The Road To Bliss

by Denise N Wheatley

  It was all too much. Timber probably just needed to go ahead and talk to him now instead of waiting as Eva had suggested. Maybe if she heard his side of the story, he would have a completely different version or a good explanation. There was a possibility that these were all just rumors, and that he was in fact being faithful to her.

  By the time Timber pulled into her driveway, she had decided that she would definitely call Alex now and talk everything over with him. As soon as she went inside, she headed downstairs and got the phone number to his hotel room. She looked at the clock. Shooting should have wrapped for the day hours ago. She expected Alex to be in his room by now.

  Anxiety hit as Timber began dialing the number. This was one conversation that she was not looking forward to having.

  The phone rang. Timber’s heart thumped. She closed her eyes and waited for him to answer.

  “Hello?” he said groggily.

  Timber jumped at the sound of his voice. “Hey.”

  “Hey, baby.”

  Timber could hear Alex smiling through the phone. “How are you?” she asked.

  “Tired,” he yawned. “We went out after the shoot wrapped and I just got in a little while ago.”

  “Oh…okay. Who did you go out with?” she asked skeptically.

  “A couple of guys from the crew.”

  Timber wondered whether Alex was telling the truth, but admittedly felt better hearing that he’d been out with men from the crew. “So listen, I know you probably want to go to sleep, but I need to talk to you.”

  “No, I’m awake. I’m glad you called. What’s up?”

  “Well…,” Timber hesitated nervously before taking a deep breath. “You know I went to that party with Eva this weekend.”

  “Yeah. How was it?”

  “It was nice. But a situation occurred there that wasn’t.”

  “What happened? Are you okay?” he asked, his voice full of concern.

  “I’m fine…sort of.”

  “Timber, what’s going on?”

  “I met a woman there named Angela Barnett. Do you know her?” she asked, holding her breath as she awaited his answer.

  “No. Who is she?”

  “An industry stylist whose cousin worked as a production assistant on your last movie.”

  “Okay,” Alex said slowly. “And?”

  “Well….” Timber wavered before finally blurting out, “Angela’s cousin said that you dated several women on the set, including her.”

  The other end of the phone was silent. Then Timber heard Alex respond in a low tone. “You can’t be serious right now.”

  “I’m just telling you what I heard. And hoping for some sort of explanation.”

  “There’s nothing to explain,” Alex said firmly. “That is a blatant lie.”

  “So you’re telling me that there is no truth to that statement whatsoever?”

  “That is absolutely what I’m telling you. I wasn’t involved with anyone on the set. As a matter of fact, they all knew about you. You’re all I talked about!”

  “And that’s the truth?”

  “That is the absolute truth.”

  “So why would this woman who doesn’t even know me, let alone know that I’m dating you, tell all those lies about you?”

  “They’re called rumors, Timber. And rumors like that get passed around all day every day about celebrities. How do you think it makes me feel to hear something like that being said about me, knowing that it isn’t true? It makes me feel horrible. Not to mention it’s bad for my image. But I’ve learned to rise above it and ignore it. And if you’re going to be with me, then you’re going to have to learn to do the same.”

  “Well it’s not that easy for me, Alex,” Timber replied, struggling to maintain her cool even though she was growing angrier by the minute. “I live in the real world, not some fantasyland where I can say and do whatever I want, then deny it, if and when it comes out. So when I hear things like that, it’s a little hard for me to just let it roll off my back.”

  “So what are you saying? You believe this woman, who you don’t even know, over me? When I’m on the other end of the phone telling you that she’s lying?”

  “I don’t know, Alex,” Timber sighed, her eyes filling with tears. “I just don’t know.”

  “Timber, don’t do this. Things are too good between us. Don’t let a bunch of idle gossip ruin it. I love you, and I’m with you. That’s it. This is my job, not some nightclub. I’d be a fool to mess up my reputation by dating a bunch of women on set. If I worked in corporate America, I wouldn’t be trying to date every woman in the office. This is no different. Trust me. I wouldn’t do that to myself, and I definitely wouldn’t do that to you.”

  Timber was silent. She didn’t know what to say because she didn’t know what to believe. Alex was very convincing. But then again, he was an actor. Even still, she just couldn’t shake the doubt she felt when she tried to accept that he was telling the truth.

  “I’m coming home to see you next weekend,” Alex said.

  “You are?” Timber asked surprisingly. And then, in spite of what was going on between them, she couldn’t help but feel a tad bit excited.

  “I am. We need to get this sorted out, and the best way to do it would be to see you in person. Don’t you agree?”

  “I do.”

  Alex sighed deeply as if the conversation had exhausted him even further. “Listen, I need to go,” he said softly. “I’ve got an early call time tomorrow. So let me get some sleep. But we’ll be talking this week, and I’ll see you next weekend.”

  “Okay,” Timber said.

  “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Timber hung up the phone and closed her eyes, replaying every word of Alex’s explanation in her mind. She wanted to believe him. He had argued a good point. And everything that he’d said made sense and sounded sincere. So if he was in fact lying, then he was a way better actor than she’d ever thought possible.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “I’m actually glad that you’re giving Alex another chance,” Eva said.

