Lady in Red Ch. 25

When Gwen and Jordan entered the Anderson home, Paula met them in the kitchen. "Where's Kate? Didn't she ride home with you? Isn't Steve coming in?"

"They're walking the last half mile, Mom. Kate is having some low self esteem issues. She feels that she's competing with Lisa and me, and that she's losing. Her date for the prom sounds like a normal kid and she seems to feel she has to apologize for that. I asked Steve to talk to her. If anyone can build up her confidence, it's Steve. You know how she idolizes him. I hope he can make her see it's not a competition."

"She has been pretty quiet for a sophomore that was asked to the prom by a boy from another school. That used to be very cool in my day," recalled Paula. "You're right. If anyone can bring her around, it'll be Steve."

A short time later, Steve walked into the house carrying Kate in his arms. She was smiling and had her arms wrapped around Steve's neck. "The neighbors saw me kissing your boyfriend and honked their horn as they drove past us. They'll probably tell everyone that your gorgeous little sister stole your boyfriend."

"Steve! Are you dumping me for Kate? I knew I shouldn't have left you two alone. Is it the blonde hair? The perfect complexion? Her athletic build? Her sense of humor? How can I compete with her?" demanded Gwen.

"We're not competing, Sis. We're all working together to help everyone in the family have a better life. You'll always have Steve, but so will I. He won't forget me, ever. He's my protector. He'll play with my kids and watch them grow up. He'll always be there for all of us in the family, just like Jason will and just like the guy I settle on will. That's the kind of guys we Anderson girls attract and fall in love with," beamed Kate as she kissed Steve soundly on the lips. "He's your boyfriend, but it's okay if I love him, and he loves me, isn't it?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way!" managed Gwen as she brushed back a tear.

"That is the sweetest thing I've ever seen," blubbered Jordan. "Can I ask to be included in that deal? I know he's your guy and I've found a pretty good one of my own, but I need to know that you're good with me loving your guy. I want him to always be my friend and play with my kids, too. I want all the Andersons and their husbands, boyfriends, and significant others to be included in my life from now on. I guess I 'm asking to be part of your family!"

"Oh! That's so touching. Of course you'll always be part of us. We all love you, and we're so proud to be your friends. I hope you realize that this means that Charlie will be like a brother to Kate, Lisa, and me. We sisters are pretty nice to our brothers, as you can see by the way Kate's treating Steve. We're sisters now, Jordan!"

The group finally remembered the screenplay that was supposed to be awaiting them. Before Gwen could look at hers, the phone rang and she answered it.

"Hi, Lisa! We haven't heard from you lately. Mom says you're really busy with the modeling. She said you did a cover for 'Shape' magazine and it'll be out in July. I can't wait to see it."

"Never mind me, Gwen! I finally had the chance to watch your special this afternoon. My roommate taped it. It was great, but that was some interview! You and Steve have finally made love! I'm so happy for you, Sis. You've got the best guy in the world, so take care of him."

"I know it, Lisa. I also have the best sisters, including Jordan, and parents. We're just getting ready to look over the screenplay for the movie we'll be making soon. I wish you were here with us, but you're a top model now. How's everything with Jason?"

"We talk all the time. He's asked me to his graduation. I think it's getting pretty serious, considering we hardly ever get to see each other. Be warned. When Steve goes into the Naval Academy, he won't have a lot of spare time for you. They keep them pretty busy. I'm so proud of Jason! He's an officer, and a gentleman, and he seems to love me. I think he's a keeper."

"I bet he's real proud of you, too! His girlfriend is a beautiful model that appears on magazine covers. She's also a year away from getting her degree in accounting, so she's pretty smart. We're all proud of you!"

"Thanks, Sis. I wanted to congratulate you and Steve for the great show and for consummating your love in Paris! That is just so wonderful. I hope Jason and I make some special memories someday, and soon! I have to go catch up on my studies. Tell everyone I said 'hi' and tell your lover-boy that I love him!"

"That was Lisa. She's doing great and said to tell everyone 'hi', and to tell you, Big Boy, that she loves you. I have three sisters now and they all love my boyfriend! Maybe we'll be able to go on Dr. Phil, or Maury," joked Gwen.

"I've skimmed over this movie plot and it looks pretty good, except for the surprise ending, which really should be no surprise," stated Jordan enigmatically. "The really good news is we each have a hot love scene with Steve! To think they actually pay for this sort of work!"

