Sweet Rapture, Chapter 1                                                    - 4 - removed her sunglasses and lit a cigarette nervously as she stared at her lover ?Or should I be  thinking of her as an ex-lover??   Arianna thought, then quickly dismissed the idea ?The reason I called this meeting, Cara? she allowed her voice to trail off as she exhaled a thin wisp of smoke, the small gray cloud swirled upward toward the air vents as her gaze narrowed on her lover, ?is that I need you to meet with Ms. Petrovna this afternoon at 3:00 and give her the Tang horse I just acquired from the Chinese.  I want you to take care of the transaction personally,? she left no room for discussion. ?But Arianna? Alessandra replied angrily, ?This transaction can be handled by any of your staff. Why me??  She felt quite insulted for a short instant.  Was the Countess trying to punish her?  Was she playing a game?  Alessandra stared back, her face void of any emotion.  Like a cat playing with a mouse, Arianna smiled in amusement. ?Amore?, the Countess purred innocently.  ?I don?t want to undermine your talent, but I think Ms. Petrovna could become a valuable customer of ours.  She is extremely wealthy and I heard her collection of artifacts is incredible. She is an avid collector, and I am certain that you could entice her to acquire more,? Arianna waited a few seconds and watched as Alessandra rubbed her forehead. A tired sigh escaped her lover?s control, before Arianna continued. ?I also have great news regarding our digs in the Province of Sichuan.  The Chinese have postponed the completion of the Three George Dam until 2009.?  Arianna saw the excitement flashing through the green eyes. ?Those are wonderful news, love.  It will buy us time to complete our excavations before they are submerged.  I still can?t believe the Chinese are so willing to sacrifice such an important part of their history.? ?Their survival takes precedence over their past, my love.  I feel for the millions of people whose families have lived on those lands for centuries and will have to be relocated in the name of modernization.  But unfortunately the wheel of progress can never be stopped.?  Alessandra nonchalantly stated as she got up.  ?Do you need me for anything else?  I have some deadlines to meet.?  She became suddenly withdrawn. ?What I need you for ... you don?t want anymore? Arianna?s voice broke.  She walked to the window and stared at the sky.   ?No you can go now ... call me later?. For that instant, Alessandra wanted to reach for her, feel the soft lips she still yearned for.  But she could not allow herself to be engulfed in this moment of desire.  She left the room and did not see the tears slowly sliding down Arianna?s cheeks.  The intercom came on. ?Mrs. Di Montalvi, Mr. Tarek Ben Youb is on the phone.  Would you like me to take a message or will you take the call??   Arianna always enjoyed the deep voice of her secretary. ?I will take the call Maria.  Thank you,? She lifted the receiver and smiled. ?Salaam Alikoum, Tarek.  Did you receive the merchandise?? ?Oh yes Countess, in its entirety.  It is always a pleasure to do business with you.  After all we have been friends for such a long time,? despite his charming voice, she heard a tinge of condescension. Arianna smiled at his words as she knew perfectly that he was a Muslim and in his world women had no voices.  But he had no other choice as she was the crème de la crème in her field. ?You took care of my messenger, I hope,? just as she stanched one cigarette butt, she took another one and lit it as she stood up in a fluid motion. ?Of course, he was treated quite perfectly,? she could hear the sarcasm in his voice as he continued, ?I will need more of those ?artifacts?.  You do know my taste.? ?There will not be any problem.  I will have my associates contact you shortly.  Ciao.?  She hung up the phone, let out a long breath of satisfaction, briefly forgetting Alessandra and the pain.  She walked to a mirror to refresh her lipstick and admired what she saw.  She took great pride in her physical appearance and went to great lengths to keep her body close to perfection.  She smiled in approval and walked out of the office. ~~~~~~ Krista Petrovna walked into Alessandra?s office, a look of surprise in her eyes when she saw the dazzling woman from the party.  Suddenly apprehensive, she glanced around the room, half expecting to see Arianna in the office.  When the countess could not be found, she released a slight smile, pleased to be alone with the mysterious beauty. Alessandra saw the musician?s reaction and smiled calmly.  The pleasant look of surprise from the tall woman caused a smile to tug at Alessandra?s lips as she marveled at the woman?s reaction.  ?Why would I seem surprised?  After all I?ve had a few hours to prepare myself for this encounter,? she mused silently as she watched Krista take a tentative step towards her.  Rising from her desk, determined to meet her halfway, she walked towards Krista and shook her hand.  At the trembling of the tall woman?s hands, Alessandra gazed at her for a moment, a reassuring smile crossing her lips. ?Ms. Petrovna, it is such a privilege to meet you.  I am a great admirer of yours.  I am sorry I missed the opportunity to introduce myself at the reception.  I am Alessandra Akhtar, Countess Di Montalvi?s personal assistant,? she kept her tone soft, yet confident as she greeted the tall beauty. ?I heard remarkable comments about your expertise on eastern art.?  Krista finally responded after recovering her composure. The statuesque woman sat in one of the Chinese Huang Hua Li horseshoe armchairs facing the desk and smiled.  The smile sent an uncontrollable shiver down Alessandra?s spine.  At the intensity of her gaze, Alessandra looked away for a split second as the attraction was too strong.