“I thought you were asleep.”
“I was until you moaned in your sleep. I was hoping you didn’t know I was gone. I didn’t want to disturb you. You’re beautiful in your sleep. Did you know that?” His smile was gentle, as if he were at peace in a way Jade had never seen before.
“Thank you. I was afraid I snored like a bullfrog. I haven’t had anyone in my bed for some time. I love the way you showed me how it should be. I’ve never felt anything like that before. You make love like a composer writing a beautiful symphony.”
“What a lovely image. I simply had a Stradivarius to play. That’s all. How could we not make beautiful music when you are the perfect instrument?”
“I suppose we’d better eat before you starve. What time is your meeting?”
Matt let go of her and reached for the room phone. “The meeting is at eleven, a business lunch really. Let’s save some time by eating breakfast here. What’s your pleasure?”
“I hope you’re not bankrupting yourself with all of this. I want to do my share.”
“This is all being picked up by Omano. He told Lee he wanted us all down here this weekend because he has a tight schedule for the next month or two. When he issues what he calls a command appearance he picks up the tab. I didn’t complain.”
“In that case, I’ll have decaf coffee, a tofu omelet, dark rye toast, no butter, and a dish of applesauce.”
“Did you say tofu omelet?”
“Usually I have a protein drink, toast, and coffee at home but I doubt they serve protein drinks here.” Jade grinned at Matt’s shocked expression.
Matt ordered coffee and a zucchini muffin.
“And you think I’m weird!”
“Hey, they’re great. You ought to try one.”
After breakfast they drove through Phoenix and Scottsdale and up into the nearby mountains until they came to a green area at the top of the ridge. The view of the valley was stunning and the cool breeze was perfumed by some kind of sage. Omano’s estate was surrounded by a high brick wall boasting a wrought iron gate with a security tower on one side.
“I feel like we’re entering one of those Arabian fortresses where they have minarets and tall black guys with shields and spears peeking over the walls.”
“You’re not too far off. Wait until you meet Omano’s bodyguards. They look seven feet tall and they’re built like wrestlers. He has the latest electronic surveillance stuff, too, according to Delta.”
After a buzzer sounded, a uniformed guard leaned his head out of a raised window and motioned that Matt should roll his window down. “I’m Matt Dixon and this is my companion, Jade Holloway.”
The guard smiled and held a monitor the size of his palm in front of Matt. “Just verifying your identity, Mr. Dixon.” The young man pushed a button, glanced at the screen, and nodded. “Thank you. You may park over to the right, by the house. Someone will help you with your luggage. Have a nice stay.” He waved and returned to his tower.
“What was that gadget?” Jade felt her excitement rev up a notch. She almost expected to find robots walking about the place.
“It was a retina scanner. That’s what I meant by all the electronic goodies he’s got. The place is as safe as Fort Knox.”
They followed a smooth driveway which circled spectacular rose beds and stately Arizona cypress trees until they parked near a two story mansion which looked like a palace built for a king. The balconies and pillars were wrapped with beautiful flowering vines, some of them blue trumpets and others dark red climbing roses. The cream colored brick was glowing in the noonday sun while the rich grained hardwood double doors sported gleaming brass knobs.
A muscular young man with brown skin and eyes as dark as his hair smiled at them and approached the truck. “I’ll take any luggage you have and take it to your rooms. Mr. Omano and Mr. Lee are waiting for you on the west deck. Miss Chin will show you.”
“I wonder if we’ll have to leave our shoes at the door and clomp around in wooden sandals. I’m liable to break my neck.” Jade heard a giggle in her voice. That meant she was nervous as a trapped cat. She took a couple of deep breaths and tried to sigh away her panic.
“I think he’s more modern than that now. Miss Chin is a formidable woman but she can’t rule him.
An older Asian woman opened the door and gestured for them to step into the foyer. She had short steel gray hair and eyes which reminded Jade of a Siamese cat she had as a child. Her floor length red satin dress was an old Chinese style and she moved as silently as a ghost as she led them down a gleaming hall paneled in a golden oak. The carpet was in the middle of the hall and appeared to be the longest Persian rug Jade had ever seen. The small chairs and tables which appeared on the sides of the hall looked like priceless antiques from the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries in Europe. The paintings on the walls looked like famous American Indian chiefs Jade had seen in her American history book in high school.
Suddenly Miss Chin turned to the left and led them into a spacious room with blue tinted glass walls and a crescent-shaped marble table where a short plump man with little gray hair sat in the middle. Jade’s old friend, Charles Lee was sitting at one end of the table, facing the plump man. Both men stood up.
“Since we men all know each other I feel I should introduce my companion, Miss Jade Holloway. Jade, this distinguished man is Rafael Omano, one of the world’s premiere art collectors and a respected patron of the arts.”
Omano gave a slight bow and a definite nod. He smiled and gestured at two chairs next to Lee. “I am gratified to meet such a lovely young lady who inspires Matt. Perhaps you are the reason he does such beautiful work. My Delta is most pleased with the lovely gems he brings for her charming works. Please join us.”