"Now I've got to read that screenplay!" exclaimed Gwen. "Poor Steve! He suffers so much for his craft. I can't wait to read the not so surprising, surprise ending!"

Steve's cell rang before he could respond to Jordan's and Gwen's comments. "Hey, Amber! What's up? Really? June 13th? I guess we can, but we'll have to talk to Clyde, and to Charlie. We have a lot on our plate, but we owe most of it to you. Gwen's right here. I'll give the phone to her," finished Steve as he handed his cell phone to Gwen, who walked into the next room as she listened.

A couple minutes later, Gwen came back into the kitchen. "Amber's wedding has been moved up to June 13. Brad is being deployed to Afghanistan and she wants to get married before he leaves. Otherwise, they'd have to wait until next year.

"She wants us to play at her wedding! That's a huge compliment. They're wealthy and her dad's the governor, so they could get almost anyone they wanted. Like Steve told her, we have to talk to Clyde and Charlie to be sure it'll fit into our schedule. We should be in the middle of the movie about then. Steve has Induction Day in late June.

The really cool thing is that Amber has asked that Lisa and I be in the wedding party! The governor's daughter wants us in her wedding party! That'll sure keep me busy since we're supplying the music, too."

"That gives me an excuse to call Charlie!" stated Jordan happily as she dug her phone out of her pocketbook. "We have to meet at the capital Saturday to practice and record for the movie sound track. Then our prom is the following weekend and now we have the daughter of the governor wanting our little garage band for her wedding! It's very cool, but remember, you just had a hit TV show and gave a super benefit concert.

"It was a no-brainer for Amber to ask us. You guys are her friends and you're on the top of the music world right now. This is a win-win situation for all of us. We'll give her the best wedding a girl could ever have and she'll give us even more good publicity and a chance to meet a lot of connected people. Rich people and politicians can open a lot of doors!"

The girls left the kitchen to get changed, so Steve dug the milk out of the refrigerator and several chocolate chip cookies out of the cookie jar and took a seat. Paula watched him with a smile. Suddenly, she walked over took a seat close to Steve.

"Steve, I can't begin to explain my feelings for you. I never would've believed I could feel this way about my daughter's boyfriend, especially knowing that you're having sex with her. I just feel like I have to try to express myself.

"When you came into Gwen's life, the lives of all of us, everything began getting better. We were doing okay before, but look at how things are now. You saved me from being raped without even breaking a sweat, or a fingernail. You saved those kids in the river and then everyone in the school. You saved Lisa from that last terrorist. Then you saved her from her own feelings of guilt.

"You just spent some time helping Kate. Stephanie has blossomed since you began interacting with her. Ted thinks the world of you. I find that I'm conflicted. Looking at you makes me want to smile, and cry at the same time. I cry for my lost youth and that I'll never have what Gwen has. I smile that Gwen is so happy and doing so well. I smile at Jordan's total turn-around, and all the things that you kids have accomplished. I don't know how thank you enough, or even how to thank you at all."

"Paula, you've taken me into your family. You've made me feel that I'm a part of it. You've accepted that I am totally in love with Gwen and allow us to make love. You've been so good to me that I know I will never do anything to hurt this family. I've come to love and respect you all. You've given me far more than I've given to you. I'm in your debt."

"You're an amazing young man," replied Paula as she leaned over and kissed Steve on the cheek.

"So you approve of my boyfriend, Mom?" grinned Gwen from the doorway. "You kept telling me to be patient and the right guy would come along. You never dreamed he'd be such a hunk, did you? I know I didn't. The fact that he sings, dances, saves ladies in distress and puts the toilet seat down makes him a real find, don't you think?"

"Approve of Steve?" repeated Paula softly. "It worries me how much I approve of him. I'm so proud of you two, and so happy for you that it's scary."

By midmorning Saturday, Gwen, Jordan, and Steve found themselves at a recording studio not far from Lisa's school. Charlie and his band mates were already there setting up when the group arrived. Clyde Davis came in a short time later with several men.

"These are my technicians. They work all of these knobs and dials so that you kids will sound as good as you possibly can. They're the same guys that worked on Jordan and Steve's big hit, so you know that they're good. Let's get this started. I want to wrap up a few songs today if possible. We don't have the luxury of spending weeks in the studio. We have to start filming in a few weeks," pointed out Clyde.

