Chapter 22

On the drive home from the airport, Gwen received a call from Amber Stahl. They spoke for quite a while before Gwen placed her phone back in her purse.

"Amber wants to interview us about our trip to DC. She was upset last week when we told her about our trip and her station wouldn't send her to cover it. They felt that the heavy hitters, like Bill Hardy would have the thing covered. Channel 5 is an affiliate of the CBC network. Their world and national news is anchored by Hardy. Amber tells me that the station wishes now that it had sent her to cover us.

"She said her news director heard the rumor that Hardy clashed with us this morning and was escorted from the hotel. The local station was disappointed that it didn't have more coverage of Saturday night. They told Amber that she'd be traveling with us when we went to any significant events from now on. Her interview tomorrow will be replayed, at least in part, on the network's morning show. She's going to meet us at the school a little early. She thought it would be good backdrop while she asked us questions.

"She wants Kate, Jordan, and us to be available for the interview. She's going to ask about that encounter you had with that Chechen, so be ready for that. I'll probably tell her about our invitation to Paris, unless you have an objection, Steve."

"I'm going to be on TV! What should I wear? What will she ask me? What if I sound stupid? Mom, you have to record it for me!" insisted Kate.

"Go ahead and tell her about Paris. She'll be excited about that trip," agreed Steve before whispering, "Don't mention our personal plans!"

Just then, Steve's phone rang and he spent the next few minutes in conversation. When it was over, Steve filled Gwen in on the discussion. "That was Nick Fallen. He said that they worked hard to finish the TV movie ahead of schedule so that they could broadcast it next month. The network wants to strike while the iron's hot. He said with the terrorist attack, my walk in the blizzard, and the minor melee at the hotel last night have all combined to make the iron very hot. There's talk of a sequel and HBO is interested this time. Nick suggested that we hold out for more money since HBO will be involved and they have more viewers, and more cash."

The next morning saw Amber's news van parked in front of the school. Students gathered to watch her interview Steve and the girls. "Tell us, Kate, how did it feel to meet the president? Did you dance with him, or with anyone famous"?

"I danced with two senators, a couple congressmen, and best of all, Steve Hammer! I did shake hands with the president and the first lady. It was an amazing adventure. I'd go again," understated Kate.

"Jordan Quick, you've enjoyed great success in country music. You've also had a well documented fall from grace with addiction problems. You just attended a state dinner at the White House. Do you see your career back on track now?"

"I guess that's a fair question. The fast answer is 'yes', but that wouldn't tell the whole story. My career started back when I finally entered rehab to get well. When I was discharged, Clyde Davis, my manager, insisted that I record with Steve and work on a TV show they were taping. He told me it would resurrect my career.

"Gwen and Steve have become my friends. They've been tough on me when I needed it, but they've been generous and gracious all the time. I've grown up a lot in the past month. Being with them and seeing the amazing things they do and how they interact with people makes me want to be a better person. I'm working on that. My career is healthier now because I'm healthier, both mentally and physically."

"Thank you, Ms. Quick. Gwen, you danced with the President of the United States and the President of France. How did you feel and what did you talk about?"

"It felt very exciting. I never dreamed I would ever have an opportunity like that. As far as what we talked about? I'd have to say that we talked about Steve Hammer for the most part. They both wanted to know more about him. I told President Hanson that since Steve was going to the Naval Academy, he would be close at hand and available if he should be needed. Having a capable, loyal American that speaks, Farsi, Russian, and French can be very useful. I told President D'Anjou that we'd do our best to visit him and his family in Paris since his daughter so graciously invited us."

"Paris? That sounds like a wonderful trip!" enthused Amber before reigning in her excitement. "Steve, you were involved in an altercation with a former KGB agent that's now known to be a Chechen rebel. He's wanted in Russia for suspicion of several violent murders. How did you know that he was going to harm the lady he was walking to the door and has there been any contact from the Russian Embassy since your heroic actions on behalf of a deputy's wife?"

"I heard the fellow threaten her in Russian, so it was obvious that she needed help. I asked her if she was in trouble and the man behind her attacked me. Luckily, his first and only shot hit his accomplice. I was fortunate enough to come out on top in the struggle. I have this black eye to show for it," admitted Steve with a sardonic grin. "The ambassador's daughter thanked me the next day, but it was personal and not on behalf of the embassy or anything."

