As dinner was winding down, Amber broached a new subject. “I haven’t mentioned it, but after getting my undergraduate degree in marketing, I studied at a fashion institute in New York. Watching Gwen and Steve on video and in person makes me believe that I could design a line of clothes featuring you two. I would call the label ‘Lady in Red’, and it would feature mostly clothes for young women, but have some clothes for men, more or less intended to match with the outfits of the lady. I’d begin with swim wear and evening wear since Gwen has demonstrated how great she looks in both. I’d try to market it to a major retailer, even if they just carried it locally at first. We could earmark a percentage of the profits for your class hospital fund. Maybe Kate and Lisa would be willing to model some clothes for us as well. I think I’m pretty good at designing clothes that young women will want, and you Anderson women are just gorgeous.
“Would you be willing to meet with me on this? We’d need to form a company and agree on a lot of stuff, but essentially, I’d be working to enhance my career and you’d become household names and faces, and the hospital would get the bulk of the money, when it starts coming in. We’d be taking enough from the enterprise to cover expenses and the hospital fund could have the rest. Would you do it?”
“I will!” declared Kate immediately. “I’d love to be a model!”
“Wow! I’m so surprised,” admitted Gwen. “This sounds like a great opportunity. Do you really think people would buy the clothes you made for us? We aren’t rich and famous. I know you’d do a great job designing things, but would we be the best models? Lisa is incredible and Kate is really blossoming, but I’ve never modeled or anything. I’m not sure I could do it. What do you think, Lisa? Mom?”
“Sis, I saw you peel off your clothes on TV. I saw you show a mile of incredible cleavage when you leaned over Steve and saved his life on the banks of Emerson River. I saw you dance that first night, remember? So did thousands of other people when they watched the videos. I bet there’re stills taken from those videos plastered on walls in garages all over America. I know Kate and I will do well at modeling, but you’re the engine that would drive this venture. You’re ‘The Lady in Red’. I should get credit for loaning you my red dress that started the whole thing. Would Kate and I get to pose with Steve, by any chance?”
“We’ll discuss this with Ted tomorrow,” reasoned Paula. “We’ll want a lawyer to assure us that the kids will be protected and the venture is grounded in good legal principles. We won’t allow nudity, or have the girls exploited in any way. If we can fit everything inside those parameters, Ted and I will probably okay it.”
“Is anyone interested in my feelings?” asked Steve. “I’m the one that could be forced to pose with these Anderson girls while they’re wearing evening gowns and swim suits. How can you determine what sort of compensation I should get for that type of work?”
Angela Walker shook her head as she considered the events of the past few days. The water rescue had garnered all kinds of positive publicity. The football team won the state title. Now the governor-elect was promising to help the hospital raise funds, and his daughter was attempting to market the kids in a clothing line intended to assist the hospital fund! This thing was really gaining traction!
When dinner was over and everyone had thanked the governor-elect and his family for their hospitality, Angela Walker, with a twinkle in her eye, suggested, “Since I have an empty car and you’re pretty full, Paula, why don’t you let me give Steve a ride back to Sparta. I really don’t mind.”
“Thanks, Angela. That would give us more room. What do you girls think?” asked a grinning Paula of her daughters.
“I’m not riding back to Sparta, Mom, so it won’t matter to me. I think Gwen might have something to say about it though. Sis, lend me that gridiron hero for a long kiss goodnight!” requested Lisa, as she stepped up to Steve and kissed him hard on the lips as Gwen looked on. “If you hadn’t found this guy first, I’d be a cradle robber by now. Have a good trip back everyone.”
Kate and Gwen made certain that Steve sat between them in the back seat. By the time Paula reached the interstate, Steve was asleep. Gwen turned sideways and gently pulled him to her so that once again, Steve was sleeping with his head on her chest. Gwen smiled as she stroked his temples and ran her fingers through his close cut hair.
