Incest/Taboo Lady in Red

"You're telling me that we four are going to host the show, and that three of us may be nominated for awards, but one of us is coming up short?" asked Steve. "If that's the case, I'll be the only one of us that can claim to have three dear friends being considered for Academy Awards. You guys deserve them."

"I still won't have as many nominations as you, Smart Guy. You won twice for two of the 'Sparta' movies you wrote, and you were nominated for best actor in 'Rise of the Warrior'. I won once for 'Rise of the Queen', was nominated for 'Rise of the Empire', and Jordan and Charlie won for their song, 'Midnight Lights'. We're still trying to catch up.

"Besides, I know you. Awards and honors don't really mean that much to you. You're a humble guy. You'd stay out of the spotlight entirely if it were possible for a man that looks as good as you, and does all of the great things that you do, to go unnoticed," insisted Gwen. "But, you're representing President Hanson the next couple of days. You'll be noticed then, for sure!"

"I didn't intend to start anything," interrupted Stephanie. "I was merely pointing out how well things are going for 'Lady in Red' at the moment. Representing President Hanson here, performing tomorrow, hosting, and possibly winning at the Academy Awards is a heck of a lot of positive PR. It makes my job easy."

"Speaking of easy, Jason is going to get so lucky again tonight," proclaimed Lisa as she pointed to a necklace she was wearing. "He bought this for me today in a jewelry store on Champs-Elysees! It's the only thing I'll be wearing to bed tonight!"

There was silence as the men stared at Lisa. "Okay, that's enough!" stated Paula. "You guys are like vultures looking at road kill. I'd suggest that you don't make statements like that, Lisa. Men are very visual and you just planted a vision in their heads that won't soon go away."

"I'll be erasing it from Chip's little brain, if not from his little head, as soon as we get to our room," declared Kate. "He won't remember anything but this cowgirl..."

"Okay, Kate!" interrupted Chip. "Let's talk about something else since we have your mother and father here with us. We don't get to see them that often. How are you enjoying Paris, Mrs. Anderson?"

"A minute ago, I thought I was having a great time here, but Kate's made me wonder. Cowgirl?" asked Paula as Kate finally blushed a little. "To think that Ted keeps insisting on 'reverse cowgirl' all of the time!"

"Mom!" gasped her daughters in unison, while Ted, along with the rest of the group, broke into gales of laughter.

The next morning was the day of the funeral service. At first, it was thought that there would be two services because of the number of deaths and the difficulty in identifying some of the bodies. But with all of the children's' DNA's on record, identification was quickly accomplished.

There were numerous world leaders attending and the French government was concerned about their safety. The terrorists had been identified as a small cell of about ten, but none of them had been apprehended thus far. Jordan, Charlie, Gwen, and Steve were joined by Senator Chatham for a working breakfast.

"There are more than a few pissed off politicians here in Paris today," began Chatham. "They complained bitterly about a freshman Congresswoman, a Navy Lieutenant, and a couple of singers representing President Hanson. He decided on you for several reasons. The number one reason is sitting next to you, Gwen. Steve is known to be certain death on terrorists and that means a lot to a city suffering from a horrendous terrorist act. Secondly, you're loved all around the world, and no where more than here in France. Then there's the fact that you have no party affiliation, so this can't be considered a political move. Finally, Jordan and Charlie are extremely popular here, especially their music. It all adds up to a no brainer for Hanson.

"You'll be asked to speak and I suggest that Steve do most of it since he's fluent in French and that's huge to the people in this country. Don't be controversial and don't promise anything from the U.S. Just be sympathetic. I don't have to tell you what to say. I've never seen anyone that can say the right thing at the right time the way all of you do."

"Are we expected to smile and be all warm and friendly with the politicians that have been bashing Gwen so badly?" asked Jordan. "Personally, I don't think we need them, or their approval. Gwen and Steve are at the top, and the rest of them are just playing catch-up, and not doing a very good job."

"You're right, but when you represent President Hanson and the U.S., you have to always be patient and courteous to everyone, regardless of what they really deserve. Please be kind, and always be civil in public."

