Carolyn knew that her proposal was pretty much dead. If Raisa Andieta objected to it that is as far as it would go. No one would ever argue it. It was as good as dead. That is the power that Raisa wielded; and everyone knew it. No one fought her on anything. No one tried to. No one except Carolyn Stenbeck.
~~~~~~~~~~
Most of the wives of Raisa Andieta's executives had learned to just vow and follow very quickly all except Carolyn Stenbeck that is. She had been the exception. Raisa walked into the room and was quickly surrounded by the social climbing wives of her executives. At least that is how Raisa viewed them. She was aloofly polite and as usual her eyes scanned the room as she spoke until it found what her eyes always sought at every function and of late never found; Carolyn Stenbeck. Raisa saw her as she exited the room to one of the outdoor balconies.
~~~~~~~~~~
Caracas by night was a magical city of lights. And like magic it was all illusion. In the daytime you could see as all those magical little lights become small little hobbles stacked one on top of the other. A mountain of poverty, crime and hunger that new no relief and had very little hope.
Carolyn leaned against the balcony of the Country Club aware that in its confines of wealth she was not affected. Here behind the walls of power and excess she was protected. She felt a twinge of sadness. She had worked so hard on this proposal. This had been something of her own. Something that would have helped all those people. And now things would continue as they always had. As much as Carolyn tried she had never quite fit into this society. Matt was always busy. Simon, her 8-year-old son was her pride and joy. Matt had stopped being the man she had loved a long time before.
Carolyn felt restless and unfocused. This move to Caracas two years ago had been a last ditch attempt to save her marriage for Simon's sake. It was new start and the money that Matt was making meant that Simon could have the best of everything. Carolyn however had left behind her friends, her family and her career. She had looked forward to doing something useful; like helping those poor people. And now she would once again fill her days with all those banal things she hated so much.
She took comfort in the warm breeze as she stood in the verandah. She was facing the city and as the breeze caressed her body and she looked up to the stars. Carolyn Stenbeck was a vision of beauty. Her pale skin had become bronzed during the time that she had been living in Venezuela. Her golden hair had become streaked with the kiss of sunlight. And in her white dress she was as some goddess of old must have been while worshipping the moon. She closed her eyes and just gave herself to the sensations hoping that the night would soothe her disappointment.
That was the vision that Raisa Andieta was faced with as she too walked out into the verandah. Carolyn had her arms around her body as her face looked to the night sky. Raisa just stood still, watching her. She had told herself so many times that this woman had no special powers. She argued with herself incessantly. Carolyn Stenbeck was no different than any other woman. And yet, every time she went into a room now she searched for her and was disappointed when she realized that Carolyn was not there.
Raisa feasted on what she saw. She felt this undeniable pull towards this woman that although beautiful infuriated her each and every time she came close to her. She had learned to keep her distance and yet her body only knew that it must seek.
Carolyn felt her before her eyes saw her. They were both enveloped with the glow of the moon and the music that played from within.
Raisa slowly approached her and then looking out into the city she stood by her side in silence.
"The thing about these type of nights is that they are deceptive." Raisa said softly. Carolyn then turned and looked out onto the city as well.
"What do you mean?"
"One moment it's all calm and then the heavens open up and we drown."
Carolyn turned her head to look at her. Raisa was in some ways an enigma to her. She was as unreadable to her as this land that she had been living in for the past two years.
"I don't understand."
"Don't you?" Raisa finished saying as she turned to face Carolyn as well.
"Why must you always answer a question with a question?" Carolyn said with troubled eyes. The nervousness in the pit of her stomach started as it always did within minutes of her proximity to Raisa Andieta.
"Why do you always provoke me?" Demanded Raisa.
"Me?"
"Yes! You!" Raisa raised her arms in a gesture of frustration.
"Me? Me! It's you! You are the one that takes joy in humiliating me!"
Raisa stared at her without saying a word. All she saw was Carolyn's mouth and she wanted to know how it tasted. Raisa did an about face and took a few steps away from Carolyn. She stopped for a moment and then suddenly turned to face her again. Her eyes were focused. Carolyn stood her ground.
"I don't like cowardice," Raisa said beneath her breath. Her eyes spoke of hunger and something else that Carolyn could not understand.
"I am no coward Ms Andieta." This time she would not budge. Raisa had been looking for a fight and she was going to get one.
"You ran from that meeting."
"And who would fight you?" Carolyn said sarcastically. "No one. Not one of those women would have supported me against you. They would let all those people go hungry rather than oppose you. How do you feel Ms. Andieta? How does it feel to have all that power to say who lives and who dies?"
"You are being dramatic! If you believed in what you were proposing you would have tried."
"And fight you?" Carolyn turned her back to her and took a few steps away. Carolyn laughed sarcastically.
"You have tried before" Raisa said menacingly. "Obedience is something you haven't learned ....yet."
Carolyn turned around quickly. She had had enough. "Go to hell! I am no ones chattel!"
"One day someone is going to tame you," Raisa said softly.
"Well, it won't be you!"
At that those words the sky was lit with a flash of lighting and the thunder that followed was deafening. But all the Carolyn saw was the fire that went out of control in the eyes of the woman standing before her.
Raisa was in front of her within a second and pulling her hard against her own body. The sky above them was exploding as Raisa's mouth found its target. They were encompassed in a wind that rose from the earth and the hunger of the storm could be tasted in their mouths.
Raisa's was taking and devouring Carolyn's lips and squashing all protests in its path. Her hands sought to touch and feel. Raisa felt a hunger unlike any she had ever experienced. She had always taken what she wanted. She had hungered for too long.
Carolyn was breathless and overpowered by this heat growing and welling up inside her. She was fighting not only Raisa's desire but also her own shock.
"No!" Carolyn said trying to break away from Raisa's hold.
"Coward!"
And again the lighting and the thunder; the storm kept pace with the storm raging inside them.
Raisa pushed Carolyn to a corner of the verandah against a wall.
"Let me go!" Shouted Carolyn into the storm.
Raisa smiled and placed her hand on Carolyn's breast and squeezed.
Carolyn's hand flew through the air in indignation and caught Raisa across the face. Raisa stared at her in shock and anger as she grabbed the hand with an iron grip.
Raisa's mouth once again covered Carolyn's and this time the kiss was brutal. It was not a kiss of passion but of domination and only total surrender would be acceptable.
Carolyn tasted the blood in her mouth and suddenly, quite tired, a sob escaped her lips.
Raisa pulled away immediately. She stared into Carolyn's eyes and saw them as they filled with tears of frustration. The storm was howling around them and yet suddenly it all stood still between them.