Paula and Laura glanced at each and chuckled when they heard Kate ask, “Can I hold him for awhile if you get tired, or get a cramp or something, Sis?
It was after eleven when the Andersons pulled into their driveway. Laura had been dropped off at her car in the hospital parking lot, and Steve had agreed to spend another night in Gwen’s bed, without the pleasure of Gwen’s presence. Steve had just nicely crawled into bed when he felt someone sit on the mattress near his head.
“Gwen? Is something wrong? Your dad wouldn’t like you being in here. What is it?” asked Steve with concern.
“You’re my boyfriend and I don’t know anything about you. I just learned that you were in Afghanistan, and in a shootout with Taliban. I never dreamed you could’ve been in anything like that. I need you to tell me everything about your life. Will you be totally honest with me from now on?” asked Gwen quietly.
“Yes, I will. I realize that I’ve kept things to myself. It’s a habit I’ve gotten into the past year or so. I’ve been alone a lot. I didn’t know how you’d feel about that war story and kept putting off telling you, replied Steve. “I don’t think this is a good time, or place to go into my life story. Your dad has some strong feelings about my behavior toward you. Having you alone in a bedroom with me, in the dark, at midnight sure doesn’t fit with what he expects.”
“You’re not really afraid of my dad! You’re way bigger and stronger than he is. That night he socked you, it looked like you hardly felt it. Why do you pretend to worry so about my father?”
“I don’t pretend to worry. I do worry. He’s your father. That means he deserves my respect. I would never go against him physically, no matter how many times he struck me. I like him, his way of caring for his family, and his love for his wife and kids. Your dad is the head of the family, even if you girls run all over him. That’s because he allows it. If something serious came up, your father would take full control of the situation. You have a wonderful family, Gwen. Your mom and sisters are the best, but never sell your dad short. He’s a man that takes his responsibilities seriously. I fear his anger, as well as respect his authority.”
“Wow! I wouldn’t have ever guessed that you thought my dad was such a good guy,” admitted Gwen. “He sure put you through the wringer that first time you came to pick me up. Mom said later that if a boy is serious, he’ll put up with almost anything the girl’s father throws at him. I guess you must be very serious. I’ll just give my boyfriend a goodnight kiss and leave. It’s hard to believe that I’m really your girlfriend.”
“It’s hard for me to get my head around it, too. You’re amazing. Give me that kiss and go dream about me; like I will about you.”
Gwen leaned down and held her lips to Steve’s for a few tantalizing seconds. “Time for bed, Young Lady,” came Paula’s voice from the dark doorway. “And that means Lisa’s bed tonight. Good night, Steve.”
Gwen drove Steve to the hospital the next morning and assisted Laura in preparing Steve for the needed stitches. Then she watched as Laura carefully sewed Steve’s cuts closed. “You both understand that this really should have been done a couple days ago? However, having the state title in Sparta required that we postpone it. That was a great game. People are still all excited about it.
“Notice how close together I’m making the sutures. We don’t want Steve to walk around like Frankenstein or something out of the ‘Walking Dead’, do we?” asked Laura rhetorically. “He should be totally healed in a few weeks with very little scarring, if any. Compared to the bullet holes here in his arm and hip, they’ll look great.
“You kids have done a wonderful job promoting the hospital fund. We’re getting calls about it now. We’re setting up an account for the donations, and we’ll acknowledge that they are a result of the senior class’ efforts. You’ll be able to add them to your class total. I’m becoming a minor celebrity just from being near you two. Do you think Coach Watkins would go to the Governor’s Ball with me?” blurted Laura.
“You need to ask him, but I’d think he’d be delighted to attend an important even with a beautiful, single doctor on his arm,” replied Gwen. “You’re an M. D. Don’t tell me that you’re shy?”
“I’m not shy, but I’ve had some less than successful relationships. I want to do better than I did and I worry that asking the guy out will make me look desperate. It’s not good for a woman to look too needy. Can you help me, Steve?”