The Road To Bliss

by Denise N Wheatley

  Timber froze and side-eyed Eva, wondering how she’d handle this one.

  “Actually, I hadn’t discussed that with Gerard since we’ve been so busy focusing on the business side of things. So I’m not quite sure who he’s bringing,” Eva responded coolly. “But I’ll make sure everyone is on their best behavior.”

  “Good. We don’t need any controversy tonight. Just a successful premiere,” Agnes sniffed.

  “I have no doubt that it will be,” Eva told her assuredly.

  “Nice job,” Timber whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

  “Thanks girl,” Eva murmured back.

  Once everyone’s questions had been answered, she led Timber inside of the dimly lit theater.

  “You were so good out there!” Timber told Eva after they settled into their seats.

  “Thank you,” Eva sighed, pulling out her compact and giving herself a quick once-over before powdering her face. “But do you see how intense these people are? Everyone thinks my job is so glamorous, but they have no idea what I go through in order to make these celebs look good, all while making sure these events are a success and go off without a hitch. I go from being a publicist to being a psychiatrist, peacemaker, and mother. These events totally drain me. That’s why I try and take little breaks in between them so that I can recuperate. That bit of down time, along with your tranquility products, really help me to bounce back and prepare for the next event.”

  “Aww, thank you!” Timber exclaimed, clapping her hands together and smiling from ear-to-ear. “They’ve certainly helped me, but it’s so great to hear they’re working for you, too. That makes me feel good, especially considering the opposition I had to endure when I first started out from you-know-who.”

  “Forget him. Your products really are awesome, Timber. They work for everyone who uses them. And that’s why your business continues to grow and flourish.”

  “Thank you, girl,” Timber said. She pulled her compact out of her clutch and did a quick hair and makeup check, then eyed all the glamorous industry players as they walked down the aisle before turning back to Eva. “You have no idea how much I appreciate all of the promoting that you do for Soothing Bliss. It really does help keep me in business.”

  “Well you’re my best friend. That’s what I’m supposed to do. Plus if your products can help keep my clients calm and content, then I’ll never stop promoting your business!” she replied as the lights in the theater began to blink. “Oh,” Eva jumped, “The movie is about to start. And I haven’t seen our star yet! His manager promised that he’d be here.”

  “I haven’t seen him, either,” Timber replied as she scanned the theater. But she wasn’t looking for the lead actor. She was looking for the handsome man that she had seen outside on the red carpet. After a few minutes, she spotted him sitting four rows up and several seats over. Just as he turned around and their eyes connected, the theater went completely dark. Timber decided to wait until after the movie to ask Eva if she knew him.

  But once the movie began, Timber realized that she wouldn’t have to ask Eva anything. Because five minutes into the film, the handsome man who had caught Timber’s attention appeared on the screen. He was dressed in a tight black T-shirt and black leather pants. Diamond and platinum jewelry swung from his neck and wrists. His head was shaved bald. He was chasing the star of the film in the rainy dark through a warehouse district. After the star jumped into a van and sped off into the night, the camera zoomed in on the handsome man’s distraught, rain-soaked expression and heaving chest. It didn’t take long for Timber to figure out that the man was Alex Witherspoon, the arrogant up-and-comer who Eva had told her about earlier.

  Timber’s ears perked up when she heard the woman who Alex was with scream and clap her hands loudly at the end of his scene. Eva nudged Timber’s arm and they both snickered softly at the woman’s behavior. And now that Timber knew exactly who Alex was, she realized that their silent interaction on the red carpet had probably been a fluke, dismissed all thoughts of him, and focused on the film.

  * * * *

  The movie premiere’s after-party was being held at a posh new nightclub located a few blocks away from the theater. As soon as Timber and Eva walked through the door, Eva was once again bombarded with questions, comments and complaints, with several compliments sprinkled in between. In the midst of being swept away to tend to an indignant photographer and irate actress, Eva turned to Timber and told her to grab a drink, promising that she’d meet her in the VIP area as soon as she could. Timber smiled sympathetically and reached inside of her clutch for her access pass.

