Lady in Red Pt. 03 Ch. 03

"Madam President, you were essentially snubbed in South Korea because of your visit to North Korea and meeting with Chairman Jong. Do you hope to restore friendly relations with South Korea, and if so, how will you accomplish it?" asked Amber Stahl.

"I want to improve relations with all nations of the world, but no nation will dictate with whom the President of the United States can negotiate, or even visit. South Korea is a valuable ally and we very much want them to remain an ally. That said, South Korea needs to determine its own course. I'll be responsive to any requests or suggestions they may have."

"Madam President, you made a film earlier this year when you were a United States Senator. It's reported that you appear nude in the film. Do you believe that sort of behavior is appropriate now that you're President of the United States and leader of the free world?" asked a cable news reporter.

"George, there's famine, disease, war, poverty, and so many other issues that we need to be concerned with and you're asking about a movie. I'm an actress and sometimes I appear topless or even nude. Again, long before I became the Vice President, I appeared in the Spartan trilogy where I appeared naked, as well as in several other films. No one is required to watch any of my movies, and if my costumes, or lack of same, are objectionable to someone, I'd strongly suggest that they do not watch my films. I'm comfortable with my performances as long as my husband feels the same. His opinion is the only one that really matters to me on this subject."

"Do you believe that members of Congress are retaliating against you because of the way you spoke to them at the joint session?" asked a Japanese reporter.

"That's a question you should pose to the members of Congress," smiled Gwen. "I can only guess what motivates them. The usual suspects are power and money. More than a few of them are jockeying into position to run for my job in a few years."

Gwen ended the session a short time later so she could make preparations for the morning flight to Beijing. Four hours after takeoff, the American contingent was driven through the densely populated city of Beijing to the Ritz-Carlton. Once they were settled, the hotel served the travelers a gourmet luncheon in a private dining room.

The rest of the day was spent discussing international issues and the political problems at home, but the next day saw their Chinese hosts proudly transport the group to many of the more famous points of interest in the area. They spent several hours at the Great Wall of China. Steve and Gwen walked along the wall with Saint holding Gwen's hand while Steve carried Vickie on his hip.

"This boggles the mind," marveled Gwen as she studied the manmade wonder. "It goes farther than we can see. Did you ever imagine we'd be here some day? It's incredible!"

"I never gave it much thought, but I'm certain I didn't anticipate walking along the Great Wall of China with my wife, son, and daughter. Of course, I never expected you'd become President of the United States, either," admitted Steve as he fondly squeezed Gwen's shoulders to his chest. "You've been a source of amazement ever since I first laid eyes on you. I never knew I could love anyone the way I love you."

"You promised to show me the world, Sailor. You certainly lived up to that promise," smiled Gwen as she leaned back and gently kissed Steve's lips.

The news that morning in the United States featured a short video of the President of the United States strolling along the Great Wall with her family before stopping to lovingly kiss her husband. That little exchange was featured prominently on the morning news. Americans were becoming so accustomed to seeing their president and her husband demonstrating their affection for each other that a new term had come into use, PPDA's. They were proud to be represented by a couple that was so unwavering in their love and support for each other. After all, wasn't that the way it's supposed to be?

The Chinese government ensured that the American dignitaries were shown the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace as well as several modern architectural accomplishments. It was a city of contrasts, with many ancient sites located not far from some very modern facilities.

That evening was the State Dinner. Once again the President of the United States was radiant in a red gown. She and her husband spent considerable time chatting with Chinese leaders in government and industry. Following Gwen's lead, Lisa, Kate, and Naomi made a serious effort to work the crowd and win over the movers and shakers of China. By the end of the evening, Steve was certain that progress had been made in improving relations with China. President Xi proved somewhat susceptible to Gwen's charms. Steve pretended not to notice when the eyes of the President of the People's Republic would linger on Gwen's cleavage as she engaged him in conversation.

Later that evening, Gwen discussed the affair with Steve when they reached their room. "That seemed to go quite well. I think we have some budding relationships with Chinese leaders. Hopefully, we'll be able to build on them in the future."

