Page 3 of Fresh Start
Rolling down the windows in a big city was usually a big no-no. The paparazzi were everywhere and ready to snap me at my worst. I’d learned the hard way.
But since the sun was still up and I was officially on vacation, I decided to take the risk and put the windows down. The evening summer breeze fluffed my hair, and the fresh seawater scent made my skin tingle. Red, purple, and coral shaded the blue as the sun was starting its descent, and the beach took on an idyllic scene as if it was straight out of a painting.
This felt so good. Too good to last. But I would do my best to enjoy it while it did.
Freedom.
Even if just for a week, the taste of it was satisfying on my tongue. It tasted of accomplishment and calm. A flavor I wasn’t familiar with anymore.
The lady on my GPS told me to take the next left, and once I did, the parking sign for my hotel appeared straight ahead.
I parked in the VIP section that Karen had booked for me, one that required a separate security code to enter and was located under the building, and then took the elevator to my suite on the eighth floor.On its way up, the elevator slowed at the lobby, and the doors slid open.
Without thinking too much about it, I stood to the side so I wasn't seen from outside. The last thing I needed was a tabloid journalist catching whiff of me before I could make my escape to my parents’.
A blonde woman in a tank top and skinny jeans entered the car and jumped as soon as she saw me.
"Helen!" I said.
"Dawson? What are you doing back here already?" she asked me. "The guys were looking for you after the press conference."
I shrugged and rubbed the back of my neck as the doors of the elevator closed again.
"Yeah, I wasn't in the mood. That flight wiped me out completely. Plus, I'm going home tonight, so I thought I'd come and pack."
Helen nodded and bit her lip. "Yeah, I thought as much. I told the guys you probably had plans. If I knew you were coming back, I'd have asked for a ride."
Which was exactly why I hadn't said anything.
Helen was a great woman and an even better castmate, but I didn't really like being around her when the cameras were off—as was the case with most of my co-stars. While I enjoyed the banter and camaraderie on set, I couldn't help feeling like an imposter when we hung out outside of work.
Everyone always shared their family stories or their latest conquest, and I either had to resort to lies, which I didn't like, or keep quiet, which was awkward, and both only made the rift in our relationships bigger.
With Helen, there was an added reason, because she'd always had a thing for me and even gone as far as to tell me as much.
Detective Strong and Miss Chameleon had had their fair share of on-screen intimacy, despite the fact that in the comic books, the two were arch enemies. The problem was, I could never, had never, and would never feel anything other than friendship for her. The beards I’d hired over the years had not been enough to keep her off me.
I’d even gone as far as to contemplate telling her my secret in the hopes she would get the message. Hell, I’d considered telling all my co-stars, but a secret held by many was not a secret.
"I hope you're not still thinking about that fan's question," she said and stepped closer to me.
I turned my body away from hers and shook my head.
"Nah, I'm good. It just came out of nowhere, that's all."
The elevator pinged, and it announced we were on the fifth floor. Helen leaned into me and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. “If you need anyone to talk to, I'm only a phone call away. You know that."
She exited the elevator, and before the doors closed, she turned her head and smiled.
Once I was on my own again, I let out a sigh. This break was desperately needed. I could feel myself getting angsty and impatient. Helen usually didn't bother me that much. We’d known each other for so long, and she was a friend. Although how much of a friend anyone could ever be when they didn’t know everything about me, that was a different question. But even so, I knew I was in need of R & R when even she got under my skin.
Once back in my room, I jumped in the shower and washed the whole trip off my body. The hot water calmed my nerves and energized me. It was the perfect wake-up before the drive out to Cedarwood Beach.
A fresh change of clothes later, I did a quick scan of the room, picked up my suitcase that hadn’t even been unpacked, and headed back to the underground parking garage. Karen would check me out at an appropriate time, which meant more than enough hours to put a safe distance between me and the press.
I got in the car and left the city behind me. I merged onto I-64 in Norfolk toward Hampton, and then took the exit in Newport News for US 17N to continue my way up to Mathews. Once on the smaller highway and leaving the built-up Hampton Roads area behind, I allowed myself to relax despite the traffic. I cranked up the music in the car as we moved at a snail’s pace.
God, it felt good to be out of LA and all the other big cities that we’d visited. Even if I expected a lot less traffic and a lot more calm. The kind of calm the countryside was known for.