They all took their seats and accepted reddish gold drinks in gorgeous crystal goblets from Miss Chin. She had yet to smile at any of them. She placed a tray of exotic looking delicacies on the table and added a stack of linen napkins at each end along with a dish holding small ivory forks. Jade wondered how much alcohol was in the drink and how it was meant to affect them. The punch tasted like pineapple, pomegranate, and lime and went down all too easy for Jade’s comfort.
“I see you are wary of my offering, Miss Holloway. I assure you it is made without alcohol. I prefer to discuss business before such libations but I commend you for your alertness. It’s unusual for an American. You all seem so trusting, so innocent. I don’t mean this as an insult.”
Jade smiled and felt herself blush a little. “You’re right. I’m unusually suspicious for an American. Most people just go with the flow but I keep my caution with strangers. I am impressed, however, with the magnificence of your palace.”
Omano nodded his thanks. “I appreciate your praise but I have been in many palaces. This is humble by comparison. I have owned two royal residences, in the past, but I allowed them to pass onto others. Your country has become my country. There comes a time when a man tires of protecting his treasure and his people from the snarling hordes who still inhabit parts of this globe. To own a palace is to invite envy and war. I desire neither.”
“I take it you have become a citizen of our country.”
The smile on Omano’s face changed him from being a symbol of wealth and power to a child full of delight. “Indeed. Last July I became this citizen and I am very proud of it, especially since my dearest friends joined me in this. You will meet them later as I feel quite safe here with all of you. Miss Chin did not join in this fine effort but she plans to return to her home in Hong Kong where her daughter lives, at the end of this year. She will retire after forty years with me and she will be missed. Now, to business.”
Jade wondered whether this was a cue for her to leave. “Perhaps you gentlemen would prefer to discuss your business in private, in which case I will have Miss Chin show me my room.”
“On the contrary, my dear. I have yet to deal with an American business woman so you are most welcome to stay with us, if you wish. I unders
tand from your old friend, Lee, that you have an import company of your own and started with your own efforts. I am impressed.”
This time it was Jade who nodded her appreciation of his praise. “You are most kind.”
“I also understand that you cater to customers like me who have very specialized tastes. Do you, by any chance, provide these?” Omano scooted his chair back far enough to raise one foot above the table.
Jade was surprised a plump man was so limber. “Let me guess. Those are what we call whisper loafers made by Hush Puppies.”
Omano’s smile flashed again. “Exactly. The most comfortable shoes for the house. Miss Chin scowls most severely whenever she sees them. They are ready to collapse and the man who sold them to me was carried off to prison before I left my last eastern home and moved everything here. I was told the poor fellow had stolen jewels from a government official. A most unfortunate choice. Now you can be my buyer for such things. Ah, this is most satisfactory. Now let us begin today’s discussion while our lunch is served.”
The door opened and two young Asian men rolled serving carts behind the four of them while they served bowls of a light golden soup with bright shrimp floating in them. Those were followed by perfectly tender fillets of a very white fish, fluffy white rice, and scalding bowls of delicate vegetables—sugar pea pods, bean sprouts, mushrooms, and dark green leaves which reminded Jade of spinach but were much tastier. There were bowls of hot sesame seeds, curries, and sautéed ginger slices placed near by. Jade watched the men to see what they did with everything. She tried a bit of one of the curries and washed it down with a large gulp of her punch. It was hotter than any pepper she had ever tried.
“Mr. Lee, you have the floor.” Omano was suddenly all business, his eyes bright and darting like that of a bird.
“Since this meeting is by my request for Matt to show you his ideas, I defer to him. Matt?”
“Thank you. And thank you for this opportunity, Mr. Omano. Word has reached me that you are considering having a hot shop built for the purpose of glass blowing and that you wish to hire a man to manage it and head up a team to work it. My interest is in the set up itself. I would be glad to arrange for the construction of the hot shop and I would like to show you my ideas for the best facility with the safest state of the art equipment available at this time. Some of the items I will show you are in the patent process right now because I invented them.”
Omano’s eyes were riveted on Matt’s face. He appeared to hang on every word. “After Mr. Lee showed me some of your work I made inquiries about you. I was told that your father made a bowl I acquired several years ago.”
“I noticed it when we came in.” Matt looked at a lovely blue bowl with gold edged scallops and dark silhouettes of killer whales embedded in the sides. It was perched on one of the marble pedestals scattered about the room. “It was one of my favorites.”
“I am most ready to entertain your ideas for this hot shop but I desire one thing more. As you know, I admire and pay well for talent of your kind. I am willing for you to build my facility using your designs and even for you to hire someone to do the ordering of supplies for you. I know your contacts would be very useful for this. However, I want it to be the best, as always, and I want you to train a blowing team of your choice to do this type of work for me, exclusively. If you do not believe you can manage all these things at once, take the time to construct the shop first or choose qualified people to train and choose these people. You know how I prefer exclusive artists. I often sell lesser pieces through an agent like Lee but I want to have the pick of the best. What I am asking is for you to be my glass blowing manager. I am hoping you will be tempted to do more of your own original work as well. What do you say?”
