*****151:

"Hey, Michael, it's Austin." He sat in his car and thought about the day, and what it had taken out of him to see not one woman, but both drive out of his life this weekend.

He'd talked to Lisa, she was more hurt than mad, and easily made up with, as usual. They'd be together in So-Cal tonight.

But he'd not been able to raise Tracy. It was late, almost nine, his plane left for So- Cal in fifteen minutes.

"Austin? What's up, buddy?" Michael's hearty booming voice was reassuring. If he'd heard from Tracy and she was upset, he sure as heck wouldn't be acting like he'd just found his old friend.

"Trace got home okay?" he asked nonchalantly.

There was a pause as if Michael were pondering, and then he heard papers rustle. "No. I thought she was with you. Isn't she going to Montana to work on her survival complex? She told me she'd be gone a week."

"Oh, well, yeah, we ah... yeah, we took different flights, that's probably where she is already." He said, feeling irritated with himself for forgetting, and for making plans with Lisa before figuring out the Tracy thing.

"I thought you two were traveling together?" Michael's voice was alert, too astute, too knowing... he caught on to everything so quickly...

"No, no, we weren't..." He couldn't think of any excuse, besides the truth, that she'd left him eight hours ago, angry and hurt. She was probably in Montana already. After he made up with Lisa, he'd head up there tomorrow and see about making up with his best friend. Yeah, best course.

"You okay?"

"Sure, of course, up late last night is all. Don't worry." Austin hung up quickly and sighed, he had managed to botch things up once again.

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