"What's this?" Nick asked me as the elevator doors opened. Peering out cautiously, I glanced around the hotel lobby.  

There were papas and tab reps seemingly a mile thick. Cameras seemed attached to people's shoulders like second heads. I suppose that's really what large handheld cameras are to a paparazzi--a second head.  

I shrugged. "Um, I don't know. Is there a celebrity staying here by any chance?" 

It was Nick's turn to shrug. He gave me a sly smile. I smirked at him but couldn't hide the ghost of a smile turning up the corners of my lips. Nick himself was a City celebrity and I half hoped the cameras were, in fact, waiting for him. 

Then I shuddered. I remembered one time in my youth when I had waited in the lobby of the City's Hilton hotel for a glimpse of Princess Diana.  

The Princess had just married and me and about three thousand other hopefuls were crammed into the City's Hilton Hotel. Papas and tab reps were everywhere, lights flashing. The Princess had the unfortunate experience of catching a flash in her eyes and slipped on the shiny marble floor. Aides caught her before she fell down.  

Of course, I only heard about the incident from someone else. Being somewhat short and placed way near the back of the hotel, I didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of catching a glimpse of the Princess.  

I heard the story from a friend of a friend of the woman who stood next to a man who was tall and had seen the whole thing. Then I frowned, remembering the papas in Paris on that fatal August night and the anniversary was this week. 

"There he is! It's Doctor K! Doctor K, what's your platform?" I heard someone shout as I started to step out of the elevator. Having quicker reflexes, Nick pulled me back inside the elevator but not before camera flashes popped and my vision was momentarily blinded.

"Doctor K! Your platform for the press, please!" someone called urgently as the elevator doors finished shutting. My eyeballs felt like they were in a sixties poster and were moving around in multicolored swirls.  

"What in hell was that about?" I asked as the elevator began moving upward. I blinked my eyes to clear them.  

"I'm a little suspicious about the papas," Nick commented, using my slang for the ever-present paparazzi who swarmed hotels whenever a celebrity was in town. "I don't think this is about SARS," he finished.  

I had to admit, I was a little suspicious as well. And I had to admit that I thought Nick was correct. He wouldn't have been asked about his platform if the cameras were there for a World Health Organization story.  

Further fueling my suspicions about the mile-thick camera lenses was the fact that on Wednesday, Nick and I had won a must-use-this-weekend trip to the City's ritziest hotel. The trip was won in a UMC raffle that neither of us knew we had entered.  

Still, with a rooftop swimming pool, in-room Jacuzzis and a free mini-bar (note the use of the word "free"), Nick and I debated for oh, all of ten seconds to determine that we both wanted the weekend getaway.  

Upon our arrival at our posh weekend lodgings (much posher than the Lannings' Napa home), the two of us lovebirds had also discovered that Matt and Harmony had won the same kind of hotel treat. As in our case, the hotel weekend was won in a raffle. The pair were even staying on the same floor as Nick and myself. 

"Me, too," I told Nick now. "That raffle was a bit much for me. Kinda gave the whole thing away," I commented as the elevator doors pinged open.  "Ow!" I said as Nick pinched my bum, biting my lip for using Matt's favorite word. I skipped ahead a few steps then felt Nick pinch me again. "Stop that!" 

"Maybe," was all Nick commented as he stopped off in front of Matt's hotel door. "Do you know what platform means, Rae?" Nick looked at me as he knocked on the hotel door. 

I did indeed know what the word platform meant. "Platform shoes?" I asked meekly, knowing that the answer was not platform shoes. Not by a long shot. Nope. Platform means a whole different thing here in California these days.  

Nick shook his head. "Don't think so." 

I didn't think so either. My suspicion was growing by the second and I knew something was up in Presidio's offices. And that something was really a somebody: somebody who spelled her name J-A-C-K-I-E.  

"Uh..." was all I could say. Nick rapped softly on the door again. "Matt? It's Nick," he called. I breathed a sigh of relief as I heard footsteps in the hotel room. The door opened. 

"Nick! Rae! Come in," Matt motioned us inside the hotel room. His hair was a bit disheveled and he wore a somewhat perplexed look on his face.  He was wearing shorts and a pale blue t-shirt.  

Nick motioned me forward. Like the fool that I am, I should have known better. "Ow!" I turned around and gave him a kiss, hoping he'd forget about pinching my bum.  

"Hello Harmony," Nick said after extracting himself from my embrace. Harmony was sitting on the bed. The hotel room's phone was also sitting on the bed, unplugged.  

"Hello," Harmony said. "Something's rotten in the state of California," she commented brightly. She, too was wearing shorts and a t-shirt except her t-shirt was red. The color suited her very well.  

"And I think I know what it is," Nick informed Matt. He winked at me.  

"I hope so," Matt commented. Then he smiled conspiratorily. "Do you have any idea what our platform is?" 

"Yeah," Harmony said. "What's your platform, Nick?" she asked chirpily, and Nick glanced at her. The corners of his mouth turned up before his mouth broke out into a huge, toothsome grin.  

Gosh, how does he get his teeth so white? I idly wondered, twirling a strand of hair around my forefinger.  

"Will somebody please tell me what is going on?" I asked amiably, next throwing my hands up into the air in mock despair. I thought I knew what was going on but I needed Nick to verify my suspicions. 

"Rae, dear," Nick told me. "Matt and I have had our names submitted involuntarily for the recall election." 

"You? And Matt? Running for governor and lieutenant governor?" I queried innocently. Governor Kokoris! Even though Nick isn't a citizen, the thought of adding the title Governor to Nick's name made me a bit dizzy with happiness. 

"Co-governors," Harmony corrected. "They're running as co-governors." 