Jade felt her stomach churn and her body turn stone cold. Matt had told her how Omano liked his artists to live on his estates and only work for him. He had even been tolerant of lovers living with his artists, as long as he approved of them. She could not imagine working and living with someone as domineering as Omano. She wondered if this were the end of her relationship with Matt or the beginning of one which would leave her lonely most of the time for the rest of her life.
CHAPTER FOUR
After Omano made his offer to Matt to hire him as his glass blowing manager Matt turned to Jade and seemed to study her. Then he took a deep breath and turned back to look at Omano. “A month ago I could have answered you after a brief discussion but now I have a friend who means the world to me. Whatever I decide has to include her, also. This will take some time to discuss before I can answer you.”
“I can see that this special person is Miss Holloway. I assure you that she would be most welcome to join you here and wherever we do our work. I do not believe in separating an artist from his or her muse.” Omano gave Jade a suggestive smile.
It made her stomach flutter. She could see why Matt had warned her about Omano. He was not too plump nor too old to charm a woman. There was something very powerful about the way he looked at her.
“You are right. We are a couple with plans for the future. We will discuss your offer very seriously. In the meantime, would you consider looking at my sketches for the proposed construction site and details of some of the equipment design before I answer your offer?”
Omano gave them both a confident smile and nodded. “Of course. I don’t like people who decide without thought and reflection. Proceed.”
When Matt laid his sketches in front of Omano, the eager little man shoved the dishes out of the way and seemed to forget his food. Lee glanced at Jade and smiled, showing a thumbs up. Apparently, Omano had forgotten everything and everyone around him in his eagerness to hear what Matt had to say. Jade told herself to relax and listened with half of her attention while she glanced around the room. The drapes drawn back from the glass walls looked like gold brocade and the small round marble pedestal tables boasted gorgeous flower bouquets and stunning table top sculptures.
She brought her attention back to the two men when Omano asked about the figures on a typed chart. “And your figures for the power requirements are in this column and represent net values?”
“Yes.”
“This is most excellent. The contractor I met with two weeks ago quoted much lower figures for me and his details were few and poorly explained. Tell me, why do you say I will need this much power and all these accesses?”
“You will need some of it for an oven this size if your people are going to ever attempt a work as big as the one you have on that table. The smaller one is for individual pieces. Those pieces are usually blended with others for a large, complicated work. Also you’ll need this power grid I show you here for a proper ventilation system. Less would leave your people with poor quality air and the chance of injury to them.”
Omano sighed, nodded, and leaned back to gaze at the scene outside. “You are going to be most pleasant to work with. I value precision, decisiveness, and a firm stand in my people. You’ll do nicely, nicely indeed.” Suddenly, he turned to Jade. “And what, may I ask, do you create, Miss Holloway? I mean when you are not running your fine company.”
Jade gulped and tried to get her breath. “Well, actually, I, uh, I haven’t had much time to do anything but run my company up to this point.”
“But, you would like something more. Let me know when you make your choice. We may have room for it here, also.”
Jade could not imagine how Omano could possibly know she had been feeling dissatisfied with her life. She had barely admitted it to herself. She decided to stall for time. “Please call me, Jade, Mr. Omano. And I will let you know when I have figured out what my, uh, creative outlet will be. However, I must tell you that I truly love the area where I have my company. I also have a small farm which is my residence and I would hate to leave the area. It’s so beautiful and I’m not really a desert person.”
Omano’s smile only appeared to spread a little wider. Nothing seemed to daunt this man’s confidence. He looked absolutely sure t
hat everyone would leap to do his bidding. It was unnerving! “Do not fear, Miss, uh, Jade. I’m sure we can come to a happy understanding for all of us. Now, I need my afternoon walk so I will offer you a tour of my fine facility. I want to see what you all like about it. I expect only honesty from you.”
While the men discussed the various art objects in the room and stood up to stretch, Jade slipped out the door to the hall. Miss Chin appeared at her elbow and nearly scared the wits out of her. “Oh! Gracious, you move as silent as a ghost, Miss Chin. May I ask you where the ladies’ room is?”
Miss Chin tipped her head to one side and pointed at a recessed door just down the hall with a brass silhouette on the door. It looked like the figure of woman in a Chinese gown and holding a small parasol.
The small bathroom was as elegant as everything else that Jade had seen so far. The counter and sink were a light gray marble, the cabinets a rich cherry wood. The wallpaper made the room appear to be a small Chinese garden with lovely flowering vines growing up old stone walls. Two porcelain pots holding handmade raw silk cherry blossom branches completed the effect.
When she caught up to the men in the middle of their tour she found them in a windowless art gallery where original paintings by Frederic Remington, Howard Terpening, and R.C. Gorman were perfectly displayed under soft spotlights. In the middle of the small room were sculptures by Chris Navarro, Dennis Smith, and Marianne Caroselli. “You amaze me, Mr. Omano. You have not lived a long time in this area, according to Matt, and yet you have some of the best Southwest art.”
“I am Rafael to you. I am pleased you are impressed. I like the best and I am willing to pay for it.”
Jade knew what his words and his confident smile meant. He was letting her know that he was willing to pay for her and Matt to belong to his team and money was no object. The thought gave her a cold chill even though it was terribly flattering.
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