  Timber walked through the dark club, across the colorfully lit dance floor and over to the VIP room. After she showed a burly, stoned-faced bouncer her pass, he unhooked the velvet rope and let her through. Timber walked up a short flight of stairs, then parted a heavy velour curtain and entered a celebrity-filled wonderland. Actors, singers, and athletes covered every inch of the room, which resembled the inside of a genie bottle. Billowy pastel silks hung from the walls. Colorful velvet hassocks were scattered everywhere. A deep purple velvet couch lined with silk jewel-toned pillows encircled the entire perimeter of the room.

  Timber struggled to hide her excitement as she inched her way through the throngs of people over to a purple button-tufted bar that sat in the back of the room. She ordered a glass of champagne then turned around to really get a good look at everyone. When she did, she bumped into the back of a man who was standing directly in front of her. Champagne splashed all over his charcoal gray blazer. Timber quickly apologized and spun around to grab a handful of napkins. When she turned back around, she was suddenly staring into the dazzling hazel eyes of Alex Witherspoon. And even though she had just soiled his blazer, his bright, infamous smile was still spread across his face.

  “Hello,” he said, his deep voice filled with friendliness rather than irritation.

  “Hi,” Timber replied nervously. “I am so sorry. Turn around and let me dry your jacket.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Alex said, waving nonchalantly. “It’s so hot in here it’ll dry on its own. By the way, I’m Alex Witherspoon,” he continued, extending his hand.

  “Timber West,” she gushed, shaking his hand and hoping that he couldn’t feel hers trembling. Do not fan out. Do not fan out, she instructed herself.

  “I saw you earlier tonight at the premier,” Alex said. “Do you work in the industry?”

  “No, I don’t,” Timber said, stunned that this man was actually standing here talking to her. What was even more surprising was the fact that he had remembered seeing her earlier that evening. Timber reveled in the moment. But she knew it wouldn’t last for long, because his date was trying to make her way towards them and was glaring at her jealously. But Timber was just having an innocent conversation with Alex that he had initiated, so she saw no reason to stop talking to him. “My best friend Eva Morris is a publicist, and she’s working tonight’s events. So I’m here with her.”

  “Oh yeah, I met Eva earlier,” Alex said. “She was really cool. And great at what she does, too. She was being pulled in every direction at once, and I just stood there watching her handle it all like a pro. I need somebody like that on my team.”

  “Yeah, she’s great,” Timber agreed. Then she stood there quietly, suddenly feeling too star struck to come up with something else to say. She hoped that Alex wouldn’t take her silence for disinterest and end the conversation. When he took a sip of his drink and continued talking, she felt relieved. And then it dawned on her that Alex might possibly be interested in her. The mere thought of it made her swoon.

  “So, Timber, what do you do for a living?” he asked inquisitively, flashing that incredible smile of his yet again.

  “Well, I’m a chemist,” Timber began, careful not to go off on a tangent about Boris Pharmaceuticals. “I used to work for a pharmaceutical lab, but that wasn’t a good fit for me. So I decided to start my own company. I create all natural aromatherapy
products.”

  “Really,” Alex nodded, his eyes widening. “That is quite impressive. What’s the name of your company?” he asked just as his date approached him from behind.

  “Soothing Bliss,” Timber replied. She watched as Alex’s date laid her head on his shoulder and locked her arm in his.

  “I’m ready to go, babe,” she said before staring at Timber but not bothering to say hello.

  “We’ll leave soon,” Alex said to her without taking his eyes off Timber. “But I’m in the middle of a conversation right now. Why don’t you grab another drink, and I’ll meet you over by the bar?”

  Timber couldn’t help but love how Alex wanted to continue their conversation. Maybe the woman was just a friend rather than an actual date.

  “Fine,” the woman said before she threw Timber one last glare then stormed off.

  “I’m sorry for the interruption,” Alex said to her.

  “No worries,” Timber told him. But then, just as she was going to tell Alex how good his performance had been in the movie, the woman stormed back over.

  “You know what?” she barked at him. “I’m tired. I was on set all day today hoping that I’d at least get a walk-on role in your friend’s movie, but that never happened. Now I have an early audition tomorrow, and I need to get outta here. So let’s go.”

