Chapter Ten
Fantasy Interrupted
It was 8:30 and I was ready to go, but Zora hadn’t materialized from her part of the suite yet.
My eyes closed as I leaned up against the wall by the door and remembered our dinner together. To be truthful I hadn’t really eaten much, but instead of being hungry for food I found myself hungry to experience more intimacy with her.
I groaned in frustration. I had four plus hours of dancing ahead of me and all I wanted to do was throw my wife on the bed and discover everything there was to know about her.
‘Patience and time. Time and patience.’
I smiled, as I remembered the words of the old Russian General long since faded from the active consciousness of the world for his significance in being a part of the historic events that shaped history during the Napoleonic era.
During the time of Napoleon, Emperor of France, Russia had been a world power and a threat to Napoleon’s uncontested rule over all of Europe. In direct response to that threat Napoleon had marshaled an army and invaded Russia.
He’d destroyed the Russians first attempts to stop the invasion in brutal military fashion. The Russians had enacted a new strategy against the stronger and better disciplined French army. They had retreated back into the vastness of Russia, only fighting light engagements and never committing the bulk of the remaining army left over from their earlier defeats.
It had been a plan that had called for a lot of patience on the part of the Russians, as they saw their country burned and pillaged by the French. They had even sacrificed Moscow to the French, as they let time go by.
Then the time came for patience to be at an end. The Russians with their continual retreat had lured Napoleon over a thousand miles into Russia. The harsh Russian winter hit and the French were not prepared for it.
Out of food and supplies Napoleon had no choice but to either retreat from Russia or starve to death in Moscow. He chose to leave Russia. His army starving, disorganized and strung out on the march had no chance when the better winter conditioned Russian troops closed in for the kill.
Napoleon lost his entire army and was never as strong again. When he abdicated and went into exile the first time it was largely because the Russian Cossack Calvary were pressing their way into France from the East ahead of the Prussians and British coming in from the West.
The thought of what the vengeance of the Russian Cossacks would be if they gained control of Paris was an unconscionable thought for any Frenchman including Napoleon. Napoleon had burned Moscow and in retribution it was clear that Paris would receive the same treatment at the hands of the Russians.
I had fought against Napoleon and his tyrannical reign. I had fought in so many wars through the years.
I had killed so many.
I liked to think that I had saved more by my actions than I had killed, but I wasn’t sure.
I heard the click of a door opening and all thoughts of war and the past left me, as I stepped away from the wall in speechless awe as Zora came walking towards me smiling.
Her dress was of a light violet color in-seamed with silver highlights that set off her smooth brown skin to perfection. Her black curly hair was swept up into an artful array of curls banded together by a silver coil of rope braided within her curly tresses.
Pearl earrings and a pearl necklace although simple in design were classic elegance on her. The makeup behind her eyelids built on the violet and silver color of her dress, even as silver high heels peaked out at the bottom of her dresses hem, her toes bedecked with a silver purple polish as were her fingernails.
Her eyes roamed over me admiringly as she stepped up close and drifted her hands down from my shoulders along my arms to grasp my hands. Her eyes looked into mine as she said, “Ready to take me dancing handsome?”
I really tried to say something. Something to express what I thought of her, but nothing came.
Her fingers touched my lips and her eyes looked moist as she said, “You’ve already said more than words could ever say with just one glimpse into your eyes.” She kissed me sweetly then before looping her arm through mine, as I led her away shaken inside as to the depth of how much God had blessed me to be here right now with this woman.
All I did was stare at her as the elevator lowered to the level of the ballroom floor. The doors opened and a quiet hush fell over the people in the lobby as they gazed in awe at one of God’s finest creations, who somehow I was lucky enough to be next to. I’d never felt so humbled or loved before.
In the awed silence of the ballroom lobby a little girls voice broke the silence loudly, “Is she a princess mommy?”
