Lady in Red Pt. 02 Ch. 20

Steve pretended to pout when he was told that Pete would be taking his role and thus have the love scene with Becky. His eyes lit up and a huge grin crossed his face when he was informed that he'd have one with Naomi in Jared's stead.

Because of Steve's time constraints, he was busy filming 'Single Handedly' when he wasn't working on one of the others. He found himself doing the love scene with Naomi quite early in the filming. Jared had declined to be in attendance for the scene.

Jordan had done her best to convince him otherwise. "Steve'll have her so hot; she'll need you to put out the fire. I've been there a few times and it's almost unbearable. You really should hang close."

Jared still declined, stating that he just wasn't comfortable watching Naomi romantically involved with some other man, even Steve. Jordan finally convinced him that he needed to be waiting for Naomi in her dressing room once the scene was done.

The director felt that he needed to take the time to coach Steve before the big scene. "This isn't about race. It's about a man and a woman. Don't allow her skin color to influence how you respond to her. I think..."

"You really need to stop now!" insisted Steve as Naomi nodded in agreement. "I don't need you to tell me to treat Naomi like the beautiful woman she is. I've known and loved her for years and our skin color is not a concern to either of us, but it sounds like it is to you. Think about what you were saying when you have a moment to reflect on it. This company will not tolerate any sort of racism, or discrimination. You direct the filming and we'll take care of the romance."

It required the afternoon to get enough footage to satisfy the director. Much of that time, Steve was in bed with a naked Naomi. More than a few times her leg or hand brushed his erection and she's glance at Steve and smile. At the end of the three hours of filming, Naomi quickly rushed to her dressing room and her boyfriend.

"I heard that you two were heating up the set, so I came over when I had some free time," stated Gwen as she sat on the bed next to a surprised Steve. "I saw enough to know that your cock must be harder than Chinese math by now. Would you like to come to my dressing room so I can help you with it? Here's a bulky robe. It won't conceal that bad boy completely, but at least you won't be arrested when you get out of the bed."

"Gwen, it was terrible. I didn't want to hold her body like that or kiss her all over like I did, but I'm a professional and it was the role I was given," pointed out Steve as he pulled the robe closed to hide his raging erection.

"I know, Sweetheart," cooed Gwen. "Those big boobs, her beautiful face and her overly large ass would tempt a lot of men, but you were strong. You only needed about twenty takes. You must be exhausted from hefting those oversized breasts so many times."

"It wasn't easy, I admit," replied Steve as he wrapped an arm around Gwen.

"You really like her a lot, don't you?" asked a suddenly serious Gwen.

"I do," agreed Steve. "She's the whole package. She has brains, beauty, a great body, a warm personality, and a very big boyfriend."

"Do you ever have second thoughts about me? Do you ever wish you were free to sew your wild oats? Am I holding you back?"

"We've discussed this before, but it's worth saying again," replied Steve as he stopped walking and pushed Gwen gently against a wall, held her face with his hands, and spoke softly. "I've never seen your equal. To me, you're everything I could ever hope for. I love you. I'd die for you. I never want to be with anyone else sexually. I never want you to be with anyone else. The longer we're together, the more I realize how amazing you are. I'll never betray you, Gwen. I can't. It's not in me."

"I feel the same, but it's nice to hear you say it after I watched you with Naomi. She's a wonderful friend. She's just so beautiful, smart, funny, athletic, and curvaceous that I find it hard to believe any man could not want her. I know that if you really wanted her, you could have her. You know it, too. It's the same for all of my friends, and even relatives. I just want you to know that I love you for being like you are and not acting on the power you have over women."

"Do I have any power over you?" asked Steve as he ran his fingers over Gwen's cheek. "Have I made you love me? Have I gained your heart? Will you give me your body?"

Gwen pulled Steve down for a lingering kiss, oblivious to all the people working in the area. When she finally released him, Gwen saw Sybil Burke standing in the shadows, watching intently. Gwen nodded to the other woman and broke away from Steve's embrace and tugged him toward her dressing room.