"I think we understand what you're saying and we'll do our best," promised Gwen. "This is for President Hanson and the U.S. and the people of France, and not for any sleazy politicians. We promised Michelle we'd meet her there well before the services, so we could discuss the plans for today and tonight. Would you care to join us, Senator?"

"Absolutely!" replied Senator Chatham. "I want to see you young people work your magic in person. You make news wherever you go. Just tagging along with you is good for my image," admitted Chatham. "Let's go!"

The group arrived several hours before the services were going to be held. Afterward, they were going to join in a procession from the bombed orphanage to the church to commemorate the lost and injured children and to show unity. Within half an hour of their arrival, news crews began showing up. Steve and his friends stood around speaking with Michelle, her father, and civic leaders. A dozen policemen patrolled the area, which served to remind everyone that the terrorists had not yet been apprehended. People were chatting in small groups and in low voices when they heard several loud reports.

The streets had been blocked off for the procession to the church, so everyone was surprised to see an automobile turn the corner a block away and drive away from them for a short distance. Then it stopped and began backing rapidly their way!

"Everyone, get down!" ordered Steve as he moved in front of the gathering to face the car backing toward them. The automobile stopped about fifty feet from Steve. A man suddenly appeared through the sun roof and threw something at the group. The driver then gunned the engine and peeled rubber as he sped away.

Steve immediately recognized the danger that they all faced. The man had thrown a grenade at them! Steve knew that there would be an explosion within seconds, and the carnage would be extensive. He instinctively moved to his right and snatched the missile in mid-flight.

Gwen, along with many others, watched in stunned silence as Steve made the catch. Then he immediately stepped forward and rifled the object back in the direction of the car. Gwen was certain that he threw it so hard that it would land well in front of the speeding automobile, even as it accelerated up the street.

Because Steve threw it hard and on a low trajectory, it was only airborne for a couple of seconds. Many of the observers gasped as they saw the small object somehow drop through the open sunroof of the speeding car!

A second later, everyone was knocked backward by a powerful concussion as the car exploded before their eyes. Debris flew high into the air before settling harmlessly in the street and on the deserted sidewalk. Smoke began billowing from the shell of the automobile as gendarmes raced around the same corner the car had so recently turned. They had guns drawn, but slowed to a walk as they surveyed the charred metal that had been an automobile only a few seconds earlier.

Several officers continued on to consult the officers that had been patrolling the area. There was a quick exchange before one of the gendarmes approached Steve and shook his hand before questioning him about the encounter. Steve and the officer walked away from the group as he described his actions. He also asked the officer about the apparent gun shots that sounded shortly before the car appeared.

A few minutes, Steve returned to his friends. "There were four men in that car. They shot the two policemen that were charged with keeping the street closed, but both are expected to live. The guys that were in the car are scattered all to hell and gone. They might have had other explosives with them because that was quite a blast for one grenade to make."

By the time Steve finished his synopsis to his friends; several reporters were in front of him, asking questions. Steve patiently responded to every question, responding in French when the reporters asked in French and in English to the English speaking reporters.

"Your young man certainly came through for us," praised Senator Chatham as she wiped the perspiration from her brow. "That was some fast thinking. The rest of us were frozen in place, but he knew exactly what to do, and how to do it. I still can't believe he managed to drop the grenade inside that car when it was going so fast, and was so far away!"

"He's an extremely fast thinker," agreed Gwen with obvious pride. "His instincts take over in times of danger. He's a great athlete, and with U.S. Navy SEAL training, he's honed his skills even more. He's a wonderfully gentle man most of the time, but he's hell on terrorists. That's for sure!"

It was decided that the original schedule for the service would be followed, in spite of the failed attack. Many of the people in French law enforcement felt it would even be beneficial if the news showed the burned out husk of the car as a deterrent to future attacks. Near the end of the memorial, Jordan and Charlie were asked to speak. Jordan spoke for them both.

"Charlie and I are proud to be here to help represent the President of the United States at this most somber of occasions. We share your grief, and your anger. Children are precious, as is all human life. We pray that these children finally find the love and peace they sought all of their lives, and which they so richly deserve.