  Alex sighed deeply then turned to Timber. “I’m so sorry. It was really nice meeting you. Maybe I can reach out to Eva and get your contact—”

  Before he could finish his sentence, Alex’s date grabbed his arm and pulled him away from Timber and into the crowd. And just like that, her magical moment had been snatched away. Her smile fell into a slight frown as she watched the pair head towards the exit. But before she could wallow too deeply in a pool of disappointment, Eva walked up.

  “I am exhausted!” Eva said, pretending to pull her hair out while approaching the bar. “I do love my job on most days, but tonight has been quite the challenge. How are you doing? Are you enjoying yourself?”

  “I am. I’ve been doing a lot of people watching. But the best thing by far has been meeting Alex Witherspoon.”

  “Alex,” Eva said disgustingly. “Please. Everything I heard about him is true. I met him earlier and was trying to ask if his evening was going well, and he totally ignored me. His date was fawning all over him, his entourage was falling at his feet…. The whole scene was just nauseating.”

  “Really?” Timber asked surprisingly. “He seemed really nice when I talked to him. I spilled champagne on his blazer and he didn’t even get upset. He just introduced himself then struck up a conversation. He mentioned that he’d met you and said that you were really cool and great at your job.”

  “How would he even know?” Eva asked as a popular R&B singer walked over and kissed her on the cheek. “Hey you!” she said to him. “How are you?” Then she turned back to Timber and continued ranting. “I am so sick of these ego-tripping pseudo-stars. Alex just got his first real supporting role and he’s already acting like an award winner. I’d hate to see what happens if his career really takes off.”

  “I don’t know, Eva. That’s not the impression I got of him.”

  “Well I wish I could have seen the side of him that you saw,” Eva said before ordering a glass of champagne. When it came, she grabbed Timber’s hand. “Come on, let’s go mingle.”

  * * * *

  Timber and Eva laughed hysterically as they walked arm-in-arm into Eva’s condo. After Eva had gotten past all of the hard work of the night, the rest of their evening had been filled with nothing but fun. The two friends danced, ate and socialized all night long. Eventually even the studio execs and actors alike loosened up in celebration of their well-done movie.

  Eva received a ton of accolades for her impressive performance as well as several job offers, and Timber had a chance to meet some of her favorite celebrities. She even took advantage of several networking opportunities by pitching Soothing Bliss to party goers, and made sure to hand out her business cards in hopes of drumming up some new business. All-in-all the night had been a huge success for Eva and a much-needed great time for Timber, especially considering all that she had been through with Brian.

  The highlight, however, was meeting the captivating Alex Witherspoon. And ironically, the lowlight was that they did not have the opportunity to finish their conversation and exchange contact information. Timber rarely met men who caught her attention the way Alex had. So she decided to hold onto the glimmer of hope that maybe he would follow through on his word and reach out to Eva for her info. Timber knew that was a long shot, and figured that a celebrity like Alex had probably forgotten about her the minute he left the party. Yet the possibility was there, so she chose to remain optimistic, confident that the spark between the two of them was strong enough for him not to forget her.

  When Timber and Eva entered the condo, Timber slipped off her shoes while Eva hobbled into her bedroom and threw herself down onto the bed.

  “Oh no you don’t,” Timber laughed, pulling her back up and guiding her towards the bathroom. “If you don’t take off that beautiful dress and remove your makeup, you’ll be mad at yourself in the morning.”

  Eva glanced over at Timber sleepily, then caved in. “You’re right,” she said, kicking off her shoes then reaching for her bathrobe. “This dress is too expensive to sleep in and get all wrinkled, and my pores will look like craters tomorrow if I don’t take off this makeup.”

  “Thatta girl,” Timber said encouragingly. “By the way, thanks for tonight. I had a great time, and I really needed it. Helped keep my mind off of things....”

  “Good, I’m glad. That’s what I’m here for.” Eva winked.

  Timber went and grabbed her toiletries from her overnight bag. When she came back into the bathroom, Eva had her cell phone set to speaker, and she was playing her voicemail messages. Timber pulled out her toothbrush and laughed as she listened to the first message, which was from an ex-boyfriend who was trying to win her back.

