Lady in Red Ch. 21

Disgusted, Steve turned the shower on, picked Jordan up and stepped under the water. She sputtered and gasped as the water hit her in the face. He turned her around, allowing the spray to wash away the remnants of her partying. Once he felt he had rinsed most of the vomit off her clothes, he sat her down against the wall and slowly turned under the water to rinse the crud off his clothing. Then he stripped the clothes off, picked up the soap, and cleaned himself.

Satisfied that he had removed all the vomit from his body, he reached down and unbuttoned his shirt that Jordan had so badly defiled. He tossed it on the bathroom floor with his clothes. The he stood Jordan up and began cleaning her. Vomit had run down her neck and was matted in her hair. He rinsed what he could, then took some shampoo and washed her hair to remove the rest. Steve held her up with one hand around her waist as he gently cleaned and rinsed her off.

Turning the shower off, Steve grabbed a towel and dried Jordan as she leaned against him for support. Once she was dry, he carried her into the bedroom, pulled the covers down and carefully placed her on the bed. He covered her and returned to the bathroom where he dried himself. He went back to the bedroom and dug a clean pair of boxers out of his suitcase. Once he had them on, he picked up his phone.

"Hi. I screwed up, Gwen. This one's all on me. I didn't watch Jordan closely enough and she got into the alcohol and made a spectacle of herself. I should've known better than to leave her alone at that party. I let her down."

Steve went on to describe the evening in detail, leaving nothing out. He felt the need to be criticized for his failure with Jordan. He fully expected Gwen to chew him out for letting her get into such a mess, especially when it could affect Gwen and Steve.

Gwen had wandered into the kitchen to get a drink of juice as she listened to Steve. Paula heard her down stairs and got up to see why Gwen wasn't sleeping. She managed to hear Gwen's side of the conversation.

"Steve, it wasn't your fault. She's a big girl and she has to learn to take care of herself. Is she sleeping in your bed now? Is she okay? Where are you going to sleep?" asked Gwen as she noticed her mother looking at her curiously.

"Well, just be sure she's okay and gets back home to us alright. Tell her you're disappointed, but don't be too rough on her in the morning. I bet she'll feel pretty bad without you saying anything. It is disappointing, though."

After ending the phone conversation, Gwen explained the situation to her mother. "Jordan got into alcohol at the party after the show. Steve feels guilty about not watching her closer. She got pretty drunk and was dancing topless on a piano. When Steve picked her up to take her back to the hotel, she announced that she hoped Steve was going to screw her with his big penis, although her language was much coarser.

"He put his shirt on her to cover her up. When they got her back to the hotel, he realized that she had lost her key along with her clothes. He took her to his room, where she proceeded to vomit all over both of them. He carried her into the shower and stood under it without taking any clothes off. He said it was pretty gross so he just showered the worst of it off. Then he stripped them both and cleaned them up. By the time he'd finished, she'd passed out, so he put her in his bed and called me."

"Wow! That's some story. Now your boyfriend has the very beautiful, very naked Jordan Quick in his bed at the hotel in LA? What's he going to do now, if I dare ask?"

"I can tell you the one thing he's not going to do, if you're hinting at something. He's going to keep an eye on her and make sure she's okay. He was worried about my feelings and what kind of press this will generate. You must know that I trust Steve totally, don't you?"

"He's a wonderful young man, but Jordan Quick's in his bed naked! That's a tremendous temptation for any red blooded man, and we both know that Steve's blood is as red as it gets. I agree that he won't take advantage of her, especially in light of the circumstances, but Jordan's in love with him and she may be the one to take advantage of the situation."

"I don't think she would do that, but then I didn't think she'd drink again, either. I'll just have to trust Steve. He'll have beautiful, buxom women after him all the time. I either have to trust him or break up with him. I can't spend my time worrying that some bitch will manage to seduce him. I've found out something else. There are a lot of men that want to get me into their bed. Steve knows that. He has to have faith in me. If we don't learn to handle these situations, we'll never last. I love the guy, Mom! I can't give him up. I won't give him up!"

"You're right, Sweetheart. This relationship, this love that you two have isn't like anything I've ever seen. You aren't normal or average. Your capacity and ability are exceptional. Don't let me discourage you. I admire and respect your confidence in each other, as well as the deep love you share. It's very rare and extremely special."