Confused, I looked at Nick and Matt. Both men shrugged amiably. "It was news to me this morning," Matt offered by way of explanation. 

"Same here but I didn't know we were running as co-governors," Nick said. "What's this co-governor thing?" he asked Harmony.  

She shrugged. "Somehow, your names were submitted by the deadline for candidacy in the recall election. Both of you were spotted for the $3,500 filing fee and the 65 signatures were collected for each of you. You and Matt were submitted as candidates for co-governor with no lieutenant governor running. I think that means that two heads are better than one when it comes to governing California," she finished brightly.  

"Don't you mean that Nick is up for governor and Matt is his lieutenant?" I asked her. Before now I didn't know who I wanted to choose out of the 135 available candidates. I knew Nick wasn't a citizen and would eventually be disqualified but I'm willing to go with the flow.

Harmony coughed once, then gave me a look filled with daggers. "If I had my choice, Matt would be governor and Nick his lieutenant," she told me drily.  

"Oh, I don't think so, missy!" I retorted, placing my hands on my hips. "No one is going to stop my boyfriend from being governor. Even if he is a non-citizen!"  

"Oh yes, I think so," Harmony retorted. She rose and placed her hands on her hips, facing me. Righteous anger was showing in her expression.  

Glancing at the fellas, I noted Matt and Nick were lounging on the couch, huge smiles on their faces. Great. Apparently they had settled in for the femme show. "Nick would make a much better governor than Matt," I told her emphatically. I stole another glance at Nick. He was smiling but so was Matt. 

"I happen to think Matt would be a much better governor than Nick," Harmony told me pertly, her eyes flashing lightning bolts.  

Wonderful. Here I am, in my mid-forties, arguing like I'm six years old again, batting the same argument back and forth like a tennis ball.  

"Blondie!" was my only reply. Duh, I told myself. That was a most brilliant retort, Sherlock. I wondered what Harmony would come up with in response.  

"Ladies," Matt commented mildly, crossing his legs. Harmony looked at him with a pleading expression on her face. "Please, don't fight," he added in that same mild tone. I was momentarily reminded of Gene Wilder from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.   

"Blondie," I said again then mentally smacked myself.  

"Blondie? Blondie?!?" Harmony shrieked, flinging her arms in the air. Then she took a breath and looked me straight in the eye. "You'd better get yourself down to the hair salon, missy. Your old roots are showing," she finished triumphantly. She tossed her hair wildly.  

"Ouch!" Matt and Nick exclaimed together. Ouch is right. Harmony had stuck a dagger into my age. But I happen to be of the belief that women age like fine wine so I let her comment flow over me. Harmony would be in her forties soon enough.  

Matt decided to step in before Harmony could get any more jabs at me. "You have been spending far too much time chatting with me fellow Englishmen, luv," Matt said but Harmony wouldn't move her eyes from mine.  

"Okay, ladies. That's more than enough cat fights for today," Nick informed us, all business in his voice.  

Nick stood up, walked over to me and pushed me down on the bed into a sitting position. Then he sat on my lap. Despite my anger, I had to admit, Nick's way of subduing me was quite novel and quite welcome. I couldn't help myself: I grinned.  

When I could peek around Nick's slender body, I could see Matt was holding Harmony on his lap.  

"Crumbled pop tart," Harmony muttered. I had no idea what she meant but somehow I knew she was referring to me. I moved to say something but suddenly my mouth was filled with Nick's tongue.  

I think he meant to kiss my lips but my mouth opened just as his lips were touching mine. Being very masculine, Nick took advantage of the opportunity to avail himself of my rotten morning breath. I really need to start drinking Chai spice tea for breakfast. Jules tells me that the cardamom is good for rotten morning breath.  

"Enough!" Matt told Harmony. "Now. On to this co-governor thing." 

Nick extracted himself from my mouth. "Yes. We are co-governor candidates." He sat up ram rod straight on my lap. "Let's get down to business." 

I was kind of hoping that "business" meant Nick's personal brand of business, but I was to be disappointed.   

Matt stood up then shook his finger at me. "Now be nice, Rae. You are the girlfriend of a co-governor candidate and you must get along with Harmony."  

Nick decided that I had cooled down enough and he too stood up. He stretched right in front of me, causing his t-shirt to ripple with his abdominal muscles. I smiled and Nick was satisfied. He moved off and I leaned back on the bed so my back was flat on the bed. "What did you mean by crumbled pop tart?" I asked, twisting my head around so I could see Matt. I twirled a strand of my hair around my finger.  

"You don't want to know," Matt told me, a shadow of a smirk on his handsome face. I sat up and stretched my back.  

"Yes, I do too want to know!" I exclaimed but Matt shook his head. Harmony was standing with her back to me with her shirt halfway up her back. Nick was looking at something on Harmony's back and I felt a momentary flush of anger well in my veins.  

"Tattoo is healing well, Harmony," Nick told her and my anger subsided.  

"Tell me!" I said. Tattoo? "What kind of tattoo?" I asked curiously.  

"Chinese symbol for Peace," Harmony told me. I should have known. Peace and Harmony.  

As if reading my thoughts, Harmony chirped, "Peace and Harmony. Get it?" She grinned at me over her shoulder, looking for all the world like one of those leggy models on the runway. 

"Got it," I informed her. Addressing my next words to Matt, I asked, "Now, what's this crumbled pop tart comment mean?" 

"Well," Matt began amiably enough. "Harmony was chatting with a friend's wife, said friend was on his way to Tokyo." 