Zora smiled radiantly down at the awestruck little girl and I stopped and briefly knelt down beside of her. The girls shocked eyes met mine as I said, “She was a princess, but now she is my queen. Save yourself little Princess and someday bless a man by being his queen even now as I am blessed.”
I slipped the carnation from my coat lapel and handed it to her and I could tell I’d made an impression on her young life. I straightened up to see the girl’s mother whisper, “Thank you.” wordlessly as tears fell down her face.
I nodded and reclaimed Zora’s arm and headed for the open ballroom beyond snapping off an orchid bloom the color of Zora’s dress on a nearby display to replace the carnation I had given away.
It was time to dance.
The ball had just begun upon our entrance and I led Zora through the throng, which made a way open before us at the sight of us.
In the middle of the floor I turned and took Zora’s hand lightly, as I brought her against me with my other hand commandingly placed against the small of her back as her other hand settled on my shoulder. The orchestra started and we began to flow with the music never once breaking eye contact with each other.
Her eyes looked wet as she stared at me, as I dipped her in a move of the dance over my arm. I thought projected into her mind, “Don’t you dare cry!”
Her smile widened and she blinked her eyes to get rid of the moisture that had gathered, “Thank you for this so much Elon! You’ve made a dream of mine come true.”
“You’ve given me a new goal to achieve in life Zora.” I said as I twirled her way on one hand.
“And what’s that Elon?”
“To make you ridiculously happy every moment that I’m blessed to share with you.” I said as I pulled her back toward me.
My words were rewarded with a smile that would’ve outdone the sun for brilliance.
We moved on across the floor in the rhythm of the dance when she spoke, “Still I am sorry for your sacrifice.”
Sacrifice?
She had to be joking. I was having the time of my life!
Her knowing eyes rose to mine and she said, “I know you would rather be exploring me in the privacy of a bedroom rather than waltzing me across this dance floor.”
Her directness was astounding, but she spoke the truth. Truth or not I was glad that this moment was happening just the way that it was.
“I can wait. I’m enjoying this almost as much as I think you are.”
I spun her away in one movement only to spin her back into my arms. Her head was turned to me as she pressed back against me and her words though softly spoken, resonated deeply throughout me, “I can’t wait to experience you having your way with me.”
I stifled a groan even as I attempted to keep up with the dance. Soft laughter peeled out of her.
I shook my head as I came to grips with the reality that I was married to a temptress. I wouldn’t have it any other way though.
“You’re beautiful. I mean truly beautiful. There’s nothing about you that does not torment me with desire or enrapture me with emotional intimacy. I’m so glad that after all these years of waiting and yearning that you’re the one that I’m going to experience the passion and creation of life with.”
Her smile this evening had always been radiant, but now her eyes were moist and for a panicked moment I thought I’d make her ruin her makeup. I searched for something to divert her emotions before a tear fell leaving a trail through her makeup.
She swung into me and looking down I saw my opportunity of diversion presented by the soft warm rise of her chest above the lacy edge of her dress.
“You have an amazing pair of breasts.”
A spurt of laughter escaped her and spinning her away I saw her roll her eyes at me. She knew what I was up to, but my plan had worked. The emotional wetness of her eyes was gone replaced now with tempting reproof of my ribald comment.
I shrugged. I wasn’t going to take back what I’d said, because it was the truth.
“I’m so glad that you think I’m…… how to put it….a handful.” She said with a smirk.
I grinned big as I said, “In more ways than just the two I’ve made mention of.” Her eyes narrowed and I laughed at how easily she’d walked into that one.
Her eyes turned calculating and I stopped laughing. She’d be out for revenge now.
I saw the exact moment that a plan emerged by which to enact revenge and I braced myself.
She pressed into me and I almost didn’t hear her whisper, “I have a birthmark.”
I stumbled slightly and her eyes laughed at me even as she drove home her dagger, “It’s very hard to find.”
It was going to be a long three and a half hours.