The Fidelity Test

Chapter One

When Suse Dossenheimer dropped him, everything changed for Brian Wilkins. He admitted no responsibility for his actions. He simply moved on. He did not look at himself to understand why he lost her respect and repair their relationship. Actually, he knew why she dumped him. He humiliated her in front of their classmates (Class of 1963) who were loyal friends, together for the past twelve years at St. Joseph’s Catholic School. Suse would resist him from then on. For her, he would be a study partner at Notre Dame but nothing else. She had seen the real Brian Wilkins and he was not marriage material. Brian felt he had no choice but to accept that he lost her; simultaneously he knew he lost his chance to marry into the Dossenheimer family wealth, lost his opportunity to be rich the easy way, and now he must work for it.

He felt humiliated when Suse dropped him so he ran away to England. He studied abroad to raise his self-esteem. During this time, he established new goals for the future. Some were not so good, rejection of his current values as outdated included those learned and adopted as a child, those important aspects of his character learned and reinforced by family, friends, church and community, those practiced later as a young adult, plus he fell away from his faith. Everything changed for him when he left his value system in the States.

When he lived abroad, he rejected his past and welcomed new information about life, tried to change himself as a person into something better. Life had been simple when he attended St. Joseph’s Catholic School. However, he blamed himself for having lost Suse Dossenheimer and perhaps needed to attribute it to something. Because he blamed himself, he changed his values, changed himself. He decided to place faith in himself as his guiding principle. He forsakes his willingness to follow faithfully the principles of the Catholic faith. Essentially he became an atheist rather than be guided in faith.

Now many of his learned virtues lost in favor of adopting a new philosophy, Brian Wilkins thought he would do better to place faith in himself, so he became a changed man but it was a subtle difference, not easily recognized. His most important goal was to become rich and powerful no matter what, and he would do this himself, by himself, for himself.

With a new way of looking at life, Dr. Brian Wilkins returned to Roseboro, Nebraska, from Oxford College in 1972, with an impressive doctorate in economics and finance. His primary focus was clear—to be a successful executive, a professional.

Brian interviewed at Lighted Beacon Insurance Company in Slater, Nebraska for a sales position. He found he did not possess the required qualifications for employment. Lighted Beacon required he must be married, have children, and go to church every Sunday. He scored zero on the marital front. In addition, his faith had slipped away. He wanted the job so he decided to meet their standards.

He tried to locate Jen Timmons and quickly rekindle her love flame, which possibly had been burning since their graduation from St. Joseph’s Catholic School in 1963. Fortunately, Jen had waited for him.

He recalled that summer of 1963.

Suse Dossenheimer had explained to him, No. I cannot go out. I want to study, since my books have already arrived, I need to get a head start on the course material. This was after the event occurred and first example of how quickly Suse turned away from him. Therefore, Brian had turned to Jen Timmons.

After graduation, his classmates scattered in different directions. Everyone was feeling in limbo between high school and college or high school and work. Brian and Suse would soon leave for Notre Dame, but Brian already knew his attempts to date Suse were doomed. After all, he embarrassed her in front of their classmates that day on the pier at his parent’s farm, and he could not take it back no matter how much he regretted it now.

Later that summer, after graduation, Brian found Jen Timmons working at the Sand and Sandals Soda Shop. He ate a lot of cheeseburgers and fries to be close to her. Jen welcomed him moreover, she was not afraid to show her love for him. She smiled at him and laughed with him, flirted with him, unashamed, as her infatuation with him increased. He admired her ambition to work through the summer and with the pretense of mutual admiration for each other, they proceeded to date.

When Brian was leaving for Notre Dame, Jen promised him, I’ll wait for you. In the fall, Jen would be leaving for University of Nebraska Omaha.

Brian had said to Jen, You don’t have to wait for me.

Jen had said, I will. I want to wait for you.

When Brian was away at Notre Dame, Jen graduated with a major in library science. Now, years later, Brian found her working in the public library in Roseboro. He accidentally ran into her one afternoon as she left work. Their previous mutual infatuation resurfaced. To put it mildly, a whirlwind romance progressed. They fell in love. In less than a month, Jen became Mrs. Brian Wilkins.

Lighted Beacon Insurance Company, located in Slater, Nebraska, was a reputable company with many locations in every state and one branch in London, England, another in Dublin, Ireland. Elliott Nelson, president of the company, offered Brian a sales position immediately when he read a revised curriculum vitae, which emphasized Brian was a stable member of the community, a married man, and he and his wife were members of the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Roseboro, Nebraska.