"You make it sound so matter-of-fact. You can speak Russian. You were able to defeat a KGB trained assassin in hand to hand combat. You actually stopped the man the second time he tried to attack the woman while your hands were cuffed behind your back. Have you heard anything more about the matter from the Russian government, or the American government?"

"It all happened pretty fast. I was very lucky. An innocent person could have been shot. I haven't heard from any governments and I don't really expect that I will. I'm just happy that the lady is okay and no innocent people were injured."

As soon as the interview was over, the kids headed for their homerooms. Ms. Walker greeted Gwen and Steve with a big smile. "The hospital fund went over $500,000 this past weekend. Donations from large corporations and companies have increased. Your clothing line has kicked in over $15,000 already.

"This campaign has been an unbelievable success, and that's mostly the result of everything you two have done to make this work. We have almost three months left, so we should be able to build the total even higher. It would be great if we had a million dollars by graduation. I know that isn't likely, but it would be a tremendous pleasure to announce that total in front of all the parents. But whatever the total, it'll be a wonderful moment for all of us."

"Do you want to tell Ms. Walker, or shall I?" asked Gwen, as she watched for Steve to nod at her. "Clyde Davis called last night. He's roughly edited those TV shows we shot in LA, but CBC has already been pushing very hard to buy them. He told us that the network offered a huge sum. It would guarantee at least a million dollars for the hospital fund. Clyde told them it wasn't enough! He said we'd agree if CBC would ante up another million just to buy an option to hire us to tape two more shows. If they decide to enforce it, that option would net the hospital fund another two million dollar payment."

"My God," squeaked Ms. Walker. "Is there any chance the network would pay so much for the shows you already taped, plus another million for an option on two more?"

"Well, Clyde laughed when he told us that CBC wasn't happy that he didn't accept their offer. They've been trying to build ratings and they seem to think that our shows would help that effort. Either the fund will be getting a huge transfusion shortly, or we'll be kicking Clyde down the road. Really, we can't lose too much by trying. One of the other networks would probably make a similar offer, or so we hope!"

"Clyde told me that he's trying to rush the video Steve and I made to take advantage of the situation. We've all been in the news, especially Steve, and he feels it'll help boost our video and the song's popularity. I told Clyde to add my share of whatever money it made to the hospital fund that Gwen and Steve are supporting," revealed Jordan. "It won't be all that much, at least not unless it's a huge hit, but I want to help now that I'm in this school."

"This is all overwhelming," replied Ms. Walker with emotion. "I never, in my wildest dreams, thought that we could raise this kind of money for this cause. You kids make me proud to live and teach in 'The Spartan Nation', as it's now known. You're doing a wonderful thing for this community."

It was Friday of the same week when Gwen noticed the other students were especially interested in Steve and Jordan as they entered the school. She knew something was up, but wasn't able to determine exactly what.

"That's some music video you guys have!" exclaimed Charlotte when they entered their homeroom. "I've never seen a video that hot on TV. It looks like you're going to have big hit. The song sounds great, but that video's got everyone talking."

"So that's it!"exclaimed Gwen. "Your music video must be out, and if the reaction of our students is an indicator, that must be some video. You never actually told me much about it. I was so busy with taping my songs for the show, I missed the lowdown on your video."

"I guess I'd better confess, Gwen. I was still a bit of a selfish bitch when we recorded that song and made the video. I was kind of all over Steve in it. He had his shirt off, and so did I by the end. You can't see my boobs, or at least my nipples, since it has to be rated to show on television, but it doesn't leave too much to the imagination. It's a country love song, and they get pretty explicit these days. Please don't be mad at me!" begged Jordan.

Gwen laughed as she listened to Jordan's worried explanation. "I'm not upset with you, Jordan. It's part of the business. The better your song does, the happier I'll be. I trust Steve and I trust you, now at least. Back then, maybe not so much. We've got to find someplace to view that video!"