"Tonight, the people of Paris and the world are invited to join us as we celebrate the lives of these children that were taken from this world far too soon. We ask that you remember what happened here and consider ways to improve the world so that it never happens again. This evening, we dedicate our performance to the children of the world. May they enjoy a life without famine, war, disease, or intolerance!"

It was obvious that the crowd wanted to applaud Jordan, but the somber attitude of the occasion muted the reaction from the audience. Most watchers simply nodded and wiped tears from their eyes.

"I'm always impressed by how well Jordan speaks and how meaningful and insightful her speeches are," remarked Gwen to Steve as they prepared to be introduced.

Everyone in the crowd knew the actions Steve had taken earlier and was excited to hear him speak. When he and Gwen were introduced, those in attendance struggled to control their enthusiasm.

"Thank you!" began Gwen, before gesturing toward Steve. "He's amazing, isn't he? We didn't come here to praise Steve, but rather to say our farewells to these precious souls that were taken so violently from us. We feel your loss. We all lost something the day these children died, as we all lose every time senseless acts of violence are committed.

"We, all of us citizens of the world, need to strive to eliminate the causes for these unspeakable crimes against humanity. We need to end hunger and disease, educate the intolerant, and help the least among us to prosper. Of course, if that were easy, it would already have been done.

"People need food. We can provide it short term, but for the long term, we have to find ways to raise it everywhere that people live. We need to provide vaccines and health care to the less fortunate, especially children. We have to educate people, not so they think the same as us, but so they learn to determine their own destinies. All people want these things for their children and loved ones. All people deserve the opportunity to be safe and happy. All of us need to do our part. We have to remove the causes of terrorism, and help the less fortunate. This is our challenge. The people of the world must determine their response."

The crowd had been very quiet as Gwen spoke. As she finished, they were once again nodding agreement. Then Steve stepped in front of the microphone and spoke in fluent French. His speech was short and very much to the point.

"We were asked by our President to represent him here today. We were asked to convey his deepest sympathy for these innocents that were taken from us. While the U.S. does believe that we must all work together to end intolerance, we also pledge that we will never yield to terrorism, nor will we allow it to go unpunished. We will do all we can to improve the lot of people around the world, but we will also pursue justice for these cowardly, despicable acts against innocent victims. That's our pledge to you!"

The French President spoke next. When he concluded his short speech the mourners lined up about twenty across for the slow procession to the church. It was intended to be a sign of unity and determination by leaders from around the world. Steve found himself in the front line, to the right of the wife of President Marchant of France, and left of the Chancellor of Germany. He was able to converse with both ladies as they walked, thus allowing him interesting discussions with both women as they proceeded to the funeral.

Gwen was delighted to find herself walking between President Marchant and the British Prime Minister, while Jordan was on the other side of the British Prime Minister with the Italian Prime Minister to her left. Charlie was also in the front line between the wives of the Prime Ministers of Italy and England.

The procession moved slowly and took over an hour to reach the church. As they walked, thousands of people watched from behind barriers. Cameras and phones were in constant use. Seldom would the general public have the opportunity to see so many famous figures in one place.

Gwen, Jordan, Charlie and Steve were seated near the front for the funeral services. Steve chuckled to himself when he saw the rest of the American delegation sitting near the back of the huge church. After the service, Senator Chatham confirmed what Steve had suspected.

"There are some very pissed off American politicians in Paris today. They wouldn't even speak to me since you're my attaché, although it feels more and more like I'm your assistant," whispered Senator Chatham as she and Steve met up after the service. "I'm staying at your hotel again tonight and I'll be watching your concert from the rooftop of a business on the Champs-Elysees. The French are expecting a huge turnout this evening, so bring your A-game."

It was a little before seven PM, Paris time when the foursome stepped into the elevator to ride to the top of the French national monument. Their volunteer band had gone up an hour earlier to be certain their instruments and equipment were in place and properly set up.

Gwen was wearing a short red dress that also displayed a fair amount of cleavage as it clung to her body. Steve and Charlie wore tight shirts and jeans while Jordan was dressed in a dark blue, low cut dress with spaghetti straps. As he rode to the top, Steve wondered if the material of the dress would be able to contain her ample breasts.

