Chapter Text
Tim wakes alone again, it's Thursday and this is the third time this week, he stares at the ceiling before checking the time, 6.30 am. He feels the sheets on Isabel's side, stone cold, so she has been up a while.
He married Isabel seven years ago but they have been together for ten, they were highschool sweethearts, 17 almost 18 when they started dating, Tim was utterly besotted with her, her beautiful blue eyes, her unruly blonde hair, she reminded him of a pixie.
He takes a deep breath and sits up, swings his legs off the bed, he is in black boxers, " Iz? Baby? You here"? He calls loudly. He isn't expecting an answer and he doesn't get one. He slips into his white silk PJ bottoms and heads to his ensuite. He pees and brushes his teeth as the shower heats then slips out of his bottoms and into the hot water.
All the tension leaves him as the water pounds his skin. He turns off the water and dries himself on the towel that is far too soft, Tim likes a rough towel, he slips on his navy blue silk bathrobe, a stark contrast to all the white in his life. Isabel had wanted a pure white house with pure white carpet and pure white walls, Tim gave Isabel everything she wanted. Tim loves Isabel, has always loved Isabel.
He sits on his handmade wrought iron bed, it's huge, could sleep four comfortably, it's ugly too, the bedding is white, fluffy, Tim would like gray, or Lemon, or anything that isn't fucking white. He decides not to shave today, Isabel used to like his stubble, he's not sure she likes anything about him anymore.
He touches his birthmark, it started to itch in the shower, it does that now and then, he reaches into his bedside drawer, the one with the condoms, the condoms he hasn't used in over two months, finds the itch cream and rubs some over the birthmark.
He hears Isabel enter , her voice echoing in the minimalist cavern that is the entrance hall, " Take the rest of the day off Thorsen, Mr Bradford will drive me to the Spa on the way to the office".
He walks naked into the walk in closet, white shirt, gray suit, blue tie, blue pocket square, black boxers , black socks. He is still straightening his tie when he enters the kitchen, Isabel is already making him a green smoothie, he grimaces, "Hey, so I'm driving you huh? You can't wake with me but suddenly I'm your Uber driver"?
"Don't make a big deal of it Tim, you literally pass the spa on your way to the office". She says without turning around. Tim doesn't want to argue, he really doesn't, but lately it seems to end like that no matter the subject, he hates it, deep down he loves her, and once not that long ago she loved him too, it's the arguments about kids, that has caused the rift, that and up until a year ago his Father was his boss, that didn't inspire happiness.
"Whatever, where are the yappers? I don't want the cleaning lady cleaning up dogshit again" Rachel and Tim don't see eye to eye, she has only been working for them for three months and Isabel has already accused her of wanting to fuck Tim, so now she stays out of his way where possible, she also said his standards are unreasonable. The Spanish gardeners give him a wide berth too, he has been known to be excessively grumpy towards them.
" Don't diss my babies Tim" she says handing him the nasty green goo. "They are in their room, tell Rachel to stay out of there"
"Those handbag dogs are not babies Iz, babies are babies, those are expensive shit machines". Six Chihuahuas is a little excessive but with Isabel she gets what she wants, Tim says it's because he loves her, Ang, his bestie, she says it's for a peaceful life. "Plus Rachel avoids me now, so you tell her".
"Not that again Tim, please, I told you I'm not ruining my body to give you an heir to the Bradford empire, I hate kids, you want to see an expensive shit machine? Huh? That's what actual babies are, and Rachel wanted to jump your bones, it was obvious, I just let her know you are off limits, now hurry up and don't call me Iz, I'm not 18 anymore".
Tim mumbles "Off limits to you too apparently" under his breath, he also wants to say that she was fun at 18 but decides against it, when she glares at him he softens, " Sorry, Sorry, and I'm sorry I bit your head off, you look beautiful, and of course I will drive you, I didn't sleep well, can we stop bickering, I love you Isabel". He moves towards her and kisses her hair.
"I'm ready when you are Tim, and I love you too". She walks past him in her sand colored leisure wear, it looks expensive, but everything about Isabel is expensive.
So plans"? He asks as he holds her door open.
"Facial, massage, coffee and copious amounts of shopping" she smiles, "Angela and Nyla are meeting me there".
"Ohh, ok, is she ok"? He asks as he slips in the driver's seat.
"Fine, says you work too hard, she misses you". She scoffs.
They drive in relative silence for the first 10 or 15 minutes, occasional gossip from Isabel, a grumble from Tim about morning traffic, but then the second argument of the day begins, over nothing as usual. " So what are you buying today my love? Ohhh you know what? We have that Christmas party in a couple of weeks, pick a nice dress and get me a matching shirt or a tie and a pocket square, I trust your judgement", he smiles , not a full smile, he can't remember feeling happy enough in years for that, but it's sort of a smile.
