Lady in Red Pt. 03 Ch. 07

"We need to prepare for the flight to London, so Steve and I will take our leave. Thank you all for your efforts in reporting this trip as factually as you have and for being so patient with me," concluded Gwen as she took Steve's hand and led him from the room.

Gwen and Steve had been in their London hotel less than an hour when Lisa, Kate, Naomi, and Diane along with Will and Billy were ushered into their suite. Diane immediately hurried over to Stephanie to wrap her in a motherly hug. Then she moved to give James an only slightly less enthusiastic embrace.

"You're making me a grandmother again! I can't tell you how happy Will and I are about it. I was afraid you'd let your career prevent you from giving me grandbabies. I'm so glad that didn't happen!"

"Mom, it was all James' fault," replied Stephanie. "He told me it wasn't midnight yet, so I was still safe. My fertile period wouldn't start until the next day."

"Wow!" exclaimed Stephanie's father, Will. "If I'd only known that line would be so effective you'd have half a dozen siblings by now."

"That may have been too much information," laughed Lisa. "It's so good to be with family after spending a week in Washington being grilled by reporters and members of Congress, and I didn't even require a vote of approval. Kate and Naomi have been through the ringer."

"Yeah, we had a blast!" joked Kate. "The truth is I really did enjoy being able to respond honestly to all the questions and leave off the sugar coating. Gwen and Steve made it a lot easier when they told us to just tell the truth and not worry about politicians' feelings. I may have taken it a little too far, but I'll never sit still when anyone criticizes Our Queen and her Warrior!"

"I hope I wasn't too frank with those senators," added Naomi, "but I'll be damned if I'll let them say crap about President Hammer. The committees didn't approve us, but the atmosphere in Washington when we left was different than I've ever experienced before. The folks back home in Small Town America are getting pissed. It's beginning to reach Washington. Change is coming."

"Just so you know, Your Queen missed her three dearly," stated Gwen with a grin.

"Talking about ourselves in the third person, are we?" laughed Kate. "This queen thing really has Congress struggling. They're obsessed about the power you and Steve are accumulating. They want to stop you before you reach the point of no return. By that, I mean you'll become so loved and so influential that their power will pale in comparison."

"It's already too late," assessed Lisa. "Gwen and Steve have entered uncharted waters. Congress can't do anything to diminish the strong feelings the citizens of the world have for them. The news back home is dominated by stories about them. Entertainment shows can't get enough of the First Couple.

"The sports channels are all over the DC Spartans and Steve's statement that our players will stand for the anthem or find their asses on the bench, probably for a different team. People are responding to what many call Steve's old-fashioned values. A few politicians and celebrities are insisting that Steve is trying to thwart freedom of speech and expression, but the majority of Americans are supporting our policy and wish other teams would follow suit.

"When Steve told reporters we'd support nonprofit organizations that players created to help people, it really took the wind out of the sails of our detractors. When those guys put on our uniform, they're working for us and we have a standard of behavior we demand from employees," stated Lisa. "There's a big difference between disrespecting our flag on the one hand and rolling up your sleeves and putting some muscle into causes that are dear to your heart on the other. He's forbidding the one even while he puts our support behind the other. It's form versus substance."

"We've invited Prince William and Kate to dine with us tonight and they're bringing their kids. It's not going to be formal, but we'll all want to look our best for them. We don't dine with real royalty very often," pointed out Gwen.

"So says Our Queen of Peace!" laughed Naomi.

The dinner with the Royals was a huge success. Having known the Royal Couple and their children for years, Steve and Gwen were extremely comfortable in their presence. Jordan and Charlie had also become quite good friends of theirs. Over the years, Lady in Red had responded to several requests to perform at fundraisers in England for charities supported by the Royal Family.

The atmosphere was quite informal as laughter was frequent and smiles never seemed to stop. The kids played nicely together with no indication that they were born of great wealth and influence. None of the parents allowed the children to feel superior to others because of birth and for the most part the kids never seemed to be aware of it.