Once out of the elevator, the foursome climbed the makeshift steps to the large round platform sitting in the center of the monument's roof. Four cameramen were seated on crane-like devises that could each move left and right in a thirty degree arc. The four cameras would be able to broadcast the faces, or at least the profiles of the singers, regardless of which direction they faced. All four performers had been instructed to keep moving and to face in all directions as equally as possible since fans were crowded out from the Arc de Triomphe in every direction.

Once on the stage, Gwen felt her knees grow weak for a few seconds. All of Paris was aglow. The Eiffel Tower was clearly visible and appeared surprisingly close. Then she lowered her eyes to the crowd below. She slowly turned as she looked over the sea of humanity. In every direction, on every avenue, people were standing as far as her eyes could see!

"My God!" gasped the usually imperturbable Jordan. "Look at all of the people! This is huge!"

Steve felt some jitters as he passed out the wireless microphones to his friends. He forced himself to take deep breaths as he mentally prepared himself for the introduction, which fell on him since he spoke French.

The Jumbotrons showed his dazzling smile in detail before switching to Gwen's beautiful face. Next Jordan and Charlie were seen as they walked with Steve and Gwen to the center of the circular platform.

"Hello, Paris! We're here to entertain you, but more importantly, we're here tonight to remember the children that lost their lives in an horrendous act of terrorism. We celebrate their lives, and mourn their passing. Let's please have a moment of silence for those beautiful children," requested Steve before bowing his head for a short time.

"We'd like to start the evening with a couple of songs dedicated to those children that survived the attack. Know that this city, this country, and the entire world love you and want nothing but the best for all of you."

Steve was joined by his friends as they once again performed 'Bridge Over Troubled Water', with Jordan and Gwen singing in perfect harmony as Steve and Charlie backed them. The crowd was obviously emotional as faces of people in the crowd were flashed on the huge screens from time to time. Once the applause died down for that song, the two couples joined to sing 'Let It Be' which Steve and Gwen had also sung at the memorial service for their friends that were killed in the attack in Sparta years earlier. Hundreds of thousands of voices joined theirs in the refrain. Once again, tears flowed on every avenue.

Then the stage went dark for a minute or so, before the driving drum beat told the crowd that the show was set to begin. Although they now had numerous hit records, the four friends knew that people expected and wanted 'We Will Rock You' to open the show. It had become their much anticipated opening number over the years.

Gwen sang lead, but with no instruments to play, Jordan, Charlie, and Steve participated more in backing Gwen.

Jordan then delivered one of her early hits. France had a surprising appreciation of country music and Jordan delivered them as well as anyone. The crowd loved it. The friends took turns with their personal hits and concert favorites. They made a conscious effort to keep moving on the platform so they faced all of the fans at various points in the performance.

Early in the show, Steve and Charlie picked up guitars and performed 'Bad Moon Rising' as the full moon appeared above the skyline. Once they finished, Jordan came forward to perform one of her biggest hits, 'Stand By Me'. The Jumbotrons showed her singing with the moon directly behind her. When the applause died down, Charlie sang Van Morrison's 'Moon Dance' with Jordan backing him. Steve and Gwen performed a very lively dance as their friends sang. Many of the thousands watching began dancing as well.

The applause was long and loud as the audience showed its approval of the singing and the dancing. Then Steve and Gwen came forward to join in singing 'Moon River' with the cameras moving to show the full moon behind the couple in the foreground as they sang. Once again the huge crowd demonstrated its appreciation at the end of the song. They seldom heard Gwen and Steve harmonize on a song, and they had just done so beautifully.

The audience responded enthusiastically to the music. Many people sang along or danced in the streets from that point forward. Near the end of the evening, Steve and Gwen performed their special dance. The song was 'The Time of My Life'. Gwen and Steve sang as they reproduced the dance from the movie 'Dirty Dancing'. They had to change a few of the steps because of the restrictions of their location, but the crowd reacted loudly as soon as they realized what song they were performing.