"Party"? She frowns as she pulls the rearview mirror towards her side to apply more lip gloss, "If you mean the Grey's I'm not going". She runs a finger over her lips and sits back in her seat.
Tim adjusts the mirror as he sighs. "We are going Isabel, he is one of my biggest clients, I'm not losing him because you don't like his wife".
"No, take Angela, she likes Luna, I hate cheaters Tim, I'm not going".she folds her arms over her chest.
"It's a fucking party Iz, we could dance together, you remember doing that right? God woman, Luna didn't cheat, you need to stop with the gossip, leave the cheap tabloids alone, I swear to God if I didn't love you I'd..."
"What Tim? Turn into your Father, punch me? Slap me"? She sneers her nose up, "I bet you would love to huh"?
What? You think I'm like him? Wow, I was gonna say you can get out and walk, maybe , yeah I'm gonna pull over just get a fucking Uber, how fucking dare you compare me to him" As he moves to pull over she punches his arm, he swerves violently and hits something, a Clack, Clack, Clack and the feeling of something under his wheel makes him break hard. What the fuck was that"?
Isabel glares at him, "Are you trying to kill us"?
"Me? The arrogance, you started this, it's your fault we swerved too, just take a look out of the window and see what I hit" he releases his seatbelt and sits back to scratch his birthmark, it itches more than ever.
"Just a bicycle" she huffs as she sits back.
"No, Isabel, bicycles don't just ride themselves, they usually have humans attached to them did I hit someone, ohhh nevermind I will check myself". He opens his door, anger written all over his face.
"You are making me late, just hurry up, offer them money and lets go". She purses her lips.
"Unbelievable" he says getting out of the car, as he moves to Isabel's side he gets the worst burning feeling in his birthmark, so bad he doubles over, it feels like a naked flame is being held on it.
He is snapped out of his spiral when a female voice shouts "Owwwww, fudge meeee, hot, hot, owwwww, I think you ripped my birthmark off you clumsy idiot , why don't you look where you are going"?
He looks down into the most beautiful brown eyes, "God sorry, are you hurt, I didn't even see you, I umm your bike..., God sorry, let me help you up". He holds out his hand.
"Tim Bradford, stop flirting with the..., whatever, I'm going to be late" Isabel shouts. Tim hears nothing after the small hand takes his, white noise, that's all he hears, no Isabel, no traffic, he sees colors, a field of sunflowers, feels the sun on his face, he has hold of a soft hand, his feet and chest are bare and he has his head thrown back as he laughs joyfully, suddenly the hand is gone, the vision fades with it. "Hurry up idiot, we are both going to be late, for the love of God".
Tim just stares at the small Asian woman in a cycle helmet, she just stares back, both are touching their ribs , both have silly looks on their faces.
Lucy looks away first as Isabel starts to get more vocal, "Mmm, shit Tamara will kill me, she saved hard for that bicycle, I was only borrowing it because my car broke down". She has tears in her eyes.
"Card , fuck sorry, let me get you my card, I will pay for the bike, mmm. I don't carry cash , call me and I will sort it out by days end, do you...? Hospital? I mean, God you are beautiful, sorry, card". He rifles through the glove compartment as Isabel sneers at him. "What"? He asks innocently.
"Just hurry up" she sighs heavily.
He hands her the card, his fingers brush hers and for a fleeting moment he is back in that sunflower field, he feels lighter than he has in years, "Lucy Chen she says , "I mean me, so you know when I call, Lucy Chen and you have pretty eyes Mr...."?
"Bradford, it's umm on the card, the card I just umm , gave you, sorry, you should get checked out, I can drive you if you want". Neither has moved.
"Timothy, now, I swear I'm going to hurt you" Isabel all but screams.
"Coming my love" he says as he steps back, you sure I can't drop you somewhere"? He asks his eyes never leaving hers.
She shakes her head , still clutching her ribs, "Hat saved me thanks, I might need the bike, it's umm.., under your wheel, it scratched your paint work".
Isabel gets out of the car, "Move it Bradford, or I call an Uber".
"I don't want to get you in trouble, go, and thank you, for the umm..., card, I will call you".
"Yeah please do, for the umm bike, he steps back until his but hits the car, his stare is intense, hers is too it's like the universe is making them hold the lingering eye contact. He ignores the hard stare penetrating his head from the passenger seat as he buckles in, then the Clack Clack Clack again as he drives over the already destroyed bicycle. The trance he in doesn't end until she is completely out of view. His hand leaves his ribs and grips the steering wheel, he turns to look at Isabel, " What"? He asks clearly confused by the disgruntled look on her face.
"Asshole, you have got to be kidding me, what the fuck was that"? She asks with a scary calmness.
"I don't know what you are talking about", he shrugs, and it's true, he doesn't. He remembers a bike, an exchange of details, but he couldn't tell you what she looked like or what her name was, in fact those details will haunt him for a while.