Lady in Red Pt. 03 Ch. 05

"Speaking of your job," began Lisa. "South Korea's Park is out and the new government wants very much to correct what it feels was the poor decision by Park to not honor you at a state dinner. I told them that you'd be receptive to meeting with representatives of the newly formed government once your world tour was concluded and you've had an opportunity to get settled back in Washington."

Ashley then joined the conversation. "I have some news. I received a call from the president of NBS last night. It seems that they've reassigned Andrew Kingston. He asked me to convey his deepest apologies for Mr. Kingston's unpleasant statements at your last press conference. He insisted that they did not reflect the opinions or policy of the network. He especially wanted me to tell Steve. He said that he hoped it would be enough, but if Steve wasn't happy with the decision, he should call his private number and the network would be sure to make it right."

"I wonder if that apology has anything to do with the three year deal they signed with Lady in Red Productions to broadcast the annual Christmas show you guys put on," wondered Kate. "Now that you're President of the United States, that deal must really look very sweet to them. If Kingston had screwed that up, they would've had him sweeping up the mail room."

"It's interesting that he wanted to be certain that Steve was placated. One of the biggest reasons not to insult the President of the United States is fear of her husband," pointed out Naomi. "It was pretty evident that Steve was pissed big time at Kingston. He was smart to get out while he could still walk."

Gwen, Jordan, Charlie, and Steve spent the afternoon touring the hospital Lady in Red had built years before. They were greeted warmly by everyone they met, patients and staff alike.

"This is why we won't be placing our company in blind trust of any kind," explained Gwen to members of the press as their visit concluded. "You've just seen firsthand how this hospital is benefiting people of Kiev and the entire Ukraine. The hospital we built in Moscow has been very well received and serves thousands of people every year. We fund these institutions generously, thus ensuring that everyone entering our buildings receives the best possible medical attention. That's why we work so hard at keeping Lady in Red Productions a growing international business. We have some very heartfelt and substantial obligations to meet."

Kiev was one of the few cities on the tour that had previously hosted concerts by 'Lady in Red', but that didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the huge crowd gathered to enjoy the American musicians as they once again performed in Independence Square.

Knowing how well the Ukrainian people cared for her and what Lady in Red had done for them, Gwen was not surprised to have the vast audience go to one knee as she moved to the front of the stage. She sported a huge smile as she waved to the crowd before motioning everyone to stand. By the time they had gained their feet, Charlie had signaled the band to begin. The crowd was immediately dancing in the streets.

For Gwen and the rest of the musicians, it was almost like playing in front of their home town. They were relaxed yet energetic as they entertained around a million of their closest friends. The huge audience was vocal and very enthusiastic as they sang along and danced to the music for nearly five hours.

The following morning Gwen and Steve took time to once again answer questions from the reporters traveling with them. They weren't scheduled to depart for Moscow until noon and had time for a more detailed press conference.

The first thing Gwen noticed as she stepped into the room to meet with the press was Heather Jensen standing on the left side of the group. "Heather? This is a pleasant surprise. Are you reporting for a news outlet?"

"Thanks, Madam President," replied the attractive young blonde as the pool of reporters turned their attention to her. "I've been assigned to replace Mr. Kingston, who had to attend to pressing matters back in New York. I arrived a few hours ago. It's an honor to be here covering your world tour and all of the things you're accomplishing."

"Thank you, Heather," responded Gwen, stepping to the microphone. "It's always nice to see someone from Sparta doing well. Why don't we begin the questioning with you?"

"Rumor is swirling in Washington that your husband has been summoned to appear before a Senate committee to determine if he should be approved as your national security advisor, and he declined. Can you comment on that?"

"Wow! I can see you won't be lobbing softballs at me," chuckled Gwen as she considered her answer.

"Congress is well aware that Steve is committed to this world tour. We need him for his talent and stage presence in our concerts. As you well know, Heather, a great many people would be very disappointed if he failed to appear on stage with us. The fact is that I also rely heavily on his advice when I meet with foreign leaders. I'd be foolish not to take advantage of what I feel is the most knowledgeable person in international diplomacy available anywhere.