Steve and Gwen were shown on every big screen in the city as they 'dirty danced' with the backdrop of Paris shining brightly with the huge moon overhead. It was obvious that they had to be in excellent shape to be able to sing while engaged in such a vigorous dance. Excitement built as everyone anticipated the moment when Gwen would run and jump as Steve lifted her high above his head. He held her there as he slowly turned in a full circle so that Gwen briefly faced every point of the compass. The cameras moved in their limited arcs, capturing the couple smiling broadly as the Eiffel Tower shone beautifully in the background. Finally, Steve slowly lowered Gwen so her remarkable chest was in his face for a few seconds before she was lowered enough to wrap her arms around his neck. Then she kissed him long and hard as crowd's cheers and whistles echoed across the city.

Although the evening had begun to cool down by the time the show concluded at midnight, the four friends were sweaty and exhausted. Before leaving, they took the time to thank the musicians personally for their excellent play.

"Thanks for introducing us during the show," gushed the pretty female saxophonist. "Playing Paris with you guys in front of millions of fans was the coolest thing I've ever done. I'll never be able to top that, no matter what I do. I just hope that people remember our names and we get some jobs out of this, but even if we don't, I had the time of my life!

"By the way, that dance was the most incredible single performance I've ever seen! I watched the monitors when I wasn't playing and you two looked and sounded incredible! When you held Gwen over your head with the Eiffel Tower and the full moon shining in the background, I felt like crying, it was so beautiful!"

By the time they returned to the hotel, it was almost one AM. Steve was surprised to see so many people still up and enjoying themselves in the hotel's restaurant and bars. As they walked to their reserved table, patrons and staff began clapping vigorously for them. They were joined by their family and friends when they took their seats.

"I really doubt that you guys have any idea what you did tonight," began Stephanie. "That show was huge! Almost half of all the TV's in Europe were tuned to you! It's going to be broadcast in an hour back on the east coast and central U.S. and a couple hours later on the west coast. Some of the reviews on the internet are calling it the best concert of all time. Everyone agrees that your 'dirty dancing' was perfect, and super sexy! They absolutely loved it here, and everywhere else."

"I spoke with President Hanson a short while ago," interjected Senator Chatham. "Once again, you young people made him look very good. He watched most of the concert, as well as your speeches at the orphanage, and was delighted. He told me that he had received a personal call from President Marchant expressing his appreciation for sending you.

"Hanson was even chuckling about how pissed off many members of Congress were, from both parties! He's not apologizing to anyone. He told me that they can't argue with the results. Who did the French people want to see and hear? Not American politicians, that's for sure!"

"Michelle has friends that own a building on Avenue Victor Hugo, so we were able to watch from the rooftop of that building," interjected Lisa. "Theresa got to see her Aunts Jordan and Gwen, along with Uncles Charlie and Steve give the concert of the century! We could feel the energy of the crowd. Michelle told us that they estimated way over a million people watched it live and who knows how many millions on TV! When you two did that second dance, I almost wet myself. I was so nervous and excited for you, but it was perfect. Diane's really going to be proud of her star pupils."

"I've got to admit it. I was impressed," revealed Chip as he slapped Steve on the back. "Did you tell everyone that I taught you that grenade trick you used earlier in the day? You would've been blown all to hell if I hadn't prepared you for it!"

"You taught me to not trust you!" insisted Steve with a grin before explaining to everyone what Chip had meant. "I was sitting on my bunk one day when this grenade dropped through an open window and rolled to a stop by my feet. I was pretty worried. All I could think of was to grab it and throw it back out the window."

"That was about the time I decided to take a peak in and see how Steve was reacting to the grenade. Just as I peeked over the window sill, the damn grenade smacked me right in the forehead and bounced back into the room. It almost knocked me out!" admitted Chip as he remembered the incident and rubbed his head just thinking about it.

"What happened to the grenade?" asked Kate. "Obviously you two weren't blown up. How did you survive it?"

