Lady in Red Ch. 32

An hour later, the group was seated at a local burger joint when Gwen's cell phone rang. She stepped outside to be polite, but soon returned to rejoin the others.

"Guess what? We've been invited to perform at the grand opening of the stadium in Sochi! The state department just relayed the request to Mom and she accepted the invitation for us. We're going to play to our biggest live audience ever, and it'll be in Russia! We'll wrap this movie up tomorrow and head out Friday. That'll give us a week in Russia to prepare our songs and to get accustomed to the time and climate changes, and do a little sightseeing. This is going to be telecast all over the world, so we'd better get it right!"

"That's great news!" cheered Jordan as she hugged Charlie. "We'll be able to add Russia to our musical resume. Charlie and I were talking last night about how our lives have changed since we met Gwen and Steve. Our careers have taken off, we've fallen in love, and we've made some great friends. It looked a little shaky when Steve washed my mouth out with soap the first day we met. Then he carried me topless to his hotel room a couple weeks later, but look how it all turned out. Charlie and I'll never be able to thank you two enough."

"My life was circling the drain a few months ago," interjected Ashley. "I had a badly depressed sister who had recently lost a hand. I had a complete inability to find and date a decent man. I even had to go on an antidepressant because I felt like such a failure. I thought I was in love with one of my students and he didn't even know I existed. Now I feel like things are working out for me. And my sister is doing great. Who do you think I should credit for that turn around?"

"Did you just say that you 'thought' you were in love with a student?" questioned Gwen. "Does that mean that you no longer feel that way?"

"If you must know, it means that I've come to realize that I am very much in love with the guy, but he's not my student any longer. I realize that he loves me in a special way that allows me to find someone of my own that will think that I'm pretty amazing. Want me to make it even plainer? I love Steve dearly, but he's yours and I'm able to accept that. I feel confident that I have a lot to offer to the right guy and I won't settle for anything less than an honest, kind, hard working man that is totally devoted to me. I see that it's possible. Jordan found a great guy. Lisa found a great guy. I will, too."

"I did find a great guy, didn't I?" agreed Jordan with a big smile as she again hugged Charlie. "Thanks for reminding me, Ashley. Gwen and Steve introduced us. Charlie never cared about my past mistakes. He just made me want to do better, so I wouldn't disappoint him. He's been a godsend."

"Mom also said that they plan on releasing our movie over the Labor Day weekend. Usually, a movie is in post production for months, but Clyde told Mom that he felt it should be released as soon as possible to take advantage of all the publicity we've been getting lately. Since there are no special effects, they just have to edit it, promote it, and release it.

"A song and video from the movie is being released tomorrow. Mom had to choose which one to release first. They're planning on releasing a couple of the remakes we did first, and save 'Midnight Lights' and 'Half-Hearted'. One will be released a week or so before the movie comes out and the other will be a couple weeks later to try to maintain interest in the movie. They think those two new songs will be extremely successful," added Gwen.

"Which song will they release tomorrow?" asked an excited Jordan. "I bet it's that 'Can't Live' song you sang so well. That song was amazing."

"It seems that Mom made the decision, so she naturally showed favoritism with her pick," grinned Gwen. "It's 'The Glory of Love' that Steve and I sing together. Mom said the video Clyde put together for it will bring tears to the eyes of every woman that sees it. She thinks Clyde underestimated how well it'll do. She said if it isn't a big hit, she'll resign her position. That's how sure she is."

"Steve and Gwen really sang the hell out of the song and we did a pretty good job with the arrangement and music," observed Charlie. "I bet your mother is dead on with this one. It'll be a big hit before we leave for Russia. In fact, we'd better brush up on it so we can play it there. The fans in Russia will see it on the web and want you guys to sing it in concert."

"That reminds me of a subject I've been thinking about," began Steve calmly. "I know it won't be easy, but it would really go over good if we sang a few of our songs in Russian. I was thinking I could split songs, doing both English and Russian versions, just switching back and forth. We'd have to practice because the band would have to be able to adjust to the phrasing that may be longer or shorter than the English version. I could teach Jordan and Gwen the lyrics for a few songs, if they're willing to try."

"Just when I think I know what's going on in your head, you come up with something new," marveled Gwen. "I think it's a great idea! I heard that Abba didn't know English very well when they sang their songs. Maybe we could do 'Dancing Queen' in Russian, along with a few others!"