"Then there's the fact that above all, Steve's my husband, my confidant, and my lover. Why would we even consider being apart at a time like this? We don't take orders from Congress, especially if they interfere with our family, my job, and national security," finished Gwen firmly.

"Is your husband your national security advisor?" asked the next reporter. "Doesn't he have to be given security clearance and approval from Congress to hold that position?"

"Steve and Naomi are the two people that I turn to for advice on international matters. Naomi is back in Washington and prepared to appear before a Senate committee in a few days. The short answer would be that Steve really is my national security advisor, although he does not hold that official title. As far as security clearance is concerned? He's my husband. Has any president ever had a spouse who required a security clearance? Do you think any president has ever discussed sensitive issues with a spouse? Steve needs no vetting. You all know that. For Congress to suggest that a highly decorated former Navy Lieutenant Commander, Navy SEAL, and trusted advisor to several presidents needs its approval is ludicrous. I'll proudly compare Steve's qualifications, integrity, patriotism, and knowledge with any Senator or Congressman that questions his credentials."

"Does your husband currently have total access to any and all information available to you, Madam President, including classified documents?" asked another network reporter.

"Absolutely," replied Gwen succinctly.

"Are you concerned about how this response may appear to Congress? Your husband has refused to comply with a summons from the Senate Intelligence Committee," continued the same reporter.

"Steve has not refused to appear before the committee. In fact, he's already informed them that he'll be willing to appear later in the fall, once this tour is over and our schedules become more stable," replied Gwen. "As far as Congress' reaction is concerned, you need to submit that question to them. I'm sure their constituents will be interested in their responses"

"It appears that the sale of the Washington Redskins to your company is a mere formality at this point," pointed out Heather. "Are you going to go through with the purchase if the NFL grants final approval?"

"We submitted our offer over eighteen months ago, long before I was even considered for Vice President. We knew it would be a slow process, but now that it may finally be approved, we'll move forward as quickly as the situation allows."

"Will Steve come out of retirement if you gain ownership this season?" pursued Heather.

"We've been far too busy to even think about that possibility. I'll support Steve if that should be his decision. He and Jared would certainly make it a better team," added Gwen as she glanced at her handsome husband and smiled.

"Do you blame the officials for the Super Bowl loss earlier this year?" asked a cable news reporter.

"Steve would be very upset with me if I did," responded Gwen. "Games are won and lost by players and coaches. It's that simple. Steve never assigns blame for a loss. He simply looks for ways to improve. We have no dispute with the officials and we very much appreciate their professionalism and knowledge of the sport."

A reporter standing in the back asked, "Do you think Congress will approve Vince Rosen as Vice President? Will the Senate confirm your sister, your brother-in-law, Naomi White and her father, Jeff Wilson to cabinet level positions?"

"Again, you should direct those questions to members of Congress. I've submitted the names of extremely qualified people for positions in our government," replied Gwen. "It's my hope that they'll be approved, but we're all aware of the current climate in Washington. Time will tell."

"Did you or your husband have anything to do with Andrew Kingston being called back to New York, and a personal friend of yours, Ms. Jensen, replacing him?" asked a cable news reporter.

"Let me assure you that we did not contact his network, for any reason. They did contact my Press Secretary, Ashley, to apologize for his behavior and she acknowledged that apology. Neither I, nor Steve, had any intention of having him removed from this tour," stated Gwen firmly. "That said, I think it was obvious to everyone that Steve was irked by Mr. Kingston's attitude toward me. He may have intended to have a private discussion with Mr. Kingston, but neither of us indicated to anyone in any way that we wanted him removed."

"Is it appropriate for your husband to physically threaten people, especially reporters, when he perceives some sort of insult has been directed toward you?" asked the same reporter.

"Steve did not threaten Mr. Kingston. He simply suggested a more private opportunity to explain our position to Mr. Kingston. You may assume there was a threat, but I know Steve. He's never physically harmed anyone that didn't start the fracas. He will, on occasion, intimidate others. If you just stand your ground and calmly discuss any disagreement you have with him, he'll never harm you.