"And?" I asked. This could prove to be very interesting. I crossed my legs so I could sit cross-legged on the bed. Matt had sat down again. Harmony pulled down her shirt and went back to her perch on Matt's lap. Nick wandered over to a cart filled with covered plates. Glasses of orange juice rested in crushed ice. There were six glasses. Somebody, and I suspected Harmony, liked her orange juice.  

"And his friend's wife is horrid!" Harmony exclaimed, stroking Matt's hair. He smiled at her and she smiled back. 

"Orange juice?" Nick asked as he took the lid off a covered plate.  Steam rose up from the huge mound of scrambled eggs. "Eggs anyone?" he smiled at us. The three of us shook our heads and Nick began to serve himself a huge mountain of eggs. Man sure likes his protein in the mornings.  

Matt sighed. "My friend Angus McKenna phoned wanting a drink round the pub. The two women wandered over to one of the boutiques where Harmony and his wife Cilla got into a bit of a spat the other day. Harmony referred to Cilla as a crumbled pop tart." 

"They didn't like each other," Matt offered in conclusion. 

"She referred to me as a floozy," Harmony told me, her tone indignant. "First," she emphasized with her hand.  

"Ditzy floozy," Matt corrected, running his hand down Harmony's back.  

"We were in the dressing room trying on clothes. See, Cilla used to be pretty but she's aged like a rose pressed between the pages of a musty book," Harmony informed me, indignation showing in her tone of voice.  

"Nasty," I said, biting my lower lip slightly.  

"Cilla is nasty," Harmony agreed. I shook my head. She didn't seem to understand that I was referring to her.Youth! Sometimes they just can't pick up on shades of meaning without being told.  

"Luv," Matt said but Harmony continued. "From a distance Cilla looks pretty and luverly but up close you can see the makeup caked in the wrinkles on her face. She's like a pop tart that's gone stale so I called her a crumbled pop tart." 

Pouring the orange juice, Nick gave me a glance that told me to bite my tongue. He took a plate full of scrambled eggs over to a chair and sat down, trying to hide both a smirk and a grin on his face.   

Despite my rising anger at Harmony's insult, I had to obey Nick. Not that I agree with Harmony on the age thing. I mean, I am in my forties but as the Spanish say, a woman is at her finest when she's in her forties.  

"Ladies!" Matt said, evidently hoping to calm the two of us down. "Now, say you're sorry." He pinched Harmony's bum and she squealed. 

"Sorry, Rae. I didn't like the blondie remark." 

"I'm sorry as well. It was pretty immature," I couldn't help but giggle a bit.  

Nick was shoving a spoonful of eggs into his mouth. He smiled around his mouthful of food and gave me the thumbs up with his free hand. 

"Yeah," Harmony said and giggled as Matt pinched her bottom. 

"Now, Nick and I have a platform to develop," Matt told us seriously. "What shall it be?" 

"We're kind of new to this governor thing," Nick said, folding a piece of buttered toast over a small mountain of scrambled eggs.  

"You're going to eat that?" I asked Nick. He nodded and took a huge bite out of his toasted egg sandwich. 

"Gooooot!" was his mumbled reply. 

"See, we're not sure that Nick and myself can run for governor or co-governor or whatever it is that we're in the running for," Matt informed everyone.  

"Why not?" Harmony asked, shrugging her shoulders. "Arnold is running." 

"But he's a citizen, luv," Matt told her. "Nick and I are not citizens."  

"This is the stuff of dreams!" Harmony exclaimed and waved an arm for emphasis. "Immigrants who make it big. It's what America is made of. Pull yourself up by your boostraps. Arnold's from Austria and he wasn't so well off when he first immigrated. Now he's got the American dream: lots of wealth." 

"And a lovely wife to boot," Nick added helpfully, folding over another piece of buttered toast on another small pile of eggs.  

"Do you like Maria Shriver?" I asked him, a bit suspicious that my boyfriend would comment on another woman.  

"If she'd add about ten pounds, yes. I would like her very much," Nick told me bluntly and I gasped. 

He smiled at me through a mouthful of toasted egg sandwich. Bits of egg were dripping onto his chin. Despite his comment, I had to smile. How could you not like Nick, especially when looked like a small boy with egg on his chin? He was so cute like that, I wanted to jump off the bed, jump into his lap, and kiss him.   

I had to give Nick credit. If he wasn't dating me, at least he'd be going for another older woman. Nick gives something for us Forties to look forward to in our dreams. 

"At least you have good taste in women, Nick. If you weren't dating me, Maria would be a good subsitute," I told him. I smiled at him to let him know that I understood we were just teasing each other.  

"I don't think Arnold would like that," Harmony commented blandly.  

"He'd likely terminate you, Nick," I teased Nick but Nick shook his head. 

"Nope. I can whip him into a souffle with my hapkido just like that." Nick snapped his fingers for emphasis. "I spent a lot of years learning hapkido," Nick told us as he slurped up his orange juice.  

"Anyways, we need to get a platform together. The mob of cameras will be waiting for us to check out here this morning," Matt commented.  

"We already met them in the lobby," I told Matt. "But what I'd like to know is who nominated us."  

"Who do you think?" Matt asked. He shrugged his shoulders: he didn't know who had nominated him and Nick but he knew something.  

"Jackie," I told him. I was quite sure our sneaky Jackie, Girl Detective, was behind all the latest action.  

Matt shook his head. "I don't think it was Jackie. I remember something about Norman coming around with some papers for me to sign. I was in a hurry--I had to get to the Grand Jury to give some testimony about Linda Weatherbee's last doctor appointment. So I signed those papers without really looking at them." 

"I signed a sheaf of papers as well," Nick offered. "And your signature was on the forms already, Matt. Do you think Norman submitted the candidacy papers for us?" 