"Deal me in!" added the excited Jordan. "By the time we leave Russia, the whole country will be eating out of our hands. I know they'll appreciate that we made the effort to learn some songs in Russian and they'll love Steve! He'll be handling the introductions since he's fluent in the language. This'll be the best concert they've ever seen in Mother Russia!"

"When they see and hear Jordan Quick, Gwen Anderson, and Steve Hammer live and in person, they'll have to be impressed," insisted Charlotte. "I've seen how you three affect the audience. You give a great show, you're sincere, and you love what you're doing. That's what makes you three so special."

The group managed to schedule a couple days back home to rest up and pack for the trip to Russia. Friday morning saw The Anderson family, Charlotte, Ashley, Billy, Jordan, Charlie, Steve and the band board a plane for Washington. Amber Stahl made the same flight and was positively ecstatic about the trip. They planned to meet Steve's family, and Jason, in Washington for the flight to Moscow.

Jason was the first to join them at their gate in Washington as they waited for their connecting flight. Lisa ran to him and he swept her off her feet in a bear hug. After the other travelers greeted Jason, he turned to Steve and shook his hand as he clapped him on the back.

"The guys can't believe I'm going to a state dinner in Russia with your group. Heck they can't believe Lisa's my girlfriend, never mind the rest of this. I never realized that pulling your frozen ass out of a snow bank would reap such rewards," laughed Jason. "You'll do, even if you are Navy."

"Look! There's Jen and her mother and grandparents," called Kate as she rushed to hug Jen. The group chatted with Kate for half a minute before they all walked toward Steve.

Gwen could easily tell that Steve's grandmother was visibly upset. This was a very difficult reunion for her. Gwen found herself wondering if older woman had mellowed in her attitude. That question was soon answered.

"Young man, uh Steve, I was wrong. I treated your mother poorly and I repeated the same mistake with you. I will take my regrets to my grave. I understand that you must dislike me. I have been less than loving to you, and I drove your mother away from her family. Knowing all of this, your young lady insisted that I be included in this trip of a lifetime. I don't know what to say to you both."

"How about a simple 'thank-you' and a hug?" responded Gwen as she embraced the older woman. "You're Steve's grandmother. That makes you family, and that means a great deal to Steve and me. You'll love Steve when you get to know him. You have an amazing grandson, Mrs. Patterson."

"That's what I keep reading, and seeing on the news and internet," responded Steve's grandmother as she returned Gwen's hug. "I also see and read a great deal about you, Ms. Anderson. You've saved Steve's life a few times. You have hit songs, TV shows, a line of swimwear and gowns, and recently completed a movie with Steve and Jordan Quick. You're a remarkable woman. You're his lover, and you're quite proud of it."

"Steve and I are in love, and we're lovers. Do you have a problem with that fact, Mrs. Patterson? Am I not good enough for your grandson?" demanded Gwen as her temper flared. "I'd give my life for him. You have no idea how much we love each other!"

"Perhaps not, but I'm beginning to get an idea. I meant no disrespect when I mentioned that you're his lover. You remind me of his mother, my daughter Jennifer. You're smart, beautiful and quite headstrong. You don't need my approval, my dear. I've forfeited any right I may have ever had for input into Steve's life years ago. Truthfully, I need your approval. Jen, Janice, and William have taken great pains to explain to me that without your blessing, Steve will never accept me in any way."

"I'm sorry I was so abrupt. I had prepared myself for a possible conflict and I was probably expecting it, so I was rude. If you love your grandson, you have my blessing. If you hurt him again, we'll have a real problem," promised Gwen as she turned to Steve. "Your grandmother has apologized to you. She's waiting for your response."

Steve wasn't overjoyed about the situation, but had no illusions as to Gwen's expectations. He stepped closer to his grandmother and gently hugged her.

"You can do better than that!" insisted the older woman as she wrapped her arms tightly around Steve while tears streaked her cheeks. "Jen tells me that you're the strongest boy she's ever met. Please hug me, Steve."

Steve was surprised at how the woman's words affected him. He gathered in his arms and lifted off her feet as he hugged her to his chest. He felt, rather than heard, the sobs that wracked her body. Not knowing what else to do, Steve simply held his grandmother as her shame and anguish controlled her emotions. He held her for well over a minute before she regained control.