"You certainly had President Xi's attention," agreed Steve. "He had trouble pulling his eyes away from that magnificent chest of yours."

"Hey, if the 'girls' can help improve international relations by permitting a few little peeks, they'll be happy to do their part," chuckled Gwen.

"Yeah, he was peeking at the peaks," laughed Steve. "I was trying to keep his wife distracted so she wouldn't see how far his eyes were bugging out. I'd say that you and the girls managed to impress President Xi quite nicely."

"But what about my husband?" asked Gwen, beginning to undress. "Does he see anything he likes? In addition to international relations, do you think he'd be interested in improving an interpersonal one?"

"He plans on making love to his beautiful wife at least once in every country on the tour," promised Steve as he dropped his jacket on a nearby chair. "There's something especially erotic about sleeping with the President of the United States!"

"Uh, oh! It looks like it's going to be a very long three years in the White House," giggled Gwen as Steve gently toyed with her nipples. "The things I endure for my country!"

The next evening saw Gwen standing on a stage in the center of Tiananmen Square preparing to address a huge crowd that had begun gathering hours earlier. She couldn't help but notice the large police presence. Men in uniform were scattered throughout the audience, constantly monitoring the crowd, paying far more attention to those in attendance than to the activities on stage. Gwen made certain to walk to all sides of the stage, which was encased in bullet proof glass, as she spoke to the crowd. She kept her speech brief, simply thanking the President of the People's Republic for working so hard to avoid war, and for inviting Lady in Red to perform for the people of China. She was very careful to avoid any controversial topics.

The huge crowd, estimated at over a million people loved the show and frequently roared its approval, forcing the singers to wait for the din to abate before they could continue. The show went a little long as the appreciative crowd was treated to several encores.

Later that evening, after making love, Gwen and Steve found time to discuss the performance before nodding off. "The heavy police presence was to make certain that there wasn't a repeat of the kneeling you saw in North Korea and Tokyo. Xi didn't want it to appear that his citizens held you in higher regard than their own leaders," informed Steve.

"That never occurred to me," admitted Gwen. "I thought they were just keeping order. I never expect anyone to kneel for me. You know that."

"I sure do," replied Steve as he ran his hand lightly over Gwen's breasts. "I also know that you've become a symbol of hope, peace, and a better life to people all around the world. You're much more than the President of the United States to these people."

"Tell that to Congress," quipped Gwen. "They don't seem to share your high opinion of me."

"That's their mistake. We're going to have to make some decisions about how you're going to work with them by the time we return to D.C. The first issue will be getting your appointments passed. It seems fairly obvious that Vince is going to have no problems being approved as Vice President, and Chatham looks like a safe bet for Secretary of Defense, but your other nominees are going to have tougher rows to hoe."

"That's what Lisa keeps telling me. I'd be a lot more worried if I didn't have you to lean on," whispered Gwen, sliding her hand down Steve's torso. "Right now I need you to make love to me again."

Gwen and Steve used much of the twelve hour flight to Sydney discussing policy and issues with their inner circle. They were interested in pursuing the concerns and impressions of the others.

Gwen was surprised when Jordan revealed a potential problem. "As you know, my mom stayed in Washington to help with the homeless shelters Richard started when he first met Ashley. They've become the main source of food and shelter for a lot of unfortunate people in Washington. Ever since he married Ashley, Mom's been helping run the shelters when he's traveling with her.

"Your mom has been great," praised Steve. "She's been spending a lot of time working for charities. That's why she's on the board of directors that oversees our charitable donations."

"I hope you'll think so after you hear what she's been up to while we've been traveling," worried Jordan. "I don't know any easy way to tell you so I'm just going to blurt it out. She's been dating Vince Rosen!"

Gwen and Steve didn't conceal their surprise as they looked at each other and then back at Jordan, who continued to speak. "I'm sure that she never thought about the fallout and problems it would cause you. She only told me because someone recognized them having dinner at a Washington restaurant a few hours ago and it's all over the news already. We all know Mom's questionable past. She could ruin Vince's career, including his chances to be approved as Vice President. I'm so sorry!"