Therefore, shortly after their marriage, Brian accepted the job as a high profile executive at Lighted Beacon Insurance Company. His family-man profile had begun and soon he would have a couple of children. Brian and Jen settled themselves in an idealistic manner, a picture perfect marriage, in prosperous Buena Vista in Roseboro, Nebraska.

Jen and Brian had a good marriage. Brian was completely absorbed with his work as an insurance salesperson, Jen was contently married to the man of her dreams; not interested in working outside the home, and she had no desire to live anywhere other than Roseboro and no desire to do anything else but be married to Brian Wilkins and raise their two children. Jen was active in the Women’s Club, and Brian Wilkins was a successful executive, a workaholic with uncertain hours. Brian reassured Jen that sometimes it was necessary to schedule appointments outside of the normal nine-to-five workday, emphasizing the convenience of clients was what mattered the most. Jen knew this was probably true in some cases, but not all the time, and she remained silent not one to voice objections at every little thing. Nevertheless, Jen Timmons-Wilkins sat up waiting for Brian Wilkins to come home in the evening at the beginning of his career, but later she did not.

1979

Chapter Two

After almost seven years of marriage, Jen Wilkins was as busy being a wife and mother as Brian was living the life of a successful insurance executive. Brian’s career at Lighted Beacon Insurance Company had taken off like a Fourth of July fireworks display. In order to achieve such recognition, his long hours at work increased and his time with the family decreased. He was so engrossed in his work that he could not find time to answer Jen’s calls. He carried his neglect of her to such an extreme that she did not know whether to expect him for dinner or not on any given night. This disrespect for her feelings led Jen to suspect Brian was having an affair.

At the start of his career, Brian gave Jen the reassurance she needed to organize her life around him. When she knew what time to expect him home, she and the girls waited patiently for him. Jen took pride in preparing nutritious meals for her family. Only when Brian conferred with her during the day and shared his appointment schedule was she able to create the family life she so desperately needed. However, when Brian neglected to confirm his love for her, Jen became anxious.

These days Brian was departing from his usual schedule and Jen felt as if she were an afterthought. She assumed Brian was seeing another woman. Why else would he be so oblivious to her feelings? Nagging doubts about Brian’s fidelity haunted her. After all, she thought, even small schoolchildren can advise others of their plans, answer a phone, or return a call. Was he seeing many different women, or just one? She had to find out. Jen devised a plan that would help her with these doubts about Brian’s faithfulness. She decided to meet with Denise Rearden, Brian’s secretary.

*     *     *

Friday, January 19, Denise Rearden parallel parked her green Fiat on a side street in downtown Slater. From her parking space, she could see the entrance to Mocha Joe’s Café, a popular hangout for college students. The high-backed dark-red leather-like booths, colorful mosaic tiles embedded in tabletop of a rectangular wooden table, privacy assured, and votive candles scented fragrantly. Musically entertaining with background jazz music—it was perfect for a special date. However, this meeting was not a romantic interlude, but just the opposite.

Denise hired early at the beginning of Brian Wilkins’s astonishing sales career seven years ago. She regularly wore Pabla Piccasa, her personal signature scent, on exposed wrists and behind her earlobes.

When Jen scheduled to meet Denise, she provided a word of caution: Do not tell Brian about the meeting. It is just between you and me.

Therefore, that morning, in order to meet with Jen, Denise Rearden lied to Brian Wilkins, stating, I have a dentist appointment this morning, then lunch after that. Therefore, I will be out of the office for a few hours. Can you spare me for a while? Denise knew him pretty well. She had witnessed him developing his business, and now he was an outstanding salesperson certainly at the top of his game.

Of course, that is fine, Brian always understood her desire to please him.

Sitting outside Mocha Joe’s Café, Denise Rearden wondered what Jen Wilkins needed to see her about. She did not notice Jen waited in her car; most cars were visible with no occupants inside. Seeing no one, Denise disembarked from her Fiat and hurried to the café.

When she opened the door, she and Jen saw each other simultaneously. They both smiled and said hi but both women remained anxious, ill at ease, because they were meeting secretly behind Brian’s back, plus Jen wanted to be able to count on Denise to produce the answers she required and Denise Rearden did not know why Jen Wilkins needed to meet with her secretly.

