Lady in Red Ch. 23

Steve was slowly pulling himself back together. “If I had never met those people, I would’ve been fine. I thought that woman, my aunt, was somehow my mother, even though I know Mom is dead. That’s pretty screwed up thinking. It felt so amazing to see her alive, but when she rejected me, I was crushed. It was like my memory of my mother was denying that she was my mom. I can’t explain it, but it really hurt for a little while. That mean old lady, who may be my Grandmother didn’t hurt as much. I might’ve been numb by then. I don’t know.”

“Any family should be proud to have you in it,” asserted Paula. “The girls weren’t kidding when they told you how much we all love you and consider you a part of us. Those people have serious issues, not you. You’re a fine young man and they just made a huge mistake, which they will come to regret. I can guarantee that.”

Steve was subdued during dinner. The women pretended that they didn’t notice as they chatted about shopping and the evening’s big show.

“Well, let’s get over to the Olympia and see if we can rock this town!” urged Jordan. “I don’t know how popular country and western is here, so I’m straying a little into rock and roll for the show. Hopefully, it’ll just widen my fan base. I can’t wait to see how the audience reacts to our set.”

“After listening to you at rehearsal, I know they’re going to love your singing,” guaranteed Gwen. “I just hope they don’t boo me off the stage after your big song. That one’s unbelievably good. Steve really had a great idea when he suggested that one for you.”

“That was a good idea, but your song is brilliant! It fits so well with your life. Everyone’s going to pick up on that immediately. I can’t wait to see the reaction,” declared Jordan with enthusiasm.

“Would you mind telling us what songs you’re doing? You’re really piqued my interest now,” stated Diane. “I can’t wait to hear you three perform.”

“We promised Charlie that we’d keep everything to ourselves. He’s really good at arranging songs and deciding what sounds best for each of us, don’t you think?” asked Jordan.

“He’s good, alright,” agreed Gwen. “The fact that he’s an amazing musician, and a hunk, doesn’t hurt too much, does it, Jordan? I saw how you were hanging on his every word. It seemed like the beautiful Jordan Quick acted a bit shy around the man. I was surprised.”

“Truthfully, I do like Charlie,” revealed Jordan. “That was the problem. He seemed to know all of my songs and everything about me. He probably saw the pictures of me in Steve’s arms with my boobs exposed. I’m really ashamed of that now. How can I ever get a nice guy to like me after acting like such a slut? He probably thinks I’m sleeping with Steve every night.”

“You can end that worry right now,” replied Gwen. “I told him this morning that Steve and I were in a monogamous relationship. He’s a big boy. Let him decide if he can handle the whole package known as Jordan Quick. If he can’t, he’s not anyone you should be interested in. Something tells me that he’d be honored to be seen with you. He sure watched you closely enough at rehearsal.”

Steve and the girls made it to the Olympia just as the first performers began their set. Charlie had arranged for his group to appear next to last. The headliners for the week were scheduled to play the last set.

Charlie was excited and nervous as they waited for their turn. “I can’t tell you how much us guys appreciate you three singing with us. We’re pretty good musicians, but we don’t have that special ingredient it takes to make it big. You three have it in spades. We’re just glad we got together for this chance of a lifetime.”

When their time arrived to set up, Charlie was all business and showed no signs of being nervous. The first song was the combined “We Will Rock You” and We Are the Champions” by Queen. This combination allowed the band members to showcase their skills. Steve played guitar while Jordan played the piano. Gwen sang lead with strong backup from Steve and Jordan. Most in the audience were surprised that Steve didn’t sing lead, but soon came to realize that Gwen was more than capable of singing the song well.

Next, Jordan and Steve went with their current hit song. They gave it all the emotion they could as they faced each other and sang like they were lovers. The crowd enjoyed it and cheered wildly.

As soon as the applause calmed down, the band went right to the next number. This featured Jordan doing ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ with Steve and Gwen backing her up. This time Jordan sang with all the emotion she could possibly muster. Her voice was perfect for the song and the crowd soon realized that Jordan Quick was more than an excellent country singer. She was an excellent singer, regardless of the genre. When she finished, sweat was dripping from her face and she was breathing hard. The applause was thunderous as fans clapped, whistled, and hollered for her.

