Logging into my email account I look through my inbox. The subject line check out these possible matches catches my eye. Clicking the email purely out of curiosity, I’m surprised when I see a list of women Timber is suggesting as possible matches for me.

Why would this be coming to my email?

I had to sign up for an account when they made me the spokesman for the app, but I have no intention of utilizing it. The first four don’t interest me at all and the fifth one is a maybe.

Who is that beautiful creature?

My eyes lock onto the profile picture of number six, LadyLuc, and slowly trace the delicate features of her face, before moving over her long, brown hair. The close up image shows off the symmetrical sprinkle of freckles across the narrow bridge of her nose. As wholesome and all American as she looks, the twinkle in her green eyes makes me suspect she likes to have fun. She looks honest. I could be completely off base, but that’s what my gut is telling me. Of course that same gut also told me Talia was loyal and look how that worked out for me.

I click on the Timber link included in the email. Logging into my account, I type out a string of awkward, rambling texts. Shit. I’m no good at this stuff.

“Dude, how much longer are you going to be? You told me to be here at seven and it’s twenty after now.” Chase, my best friend strolls into my home office clearly annoyed with me.

Glancing at the oversized round clock on the wall, I confirm I am indeed tardy for our workout. “I’m sorry. I lost track of time.” Running a hand through my newly shorn hair, I grimace.

“What the hell happened to you?” Chase barks out a laugh, staring at my hair.

Shaking my head I release a deep groan. “Cam booked me for a haircut at this upscale salon. They paid me a lot of money to get this done.” I say, pointing at my blonde strands.

“Not enough,” he jests. “I can’t tell if you’re a throwback to the fifties pompadour or the eighties punk look.”

Running my fingers across both sides of my head and around to the back, there’s barely even a hint of hair. Peach fuzz is all that remains. I sat in the stylist’s chair and didn’t say a word even though I was shouting ‘what the fuck’ inside my head. After seeing the damage that could be done with scissors and a razor, I refused to let them near my beard.

Resting on my elbows I drop my head into my hands. The heels of my palms press into the sockets as I try to dispel the migraine that’s settled deep behind my eyes. I’m getting them more often these days. I need a vacation.

“What’s the matter with you?” Chase inquires.

Raising my head, I press my lips together and glance in his direction. A long lock of hair falls down to dangle in my face, adding insult to injury. It’s not bad enough they made me almost bald on the sides and back, but they left the top too long. If I’m not constantly running my fingers through my hair, it continually descends on my face. At least before the haircut I could pull it back into a small ponytail. Now, it’s a constant nuisance. “Nothing man, I’m just annoyed and overwhelmed with all I have to do.”

“What are you working on now? Maybe I can help you.”

I quickly close out the messages I sent to Lady Luc. I don’t need him knowing I’m taking an interest in someone on Timber. I’ll never hear the end of it.

Chase leans over the edge of the desk, glancing at my laptop screen. “Are you on Timber right now? That’s the pressing matter that couldn’t wait?” he scoffs.

“Yes, it is. This shit is like a full time job. I can’t stay on top of all the messages I get.”

“You need to weed out the ones that are a waste of time. Only keep the ones you’d consider dating.”

“I’m not planning on dating any of them. I don’t even want to be on there. If it wasn’t for the seven figure contract they gave me, I wouldn’t be doing this at all.”

“Dude, you might as well have some fun with it while you’re working. Find a hottie or two to get you over the Talia hump.”

“I’m not hung up on Talia.”

“You’re not over what happened either.”

“You walk in on your girlfriend getting plowed by some dude, his hairy ass in plain sight and balls swinging to and fro and see how you feel. I’m still scarred from that shit.”

“The fastest way to forget is to distract yourself with someone new. It’s been two years now. You’re way overdue to find a new girlfriend.”

“I’m not sure I have time for one. Lately, I barely have room in my schedule for sleep.” I logout of my Timber account and shutdown my laptop. Sliding my chair back, I rise to my feet. “Come on, let’s get started.” Chase follows me down the long, wide hallway to the next room after my office. We step inside the massive custom gym I designed when I had this house built. It has everything I need to maintain and even increase my level of fitness.

“Can I pick some tunes?” Chase asks.

“Sure, go for it. Pick something decent though. None of that pop shit you like.”

“I don’t listen to pop.”

“Bieber is pop.”

“Fine. But his last album was decent, man.”

