02-11-2019, 02:39 AM
Their lips parted, and Jessika’s wide eyes stared into his own. He was so nervous the first time they kissed. Sixteen years old after the homecoming dance. Jessika wore a pink dress with a sweet-heart neckline. She looked like a beauty queen, he remembered thinking. He thought his heart was going to bust out of his chest when she leaned close under her dad’s porch. The curls in her hair had fallen from dancing all night. A sheen of sweat touched his own. Now he realized why he’d been so nervous.
The slender crook of her arms was a familiar embrace. A subtle hint of perfume doused her ear. This time, he wasn’t nervous. He was compliant. It was like kissing his sister, and searching eyes roamed his own.
“I think we should divorce,” he never thought he’d hear himself say the phrase. Vows were eternal, but they were falsely laid promises. She deserved better.
Anger flared her brow, “Jesus Christ, Jensen” she cursed and pushed him off. His jaw dropped.
“Jessika, did you just?”
She glared at him from across the room, feigning shame, “Take the lords name in vein? Yes, Jensen, I took the Lord’s name in vein, and you fucked cowboys and bought convertibles with patron money.”
It was like a slap across the cheek.
He nodded, arms folding across his chest. “Guess that’s all the more reason to divorce.” It was hard to look at her the same, now. Like all these years away he’d built a shrine of the image that was Jessika James, preacher’s wife only to learn it was all plaster and cardboard.
“You’re that naive?” She shook her head and slipped her suit jacket from her shoulders. The red garment was tossed on the king-bed. “We aren’t divorcing, Jensen. I’m the Governor of Texas. All those years I served quiet at your side while you took the stage? This time you’ll do the same for me.”
She went into the closet and returned with one of his former suits. She sauntered near, but it wasn’t to embrace this time. The hanger was thrust in his hands as she started to undress him. “Now it’s your turn to be the doting spouse. You’re going to help me the way I helped you, because you owe me. You owe me for everything. Everything you put us through.” Her chin tilted, jaw locked firm.
Jensen took the suit and watched her exit in speechless shock.
A few moments later, he shrugged on the crisp shirt, shaking fingers clumsily closing the buttons.
The slender crook of her arms was a familiar embrace. A subtle hint of perfume doused her ear. This time, he wasn’t nervous. He was compliant. It was like kissing his sister, and searching eyes roamed his own.
“I think we should divorce,” he never thought he’d hear himself say the phrase. Vows were eternal, but they were falsely laid promises. She deserved better.
Anger flared her brow, “Jesus Christ, Jensen” she cursed and pushed him off. His jaw dropped.
“Jessika, did you just?”
She glared at him from across the room, feigning shame, “Take the lords name in vein? Yes, Jensen, I took the Lord’s name in vein, and you fucked cowboys and bought convertibles with patron money.”
It was like a slap across the cheek.
He nodded, arms folding across his chest. “Guess that’s all the more reason to divorce.” It was hard to look at her the same, now. Like all these years away he’d built a shrine of the image that was Jessika James, preacher’s wife only to learn it was all plaster and cardboard.
“You’re that naive?” She shook her head and slipped her suit jacket from her shoulders. The red garment was tossed on the king-bed. “We aren’t divorcing, Jensen. I’m the Governor of Texas. All those years I served quiet at your side while you took the stage? This time you’ll do the same for me.”
She went into the closet and returned with one of his former suits. She sauntered near, but it wasn’t to embrace this time. The hanger was thrust in his hands as she started to undress him. “Now it’s your turn to be the doting spouse. You’re going to help me the way I helped you, because you owe me. You owe me for everything. Everything you put us through.” Her chin tilted, jaw locked firm.
Jensen took the suit and watched her exit in speechless shock.
A few moments later, he shrugged on the crisp shirt, shaking fingers clumsily closing the buttons.