Steve finished speaking with Gwen and went to check on Jordan. She had managed to push the covers down so she was on her side with her amazing breasts on display. Shaking his head, Steve covered her back up and went and stretched out as well as he could on a stuffed chair in the corner.

He was awakened some time later by an unfamiliar sound and sat up to listen. Unable to identify it, he stood and walked toward it. He found Jordan huddled in the fetal position on the floor of the bathroom, sobbing uncontrollably. He gently picked her up, carried her back into the room, and sat back down in his chair while Jordan cried and clung to him. Steve simply rubbed her back and let her cry.

Her sobbing had finally stopped and Steve was drifting back to sleep when Jordan spoke. "You must hate me. I hate me. Gwen will never forgive me. I remember you picking me up and me telling everyone that I wanted you to fuck me with your big cock. There's something wrong with me, Steve! No normal girl would do or say what I did. I don't know what happened to me. I didn't drink any alcohol at all. What's wrong with me?"

"For one thing, your memory isn't very good. You did drink and you must have had a lot. You were drunk, very drunk. I should have stayed by your side. I blame myself for not taking better care of you. I knew your weakness and I knew there was alcohol available, but I stupidly assumed that you'd be able to keep your word. I'm the one that needs to apologize."

"But I made sure I didn't drink anything except the fruit punch! I know I can't drink alcohol any more. I think I may have had a mental breakdown or something, but I can't blame it on alcohol."

"You drank that punch? That was spiked with all kinds of liquor. I heard a couple guys talk about what a kick it had. Did someone tell you it didn't have alcohol in it?"

"Rod gave it to me. He told me it was just fruit punch and was perfectly safe for me to drink," recalled Jordan. "He must have wanted me to get drunk! Why would he do that?"

"Is he a close friend of yours? Was he the guy with the greasy, long hair and the tattoo on his hand? How well do you know him?"

"Yeah, that's Rod. I dated a friend of his once. Rod always tried to get me to date him, but he gave me the creeps. I was never very friendly with him, but why trick me into drinking?"

"Maybe he's jealous of your success. Maybe he wanted to see you topless. You're a beautiful woman that wouldn't give him the time of day when you were sober, so he thought he'd have a better chance with you drunk."

"Oh, God! I was topless on the piano, wasn't I? I'm going to be the laughing stock of the world in the morning. I know damn well there'll be pictures on the internet by now. This'll ruin my career!"

"Don't over react," cautioned Steve. "Your breasts being seen by people won't ruin your career. I guarantee that. Being out of control and doing foolish things could put an end to everything. I should have stuck closer to you at the party. I really feel guilty now that I know you didn't start drinking deliberately."

"No! You shouldn't have to watch me like a child. This is on me for not being smarter and more careful. You're not my boyfriend. You don't owe me anything. I haven't even been a very good friend to you."

"Really? You teamed up with me on a very successful music video. You've helped me earn money for the hospital fund. I wouldn't have been on 'American Singer' last night if I hadn't met you. You certainly wouldn't be sitting on my lap naked right now. I'd say you're a very good friend."

"I'm not naked, although there isn't much between me and that thing poking me in the ass right now. My little thong isn't much defense against such an impressive weapon," responded Jordan with her first smile of the night. "I feel perfectly safe with you, although part of me wishes that you were the kind of guy to take advantage of a poor little girl that's half drunk and emotionally unstable."

"Let's try to get some sleep," suggested Steve, trying to hide his embarrassment about his erection, as well as Jordan's reference to it.

He stood up and carried Jordan to the bed and placed her on it. She quickly slid over and held up the bedding in an open invitation. "Please sleep with me. I'll behave. I just need to feel loved right now. I feel so stupid and depressed."

Steve woke up a few hours later with his hand holding Jordan's right breast and her small hand holding his hard cock. He slowly released her firm mound of flesh. Then he reached down to pry her hand from his erection. As he attempted to remove it, he heard her giggle.

They got up and showered separately, at Steve's insistence. Jordan went first. While Steve was showering, Jordan called the desk and asked for someone to come to her room to open it for her since she had lost her key. She needed her clothes for the flight home. The assistant manager broke into a sweat when she joined him at her door wearing a bath towel. He opened the door and handed her the card, unable to take his eyes from her the entire time. Jordan smiled, thanked him, and then closed the door.

