Wild Oats Harvest

Jessica’s powerful sense of morality, hammered deep into her psyche by a long dead mother, and the fact that her philandering husband returned home after only a four-day absence kept her from immediately implementing her “Sean strategy.” But when Taylor stormed out of the house a second time shortly after the holidays, her disgust with his behavior quickly evolved into feelings akin to loathing. Their marriage had survived twenty-two years of more good times than bad, built on what she thought was a solid foundation of caring and respect. Yes, there had been a few moments over the years when Jessica questioned the depth of her love for Taylor, but by and large, their marriage seemed normal by most standards, except for his insatiable appetite for sex. In the early years of their marriage, his persistent sexual demands weren’t so problematic. Jessica had physical needs, too, and for the most part, enjoyed the attention. However, as the years wore on, satisfying Taylor became more a chore than a joy. “I suppose it’s better than the alternative,” she confided to friends, most of whom, considering their own circumstances, expressed disbelief that she would complain about too much sex. After Taylor returned from Savannah’s love nest that first time, their five weeks of attempted reconciliation proved to be a turbulent period, full of ire and recrimination. He tried to be suitably contrite and accommodating, realizing that his dalliance with the sultry Savannah had, at the very least, bruised Jessica’s ego and already shaky self-esteem. Taylor understood that he shouldn’t expect immediate forgiveness. After two decades of marriage, he knew full well that his headstrong, fiery-tempered wife could carry an enduring grudge. But he didn’t anticipate – in fact, he completely underestimated -- the absolute hell she put him through during the holidays. “Her bitterness makes me truly appreciate that old saying, ‘hell hath no fury…’” he confided to an unsympathetic co-worker. “That woman is really pissed off at me.” “No shit,” replied the co-worker, rolling his eyes at Taylor’s obtuseness. “I wonder why?” Taylor seemed unaware of the considerable respect he had lost around the office because of his persistent philandering. At the health club, Jessica elicited exactly the opposite reaction from her co-workers. Far from being judgmental, her friends went out of their way to offer the psychologically battered young woman some measure of solace…except for Sean. He continued to be a pesky but not unpleasant nuisance; hanging around the cardio room; asking Jessica less than tactful questions about her troubled marriage; quietly insinuating that they meet under more discreet circumstances away from the club. “I have a soft shoulder, Jessica,” he kept insisting. “You’re welcome to lean on it and unburden yourself anytime you want. Who knows, maybe I can help.” “You’re beginning to pry, Sean,” she warned him, keeping the aggressive young man at arm’s length. “You know I don’t like for people to meddle in my personal affairs.” But a plan kept forming in her mind. A plan that very definitely involved Sean and that necessitated taking him into her confidence -- and perhaps, into her bed! But ignoring her deeply ingrained moral compass was proving to be a difficult challenge for Jessica. Her deceased mother’s virtues, planted, fertilized and constantly reinforced during Jessica’s youth, persisted, supplying gentle – if niggling -- reminders of right and wrong conduct, the good and bad of things. Difficult, that is, until Taylor abandoned her a second time.