Lady in Red Ch. 27

"I told them a stone cold fox like you would never go for it. They even brought some kind of gown with them for you to wear, as if you'd jump at the chance to go to the dance with me. You can get any guy you want. The other kids in your class would probably laugh at you if you showed up with me as your date. They all know you can do a lot better."

"You brought a gown with you? No one would laugh at me if I went to the formal with you. You're Steve Hammer! The other girls would be insanely jealous. I guess I can go with you if the gown fits okay. Somehow it seems like you're just playing with me. You knew I could never pass up a date with you."

"Then it's a date? The other thing is that Jordan, Gwen, and Ashley want to go into Sherman with you tomorrow to shop for whatever it is that girls always shop for. Would it bother you to be seen with Gwen and Jordan all day and then be my date at night?"

"Now I know you're making fun of me. If Gwen doesn't mind being seen with the bitch that's going to be with her man at my Senior formal, I sure won't mind being seen in town with her and Jordan Quick. This town will be talking about this weekend for years to come."

"So, Lefty, it's a date? You'll try to act happy to be with me? We'll dance every dance with each other unless we give permission for someone else to dance with our partner, okay?"

"You called me 'Lefty'?" asked Becky in amazement. "Is that some sort of cruel dig at my handicap?"

"I just told you that you don't have a handicap. From now on, you're 'Lefty' to me. It'll prove that you're tough and have a sense of humor when friends hear me call you that. From now on, your attitude is that you have one hand... deal with it!" stated Steve firmly.

"I can't believe you!" stuttered Becky. "I lost my left hand and you want to nickname me 'Lefty'. Is that even politically correct? You sure don't lack for nerve. I guess it came in handy when you went into that school with those armed terrorists waiting for you. You're just trying to push my limits. You can call me 'Lefty' any time you want if you carry me back inside with Mom and Ashley watching and give me a big kiss. Let's see how much nerve you have in front of your amazing girlfriend."

"What do you think they're talking about for so long?" worried Mrs. Summers. "Becky has been as prickly as a cactus since her accident. I hope she isn't giving Steve a hard time."

"Mrs. Summers, women don't give Steve a hard time, just a hard on," laughed Jordan. "She's probably begging him to let her have his babies by now."

Gwen, Ashley, Jordan, and even Mrs. Summers were laughing when Steve carried Becky through the door and announced, "Lefty has agreed to go to the formal with me!"

The silence was deafening as the women watched Becky and waited for her reaction. "He called me 'Lefty', but he has more to do to earn that right" grinned Becky as she turned to look at Steve as he held her in his arms.

Steve moved his head down and kissed Becky for a long time as the women watched in surprise. When Steve finally removed his lips from Becky's she sighed loudly.

"He can call me 'Lefty' any time he wants. I wondered if he'd kiss me in front of his beautiful girlfriend. He didn't hold back at all. I hope you're not angry, Gwen. I just had to get back at him for giving me that nickname."

"That's fine," replied Gwen. "I can make him stop referring to you by that insensitive nickname. Just let me have a minute alone with him."

"No! I like when he calls me 'Lefty'. I want people to know that Steve has a special nickname for me and that he doesn't mind that I don't have a left hand. I'm going to the formal with your boyfriend tomorrow night. I don't know how late we'll be, so it'll be best if no one waits up."

Mrs. Summers was ecstatic to the point of crying as she listened to her daughter in amazement. The tears finally won out and began trickling down her cheeks. Ashley was almost as stunned and pleased as her mother.

"We won't wait up, but you're sharing your bed with Gwen tonight and tomorrow night, so you'd better be careful. She's loaning her boyfriend, but don't try seducing him, or running off with him. She's already risked drowning, getting shot, and being blown up for the guy, so you'd better be careful."

"Really? So Steve will be sleeping alone? I may be getting to bed very late tomorrow night. Gwen, please don't wait up."

"Ashley, you told us your sister was recovering from a traumatic event and may need some cheering up. Either you misjudged her badly, or Steve is a miracle worker. She seems positively radiant," observed Gwen.

Steve spent most of the evening studying his lines while the females spent hours laughing, talking, and planning for Becky's formal. Long after he went to bed, Steve could hear Gwen and Becky speaking in low tones in Becky's bedroom.

