The highly anticipated debate in the tight election for governor of Florida is scheduled for tonight. This will be the first time that Russo will be seen in public since her assault and most recently a home invasion.
“You ready, baby?”
Was she ready? Yes, she was ready. She was sitting at a table behind the stage with her spinner in her hand. “Remember, you keep on smilin’ and hit him where it hurts. Don’t let him see you sweat. Kiss kiss and then a bang, okay?”
Okay. She could smile and pretend the sonfofabitch hadn’t gone after her in the most personal way possible.
“Livie, you’ve run a great election so far. Give me that stupid thing and take a deep breath,” Mark said, taking her toy away and causing Joey to laugh.
Connor had refused to give a reason why he’d broken into her house until last night.
Last night, after his brother Colin finally broke, Connor confessed that he was hoping that he’d scare her into dropping out of the election. He’d admitted he’d colluded with McGregor in exchange for a pardon, but only after the attorney general herself offered a very generous plea deal did Connor and Collin finally admit that they’d had a series of meetings with McGregor where he assured them of the pardon. Colin had also turned on his brother, admitting how Connor wanted to personally seek revenge on Olivia for “abandoning” him. He held a lot of resentment against her success and his failures.
The attorney general was itching to arrest McGregor and question him on the allegations as well as a series of very hefty overseas accounts that she’d recently “discovered” from an anonymous tip. But thanks to the help of Martinez and some strings Joey had pulled, everything was on hold until after the debate.
“Let’s go, it’s starting. Remember, you need to kick ass. You’re going to win because you’re the best, not because he’s a crook, okay?” Joey said.
She let out a deep breath. “Okay.” She stood and he led her out to the stage.
* * *
There were what seemed to be hundreds of reporters, lights, people, microphones. She stood behind a podium and a moment later McGregor walked out, waving out to the crowd. He walked to her and shook her hand. She returned the gesture, although the sonofabitch was behind her life being terrorized for the last two months or so.
The debate began with some pretty simple questions from the moderator. For the first thirty minutes everything was neutral and non-eventful. Then the conversation turned when the moderator asked, “what is your plan to deal with the toxic algae?”
She gave her standard answer. “ . . . the land from the nearby farmers needs to be purchased and new reservoirs must be built.” She turned to McGregor. “You need to rethink your position on the Everglades Preservation Project, Governor McGregor. The status quo is causing a lot of disruption in our waterways and in our air. This shouldn’t be political. This should be about doing the right thing.”
“I’m working on it. We don’t know how this algae has formed or how to fix it. We don’t even know if it’s toxic. The solution is not that easy. If you win, you think you’ll come to office and just snap your fingers and make things happen? That’s very naïve of you. That’s not how things work. It is expensive and complicated, you wouldn’t know.”
“I’m sure it’s not easy, governor. But it’s not impossible. And the algae is toxic. My little girl is home sick in bed with terrible allergies and it’s from going outside. The solution isn’t as complicated as you make it sound. It’s complicated because you’re allowing the private sector to influence your decision. I’ve asked you time and time again, you owe it to your constituents to say what happened to all the money your administration received to fix and build the new reservoirs. You keep refusing to answer.” Now she was getting herself worked up. “Making the right decision would mean that you’d lose support from the sugar industry, and last year you received campaign donations upwards of twenty million dollars from Clear Sugar and USA Sugar, just to name a few.”
She had him. She knew it. His jaw ticked and his eyes narrowed. But just as quickly as it showed up, it changed. And he went back to calm, cool, and collected politician. “Are we going to get personal, Ms. Russo?”
“This is an election. Your personal dealings, when they affect your ability to run the state, yes, hell yes, I’m going to get personal.”
“Well, would you say that your past drug history and arrest is something that the public would need to know? Would that affect the people of Florida?”
She paled but then just as quickly composed herself. She was prepared for this. Her history was not going to haunt her after all these years. “Cat got your tongue? I like to run a clean campaign and I had not mentioned it, but I think people have a right to know. You’re trying to portray a clean-cut wholesome campaign, and you’re not all that perfect. Why are you deceiving your voters, Ms. Russo? And your boyfriend? A convicted felon? I am still amazed you’ve gotten this far. But the people of Florida are smart. They won’t fall for a con artist.”
She turned to the cameras confidently. “You are absolutely right. I haven’t been completely forthright, and I’m sure you have something up your sleeve about my past.” He hadn’t yet exposed her ridiculous idealistic teenage notes. “I had a terrible upbringing. I’m sad that it happened to me, and it’s not something I’m ready for my daughter to know. But you’re right. I left a bad situation. I was seventeen, living essentially on my own because my drug-addicted parents abandoned me. I was in a party, I made a stupid decision. There’s no excuse other than that I was a stupid kid. But I hope to God I’m teaching my daughter to make those right decisions and that any young girl or boy watching knows that the bad decisions you make as a young person will continue haunting you well into adulthood. Think about that when you’re at that moment. Anyway, I took the little money I had and moved to Florida. Alone. I didn’t know anyone. I worked two jobs and eventually got my college degree and now I’m running for governor of Florida. There were a lot of bad lonely difficult times. But they made me who I am, so no, I’m not going to hide it anymore.
“That’s sweet. Cute. You turned it around for your advantage. But they will not be fooled.” He rolled his eyes. “Don’t paint a pretty picture. The truth remains you aren’t who these people need to run Florida.”
“I am who they need. We’re going to build that reservoir and help the algae problem. I’ll account for every single dollar we spend and I’ll never lie or deceive the people.”
Kiss Kiss Bang. She had him.
“Guess the cat’s got your tongue now, McGregor.”
“This is ridiculous. I’m not going to stand here and let you singlehandedly ruin this great state with your lack of experience and idealistic tree-hugging plans. You are a fraud and I’ll let my past record speak for itself. Thank you all for your time.”
He stepped down, and when he passed behind her, she whispered so only he could hear. “And one last thing . . . you ever bring up my boyfriend again, I’m going to start singing like a motherfucking canary.”
With a big smile on her face, she turned around to the press and answered all the questions thrown at her. Including those about the past.
* * *
Waiting for her at the side of the stage was Joey, beaming with pride. “You kicked his ass, baby. Kiss kiss bang.”
“Oh my God,” she said, still shaking with adrenaline.
“You did wonderful, honey.” Mark was right by her side. “If Neil were here, he’d be so proud.” He kissed her cheek, shook Joey’s hand, and went to field more questions.
“McGregor’s a douche. You stayed classy and in control. Everyone saw that.”
“I’m sorry you got dragged into it, though.”
“I’m not. I don’t give a shit. Do you? Do you give a shit about my past?”
“Not at all.”
“So if I told you I wanted to marry you and help raise Sophie, you’d be okay with it?”
Her eyes widened. “Did you . . . did you just propose?”
“Listen carefully, darlin’, I proposed and asked you to be your baby’s daddy.”
She jumped on him, not caring who was around. Thank God she had pant-suited that day, because her legs and arms wrapped around him, the flash of cameras going off all around them. “Yes yes yes!”
* * *
Governor Russo has declined to make any comments regarding former governor Harry McGregor’s indictment, which includes allegations that he hired two known felons to assault Russo in exchange for a pardon. She is busy planning a wedding and running Florida.