Steve gently placed her back on her feet and turned to Gwen. He swept her into his arms, crushed her to his chest, and buried his face in her long hair. Gwen could feel his emotion as he struggled with his feelings. Eventually his breathing returned to normal as he slowly relaxed his hold.

By this time, Kate, Ashley, Jordan, Lisa, Charlotte, and Paula were gathered near Steve and his grandmother. "Wow! Steve's really choked up!" observed Kate. "He always hugs Gwen when he gets that way. I bet he kisses her next."

Even as Kate spoke, Steve brought his lips to Gwen's and kissed her gently. "Grandmother Patterson, you've managed to break Steve's reservations. He's feeling quite emotional," managed Gwen when Steve released her. "This is going to be a great trip!"

Soon all the women were welcoming Jen, Janice, and Janice's mother, Mrs. Beatrice Patterson, to their group. Steve shook hands with his grandfather as they watched the women interact. "Thanks, Steve, for being so kind to your grandmother. She was so afraid that you'd reject her. She would've done that to you if the shoe had been on the other foot. She's having great difficulty dealing with the fact that you and Gwen can forgive her and accept her as family, especially when she was so unwilling to show your father that same courtesy."

Just as the reunion activities settled down, a young couple approached Gwen and Steve as they stood chatting with their friends. "Excuse us, but we were wondering if you'd sign our copy of Maxim? We're returning from our honeymoon. I just bought the new issue because I saw Gwen Anderson on the cover. Then as we were walking toward our gate, we saw you both waiting for your flight, so we thought we'd take a chance and ask for autographs."

"The magazine is out? Can I look at your copy?" asked Gwen as she studied the cover photo. "It's amazing what they can do with Photoshop. Look how smooth they made my skin and how big my boobs look. That little shirt doesn't cover much does it?"

Gwen and Steve not only signed the magazine, but they posed for pictures with the couple. Kate volunteered to take some photos of them all together with their camera. Soon other passengers began to gather around and ask permission to take pictures. Many of them wanted Gwen to sign their Maxim magazines, which they had quickly purchased at the airport newsstand.

"You're Steve Hammer!" gushed a couple of teen girls that had been waiting at the gate with their families. "That new song, 'The Glory of Love' is unbelievably good and the video made us both cry. It was so romantic. It's the best video ever!"

By the time they boarded the large aircraft; Gwen and Steve had signed dozens of autographs, and posed for hundreds of pictures, mostly with other travelers waiting for the flight to Moscow. Jordan was also kept busy by fans. Once they were boarded and airborne, most of the group leaned back to catch some sleep.

It was a long flight. They arrived in Moscow shortly before noon, which arrived ten hours sooner than usual for the travelers from America. The members of the band remained at the airport. They were going to accompany their equipment to Sochi and start preparing for the show. Once the Americans passed through Russian customs, they were shown to a small bus that transported them to their hotel.

"Let's get a lunch after we check in and then take a two hour nap," suggested Paula. "It worked pretty well when we arrived in Paris. We'll still have a few hours to see some of the sights. This city is amazing!"

As the group entered the ornate luxury hotel the state department had booked for them, security formed a path through the crowd to use to approach the front desk. Beyond the security personnel, other guests turned to see what the fuss was all about.

As Steve gazed at the hotel guests beyond the security detail, he saw a blonde girl standing with several friends, looking back at him. Steve smiled and stepped between two of the security men and quickly walked up to the blonde girl. As he approached her, she launched herself at him.

Steve grinned as he easily caught the girl and carefully swung her in a tight circle. "Nadiya Misko! It's great to see you again! You look even more beautiful than the last time I saw you," praised Steve as her friends watched wide-eyed.

"So the big, famous American hero remembers the little girl from the Ukraine? I was wondering if you would. I was telling those girls that we had danced together in Paris, but I don't think they believed me. I think they do now. You have made my day!"

As soon as Steve placed Nadiya back on the floor, Gwen embraced her. "Nadiya! It's so good to see a friendly face here in Moscow. Will you be at the state dinner next weekend?"

"Yes, I will! This is all so amazing. You two are so famous and successful and you treat me like a long-time friend. I am so proud to be considered a friend to Steve Hammer and Gwen Anderson. It's so good to see you again! I have followed your new adventures since we last spoke. You've made a movie and once again prevented terrorists from killing innocents. I will be at your concert in Sochi as well. You two are amazing!"