The next evening, Becky chattered endlessly as Steve drove to the school for the formal. "You should have seen the faces on my friends when they saw me shopping with Gwen Anderson and Jordan Quick! They couldn't believe it. Total strangers asked us all for autographs. They thought that Ashley and I must be famous too, since we were with them.

"It was one of the best days of my life and I haven't even shown up with my date yet! Every other girl in the school is going to be so jealous. I can't wait. I won't dance with anyone without your permission and you'll follow the same rules for me, right? I know I'm not your real girlfriend, but hold me as tight as you dare and don't let me do anything stupid, okay?"

From the moment Steve and Becky entered the room, it was obvious to Steve that it was going to be a very special night for Becky. Girls flocked to her, asking to be introduced. Becky managed to keep her smile down to a brilliant glow as she introduced Steve to everyone she met. The teachers and parent chaperones appeared to be impressed as well.

For his part, Steve fawned over Becky. He danced with her for the first seven dances and then Becky began to allow her friends to have a dance with him. When they did sit down, Becky sat close to Steve and he made a point of being very attentive to her. Near the end of the evening, Steve was prevailed upon to sing for those in attendance. The music had been supplied by a very good DJ, but there was a piano off to the side on the small stage.

Steve asked Becky to accompany him and to hold the only available microphone for him as he sang. She beamed to the crowd as she sat next to Steve at the piano. Steve gave his best rendition of the old Van Morrison song, 'Have I Told You Lately?' The audience remained silent as he delivered the song while playing the piano. Near the end of the song, Becky was shaking as she held the microphone. When he finished, everyone cheered and yelled their approval as Steve leaned over and gave Becky a light kiss on the lips.

After the dance, Steve and Becky joined some of her friends at an all night restaurant. Again, Steve went out of his way to be friendly with everyone, but especially to be attentive to Becky. When they drove home, Becky was euphoric.

"That was the best time I've ever had! You were great. Everyone wanted to know how I knew you and why you were there with me, rather than Gwen. They knew she was in town since everyone saw her and was talking about how beautiful she and Jordan are. I just told them that Gwen loaned you to me for the evening. They were so jealous.

"I danced with some of the guys in my class and they all treated me good, but they were afraid to mention my accident. I kept surprising them by bringing it up. I wanted them to know I was over the grieving stage and wanted to get on with my life now. They all seemed relieved and they relaxed a lot more. I can see where I was making everyone tense with my attitude about my lost hand. I was a miserable bitch and they didn't know how to get me out of my funk.

"But you did. I couldn't believe how you talked about my hand when we first met and how you announced that you were going to call me 'Lefty' from now on. Did you see people look at me for my reaction whenever you called me that in front of them? They thought I would explode, but I just smiled and told them it was your private nickname for me.

"Gwen told me about how her sisters, her cousin, Jordan, and even her mom and aunt adore you. She said they love to tease and flirt with you because you're a great guy and because you'd never take advantage of them. She's really proud of you and she really, really loves you. Now I know why. You're the best guy I ever met. Can I be a special friend like Gwen's sisters and Jordan? Can I treat you like a brother and tease you like that? Will I ever even see you again?"

"Ashley's coming to L.A. with us, and then to Florida. She's going to keep an eye out for me by acting as my assistant, whatever that means. I bet she'd be glad to have you visit some weekend or even longer after school is out. I'll always be your friend and would love to have you be another sister. I want all the quality people I can find to be my friends and family. You certainly fit the bill. Would you like to see us make the movie?"

Gwen had gone to bed at eleven and was sleeping when Becky came into the room. "Gwen, can you wake up and talk with me for a while? Steve was incredible tonight. Everyone was amazed that he was my date. He was a gentleman, so don't worry about that. He's wonderful. No wonder you fell in love with him."

"Welcome to my world," laughed Gwen as she rubbed her eyes. "He makes women fall in love with him without even trying. Tell me how everything went, and what your friends said when they saw you were there with Steve. I know you must be excited to talk about it."

Early the following afternoon, Steve, Gwen, Jordan, Ashley and Charlotte climbed into the SUV to travel to the airport. Becky had clung to Steve and kissed him several times when they prepared to leave. Mrs. Summers was almost as expressive.

