The Road To Bliss

by Denise N Wheatley

  “So did I,” Alex agreed. “I hadn’t been apple picking since I was a kid, and it brought back some great memories.

  “Aw, well I’m glad to hear that,” Timber said. They placed their baskets on the kitchen counter and she grabbed two bottles of water from the refrigerator, handing one to Alex.

  “And now, all I want to do is take a nice hot shower and relax before the party tonight,” Alex told her.

  “Be my guest,” Timber replied. He had brought his evening attire with him so that they could ride to the city together. “I already took it upon myself to put some of your favorite Soothing Bliss products in the bathroom for you.”

  “Wow, you’re the best,” Alex said, walking over and giving Timber a warm embrace and sweet kiss.

  “Hey, speaking of which, you forgot to give the cast and crew some of my products while you were on set,” Timber said.

  “I sure did! I’m so sorry, Timber. Maybe I can get some of their mailing addresses, and you can just send them some things from here. Or better yet, maybe we could just wait until my next shoot, and you can send them to that location.”

  “Whatever you think would be best,” Timber replied, wondering how much new business she could’ve possibly gotten had Alex remembered the promise that he’d made.

  “We’ll figure it out,” he told her, giving her another quick kiss before heading to the bathroom. “Off to the shower I go!”

  Once she heard the door shut, Timber picked up her phone and called Eva.

  “Hello?” a male voice answered after several rings.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Timber said apologetically. “I must have the wrong number.”

  “No no, you’re fine,” the voice said. “Are you looking for Eva?”

  “Yes,” Timber said, totally baffled.

  “This is her boyfriend Cameron. Hold on a sec, she’s out on the balcony.”

  Timber almost fell to the floor. A man answering Eva’s phone? And calling himself her boyfriend no less? That type of behavior was unheard of when it came to Eva and her beaus.

  “Thank you, babe,” Timber heard Eva say. “Hello?”

  “What is going over there?” Timber asked.

  “What do you mean?” Eva replied coyly.

  “Oh don’t act like you don’t know what I mean! Cameron is answering your phone now? And referring to himself as your boyfriend no less?”

  “Yeah? So?”

  Timber could hear Eva smiling through the phone. “Well since he’s there right now I know you can’t really talk, so I’ll let you off the hook. For now. Anyway, I was calling to tell you that Alex and I had a great day so far, and we’ll definitely be at the party tonight.”

  “Good, I can’t wait to see you both. Together. As a couple.”

  “I know, isn’t that crazy?” Timber asked. Even she sometimes couldn’t believe that she and Alex were actually an item.

  “So what did you two do today?” Eva asked.

  “We went apple picking and out to lunch at a farm-to-table restaurant. It was a lot of fun,” Timber said before pausing, then continuing. “The only thing that bothered me a little was when Alex asked me about Brian’s party, and questioned whether or not I still have feelings for him.”

  “Seriously? Why would he ask you that?”

  “I think he’s worried that something might still be there between us. But I told him that there isn’t, so he left it alone.”

  “Well while he was so busy questioning you, did you ask him about that Rita woman? What’s going on between the two of them? And while we’re at it, what was he up to when he was away for three months filming his movie?”

  “No, I didn’t ask him about Rita or what went on while he was away filming. He did tell me that I’m the only woman he wants to be with, so I left it at that.”

  “At least he knows for sure that you and Brian aren’t together anymore. You don’t know what he and Rita are doing.”

  “Eva, he said he’s with me exclusively, so wouldn’t that mean he’s not doing anything with Rita?” Timber said with a hint of irritation in her voice.

  “If you say so. You have no idea what goes on in the entertainment industry. These celebrities think they can get away with anything. And they usually can. I just don’t want you getting caught up in all that debauchery and end up getting hurt by him.”

  “I won’t,” Timber said confidently.

  “I’m just saying,” Eva continued stubbornly. “You and Brian may have had your differences, but at least you didn’t have to deal with trust issues. You trusted him, he trusted you, you two genuinely loved and cared for each other, and that was all—”

  “What time should we meet you at the club tonight?” Timber interrupted, switching gears before the conversation really went off the rails.

