Michael was familiar with this tactic. Colin’s neat side step was precisely the maneuver he employed with such finesse. And it was probably for this reason that his right hand had formed a fist under the table. Nothing had the power to irritate, like the reflection of one’s behavior in someone else. But oh God, Colin’s face was so close. Colin asked him if he wanted another glass of whiskey, ruining Michael’s lovely vision of blackened eyes. Michael declined and stood up with the excuse of having a home service to attend to. Colin just smirked and acknowledged his departure. Michael used his work as an HVAC professional to avoid further confrontation with Colin, and even before he had made it two steps further, he got a call from the HVAC company. When the a/c worker at the other end of the call related the homeowner’s address, who wanted their ductwork cleaned, Michael could not believe his luck. Colin’s sister needed a new AC filter delivered to her on top of servicing her air conditioning installation. No matter how hard he tried, there was no way of avoiding that family. When he arrived, Frannie greeted him fondly and led him to the air conditioning system. Michael conducted the HVAC maintenance in the shortest time possible. When he was confident that the HVAC unit’s air duct would help with indoor comfort without hitches, he excused himself to leave. Frannie asked more about air quality and eventually let the HVAC technician, her best friend, go. Frannie was puzzled by Michael’s jumpy behavior but decided to ask him about it later.