Lady in Red Ch. 27

As Steve struggled to make sense of his situation, his hands reached out to gently push Ashley away from his face. He felt the soft skin of her toned stomach as he increased the pressure he was applying. The hand holding his head tensed up and pulled him with greater force.

"Ms. Summers?" mumbled Steve around a very hard nipple. "We can't be doing this. You could lose your job!"

"Don't think I haven't considered that. Now, stop talking with your mouth full! Suck my nipple!"

Steve reached up and took the hand that cradled his head in his hand. He pulled it out and away from his head. Then he carefully pulled his face off the very firm breast that was pushed into his face. He felt more than a little guilty at how quickly his cock had responded to the situation.

"Talk to me, Ms. Summers. Why are you risking your career like this? Have I done something, or said something, to cause you to take this huge risk? What about your future?"

"You're going to be leaving school when you pass the exams in the next couple days. I won't see you anymore and that really bothers me. I thought we'd make memories to last a lifetime. I heard the girls talking about how good you are and what you do to please Gwen, and what she does for you. I'll do all of that, and more!" promised Ashley. "I know you're a gentleman and they couldn't make you tell on me even if they tortured you. I'm yours for the night, and much longer if we can work out the details."

"This is way out of character for you. You've always been concerned about propriety, and appearances. Now you're tossing caution out the window for some sex?" questioned Steve as he noticed Ashley looked a bit strange. "This doesn't make sense to me. Are you taking drugs? Have you been drinking a lot?"

"I've taking some prescribed medication, but that has nothing to do with this. I fell in love with you the first day of class and you've done nothing to lessen those feelings. You saved everyone in the school, including me. I've been watching you on TV and listening to your music. My girlfriends from college can't believe you're my student and they especially can't believe that I haven't seduced you, if you are."

"What about Gwen? She really looks up to you. She admires you, and thinks of you as a friend. This would hurt her a lot, don't you think?"

"Not if she never knows! I realize I can't compete with Gwen, but you seemed to be pretty happy with my breasts when they were in your face. Admit it, Steve. You like what you see and would love to go to bed with me. Imagine the rush when you slide that big cock into your English teacher," suggested Ashley provocatively. "Think how tight I'll feel. You can come inside my pussy, my mouth, or even my ass. Let's stop wasting time and get into bed!"

Steve's head was spinning as he tried to wrap his mind around the situation. Why would Ashley Summers change her personality so drastically? Something had to be wrong! She was a very sexy, desirable woman and he knew he was playing with fire as long as he was alone with her, especially when all she was wearing was a very small thong. He had learned one thing about women, and that was that he knew almost nothing about them. He had to find a way to extricate himself!

"You sure make a strong argument," admitted Steve as he stood and headed across the room. "Would you mind if I used the bathroom first? I'd like to freshen up a little before we get started."

As soon as he closed and locked the door, Steve took his cell phone out and texted Gwen. Then he sat on the toilet and waited for her response. It took less than minute for Gwen to answer. After a few minutes, Ashley knocked on the bathroom door.

"Come on, Steve. You're burning valuable time," complained Ashley as Steve remained seated while he waited for Gwen. Then he heard a 'click' and realized that Ashley had unlocked the bathroom door with a small tool of some kind. He quickly stood and was almost to the door when it swung open.

Ashley made a small squealing noise as she rushed toward him. Once again, Steve felt surprise and dismay as Ashley misjudged the door opening and banged into the side of the doorway and fell backward to the kitchen floor. Steve rushed to her side, dropped to his knees, and looked into her eyes. He became more concerned when they appeared to flutter and then roll up concealing her pupils.

"What happened? Why's she naked?" demanded Gwen as she walked into the kitchen and knelt by the prone Ashley Summers. "Tell me what's going on here."

"I'm still trying to figure that out," admitted Steve. "I was finishing up my test when I felt something on my cheek. I turned to look and it was Ashley's nipple! She took advantage of my shock to slide it into my mouth. She talked all kinds of crazy stuff about having sex with me.

"That's when I excused myself to the bathroom and texted you to come over. I was in there a few minutes when she unlocked the door from her side with that screwdriver on the table. When she saw me, she got excited and pretty much ran into the doorjamb. She went over backwards and her eyes fluttered for a few seconds and then she went unconscious!"