"You've given Becky back to us!" she sobbed as she hugged Steve to her ample bosom. "She's already looking forward to flying to L.A. or Florida to watch you make that movie. Ashley is happier than I've seen her in a long time. You're aces high with this family. Thanks so much, Steve!"

"That went well," observed Charlotte dryly as the group made its way back to the interstate. "One night with Steve changed Becky's life dramatically. Why doesn't that surprise me?"

"You kids have been great to me and my family. I knew Becky would enjoy going on a date with Steve, but I had no idea he'd be so adept at helping her pull her head out of her ass. She's a different person today. If you had told me that she'd like the nickname 'Lefty' a couple days ago I'd have called you nuts. Thanks, guys, especially you, Steve."

"I'd like to take credit for everything, but it was all Gwen's idea. She even coached me on how to treat Becky to be sure her self esteem had a much needed lift," confessed Steve. "It was all Gwen."

"I had the idea for you to take her to the formal and we talked about how you had to be very attentive to her all night, but you were brilliant. You even called her 'Lefty' and made it her special nickname. I never would've dared try that! Somehow you made her see how much she had going for her. I came up with the idea, but you made it work. You make me look like a relationship guru."

The group made it to Los Angeles at dusk. They were checked into their rooms within the hour. Jordan was sharing a room with Charlie and Gwen was rooming with Steve. Charlotte and Ashley each had their own room. Clyde met them all in the dining room after they had unpacked. He was cordial to Ashley and Charlotte when they were introduced.

"You kids have done everything I asked and then some. Jordan, I can't tell you how proud I am of the way you turned things around. When I left you with Steve and Gwen that Sunday, I wondered if one of you would wind up murdered. Now you're all best friends and you even have a gentleman friend that seems to have his head screwed on straight.

"Gwen and Steve, you know how I feel about you guys. We have an ambitious schedule and have to work hard to keep it. The most important thing is to get all of Steve's parts filmed before he has to report to Annapolis. We can always film the scenes without him after he's gone."

"I'm not the director, but as one of the producers, I get some input into the filming. You'll be doing a lot of the ending of the movie first. As you may, or may not know, movies are not shot in the order the scenes appear. The early parts of the movie occur outside at the beach, so we'll film them in Florida in a few weeks. I know you kids never made a movie before, but you're all mature and intelligent, so it should come naturally to you.

"On Wednesday, Steve and Jordan are going to film their love scene. Jordan, you can request a closed set so only the needed crew is there. This movie will be probably be PG, but you'll be topless and while the final edit won't show any bits and pieces that you don't want seen, the people that are present for the filming may get an eyeful."

"I'll talk it over with Charlie tonight," replied Jordan. "I've never been shy, but I never had a wonderful boyfriend before and I don't want to do anything to upset him."

"Don't worry about me. I'm a big boy and I understand it's a movie. We'll talk it over, but I do think a closed set would be best."

"Can Gwen, Ashley and Charlotte be there? I'd feel better if I had some friends for support," revealed Jordan.

"Sure, it'll be a closed set, except for them. Just do your best and remember that sooner you get it exactly right, the sooner you'll be done with the scene," advised Clyde.

"Great! I'd hate to have to film the scene over and over, watching Steve with his clothes off for hours," laughed Jordan.

"I'll be wearing shorts at the very least," insisted Steve as he looked from Jordan to Clyde, who had an evil grin as he returned Steve's stare. "Ah, man, I don't think I can be naked with Jordan and not embarrass myself. Charlie and Gwen, you may not want to be there."

"Really? Jordan wants me there. You'll do fine. We'll wear the little guy out the night before so Jordan's charms have no effect on you, so don't worry," promised Gwen.

"Gwen, there's no way you can wear that guy down enough that he won't respond to my 'charms', as you call them. He'll have to be dead to resist the heat I'll be bringing! You'll be able to take notes and learn a few things for your big scene."

"Which will be on Friday," interrupted Clyde. "Like Jordan, you'll be able to decide who's allowed on the set while you're filming. Thursday is open in case the director feels that Jordan and Steve didn't have it exactly right on Wednesday and need more work. A car will be around at five tomorrow morning to pick you up for the set, so you'd better get some sleep. We'll be putting in some long days."

