"I beg your pardon?" Julian looked up from the crossword.

"The paper, you've reached the end of your arm and you're still squinting, would you like me to hold it over on this end of the couch so you can read it? How long has it been since you had your vision tested?"

"My eyes are a bit tired, that's all," he sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"That long huh?"

"I could ask you the same," he answered sarcastically.

"I'm not the one holding the paper three feet away so I can read it," she grinned.

"No, but you were looking very closely at your stitching last night."

"That piece is on linen with 40 threads to the inch and I was working over only 1 thread," she protested. "Oh, I see what you're doing, the old I won't go unless you do as well deal, am I right?" His sheepish grin told her the answer.

"You win, I'll call Maddy in the morning to see who she recommends for an optomitrist."

* * *

"Q, Z, X, T, U, R, Optical Supply warehouse, printed in USA."

"That's fine, you didn't have to read every single line on the chart. I'd say your vision is excellent. Any problems, blurriness, headaches?"

"Not really, just once in awhile, if I'm extremely tired or have been on the computer all day, the right one can get a bit fuzzy, but after a good night's sleep it clears up."

"Well, if it gets any worse come back in, otherwise you're set until next year," Arianna looked questioningly at Maddy's friend Dr. Susan Palmer. The rather plain name had seemed a strange contrast to the exotic looking woman. She'd explained that her Slavic name was all consonants and totally unpronounceable so she'd had it changed when she got her US citizenship.

"After age 40, you should have your eyes tested once a year," she explained.

"Well, hopefully it will be easier to drag him back to see you next year."

The doctor laughed, "Mad warned me he was a stubborn one," she looked at her watch. "They've had half an hour, shall we go see if my assistant has had any luck finding frames he'll wear yet?"

When they entered the outer office, Julian was sitting at the mirror between two racks of eyeglass frames frowning. On the desk in front of him were three pairs of wire rims.

"Any luck?" Arianna asked, resting her hands on his shoulders and looking at his face in the mirror. She tried to repress a giggle when her mind heard him teasingly threaten to get even with her later.

"We've narrowed it down to three," the young assistant offered hopefully as Julian once again tried on the tortoise and gold round frames.

"Ooh, those are nice," Arianna commented. "They make you look very academic."

He took them off and glared at her. "That's not what I was hoping for." The next choice he tried on were almost the same colour, but more like aviator glasses.

Ari frowned, "I don't like those, it looks as if you're peering out through windows."

"You're right, these are out." Arianna turned to watch as the assistant went off to replace them in their spot on the opposite wall, she was amazed at how many different frame styles were available.

"These were the other possibility," she heard him say, turning back to the mirror to see his green eyes rimmed with smaller, almost rectangular oval gold frames. Where the round frames had made him look scholarly, these were more, she couldn't quite put her finger on it, sinister? She felt a slight shiver run down her spine as she looked at his reflection. *That's what I was hoping for,* she heard him think back to her.

"Honestly, I like the others better," she shrugged. "But I suppose since they're just for reading I'll get used to you in them ....... eventually."

"One pair of each," he said to the assistant.

* * *

"Why don't you try hot bath before bed?" Julian suggested when he notice Arianna rubbing the back of her neck. "I'll bring you a nice cup of herbal tea."

"I'll try anything at this point," she murmured. She'd been tired and ready to quit after their noontime session at the firing range, but after he'd proved that his marksmanship classification was top of the line with or without the new glasses he'd wanted to continue. Their late afternoon refresher course in hand-to-hand combat had gotten a bit out of control, but at least he seemed to have worked off some of his anger after this morning's visit to the optomitrist. He'd had been limping slightly earlier but seemed well recovered now, whereas every muscle in her body ached.

Once upstairs, she turned the handle for the hot water. She loved the oversized tub in his master bath. Not quite as big as the one at the Imperial Hotel Paris, it was still large enough to fit two comfortably, and deep enough to submerge completely if one so desired. An odd shape, more rectangular than oval, he'd had it installed with the faucets at the long side rather than at either end and a wide tile ledge around three sides.

Lined up on the ledge beyond the hot regulator were assorted glass jars of scented bath crystals. To the cold side were frosted cylinders of aroma-therapy candles. Before going to undress, Arianna dumped a handful of ylang-ylang scented crystals into the water and lit the scented candles recommended for relaxation and healing. Turning off the bright overhead lamp, leaving just accent lights at the sink and the flickering candlelight around the tub, she slipped into the hot water and leaned her head back, letting her arms just float.