"Hello, Laura? Steve and I have a sensitive situation and need your medical expertise. We're okay, but you remember Ashley Summers from the New Year's party? Yeah, she was there with that dumb ass. Can you come over to 319 Grove Street, apartment 2B? She has a medical problem and it's rather unusual. She's our English teacher and we don't want her to get into any trouble."

Gwen directed Steve to find a blanket for Ashley as she watched over her sleeping form. Gwen covered Ashley with the blanket Steve found and then spent time taking her pulse and checking her respirations while waiting for Laura. Steve opened the door before Laura finished knocking and ushered her into the room.

"Tell me what you know, and tell me that nothing illegal has transpired. I can't risk my medical license for a favor. Why is she naked? Just what happened here?" demanded Laura as she quickly checked Ashley's eyes and scanned her body for any signs of trauma.

"I was taking an English final here at the kitchen table. Gwen, Jordan and I are leaving school early to start our movie, as long as we pass our finals. Anyway, I was almost finished with the exam when I felt something on my cheek. I turned to see what it was and there was Ms. Summers, naked except for a thong, with her nipple against my cheek! When I turned she slid it into my mouth, and yeah, I know how bad that sounds.

"I asked her what she was doing and told her she was risking her job. She told me that she knew that and still urged me to make love to her. I asked if she had been drinking or taking drugs. She admitted that she took some prescription medication, but she was in love with me and has been since she first saw me. This just isn't like her!

"I stalled her by asking to use the bathroom. I sent a text to Gwen and thought I'd wait until Gwen arrived. Ashley, used that small screwdriver to unlock the bathroom door, but when she tried to come into the room, she bumped into the doorjamb and fell backward to where she is now," finished Steve.

"Did she hit the doorway hard, or did she crack her head when she fell to the floor? Gwen, look in the bathroom and her bedroom for any prescription drugs. Steve, I have to be brutally frank with you. If you had sex with her, tell me now. If it turns out that you did and deny it, you could be in some very deep shit!"

"I understand your concern. I didn't have sex with her, or even come close. I had a nipple in my mouth for less than a minute and that's as far as it went. Can you examine her to see that she didn't have sex?"

"That's one of the things I intend to do once you go into the other room. She appears to be breathing okay. Her vitals are good, but she seems to be under the influence of drugs/and or alcohol. She's not waking up. I smell some alcohol on her breath," observed Laura as Steve quickly fled into the bedroom and closed the door while Laura quickly examined Ashley, before calling for Steve to return.

Steve and Gwen approached Laura at the same time. "What did you find, Gwen?"

"This container is for a prescription filled a couple days ago. There was a nearly empty bottle of wine on the end table near her bed, and these over the counter cold tablets were next to the wine bottle."

Laura read the prescription and nodded knowingly. "She was taking a very strong antidepressant with alcohol, and over the counter drugs. That's a dangerous cocktail. We probably should take her to the hospital, but the report would be pretty damning for her and it may not help Steve any either. There's no bruise on her head, so I'd guess that she passed out, rather than banged her head hard enough to be knocked out.

"Let's get her into bed and let her sleep for a few hours. I have to be at work at midnight at the hospital, so I can't stay too much longer. You two have to keep a close eye on her. As long as she's breathing regularly, let her sleep a couple hours, then dry waking her up. If anything unusual happens call me and bring her into the hospital. Her health is far more important that her job."

"So she said all of those things because she was practically stoned on wine and pharmaceuticals?" asked a relieved Steve.

Laura looked at Steve and then at Gwen. "My opinion is that she said those things because that's how she really feels. The drugs and wine just removed her inhibitions and judgment. This young woman has succumbed to the charms of our resident hero. I don't blame her, but she could lose her job over this. She'll be mortified when she wakes up, so you guys need to placate and reassure her. The fact that she's been prescribed a strong antidepressant indicates that she's very fragile right now. She'll need you both to understand and forgive her. Can you do that?"

"Of course! I don't blame her for falling for Steve. She's a young, beautiful woman," pointed out Gwen. "We think the world of her and we'll do everything we can to help her get over this, won't we Steve?"