Three days later there was another terrorist attack in Paris. This one was far more deadly than the one on the orphanage, with well over a hundred people killed and hundreds more injured. News stations covered the story relentlessly.

"We'll need to fly over for a few days," observed Jordan to Gwen, Steve, and Charlie. "I know they don't allow any demonstrations and mass gatherings will be discouraged, but I feel like we need to show our support. This is just awful!"

"I think we all agree with you," offered Gwen. "I'll have someone notify our pilots. Shall we plan on leaving Sparta in an hour?"

A few moments later, Steve was approached by Sybil Burke. "You wanted to see me?"

"Jordan, Gwen, Charlie, and I are flying to Paris. We're leaving here in an hour. We're going there to offer our support and condolences to the people of the city. I want you and a maybe three of your agents to come. This is a dangerous time and I want Jordan and Gwen to be as safe as possible.

"We can be ready," assured Sybil. "Our company has agencies in Europe that we work with closely. They'll have the necessary paperwork for us to be permitted to carry. If it's an issue, we'll have some agents from Paris accompany us. I'll call there right now.

It was just an hour later when a helicopter left Sparta with the four friends and four security people. The switch over to the Red Lady took only minutes and soon the group was headed for Paris once again.

"I've seen on TV that President Hanson and his wife are going to represent the US at a memorial service the day after tomorrow. A few ranking members of Congress are going, as well," added Gwen. "We have not been asked by anyone to represent them. We'll represent Lady in Red on this trip. I think we need to avoid the politicians and concentrate on the injured and the frightened citizens of Paris."

"I second that," chimed in Jordan. "This isn't a political event. It's humanitarian. We'll just console those that need it and return home in a few days."

It was less than an hour after the Red Lady landed that a large van transported their group to their hotel. "I guess I really shouldn't be surprised at how quickly we went through customs and how easily we received permits to carry," stated Sybil Burke. "You and your company seem to have some influence here in France.

"That's no surprise!" responded Janice Prince. "Steve was still in high school when he pushed through that trade agreement that released that Russian spy and guaranteed France a steady supply of natural gas for years to come.

"Then there was that amazing visit after that attack on an orphanage in Paris. Lady in Red bought a new building for the orphanage, gave one of the most watched concerts ever, and Steve blew up a car full of terrorists, among other things."

"This trip is much lower keyed," asserted Gwen. "We're not representing the U.S. and there will be no concert. We're just going to shake some hands and offer condolences to people still hurting."

"That doesn't mean that you agents can relax," warned Steve. "There's always a certain amount of danger when Gwen and Jordan are out in crowds, and tension is pretty high here. Plus, there may be more terrorists waiting for their chance to inflict more murder and mayhem."

Rather than sleeping, to catch up on jet lag, the group unpacked and then left the hotel on foot. Sybil and her agents worked hard to keep Gwen and Jordan close as they strolled down the avenues and streets, embracing total strangers and offering their condolences. Steve translated as often as he could. When he heard Janice speaking French to a vendor, he quickly drafted her into being a translator for Jordan and Charlie.

"That way you'll always be close and able to keep an eye on them," pointed out Steve. "No one will know you're a trained security agent. They'll all think you're just another big chested bimbo translator."

"You sure have a way with words," laughed Janice as she joined Jordan and Charlie and began translating for them.

Sybil remained close to Steve and Gwen as the two back-up agents trailed after them , but never strayed very far from either couple. Steve had the opportunity to observe Sybil at work and was thoroughly impressed. She was keenly observant and always alert. Steve decided to thank Charlie again when they were alone for his excellent decision in hiring the security firm.

The citizens of Paris went out of their way to thank the foursome for returning in their time of sorrow. Everywhere they traveled; they were hugged and praised for their efforts, both following the previous attack and for their compassion and concern after the current one. The Paris TV stations featured the report on world leaders attending the memorial service the next day, but managed to devote some of their coverage to the reception given Jordan, Gwen, Charlie, and Steve by the citizens of Paris.

