titles they didn’t find on the shelves. It was all very cute, cozy, and small-town. Definitely not for her, but she could see the vibe working in Fall River.

She searched for Lacey Dewinter, knowing she wouldn’t find any of her books, though she did recognize other authors in the same genre.Someday. Someday she’d see her own covers adorning a bookstore’s shelves and tables. Maybe there’d be a line like this one out the door as people waited for her to sign the title page. Someday she’d—

A phone rang somewhere ahead of her, breaking the spell. A familiar voice picked up the call. “Yeah? Good. Glad to hear it.” Charlie Hunnicutt’s voice was low, as though he was trying not to be “that guy” and stand out. “Listen, I’m at Mountain Coffee, so let me call you back in a few. You want me to grab you something while I’m here?” A pause, and he chuckled softly. “You got it.”

Joy stared at the back of his head, which towered above the people surrounding him. Why hadn’t she noticed him before? The guy was kinda hard to miss. Everyone else seemed to be aware of his presence, greeting him, smiling at him, orbiting around him—especially the female clientele.

As if he could feel her watching him, Charlie swiveled his head. His neatly groomed face went through a series of telling expressions: his eyes widened at first, then narrowed, and finally shifted into neutral. An instant later, he broke out in an easy smile that reminded her of a mask—pleasant enough, but not real. “Oh, hey. How was your stay last night?”

“Terrible,” she blurted out. “There’s no water.”

Seeming nonplussed, he nodded. “It happens. Old pipes.”

“Just there, or everywhere in this town?” Heads turned her way, and some of the expressions bordered on hostile. Too late, she realized that she’d just insulted these people’s town.

His grin broadened. “Just there.” He held up his phone. “I just got word that water’s back on at the store, so you’re golden.”

“It is?” How come he knew this and she didn’t?

“Yep. I’m on my way there now.”

People shuffled ahead, and a pretty dark-skinned woman with glossy black hair gave him a warm smile from behind the counter. “What can I get you today, Charlie?”

He rattled off a list of items, then looked over his shoulder at Joy. “What are you ordering?”

“Excuse me?”

“Your order. Coffee? Tea? Something fancy?” Then he glanced at the people separating him and Joy. “You guys don’t mind if I add her order to mine, do you?”

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