"The dummy used a dummy grenade. After that fiasco, we'd play 'hot potato' with it every now and then, tossing it around until someone dropped it and then they were 'blown up'. It evolved into a game where we had to toss it into a basket to be safe. We eventually put the basket in a cart and started it rolling down a hill and we'd have to toss it in while the basket was moving."

"Toward the end, we were throwing it into moving vehicles from fifty or more feet," added Chip. "It shows how bored we were at times. Steve could put the damn thing into a jeep doing fifty miles an hour from a couple hundred feet away. I think it was all the football training he had."

"So that wasn't blind luck today, like you told the reporters?" quizzed Jordan. "It was something you'd actually practiced before?"

"It was mostly luck," replied Steve. "That car was going pretty fast and the sunroof wasn't much of a target."

"But you were trying to throw it into the car, weren't you?" persisted Jordan. "I thought it was an amazing coincidence, but it was deliberate, and it was perfect!"

"Every now and then, I'm reminded that men are just big boys," observed Paula, shaking her head after listening to Chip and Steve recount their grenade play.

"Yeah, and 'big' is the operative word with my boy," added Gwen. "We're flying back to Washington in the morning, so I think we need to eat and get to bed. I have to thank this guy properly for not dropping me off the roof tonight."

"You should apologize for almost poking his eyes out when he lowered you," insisted Kate. "I was worried you'd blind him, or possibly suffocate him with those girls of yours."

"Really? Does that look like a face that's been abused by breasts?" asked Gwen as she ran her hand over Steve's cheek.

"Now that you mention it, I think I see where a nipple was dragged across his lip," quipped Kate as she pretended to examine Steve's face.

"I doubt you see that, ... Yet. But check him in an hour if you think he looks bad now. His face will be all scarred up with nipple marks," promised Gwen as she clutched Steve's arm.

"Once again, I find it necessary to caution one of my daughters about the visual she's creating. Look at these men sitting here all quiet and misty eyed. Each one of them has a vision of poor Steve taking that abuse," pointed out Paula. "You can guess what's going through their minds."

"Let's hurry and eat so we can go to bed!" insisted Charlie to a grinning Jordan.

"We ate earlier," stated Jason to Lisa. "Let's give Theresa to your mom and get upstairs!"

"Come on, Kate!" demanded Chip as he tugged on Kate's hand. "It's past our bed time!"

"Becky and I are exhausted, so we'll turn in now," managed Pete with a nearly straight face.

"Stephanie, why don't you watch Theresa for Lisa and Jason? Paula's pretty tired and needs her rest," added Ted as he flashed a wicked grin.

"Not you, too!" groaned Stephanie. "I've got to get a boyfriend!"

"Tell me about it," commiserated Ashley as everyone laughed long and hard.

The Red Lady set down in Washington just before noon on Wednesday. Gwen planned on going to her office on Capitol Hill before flying back to Stanford the following day. By the time they passed through customs and made their back to the hotel to change and freshen up, a horde of reporters was waiting for them in the lobby.

At the request of management, Steve and Gwen asked the reporters to adjourn to a meeting room supplied by the hotel. Once there, the couple spent an hour responding to questions. They were asked about the river rescue, the new movie's success, the funerals in France, as well as the tremendously successful concert. Steve had to answer numerous questions about how he so quickly thwarted the terrorist with the grenade. That evening news on the networks devoted most of their time to the events of the past few days and the major roles that Gwen and Steve had played in them. American politicians, including President Hanson, were hardly mentioned and never shown.

Amber Stahl called Gwen and asked if she and Steve would consent to a sit down interview that evening to be broadcast live in prime time, and they agreed. The couple responded thoughtfully to every question posed by Amber and made no attempt to duck or avoid a single issue. Amber posed what she felt might be a difficult question near the end of the interview.

"Gwen, you and Steve performed before a million plus fans in Paris last night. You not only sang, but you also danced a couple of times. Critics say that you used this tragedy to promote your company, your movies, and your music. How do you respond to that?"

"It's a 'catch 22' situation for us. Jordan, Charlie, Steve, and I were asked to perform, mostly because we're so well known. By agreeing to donate our time and talent, we raised millions of dollars for the orphanage that was attacked. We asked for no compensation. Not now, nor in the form of residuals in the future. We gave our time freely and quite willingly.

