So, she decided to take a hot shower to wash off the travel grime and maybe order some room service for dinner. The hot water felt wonderful, both relaxing and reviving her. A half hour later, she was dressed and sipping a cup of hot tea on her deck and enjoying the feel of the warm breeze across her face and the crisp, clean air tinged slightly with the salty scent of the sea. From where she sat, she could see two families below, playing croquet on the lawn with their children. In the distance, several small sailboats sailed together close to the shore. She knew that the hotel had several catboats available for the guests to use. She’d never sailed before, but it looked like fun.

She was feeling relaxed, for the first time in weeks, until her phone rang, and she instantly tensed up when she saw her agent’s number on the caller ID. She thought about letting it go to voicemail but decided to just see what her agent wanted, and then hopefully not talk to her again for a good long while.

“Hi, Jean, what’s up?” Jean McIntyre had been her agent since the beginning of Bella’s career. She liked her, most of the time. Jean was aggressive and a mover and shaker in the industry. She’d brokered some good deals for Bella. But she was also relentless when she thought Bella should do something. Even now. Bella knew she meant well, but she wasn’t sure that their goals were the same anymore. Jean wanted more, more, more for Bella and Bella wanted less, so much less. She’d almost walked away completely.

“Just checking in. Wanted to make sure you made it there safely and to see if you’re settled in and feeling relaxed yet?”

Bella laughed. “I’ve only been here for about an hour. But it’s lovely. I think it’s exactly what I need. I don’t want to think about anything for the next few months. I just want to read books and relax on the beach.”

Jean was quiet for a moment. “Well, there’s another reason I’m calling, too. I know you said you don’t want to hear about anything new for a while, but something just came in that is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I think you should take a look at it.”

Bella instantly felt her chest tighten and a headache begin to form. The stress was already building at the mere mention of a new project.

“Jean. I told you. I can’t do it right now. I can’t do anything. Any stress causes my Lyme to flare and the last flareup was the worst yet. I need to avoid all stress and just calm myself down. Just thinking about a new project has me feeling twitchy.”