"That said, Steve will not stand idly by when someone becomes overly offensive or inappropriate toward me or my children. He's my husband and he considers protecting his family to be a top priority. I see no fault in that and I doubt that many other women would either.

"As all of you know, I have a flight to Moscow this morning and I have to prepare. Thank you for your time," concluded Gwen as she took Steve's hand and walked side by side with him as they left the room.

Once Air Force One was in the air, Ashley asked the question that was puzzling her. "Isn't Heather awfully young to be a White House correspondent for a major network? She wasn't afraid to ask questions however, was she?"

"Steve pretty much jump started her career when she was a reporter in Charlotte, North Carolina," recalled Gwen. "It was two years ago that she tried to contact Steve in the off season. The station she was working for was scheduled to participate in the local version of 'Dancing with the Stars'.

"You know how they usually go. News anchors are coerced into trying to look good in tuxedos and gowns as they attempt to learn some basic moves for the dance floor. Heather's station had an excellent female anchor about sixty years old. She flat out refused to participate. It was certainly her right, but Heather thought the determining factor was that a rival station had an extremely attractive woman who happened to be a former gymnast, anchoring their morning news. She had been selected to represent her station. She was tough competition, even for a much younger woman.

"The older news woman shrewdly insisted that Heather, who was young and quite beautiful, be the female representative for their station. Heather accepted the assignment and was told to find a dance partner, hopefully a professional. That was all the effort her station put into it. After spending a week visiting every dance studio she could find, Heather asked us for help. I still remember how anxious she was," reminisced Gwen.

"Heather had been a high school classmate of Cheryl Baxter's. She knew that Cheryl worked for Lady in Red and called her to ask how to get in touch with Steve. Cheryl promised that she would pass Heather's contact information to Steve, and she should wait to hear from him. To Cheryl's credit, she gave the information to me, rather than Steve. Cheryl's reasoning was I probably wouldn't want someone giving my husband the phone number of a beautiful single woman. That's why she's doing so well with Lady in Red. She's considerate, smart, and loyal," offered Gwen with a smile.

"Heather was surprised when I called her. She had been hoping to hear from Steve. She knew what a soft touch he is for beautiful women. Once Heather explained her situation and how all of the proceeds were to benefit shelters for battered women in the Charlotte area, I told her that I'd discuss it with Steve and let her know.

"Heather told me that the Skins were scheduled to play the Panthers in Charlotte that weekend, so it wouldn't involve extra travel. She offered to come to Washington to spend a few days working on their dance routine. The girl had it all worked out! Steve agreed, but they rehearsed in Sparta rather than Washington, with Diane's help.

"I remember that now! Steve had a bye week and you both spent the weekend in Sparta. We didn't get to hang out too much because Steve was busy all the time," recalled Billy. "I thought he was studying game films or something."

"Yes, Steve and Heather worked all weekend to perfect the routine. Charlie and Jordan rehearsed with me because we decided to have them dance to live music, which we provided. We didn't tell anyone because we wanted everything to be a total surprise when we performed in Charlotte," revealed Gwen.

"So dancing with Steve that night made that big a difference to Heather's career?" asked Ashley. "I was pretty busy going over things for a senate vote the following week, so I didn't really follow the event too closely."

"With all due modesty, Steve, along with Jordan, Charlie, and me made Heather's career that night," stated Gwen. "Pretending nerves, Heather had maneuvered the dance rotation so that she was last to perform. She never told anyone who her partner would be, and truthfully, not many people seemed to care.

"The woman from the rival channel was really good. Her partner was actually a back-up dancer from the network show 'Dancing with the Stars' and they performed a beautiful routine. It looked like it was all over but the trophy presentation. Then Heather, still without a partner anywhere in sight, stepped up to the microphone and announced that her band would need a couple of minutes to set up and asked everyone to be patient.