The following day saw the friends visit hospitals in Paris. They were allowed to visit many of the less seriously injured victims of the attack. They would frequently pose for photos, sign casts and hospital gowns for victims, and offer encouragement as they made their way through each hospital. Steve marveled at how well Jordan and Gwen were able to handle the situation. Some of the victims had obviously been maimed and even disfigured, but the girls never failed to smile and hug everyone like long lost friends.

Steve and Charlie were favorites of the female victims. They usually asked for photos with their phones of Steve and Charlie hugging them. Then they would immediately send them to social media sites to show their friends. By day's end, the four friends managed to visit six hospitals and speak with dozens of the injured victims.

Again that evening, the memorial service with world leaders had top billing on news broadcasts. But more actual time in the broadcast was devoted to the hospital visits by the four Americans, as well as the delighted reactions of those that had suffered injuries at the hands of the terrorists and how pleased they were when they had the opportunity to meet Jordan, Gwen, Charlie, and Steve.

The third day of their visit, Steve insisted that they hire a van to transport them to a funeral being held well outside the Paris city limits. They travelled to a small town north of Paris. Steve had seen the article in a Paris newspaper and felt they needed to attend the service.

"An elderly man that owned and operated a local bakery for almost fifty years was a casualty of the violence," explained Steve. "We can't begin to attend all of the funerals, but I believe this one is representative of the situation.

"This man had been visiting his granddaughter, who had recently become engaged. They were celebrating at a small café in Paris when the gunmen suddenly appeared. He pushed his granddaughter under the table and lay across her, shielding her from the hail of bullets. He was struck twice and died in her arms a short time later. Luckily, she was unharmed."

"I see why you wanted to attend this service," replied Gwen. "That type of courage, especially within a family, appeals to your protective nature. This is going to be a very sad occasion."

The friends arrived at the country church an hour before the service was scheduled. They slowly walked the few streets of the small village as they waited for the funeral to begin. They had just passed the bakery the man had owned when they were stopped by a middle aged woman.

She spoke in French and Steve responded. Janice translated for the others. "She's asking Steve if he and his friends will attend the services. When Steve assured her that you came here for that purpose, she just asked if you would sing at the funeral and perhaps deliver a short eulogy."

Steve turned to his friends as Janice finished her translation. "Would you be willing to sing here today? This lady is the daughter of the man that was killed. It was her daughter he was visiting and whom he saved."

"Of course!" responded Jordan immediately. "That man sacrificed his life. We certainly can make the effort to help celebrate his life with his family and friends."

"Unless the lady has a particular request, I'd suggest that we go with what we know that's appropriate for a funeral," added Charlie. "Since the girls are the real singers here, no offense, Steve, I would think they could perform 'Amazing Grace' at the beginning and then again at the end. We all can do 'Bridge over Troubled Water' and 'Let It Be'. They're always well received and I'm sure that French speaking people are somewhat familiar with those songs."

Steve spoke again to the woman who nodded vigorously and thanked Steve and the rest of his group profusely before hurrying away. The church was surprisingly large for a small village and it was filled to overflowing as the Americans, with Janice and Sybil next to them, made their way to the front left of the house of worship. The other two security agents hung back to watch over the situation from farther away.

"They'd like you girls to sing 'Amazing Grace' as they bring the casket in, and then again when it's removed. At the end of the services, Charlie will make his way to the piano and play while we all sing," explained Steve. "The other thing is that we've been asked to say a few words. I'll handle that since I speak French, unless one of you wants the task."

"You do it, Steve," insisted Gwen. "Many of these people are older and would never understand English. Besides, you have a way with words."

As the procession approached with the coffin, Jordan and Gwen did a masterful job singing 'Amazing Grace'. The acoustics in the old church were excellent.

Jordan and Gwen couldn't help but cry as they listened to the old priest conduct the ceremony. Everyone was very quiet and attentive when the ancient clergyman asked Steve to say a few words.

Steve moved to the microphone, bowed his head for a moment, and then began speaking in French. Once again, Janice translated for Jordan and Gwen who were seated on either side of her.