"Jordan, please don't let this upset you," replied Gwen as she hugged her dear friend. "Vince is a great guy and he's been alone long enough. You should be happy for them."

"I am, except for the trouble this will cause you, and Mom. We all know the press will bring up every mistake Mom's ever made, and she's made more than her share over the years."

"I know that she helped take care of Cynthia Rosen when they stayed at Asgard, but I never guessed it would lead to a romance with Vince. Has this been going on very long?" asked Steve calmly.

"Mom said that they kind of 'clicked' when she was helping with Cynthia, but she swears that she hadn't seen or heard from Vince since Cynthia's funeral. At least not until Vince came back to Washington recently to meet with Gwen. She said they've gotten together a couple of times after he called and asked her to dinner one day. He's going to be contacting you, Gwen, to ask if you want him to withdraw his name from consideration because he's not going to stop seeing Mom."

"I'll have to discuss this with the others, but my first reaction is to ask Vince not to pull his name from consideration. What do you think, Steve?" asked Gwen.

"I have mixed emotions," admitted Steve. "I'm delighted that Cindy and Vince found each other. They deserve to be happy. However, Jordan has a point about her mom's past. The press will dig and they'll turn up everything she's ever done wrong. Has she been totally honest with Vince? He'll need to know everything before he gets publicly blindsided.

"Then there's the issue of gaining the approval of Congress to become Vice President. You can bet that some of those hypocrites will try to use Cindy's past to scuttle Vince's career."

"Jordan. Would you please call your mother and let Steve speak to her?" requested Gwen. "You know how much she loves and respects him. She needs to understand what's ahead."

Gwen, Jordan, and Charlie sat near Steve and listened to his side of the conversation as he spoke with Jordan's mom. "Cindy, thanks for speaking with me. Don't apologize! You're a wonderful, beautiful woman and you have every right to date, and even to fall in love. No, you're right, this isn't the average dating situation.

"From what Jordan's told us, you understand how your past can affect Vince's future. No, it doesn't have to ruin his career and there's no reason you have to stop seeing him, but you will have to do something that will be very difficult. I want you to speak with Vince very soon and tell him every bad thing you've ever done. Why? The press will be reporting every bit of dirt they can dig up, and they'll be doing it very soon. It'll be a lot better if he hears it from you. Don't put a shine on anything; just give him all the facts. Tell him the total truth. If you lose him, then it wasn't meant to be. It's better for you both if you're the one to tell him everything from your past that could embarrass either of you. Okay?

"One more thing and this one may be even harder. Write an outline of your life and include all the stuff you wouldn't want people to know. I'll talk it over with Gwen, Jordan, and the others, but I'll probably be asking you to release the outline to the press if you and Vince choose to pursue your relationship. It'll be far less embarrassing for both of you, and to Jordan, than if you try to hide it and the media finds out; and believe me, they will find out.

"I know you never expected this, and it probably isn't fair, but you're becoming romantically involved with a former United States President. Hopefully, he'll become vice president soon. The possibility exists that he could become president again and you could be our First Lady, so nothing you've ever done will remain a secret."

Just as Steve finished speaking with Cindy, Gwen received a call from Vince Rosen. "Hello, Madam President? I'm sure you've heard how I've jeopardized my appointment. Would you like me to withdraw my name from consideration?"

"Vince, first let me tell you that I have you on speaker phone. You know how highly Steve and I regard Cindy. We think the world of her," began Gwen.

"We both know that this will likely complicate the approval process. You're aware that Cindy's had some issues in the past. It's extremely likely that those problems will be made public very soon. She'll become part of your background check. First, we want Cindy to fill you in on everything that could conceivably be coming out about her. Then, you'll need to decide if you want to pursue the relationship."

"I fully expect to continue seeing Cindy," responded Vince Rosen. "I can't imagine that changing."

"I was pretty certain you'd feel that way, but please have the conversation with her. If nothing else, we don't want you blindsided. If you decide to continue the relationship, she'll have to disclose every facet of her life and do so publicly. You know what'll happen if she doesn't; someone else will."

