Part Four

Standing before her was a tall man wearing a Sherlock Holmes costume. He had the brightest blue eyes that she had ever seen. He was also sporting the smile of a confident man accustomed to getting his way. The twinkle in his eyes told her this was a man who had devil may care attitude but all in fun. Yet disappointment flooded her system for she was hoping to see a pair of green eyes.

He held his hand out in invitation. She decided she might as well enjoy herself in spite of her illusion. She extended her hand as well and her grasped it as he escorted her to the dance floor. The music was playing a waltz as he put his arm around her waist and began the first step.

She could feel someone staring at her but she thought it was one of her friends checking up on her like she had been doing before. Shaking it off she looked up at the man. He was a handsome man from what she could see.

"So what brings you to Venice, Sleeping Beauty?"

"Pleasure Sherlock. I am surprised your deductive reasoning didn't pick that up. How about you?"

"Both business and pleasure." He said in a British accent as he lead her around the dance floor. That was when she saw Cindy dressed up as Snow White dancing with a man dressed as the character from Braveheart. The name of the man was eluding her but the man did not look Scottish. Then she saw Sylvia who was dressed as the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland dancing with the Wolf. Rita thought that man sure got around.

"So what do you do for a living?" Rita inquired the man danced divinely. She wished her heart was in it.

"Oh me I am a trouble shooter of sorts." He said nonchalantly. "So are you here in Venice alone?"

Rita could see he didn't want to discuss his job. Not that she wanted to discuss her own but he had been pretty vague. It caused her to think but she decided to ignore that. She realized she had not yet answered the man's question.

"Oh I am sorry..."

Someone was tapping Sherlock shoulder. "Excuse me but I would like to dance with my wife if you please." The man said in a delightful French accent.

Rita's eyes widened underneath her mask. He was here. Her heart starting beating wildly. Since they were at the edge of the dance floor they stopped dancing. The green eyes shot through her to the center of her being and held her in place with one glance. He was dressed as Zorro. The black masked made his emerald eyes stand out.

Sherlock took one assessing glance at the situation and knew when to bow out gracefully. "Your wife is an enchanting dancer you are a lucky man." He said as he kissed her hand in farewell. Rita realizing that this would be poorly done of her looked around the room to see if any of her friends were not dancing.

Then she spotted Sherry walking by with a cup of punch in hand. "Sherry! I have someone I want you to meet." She turned to Sherlock, "Umm Mr....?"

The man looked at Sherry with an admiring gaze and realized what Rita was up to replied, "Bond. James Bond. A pleasure to meet you, Sherry."

Sherry was dressed as Cinderella that evening in a lovely gown that fit her perfectly. She stared at the man whom Rita introduced her to and went speechless. Rita almost laughed at Sherry's reaction. Finally she said, "Hi, it's nice to meet you too."

"Would you care to dance? So we can leave this married couple to their entertainment." He took her out on to the dance floor before Sherry had a chance to even question that statement.

Rita could see the moment that the statement clicked in Sherry's head. Her head whipped around to see Michael with his arm around Rita's waist leading her out of the ball.

Part Five/End

They were walking in the streets of Venice. Enjoying just being with each other in comfortable silence. Their hands intertwined as the experienced Venice at night.

Rita broke the silence. "So do you need my help again? You know that you pop up in my life in the strangest places." She said as she smiled at him. "Not that I mind."

He stopped walking on the bridge that they were on. "This time is pure pleasure, my wife." A frission of warmth ran through her as he said that. His eyes filled with passion and the image of what he would like to with her.

Her breath caught in her throat at what she saw expressed in those eyes even the mask could not dilute what was in them and his intent. She could not make her vocal chords work.

Seeing this and taking some pleasure in that he affected her senses so. He began to talk. "Do you know that we are standing on the Bridge of Sighs?" Rita nodded in the negative. He continued this is the bridge where prisoners would cross before they were an imprisoned. Thus the name. It was also where they would see their loves for he last time until their release if they were ever realized."

His finger moved across her lips and down to her chin where made her raise her head. He bent down and brushed her lips with a soft kiss. Then he placed another kiss where there was more pressure and Rita fell into his waiting arms as the passion flared between them. Minutes later when they finally broke apart both of them were having trouble breathing.

"Come." he said as he tucked in on his side with his arm wrapped around her. "Let us take a gondola ride. It is the only way to see Venice."

She was floating on the perfume of passion and simply walked along. They boarded a gondola and began to float down the streets of Venice. Michael would point out and tell her about palazzos and important moments. They sat closely together on the cushioned seat enjoying the night. Intense kisses were exchanged under the starlit sky with the gentle lapping of water providing the music.

Their ride ended at a hotel where Michael led her to his room. "You know that we never had a honeymoon?"

Rita began to laugh. "Well nothing has been quite conventional in our relationship."

Music began to play softly in the background. He pulled her towards him and they began to dance slowly. Their bodies molded to each other as one. The passion flared again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with all the pent up longing that she had been feeling since their last encounter.

Michael lifted her up in his arms and carried her to a large bed covered in pink rose petals and placed her on it. He then closed the door to the room. Michael sat next to her a gently touched her hand and lifted it up to place singular kiss on it. "Mon cher." They were not to be seen again until morning.

The next morning a gentle kiss awakened her from slumber. She looked around at the room with a smile on her face. "I thought I had dreamt it all."

"No, this is far from a dream but it does have to come to an end." At that statement Rita's eyes filled with tears. "No, no none of that, Mon ami. We will see each other again. Trust me. Now close your eyes." As he said that he placed a necklace around her neck that matched her bracelet.

She opened her eyes. "Thank you Michael. I never get he chance to thank you in person for the gifts." She wrapped her arms around him a tugged him close and kissed him.

They said their farewells quickly neither wanted a drawn out goodbye those only hurt more. Later on after walking Venice alone she returned to see how her friends fared the night. Rita found out that no one spent the night in their suite everyone found other entertainment's for the evening and she laughed.

Marco was right Venice does cast a spell on its visitors.

The End

After North finished reading the last sentence the girls sat there silently in their own thoughts. Grace looked from one to the other. "Well?" she asked. "Does it sound like a very romantic place to go?"

Trace looked up. "Yeah. I really loved those stories. I would love to visit Venice."

"Me too." chorused North and Aly.

Grace laughed. "Well it looks as though you have made up your minds to go."

All three girls nodded their heads in affirmation.