pte

ese Imports gleamed softly in the streetlights, its faded gold lettering and dark wood accents giving the impression of class and elegance. When she became afflicted with the Calli

s the economy shivered and shuttered, but overall they fared well. Calabrese Imports focused more on the small scale items.

thing attracts money like money. No one wanted to look desperate or worn. The second store, still in its first year of operation, helped with those gatherings as wel

ritten in bright red script and the store featured various foods from hither and yon. Elena smiled. The fact that

e had proven his worth in the business ten times over in the last year. Andre and Elena had also gone on several dates since he came into her world. The fact that she travelled most of th

ll, Elena drove home. She put her car in the garage behind the apartment building. Kiera's car was parked a few spots over so she knew her neighbor made it home all right. Elena had the feeling she would have he

h something died, but the apartment had the stale scent of unused air sitting in a box. Elena crossed to the window and pried it open, the hum

ld move through the room without the candles blowing out. After assuring there would be no fires, Elena treated herself first to a hot shower to wa

tub drain and slipped into an oversized t-shirt serving double duty as a night gown. The hot water made her feel nearly boneless and she slipped into bed, gratefu

plete lack of knowledge about classical music. She finally caught a snippet of the song on NPR while she was changing stations. It was the Invitation to the Dance, originally written by Carl Maria von Weber in 1819 and then later recorded by Hector Ber

w that the light was not electric, but candlelight and that the dress was real, raw silk. She felt rather than saw the necklace around her throat. When she first began having this dream she d

dre looking down at her. Every other time she had this dream he was her

. The star looked less like paint and more like gold leaf. They danced across the floor in time to the music. Though their feet made no sound, she could feel the wood of the dance floor beneath her heels. Her partn

it as the music shifted and she and her partner began to spin wildly across the floor. She looked up and the candles bled to ribbons of light as they spun. The crystal drop

music stopped and she fell to her knees gasping for breath. There was enough light to see, but it was storm dark and the chandelier's crystal drops turned to a cold pelting rain. Her go

ould see the faint outline of a gold star. It was faded as though she had gotten it at a night club and sho

y a brilliant bolt of lightning. She looked up at the sound of the

ot lose this cargo. They would not catch her. The force of her conviction ke

me way she reached for the unopened channel leading to the new planet. Energy flowed out of her and into the channel. Slowly it stretched. She pushed harder, the channel fighting her efforts like a rubber band stretched almost to the breaking point

smelled like a greenhouse and she thought of Kiera and the container garden she had filling up all of the odd corners of

er t-shirt was wrapped around her and she wiggled to set it to rights. Her breath was ragged as though she had run a mile. Sh

aning of the gold stars and the change in her dance partner. As always, she wondered what cargo was so precious that she w

a moment she was disoriented. Her cabin in the Storm Chaser had its porthole on the opposite wall. T

id out of bed, took a quick shower, dressed and poured kib

ast. My cupboard is bare." Months of irregular grocery shopping left her with half

ch in her head, she grabbed her purse and headed off to work. Along the way she passed Zoltoy Consul

f season. She knew he had much more delicate and profitable business ventures than their partnership, so she hoped they would keep him busy and

let alone with his sleeves rolled up and hair mussed. Her mind immediately conjured up a late night with some blo

rolls coming out of a newly opened bakery. She smiled, pleased at this new addition to her neighborhood. She detoured in and picked up enough

na walked through the door. Elena smiled at imports store m

ed. Roger, manager of Nibbles he

o days or three?" he

I have no trips scheduled until the October buying trips for the Imp

he said. "

paperwork your first day in for fear yo

ve into the inevitable. "Well no hope for it I suppose. I brought cinnamon rolls for everyone." She opened the

een the imports store and Nibbles. He was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a loose buttoned d

just work in the conference roo

and Roger disbursed to finish opening and to gather paperwork and Elena followed An

erence table and began pulling apart his cinnamon roll, unrolling it into a

m. She took a bite of the warm cinnamon r

nt." He

to have more meetings with Riko, but overall not a b

ming out this Friday. Can't remember the title off hand but it

ay to spend a Friday

p around seven at your

rned expectantly, watching Roger enter the room. Elena's face fell wh

time for work

n strip and picked up his coffee. "When you come up fo

ed. He headed back

thing, but let me know if you ha

ry, " Elena asked, hoping the stocks they pick

as fast as expected and others that are flying out the door. I've made a note about that in the first section." Elen

he flipped the pages. "Several

way to convey the information and as it is th

bad, " Susan said from the doorway

be no animosity in it so Elena let it go without comment. A few minutes later they both headed back downstairs leaving Elena with the paperwork and still l