  “Six o’clock.”

  “What should I wear?”

  “Something amazing that you wouldn’t mind being photographed in. You might get your picture taken. This is definitely a see-and-be-seen type of event.”

  “Gotcha. So we’ll see you at six?”

  “Yes. I’ll meet you out front near the red carpet.”

  “Sounds good. We’ll be—”

  “Wait, Timber?” Eva interrupted. “You know I didn’t mean to—”

  “I know. I’ll see you tonight.”

  Eva giggled, then said, “Bye, bestie.”

  “Bye, bestie,” Timber echoed before hanging up and walking over to her closet. She shuffled through the cocktail dresses, realizing that Alex questioning her about Brian and Eva questioning her about Alex had dampened her mood a bit. But as she pulled out a sleeveless, shimmery bronze dress, Timber decided shake it off and not let that ruin her evening. She was happy that Alex was back in town, and planned on enjoying every moment they spent together. Because before she knew it, he would be off again to film his next movie.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “I swear, between Cameron and Alex, they seem to know every single woman at this party,” Eva griped.

  “To be fair, they seem to know every single man here, too,” Timber reasoned.

  She and Eva were sitting in the VIP room of the club where the listening party was being held. Alex had barely said a word to her since the moment they’d arrived. For the past hour, he and his new co-conspirator Cameron had been walking around socializing and networking and acting as though they were the kings of the world.

  Timber glanced up and saw a familiar-looking woman approaching their table.

  “So why didn’t you call me back?” the woman asked Eva haughtily, pointing a long acrylic neon pink nail at her.

  “Hi…Sasha, right?” Eva asked. “My apologies, but my assistant must not have given me the message.”

  “That’s because I didn’t call your assistant. I called you. I left like a ton of messages on your phone. I would hate to get signed by someone else and have you miss out on the awesome opportunity to represent me.”

  As Sasha continued, it finally dawned on Timber who she was. The young woman’s mother had been a famous soap opera star back in the 80’s, and according to a couple of entertainment blogs, both Sasha and her sister were pursuing singing and acting careers. The problem was, neither of them had much talent.

  “I’m sorry,” Eva said, “But have we met? I don’t remember passing my contact information on to you.”

  “That’s because you didn’t. Cameron did,” Sasha replied sassily. “He said you wouldn’t mind me calling. So listen, my sister and I wanna land a role in a major movie by the end of the year. We’re also ready to start recording our first album. So when can you sign us and get us some auditions and in the studio?”

  “I’m actually not accepting any new clients at this time,” Eva smiled politely.

  “Are you kidding me?” Sasha squealed. “Don’t you know who I am?”

  “Not really, and I really do wish I could help you,” she replied, her tone dripping with sweet sarcasm, “But my roster is full. Sorry.” And with that,
Eva turned her back to Sasha, who caught the hint and stormed off in a huff.

  “Wow,” Timber said, shaking her head. “You’re good. That was really impressive the way you handled her.”

  “I’m used to the craziness of these pseudo-celebs. And that was mild compared to some of the things I’ve witnessed. Now all I need to do is reprimand Cameron for giving her my number.”

  “Well it looks like you can put him in a timeout now,” Timber said as Cameron and Alex approached their table.

  “Are you serious?” Cameron asked Alex, laughing and slapping him on the back. “Man, that is crazy! But seriously, you need to let me take a look at your screenplay. It sounds like a great story, I’ve got some investors who might want to—”

  “Have a seat down,” Eva interrupted, pointing up at Cameron then down at the chair next to her. “We need to talk. I can’t have you out here just giving my contact information to anybody who asks for it.”

  “Huh?” Cameron groaned, confused, and sat down slowly, a terrified expression on his face. “What did I do now?”

  “Let’s dance,” Timber said to Alex. The last thing she wanted was to witness the tongue-lashing that she knew Cameron was about to receive.