When the cheers finally subsided, the band began its next number. Jordan sat at the piano and started playing. Gwen moved to the front and faced Steve. “Where have all the good men gone and where are all the gods? Where’s the streetwise Hercules to fight the rising odds?”

They knew they were taking a chance doing two Bonnie Tyler songs back-to-back, but they had agreed that the songs fit the girls’ voices perfectly. Gwen belted out ‘I Need a hero’ with feeling as she looked at Steve. It was apparent that the lyrics resonated with her. Kate, Paula, Diane, Amber, and Stephanie were spellbound as they listened to Gwen make the song her own.

“He’s gotta be strong and he’s gotta be fast, and he’s gotta be fresh from the fight. I need a hero,” sang Gwen as she her eyes never left Steve.

Steve had been a bit concerned about Gwen and Charlie choosing this song and insisting that she sing it to him on stage. He worried about appearing to be conceited or smug. He found that playing the guitar while Gwen sang helped relax him.

As Gwen finished her song, the applause was every bit as loud and long as Jordan had enjoyed. The audience took some time to quiet down. As the applause finally began to lessen, Steve and the band began to play. This time they went with The Eagles’ “Lyin’ Eyes”.

Steve led with the guitar and sang the first stanza. Jordan and Gwen joined him for the chorus and then Jordan sang the next stanza. All three sang the chorus again and then Gwen took over the following stanza. The three finished the song singing the chorus together. The crowd ate it up.

Jordan remained at the piano and began playing. The crowd quickly went quiet as Steve delivered “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. Oohs and aahs were heard quite often as the younger females in the audience responded strongly to the song and Steve’s delivery. Once again there was spirited applause as Steve finished. By the time the curtain dropped on the group on stage, the audience was showing its wild approval.

“I guess that answers your question about how the audience would like older songs!” laughed Charlie as the curtain dropped to continuous applause. “You guys sang the hell out of those songs! This was the best musical effort I’ve ever been associated with.”

The band had to quickly get their equipment off the stage so the next group could set up. With the help of Steve, Gwen, and Jordan they were loading the last of their instruments into a van a few minutes later. That was where Paula, Diane, Amber and Stephanie found them.

“Wow!” exclaimed Kate. “That was amazing! Did you hear that crowd? They loved every song. When Steve sang that last one, every girl in there had wet panties.”

“Kate! That’s no way for a young lady to talk, regardless of how accurate it may be,” cautioned Paula with a smile. “He certainly did have a pronounced effect on them.”

Steve noticed that Kate and Stephanie were making serious efforts to engage him in conversation as they walked back to their hotel that night. He knew why they were so attentive and loved them for it. He let them know that their efforts were appreciated.

“Kate and Steph, you guys are the best,” praised Steve as he wrapped his arms around the two girls’ shoulders and hugged them to him. “You’re making me realize that I do have family, and that family cares about me and how I feel. I’ll never forget today. I learned that I had relatives I never knew I had. I learned that they really didn’t want me in their lives, which hurt quite a lot. But I also learned that I have two of the nicest, prettiest, sexiest sisters in the world. That’s a very good feeling.”

“We just want you to know that you have us for family. We both love you an awful lot. You could be a stuck-up, insufferable jerk with all the success you’ve had, but you’re still really nice to us. You treat us better than most brothers would, so I’m not sure what you’d call our relationship, but we’re here for you, anytime you need us,” promised Kate.

“I’ve never been as comfortable with a guy as I am with you,” confessed Stephanie. “You’re so successful and such a hunk, yet you’re really nice to me. You make me feel special. I trust you completely. I know you’d do anything to keep me from being hurt. I guess I do love you, too, but I’m not trying to steal you away from Gwen.”

“Stephanie, it’s okay to love this guy. I’m sure that I’ll love the guy you pick out. Until your special fellow comes along, we’ll just share Steve,” promised Gwen.

Amber Stahl was her usual quiet self as the group strolled through the streets of Paris. “I think I have plenty of footage to send back to the station tonight and it’s late, so I won’t ask anyone for any interviews. That way Kate won’t be able to tease Gwen and Steve. I won’t be mentioning the encounter with your aunt and grandmother, so don’t worry about that, Steve.”