"It's possible," Matt agreed. "Let's see. We're running as Independent Co-Governors." 

"Independent?" Nick asked. "What's that?" He looked at me. I made a motion with my hand that he should wipe his chin. He did my bidding, using the sleeve of his t-shirt, then grinned hugely at me.  

I shook my head slightly. Men! Once they get a habit ingrained, like wiping their mouths on their sleeves, it's almost impossible to get them to change.  

Harmony interrupted my brief train of though. "We have two major political parties," Harmony began the fellas' political lesson. "Them and Us." 

Laughter rang through the room. After a bit, Harmony continued her explanation. "Really. Them means the opposing party. Say you like Former President Clinton. You're probably a Democrat. Therefore, Democrats are "Us" and the opposing party, the Republicans, are "Them." Does that help?" 

Nick nodded. "So, we're Democrats?" he inquired.  

"Your slogan could be: Raise taxes and help kick Bush out of office," I offered slyly, repeating one of the slogans that had cropped up around campus. I then bit my lip. Harmony glared at me a moment then chose to ignore my comment. She was obviously trying to lasso her icy comments. If the four of us were going to be in the spotlight, both Harmony and myself would have to get along and get along well in public.  

"Rae!" Matt commented. He squeezed Harmony's waist and she smiled.  

"Why wouldn't you be good Democrats?" Harmony asked Nick. 

He shrugged in reply. "I don't know who to like as a politician or what the political parties stand for in this country." 

"Then it's good that you two are running as Independents. You can create your own ideals. Now, Arnold is for the expansion of after-school programs. Are you for, or against that idea?" She, like myself, twirled her hair around her forefinger.  

Nick considered the question for a long minute. "Provided there is enough money allocated to hire more teachers and get the kids ready for those high school exits exams, then yes. I'd go for Arnold's slant." 

Matt stroked his chin. "Now that Nick mentions it, I did read that California is delaying the high school exit exam requirement because so many students would fail. I vote that we not only expand after school programs, we re-hire all the retired teachers to return to teaching." 

"And help high schoolers pass their exit exams!" Harmony nearly shouted. Then she covered her mouth with her hand but didn't quite stifle her giggle.  

"Agreed." Nick said amiably. He smiled and looked around the room.  "What else?" 

Harmony smiled at him and snuggled closer to him. "You think of something," she said. Nick looked around the room for help.  

"Do any Greek college students have trouble paying their college bills?" Harmony offered him by way of help.  

Nick nodded, understanding what Harmony meant. "Matt and I could refill the Universities' educational coffers and reduce the student fees to a more reasonable price." 

Harmony nodded vigorously. "That's the idea. Expansion of education both at the high school and college level." 

"I like it," Matt smiled and glanced sideways at  me. "It would certainly help Rae in keeping her shirt on!"  

I groaned. Matt would have to make reference to my hidden penchant for stripping my shirt off at political rallies. I didn't realize about that particular penchant until the cliff side recall rally and I'd just as soon forget about the whole thing.  

"It's a Jane Curtain kind of thing. You wouldn't understand," I told everyone.  

"I watched the movie," Matt informed me smugly. "How to Beat the High Cost of Living." 

"Quite an interesting movie, luv," Nick told me, then winked. I gaped at him.  

"You watched it too?" I inquired of him.  

Nick nodded. He exchanged conspiratorial glances at Matt and Harmony. "Last weekend when you were at the spa."  

I threw my hands into the air. Great. Just great. Leave it to Rae Brennan to take Nick to his first political rally. I would have to get the not so brilliant idea of rousing the rally-goers by stripping off my shirt. I wish I had never ever remembered the movie scene.  

"Speaking of shirts, Rae. I hope no one really remembers those incidents," Harmony said innocently. 

I groaned again. Damn her! Despite her being 21 years younger than me, she was right. Here I am, girlfriend of a political candidate, and I go around stripping off my shirt in public. The tabs are going to have a field day if someone remembers that I stripped off my shirt in public not once but twice in recent weeks. 

"There's a porn star in the running," Harmony offered sweetly, as if she was reading my thoughts.  

"Just leave it. I'll say it wasn't me," I mumbled. But I could feel my cheeks burning. This was all I needed: a tab rep following me around all day. For all I knew, the tabs probably had a tab rep and a papa assigned to me already.  

"What else?" Matt asked. "We have expansion of education and reduction of university student fees." 

"You two could probably get elected today if you announced the reduction of University student fees," I said in all sincerity.   

"She's right, Matt," Harmony told him. "Students would turn out in droves on that issue alone." 

"Then we'll use those two issues as our platform basis," Nick said definitively. "Should we have anything else on our platform?" he wanted to know.  

I pondered a moment. "How about the elimination of the dreaded triple tax on car registrations? I mean, I know taxes are needed to raise money, but seriously the tax could be re-routed for luxury cars like Ferraris and Beamers." I looked my friends thoughtfully.  

Matt nodded. "That would be very helpful, especially in this economy." 

"How about re-directing the money saved from firing all those state employees?" Harmony inquired. "The money could be used to hire more social workers for the kids." 

"I like it," Nick told her, beaming a blinding smile at her. Harmony blushed a little bit. I didn't blame her. The intensity of Nick's smile would make any girl blush. In response, Harmony leaned over and kissed Matt.  

"He's mine," Harmony informed me when she finished kissing her boyfriend, referring to Matt. "He's handsome, intelligent, humorous, special and he's mine," she informed everyone. In response, Matt ran his hand up Harmony's spine. She giggled. 

Of course, I'm really biased towards Nick and Harmony was smitten with Matt. She'd told me many times that other women tried to pick Matt up when she and Matt were on dates together.  

