"Look! It's the Eiffel Tower!" exclaimed Stephanie as she pointed out the window of the shuttle van. "Everybody get lots of pictures and we'll share them all when we get home. I have to thank you again, Gwen, for making me part of this great adventure. I'm lucky to be your cousin."
"You're lucky to be so pretty and shapely. You're lucky to have such understanding parents. You're lucky that Steve, for whatever reason, decided to take a chance on me that day at the mall. We're all lucky that Sparta won that first football game. I'm lucky I'm not in tears right now because I'm so happy!"
"We're all happy, Sis, but you've got more reason to be happy than the rest of us girls. Tonight you're going to go to bed a girl and waking up a woman," stated Kate with genuine happiness for her sister. "Spring Break in Paris with your hunky boyfriend. I don't think it can get much better than that!"
"It would get better if everyone left my personal life out of their discussions. I'm still trying to figure out who let the cat out of the bag about Steve and me, Mother. I know I don't have to ask you to not mention anything about my personal life in your reports, Amber, but I will anyway. Please don't mention Steve and me finally getting together here. That's not for public consumption."
"I understand your feelings perfectly. You're right that you don't have to tell me not to mention it on the news. It would make some great headlines, but I know I'd lose your trust if I did something that stupid and hurtful. I'll report all the good things, keep the personal things to myself, and consult you on anything I'm unsure about. If you and Steve do personal stuff in public, you're fair game, but anything done in the privacy of your room will not be mentioned."
"In public? You and Steve don't plan on doing it in the Eiffel Tower or in the gardens at Versailles, do you?" teased Kate.
"Actually, we were hoping for the Louvre, in front of Mona Lisa so she'd have something to smile about. Of course we're not doing 'it' in public and we need to not talk about this anymore. Steve will be scared off!"
"I suspect that Steve may be scared 'stiff' but not 'off', although he'll be getting off," offered Jordan with a huge grin. "I wish my first time was as romantic, and I had my family's support. I had way too much to drink at a party one night and woke up without my cherry. I'm not even sure who my first guy was. I've never had a man actually make love to me. I've never been with a man that I loved, or even had strong feelings for."
"I thought that if I told the girls about you and Steve doing, well, you know, they'd be sure to leave you alone and give you the privacy that you deserve. I never intended for it to be discussed and bantered about like you were getting your nails done or something," explained Paula.
"I'm sorry to hear that your first time was such a disaster, Jordan. That's what I'm trying to teach Kate. She needs to wait for the right boy and the right time. This is far too special to take lightly, and then regret forever."
"So, Mom, do you remember your first and where you were?" asked Kate quickly.
Paula looked at Kate for a few seconds and then smiled. "Yes, I do. It was on my honeymoon with your father."
"Aunt Diane, tell us the truth! Mom was only a couple years older than you. Do you remember her first time?" quizzed Kate.
Diane looked at her sister and then turned to Kate and grinned. "It was on her honeymoon with your father. Mine was my honeymoon with Will. Please remember that, Stephanie."
"Oh, I'll remember, that you told me that. I've seen your old year books and read some of the stuff guys wrote in it. It didn't sound like you were waiting for your honeymoon; but if you say so."
"Oh, my!" exclaimed Diane nervously. "You weren't supposed to read them. You didn't show them to your father, did you?"
"Mother! Dad's read them before me. I saw him looking at them one time. That's what made me curious," admitted Stephanie. "Maybe Dad isn't as clueless as you think. Maybe he married you because he loves you, not because he was, or wasn't first."
"Well, Gwen is right! We shouldn't be talking about this. It's very personal. We don't want to ruin everything for Gwen and Steve, or make them self conscious," insisted Diane. "Look how tall the Eiffel Tower is!"
Stephanie and Kate exchanged looks and began to giggle while Diane turned a bright shade of red. Steve had been silent during the entire conversation and realized that silence was obviously the best way to handle prying women. The whole thing was both embarrassing and uplifting. Gwen was so comfortable with her family and her position in it that she was discussing having her first sexual experience with all of them, ahead of the fact! Steve never would have believed a family could talk about something like that if he hadn't seen and heard it.
"As you know, we've been flying all night. We're eight hours ahead of home, time-wise," calculated Paula. "We'll check into our rooms and nap a few hours to offset the jetlag. We'll have a lunch at noon and operate on local time after that. Diane and I have a two bedroom suite reserved so Stephanie and Kate will be with us. Amber's station was going to put her in a dump a few miles away, so Jordan has agreed to let her stay with her since Gwen plans on being with Steve. Any questions on the sleeping arrangements?"
"If Gwen gets cold feet, or her conscience won't let her go through with it, I'd be willing to trade with her, just because that's the kind of friend I am," volunteered Jordan.
"Thank you, Jordan. Gwen, you're so lucky to have friends like Jordan," stated Paula sarcastically. "She's willing to take a bullet for you, if the need arises."
"Gee, thanks! I don't think I'll need any help, however. I have all the protection necessary, so those 'bullets' will not be hitting the intended target. There's really no need to worry about me. I'll make sure that the gun is empty by morning."
