The Road To Bliss

by Denise N Wheatley

  When Timber and Eva walked through the door, they both looked around in awe. The bistro had been transformed into a holiday wonderland, and it looked absolutely beautiful. Colorfully decorated Christmas trees of all shapes and sizes were scattered throughout the restaurant. Gold and silver wreaths and red stockings were hanging from the walls. Sparkling silver snowflakes were hanging from the ceiling. Miniature poinsettias and pine trees adorned each of the tables, along with Christmas-themed tablecloths and candles. There was even a live Santa Claus there walking around greeting guests and taking pictures with everyone.

  “I am loving all of this holiday cheer!” Eva said.

  “Same here. They did a great job with the decorating,” Timber agreed. She looked around and admired all of the festive décor, but at the same time she was searching for Brian, and apprehensively, his girlfriend.

  “Come on, let’s go see what’s on the menu,” Eva suggested, linking her arm with Timber’s and guiding her through the crowd over to the huge buffet table. But before they got there, Brian approached them carrying two mugs that had adorable miniature Christmas scarves wrapped around the middle.

  “Hello, ladies,” he said, handing each of them a mug. “Happy holidays, and thank you for coming.”

  “Hello, happy holidays!” Timber said, hugging him warmly. She took a mug and inhaled the contents, sensing the scent of peppermint mocha. “Mmm, this smells delicious.”

  “It is delicious,” Brian confirmed. “And by the way, you look great.”

  “Thank you.” Timber blushed.

  Eva gave Brian a hug, then excused herself to go check out the dessert table.

  “So how have you been?” Brian asked. “I feel like I haven’t seen or talked to you in so long.”

  “I know, I’m sorry,” Timber said, looking down at her feet. She wanted to tell Brian about the potential sale of the building, but she just wasn’t ready to talk about it with him. And considering they were at his restaurant’s Christmas party, the last thing she wanted to do was spoil the cheery mood with such depressing news. “I’ve just been swamped with work.”

  “I understand. Well, we have to get together soon. Maybe over dinner or something so that we can catch up.”

  “That sounds good,” Timber said, looking around. “So…where’s your girlfriend?”

  “She isn’t here,” Brian replied as he stared at Timber intently.

  “Really? I thought she’d be here. This is the biggest event that Bistro 57 has held all year.”

  “Exactly. So her not being here should tell you something….” he replied cryptically.

  Timber looked up at him. He had not taken his eyes off her. She wondered whether Linda had decided not to come or hadn’t been invited.

  “Are you hungry?” Brian asked.

  “Starving. I’ve been at the store eating cookies and cupcakes all day. I need some real food.”

  “Say no more,” Brian said, taking her hand in his and leading her over to the buffet table.

  Timber felt self-conscious holding his hand through the restaurant. The party was filled with his friends and peers, who surely knew about his girlfriend. But when she looked around and saw that no one was giving them strange stares, she relaxed and allowed him to lead the way.

  Once they had fixed their plates, the pair sat down at the same corner table where they’d sat the first time Brian brought Timber to the restaurant. She looked over at the table across from theirs and saw Eva sitting with several of their former classmates. She caught Timber’s eye and gave her a thumbs up and a knowing wink. Timber giggled and shook her head at her friend then turned back to Brian, and the twosome proceeded to give one another their undivided attention for the rest of the evening.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Timber had just closed the store for the evening and sent her employees home. She was sitting in her office, nibbling at her cuticles and contemplating whether she should reach out to her attorney. Almost two weeks had passed since she’d received the letter from her landlord’s son informing her of the potential sale. She hadn’t heard from him since, but Timber was getting nervous considering that time was not on her side and she had yet to receive any news on the next steps from her lawyer. Sue had emailed her several potential leads on new locations, but after seeing the condition of the properties and the neighborhoods in which they were located, she passed on all of them.

  Just when she began composing an email to her attorney, her cell phone rang. Timber grabbed it and looked at the caller ID. It was her lawyer.

  “Stan!” she said emphatically the minute she picked up the call. “I was literally sitting here emailing you. What’s going on? Do you have any updates?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do,” Stan replied.

  Timber closed her eyes and crossed her fingers. “What did you find out?” she asked frantically.

  “Well, after I received Sue’s email from you that included background information on the potential buyer, I did a little bit of digging of my own on him. I was curious to see exactly how he was planning to utilize that space. Lucky for us he likes to boast, so he’s been posting information all over the internet about the gallery as if he’s already closed on the property.”

  “As we knew,” her attorney continued, “he’s planning on featuring some pretty outrageous installations and artistic stunts. He may run into some problems, however, because these exhibits are going to involve some potentially dangerous acts and hazardous materials. All of the extreme waterworks, fire performances and pyrotechnics may very well go against the town of Archdale’s ordinances. And even if those stunts and materials are permissible, I’m almost certain he’ll need a slew of permits in order to have them on the property, as well as allow the public to be exposed to such unsafe conditions.”

  This news was music to Timber’s ears. There was no way this guy could just come into their town, take such a beautiful, historic building that has been part of a prominent Archdale family for generations, and turn it into some sort of precarious circus.