Steve lifted his overnight bag and went to Jordan's room and knocked. She quickly opened it with her suitcase in hand and tears running down her cheeks. She stepped into the hall and slammed the door behind her.

"Let's get out of here! I watched the news while I was packing. They had a clip of you carrying me half naked, but with my tits blurred out. Then they bleeped the bad parts of my brilliant speech about you bleeping me with your big bleep. I've probably destroyed both our careers and lost Gwen's friendship. I hope she doesn't believe that we did anything. I don't know how I'm going to be able to face her."

Steve had called for a cab to take them to LAX. When he and Jordan entered the lobby from the elevator, several photographers began snapping pictures of them and calling out questions. Steve calmly led a teary eyed Jordan out the door to the waiting cab without making any comment.

It was dusk when Steve pulled into the Anderson driveway "I can't go in there! Take me to a hotel, please! I can't stay here anymore. They'll all hate me for being such a slut."

Steve shut the car off and went around and opened the passenger door. He gently took Jordan's hand and pulled her from the car. Jordan had tears running down her cheeks as Steve rang the doorbell. Paula opened the door, and then looked from Steve to Jordan. Without saying a word, she stepped back and motioned them inside. Gwen was standing about ten feet from the door, waiting for Jordan. When Jordan looked at her, Gwen held out her arms.

Jordan hesitantly walked into the room and stood in front of Gwen with tears streaking her cheeks and trembling lips. Gwen still held out her arms and Jordan suddenly flew into them, crying even harder as Gwen hugged her tightly. The two spent a full minute in the embrace.

"Gwen, you forgive me." Jordan stated, rather than she asked.

"Steve told me everything. I guess he could have watched you better, but it wasn't totally your fault, and it wasn't his. It was some insignificant little jealous weasel taking advantage of your addiction in an effort to hurt you. We, all of us, will be more careful in the future, but you're family now and we love you. You made a mistake, but it isn't the end of the world. Far from it.

"Clyde called a little while ago. He asked if Steve and I were still talking. I chewed him out for that, and he just laughed. He said that between that hot music video, the performance last night on one of the year's most watched shows, and you being photographed flashing the girls on the internet, things have actually heated up. CBC wants to air one or two of our shows during 'sweeps week' in early May.

"People want to see how the dynamics of our relationships will work. Who will Steve wind up with? Will Jordan and I scratch each others' eyes out? Will Jordan lose her top again, much to the delight of every man in the world? I'm just beginning to realize how fame works. They can say anything about you as long as they spell your name right. Once people see that we're not fighting, or even acting any different than usual, they'll lose interest. I think that's Clyde biggest fear."

"So you're cool with Steve carrying me almost naked off to his hotel room? Taking a shower with me? Copping feels all night? Making me scream so loud this morning that the people in the next hotel complained?" quizzed Jordan with a smirk.

"You little bitch!" spat Gwen as she pulled her hands up and made her fingers into claws. "I'll scratch your eyes out!"

Steve rose early the next morning to get his run in before school. When he walked down the hall to his homeroom, his friends were yelling and whistling at him.

"Help! I've lost my clothes and don't know what to do!" squealed Jared in a surprisingly high voice. "Steve! Could you carry me to your hotel room, where I'll be safe?"

"Very funny!" came a voice from behind Jared. Jordan and Gwen were standing together looking pissed. Jared gulped and then began to fidget. Suddenly Gwen and Jordan both started laughing and Jared started breathing again.

"I'm sorry that I allowed myself to be placed in that position last night, Jared. Steve was a complete gentleman and came to my rescue. From what Gwen's told me, I think that I could expect the same treatment from you. Would you help me if I needed it?"

"Jordan, I was just teasing Steve. I'm pretty jealous of him after last night. I'd be honored to help you any time or place. If anybody says anything insulting to you, just let me know."

Jordan learned a lot about people that day. She knew that a lot of the students would be dying to hear her explain her actions of the previous evening, so she simply told the truth. Amazingly, everyone she spoke with expressed support for her and dislike for the guy that gave her the alcohol. She realized that people had a great capacity to forgive if you truly were sorry and tried to do better. They also appreciated her ability to laugh at jokes at her expense and at the notoriety it created.