"It's like I'm invisible," Harmony had complained to me one day when we had run into each other in the Coffee Cafe. "I had to squirt one woman's behind with soy sauce as she leaned over and blew him a kiss over her shoulder." I nearly choked on my caramel bun when she'd told me what she's done. That little stinker! 

"Do you think they'll have a chance, Rae?" Harmony now asked me, saving me from reminding myself how I had smeared my silk shell blouse with caramel. The shell blouse was ruined when I tried to remove the dried caramel by running a hot iron over the sticky candy.  

"A chance at winning? Anything's possible," I told her.  

"You know, the major reason why a third party runs for political office is to draw votes away from one of the other two parties," Harmony continued in her teacher mode voice. 

"That's true," I told the two men. Nick and Matt smiled at us in response.  

"Kind of like the Florida vote-off in 2000?" Matt inquired. 

"Yeah," I replied. "The Squeaker Election of 2000. Sometimes a candidate runs merely to detract votes from what he or she considers to be the them political party," I said, using Harmony's terminology. 

"What the third political party in the running really wants is get the votes of the disgruntled members of one or both of the major political parties voting for the third candidate in protest of their own political party," Harmony said, then drew a deep breath. She sounded like she was reciting a memorized passage from her government class.  

Hell, with that kind of confusing explanation, Harmony could run for governor. No one would know what she was talking about and combined with her degrees and looks, she'd get elected in a snap.  

Matt and Nick glanced at each other, evidently confused. "Huh?" they asked in unison.  

"If a third political candidate draws enough votes away from the one or both of the other candidates, that could swing the vote." 

Understanding dawned on Nick's face. "Even if there are chad errors?" he asked slyly. 

I nodded. "Yep." 

"So we're in favor of redirecting the triple car registration tax, expanding education, lowering university student fees and expanding child social services," Nick ticked off the major points of the newly-developed political platform. "Do we need anything else?" 

Harmony shook her head. "Those are the major points that you're running on. Additional issues can be picked up later." 

Matt tickled Harmony's spine again. She giggled. "But doesn't the fact that neither Nick or myself are citizens have any bearing on anything?" he asked.  

Harmony smiled. "That comes later. You'll get disqualified anyways, but in the meantime, there's all that press just waiting." She waved her arm for emphasis.  

"She's got a point, guys," I said. "You two could draw attention to several problems and see if any of the other candidates take up the battle cry." 

"Not to mention getting UMC a lot of positive press," Harmony noted. "Positive press is always helpful, especially with the budget cuts coming up," Harmony finished sadly.  

Nick grunted. "Budget cuts," he mumbled, slugging the rest of his orange juice down his throat.  

"She's got a point," Matt said. "Has anyone figured out we're not citizens?" He looked around the room. We all shook our heads. "We can build our platform and when the fact becomes known we're not eligible for candidacy, hopefully someone else will pick up our political issues." 

"Like Arnold?" I inquired. I uncrossed my legs and began a stretching exercise on the bed. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Nick virtually panting at me. I smiled inwardly. I told you I had great legs!  

Matt nodded. "Perhaps. But I don't know the man myself. I did, however, get his autograph one time when he was promoting the movie Twins." 

"And UMC will have to reconsider those budget cuts for Presidio," Harmony put in.  

"Plus, the Regents might green light the Men's Health Center," Nick put in. "This could work very well, Matt." 

I was surprised by Nick's comment. "Men's health center? What's going on?" 

Nick looked guiltily at Matt who managed to look away. "Oh, just something that cropped up some time ago. Strictly in the planning stages," Matt informed me. His accent was a bit clipped and I knew from his tone that he was a bit annoyed. Did those two have a secret they weren't sharing with me? 

"Nick?" I inquired, stretching my legs again. I knew Nick would be inwardly panting; I'm such a devil!

"Just a Regents-type of thing. The idea is being bantered around but with the economy and the declining enrollment and the large number of Um Chips leaving for other insurance plans, it's an idea that likely won't be passed." 

Harmony smiled at the slang for UMC Health Plan. Enrollees were called UM CHiPs by the health plan administrators. "It's a wonderful idea and I hope the Regents at least consider the health center," she told us and hugged Matt.  

"Did you not want me to know about this?" I asked Nick.  

"No. It's just that the Regents don't want to get the idea spread around. With the steep rise in student fees, it was felt that any plans for spending millions on a new building would be met with extreme displeasure from the students." 

"The Men's Health Center is an excellent concept," Matt put in. "And there are other buildings where the MHC could be temporarily housed until things simmer down and the economy heats up."  

"They're secrety types," Harmony whispered, placing a finger to her lips. "Must keep the Regents' secrets." She giggled again as Matt bounced her up and down on his knee. 

"There's a good lass!" he cried. 

"Ride em, cowboy. Yeeehawwww!" Harmony shouted, then clapped her hand to her mouth. Harmony evidently was attenuated to horseback riding and I had to smile despite myself. Strangely, watching Matt bounce Harmony on his knee, I found myself yearning for Nick to bounce me on his knee.  

"So, are we in agreement about our platform?" Nick asked Matt. 

"Righty-o!" Matt said, giving Nick the thumbs-up. "We can announce our platform to Their Royal Highnesses, The Paparazzis, as soon as we check out." 

Nick nodded. "To ourselves!" He raised a glass of orange juice and swigged it in one gulp.  

A few days later… 

The wear and tear of being the girlfriend of a political candidate is tiring. Even though stumping on the campaign trail began only a few days ago, there were times when I actually did feel like a crumbled pop tart: pretty from a distance but closeup I looked a bit drawn and the cracks were definitely showing. TV spots, car rides, plane rides, personal appearances, all of it was taking its toll on me in the few days since the fellas announced their platform.