Steve had remained silent during the exchange. He was relieved to hear Gwen's reaction to Jordan's confession. They simply had to trust each other or their relationship had no chance. Performing was all about perception. Success in entertainment was based on being able to convince the audience that what they were seeing was real.

By the end of the weekend, Jordan and Steve couldn't go anywhere without hearing comments about their music video and requests for autographs. The song aired constantly, first on country stations, and then became a crossover hit on pop stations.

Fans would ask Gwen how she felt about the video. She'd smile and tell them that she thought it was really hot and the song sounded great. Her response was a bit disappointing to those fans that would rather hear about breakups and broken hearts.

Monday morning in homeroom, Gwen was once again updating Ms. Walker on negotiations for the TV show. "CBC agreed to Clyde's terms! The hospital fund will be getting a huge shot in the arm. You can add another two million dollars to the total! Jordan's song with Steve may become the top song of the year, it's doing so well. The video is easily the most popular of the year so far. Have you seen it? Jordan and Steve are unbelievably good."

"This is all so incredible!" gasped Ms. Walker. "I can't tell you how proud I am of you. Many people would have channeled the money you're making into their own accounts, and no one would blame them. I did watch that video. Jordan, you were stunning in it. You really looked like you were in love. The song was so emotional and your voice blended with Steve's perfectly."

"Thanks! I guess it's no secret that I'm pretty far gone where Steve is concerned, so it wasn't all an act. If Gwen weren't my best friend and I didn't respect her totally, I'd be doing my best to steal him away. But you know what? I never could. I keep telling Gwen that he's a regular 'Boy Scout'. He loves Gwen and he's loyal to her. I'm just lucky to be their friend."

Ms. Walker studied the two young women standing before her. They apparently loved the same man and yet were still friends! She was unable to detect any rancor or jealousy between them. They were, she realized, exceptional young women.

Steve had returned to his work outs with a vengeance. His conditioning had taken a big hit with his injuries over the past couple months. The dance rehearsals for the television shows had tired him more than he cared to admit. He started running and working out with weights as soon as he had returned from LA. He knew that playing football for the Academy would be demanding and anything less than his absolute best would not be successful. He was still only able to run three miles a day, and slowly at that.

Clyde called Steve later in the day. "You and Jordan are going to perform on your big hit on 'American Singer' on their season finale. That's Thursday and they'll have a huge audience because that's when they name their season winner. The show's supplying two round trip tickets, two hotel rooms, and paying each of you ten grand for the day's work. If you want that directed to the hospital fund, I'll see that it happens. I have it set up for the two of you to fly out to LA Thursday. You'll do the show that night, stay in a good hotel and fly home the next morning."

"That sounds great! That show's huge and millions of people watch it, especially the season finale," pointed out Gwen when Steve told her about Clyde's call. "You'll promote your song and make money for the hospital fund. I'm not upset about not being included. We're going to be apart a lot in the future and we have to deal with it. You can bet I'll be watching the show and wishing you and Jordan the best."

Thursday morning found Jordan sitting next to Steve on a flight to LA. "This is going to be a great chance for us to promote our song! There'll be millions of people watching us tonight. I'm so excited!"

Steve looked at Jordan and managed a weak grin. "Millions of people? Doesn't that make you a little nervous? Aren't you worried about screwing up on live TV?"

"I've been doing this for years. I don't get nervous anymore. There's nothing to worry about. We'll do fine. I'm so glad that Clyde hooked me up with you and Gwen. You guys have worked miracles on my career. I owe you both and I won't forget it."

Steve and Jordan managed some time to practice their song and get comfortable with the set before they performed. When the curtain went up, they were ready. Their performance included some choreography, but mostly it was about the music. They delivered the song as well as they possibly could. When the curtain dropped, they agreed that they had done their best and the audience seemed to feel the same.

"Wow!" managed Charlotte as the show went to commercial. "That boyfriend of yours sure cleans up good for TV. He's amazing. You're the only girl in the country that doesn't have to worry about Jordan Quick being able to steal your guy away. She looked beautiful and her cleavage looked even bigger on TV than in real life, and that's saying a lot."

"It sure is!" agreed Billy. "The guy's surrounded by women with big..."