Steve had dinner at the Andersons' Friday evening. "I've got some more news," announced Gwen. I spoke to Amber O'Leary this afternoon after school. She's been negotiating with a big department store in Paris to sell our line. When I told her that Steve and I were invited to Paris by the daughter of President D'Anjou, she used that to help persuade the company. Long story short, we're all going to Paris on Spring Break in two weeks!

"Amber managed to negotiate first class tickets for Kate, Jordan, Steve, Stephanie, Diane, Mom and me! We'll be put up at a five star hotel. The down side is that they expect us to go to four stores that week and promote the 'Lady in Red' line. We'll also have to spend an afternoon making some commercials for them. We leave on a Friday, so we'll have the first weekend and the next Saturday to see the sights. We leave for home on a Sunday. Any objections?"

"Are you kidding!" shrieked Kate. "I'm going to Paris on Spring Break! This is way too cool! I can't believe it. I have to go shopping for some new clothes. We should get one of those CD's that teaches you how to speak French in three days. I'm going to call Stephanie!"

"Just a minute, Kate," interrupted her father. "Will and I can't go since we have to work. It's the busy time of year for those of us in accounting. I expect all of you to obey Paula and Diane without question or dissent. That goes for you, too, Steve. You're a very mature young man, but Paula and Diane are the adults on this trip. I want all of you to have a great time, but be safe. Steve, I'll rely on you to keep them all safe. You seem to have assumed that duty already. No one wanders off alone and always be sure that Paula and Diane know where you are. That's my speech on this trip."

Later, as Gwen was standing on the porch with Steve, she mentioned what she knew had to be on his mind. "I made sure that Mom knew that we'd be sharing a room and that we wouldn't be holding anything back in bed. I know you were hoping for more privacy, but it's still Paris in the Spring. Most people don't have their whole family go on a romantic getaway with them, but you knew I had a large and very close family when you first asked me out. Are you going to be okay with this?"

"Making love to you in Paris? I guess I can live with that," grinned Steve. "I love your family. I did hope we'd have a little more privacy, but we'll make it work. I can hardly wait. Have I told you lately that I love you?"

"That sounds like a song to me," laughed Gwen. "I'll call Amber Stahl and let her know about the trip. If her station agrees to send her, she'll be the happiest reporter in the country. You be sure that Uncle Joe knows you'll be gone that week, and pack light. Our outfits will be there waiting for us and we can shop in Paris if we need more clothes. I'm so excited about this trip. I'm going to lose my virginity in Paris!

"We need to have passport pictures taken tomorrow. We can go online and expedite the process and have our passports in hand well before we leave in two weeks, but we need to get the pictures immediately. Meet us at the pharmacy by the school at nine tomorrow morning and we'll get this ball rolling," said Gwen excitedly as she moved close to Steve and kissed him long and hard.

It was a very busy two weeks for the group as they worked to prepare for a week in Europe. Jordan and Steve remained at the top of the charts with their song. The TV movie with Nick Fallen was being advertised heavily for showing in May. CBC was touting the four shows it was going to air throughout May, with two of them during 'sweeps week'. Steve, Gwen, and Jordan were recognized every place they went and besieged by autograph seekers. The hospital fund had passed the $2.5 million dollar mark and Ms. Walker was ecstatic.

The group was waiting at their gate to board their plane when Steve answered a call from Clyde Davis. "Have a great trip, Kid! Take care of Jordan and Gwen. Don't let anything bad happen. I have the three of you signed up to star in a movie. It's going to be an action/musical, not unlike the old Elvis movies, except with better writing and acting. I expect the singing to be pretty damn good, too.

"I have people working on a script now. It should be done by the time you get back. I'll tell you this. We've been doing things in weeks that normally take months to accomplish. By the way, this movie deal will drop another 5 million in your hospital fund, plus a percentage of the profits."

Everyone was watching Steve as he numbly slid his cell phone back into his pocket. "That was Clyde. He's got Gwen, Jordan, and me lined up to make a movie. He's got people writing it this week. I don't know how he can expect to do all of this so fast. He admitted that he's only spending weeks on things that usually take months, but a movie?"