  “Are you?” Timber asked. She was heading to the airport to pick up Alex and had called Eva on the way. “It’s funny, I remember back when you didn’t even like him.”

  “Yeah, well, you love him, so I’m obligated to like him, aren’t I?”

  “Not necessarily.”

  “But it makes things so much easier. And Alex is cool. All things considered, he’s a good guy.”

  “He is. But what about everything Angela told us?”

  “You know how I feel about that. If you think he’s being honest and you’re happy in the relationship, then....”

  “Okay,” Timber said when Eva’s voice trailed off, choosing not to ask whether or not she thought he was being honest. “Alex and I have been talking nonstop since we had that conversation, and the more we’ve spoken, the more I’ve grown to truly believe him. I’ll see how things go, but I can’t deny the fact that I do love him and really enjoy his company.”

  “And that’s all that matters. If there is any truth to what Angela said, it’ll come out at some point, and you’re a smart woman, so you’ll know what to do then. But for the time being, he’s innocent until proven guilty. So just relax and enjoy your relationship, and have fun this weekend.”

  “Thank you for that,” Timber said, glad that she had such a great friend in Eva. “I’m pulling up to the airport now, and I see Alex waiting for me,” she continued as her heart leapt.

  “Good luck,” Eva said.

  “I’ll call and let you know how everything goes.”

  Timber hung up the phone and giggled as Alex came running full speed towards her car. She parked and got out, and as soon as he approached her, jumped in his arms. And just like that, she forgot all about his alleged indiscretions.

  * * * *

  “Do you love me?” Alex asked Timber as he stroked her hand from across the table. They were sitting at her dinin
g room table, and she had made him dinner that evening.

  “Of course I do.”

  “I really hope you don’t believe any of those things that were said about me,” he said quietly. “I came all the way here from Australia just to see you. I call you all the time. I send you special texts and emails. Messenger you gifts and flowers. You’re all I think about. You mean more to me than anything else in my life. Even my career, and you know how much that means to me. I’m too wrapped up into you to even think about anybody else.”

  “Alex,” Timber said, intertwining her fingers with his, “I do believe you, but let’s not talk about the past anymore. From this point on we’re starting over with a clean slate. So if in fact something did happen—”

  “Which it didn’t,” Alex interrupted.

  “But even if it had, I just want us to move forward. Right now, we’re making a promise to be faithful to one another. This is a monogamous relationship. No one else is allowed in this space except for you and me. Agreed?”

  “Agreed,” Alex said, leaning in and kissing her softly.

  Timber got up and began clearing the dishes while he excused himself to return a few phone calls. For the first time since she’d heard the rumors of his infidelity, she didn’t feel hurt and devastated over it anymore. His coming to visit had definitely influenced that. She felt that they were in a good place now, and she was looking forward to moving on from the drama.

  But as she rinsed the dishes and placed them in the dishwasher, Timber just couldn’t seem to shake the persistent feeling of doubt that lingered in the back of her mind….

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Timber was in her basement packing up several boxes of products that she was on her way to deliver. Business had been crazy busy. So busy that she had finally placed an ad for an assistant on an online job site. She’d also scheduled an appointment with a real estate agent who was going to show her several commercial spaces later that afternoon.

  The number of résumés that had already been emailed to her was astounding. She hoped to get a chance to look them over tomorrow, because today was simply too full to add another task.

  It had been over two months since Timber had seen Alex. After that first weekend he’d come home to see her, things blew up on the set. The director and the lead actor started clashing over every little thing. Rewrites were being done on the script daily. The film was way over budget and way off schedule. Alex didn’t even know when he was going to be able to come home. But he’d been calling Timber practically every day. If he wasn’t calling, he was sending sweet love notes and bouquets of flowers. She missed him tremendously, and since their fallout, it seemed as though things had only gotten better. So between her relationship and her company, everything was coming together in a wonderful way.

  Timber left the house and got to the five salons with her deliveries faster than she’d expected. Her last stop was the Kick Back Day Spa, where nosy Naomi grilled her relentlessly on her relationship with Alex. Timber gave her just enough to make her feel as though she’d heard plenty, then left to grab a cup of coffee before meeting with the realtor.

  Timber drove to the first location that she was scheduled to see. Sue was already standing outside waiting for her. The building was located pretty far away from her house on a desolate street that didn’t include any other businesses. When they walked inside, the space was small and stuffy, the setup was all wrong, and the building required too much work. So they left and headed to the next location.

  The second space was located on the outskirts of downtown and a little closer to Timber’s house. While it was larger than the first and on a busier street, there wasn’t enough room for her to formulate and sell her products. Plus there was a music school located right next door, and Timber could hear the instruments playing as if a concert was being held right in front of her. So she passed, and they headed to the next locale.

  The third building was a little closer to downtown, but it was located on an obscure side street and practically falling apart. A brick had been thrown through the front window, and the main door was practically hanging off the hinges. From the outside, Timber could see several large cracks in the floors and holes in the walls. When she peered through the window, she noticed a man balled up in a back corner, sleeping contently.