I have come to the conclusion that juggling patients and the campaign trail was getting to be a bit much and I knew that I'd have to take a temporary leave of absence--soon.

Good thing my wardrobe is already classic, else I would have had to spend a good deal of money upgrading my wardrobe. Dove grey mixed with ivory seems to be a favorite color for candidates' wives, so being a bit daring, I choose clothes in Nick's favorite colors: earth tones, mostly shades of brown, with muted orange, pale blue and sea green thrown in for a bit of the modern look.

Being one of the 135 candidates himself, Nick has a more packed schedule than myself and I really feel bad for Matt: between giving testimony for the grand jury in the Linda Weatherbee murder case, juggling his WHO duties, his patients and the campaign trail, Matt is one busy fella. Nick's schedule is only slightly less crowded: Nick actually has an hour to spare between 10 pm and 11 pm. Needless to say, the UMC administration is really receptive to the guys' candidacy and the Regents couldn't be more pleased.  

As I wander blearily down the hallway one morning (I'm so tired that I don't recall the day or the date), I saw a lot of people doing double takes at me, then smiling and nodding. I smiled back at them. Then I spied Jackie just in front of me.

"Jackie!" I exclaim. She turned around, her doctor's whites crisp and new. "So, how's the detective business going?" I ask amiably. 

Jackie shrugs her shoulders. "Dunno." She seems a bit annoyed at the question. I sympathize with her. Recently, Matt had given her quite the dressing down about her detective skills and she was probably still feeling the sting.  

"Well, have you by any chance heard the big news?" I ask brightly, trying to cover my tracks. 

She looks at me quizzically. "Uh, let's see. Students are protesting the hike in student fees. They're not sure they like the President but that's nothing new. Every President gets jabbed by students here at UMC."  

Glancing at me, Jackie ticks off the items on her fingers, momentarily reminding me of Nick.  "The SARS crisis is abated, there was an emergency liver transplant done by Nick but you knew that," Jackie's voice got very soft, "and the campus knows about your shirt-stripping," she finishes. 

I clear my throat. "That's old news," I informed her. "I wanted to know if you knew the latest about Nick and Matt." 

"Oh! That!" Jackie bubbled, her face breaking out into a huge grin. "Everyone is talking about it. Have you by any chance visited the student dormitories?"  

I nod. Yes, I had seen the student dormitories. And I had seen the student store, the student lounges, the student medical center, and everywhere else that was inhabited by or frequented by students. Banners were everywhere proclaiming UMC student love for Matt and Nick.  

"With a selection of 135 candidates," I tell her, "there's certainly a choice in California these days." 

Jackie nods. "Government of the people, by the people, for the people," she intoned seriously.  

I decide to be blunt. "Who submitted the guys' names for candidacy?" I look her straight in the eye. I had read somewhere that people will have to give you an honest answer if you looked them straight in the eye. I'm not sure if it's gonna work here, but hey, what the heck?   

Jackie shrugs her shoulders again. "Dunno," she mumbles. "I know that Norman got their signatures on the papers, but I don't know who put him up to it. He's claiming that he's sworn to secrecy." 

I nod. I would have to check out Norman. Letty's in with him big these days. "Not that it's of much concern about the submission of their names," I tell Jackie. "But the fellas were sure surprised when we found out about their nomination the other day."  

"I bet," was Jackie's only reply but she glanced quickly to the side and I knew something else was up.  

"Any chance you know about this raffle?" I suddenly inquire of her, hoping to throw her off the track. 

Jackie bites her lip very lightly and glances quickly off to the side. If I hadn't been intently peering into her face, I might have missed her action. 

"A-ha!" I told her. "So it was you who submitted our names to this win-a-free-hotel-weekend raffle!" I was pleased with myself for discovering this fact. "And it was a very good thing that you did, in fact, submit our names for the raffle. The hotel was wonderful, and the view from the rooftop pool at dusk is stunning. Thank you!" 

"Of course the high hotel prices would keep someone such as myself out of that hotel," Jackie comments blandly. Damn! She wasn't going to admit anything unless I dragged it out of her. This also meant that Jackie did not submit our names to the raffle, so I was back at square one. While I was at it, I also admitted to myself that the $400 a night room charge would indeed keep a lot of people out of the hotel. I peered closer at Jackie. She had taken a slight step back. 

"Was there a raffle, Jackie?" I asked suspiciously.  

"Now that you mention it," Jackie begins, glancing downward at my feet. She raises her eyes back to mine. "There wasn't. It was…someone's idea to get the four of you to stay at that hotel this past weekend." There. In a few short words, Jackie confirmed my thoughts that she didn't enter my name into the hotel raffle. But who did? 

I raise my eyebrows in imitation of Nick, "Who's idea was it then?" 

Jackie tilts her head back and appears to intently study the ceiling. She puffs out first one cheek then the other and alternates between the two cheeks.  

"Confidential information," she finally says and makes to move away. I grab her arm. 

"Tell me," I told her, looking her again in the eye. I was hoping this would unnerve her, but apparently Jackie has more ingenuity than I gave her credit for.

"All right," she agreed amiably and I let her arm go. Jackie took the opportunity to sprint down the hallway.  

"Damn!" I say. "Damn and double damn!" I say again, stomping my foot on the ground. "OW! That hurts in these heels!" I hop around on one leg, hoping the pain in my foot would abate quickly. Memo to self: do not stamp foot while in three inch heels. 

Knowing full well I couldn't follow Jackie's rapidly retreating form down the hallway, I resign myself to not following Jackie. I was wide awake now. Sighing, I wander down the hallway towards my office.  I would have some shuffling of patients to do if Nick and I were hitting the road for interviews. First up in the interview was Good Morning, San Francisco!  