Later that night, after Gwen had ridden him to orgasm, Steve lay with his head on Gwen’s stomach and gently toyed with her breasts. “Kate and Steph tried so hard to cheer me up tonight. They made me feel a lot better after that scene with my grandmother and aunt.

“I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you and your whole family have treated me so well. My mother was banished from her family for falling in love with my father. Your parents have allowed me to make love to you when you fell in love with me. That’s some difference.”

“Don’t be too hard on your grandmother. She was probably raised to think a certain way. She can’t help it. My parents would never have allowed me to have sex with any other boy. I’m sure of that. What you’ve done for my family is way beyond what anyone could ever expect. You’ve proven your courage and love. You made it impossible for them to refuse when I told them I was going to sleep with you. They knew they’d never keep us apart and it would be wrong to try.

“Mom’s worried about us being so far apart for so long when we go away to school. She’s worried that one of us will weaken and fall in love with someone else and break the other person’s heart. She doesn’t understand just how much we’re in love.”

“I’ll never betray your love, Gwen. No matter what you hear, or even see, always know that I love you and I’ll always be faithful. Besides hurting you, I’d disappoint your family. Their opinion of me means even more now that I’ve met my own grandmother. I want to be part of your family as long as you’ll have me. It means a lot to me.”

“That’s such a nice compliment for Mom, Dad, Lisa, Kate and Diane’s family. Seeing how much you respect my father has caused me to rethink my relationship with him. I feel closer than ever. I thought that having a lover would distance me from Dad, but it’s been the opposite. I think that’s mostly because of how well you speak of him and respect his wishes. I pretty much took my family for granted before I met you, but no more. Seeing how you embrace them and how my family accepts and loves you has brought it all home for me.

“That’s why we won’t give up on your family, regardless of how miserable they’ve been. Now I know what your mother looked like. Your aunt is a beautiful woman. I know your mom looked the same, except she must have been so happy with you and your dad that she was even more beautiful than her sister. Your grandmother may come to realize we aren’t after her money, or out to ruin her good name. I want her to be able to hold her great grandchildren some day.”

“I don’t think I’d ever want her around our kids,” admitted Steve. “She banned my mother from the family and was pretty nasty to us. I think we’ll just let it go. If we never see her again, it’ll be fine by me.”

“We’ll see about that,” replied Gwen as she mulled over the situation. She knew time and circumstances change many relationships, but the pain of his grandmother’s rejection was too fresh for Steve to forgive. “Right now, I’d very much like my hunky boyfriend to make love too me in that big chair while we look over Paris and the Eiffel Tower. This is way too romantic to pass up.

“Having you make love to me is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I thought I loved you a lot a week ago, but it’s so much more now. I love feeling your chest against my breasts and your wonderful cock inside me. That’s the physical part and it’s great, but the emotions I feel with you are beyond description. I feel like I’m going to burst, my love is for you is so intense. I’ll never have another man as long as I live and you still want me. I swear that.”

The group met for an early breakfast the next morning. It was the day they were scheduled to film some commercials for the ‘Lady in Red’ line they were promoting. After eating, they took two cabs to the designated studio. Paula and Diane soon realized it was a good thing they were there.

The director had some ideas in mind that Paula and Diane felt were not appropriate for Kate and Stephanie. Even with the language barrier, they were able to make their concerns heard. Gwen was allowed more leeway by her mother and Jordan was up for anything as long as Steve was involved. By mid afternoon, they completed the taping. Jordan and Gwen had appeared topless in some scenes, but only when they were pressed against Steve. They would remain that way from the time they removed their top on the set until they put it back on. They realized that television in Europe was more liberal, but they still didn’t want to show too much, even to the film crew.

“I never realized how commercials were made, especially here in France,” admitted Diane as the group was leaving. “I certainly wasn’t going to allow Stephanie to go topless, especially in a TV commercial. She would have been extremely uncomfortable with it.”

“Mom, I could have done it after I saw how Jordan and Gwen used Steve like a shield to stay covered. It would have been easier for me since I have less to conceal. They looked so hot like that! Imagine if my friends saw me topless with Steve!”

“Yeah, and imagine if your father saw it!” pointed out Diane. “He would have been furious with me for allowing it and not very pleased with Steve for being part of it. Your shots in those little bikinis will have to do. I just hope that your father is good with them.”