  “So knowing all of that, do you think we can stop the sale of the property?” Timber asked hopefully.

  “I can’t make any promises on that, but I will say this. I know the mayor of this town very well. I doubt that he would want an art gallery of that sort in this community. There are so many wholesome, family-oriented businesses on that block, so a business such as this gallery wouldn’t be a good fit. But on the flip side, the landlord’s son moved away from Archdale years ago, and he isn’t concerned about the community. He’s looking to make a quick buck. If the buyer doesn’t violate the town’s ordinances and obtains the proper permits, there isn’t much that we can do.”

  Timber felt her stomach flip with anxiety. Everything was up in the air at this point. “So what should I do now, Stan?” she sighed, rubbing her temples in frustration. “I can’t lose this space. I just can’t….” she choked.

  “Don’t get discouraged, Timber. The word is out about the potential sale, and you’ve got the people of Archdale on your side. You’ve got roots here, and the townspeople are proud of you and want to see Soothing Bliss stay right where it’s at. Everyone knows that this buyer is an eccentric out-of-towner who wants to capitalize on Archdale’s love of the arts. He doesn’t understand the inner workings of our community, and he probably doesn’t know that an online petition has already been created to protest the purchase. So just hold on and let’s see what we can do to make this right.”

  “Thank you, Stan,” Timber said, her eyes tearing up at his thoughtful words. She was so glad to hear that the townspeople cared about her as much as they did, because the feeling was certainly mutual. She didn’t realize, however, that the sale of the property was already known news. So that meant her employees probably knew as well and hadn’t mentioned it because they were just as worried as she was, and didn’t want to upset her any further.

  “But with all that being said about the hazards and ordinances and permits,” Timber con
tinued, “there’s still a possibility that the deal will go through, isn’t there?”

  “Unfortunately, yes, there is. So if the stars align and the potential buyer obtains the proper permits and doesn’t violate any of the town’s ordinances, then the building is his. So I would advise you to keep looking for investors and seeing what you can do to purchase the property yourself. I may have bought you some time, but I don’t know exactly how much time. So keep at it, and good luck. If I hear anything more I’ll let you know.”

  “I will, Stan. Thank you.”

  Timber hung up the phone not knowing how to feel. Everything was still up in the air at this point, and it seemed as though the sale of the property could go either way. But considering that time was of the essence, she decided not to waste any more of it worrying about the buyer. Instead she turned to her computer, pulled up her vast list of contacts, and began calling anyone and everyone she thought would be willing to invest with her in order to keep Soothing Bliss in its rightful home.

  * * * *

  The next morning, Timber and her staff members were sitting in the back corner of Holly’s Bakery, enjoying her infamous holiday-themed continental breakfast and making plans for Soothing Bliss’s big Christmas soiree. As her team chatted away excitedly about the various ideas that they each had, Timber sat at the head of the table quietly with her phone in her hand, struggling to get into the spirit of the brainstorming session while constantly refreshing her email inbox.

  “I definitely think we should hire a band instead of a DJ,” Anne suggested. “A band would be so much livelier and more entertaining.”

  “I agree,” Sarah chimed in. “I think our customers would love seeing a live band singing Christmas carols.”

  “What about the menu?” Lisa asked. “I like the idea of serving traditional Christmas dinner, but in the form of hors d'oeuvres. We could do things like turkey and glazed ham bites, and little cups of sweet potatoes, pumpkin mac and cheese, cranberry sauce….”

  “I really like that idea,” Anne said. “And for dessert, we could serve things like miniature eggnog cheesecake, bread pudding, and peppermint fudge brownies.”

  “That sounds perfect,” Lisa said as she rigorously jotted down everyone’s suggestions.

  “Hey, I’d better be catering those desserts!” Holly said when she approached the table and refilled everyone’s mugs with hot chocolate.

  “Of course you will be,” Timber said. “No one in the world bakes better than you.”

  “Why thank you, my dear!” she said, walking over to Timber. “Hey, are you okay over here? You seem awfully quiet this morning.”

  “I’m okay,” Timber replied, trying to sound as convincing as possible. “I’ve just got a lot on my mind….” When she looked around the table and saw the concerned expressions on her employees faces, she added, “I just want our first Christmas party to be absolutely perfect.”

  “Oh, honey, I’m sure it will,” Holly told her. “Every event you’ve ever thrown at Soothing Bliss has been a hit. This party will be no different. And with a table filled with my desserts there, what could possibly go wrong?” She winked.

  “Absolutely nothing!” Timber laughed. “You’re so sweet, Holly. Thank you.”

  “Well you’re really going to think I’m sweet when I tell you that my catering the party is my Christmas gift to you. Anything you order from Holly’s Bakery will be on the house.”

  Timber looked up at Holly and saw the knowing expression on her face. “Thank you!” she said, jumping up and hugging her. She knew that Holly was trying to help, considering all of her money would be going towards the possible purchase of Soothing Bliss’s building.