  Exhausted, Timber told Sue that she was ready to call it a day. But Sue insisted that she see one last property that was located in the heart of downtown. The building was owned by a very sweet old man, and it had been in his family for generations. Apparently he had taken great care of it, as did the woman who was renting the space to run her hair and nail salon. When the woman’s military husband was transferred to an out-of-state unit, she was forced the move her business, thus leaving the space vacant. Sue told Timber that there were several people looking at the property, so if she was interested in renting it, then she would need to sign the lease as soon as possible.

  Even though Timber was more than ready to call it a day, she agreed to see the property. And when she pulled up in front, she was glad that she did. The building was made of a beautiful red brick and was three stories tall. It sat on a main thoroughfare, in between a quaint bookstore and a chic flower shop. Boutiques, a bakery, a toy store and more lined the block, and according to Sue, the majority of the businesses were family-owned. People were walking around everywhere carrying bags filled with purchases. Timber turned to Sue and gave her a thumbs-up. So far so good.

  Sue unlocked the door and they walked in. The first floor of the building had a huge picture window in front. It flooded the space with bright light. The floors were shiny hardwood. The walls looked as though they had just been freshly painted. There wasn’t a hole or even a mark to be seen. There was a small room in the back that would be perfect for an office. And off to the side of it was a cute little powder room.

  Sue led Timber downstairs. The basement was huge and airy and appeared to be newly renovated. Bright recessed lights lined the ceilings, spacious countertops lined the walls, and there was a small kitchen and full bathroom in the back. The space was exactly what she would need to formulate her products.

  Then they headed upstairs to see the top level. It was a large open space. Timber’s mind started racing. It was everything that she would need to open up a day spa. The layout was perfect. This meant that her customers could come to this location to buy her products, be serviced with them, or both. And that meant she could create a professional line of products as well. New ideas were coming at her a mile a minute. But Timber interrupted them for a moment and turned to Sue.

  “Where do I sign?” she asked before hugging her elatedly.

  * * * *

  Timber drove home quickly, too excited for words. She called Alex and left a message on his cell phone, then called Eva and did the same. Alex was going to be so proud of her. This was what he’d been encouraging her to do since day one, and she was finally making it happen. She couldn’t wait to share the news with him.

  Since no one was available to talk to her, Timber went down to her office and started looking through the résumés for an assistant. There were several good candidates in the pile, so she went ahead and called some of them. A couple weren’t available, so she left messages. As for those who were, Timber conducted short, casual phone interviews. Three of those led to her scheduling formal in-person interviews. When her cell phone rang, Timber dropped everything and answered it frantically.

  “Congratulations!” Eva yelled. “Tell me all about it!”

  “It’s beautiful,” Timber gushed. “There are three floors. So I’m going to have enough space to formulate the products, sell them, and open a day spa. Can you believe that?”

  “Of course I can,” Eva said. “This has been your vision from the very beginning. I always knew you would pull this off and expand Soothing Bliss into something even greater. Congratulations, girl. I couldn’t be more proud of you!”

  “Thank you! I’ve even got a few candidates coming i
n for interviews later on this week.”

  “Excellent. Because you need an assistant. Bad.”

  “I know. It’s time. I’m really ready to make this expansion happen. Once I get the store set up, I’ll need to start hiring estheticians, a masseuse, and nail technicians. After that, who knows? Maybe I’ll set up a mini hair salon section at some point, and look into creating a line of all-natural hair care products.”

  “I love it. The sky is the limit! I am so happy for you!” Eva said, sounding weepy.

  “Hey, I know you’re not crying.”

  “Maybe I am, maybe I’m not,” Eva sniffled. “I’m just glad that I’ll always have a job in case I need to switch careers.”

  “Oh, please. Before you know it you’ll be opening your own PR firm.”

  “It’s funny you should say that, because I’ve actually been thinking about taking a leap of faith and doing it.”

  “Have you?” Timber asked excitedly. “You absolutely should!”

  “I know, right? I think I’m ready to make it official, get incorporated and hire some employees myself.”

  “That is so awesome,” Timber said, clapping her hands. “We need to go out and celebrate.”

  “We do. Have you told Alex yet?”

  “Not yet. I called and left him a message. He’s probably still on the set.”

  “Well don’t be surprised if he proposes after he hears all this. He’s going to be afraid that somebody might come along and snatch you up.”

  “Arrogant Alex? I doubt it,” Timber laughed.

  “Just wait until I tell Brian. I’m sure he’ll be so happy and really proud of you, but I still have to gloat since he wanted you to stay at Boris and not pursue Soothing Bliss. And look at you now.”

  Timber stopped laughing. She and Eva hadn’t talked about Brian in months. “How’s he doing?” she asked.

  “He’s good. Still dating the woman from his party. They seem happy.”

  “That’s good,” Timber said, surprised by the tightness she felt in her chest when she heard that. “I just wish we hadn’t ended the way that we did....”