Bright and early tomorrow morning at 7 am, Nick and myself (Matt and Harmony would meet us at the studio) were to present down at the studio. Breakfast would be served if we could get there forty five minutes early. Nick's spot would be at 7:10 lasting until 7:15 with Matt immediately following. Then the two would be interviewed together. The idea was that Nick and Matt would introduce themselves individually, then the two of them would appear together for the remaining interviews, at least until someone discovered they weren't US citizens. 

Sliding behind my desk, I look at my appointment calendar. Tomorrow morning looked all right from a patient perspective. With the morning show spot completed by 7:30 am, I wouldn't have to worry about being late for work, but looking down the road for the next few weeks, I thought I would need to shuffle patients around.  

Taking up my pen, I begin to make notes as to what doctor could take what patient of mine when a soft cough caused me to look up. Harriet was standing in the doorway. 

"Morning, Harriet!" I tell her brightly. I was in a good mood this morning, despite all the weariness of the past few days.  

"Morning, Rae," she told me and entered my office. She sits down on my leather couch (Nick had purchased a new leather couch for his office and had handed me his former leather couch). She was carrying a copy of USATODAY and showed me the front page.

"This is a niiiice photo!" I exclaim as I admired the full color picture. And it was a nice photo. Harriet hands me the paper so I can get a close up. Nick and Matt were standing back to back. Both were decked out in blue jean jackets, turtleneck sweaters and tight fitting jeans. Grins were on their faces and the caption proclaimed: "Co-Governors! A radical new concept in California Government" 

"Don't they look swell?" Harriet asks me, pushing a lock of her now-below-the-shoulder's hair. I think she looks a bit better with long hair. 

"Swell? Now that's a word I haven't heard in a long time," I comment. "Not since, oh gosh, my own med school days." 

"They look groovy then," Harriet tells me sweetly. My mouth must have dropped in surprise and Harriet chuckled. "Now, Rae, don't look so flabber-gasted. I do learn a lot of slang in OB." 

"But groovy? I used that term in junior high. But you're right. They look fabulous, dahling!" I tell her, smiling hugely. Harriet returns the smile. 

"And they'll make a great co-governors," Harriet adds for my benefit. 

"I think so as well," I tell her. I shuffle some papers on my desk. "Well, that does it for me for this morning!" I chirp, hoping to get rid of Harriet so I could drool over the fellas' photo. Had I not been so into Nick, I would want to be Matt's girlfriend. Fella does take a nice photo!  

Harriet clears her throat. "Um, not really. David wants you to stop by his office and lay out how you're going to cover your patients while on the temporary campaign trail." 

I groan. "That's what I was trying to do."

"Today. He wants the patient reassignment list today," Harriet smiles as I groan again. I was hoping to have the patient reassignment list done by tomorrow, now David wants the list today. Great. Add that to my bill, David.

"It's not so bad, Rae," Harriet was now informing me. "Neither Nick nor Matt are citizens and eventually somebody is going discover that fact and they'll be disqualified, leaving you to return to your duties here at PM." 

"It's only a matter of time," I intone quite seriously, knowing the media hounds would be hot on the the trail of Matt and Nick. Already pictures were cropping up of Matt doing his vax program in Kenya and a very young Nick in his first ever stint at Doctors Without Borders. I fervently hoped that no one would bring up my shirt-removing stunts. I did not want that kind of publicity. It was stupid thing to do and I now find myself regretting my actions.  

"The article is quite nice as well," Harriet comments now. "Seems like somebody already realizes the fellas aren't citizens," she finishes.  

"The article in question was mainly drawn from Amanda Sotheby's interviews with Matt and Nick and was bylined by the Editors of Vanity Fair," I remind her.  

Skimming over the USATODAY article, I note the byline was Ms Sotheby's and the focus was on the medical accomplishments of the two men rather than their political aspirations. It mentions the fellas' political platform. And as I suspected, California's college students were fervently embracing the reduction in student fees. There was an inner photo of students at UMC waving banners with Matt and Nick's names. 

In imitation of me, Harriet begins to twirl a strand of hair around her finger. She chuckles then looks at me. "It's a rather interesting concept, this co-governor thing." 

I nod. "It's not the expectation that someone is going to elect co-governors, but rather to see if people want to change their government enough to consider the idea of co-governors." 

Harriet nods now. I look at her but the sunlight is glaring into my office. I think I can see her squint but there is something in her expression that piques my interest. 

"Yes. Co-governors would be a rather unusual way of doing business," Harriet tells me. "And with the fellas running on an Independent ticket and the State legislature filled with Democrats and Republicans, there's sure going to be some lively debate going on!" 

I chuckle. "I have to agree with you." There would indeed be lively debate and Californians are evidently fed up with the way things are currently run.  

Harriet must have sensed my line of thinking, for she says, "The way things are currently run, folks might like the idea of having two governors instead of a lieutenant governor." I looked at her more closely. Was Harriet trying to tell me something?

"Just so they can filibuster each other to tears," I say. Harriet laughed then stood up.  

"Stop by David's office and let him know how you're going to cover your patients. He'll come after me if you don't show up with the patient reassignment list by noon."

"Noon?" I ask dejectedly. Harriet nods. I glance at the clock; already it was past 8:30. I sigh and nod back. Harriet leaves my office. I was a bit suspicious of her wandering into my office, something she rarely does given her tight schedule.  

Then it dawns on me. With all the rental fees from her Napa home, Harriet was the one who submitted Matt and Nick's names for candidacy! She'd be the likely one to have a spare seven grand in the bank. And she must have paid for the hotel this weekend. Let's see, three nights at four hundred a night times two is another twenty four hundred.