"Billy!" warned Charlotte. "Don't you dare say it! Gwen, Kate, and her mom are all sitting right here. You need to lose some of that new found honesty you've picked up."

"I'll take it as a compliment, Billy, since I can't ever be upset with you. Steve and Jordan both looked and sounded fantastic. He said that he'd call as soon as he found the time. It must be hectic backstage at that show," stated Gwen.

It was almost half an hour later that Steve called. "How did you like it? Did we do okay? We missed a couple notes early on, but everyone told us that they never noticed."

"It was amazing! We all watched it and we all agreed that you both looked fantastic and sounded even better. Are you at your hotel yet?" asked Gwen, trying to not sound too curious.

"No, Jordan ran into some musician friends working on tonight's show and they insisted we celebrate with them. I told them that we'd go for awhile, but we wouldn't drink any alcohol and we'd go back to the hotel pretty early. Their hotel is across the street from ours, so we won't have any trouble getting back. I'm glad the show went okay. I was pretty nervous. Love you, Babe!"

"Steve? Call me when you get back to your hotel room, okay? I want to talk more with you when you have the time," stated Gwen.

Steve wasn't very anxious to attend a party with the musicians from the show, but he found himself enjoying conversations with some of the guys. There were quite a few female fans and friends there as well. Many of them worked very hard to get Steve's attention. He was amazed at how brazen they were in their attempts to impress him. He found himself wondering how some of them managed to keep their tops up with so much skin showing and so little cloth.

He'd been discussing guitars with a few guys for some time when Steve realized that he hadn't seen Jordan for a while. Since the suite the party was in only had a few rooms, he knew she couldn't have gone too far. He excused himself from the guys and went in search of Jordan. What he found angered him more than he would ever admit.

Jordan was dancing topless on a piano with a crowd of guys standing around cheering her on. She was laughing far too loudly, and was unsteady on her feet. Steve muscled his way through the crowd of gawkers until he reached the piano.

"Jordan, give me your hand right now!" he demanded as he reached toward her. "It's time for us to go back to our hotel."

"Don't you want to watch me dance first? I don't want to leave yet. I'm having fun with my friends," slurred Jordan in response.

Steve simply grabbed her hand and gently pulled her to him. She feebly tried to resist, but was no match for Steve, especially in his mental state. When he pulled her close enough, Steve lifted her in his arms and looked around for her clothes. Not seeing them, he started for the door.

"Hey! Dickhead!" yelled a long haired, greasy looking guy. "Jordan said she wanted to stay longer. You're taking her against her will. We can call the cops on you. That's kidnapping, or assault, or both!"

"Get your phone out, Asshole!" snarled Steve as he swung around to face the guy. "Let's get the cops in here to see what kind of shit you're into. I'm sure you won't mind answering questions, or being searched by the police. Make your call, or shut the fuck up!"

"I didn't drink any alcohol. I'm okay. Are you going to take me back to your room and fuck me good with that big cock of yours?" slurred Jordan quite loudly as she rested her head on Steve's shoulder.

Steve remained silent as he carried Jordan to the door while everyone watched. Before leaving, he gently placed Jordan on a chair, unbuttoned his shirt, took it off, placed it over her, and buttoned it up. More than a few of the watchers noticed the way Steve's biceps filled out the sleeves of his undershirt as he easily lifted Jordan and left the suite.

By the time the elevator reached the bottom floor, Jordan was making no sense at all. She had her arms wrapped around Steve's neck and her head buried in his shoulder. Steve turned to his left and exited the hotel through a side door. He crossed the street as quickly as he could, entered his hotel from a side street, and hurried to the elevators. Jordan's room was next to his, but when he reached it, he realized that she didn't have her card key. All she had was a thong and the shirt Steve had placed over her nakedness.

Steve had no choice but to take her to his room. As he kicked the door closed, Jordan began making noises that Steve knew only too well. He rushed for the bathroom only to have Jordan vomit all over him before he could put her down by the toilet. By the time he set her down, both of them were covered. Cursing under his breath, Steve lifted the seat and pointed Jordan toward the bowl. Twice more she brought up the contents of her stomach and then just sat on the floor with her head over the bowl.

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.