An observant male server dressed in black pants and white shirt and tie spotted the women. This time of day the kitchen staff took advantage of few customers and prepared items in advance of the noon rush. This preparation produced the tantalizing aroma drifting throughout the restaurant. The server’s rubber-soled shoes silently touched the floor as he walked toward the customers. He heard audible though incomprehensible sounds from kitchen dishwashers who accidentally banged large metal pots against stainless steel sinks. He smiled apologetically, and he asked these guests to follow him. High-heeled pumps clicked loudly against the old wooden plank floor asynchronously when Jen took the lead and followed the server to the rear of the coffee shop, Denise followed, and her pumps clicked as well.

Jen thought Denise seemed to wear a lot of cologne. Jen felt as though she, herself, was swimming in a cloud of the perfume and it was not her desired scent.

I just want coffee, please, Jen said to the server.

Denise chimed in. Same for me.

After the server left with the unneeded menus, Jen said to Denise, I’m going to come right to the point. I have the feeling that Brian may be seeing other women. I need your help. I have a plan.

Jen proceeded to say to Denise, I need you to put together a female’s plan to entice my husband. You can do it any way you like, but if he falls for it, back off so nothing actually happens. You see, if he falls for it, I will have my answer. That is all you have to do. You do not really have to do anything but tease and entice. This is a test of his will. Just get to the risqué stage and then back off. You will report your results to me. I will pay you to do this. You may have some expenses putting the plan into action, plus there is extra money for you.

Their coffee arrived; each sipped theirs in silence, felt uneasy with the topic of discussion. Denise thought a little money for a little playacting sounded like a good deal. There was a question, though, as to how much Jen might pay, since Jen had not yet shared how much it was to be.

Denise asked, How much are you willing to pay me?

Jen said, Fifteen hundred for you, and a thousand for those who will help you pull this off. I know a setup like this will take some money, and I will give you cash today. I hope that receiving the money translates into action soon.

Both drank their coffee in silence.

Denise said thoughtfully, I will try to arrange it for Sunday evening, January 28. I will set up a business appointment with fictitious clients; then I will try to seduce Brian. If he falls for it, you will have the answer that he is capable of being unfaithful. If he does not fall for it, you will know he is a true husband to you. Jen, I can give you the answer from the fictitious business meeting the following day. We could meet here the following Monday morning at 11:00 a.m.

January twenty-ninth? Jen asked, confirming the date.

Yes.

This plan must be executed without anything going wrong.

Denise assured her, It will be a flawless execution.

Both women then left the café together and departed quickly.

After the meeting with Denise Rearden, Jen rushed to shop for herself and Brian wardrobes for the upcoming cruise to the Caribbean. Brian had sold so many life insurance policies the previous year that he and Jen were receiving an all expenses paid holiday vacation, aboard a private cruise. Only the selected cream of the crop salespersons from Lighted Beacon Insurance would be on this excursion, and Brian Wilkins was one of the outstanding performers for the year 1978. In fact, Jen thought he might end up being the top salesperson. The cruise ship, called Heiress Beneficiary, would leave Jacksonville, Florida, and travel to the Caribbean. There would be many festivities on board, and Jen wanted to look sharp.

In addition, she was adding a few new furnishings to the guest room because her parents would move to the Wilkins’s house to take care of the children, supervise the girls, keep them in school, prepare meals, and play board games, while Jen and Brian were away.

Jen wanted to have time alone with Brian to attend performances, wine tastings, take painting lessons, dance lessons, and play bridge. Jen also desired time to meet other wives, compare notes and further understand Brian’s work obsession and find out if their husbands displayed the same work ethic as Brian. Jen wondered to herself, Do I have anything in common with the other wives on the cruise? Do they have children? How long have their husbands been selling insurance? She knew discussion of these topics was a certainty.

*     *     *

As Denise returned to her car, she started to plan. I really need to arrange the details today, she thought. Since Brian did not expect her to return to the office for several hours, it was the ideal time to lay the groundwork for Jen’s test. Denise just needed to get back to the office before Elliott Nelson noticed her prolonged absence. If Mr. Nelson knew about her long absence from the office, he could make life uncomfortable for Brian with questions regarding it.

Denise unlocked her green Fiat, deep in thought about where could she hire these fictitious clients? What man and woman would participate in this masquerade? She estimated the escapade would take about two hours or more. Once she had the fictitious clients lined up, she would just tell Brian that she had scheduled a business appointment for Sunday, January 28, at 7:00 p.m. She was always scheduling appointments for him, so he would not believe this appointment different from the rest. Denise needed two people to play the part of clients. These potential clients would meet with her and Brian. During the business meeting, Brian would discuss the reasons for buying a life insurance policy at Lighted Beacon Insurance Company. He always explained advantages to clients so thoroughly the clients bought the policy.