At the state dinner the next evening, Gwen and Steve once again dazzled. In a room filled with famous, wealthy and beautiful people, none could compete with the beauty and grace of President Hammer. As always, Steve was constantly at her side, supporting his wife in every possible way. His dedication to his wife was one of the things people noticed first when in their presence.

Gwen once again made an extra effort to show her trust and affection for Stephanie and James. She and Steve wanted Britain to have no doubt that America's First Couple thought very highly of the Hawthorns. Steve's plan to cultivate far-sighted friends and promote those expected to attain positions of power in the nations they had visited was working to perfection. They had forged strong ties with world leaders and made it apparent to several nations that they had close ties to possible future leaders. This also increased Gwen's influence and did not go unnoticed in Washington.

The next evening saw Hyde Park packed with fans eager to see Lady in Red perform. Steve and Gwen had discussed how awkward it would be if some of the fans who were not loyal to the monarchy decided to curtsy or bow to Gwen. It could very easily inflame those that felt strongly about the English Monarchy. Gwen and Steve had discussed it with William and Kate the previous evening and the four determined a solution to the possible problem.

The vast audience quickly dropped to a knee as Gwen walked to the front of the stage accompanied by Kate, Duchess of Cambridge. The two very much-admired women waved and acknowledged the crowd. Gwen curtsied to Kate, once again leading to cheers from the huge crowd. After waving and smiling broadly for a couple of minutes, Kate and Gwen retreated to the back of the stage. Once Kate was carefully guided off by security, Gwen unfastened her conservative cloak from her shoulders as Charlie cued the band and the concert began.

The first two hours were spent doing as many of their hits as they could squeeze in. The fans loved it, but when the band began playing some of the most popular songs from English artists, they shouted their increased approval. Charlie had carefully selected songs from many of the hundreds of great performances by British artists.

Jordan wowed the audience with two of Dusty Springfield's hits. Then she sang 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' followed by Gwen performing 'I Need a Hero' much to the delight of those in attendance. The group performed songs by many of the more famous British artists, but when Steve played guitar and sang lead on 'Satisfaction' their fans went into a frenzy. It was actually the first time Steve had ever performed the song in public and the reception was better than he had hoped.

Once the cheering and applause died down, a smiling Gwen announced to the crowd that Steve would indeed be finding 'Satisfaction' later that night. That announcement prompted a couple more minutes of thunderous approval from the huge crowd.

After the final intermission, the musicians returned to the stage and total bedlam ensued. The fans were beyond delighted when they realized that Gwen and the rest were in costume as Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, except that Gwen, Jordan, and Kathy wore abbreviated outfits that emphasized their hourglass figures and considerable cleavage!

Charlie nodded for the band to begin as Gwen stepped to the front, declaring musically that 'It was twenty years ago today, Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play' and the fans once again roared their delight.

"May I introduce to you the one and only Jordan Burns and Sgt. Pepper's Lady in Red Band!" sang Gwen before Jordan moved to the front to sing 'A Little Help from my Friends'.

Charlie had managed a brilliant job of moving effortlessly through the music of what he felt was the best album ever recorded. The group actually went through the entire album before taking a breather. They then performed the Beatles songs that had attained number one status. They ended the concert with an obvious number one song left off the list. The huge audience yelled, cheered, applauded, and whistled its approval for several minutes after the group left the stage before Gwen finally led the musicians back.

Jordan sat at the piano as Gwen began singing 'Hey Jude'. Gwen sang the first two verses with the rest of the group singing backup. Soon all of the singers were at the front of the stage, singing the chorus over and over along with Gwen and the massive audience. The entire park and surrounding areas had lighted phones and flashlights swaying back and forth. Charlie realized he was seeing something very special, so he extended the song for a full twenty minutes. Not a single fan left before the lights on stage went dark. The ovation was long and enthusiastic as the huge crowd expressed its appreciation for the incredible performance they had witnessed.