"Do you have to ask? If something happens to her, it'll be my fault. I knew she was acting strange, but had no idea she'd been drinking wine and taking medications at the same time. She should know better. We'll stay with her as long as it takes."

Laura left a short while later. Ashley was sleeping soundly, so Gwen took the opportunity to call her mother. "Mom, I won't be coming home tonight. No, I'm fine. It's a friend and she needs my help. Yes, Steve is with me and he'll stay with me, so I'll be safe. I'd rather not tell you who she is, especially over the phone, but I will if you insist. Thanks, Mom! We'll be careful."

"Mom said to be careful and to call her if we needed anything, and to take good care of our friend," repeated Gwen to Steve.

"Your mom's amazing! She didn't press you. She believed everything you told her and was comfortable that your judgment was good. You've got some family!"

"Yeah, she was pretty cool. The funny thing was when she asked if you were with me. She was relieved to hear that you were. In the 'normal' family, the daughter calling to say she had to help a friend all night and her boyfriend was going to be with her would cause all sorts of problems.

"Let's take turns sitting up with Ashley. I'll do it as long as I can stay awake. You try to get some sleep on the couch. If I get too drowsy, I'll wake you up, and I'll sleep on the couch," proposed Gwen.

It was almost three AM when Gwen shook Steve awake. "She's still sleeping. I tried to wake her a while ago, but no luck. I'm dead on my feet, so you've got to watch over her for a few hours. I think it would be better if you didn't touch her or try to wake her up. We don't know how she's going to react when she comes around."

"Don't worry about that! I'll just watch her to be sure she's breathing okay. Get some sleep and we'll see how she's doing in the morning.

Ashley finally opened her eyes a few minutes after six AM. She immediately saw Steve sitting in a kitchen chair in her small bedroom. Her face registered her confusion.

"Steve! You shouldn't be here! How'd you get in? Did you stay all night? How come I'm almost naked? Did you take advantage of me?" asked Ashley in little more than a whisper.

"I did stay all night, but Gwen's here, too. You were ill, so we took turns watching you. Do you feel okay?"

"Gwen's here? Why don't I have any pajamas on? What happened last night. Did I pass out or something?"

"Yeah, you did pass out shortly after I finished my exam, so I called Gwen. She didn't feel comfortable dressing you, so she let you sleep with what you have on. Do you feel okay?"

"My head hurts like I was on a bender. You really shouldn't be in my bedroom. We both could get into a lot of trouble over this. You'd better leave so I can get dressed. Then you and Gwen can answer some questions I have."

Steve quickly left the room. He found Gwen sleeping on the small couch and he watched her for a few minutes before she opened her eyes. "You're supposed to be watching Ashley, not me. I guess my allure is just too great for you to resist."

"Actually, it is, but I'm here because Ashley woke up and insisted I leave her room. I don't think she remembers anything that happened last night. We may get out of this mess without too much damage. You need to think of a reason why she's practically naked. She asked about that," reported Steve.

"Really? Maybe we can minimize the embarrassment for her. We won't lie, but we can omit some information. There's no reason to humiliate her."

Just then the bedroom door opened. Ashley approached the couple before they could discuss the situation further. "Tell me what happened last night. I just woke up almost naked with your boyfriend sitting by my bed. I know you two wouldn't do anything to hurt me, but I really need to know what happened. I can't remember anything after giving Steve his exam."

"Ms. Summers, Ashley, do you remember taking prescription medicine last night? How about cold medicine? Did you drink any wine?" questioned Gwen forcefully to place Ashley on the defensive.

"Oh, no! Is that what happened? I did take my prescription as well as some cold medicine, but I don't remember drinking any wine. Where's the bottle?" asked Ashley as her eyes wandered the apartment until she saw the nearly empty bottle where Gwen had placed it on the kitchen counter. "Did you kids drink any of my wine, or did I drink it all?"

"We never touched it. Steve found you passed out and sent me a text. We found prescription pills, over the counter cold medicine, and an almost dead bottle of wine. You have to know that's a dangerous combination."

"Did you take my clothes off me? I woke up almost naked with your boyfriend looking at me. That's unnerving," admitted Ashley.