When the water was finally deep enough, she sat up to reach for the lever just as Julian tapped on the partly open door. He'd changed into his burgundy velour robe and was carrying two mugs. "Is it helping any?" he asked softly, handing her one mug of hot chamomile and sitting on the tile ledge behind her with the other.

"A little, but my neck is still quite sore, I should have seen you coming at me that last time." She took a sip of the hot sweet tea and set the mug onto the shelf beside the candles.

"I'm sorry," he whispered again. He'd been apologising with tender looks and soft words all evening.

"Stop saying that, it's not your fault, we were training and I was careless."

"It *is* my fault, I lost control of my anger, and worse than that, took it out on you."

She had noticed a difference in him today. About halfway through their 2 hour session his attacks seemed to change from a cat toying with a mouse to a much more cunning predator waging a stealth ambush. He'd come at her from the side the last time and caught her completely blind and off balance. She would never forget the look in his eyes when he'd pinned her up against the wall just before the instructor, who today was actually more of a referee, called a halt to their session.

As Arianna closed her eyes and shifted her head to try and find a more comfortable angle he whispered softly, "Scootch forward a little, perhaps I can help with that."

She moved toward the middle of the tub and waited, breathing in the mixed aromas from the candles and the scented bath water. With just a slight splash, she heard his feet enter the water and grinned when she felt his legs slide along beside her own as he slipped into the tub behind her.

"Bend your knees up a little, and lean forward onto them for support." She followed instructions as he put both hands against the small of her back and stroked slowly but firmly upward to the back of her neck, then across her shoulders and down her arms to the water level. He must have felt her shiver when he started again and asked, "Are you cold?"

"No," she chuckled.

"Just relax." This time when his hands reached her neck, he kneaded the tight muscles in her shoulders, tracing large circles with his thumbs before trailing back down each arm. On the next stroke upward, his fingers continued up the back of her neck just to the edge of her hair. The sensation was incredible. It never ceased to amaze her the effect his touch could have on her skin, and the massage techniques he'd learned through the years were beyond description. In just a few minutes, she felt weightless, totally relaxed and ever so comfortable. When he could feel the tightness ease and sensed the soreness had gone he lightly kissed the nape of her neck. "Better?" he whispered.

"Mmmmm much."

"Just sit back against me and relax." He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her lightly back against his chest, gently kissing the side of her neck.

She put her head back against his shoulder and purred. "Mmmmm I could stay here all night."

He laughed softly. "That won't do, we'd be all wrinkly by morning." Laying back against him in the warm scented water, wrapped snugly in his arms, the even rhythm of his breathing and the feel of his heartbeat against her back was almost hypnotic. By the time the water started to cool, she was very, very relaxed and quite happily let him wrap her in the softest and thickest fluffy towel she ever remembered feeling and put her to bed like a sleepy child.

* * *

Arianna woke slowly and rolled over to find herself alone in the big bed. She'd slept wonderfully after Julian's fingers had worked their magic on her sore neck and shoulders. Stretching lazily, she got up and went to look out the open window. It was still early, but appeared to be a perfect morning, the newly risen sun reflected off the river like a thousand tiny jewels and there was a warm crispness in the air.

As she stood listening to the birdsong and the soft tones of the windchime hanging in a nearby tree, she noticed a slight movement and looked down to the deck below to see him still in his pyjamas, going through a very controlled, slow sequence of precise movements. She remembered growing up in Boston there was a group of Chinese people that met on the Common every morning to perform a similar exercise ritual. As a child, watching them had always fascinated her.

Half an hour later, he turned to smile back at her standing at the sliding glass door watching him, with a mug of tea in her hand. She'd been sensing an incredibly peaceful serenity from him as he completed the routine and now heard him think *Don't laugh* to her as he came back inside.

"I wouldn't dream of it, I'm fascinated, what was that?"

"T'ai Chi Ch'uan. I wasn't sure I'd recall the movements after all these years but it came back rather easily. I was a bit stiff this morning and remembered it used to help work the kinks out." He lightly rubbed a bruise on the top of his left arm where she'd kicked him yesterday during their training.

"Would you teach me?"

"No."

"No, why not?" she frowned.

"I'd rather you learn properly, what would you say to a trip to Chinatown?"

"Sounds like fun, we haven't been down to the city for awhile."

"Actually, I was thinking a little further East," he murmured.

"Boston?"

"Keep going." She noticed a mischevious look in his eyes as he stole a sip of tea from her mug.

"Tell me, please?"

"Did you forget London has a Chinatown as well?"

"Oooh," she grinned, "that'd be great, opera season starts next week."

"I know," he smiled, "we have tickets to La Boheme for opening night at Covent Garden. Happy birthday."