Joel slept until mid-morning. Jessica had coffee, orange juice, and slices of watermelon ready for him. “You need to re-hydrate, Sweetheart.” She stroked his forehead, and he managed a pitiful crooked smile. The pair spent the day in their room watching TV. Joel nursed his hangover while his wife tended to him. Jessica busied herself cleaning and organizing the room and caring for her husband. She ironed their clothes and inventoried the kitchen, compulsively counting the plates and cups. She shooed Joel out of bed onto the sofa then fretted over every wrinkle as she straightened out the sheets then the comforter. The pillows received a vigorous fluffing before she double-checked the clothes, shaking them out and folding them for a second time. That evening Jess lay next to her husband and stroked his arm. She was on her fourth travel-sized bottle of wine and the sharp edge of her anxiety had been filed down to a smooth rounded corner. “I’ll take care of you today, hun. You just relax and feel better. Tomorrow. Tomorrow, I’m going to fuck your brains out.” Jess squeezed his bicep and smiled wickedly. “Tomorrow? During the day? How about tomorrow night, babe? Martin invited me to go deep sea fishing tomorrow. For free.” Joel looked at her hopefully. “What? Listen Joel, we’re going to stay away from Martin Timmons, okay? That guy is bad news. Trust me.” “Oh come on, Jessica. Really? A fishing trip like this is expensive. When am I going to get another chance like this? Bad news?