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The internet, television and print media raved about the performance and how Lady in Red made the concert a celebration of the music and artists of Great Britain. President Hammer and her fellow musicians had secured a warm place in the hearts of the citizens the British Isles.

Madrid was the next capital city on the We Come in Peace Tour. Air Force One touched down shortly after noon. The First Minister, also known as the Prime Minister, gave Gwen and Steve a very warm reception on the tarmac. It was the couple's first ever visit to Spain and they both looked forward to touring Madrid and performing for its citizens.

Gwen and Steve freshened up in their hotel before being taken on a tour of the ancient city of Madrid. They toured the Royal Palace and spent time at the Prado National Museum before retiring to their hotel for the evening.

Ashley approached Gwen an hour before dinner was to be served. "Gwen, the press has been asking to interview you. They never had the opportunity while you were in London and they want to catch up."

Ten minutes later, Gwen led Steve into a media room in their hotel. She took the time to greet each reporter by name before announcing she would take questions.

"Madam President, there's a lot of discussion about your NFL team not allowing players freedom of expression. How do you reconcile your sworn oath to protect the Constitution and yet deny football players the right to kneel during the anthem?" asked a rather loud reporter who felt if he shouted louder than the others, his question would be answered first.

"My husband, my children, and I were attacked by terrorists not long ago in Berlin. Thankfully, Steve was up to the task of protecting us. The day after that attack, I met with some members of the United States Army's Special Forces. Some of these young men were white, some black, one was Puerto Rican and two were descended from Mexican parents, and two others were of Asian descent. To a man, they reaffirmed their allegiance to the United States and volunteered to fly into a hostile nation to eliminate terrorists intent on destroying our way of life.

"These courageous young men did exactly that. Some of them were injured, but thankfully, none fatally. They risked their lives and shed their blood for their country. Over the last two and a half centuries, millions of patriotic men and women have done the same," continued Gwen.

"Perhaps you can see where I'm going with this. The Constitution guarantees the right to express yourself freely, within reason. It does not say anything about forcing employers to pay people to express their personal beliefs. It's seen as totally reasonable that companies, like the various news organizations you people are employed by, demand certain a code of conduct, and often place it in the contracts signed by the employees. I'm sure each of you has a morals clause, as well as clauses to prevent you from misrepresenting or harming your employer.

"We have similar wording in our contracts with the players and therefore all contracts offered to our employees specify that while they are actively representing Lady in Red or any of our subsidiaries, they will always stand for the anthem. Anyone, including players, not representing us to our satisfaction will be traded, or terminated."

"Your husband played with a lot of the men on the DC Spartans last year. Some of them have stated their intention to kneel during the anthem," pointed out a cable news reporter. "How will you and your company handle a situation like that?"

"Preemptively when possible," responded Gwen.

"What does that mean?" asked the same reporter.

"Please allow me to respond, Madam President?" asked Steve politely, before continuing once Gwen nodded. "We will not knowingly retain a player on the team who will not stand for the anthem. No player will remain seated or kneel more than once for the anthem. There will be no second chances. This policy has been reiterated to all of our employees in a memo they should have received earlier today."

"You could lose some of your best players!" protested a sports reporter from the back of the room.

"A man that doesn't respect the sacrifices our men and women in uniform have made over the years is not considered valuable to our team," replied Steve. "They have options, as do we."

"But these players aren't protesting the military," explained another reporter. "They're making a statement about police brutality and the unfair treatment of police forces across the country."

"They can tell you they're protesting whatever they want, but the truth is that they're showing disrespect for the armed services as well as the Constitution of the United States. Americans have the right to burn the flag. That's a Constitutional right, but don't expect me to employ anyone that does so. That's my Constitutional right!" proclaimed Steve. "I fought for that right. I had some very good friends die fighting for my rights and I won't disrespect them by giving any of them up."