"By so doing, it appears that we became even more famous, and more popular than we were before the concert. How could we prevent that from happening, if for some reason, that was our desire? Give a bad show? Do something foolish? What would our critics have us do? Lady in Red exists to help people all over the world. It's a privately owned company, but we're doing our best to give help where it's needed, anywhere in the country and the world. Obviously, we're limited by time, distance, knowledge, and funds, but we're honestly doing our best.

"We do make movies and music to provide income for the company, and also because we love doing it. If we do a good deed, it gives us positive press and we make more money, which we intend to spend where we feel it'll do the most good. Steve has done some very courageous and heroic actions, but never to gain praise, or press. He's a very special and extremely competent man, and people all over the world respond to him. Jordan and Charlie are incredible talents, extremely attractive, and have tremendous charisma. I somehow managed to pique Steve's interest years ago, and he's carried me along with him on this incredible journey.

"To sum it up, Jordan, Charlie, Steve, and I will continue to conduct ourselves with honor and pride, help those we can, and apologize to no one for our success and good fortune. This is America and we're living the American dream!"

That evening, the entire extended family spent a very pleasant last dinner together before everyone had to return to their regular lives. Perhaps because she knew she wouldn't be seeing Steve for awhile, Gwen was extremely passionate and demanding in bed that night. Steve responded with heat of his own and when the couple finally fell asleep, they were totally exhausted, but sated.

Gwen returned to Stanford the following day, while Ashley, with Becky's assistance, managed the Washington office while keeping Gwen very well informed. Members of Congress began drifting toward one of two schools of thought. Many were openly supportive of Gwen and her actions, while others missed no opportunity to point out any shortcomings, real or imagined that Gwen might have. Almost no one in Washington was neutral on the subject of Gwen Anderson.

When Steve, Kate, Becky, Naomi, Chip, and Pete got together for dinner Tuesday evening of the following week, Steve asked about Ashley's whereabouts.

"Don't worry," replied Becky. "She's fine, and she's bringing company. In fact, here she is now."

Ashley approached the table with a small blonde girl. She placed an extra cushion on a chair, lifted the girl into her seat, and then sat next to her.

"Hey, Ingrid! Are you having dinner with us tonight?" asked Steve as he smiled to the small girl. "You look very nice tonight. Is that a new dress?"

"Yep, Miss Ashley gave it to me," beamed the child. "She's been helping my father with his new job. I'm staying with Miss Ashley tonight!"

"I should have mentioned that I was bringing Ingrid. Is it okay with everybody?" asked a somewhat nervous Ashley.

"You're really hitting it off with this beautiful little girl," observed Kate. "We love her and wouldn't dream of complaining about her coming to dinner. Can we assume that you're getting along okay with her father?"

Ashley blushed as she responded. "I've been helping him get set up. We found a two bedroom apartment for him and Ingrid. He's busy getting some furniture for it tonight. That's why Ingrid's staying with me. We're having a sleep over!"

"Sis, is it just Ingrid that's sleeping over?" asked Becky with a straight face.

"Yes! I know that I'm kind of pathetic. It's pretty obvious that I'm a little taken with Ingrid's dad. I'm so afraid of screwing up again, but he seems like a really good man. What do you think, Steve?"

"I lost any right to advise you after that disaster with the fake Mark Neary. You're a smart, capable woman and will make the right decision. What I will do is let you know if any concerns or objections crop up," promised Steve.

"Okay, but I don't blame you for what happened with Mark. You're still the one I depend on, and that won't change," replied Ashley. "I really enjoy Ingrid. That's a good thing, don't you think?

"Ashley, it's a very good thing," assured Naomi. "She's a little doll and you're lucky to spend time with her. She's a treasure.

"Not to change the subject, but I just found out a couple days ago that I'm going to Hungary, too. Being an attaché has its advantages. I'm going to pack tonight so I can sleep well tomorrow night and be ready to take off early the next morning. I've never been to Hungary!"