Steve could see Gwen struggle with an answer that would be true, but not overly embarrassing. "Don't worry, Steve never saw your clothes come off. He was in the kitchen at the time. It just didn't seem right to let you sleep in street clothes and I wasn't comfortable dressing you in sleep wear. I sat with you until almost three. I got so sleepy I couldn't stay awake, so I woke Steve up and asked him to watch you while I caught a couple hours sleep."

"This is very embarrassing," confessed Ashley. "I owe you both an apology for even thinking that you would have done anything inappropriate. Please don't tell anyone about this."

"Let's make a deal," suggested Gwen. "Tell us why you're on such a strong antidepressant and we'll never say a word about last night. I think we need to be certain this won't happen again."

Ashley looked from Gwen to Steve and back to Gwen. "My younger sister was in a four-wheeler accident last fall. She crashed into a barb wire fence going pretty fast. She hardly had a scratch, except her left hand was severed by the wire. Another rider applied pressure and called 911. She almost bled to death. She recovered from it, but a few weeks ago, she tried to take her own life with sleeping pills.

"We've always been really close, but she won't listen to me. She keeps saying she's a freak now and her life isn't worth living. I've been going home to visit most weekends when the weather's good, but instead of cheering her up, I've become depressed. Last week, my doctor put me on the medication. She told me not to use alcohol or other medicines with it, but I was way too smart. I didn't think a couple cold pills would make any difference, and I always have some wine in the evening before I go to bed. I won't do it again, so don't worry about me."

"How old is your sister? How is she doing now? I'm so sorry to learn of your sister's tragedy, but she can still enjoy an amazing life. She can't give up!"

"Becky's a senior. She'll graduate in a few weeks. This Saturday's her senior formal and no one's asked her. She used to date a lot. She believes that boys are repulsed by her now. In reality, they are, but it's her attitude that turns them off. She's bitter and unhappy."

"Didn't you live in Sherman? That's less than an hour from the airport, isn't it? We could be there in a few hours," mused Gwen.

"Why would 'we' want to be there?" asked Ashley. "What're you thinking?"

"We're trying to wrap everything up here so we can fly to L.A. on Sunday. Clyde told me last night that he'll need a few days to assemble even a skeleton crew to start filming the movie. I was thinking that you could invite Steve, Jordan, Charlotte, and me to your parents' home for the weekend. I know a handsome guy that's a great dancer that would love to take your sister to the formal," stated Gwen as she looked directly at Steve.

"You'd let Steve take my sister to the formal? That would be so cool! If that doesn't help cure her depression, nothing will," enthused Ashley as Steve stared at Gwen in disbelief.

"What? You wouldn't like to take a pretty girl to a dance? That's not what your past indicates. I know firsthand what a date with you can do for a girl's esteem and reputation. You show her the best time possible, except for any sex, of course. She'll be a lot happier the next morning than she's been since her accident.

"Let's plan on going to your folks' place before we fly to L.A., if it's okay with your parents. Tell them that Steve wants to take Becky to the formal. If she gets her measurements to us, we'll even bring a gown for her to wear," promised Gwen.

"You'd do that for my sister, for me?" sobbed Ashley. "You're two of the best people I've ever known. Mom will be thrilled when I tell her that Jordan Quick, Gwen Anderson, and Steve Hammer would like to spend the weekend. Dad died in a car wreck years ago.

"And we don't need to get Becky's measurements. She's exactly the same size as I am. If the dress fits me, it'll fit her perfectly."

"Her measurements are the same as yours?" repeated Gwen as she looked at Steve. "If she's anywhere near as attractive as you, and has your figure, Steve'll be a very happy camper. You have a great body."

"Thanks," replied Ashley as she blushed deeply. "I guess I don't have many secrets from you after last night. I'm just glad that Steve didn't see me like that, and unconscious to boot."

"Believe me; you'd want to be conscious when Steve saw you like that. He's got a wonderful way of showing his appreciation for the female form, especially the hourglass types. He's convinced me that he isn't into the anorexic supermodel types. I'll never be that way and he's fine with that."

It was Tuesday afternoon when Gwen dropped some surprising news on Steve. "Charlotte is testing out early, too. She's agreed to be my personal assistant when we film the movie. I've learned it's quite common for the 'stars' to have at least one P.A. to keep track of all their duties and appointments. She'll get paid well and I know she'll have my back. I trust her completely.