  “Don’t mention it,” she said before leaning in and whispering, “Just save Archdale’s favorite store and day spa.”

  “I’ll do my best,” she whispered back.

  Timber suddenly felt better as she sat down and joined in on her employees’ conversation. She began throwing out party suggestions for Lisa to add to her list, and noticed Anne looking over at her happily. Timber smiled at her, then looked down at the phone and refreshed her email yet again in hopes that some potential investors had sent her a message.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  The day of Soothing Bliss’s Christmas party, Timber sat in her office with the door closed while her staff ran around frantically putting the final touches on the store. She had been planning on joining them over an hour ago, but she just couldn’t. She was a nervous wreck, sitting on pins and needles and waiting for her attorney to call and tell her whether or not the gallery owner had closed on the property.

  Stan had been calling and emailing Timber on a regular basis with updates on the progress of the sale. He had been in touch with the town mayor as well as the council, and in spite of everyone’s protests, the buyer was able to pass all of the ordinances and obtain all of the proper permits in order to open the gallery. Timber had been hoping with every fiber of her being that the buyer would become discouraged by all the red tape and give up on buying the property. But no such luck.

  As for Timber, she had been able to secure a few investors. But that, along with a loan from the bank, just wasn’t enough for her to purchase the pricey building. She’d even tried to use her house as collateral, but it still wasn’t enough. So now, as she looked out into the store and saw everyone happily preparing for the party, Timber knew that she would eventually have to tell everyone that they were likely going to lose the location.

  And while Timber was certainly upset about the sale, Eva was devastated. She’d begged Timber to tell Brian what was going on and see if he could help. Eva insisted that Brian knew all about the interworking of property and ownership considering all that he’d been through to help make Bistro 57 a success. But Timber refused. She had come this far without his help and didn’t want to run to him asking for it now. Plus she didn’t want him thinking that she was trying to take advantage of their friendship. More importantly, she didn’t want to do anything that would further come in between he and his girlfriend’s relationship. So in the end, Timber explained to Eva that it would be best if Brian didn’t get involved, and convinced her that she would figure things out on her own.

  And now, as Timber sat behind her desk feeling completely dejected and sick to her stomach, she realized that she hadn’t figured out a thing. Not only was she letting herself down, but she was also letting down the devoted employees of Soothing Bliss as well as her customers and the townspeople, who so wanted to see the store stay exactly where it was.

  Timber’s phone rang. She looked down at the caller ID and saw that it was her attorney. Her heart dropped to her knees as she picked up the call.

  “Stan, talk to me,” she said anxiously. “Please tell me that you were able to pull off a Christmas miracle.”

  “I wish I could tell you that,” Stan said sympathetically.

  Timber eyes immediately filled with tears. “We lost the property?” she choked, barely able to breathe.

  “Unfortunately yes, you did. The mayor just called and told me. The closing occurred this afternoon.”

  Tears streamed down Timber’s cheeks. She brushed them away quickly, not wanting her employees to see her crying. She looked out to make sure that no one was watching her. When she did, she noticed Anne standing on a ladder over by the Christmas tree, adjusting the crystal star. When Timber looked up at the star, it twinkled back at her, just as it had the first day it was hung.

  “I’m so sorry, Timber,” Stan continued, drawing her attention away from the mesmerizing twinkling and back to their call. “You did everything that you could to try and save the property, and I’m sure you’ll find a wonderful new home for Soothing Bliss.”

  “We’ll see, Stan. I hope so. Thank you for everything. I appreciate it.”

  “I wish I could have done more. And I know you probably don’t feel up to celebrating tonight, but I’ll still see you at the party, won’t I?”

  “You will. See y
ou then.”

  Timber hung up the phone and took a deep breath. Then she got up and closed her office’s window blinds. She needed to let out one good cry before facing her employees and helping set up for the party. But the minute she sat back down, there was a knock at the door. She quickly wiped her face with a tissue and cleared her throat.

  “Come in.”

  Anne walked through the door with an uneasy expression on her face. “I need to speak to you. I’ll only be a minute.”

  “Sure,” Timber said, wondering what was going on.

  “There’s someone in the store who’s asking to see you,” Anne told her as she rubbed her hands together nervously.

  “Okay…but we’re closed so that we can prepare for the party.”

  “I know. I told him that, but he insisted that I let you know he’s here.”

  “Who insisted that you let me know he’s here?” Timber asked right before she heard excited shrieks coming from the store. “What’s going on out there?”

  “It’s…it’s Alex Witherspoon,” Anne finally blurted out. “I tried to tell him that you were unavailable, but he just wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

  Timber rolled her eyes in frustration. This could not be happening right now; especially after the devastating news that she’d just received. “I don’t want to deal with this,” she moaned. But knowing Alex and his tenacious attitude, she knew that he wouldn’t leave. And the last thing she wanted to do was cause a scene in front of her employees. “Send him in,” she told Anne against her better judgement.

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure.” Timber sighed dreadfully.

  “All right,” Anne said, hesitating before walking back out and closing the door behind her.