I thump my head. Of course! Harriet put Norman up to the idea of surreptiously getting Matt and Nick's signatures. Jackie suspected Harriet's complicity but wouldn't tell a soul, bless her little plastic surgeon's heart.  Placing the article under my arm, I slide out from behind my desk, exit my office and race down the hallway after Harriet. As I run, I don't notice Harriet anywhere. "Damn! Where could Harriet have gone so fast?" I wonder aloud. 

Spying the elevator door just begining to shut, I call "Hold that elevator!" and breathlessly squeez my way into the crowded elevator. 

"Morning, Doctor Brennan," I hear a male voice behind me. I try to crane my neck but inside the crowded elevator, that was difficult to do. 

"Morning," I reply, chastising myself for not recognizing the voice.  

"Heard about Doctor Kokoris," the male voice continues. "I think it's wonderful. Are you going to be on television with the good doctor, by any chance?"  

"Yes. Tomorrow morning, on Good Morning, San Francisco," I tell the unseen voice. "Be watching!" The elevator doors ping open on OB and I exit the elevator quickly. "Good bye!" I call merrily, trying to see who was speaking to me.  

By the time the elevator doors close, I still hadn't figured out who spoke to me. I shrug my shoulders then went to find Harriet. She is with Claire, a new resident. 

"Morning, Doctor Brennan!" Claire greets me. Harriet turns around. "I would stay longer, but I've got to run!" I look after Claire's retreating back and sigh. To be a young resident again! I turn my attention back to Harriet when she greets me.  

"Rae! What brings you here?" Harriet asks sweetly. I smile at her and decide that bluntness would rule the day.  

"I know you filed on Matt and Nick's behalf," I tell her confidently. I was quite sure of my deduction. Surely Harriet wouldn't conveniently stop by my office this morning with a handy copy of USATODAY featuring Nick and Matt's entry into the California Governor race if she wasn't the person who had filed their names for the recall election.  

Harriet shakes her head, and tucks a long pale blonde lock of hair behind her ear. "I'm afraid you're mistaken, Rae." 

Mistaken? How could I be mistaken? I'm flabbergasted. If it wasn't Jackie or Harriet who could have filed on Nick and Matt's behalf, then who filed? 

As if Harriet knew what I was thinking, she informs me, "It was Jules who filed." 

"Jules!?" I am stunned. "Jules?" I ask again and Harriet nods. 

"She thought they'd make good co-governors," Harriet says. "I happened to agree with her. Even if they're not citizens. In any event, Jules was fed up with all the budget cuts and the health plan price increases. She's losing a third of her neediest patients because UMCHP is raising their monthly fees." 

"So she thought she could enter Matt and Nick into the election in the hope of getting UMC to freeze their current health plan fees?" I ask incredulously. This did not sound like Jules at all but I could sympathize with her frustration. Recently UMCHP had denied a patient of mine a controversial bone marrow transplant. Had she a normal kind of cancer, UMCHP would have paid for the marrow transplant but her kind of cancer is so rare, it was decided that UMC should try a bone marrow transplant. We were flatly turned down. The patient decided to go on a nature walk and cooked some unknown herbs into her dinner. Later, she turns up in cardiac arrest flatline in Doctor Howland's ER. Pathology discovered a large amount of foxglove in her circulatory system. Foxglove is better known as digitalis and large amounts can cause cardiac death. 

"Not at all. She simply thought it was a good idea to submit their names," Harriet informs me.   

"But how did Jules come up with the filing fees?" I now want to know. As of late, Jules was running a bit short on cash. Debts for things she'd always wanted to purchase were draining her bank accounts. A brush with death can do that to a person and I had seen plenty of patients go on a spending spree upon learning their cancers are in remission.  

Smiling, Harriet replies, "Oh, she won a bit of cash up in Reno." She stroked her chin. "Or was it Carson City? Anyways, the other week she went up for a night of fun on the Champagne Express and she came back the night's big winner." 

"But why didn't she proffer her own name for governor?" I demand. Now that I thought of it, why didn't I proffer my name for the recall election? My entering the governor's race would have infuriated Sean or at the very least, would make him very jealous of me. I am a good-looking, intelligent, professional woman who knows how to juggle her priorities. Governor Brennan did have a certain ring to the name.

"Oh but she started to," Harriet tells me. "Then decided against it." 

"Why? She's just as capable as anyone else," I comment. I wave my hand for emphasis. 

Harriet nods. "I agree."She's not as confident about her own abilities as she should be." 

I understand Harriet's meaning at once. "She's still smarting from the error with CPS." Harriet nods. Some months ago, Jules had made a call to CPS about a young boy's bruises. Turns out the boy had seizures instead of the suspected child abuse but CPS had already taken custody of the child away from the mother.  

"Yes. She still feels she acted too hastily and didn't question the boy close enough nor did she question the child's mother close enough. A four year old active boy is quite prone to bruising. Now Jules feels that her CPS error precludes her from entering the recall election." 

I shake my head. "I think she could have entered her name." 

Harriet smiles. "As do I. But what's done is done." 

I ponder a moment. "And did Jules also pay for the hotel?" 

"Yep. Her gift to the new candidates. She wanted to ensure Nick and Matt went public with their candidacy in style." Harriet smiles at me as her pager goes off. "Off to the races," Harriet comments, not bothering to look at her pager. One of the nurses down at the end of the hallway is frantically waving at Harriet and Harriet moves away from me. "Ta!" she calls back over her shoulder.  

Stunned as to Jules' generosity, all I could was stand there and murmur, "Guess I'd better go find Jules and thank her."