"As you can see, Steve and I feel very strongly on this subject. Americans have a right to peacefully protest, but how many can do that in their place of employment and remain employed?" asked Gwen. "The stadium on game day is one of the places we pay these men to represent us, and that's exactly what we'll require of them. Any worthwhile causes they wish to pursue when they're off the field will receive our full support and often even our financial backing; but our loyalty to our country, our flag and our troops is not negotiable."

"My Queen," began Amber Stahl. "The Senate just announced it will put off its vote on confirmation of Kate Martin and Naomi Wilson-White until you return to Washington. Rumor has it there was considerable pressure exerted on Senators to go along with that timetable. Did you and/or Steve have anything to do with this turn of events?"

Gwen's surprise at Amber's question was obvious to the gathered reporters. No one missed her quick glance at Steve and the slight shake of his head in response to her unasked question.

"This is the first I've heard of it," replied Gwen. "I assure you that Steve and I had nothing to do with this decision by the Senate, but we welcome it. I won't be lobbying for Kate and Naomi simply because Steve and I have nothing to say to the members of the Senate. They'll have to determine their own fate. It's not worth any further time or effort from us."

"You're saying that you don't care whether your nominees are approved?" asked a network anchor.

"I'd like them approved, but we're not wasting our time trying to please or placate a fickle Senate," stated Gwen. "We're setting our sights on more important objectives, like world peace, ending famine and disease, and putting an end to terrorism by eliminating its causes, which are ignorance and intolerance."

"Do you feel you would have a chance to accomplish those lofty goals if you were removed from office?" questioned a newspaper reporter.

"Absolutely!" responded Gwen. "Steve and I, along with Lady in Red, are moving forward with plans to improve the human condition around the world. We'll be working to increase food production in areas of famine and improve health care in nations that desperately need it. This world tour has opened our eyes to many new positive achievements that are possible."

"Madam President, you're reported to have a lengthy nude scene in your new movie 'The Queen's Ransom'. How do you expect Washington to react?" asked a reporter before continuing. "Many people believe it's undignified and demeaning for the President of the United States to appear nude in a movie."

"That movie will possibly win an Oscar or two for my amazing husband. Lady in Red has projected that it will bring in over a billion dollars over the next few years. I'd suggest that if seeing me naked is so troublesome for people, they shouldn't watch it. The truth is we expect to set records at the box office because there are a lot of people who want to see an extremely well written, directed, and acted film starring Steve Hammer, Jordan and Charlie Burns, Kate Martin, Lisa and Jason Hunter, Naomi and Jared White and many others, including me. I'm not concerned in the least about what a few old farts in Washington think, if you'll excuse my French."

"I think we've used up our available time," cut in Steve with a big grin at his wife's candid remark. "We appreciate the job you all do reporting on this world tour. Thanks, all of you."

The next day saw Gwen and her friends touring more of Madrid before preparing for the state dinner that evening. Cameras flashed as Gwen and Steve were introduced to King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. King Philip V of Spain began his rule in 1700 and the House of Bourbon ruled Spain for over 300 years with Spain's constitution reestablishing a constitutional monarchy in 1978.

Photographers couldn't get enough pictures of the photogenic couples. The King and Queen of Spain standing next to America's First Couple made newspaper and magazine covers around the world. Queen Letizia was especially warm to Gwen as the two ladies enjoyed a private conversation for several minutes. As they finished their discussion, Gwen hugged Letizia warmly and the photo of that event was featured prominently across the internet.

The state dinner was steeped in tradition and Gwen enjoyed it immensely. She and Steve spent most of the evening interacting with Spanish politicians, dignitaries, and popular Spanish artists of movies and television. Steve's Spanish was weak compared to the other languages he spoke, but he found he was able to communicate with it. Luckily, Charlie and Jordan were with them and Charlie was fluent in Spanish. He often helped Gwen when she found herself with guests who didn't speak English.

Steve took advantage of the situation by escorting Jordan to the dance floor. "I'm having a little trouble processing all of this. I'm dancing with the husband of the President of The United States immediately after meeting the King and Queen of Spain. I never dreamed having my mouth washed out with soap would turn out so well for me in the long run."