"Neither have I, but I've heard some great stuff about it," replied Steve. "The food is supposed to be extremely good. The Danube is amazing and the government's fairly progressive. I'm told that Budapest is especially beautiful at night. Maybe we can get together and do some sightseeing while we're there."

"Mr. Hammer, are you asking me for a date?" teased Naomi.

"Well, yes I am," grinned Steve. "I would be honored if you'd accompany me on a tour of Budapest when we have some time off."

"Allow me to consult my calendar, as well as my boyfriend," responded Naomi as she blinked her eyes in an exaggerated gesture. "He should be available to take my call right now."

Even as she spoke, Naomi was scrolling through her contacts. "Hey, Jared? You know that I'm scheduled to go to Budapest? A handsome SEAL just asked me on a date. He wants me to do some sightseeing with him, but I think he may try to ply me with liquor and have his way with me. He looks like the type. Yes, he's the one with the girlfriend with the big ass and small boobs. You think so? Wouldn't that ruin him for his girlfriend? You know better than anyone that once a man spends time with me, he'd never be satisfied with any other woman. Okay, if you're certain. I promise I'll tell you everything, and then I'll show you everything when I see you next. Bye, Lover!"

"He's disturbingly fine with it," admitted Naomi. "I just have to tell him all about what we do and then show him exactly what we did the next time we're together. You'd better give me something to work with! Now, for one more call.

"Hello, Gwen? I'm going to Budapest and your boyfriend's already hitting on me. It's pretty obvious what he wants. He's already asked me to go sightseeing with him, but we both know he'll try to lure me back to his room. I just want you to know about it so you won't think we're running around behind your back. Jared knows and he's fine with it. He did say something about 'fair play' and 'sauce for the goose', so that may mean that he'd expect some sort of pay back.

"You're way too willing! I don't think I want your big butt anywhere near my boyfriend. Forget the whole thing! Steve will have to go without, at least from me, and I'll make sure he doesn't try for any strange. I don't want him having fun without me," pointed out Naomi as she disconnected.

"I'm afraid that Gwen and Jared have some sort of agreement," stated Naomi as she made an effort to look worried. "If you get lucky with me, they think it would be a green light for them to perform various acts against nature, which have been outlawed in most civilized nations. We can go sightseeing, but I'm afraid you won't be able to sample the goodies. That's why the sneaky guy wanted me to tell him everything! He was planning on doing the same thing with your girl. What a weasel! What do you call a guy like that?"

"Normal? Opportunistic? Funny? A dreamer?" rattled off Steve as Naomi laughed.

A couple of days later, Steve and Naomi landed in Budapest. They attended meetings with their respective senators during the day, but were free in the evenings. They enjoyed a casual dinner in the 'Buda' half of the city the first night.

"That was delicious!" exclaimed Naomi. "The Creme Brulee was fantastic. This was a great idea."

"Let's go dancing now. Then tomorrow, for our second date, I'm going to take you on a dinner cruise on The Danube," promised Steve as he paid for the dinner. "I already made the reservations for tomorrow night."

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to get into my little panties," responded Naomi as she took Steve's arm. "You're a very good boyfriend. Did Gwen train you, or did you know all of this before you met her?"

"Gwen gets most of the credit for any social graces I may have, although my mother did her best to teach me the basics before she died," admitted Steve. "Being with a beautiful lady like you brings out the romantic in me."

"I know Gwen didn't teach you those smooth lines that you use all of the time," retorted Naomi. "I can't wait to have every dance with you tonight. You'd better try to slide your hand down on my ass now and then. I'd be insulted if you didn't."

"I certainly wouldn't want to hurt your feelings," grinned Steve as he patted Naomi's round ass a couple times as they headed back to their hotel lounge.

A short time later, Steve and Naomi joined others on the crowded dance floor. "I have to get some pictures for Mom. She'll probably be disappointed if I don't seduce you. My own mother thinks I should take you for a spin at least once before we both get married to someone else. What kind of mom would even suggest such a thing?"

"My kind? Or was that a trick question?" asked Steve as he pulled Naomi a little closer. "Your mom's one of my favorite people. She was always really good to me when I knew her in Cuba."​