Heading straight for the treadmill, I step onto the sides and enter in the appropriate information. Fat Bottomed Girls comes on just as it starts moving and I settle into an easy jog for the first mile before bumping it up to a higher speed for another two miles. Once that’s complete I settle back into a fast walk for the final mile. Next up is the elliptical. I have a love-hate relationship with this machine. I appreciate what it does for my cardio, but I dislike the actual act of using it. I know people assume I love everything about working out because I keep myself in peak physical condition, but that would be untrue. Just like with any job, there are parts I enjoy and others I do out of a sense of responsibility. My body has become the tool of all my trades, whether it’s for my tree removal service or being a fitness model. Every way I earn a living hinges on keeping myself in the best shape possible.

An hour later we both pause in our workouts, sweat pouring down our faces. Grabbing two clean towels from the shelf on the back wall, I throw one to Chase. We both wipe our faces and necks down before grabbing our water bottles to rehydrate. Gulping down the ice cold water as fast as I can, I know that I pushed myself harder than usual tonight. After all the talk about finding a girlfriend and getting over what happened with Talia, I was more than a little frustrated and also annoyed. I know Chase means well, but I’m happy with the way my life is right now. My business is thriving in every way and I only have to worry about myself.

“Dude, I’m gonna get going. I have some work to do once I get home. There’s a big presentation tomorrow I need to nail,” Chase informs me.

“What’s it for? A new client?”

“Yeah and it’s a big one. This one could be life altering for me. Cross your fingers it works out.”

“You know it bro. I’m sure you’ll knock it out of the park. You always do.”

He bumps my fist with his. “Thanks for the vote of confidence. It means a lot. Think about what I said. You might as well take advantage of this golden opportunity. You’ve got pussy being thrown at you.”

“Yeah I hear ya, man,” I reply, automatically. I have no intention of doing what he suggested.

“I’ll see myself out.” He gives me a wave and walks out of the gym. Drinking down the rest of the water, I throw the empty bottle in the recycling bin and the dirty towels in the laundry basket. Tiffany, my housekeeper, comes in once a week to wash them all for me. She also cleans the rooms I use on a regular basis. I try not to make her job too difficult. Part of that involves keeping the whites and colors separate. She goes bat shit crazy when I mix the two. It sends her over the edge for some reason. The last time I made the mistake of throwing a few dark towels in with the whites she scolded me and I ended up buying her a gift card to apologize.

I head into the master bedroom and continue on to my en suite bathroom. A hot shower to wash away all the toxins I sweated out is the perfect way to cap off a cardio session. An ice cold rinse that has my teeth chattering is the finale to my shower. Drying off quickly, I stand at the sink brushing my teeth. Staring at my face in the mirror, I look at myself objectively. My nose is narrow and straight; not bad for a guy who lives a physically active life. Running a finger over the bridge, the slight bump I can feel is unnoticeable to look at. My bluish-gray eyes narrow as I study myself. My eyebrows are a shade darker than my sandy blonde hair and my lips are masculine in shape and framed by a beard. All in all, I’m not a bad looking guy, but I know that I don’t have the confidence it takes to pursue a woman. I’m just not there, right now. I hope to get back to that point, someday.

Walking naked to my room, I flip on my bedroom light as I step inside. The far wall is mostly glass, but I’m not worried about anyone seeing in. There are no nearby neighbors to spy on me. Aside from some wild animals in the woods behind my house, there’s nothing around. It’s just me and the natural beauty of nature on all sides.

When I designed this house, I added large windows and lots of thick wooden beams to complement the outside. The inside feels like a ski lodge, and the ten foot stone fireplace in the living room just adds to the effect when a fire is blazing inside. But right now it’s late spring and the temperature is warming up daily. The season for lighting fires is over and pretty soon it will be time to open the windows and let the cool night breeze in.

I slip on some boxer briefs and climb under the covers on my bed. Sybil, my white cat jumps up, padding over to knead her paws on my chest. Purring deeply, she lays down on top of me, closing her eyes. I scratch behind her ears how she wants and it almost looks as though she’s smiling at me. “You’re my pretty little kitty. What would I do without you?” I use my fingernails to comb through the soft fur under her chin. She arches her neck and her purr becomes deeper like the rumble of a motorcycle. My mind wanders to the picture of LadyLuc and how staring at her sparkling eyes made me feel connected to her in some strange way. I have to get to know this girl.

Sybil nudges my hand, being the demanding little diva she is. “I know. It’s just you and me. We don’t need anyone else, do we?”