"Do you have some free time? We're going to have a lunch and then go to bed for a couple hours. We'd love to have you come with us," offered Steve without giving his words much thought.

"I would be delighted to have lunch with you and very happy to sleep with you, but is Gwen okay with it?" responded Nadiya as she struggled to hide a smile.

"What? Oh, no! I didn't mean that. Gwen would never go for that. I was asking about lunch. I'm sorry if it sounded like I was asking about, uh, you know."

"If we were going to invite any beautiful blondes to join us, you'd be on the list," laughed Gwen as Steve blushed. "However, we've reached an agreement that we'll remain exclusive for the next 60 years or so."

"I thought as much," grinned Nadiya. "Steve is not the kind of man to share his woman, and you'd be crazy to share him. The ladies would be lined up for blocks."

"Let's get some lunch and catch up," suggested Steve as he made a concerted effort to change the subject. He placed an arm around each woman and led them back to his group.

Gwen made the introductions to the many members of the group. "You travel with so many beautiful women," marveled Nadiya. "Gwen's sisters are incredible, your cousin looks like a female version of you, your 'teacher', as you call her, is gorgeous. Jordan Quick is, well she's Jordan Quick. For a man in a monogamous relationship, you keep some very exotic company. Gwen must be very secure."

"I was going to tell her the same thing when she said that you'd be joining us for lunch," responded Lisa. "With your beauty and grace, you could intimidate any woman. Jason's eyes have been bugging out since he saw you with Steve and Gwen back in Washington."

"Charlie isn't much better," laughed Jordan. "At least he's met Nadiya before, but he still has trouble pulling his eyes away. Let's get checked in and get some good Russian cuisine!"

Gwen noticed that Steve was quite attentive to Nadiya at lunch and engaged her in a lengthy political discussion. When they retired to their room, Gwen began asking questions.

"I know she's a stunning woman, but you don't usually ask anyone so many questions. In fact, you're usually pretty quiet. Why were you so interested in the politics of the Ukraine? Did you learn anything? Are you up to something?"

"This is like a chess game, with several players. I'm just trying to get the lay of the land. It appears that The Ukraine would like to do more trade with the US, but Mother Russia is leaning on them to stay in the fold and deal mostly with what was the Soviet Union. Information like that may come in handy."

"I'll tell you what would 'come' in handy," teased Gwen as she ran her fingers over Steve's crotch. "On second thought, you're a smart guy. Try to figure it out."

Steve had no problem solving Gwen's little riddle, but it cut their nap time down by an hour. He felt like he had just closed his eyes when Kate began banging on their door and yelling for them to get up. Gwen finally staggered to the door and opened it.

"One thing you need to learn about Russia is that the walls aren't very thick and sound travels right through them," revealed Kate. "It's a good thing that Jen and I have the room next to yours and not Mom and Dad. It would be really embarrassing if they heard you, especially if Dad got Mom screaming like you were!"

When the group gathered in the lobby to begin their sightseeing tour, Lisa tugged on Gwen's sleeve and whispered to her. "Thanks for getting us going. We were tired and almost asleep when you started making those loud moans, and then a few screams. Next thing I knew, Jason was all over me. We hardly got any sleep, but it was worth it!"

"I didn't know you were in the room next to ours," admitted Gwen. I know Kate and Jen are on the other side of us."

"We aren't next to you. We're in the room next to Kate and Jen on the other side. Sound really travels through these walls," added Lisa.

"Uh, oh. I wonder who's got the room next to us on the other side," worried Gwen. "I hope it's Charlotte and Billy."

The group climbed into a small bus that had been hired for them by the state department and began their tour. Gwen had an aisle seat while Steve sat looking out the window. Paula sat across from her with Ted next to the window on his side.

"I suppose I should thank you, Young Lady," whispered Paula quietly so that neither Steve nor Ted could hear. "I haven't seen your father so romantically inclined in some time. We didn't get much rest, but we certainly spent the time wisely. Just think about Ted's age before you two try doing it six times. His heart may not be able to stand it if he tries to keep up. Did you notice how sound travels through the walls? I may have to move Kate and Jen to a different floor."