"Pierre Badeau owned a local bakery for almost fifty years. Everyone in this area knew him by name. They knew his family. What many of you may not have known is that Pierre possessed the heart of a lion. He was about five and a half feet tall and well into his seventies, but when hell came calling that afternoon at a little café on a Paris side street, Pierre reacted immediately and with courage, as a man should. Unarmed, and unable to stop his attackers, he pushed his granddaughter to the ground and covered her body with his own. He was shot twice as he protected his loved one.

"We are all greatly saddened by his death, as we should be. But he would want you to know that he did what he had to do out of love. His granddaughter held him in her arms as his life ebbed away. He had the good fortune to die knowing that his actions had saved his granddaughter's life. I am here to tell you that he was immensely relieved, and extremely proud to have responded as he had, and that Danielle survived. He died content in that knowledge.

"I know this because I held my father in my arms as he died from three bullets lodged in his body. He'd received them defending my life and the lives of others. When I reached his side, he managed to speak to me briefly. He smiled through the pain and told me how pleased he was that I had not been harmed seriously. He told me he had to leave me, but that he'd be able to face my mother with his head held high."

Gwen was stunned at Steve's revelations. She had assumed that is father had been dead by the time he made his way to him. Steve had never mentioned anything about the last time he had spoken to his father.

"He told me not to mourn; that he had lived his life as a warrior, and it was fitting to die as one, especially since his actions had helped save my life. He managed to express his pride in his life, and even his death. He told me to always be a man of discipline, to find a pretty girl like Mom, marry her, and to always treat her and my children with love and respect. He told me that someday I'd understand why dying with honor is good thing. He said that a man can ask for no more than to be given the opportunity to save his child, or grandchild, and to succeed. Any man, any father, who does so will die in peace because he will have given all that he had to give, right to the very end. Today I understand what my father was telling me."

Tears were flowing freely by the time Steve concluded his brief eulogy. He had tears in his eyes as the man's granddaughter, Danielle, rushed to him and hugged him tightly. When he released her, Gwen was waiting and quickly took him into her arms. Mourners watched silently as Steve clung to Gwen as he buried his face in her hair. Emotions were heightened when it became obvious to all that Steve was shedding tears as Gwen spoke quietly in his ear. Eventually they stepped apart and returned to their seats.

Steve was fully recovered emotionally by the time he joined Jordan, Gwen, and Charlie in singing 'Bridge over Troubled Water'. He took the lead on 'Let It Be', although Gwen and Jordan backed him up so well that he knew they were making him look better than he was. Later, as the coffin was removed from the church, Jordan and Gwen once again joined in singing 'Amazing Grace'.

Once outside the church, locals crowded around the Americans, thanking them for remembering them in such trying times and for honoring Pierre so eloquently. It took several minutes for the group to make its way to the cemetery behind the church.

Danielle asked them to stand next to her family as she held her fiancé's hand and sobbed. The old priest said a few words and it was over. As they moved back to the parking lot, mourners once again praised and thanked them for coming to France so quickly to show support during such difficult times.

During a moment when Sybil found herself alone with Gwen, she was unable to hold her emotions in check. "I always thought that you and your friends were playing things up for the media, that no one as wealthy and famous as you guys could be that concerned about other people. I was wrong. This trip has opened my eyes. I've got to tell you that Steve's little eulogy had me crying like a baby. I hope you realize that you've got the best man on the planet."

Gwen gazed at Sybil briefly and nodded. "He is that, and I'll never forget it, but thanks. What did he tell you the day we were introduced to you? I know he whispered something to you."

"He told me that he'd never forget what I had done for his family and that he'd do everything in his power to be sure that I enjoyed a long and happy life. He certainly loves you and your family."

By that time, Gwen had reached Steve's side. She pulled him down for a quick kiss on the lips and then clung to his arm. When he looked at her with a question in his eyes, she simply smiled and mouthed the words, "I love you."

On the ride back to their hotel, Gwen asked Steve about his father's passing. Everyone was quiet as they waited for Steve's reply.