  “Never gonna happen,” Eva said, deleting the message.

  “Well they don’t call you The Unforgettable Eva for nothing, now do they?” Timber joked.

  “I guess,” Eva said before moaning and rubbing her temples. “Tonight was so stressful. I think I feel a headache coming on.”

  “Oh no, do you have any aspirin? We can’t have you down and out. We’ve got so many great things planned for this weekend. I don’t want you to be out of commission and unable to—” Timber suddenly stopped talking mid-sentence. Eva’s next voicemail message began to play. It was from Brian.

  “Hey honey,” he said. “Look, please return my call. I’m sorry about everything I said. I didn’t mean to upset you…Or Timber either for that matter. I just…I don’t know what to do.” Brian sighed heavily, paused for a moment then continued. “I want to fix this. And I can’t do it without you. So please call me. And try to talk to Timber, because she won’t return my calls. I….” Brian’s voice trailed off, and he sounded as if he was getting choked up. “Call me. Love you,” he said quietly before hanging up.

  Eva turned to Timber, her expression filled with concern and sympathy. Timber looked back at her in silence, her giddy mood from the evening’s events suddenly dissipating.

  “I’m sorry, Timmy,” Eva said, reaching out and grabbing her hand consolingly.

  “It’s okay, I’m fine,” Timber lied before turning around and heading to the guest bedroom.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Eva asked, following behind her.

  “I’m fine,” Timber reiterated, slipping out of her dress and into her pajamas.

  “Do you think that…maybe you should talk to him?” Eva asked hesitantly.

  “I don’t know if I can. I’m not ready. I’m still too upset about everything.”

  “I understand that. But he does sound like he’s really sorry. He loves you, Timber.”

  “I love him, too. But I just don’t see us being together anymore. We’ve grown
apart, and we want completely different things in life. His ego won’t allow him to accept that. How can I be with someone like that?”

  “I don’t know,” Eva sighed. “I wish I had the answers. But what I do know is that I thought you and Brian would be together forever. My father was happier with you than he’s ever been. Maybe he’ll change. Maybe he’s ready to accept what you’re doing and what you want now.”

  “I doubt that,” Timber said, shaking her head. “And I don’t think I can get over how he wasn’t there for me during the worst time of my life. It would be easy for him to come back now because I’m feeling like myself again and my business is doing well. But no matter what he says, I don’t think he’ll ever accept what I’m doing.”

  “Okay, I get that,” Eva said disappointedly. “But I do need to call him back. We’ve never gone this long without talking. If he asks about you, what should I tell him?”

  “Just tell him that I’ll call when I’m ready to talk.”

  “Good enough,” Eva said. “I hope this hasn’t ruined your night.”

  “It didn’t. And I’m still looking forward to the rest of our weekend together,” Timber said, struggling to sound more cheerful than she felt.

  “I’ll be sure that the rest of our time together will be fabulous,” Eva said, reaching out and giving her friend a big hug. “Now get some sleep. I’ll make us a delicious breakfast in the morning.”

  “Sounds good,” Timber said, hugging Eva back and feeling grateful for having her as a friend. “Goodnight.”

  After Eva closed the door behind her, Timber slipped into bed and buried herself underneath the comforter, willing herself not to obsess over Brian for the rest of the weekend. And right before she closed her eyes, she thought about Alex again and said a little prayer that he would reach out to Eva and ask for her contact information.

  Chapter Five

  It was Monday morning, and Timber was standing in the middle of her newly remodeled basement trying to figure out how to organize the jars, containers and ingredients that were scattered everywhere. Earlier in the year she had decided to convert what was once a recreational room into her workspace. Plush carpeting was replaced with hardwood flooring. An oversized island sat in the middle of the floor, and two large white counter tops lined the walls. A huge desk, cushy white couch and two matching chairs, and a refrigerator replaced the furniture and entertainment system that Timber had moved upstairs into her spare bedrooms. Fresh floral arrangements, big bowls of potpourri, jumbo scented candles, and mini-waterfalls were added to the room to create a warm, tranquil ambience.