I knew that it was against the rules.  I promised my wife, Janice, that I would honor our mutual pledge “til death do us part.”

I am an honest man and do not break promises made in good conscience.  But there I was, 400 miles from home with Janice waiting faithfully for my return.  I had no doubts that she honors our pledge; I would never question it. Janice is completely trustworthy.  But Janice is not a man and has different needs.  While I had served on this committee for seven years, turnover had occurred, and new faces now blended with the old-timers like me.  New members included Dr. James McRyan, famed nuclear physicist from Berkeley, and Dr. Harold Sun, an authority on electromagnetism.  Dr. Susan Briar, immediately to my left, represented new blood for the future.  She was a 36-year-old, brilliant Associate Professor from Princeton studying string theory.  In my defense, it is important to mention that she was not only beautiful and sexy as all get-up, she was thin, perfectly thin exactly where she was supposed to be.  My mind blurs under such circumstances, and I forgot my age, my weight, my limitations – my pledge.  Dr. Briar – Susan – and I talked of many things.  She asked me about my family, my career, my grandchildren; I asked her about life as a single woman, her work, her dreams.  It was as if we were alone, not two in a committee of ten having a business dinner before the next day’s mission to evaluate the capability and future of nuclear power in the United States.

The mortal blow came after the thick, juicy steak and mashed potatoes.  Susan and I were laughing as old friends when temptation overcame me.  She took a sip of wine; I took a bigger sip, emptying the glass.  She placed her fork on the chocolate covered, chocolate mouse and let it sink effortlessly from top to bottom.  I eyed the little caloric monster in front of me, the devil in disguise, considered the two alluring raspberries perched innocently on the crusty top, salivated as the virgin white cream around the edges caught my attention, and glanced nervously at Susan, who was savoring her first bite.  My juices started flowing.  As she swallowed, I cut a slice of temptation and quickly transferred it to my mouth.  She took another piece; I followed, again and again.  There, the deed was done!  My plate was empty; her plate was empty.  Her green eyes sparkled in my direction as she wiped her lips and whispered, “Delicious!”  She still looked thin; I felt fat.  That night, alone in my hotel bedroom, I confessed to Janice, “But it was so good, soooo very good.  My cholesterol isn’t that high,” I told her, but it didn’t help.  Digestion was doing its job, and there was no return.  A broken pledge is a broken pledge.