  “Yes, let’s,” Alex said, taking her hand and leading her to the dance floor. “What was that all about?” he asked once they were out of earshot.

  “You see that woman over there?” Timber replied, pointing over at Sasha, who was now showing off her moves on the dance floor.

  “Ahh, the infamous Sasha Simpson,” Alex laughed.

  “You know her?”

  “I know of her. I’ve seen her on a couple of my movie sets trying to meet the directors.”

  “It figures,” Timber said. “Apparently she wants to be an actress and singer, and Cameron gave her Eva’s phone number. So she came over to our table and was being quite rude while asking Eva to represent her.”

  When Alex looked over in her direction, Sasha noticed and wiggled her pink talons at him as if to say hello.

  “Um. Excuse me,” Timber said to him. “Eyes over here please.”

  “What? You’re the one who pointed her out to me!” Alex laughed.

  “Yes, as a point of reference, not a peep show.”

  “I’m sorry, babe. You know I only have eyes for you,” he cooed, pulling Timber in closer to him.

  “I can’t tell,” Timber replied sassily.

  “Come on, let me get you a drink,” he said, taking her hand and walking over to the bar. On the way there, at least ten women stopped Alex to say hello, and a few tried to hold a conversation. One even asked for his phone number. Timber squeezed Alex’s hand in disbelief but kept a smile on her face as he politely declined. The woman looked over at Timber, then rolled her eyes and walked off.

  “Unbelievable,” Timber said.

  “You should see how these women act when you’re not around,” Alex joked.

  “As your girlfriend, I choose not to worry about things like that, because I trust that you handle yourself accordingly.”

  “Yes I do,” Alex said as he ordered a round of drinks, then led them back to the table where Eva and Cameron were still sitting. Luckily, it appeared as though the couple had settled their differences.

  “So,” Eva said, her head on Cameron’s shoulder, “The performance is over, we’ve heard the new album, and my feet are killing me. I say we call it a night.”

  “Okay, honey,” Cameron agreed before turning toward Timber and Alex. “It was really nice meeting you both. And Alex, make sure you send me that screenplay. It sounds phenomenal. I really think we can make something happen with it.”

  “It’ll be in your inbox first thing tomorrow morning,” Alex told him.

  “Great. Timber,” Cameron said, reaching for her hand. “Take care. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again soon.”

  “I’m sure you will.” Timber smiled, shaking his hand. “I really enjoyed spending time with you all tonight. It was fun.”

  Eva reached over and hugged Timber. “Call me tomorrow. Alex, as always, it was a pleasure.”

  “Same here. Thanks for inviting us.”

  After Eva and Cameron left, Timber took a sip of her drink and looked over at Alex. “I didn’t know you wrote a screenplay.”

  “Yeah, I did. I thought I told you that.”

  “I had no idea you were a writer. I thought you were all about acting.”

  “I’m all about writing, directing, producing, and acting. I want to do it all. The acting thing just got my foot in the door. I’d like to be involved in every aspect of the movie business.”

  “Ambitious. I like that.” Timber smiled.

  “As do I,” Alex said. “Speaking of which, how’s your search for the commercial space coming along?”

  Before Timber could once again tell Alex that she’d been too busy running every aspect of Soothing Bliss to seriously search for a space, Sasha came sashaying over towards their table.

  “Heeey…Alex, right?” She grinned, bending down and placing her hand on his shoulder.

  “Right,” he said, glancing nervously over at Timber.

  “You remember me? We hung out a couple of times on your movie sets.”

  “Vaguely,” Alex said, now squirming in his seat.

  Timber eyebrows shot to the ceiling as she looked on in stony silence, anxious to hear how this conversation would unfold.

  “Well,” Sasha said before hesitating and looking over at Timber, “I just wanted to come by and say hello. I see you’re not alone, so I won’t hold you.”

  “We appreciate that,” Timber told her, grabbing her purse and standing up. “Alex? Are you ready?”

  “I am,” he said, following suit. “Take care, Sasha.”

  “You too. And hey,” she said to Timber. “Tell Eva don’t forget to call me, okay?”