“He will be when you tell him they wanted us topless,” offered Kate. “I would have done it if Mom hadn’t stopped me. There aren’t many things I’d like better than to rub up against Steve, skin on skin.”

“That will not happen, at least not before you’re eighteen,” insisted Paula. “I’ve allowed a lot of things I never thought I would, but I’m holding firm on that one. You will not do any topless poses of any kind before you turn eighteen. There’s no room for debate on that.”

“We can wait. Right, Stephanie? Steve’ll be a football star at Navy and we’ll be in demand as models. I bet Lisa will be showing a lot of skin in her modeling work this weekend in Chicago. She’s so beautiful, she’ll be very successful,” predicted Kate. “We’ll be a family of sexy, topless models.”

“That’s not the vision I have for my daughters and niece!” replied Paula immediately. “I’m not a Puritan, but I don’t want you girls to do anything cheap or demeaning. The shots that Gwen and Jordan did with Steve were risqué, but certainly not pornographic or in poor taste. I’m thinking that I may have to watch you more closely over the next few years.”

“Mom! Lighten up. I was kidding. I would love to be a model like Lisa and Gwen, but only with Steve, or some guy like him. I’m not going to do something stupid that would embarrass you and Dad. But you’ve been warned. If I get a chance do pose like that with Steve, I’ll do it in a heartbeat and you wouldn’t blame me. You’d do it, too, if Dad was cool with it.”

“Kate! I’m a married woman, a mother, and forty plus years old. I certainly wouldn’t pose like that, and if I did no one would want to see it,” protested Paula quickly.

“Steve! Do you think anyone would want to see Mom topless? Would you pose with her for some kind of cougar ad if she was willing? Is she too old and unattractive?” demanded Kate.

Steve had been chuckling as he listened to the conversation. It suddenly stopped being funny when Kate tried to drag him in on the discussion. What was the best way to respond to those questions? He looked to Gwen for some help, but all he got from her was a smirk and arched eyebrows. It was obvious that she had no intentions of bailing him out.

“Well, ah, that’s hard to answer. Ted wouldn’t allow it and I’d never go against his authority. Your mom looks great and everything, but I don’t think, well the poses would be great and all, but she’s your mom and even though she’d look beautiful, I wouldn’t want, well maybe I would want to do it but not if Ted, or Gwen, you know, …” stuttered Steve before all the women broke into laughter at his incoherent response.

“See, Mom! He’d love it, but he’s scared of Dad and Gwen. He even said you’d look great. He’s just afraid to admit it. Our big brave hero fears my Dad.”

“That isn’t true,” interjected Gwen with a smile. “Last night Steve was telling me how much he loved this family and how he respected Dad. He fears Dad’s disapproval. He doesn’t want to ever be a cause of hurt to our family. So no matter how hot he thinks Mom is, he won’t be in any sexy commercials with her unless Dad takes him aside and asks him to do it. We all know how unlikely that is. That was a funny attempt at answering Kate’s question, Steve. You’ve got to learn that you don’t have to answer every question people ask you. Try the ‘no comment’ line now and then.”

When they returned to the hotel, Gwen and Steve had a phone message waiting for them. It was from Michelle. “I heard about last night at the Olympia and I’ll be there tonight to see it with some friends. I need to ask you another favor for Saturday evening, so I’ll see you after your show tonight.”

That night was another good one for Steve and the girls. They performed with great energy and the audience fed off it. Changing things at the end, Steve invited Michelle D’Anjou up to the stage. He serenaded her with “Michelle” by the Beatles. He played an acoustic guitar; Jordan played the piano while the drummer kept rhythm for them. It was simple yet showed Steve’s appeal as a male singer. The girls in the packed audience loved it and were vocal in demonstrating it at the finish.

“That was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me!” exclaimed Michelle backstage as the group packed their equipment. “There are some trade delegations visiting this weekend. One of them is from Austria and they’ve heard that Mom, Dad, and I are your friends, and that you’re in Paris. They’ve asked if they could meet you at the dinner France is sponsoring this Saturday evening. It won’t be a state dinner since it is just a trade delegations, but it’ll be a great time.

“I know I ask too much of you, but could you ask your band to come and play for us? They’re very good and if you and Gwen and Jordan would sing, my Mom and Dad would be very grateful.”