"We'll have that conversation, Madam President," promised Rosen. "The question remains; would you prefer that I remove my name from consideration?"

"I haven't had an opportunity to discuss the situation with my advisors, but please don't say or do anything until I call you back. That should be within the next few hours."

Once Gwen finished speaking with Vince and disconnected, Jordan asked, "Are you going to encourage Vince to stop seeing Mom? Why did this have to happen now?"

"Jordan, we won't be tossing your mom under the bus," promised Gwen. "If she and Vince want to be together, I'd never do anything to prevent it. Your mom is one of us. She's part of our family. That's all I need to say about that.

"The question we need to consider is whether we still want to push for Vince's appointment to become vice president. It's apparent to me that he values your mother's happiness and love more than he does the vice presidency," reasoned Gwen.

By this time, Gwen's inner circle was sitting close and listening to the tail end of the conversation. Naomi jumped at the opportunity to express her opinion.

"Maybe I'm speaking out of turn, but I think it would be wrong to change course. It would send a message that you don't approve of Jordan's mom as wife material for Vince. You've become President of the United States by being an understanding, forgiving person, fiercely loyal to your family and friends, and fearless in the face of adversity. We all know Cindy as a very generous, intelligent woman who overcame earlier mistakes to become an inspiration to women of all ages."

"Naomi's right!" declared Kate. "If you waffle on this, you'll appear indecisive or tentative, at the very least."

"Steve, please tell us what you're thinking," nudged Gwen.

"I've known both Vince and Cindy for over fifteen years," replied Steve. "I admire Vince, and I love Jordan's mom. She had some hard times but turned it all around and came out far better for it. I never thought of them as a couple before, but I do now. They've done nothing but unselfishly help us every way they could. I agree with Kate and Naomi. We need to support those two as much as we possibly can. That's what Lady in Red does for friends and family. This may test us, but we can't waver."

"Then it's decided," stated Gwen firmly. "Vince remains our choice for Vice President and we stand one hundred percent behind Cindy Quick in every way possible.

"I'd like to place it on record that I'm extremely proud of this group with me today. My first inclination was to tell Vince that my administration was behind him, but as President I have to place the welfare of the country ahead of my personal feelings. I needed you to voice your support of Vince and Cindy to be certain I wasn't making a purely emotional decision that could affect each of you in some way.

"Vince's appointment looked like a cakewalk before this revelation. If we struggle with his nomination, it'll probably be that much more difficult to push through everyone else's. I'm sure you all know that, but not one of you even remotely suggested that you were concerned about your personal situations. You guys are the best! I'll call Vince and let him know that he's still our enthusiastic choice for the position, and wish him the best with Cindy."

"I'd like to say something, if I could," choked out an emotional Jordan. "Gwen and Steve took me in when I was broken and made me whole. Charlie showed me what true love was. The rest of you accepted me and took me into your arms and welcomed me into your families. I know Mom has had her problems, but so have I. You guys healed us both, and your support in times like this means more to me than I can ever express. Thank you so much!"

Two hours later, Air Force One touched down at Sydney's Kingsford Smith Airport. Prime Minister Malcolm King gave President Hammer and her entourage an extremely warm welcome, and Gwen gave a short speech.

"Steve and I are extremely pleased to visit Australia again. As you know, we were here several years ago when Steve's cousin, Jen, married a 'bloke' named Ethan Williams. We absolutely loved our stay and fell in love with 'the land down under'.

"We'll be staying with Jen and Ethan at their 'station' northwest of Sydney. That's why we're here in Sydney rather than Canberra, Australia's capital. I greatly appreciate that Prime Minister King traveled to Sydney to meet with me. I know he's very busy and I thank him for taking the time."

The moment the Prime Minister had finished greeting Gwen and Steve, Jen was in Steve's arms, hugging her cousin as tightly as possible. "It's so good to see you again! Ethan's political career took a huge step forward when people learned that we were hosting President Hammer and her handsome husband. He's almost certain to be elected to the Senate next year. Being seen with Gwen and you is the surest way to garner positive publicity. You guys are gold here!"