  “Sure thing,” Timber said before grabbing Alex’s hand and walking towards the exit.

  “Hey!” Alex laughed after they got outside. “I thought you were going to turn the table over on her!”

  “Now why would I do something like that?” Timber asked innocently.

  Alex handed the valet his parking ticket then wrapped his arms around her. “I had a really nice time tonight. And I already told you that I only have eyes for you.”

  “Well, all of these women seem to only have eyes for you. They’re constantly trying to get your attention.”

  “But you’re the only woman I want to be with. None of that other stuff is real. This is. And that’s why I love you.”

  Timber turned towards Alex in disbelief, thinking that she must have misheard him. “What did you just say?” she asked.

  “I said I love you,” Alex repeated as the valet pulled up with his car.

  When he opened the door for her, Timber slowly got in and sat in a daze. Had Alex Witherspoon just told her that he loved her?

  Timber was so stunned that she couldn’t speak. She ended up riding all the way home in silence so not to ruin this pivotal moment with idle chatter. When they pulled into her driveway and Alex walked her to the door, she threw her arms around him.

  “Alex?” she breathed into his shoulder.

  “Yes?”

  “I love you, too.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  “I’m sad,” Timber said, looking over at Alex.

  “Why, babe?”

  “Because you’re leaving me. Again,” she lamented. Timber and Alex were headed to the airport. Their three months together had flown by, and it was already time for him to fly out and begin shooting his next film. While he was eager to get to work on the movie, Timber was depressed over his departure. She had gotten used to seeing him regularly, and the thought of him being away and working constantly had already brought on a feeling of loneliness.

  “I know this isn’t easy,” Alex said sympathetically, “But I thought you would’ve been used to it by now.”

  “I’ll never get used to this,” Timber sighed. When she exited
the expressway and saw the “Airport Straight Ahead” sign looming overhead, her stomach dropped. She was getting closer to having to say goodbye. And this time, not only was Alex leaving for three months, but he was shooting in Australia. The mere thought of him being that far away had her on the verge of tears.

  “I know that this shoot isn’t close to home,” Alex said as if he had read her mind, “But you know I’ll come see you whenever I can, and I’ll arrange for you to come and visit me on the set.”

  “Okay,” Timber said, resisting the urge to mention to him that he always promised to send for her but never did in hopes that this time would be different. “And in the meantime, Eva has packed my social calendar with all types of events that’ll keep me busy.”

  “Not with any more of Barry’s parties I hope,” Alex said sarcastically.

  “Who is Barry?”

  “Barry, Brian, whatever his name is.”

  “It’s Brian!” Timber laughed, thinking that Alex was joking.

  “Whatever,” he said, his expression turning serious. “I just don’t want to have to hear about you going to any more parties of his.”

  “Alex, you know the only reason I went to that party was to support Eva,” Timber replied, amused by his jealousy.

  “Call it what you want. I just hope that it doesn’t happen again.”

  “Sir, yes, sir!” Timber quipped, nudging Alex’s leg and forcing him to smile.

  “You know,” he began, “This would be a good time for you to start scouting locations for your store. Especially since you’re with me now,” he continued, running his hand over her hair affectionately. “It’s time for you to step your game up.”

  “Excuse me?” Timber asked, moving her head to the side and away from his stroking. “What exactly is that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing, babe!” Alex insisted, holding his hands up innocently. “All I’m saying is that I like for the people in my life to live up to their full potential. You’re a representation of me now. I want to see you doing big things.”

  “I thought I was living up to my full potential and doing big things,” Timber said defiantly as she pulled in front of the terminal. “Soothing Bliss is doing extremely well. As a matter of fact, for a company that’s been in business for less than a year, I think that it’s actually doing phenomenally well. And I have every intention on growing and expanding my business. But I have to do it in my time. Not because of my image or how I appear to everyone else just because I’m your girlfriend.” When she was done, Timber took a deep breath, proud that she’d stood up for herself but upset that she was even having this conversation, especially right now when Alex was leaving town.