Reassessing his lifestyle choices.

The first thing Spencer did after dropping Danielle back off to work was quickly escaping town and retreat to his farmhouse along the back roads. He had this feeling of uncomfortableness that came to him when he felt he was doing something wrong or unethical. He’d started getting the sensation after several years as a lobbyist. It hadn’t always been like that but as he’d slowly pushed the boundaries of what was right and decent in exerting pressure on the politicians he’d been trying to influence. As he became more and more successful using dirtier and dirtier means the feeling had become nigh overwhelming at times. When Kirsten had died which coincided with the worst stress and guilt his work had ever given him, Spencer had quit everything and never looked back.

Under the hot water of his shower, Spencer wrestled with the thought that he was slipping back into the old ways. He tried to pinpoint exactly when the feeling had started to occur again. It wasn’t when he’d been sleeping with Darcie Collins. Her husband Tony had known everything that was going on and given Spencer his blessing many times. Was it on the massage table with Jessica Wolfe? No, Spencer thought, he’d behaved appropriately stopping things from going any further. He did have pretty incredible sex with Danielle almost straight after that. He had strayed next with Evelyn Malone which was wrong of Spencer. He knew that and did feel ashamed of himself because of it. And then today he had made out with his school friend Jasmine Hong and had again taken out his sexual frustrations on Danielle straight afterwards.

Coming to somewhat of an epiphany, Spencer thought what was troubling him was that he feared he was using Danielle. He knew the beautiful bank worker was very much into him but did Spencer feel the same way about her. He found her very attractive and sexually appealing, no doubt, but could he picture himself wanting to spend the rest of his life with her as he had assumed he would with his wife Kirsten. Of that, he couldn’t be so sure.

Shutting off the water to his shower, Spencer resolved himself that he would find a time and a place to have a deeper talk with Danielle about their thoughts and expectations for the future. If they brought things out into the open, well not Evelyn and Jasmine, but their intentions for each other. It would allow Spencer to feel much more at peace within his soul.

At least partially at ease now, Spencer returned to the school that afternoon and collected Amy. They spent the night as they had so many others together. Amy got her homework out of the way while Spencer made dinner. They ate together in front of the fire and took turns to watch a movie of each other choosing. One old classic for Spencer and a new modern one for Amy.

The following day Spencer dropped his daughter at school and called in on John and Massie Monaghan. John was eager to hear everything that had happened with the sheriff’s department once he’d left. Spencer told him as much as he reasonably could and they rescheduled the rest of the basement removal works for the start of the next week.

An email came through from his insurance company that day to inform Spencer that his Mercedes would be a total write off and he would receive a cheque for the agreed value of the vehicle in the next 5 to 10 working days. The insurance company would cover the rental of his BMW for the time it took for the cheque to arrive. He was fortunate enough that he had the money and didn’t have to wait for the payout to arrive before he could go shopping.

Amy had softball practise in the afternoon that Spencer would go along and watch. In the time in between that he wanted to get out onto his lake once again in his canoe. Once the full cold of winter arrived it could be weeks before he got back out there again. He wanted to test how his shoulder was recovering too and see if his session with Jessica had helped it or not. He found once he got out onto the water and warmed up that the clinking in the joint had gone but that it still ached painfully and that he had significantly reduced power in his arms. He resolved to see a doctor this time about his injury and get a referral to a specialist. He was still embarrassed about what had happened during his massage and the response from his own body to it.

At the school, Spencer took his customary place at the top of the school bleachers to give himself a better view to watch over Amy. Besides game days he was usually the only parent there. His early retirement meaning he had the time and resources to be able to make it to practises and not just the game days. Amy in her playing uniform gave her Dad a quick wave up at the stands as she and the other girls drew closer to their coach Miss Wolfe. The fit young teacher following Amy’s motion with her eyes and seeing Spencer watching down over them.

“Alright girls. It’s cold so I want you properly warmed up before we get started. Two laps of the field this time. And no cutting corners,” the coach told them. Sending them on their way with a groan. Two laps were twice their normal warm-up distance.

The extra distance gave Jessica time to head over to Spencer and get talking with him.

“Heya Spencer,” she greeted him friendly. She was dressed all in black in tight leggings and a windbreaker jacket.

“Good afternoon Miss Wolfe,” Spencer returned.

“Jessica, please. I like to think we know each other a little better than that,” she told him.

Spencer felt a flush going to his cheeks at her words. His mind going back to himself lying on her massage table stiff as could be.

“Jessica. Sorry.”

“How is the shoulder now by the way?”

Spencer’s cheeks turning from flushed to full-on redness as she drew attention to their last meeting.

“I went out onto the lake today. It’s, ahh, coming along very nicely thank you. The clicking is gone but the pain is still there a little bit,” he assured her.

“That’s wonderful to hear. The pain could be due to swelling still.” Did she really have to mention swelling around him? “I would still like to do one or two follow-ups. Just to make sure the blood is draining away properly,” Jessica pressed him.

Spencer too thought about what blood had needed to be drained away after his last time on her table. He tried to be a little bit cagey with his response knowing that she was a school teacher and worked during the day. “I’m really only free mostly during the day,” he told her.

“Great. I’m teaching half days on Thursdays starting next week to make up for coaching the girls on weekends now. Do afternoons work for you?”

“I can’t think why not.” His plan of avoidance had failed spectacularly.

“Wonderful. My place at one it is then,” Jessica said jubilantly.

The girls were nearing the end of their second lap and would be done soon. Miss Wolfe would have to make her way back down to the playing field. She offered for Spencer to move a little closer to the action. “You know you don’t have to keep sitting so far up here by yourself you know. You can come down a bit closer and watch. It might help you to get a better feel for the game.”

“I don’t mind honestly. The view is almost better from up here,” he told her.

“It’s the yoga pants isn’t it,” she said with a laugh turning her back towards Spencer and showing her tight bum off to him.

Spencer felt he should argue with her somehow but found himself following the gym teacher back down to the bottom row of the stand with which to watch.

Through practise Spencer found himself watching Jessica in her tight pants just as much as he watched Amy. He was a little annoyed at himself after his soul searching in the shower yesterday that he found himself checking out the teacher so much. He’d told himself he would be better and he hadn’t spoken to Danielle at all yet. When training was finished, he would make a quick escape with Amy and avoid having talking to Jessica again.

As Spencer’s luck would have it though, Miss Wolfe came walking over to him with Amy beside her. The fit young teacher had a gear bag thrown over one shoulder as she walked and talked with his daughter.

“All done now Amy?” Spencer asked her as she nodded to her father. “All finished for the day now too Miss err… Jessica?” It felt a little strange calling Amy’s teacher by her first name in front of her. He’d asked as a polite curtsey expecting to go home straight afterwards.

“Ugh, I wish. I have to help set up for the Parent-Teacher Meeting now actually. If you’re going, I would be grateful for the hand,” Jessica asked Spencer. She really just wanted an excuse to spend more time with the handsome gent anyway. Her plan to stick herself next to Amy once practise was over seemed to be working perfectly.

“I think Amy would like to go straight home, wouldn’t you hun?” Spencer asked Amy.

“Kimberly and her parents are going to be there, Dad. Can we stay please?” Amy responded in the exact opposite way he’d been expecting.

“I guess we're staying then,” Spencer declared reluctantly. He hated these sorts of things and considered them a colossal waste of his time.