S. Gardner - For the Love of a Woman

Raisa Andieta was the most infuriating, egotistical, arrogant, rudest woman she had ever had the misfortune to meet. From the first moment they had met it had been instant combustion. She had never reacted to another human being as she did with Raisa. The woman just knew how to push all of her buttons. And now they were on opposing sides again.

The first time that Carolyn had met Raisa had been two years ago when she and her family had arrived in Venezuela. The Oil Company that Matt, her husband, worked for had hosted a party for all their new executives. Raisa Andieta was the president and major stockholder of Copeco Oil. Carolyn remembers the moment as if it had been yesterday. Matt had been introducing her to some of his colleagues when she turned around and was met with the bluest eyes she had ever seen. For one brief moment she had felt suspended in time. The only way to describe the woman in front of her was breathtakingly beautiful.

Matt introduced her to Raisa. When they shook hands Carolyn felt a jolt that made her whole body come alive; the reaction had been mutual, Carolyn had seen it in Raisa's eyes. After that brief moment of the strangest connection, both women had been like vinegar and oil. Whenever one was in the room the other one knew it and reacted to it. At first Carolyn tried to talk to the aloof Ms. Andieta. But after a few ungracious and downright rude reactions from Raisa, Carolyn just stopped trying. They had both drawn an invisible, antagonistic line.

Carolyn was somehow not surprised when Ester Curbelo, the wife of one of Matt's associates, told her that Raisa had come to the club and would be attending the meeting to voice her disapproval of the proposal on the agenda to be voted on that night. Carolyn was furious. She had been working on this proposal for over three months. She was sure that Raisa had known. There was nothing that Raisa did not seem to know. She reigned in this part of the country with an iron hand. If she wanted something done it got done. If she wanted something to cease it would within minutes of her voicing her desire.

This project that Carolyn had been working on would bring much needed resources to the poor of the city of Caracas. It was a different way of distributing and allocating resources, but she believed it would be more efficient and the ones that really needed it would receive that aid needed all the more quickly. The way things had been done for the last 10 years had not been as efficient as the new plan. The population had changed, the needs had changed and the money was being mismanaged. If Raisa Andieta had been at all approachable Carolyn felt sure she would have convinced her. She had actually tried to set up an appointment to discuss it with her.

Raisa Andieta had agreed to meet with her. Carolyn still remembered the humiliating way that she had been treated.

Carolyn had arrived ten minutes early to the appointment with Raisa to discuss the Club's project to distribute much needed resources to the poor of the city. She waited for twenty minutes before she was ushered to the mighty Ms Andieta.

Carolyn stood in front of her desk and Raisa kept looking at the papers in front of her ignoring her presence completely. After a few minutes Carolyn's temper got the better of her and she simply sat down and played the silent game as well.

Raisa then sat back in her chair, crossed her legs and looked at Carolyn with a very pleased smile on her face.

"Please do sit down," said Raisa sarcastically.

"Thank you, I think I will," answered Carolyn with a smile.

Raisa stood up and walked around the room silently just staring at Carolyn. She finally stood behind Carolyn and asked seductively. "What do you want?"

Carolyn said nothing for a moment. She could feel Raisa looming above her. She could swear that she heard the beating of Raisa's heart or was it her own? For a moment they both shared the silence. The air suddenly became very charged and a feeling of giddiness started to fill her senses. She could feel the heat of Raisa's body behind her. And her senses were filled with her fragrance.

Carolyn took in a large breath and stood quickly facing Raisa. She felt disoriented and confused. All of a sudden the room began to spin and she reached for the back of the chair in front of her.

Raisa reacted quickly and closed the distance between them. She held Carolyn closely to her. At that moment Carolyn felt the room close in on them. All she felt was the warmth of Raisa's arms and her head fell back and as knees started giving way.

"Sit down," Raisa said softly and guided Carolyn back to the chair. She gently brushed Carolyn's hair away from her face. All that Carolyn saw were those blue eyes. Those eyes that were now hovering over her face. Her tongue came out and wet her lips. Her ears were filled with the loud pounding of her heart as Raisa's face came closer.

Carolyn's eyes closed as she whispered and anguished. "No." When she opened them again she saw Raisa walking over to the bar on one side of her office and brought back a glass of water.

"Drink this, Cara," she whispered as she sat down in the chair next to Carolyn.

Carolyn held the glass with a shaky hand. Raisa noticing the nervousness then placed her hand over Carolyn's and guided the glass to her mouth. "Try to drink most of it."

Carolyn drank most of the water and as she finished her eyes sought those of the woman next to her.

For a moment they both looked at each other in silence.

"I'm so sorry, I don't know what happened to me," Carolyn said quickly. Her eyes quickly looked down to the two hands still holding the glass. She looked away but not before Raisa saw the fear and the confusion in her eyes.

Raisa quickly released her hand and stood up. As she walked away she said loud enough for Carolyn to hear. "Don't you?" Then she went to sit behind her large desk.

Raisa now stared at her as she sat behind her large desk and the distance between them was once again palatable.

Carolyn looked up in confusion. Raisa's eyes became glacial.

"What do you want!" She asked impatiently.

The aggressiveness of the statement took Carolyn by surprise. Just one moment ago this same woman had been tender and caring. Her surprise must have shown in her semblance because Raisa reacted right away to it.

"I don't have all day Mrs. Stenbeck." Raisa became visibly agitated.

Carolyn just stared for a moment and then said, "I wanted to discuss a project I have been working --" Before she was able to finish she was cut off.

"Mrs. Stenbeck, what do you think I do here all day? I don't have time to listen to your little projects. Run along to one of your lunches and don't take up any more of my valuable time!" Raisa glared at her. "I don't have time to listen to your little projects!" And with that Raisa dismissed her.

Carolyn was stunned. Her surprise was replaced with rage. She stood up shaking not quite sure if she was still in a daze or just shaking from pure anger. She opened her mouth to say something but she could not get passed her rage. She then felt the glass in her hand and looked down at it.

She threw the remains of the water on Raisa who then stood up in shock.

"There! Maybe that will cool you off a bit!" On that note Carolyn walked out of the office.

For days Carolyn expected to hear Matt come in and tell her how he had been fired. She still could not believe what she had done. She had never reacted to another person, as it seemed she always reacted whenever she and Raisa were in the same room. Carolyn realized she had gone too far that day. She never told Matt what happened that afternoon and apparently neither did Raisa Andieta.

From that day of their meeting on Carolyn avoided all type of contact with Raisa. Whenever there was dinner or an event that Raisa was to attend she was careful to come up with some excuse and not be there. And now they were back in the same position; both on opposite sides and both in the same room.