For Tanzy, bad luck follows her wherever she goes. She’s a bit clumsy, horrible with directions and she just lost her job. Perfect solution, create a travel blog and take a trip. Turns out, this is easier said than done, especially when she ends up lost on the wrong side of the world, in the wrong country with the wrong man. She decides to make the best of her predicament by blogging about her adventure, which would be kind of fun if bad guys weren’t chasing her.

Philip “The Fixer” McKenzie, specializes in the field repair of anything the Agency needs fixing. If it’s broken, he’s called in to make it right. A mix-up at the travel agency sends him racing after the ditsiest, cutest, and most confounding woman he has ever met. She blasts into his orderly life like a comet from outer space. His frozen heart is locked away on a shelf, but she might be the one who can thaw him out.

“Hi, I’m Tanzy, and you are?”
“Oh, this is Phil. Phil, meet Tanzy,” Mama J offered.
“Pleased to meet you,” he said with a nod.
I moved to shake his free hand faster than fast and connected with the cup of steaming joe on the way. The cup toppled from his hand, turning end over end toward the floor. Hot liquid splashed on Phil and Mama J, leaving a trail of droplets in its wake. The coffee also landed on Niecy’s keyboard. She jumped and rolled back into Phil, giving his leg a good thwack. The envelope slipped from his hands and in a graceful arc, landed smack-dab in the middle of the growing puddle of hot coffee. The contents tumbled out onto the floor. I reached to steady Mama J and lost the grip on my fob. It joined Phil’s envelope and fob on the floor. I successfully managed to right my grandmother with Phil’s help but she was already in a snit and clearly working up to a rage.
“Tanzy!” Mama J yelled.
Phil released Mama J and rubbed his shin. Niecy’s chair made a nice imprint on his pant leg.
“I’m so sorry.” I tried to pat away the growing stain on Phil’s suit then Mama J’s. “Are you okay? It didn’t burn you, did it?”
“I’ll survive,” Phil said all the while brushing the front of his now stained suit. His eye twitched for a second. “Are you okay?”
“I got a little on my hand. It stung like the dickens but otherwise, I’m good. It’s just that messes seem to follow me,” I said in apology.
“I was speaking to Mama J.” Phil was annoyed for sure.
“I’m fine,” she grated from between clenched teeth.
Niecy ran to the bathroom, returned with a towel, and pushed it into my hand. “Here, this should help with the cleanup.”
She ushered Mama J to the back of the agency where a door led to her private office. A string of epithets followed in their wake.
“Niecy, I’m all right,” she yelled as Niecy fussed over her.
“Yeah, but isn’t she the one you said is a walking disaster waiting to happen?”
The door closed and their conversation became muffled.
“I’m so sorry about your suit.”
“No worries.” He flashed me a toothy smile that stole my heart. He bent to retrieve the envelope and its contents. “Looks like you dropped your fob as well.” He picked mine up and handed it to me before scooping his dripping items.
“Your paper is soaked. Maybe they can print you a new page and I’ll go grab a dry fob from the display.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll manage. I’ll dry everything out at the hotel.” I handed him the towel Niecy gave me and he wrapped the items, moisture quickly seeping through.
“Hotel? Are you visiting?” The question slipped from my mouth before I could stop.
“I’m here for a short stay. Then I leave for Liberia.”
“Me too. I’ve always wanted to visit Africa and decided to start there. Maybe we’ll see each other.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I doubt it. I’m not going to Africa.”
“But you said…”
“Hey, I’m back,” Niecy interrupted. The keyboard and desk were quickly cleaned and set to rights. She even had a replacement cup in her hand, this time a lid covered the top. “Here you go, Phil. Mama J said to give you these instructions and send you on your way.”
She handed him a dry envelope, readjusted her seat, and sat down in front of her terminal.
“It was nice meeting you,” Phil said. He flashed a dimpled smile, exposing a row of pearly whites, shook my hand, and was out the door in the blink of an eye.
“Now, about your trip,” Niecy began. “You’re going to Liberia?”
“Uhm, yes,” I answered, still preoccupied with Phil’s smile. “Just like Phil.”
“Okay. How soon do you want to travel?”
“Tomorrow will be fine,” I answered absently. There was nothing keeping me here and I didn’t want to hear a thing from my mother or Mama J, for that matter, about the loss of yet another job. I had my passport in hand and only needed to pack a few essentials. This was going to be a three-day trip, so I planned to travel light.
She typed for a few seconds. “I have a flight leaving for Liberia Airport out of Dulles tomorrow at ten AM. I believe you’re in luck. It’s a nonstop. Do you want me to add on hotel reservations? Any preferences?”
“Just give me a nice place to stay. He is good-looking though.”
“Who?”
“Tall dark and Phil,” I answered.
“He’s not for you. He’s been having a hard time lately.” Niecy finished typing and sent the information to the printer. I imagined running into him on my trip. He had such kissable lips and dreamy bedroom eyes. I could not imagine someone as fine as him having any trouble at all. “What? Unlucky at love and finding water?” I joked.
“Something like that. He refuses to date, and is married to his job.” She pulled my itinerary from the printer. “Okay, here you go. You’re all set.”
“Thanks.” I took the documents without a glance and headed out the door, spinning my shiny new glammed-out luggage fob around my index finger. Tomorrow was a new day and with each new day came a fresh start. At least that’s what I always told myself because if I started every day with a disaster, I’d never get out of bed.