"Good Morning, this is the Governor's office. How may I help you?"
"Good Morning, Leslie, this is Senator Reingold. Is the Governor available?"
"Good to hear from you, sir, let me check."
After several minutes, the Governor came on the phone. "Good Morning, Bruce, what's going on?"
"Good morning, sir. A situation's come up and I'm going to resign from the Senate. Personal reasons is all I want to say until we can get together to discuss it. I wanted to give you a heads up, I know you have some decisions to make."
The governor chuckled. "It's not funny but I was just thinking about this type of situation the other day. I've got a contingency plan; I've got to talk to a few people first though. Are you free tomorrow?"
"I'm at your disposal, sir."
"Fine, I'll have Leslie set it up. You want to release a statement now, or wait until after we meet?"
"I think I'd rather wait."
"Yeah, that's better. We need to discuss the details first. How's Lynne taking this or have you told her?"
"I told her, she's not happy with the circumstances but supports my decision."
"That bad, huh, what the hell did you do?"
"I'd rather wait until we meet to get into the specifics, sir. The whole situation is not good. Let me leave it at that for now, okay?"
"All right, Bruce. I'll have Leslie get back with you. See you in the morning."
"Yes, sir, good-bye."
Thirty minutes later, Lynne walked in the door, looking composed. "Well, did you talk to the Governor?"
"Yeah, we're going to meet tomorrow morning to discuss it."
"I guess he agreed with you. When are you going to announce it?"
"I'm going to wait until after I meet with him. I want his advice on how to handle it."
"Are you going to admit infidelity?" she asked, anxiously.
He shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I thought I would just come clean. You don't think that's best?"
She walked over to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water. After opening it and taking a swig, she said, "If you don't, what are the chances of this information getting out? Is Harris going to risk his involvement by exposing you after you resign?"
Thinking for a moment, he said, "I don't think so. It wouldn't serve any purpose but to embarrass me, uh, us. Politically, this would finish him too."
"Who else knows about it?"
" I don't know about Harris's side. The only other person I've told is Fred Waring, he won't say anything."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, he has as much contempt for the system as I do. I'm sure about him."
"So, you're sure Harris would be bringing down his little house of horrors, or maybe whores is a better word, if this whole thing went public?"
"Yes, I'm sure. I know I can get at least one other person to substantiate what I'm saying."
She stared at him for a long time; anger rising to the surface again. "I don't want one of those whores substantiating anything, period." After glaring at him for another minute, she continued. "Let me tell you something. You've jeopardized our marriage, that's a fact. I'm willing to forgive, that's also a fact. You're contemplating bringing massive public humiliation down on your family, me, your children. Don't do it! I don't give a damn if public exposure brings the whole sordid, sleazy mess we have for a federal government into the limelight. I don't care; it's not worth it." Sticking her finger in his chest, she continued, "You owe me, and your family a bunch. Don't you even think about going public with this."
Startled by his wife's aggressiveness, he stepped back. "Okay, honey. I won't, I will not say anything besides personal reasons."
"Fine," she said firmly and then, looking directly into his eyes, said, "God damn you." Seconds later, the sobbing began. He came over and put his arms around her, holding her close, not saying a word.
Suddenly she stopped and stepped back from him. "Don't you ever touch another woman! Promise me that?"
"I promise, honey, I promise."
Composing herself, she said, "Let's get some coffee and talk about the Governor and what he's going to do."
He poured two cups of coffee and brought them to the living room. Sitting them on the coffee table, he sat down next to his wife on the sofa.
"So, what do you think the Governor will do?" she asked.
"I'm not sure, exactly. He'll either put his Chief of Staff, Mercouri, in my place or take Carl Johnston, the State Senator. It will be one of those two."
"Do you think he has any plans for you?"
"I don't know."
* * *
Bruce sat outside the governor's office waiting for him to conclude a meeting with the Speaker of the House.
He felt worse now. Once he made his decision back in Washington, he informed the committee chairman, Senator Spencer. The chairman agreed not to say anything until Bruce officially made the announcement. He skipped the committee meeting on Friday and spent the weekend clearing out his office and packing his personal affects for shipment on Monday. It was probably the worst weekend of his life. The magnitude of what he had done hit him hard. His senate career was over, all because he couldn't keep it in his pants. The remorsefulness he felt was overwhelming. These two young girls had exposed a character flaw that he didn't know existed.
The Speaker of the House came out of the Governor's office and nodded at Bruce. The governor's secretary motioned for him to go in.