Gwen had performed 'I Can't Live (If Living is Without You)' at the concert and had been disappointed with the somewhat tepid fan reaction. It was a song she was scheduled to sing in the movie and she was determined to do it better. To that end she had practiced it to herself when she was alone all week. She also worked on ramping up her intensity. As fate would have it, Clyde decided to record that song first. Gwen delivered it as well as she thought she could, but Clyde insisted they try again.

When Gwen finished the song the second time, she took a deep breath and looked at Clyde standing in the control room. He voiced his obvious approval. "That was fantastic! It was even better than the version Mariah did! I started with that one because I felt it was the weakest song in the concert you kids gave last week. You really ramped it up since that night!"

Steve and Jordan were amazed at Gwen's performance and fed off it when they were called upon to record. By late afternoon, Clyde was delighted with the day's results.

"That's it for this week, kids. We did a lot better than I thought we would. I think we have at least four or five songs that we can use. If we do this well a couple more times, we'll be all set. Next week is your prom, so have a great time. We'll be back here in two weeks. We start filming the movie the Monday after your graduate. We'll probably have to work 24/7 to finish Steve's scenes before he leaves for the Naval Academy.

"The governor's daughter's wedding is a go for you kids. That's the kind of publicity we want. Your TV shows will all be aired well before the movie comes out, probably several times. Add a high profile wedding and any publicity Steve gets playing football, and we have a formula for a lot of public interest. You kids are doing great and the hospital fund is the beneficiary."

It was a tired, but contented trio that traveled back to Sparta that evening. The next day was Sunday and Steve was at the Anderson's house well before dinner. Having Sunday dinner with the Andersons was a tradition he thoroughly enjoyed.

Steve was playing pool with Jordan and Gwen when they heard the doorbell ring. He saw Kate hurry down the stairs to answer the door. Soon he heard Kate introducing her beau to her parents in the living room. Then she brought him into the game room.

"I want you to meet my sister, her boyfriend, and a very good family friend," began Kate as she led a tall slim boy into the room. "This is my sister, Gwen..." was as much as Kate managed.

"Gwen Anderson is your sister? Jordan Quick is here? Steve Hammer! I didn't know you were an Anderson. I knew you introduced me to your parents as Paula and Ted Anderson, but I never dreamed you were 'The Andersons'. I'm so happy to meet you all!" gushed the boy.

"Okay, I guess he's impressed. This is Mike Hendricks, everybody. I think he's one of your fans," understated Kate as she watched her date try to regain his composure.

Gwen wrapped her arms around him and hugged away any composure he may have managed to regain. He was flushed before Jordan succeeded in getting him into her embrace. By the time she released him, Mike was sweating and beet red.

"These girls will do that to a guy," laughed Steve as he shook the boy's hand. "You'll get used to it. They love to keep us off guard and confused, and it's great."

By the time Paula called the group to dinner, Mike was chatting with everyone comfortably. Kate watched as her sister, Jordan, and Steve were all especially considerate to Mike and she loved them for it. As dessert was being served that Ted decided to give Mike 'The Talk'.

"Mike, when Steve first came to our door for a date with Gwen, I took the time to explain what I expected from any young man that would date a daughter of mine. It worked out very well for all of us that time. I think it's well worth repeating to you.

"You'll always treat Kate with respect. You will not use alcohol, tobacco, or drugs, or be under the influence of them when you are with her. There is no room for error on that. You will drive at a reasonable speed and obey all traffic laws when she rides with you. You will abide by any deadlines or curfews Paula and I may impose."

"Mr. Anderson, my parents would expect no less from me. Before I left home this afternoon, my father gave me almost the exact same talk. I have two older sisters and he always told their boyfriends pretty much the same thing you're telling me. It seems like Steve's been able to survive quite well while obeying your rules. I'll abide by them gladly. I can't tell you how honored I am that Kate agreed to go to the prom with me."

"That was the right response!" chuckled Steve as Ted and Mike shook hands. "What's wrong, Jordan?"

"I'm just all emotional that Ted took the time and effort to be sure that Mike knew how he expected his daughter to be treated. This may be common in the Anderson house, as well as some other homes, but it wasn't in mine. I just wish it had been. Now Kate can enjoy being with Mike and know that he'll be a gentleman with her. That was a great 'talking to' that you just gave Mike!" blubbered Jordan.