The first day was a 'sink or swim' day for Gwen, Jordan, and Steve. They went to wardrobe, practiced their lines for a few minutes, and then went in front of the cameras. They began with less involved interactions in the morning, but by afternoon were performing scenes critical to the movie. Soon Tuesday and the love scene between Jordan and Steve arrived.

"Jordan, I'm little worried about all of this," admitted Steve as they climbed into the van taking them to the set. "I want to do well, but I don't want to overstep my bounds, or upset Charlie. I just don't know how far to go and what I can and can't do."

"I'm sure the director will set the boundaries for us, but don't worry about upsetting me or Charlie. We're adults and know how movies work. I want you to do what the director asks, and I'll do the same."

"Don't worry about me," added Charlie. "I know Jordan has a thing for you, but so does every other woman in the free world. Just don't keep screwing up so you have to shoot the scene over and over. That might get annoying after a few hours."

"This is pretty exciting! I'm going to get an idea of what to expect for our scene on Friday. You two just concentrate on each other and getting it right. I really want this movie to make money, even if it isn't Academy Award material. Remember that the hospital building fund gets a cut of the profits," stated Gwen as she held Steve's hand. "Make love to this beautiful girl like I know you can, except for any actual sex, of course."

"Thanks! All of you have cleared up my concerns....NOT!" worried Steve. "Just don't be getting upset with me if I do something wrong, whatever that may be!"

Once Steve and Jordan left wardrobe and appeared on the set, the director spent time explaining what he expected from the two actors. "Steve, keep in mind that you respect Jordan's family and you think she's the perfect girl. Be slow and gentle, but passionate.

"Jordan, just like in real life, you'll set the tone for Steve, He responds to your lead. This will only go as far as you want it to go. We'll be filming from many angles, so be aware that if your top is off, your breasts will be filmed. That said, we can and will, edit anything too hot for a PG movie, unless the studio decides to make it an R movie. That would keep almost anything in the film as long as it wasn't hard core. We want to keep it PG, so just be as natural as possible and we'll edit it to fit the rating."

Steve was nervous as they prepared to begin filming. There were numerous cameramen watching, as well as assistants, a few guests, and some people he had no idea why they were present. He took a few deep breaths, went over his lines and the directions he had been given and concentrated on Jordan.

The scene began with Steve entering Jordan's bedroom. She smiled at Steve and he blocked out all the distractions as he focused on the beautiful girl walking into his arms. He gently kissed her but soon realized that Jordan wanted more. Steve responded.

Half an hour later, perspiration glistened on Steve's torso and Jordan was nude and limp in his arms when the director called a halt to the filming. The set had been silent for the filming and remained so afterward. A wardrobe girl carried two robes to Jordan and Steve as they slowly looked around.

"We never get these scenes in one take, but you kids may have managed to do just that. We'll probably shoot a few parts of the scene after we look at it on film, but that was outstanding work! You two really clicked and it showed. Go get something to eat and rest for awhile. I know how much those scenes take out of actors."

"My God, Gwen! Did you see those two? That was the hottest thing I've ever seen," declared Charlotte as they hurried around the set to join Steve and Jordan. "I don't know about you, but I'm absolutely dripping right now. If I hadn't seen it, I'd never have believed it. I feel like Billy and I have been shaking hands compared to the way Steve and Jordan were going just now."

"Are you angry with me?" asked Jordan as soon as Charlie and Gwen reached her side. "It kind of got out of hand. I constantly pushed Steve, but there's no quitting in that boy. He just kept bringing it. I feel like I just ran a marathon. Are you okay, Charlie?"

"I'll be a lot better when we get back to your dressing room! That was incredibly hot! You guys had some amazing chemistry going there. It'll carry the movie to success, even if the rest of it turns out mediocre, which it won't," predicted Charlie as he hugged Jordan with his left arm and shook Steve's hand with his right."

"Steve, I have to get you back to the dressing room right now!" insisted Gwen as she wrapped her arms around Steve after he shook Charlie's hand. "Ashley and Charlotte, could you give us half an hour or so?"

"Okay, but I don't think either one of you will last thirty seconds," laughed Ashley. "I'm so worked up I don't know what to do. I can't believe how sexy that scene was."