Enacting the plan to seduce Brian would come later after she and Brian return to the office after the business meeting. By this time, Brian would have had the fictitious client sign the policy, and Brian would have signed as the Lighted Beacon representative as well. Then, she would stay in the office to finish the paperwork. She would make copies for the file. At this point, she would try to entrap Brian. After determining if he was interested in her, she would leave before anything happened. She would report to Jen at 11:00 a.m. at the coffee shop the next morning with the results.

The more Denise imagined how the appointment would go, the more she thought actors from the SAD Guild would make good prospective clients. Would these actors feel intimidated by the corporate world? She did not think so. She figured that as long as they were paid, they probably would not question anything too much. The SAD Guild, a group of singers, actors, and dancers, was located in Omaha. Denise had attended the Franklin Business School and had walked by the guild entrance many times a week on her way to and from class, and during those two years, she attended quite a lot of SAD Sunday matinees. Sunday evening, January 28, was a great time for Denise to obtain results for Jen.

She decided to have the business meeting at a restaurant. That way Brian consumed many drinks. This might be integral in her mischievous attempted alteration of his normal professional demeanor.

Denise sprayed a little more Pabla Piccasa on herself and purposely drove to Omaha to complete all arrangements.

Sixty minutes later, Denise entered the city limits of Omaha. She left the interstate and exited at Friendly Avenue, traveled many blocks toward the older downtown area. Familiar buildings, churches, stately mansions and ornate streetlights characterized this prosperous section built almost a decade ago. The Thomas Jefferson Middle School building now renamed, The Guild, a school for promising actors. Though Denise felt comfortable in Omaha, she moved to Slater without misgivings. She eased her car to the curb.

Once inside the building she spotted an older woman who polished green leaves of a philodendron. As the door closed, the woman turned around.

Denise asks, Is there a manager I could speak with? I need to hire two actors.

As a response, the woman pointed down the hall.

Denise walked in the direction indicated. Autographed photographs framed of well-known movie stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Bing Crosby, Debby Reynolds, and Doris Day lined the walls of the hallway. She spotted one open door and entered.

Denise wore a big smile on her face when she greeted the man at the desk. Hello.

The manager’s embossed nameplate, Manuel Gomez, indicated he was possibly of Mexican or Spanish descent. The stoutly built middle-aged man continued to smooth his short black moustache, deliberated on selection of students for The Lady of the Lake matinee. His office appeared disorganized with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves crammed with too many books, outdated magazines and newspapers yellowed with age. On his large desk, a plate with lunch untouched teetered precariously on top a pile of papers within easy reach. He heard someone enter but this was just one more interruption for him no matter who thought otherwise. If he did not get these students assigned soon there would be no audition or performance, memorized lines performed on schedule useless.

Sit down. What can I do for you today? Manuel said.

Denise explained, I need to hire two actors for an assignment. Denise discussed her requirements for the job. She explained they were to act as new clients interested in buying a life insurance policy.

Denise explained, They don’t have to understand completely all the discussion that will take place at the business meeting. There will be complicated ideas relevant to buying an insurance policy, but they do need to be willing to sign the forms and remit a check for a down payment. Do you know of such a couple, maybe a husband and wife, who might be available to act for one night, January 28? It will be a business meeting in downtown Slater.

Manuel asked, Do they need to speak English?

No.

He continued, I know of two performers who are classified as actor and dancer. This married couple actually lives in downtown Slater. That would be convenient—no transportation costs to and from the event. In addition, they are in residence at the Spanish Mission in Slater. This could be perfect for you. For an evening performance of two hours, the price will be one thousand dollars. Do we have agreement?

Denise was relieved and quickly agreed. That is perfect. They need to be at The Ostrich restaurant the evening of Sunday, January 28 at 6:00 p.m. Before the business appointment, I will meet them to explain the procedure to them and pay in advance for all drinks. Then I will leave and return to the restaurant at 7:00 p.m. with Mr. Wilkins, the salesperson. He will sell them the insurance policy later that evening. The gentleman needs to bring with him a one hundred thousand dollar check to submit as downpayment on the policy. The evening will be fun with business and socializing.

Denise prepared to leave. She paid the manager and thanked him. I really appreciate you are able to provide me with a couple of performers on such short notice.

The manager said, "You