"Dad's perfected it some since he gave Steve 'The Talk' last fall," laughed Kate. "Of course it involved a bet on a football game, a beautiful brainiac nerd, a football hero, and a room full of people, so it was bound to be more dramatic."

After dinner, Mike stayed for a couple hours. He played pool and chatted with Kate and the others. By the time he left, he seemed totally at ease with Gwen and Jordan. When Kate returned from walking him to his car, she looked at Steve and simply asked, "So?"

"He's a good guy!" declared Steve. "I asked him about a lot of different things and I liked his answers. He's doing very well in school. He runs distances in track and cross country. He has two sisters and lives with his parents in a strong family setting. He's polite. He's not a mamma's boy and he seems to think you're the best thing since toilet paper."

Kate jumped into Steve's arms with a big smile. "I'm so glad you liked him! I knew you were being really nice to him, yet asking a lot of questions. If there was anything wrong, you'd figure it out and let me know. Jordan and Sis, you guys were great. He seemed to relax and have a good time. Thanks so much. I want my first real date to be fun. I think it will be, especially with my two sisters and Steve providing the music. Did I mention that Mike was very impressed with my beautiful sisters?"

"Are you calling me your sister?" squealed Jordan. "Thanks, Kate! From now on, we are sisters!"

The week leading up to the prom was extremely busy. The warehouse was readied for the prom. Charlie arrived a few days early to oversee the placing and construction of the small stage, as well as to spend time with Jordan. Friday was like a holiday in school. Kids were excited about the impending prom and the faculty was almost as bad.

Jordan, Gwen and Steve worked on learning their lines for the film in their spare time. It was announced on Thursday that Gwen was graduating valedictorian of the class, with Charlotte finishing second for salutatorian.

The evening of the prom, Gwen and Jordan dressed quickly and then retreated to Kate's room where they spent over an hour helping her prepare. Paula and her mother, Caroline, assissted when they could.

"Lisa loaned me her dress and did my makeup and hair for my first date with Steve and I loved her for it. I want to do the same for you, Kate. So does Jordan. This is a special night for you!"

"I meant to ask you this sooner, but you were so busy I never had the chance. I know it's your prom and all, but Mom and Dad said that Mike had to have me home by midnight, unless we're with you and Steve. If we are, we can stay out as late as you guys. Do you think that it would be okay, at least for awhile?"

"Plan on watching the sun come up, Little Sister!" exclaimed Gwen. "I was wondering when you'd ask. Mom told Steve and me about her idea last Tuesday. She wanted to know if we'd be alright with it. Steve couldn't agree to it fast enough. He really does think of you as his little sister and wants you to be close so he can keep any harm from coming to you. Mom and Dad gave us a huge compliment with their trust in us. As soon as you see Mike, have him call his parents and ask if he can stay out all night with us. We'll have the daybed set up for him to sleep on tomorrow morning.

"There's another surprise. Aunt Diane agreed to allow Stephanie to be out all night with us, under the same conditions. She and Tyler have to stay close to Steve and me. Both of you had better listen to us. If we think you're doing something unsafe or damaging to your reputation, we'll insist it end immediately. We expect you both to behave just like you would if Mom and Dad were there. Is that agreed?"

"You bet! This will be so cool! I get to be out all night on a date and hanging with the amazing Jordan Quick, Gwen Anderson, and Steve Hammer. Mike will be so impressed. I bet he'll be telling all his friends about it for a long time to come."

Tyler arrived at the Andersons' home with Stephanie a couple minutes before Mike rang the doorbell. Then Steve and Charlie walked in before Mike and Tyler had a chance to sit down. A little later, everyone gasped as Gwen descended the stairs wearing a short red dress that revealed a fair amount of cleavage. Then Jordan waltzed down the stairs in a short black dress that displayed her assets perfectly.

"Please direct your attention to the stairway as I present Ms. Kate Anderson!" beamed Gwen as Kate came into view, causing numerous oohs and aahs.

"Mike isn't going to say it, so I will. Kate. You're drop dead gorgeous! Look around this room," urged Steve. "Jordan is incredible. Steph is beautiful. Gwen is a goddess, and Kate's out of this world. Let's get some pictures of these girls!"