"The small orchestra that had played quite well all evening grumbled a little until they saw Jordan, Charlie and me carrying out some equipment. They couldn't help us fast enough once they realized who we were. Charlie had brought along a drummer and another guitar player to fill in around Jordan and him. The crowd came alive while we quickly set up. Once we were ready, the lights on the dance floor went out for several seconds.

"When they came back on, Heather was posed like a dancer from 'A Chorus Line' in a short, low cut, sexy black dress that she had worn under the more modest gown everyone had assumed she would wear for her performance. She was facing Steve, who I have to admit looked sexy as hell. He had on a loose pair of silk trousers held up by suspenders that fit snuggly over his exposed chest. Women in the audience oohed and aaahed as soon as the lights came on.

"We played 'Dirty Laundry' while Steve and Heather performed the sexiest dance I'd ever seen. I was jealous and aroused at the same time as I watched them. I actually had trouble remembering the lyrics. They brought the house down! Afterward, people cheered and applauded for several minutes while Heather and Steve bowed and waved to the audience.

"Then they motioned for Jordan, Charlie, and me to join them in the spotlight and the cheering increased," reminisced Gwen. "The emcee came over to interview us and everyone, including Heather, was stunned when Jordan announced that Lady in Red Productions was donating a million dollars to the benefit, and that we had asked a few corporate friends to help this very worthy cause. They had come up with another million, for a two million dollar total. The stated goal had only been forty thousand dollars.

"I think that station still plays the video of that dance every chance they get. Heather became a bit of a celebrity. Within a few months, she had several offers from larger market stations and wound up in Chicago with an affiliate of ABS. She moved up to anchoring the evening news for the Chicago affiliate a few months ago. Now she's the network's White House correspondent."

"I bet that being on good terms with you and Steve was considered when she was promoted. They sure don't want to jeopardize the contract they have with you to broadcast three Christmas shows on their network," surmised Ashley.

"But she asked some pretty good questions," observed Paula. "She didn't act like she was worried about upsetting you in any way."

"She's smart, Mom. If she were a sycophant, she'd have no credibility. I'm sure that a lot of people think she got where she is because she's got nice boobs and a pretty face. She has to perform as a top journalist or she'll lose any credibility she has. I would hope that she knows that Steve and I expect no special treatment; just some common courtesy."

"So Heather pulled off a promotional stunt that carried her to a network position? That's a great story," insisted Billy.

"Make no mistake, Heather is very talented and, as beautiful as she is, she was bound to make it big eventually. We just sped the process up a bit," replied Gwen.

"That girl is absolutely stunning," observed Paula. "You were very understanding to go along with Steve dancing with her. She could have set her sights on him."

"Of course she would, Mom," acknowledged Gwen. "He's wealthy, famous, handsome, athletic and a bunch of other things women look for in a man. I trust Steve totally. He proved himself years ago when he managed to resist my sisters, Jordan, Stephanie, Nadiya, Naomi, Diane and even you. He loves all of you but he's never strayed, so I'm confident that he's my guy as long as I treat him right."

Moscow was teeming with activity in anticipation of the concert Lady in Red had scheduled for Red Square. A large stage had been erected and the huge jumbotrons were in the process of being installed around the huge square as President Hammer's motorcade made its way through the city. People lined the streets and waved and cheered their approval as the motorcade made its way to the luxury hotel Gwen and Steve had first visited just after high school.

"This brings back memories!" exclaimed Paula to Gwen as they arrived at the hotel. "It seems like yesterday that you and Steve were solving that Russian spy issue with France, and you were barely out of high school!"

"That was pretty much all Steve," replied Gwen as she clutched her husband's hand. "All I did was smile and try not to look dumb."

"That line might work if I hadn't been there to witness the entire thing. You certainly did your share to bring the dispute to a reasonable resolution," recalled Paula. "I should have known back then that one of you'd become President of the United States."

"I wouldn't have been surprised if it had been Steve," admitted Gwen. "Instead, he made a path for me to succeed, always placing my welfare ahead of his own. Have I mentioned lately that I love the guy?"