The Visit.

Today was Alexios' big day: the day when all his dreams would come closer to realizing, or when they all could come crashing down. There were still a few hours left before he and his trusted master, Helios, were due at Atia's villa, but Alexios had spent every waking moment in a trance; he couldn't help but remain fixated on Atia's beautiful countenance--finally he would see her again. Determined to make the best possible impression, he groomed himself to painstaking detail, spending hours on shaving, cleaning and scrubbing. He wore his finest tunic: a cheery, youthful sort of garment of light-bluish color, which made his eyes positively glow. He completed his preparations by polishing his sandals twice! Yes, today, Alexios thought, I will make Atia forget all about that wretched Antony for all time. He left his relatively frugal but attractive domus to meet Helios and the men assigned to install the statue.

As the hour of Helios and Alexios' arrival drew near, Atia readied herself in her bedroom for dinner. As she was feeling rather bold, she had selected a purple stola to indicate her nearly royal status. The gown was also provocatively low-cut and precariously clasped on her right shoulder, serving to emphasize her prodigious bust, which seemingly threatened to burst out of its confines at any moment. As the months after Antony's death passed, she slowly emerged from her depression; but last week, the encounter with the handsome Alexios truly invigorated her, and she was determined to put on an overwhelming display. Finishing the scrupulous application of her makeup, she couldn't help but admire her looks in the mirror—she was gorgeous, vibrant, and still youthful. She didn't even notice Octavia gawking at her from the doorway.

“Mother! I'm so jealous of your beauty.”

Atia couldn't help but smirk, “Look at the bright side, love. You'll age very well.”

“So”, said Octavia, changing the subject, “What's gotten into you? Dressing for that young statue model?”

Atia's eyes lightened at his mention. “Alexios is very pleasing to the senses, and he was also suitably polite and deferential to me. I intend to find a good deal more about him this evening.”

“But he's a very young man; do you think he was really interested in you? Or just your money? We can't have you hurt again!”

“I know Octavia. I'll test him tonight to make sure...but I have a very good feeling about him. He looked at me with genuine interest. And when I touched his arm I noticed a jump of excitement in him. A person can't react that way dishonestly.”

“Well, I hope you're right.” Octavia's countenance suddenly darkened. “Speaking of dishonest men, Agrippa stood me up again today, so I'll be spending dinner with you.”

“Oh my poor girl!” Exclaimed Atia. She then quipped, “Perhaps you'll find Alexios' old master Helios a most charming companion.” Mother and daughter chuckled and then hugged.

Alexios and Helios met and made their brief journey to the Palatine Hill and Atia's Villa in the front of a large horse-drawn carriage while their workers rode in the back with Alexios' likeness. They had already agreed to impress upon Atia the need for a quick installation of the statue first, at which point the men they hired could quickly be paid and take their leave. Then, the two men hoped to be treated to a sumptuous dinner, but for very different reasons.

Noticing Alexios' distant, far away appearance, Helios asked: “What's troubling you? This will be an easy, very well-paid installation! I can't wait to get my hands on some fresh mollusks at dinner.”

“As sharp as you are with marble, dear Helios, you are just as blunt at reading people,” retorted Alexios. “Atia of the Julii haunts my every dream. Her beauty utterly entrances me. I think about her constantly, and I'm very nervous about this dinner.”

“Ah, I suppose she is quite striking.” Noted the slightly portly older man. “But I only meditated on her deep purse”. “Well, don't you mind me, I'll stay completely out of your way—my mouth will be too full to talk.” Alexios couldn't help but smirk at his simple master's solemn promise.

Suddenly, with the wind of the hilly road negotiated, Atia's villa came into view. Alexios was stuck by how attractive her domus was; it was large, ornate, brightly colored, and perfectly maintained. An older, important slave was waiting for them in front of the home. He identified himself as Castor, and directed Helios to park the carriage in a spot to the side of the front yard. Now parked, Castor told Alexios and Helios to follow him into the front hallway of the home, where they'd meet Atia and determine the order of the evening.

If Alexios was merely impressed with the villa's exterior, he was overwhelmed upon stepping inside the large home. The spacious hallway's walls was decorated with extravagant paintings, particularly of Venus, Aeneas, and the Trojan war, which were held dear by the Julii family. Along the hallway, fine wild cherry wooden pieces held up spectacular vases which contained numerous exotic flowers. From the hallway Alexios could even peer into a room where a brilliantly colored bird drank from running fountain. As Alexios began to feel a bit intimidated at attending the house of such a great lady, he was suddenly snapped back to reality by the powerfully feminine voice of Atia.

“Good evening gentlemen, sorry to have kept you waiting. Welcome to my domus!”

As Atia gave her introduction, Alexios turned and fixated his eyes on hers, where they held that look for a full second before simultaneously looking away. But as Helios spoke and gave his introduction Alexios and Atia stole a gaze or two at each other. Alexios was floored by Atia's glamourous beauty, and tantalized by her provocative dress. As her mediated on her long, lustrous red hair, he wondered: is she putting on this display for me?

Now it was Alexios' turn. “Good evening, domina.” He looked directly into eyes and held a cordial expression as he spoke, “Thank you so much for kindly inviting us to your splendid home. If we may, we'd like to install the statue at once while there is still daylight.”

“Certainly, young man. But, I was hopeful to talk some business with master Helios here; I'd like to assign him another project or two (at this, Helios' eyes went wide) and I'd prefer to do this before we all settle down for dinner.” Atia's eyes now flashed ever so slightly as she placed her hand on Helios shoulder, “are you up to the task of installing the statue in the open room with the fountain while Helios and I talk?”

“Absolutely I will,” said Alexios solidly. He then went outside with Castor to fetch the men and the statue. But as Alexios walked by Helios, Atia detected a jealous glance cast in the direction of the old master. At the sight of this, Atia smirked and knew Alexios had passed the first test. She led Helios to a nearby table.

The installation was rather routine: Alexios had 4 men to help him, and the hallways of Atia's villa allowed plenty of room to maneuver. The fountain room was typically ornate: a bevy of large exotic plants encircled the proud small statue of Neptune with his trident, who was calling up a storm in the form of the fountain jets cascading water down onto the basins below. Castor instructed Alexios to place the statue on the left of the fountain and face right towards the opposite wall. Alexios' statue gazed across the room towards a painting. Curiously, Alexios moved to closer to see what his likeness would be looking at and beckoning with his outstretched hand. “Ah, just a typical painting of Venus,” he thought at first. But then, upon closer scrutiny, he realized this was no ordinary Venus; she had features and coloring remarkably similar to Atia. And unsurprisingly, this Venus was by far the most beautiful he'd ever seen, with a spectacularly curvy figure and a sensuous expression; she arose from a small pool, or perhaps even a bath, and her image burned into Alexios' brain. Castor struck him out of his reverie by informing him that dinner was almost ready, and Atia was ready for him in the dining room. Quickly, he paid the men and instructed them to take their leave.

Atia and Helios were already seated, where their business discussions had apparently ended; they now were sharing a few jokes about Maecenas' peculiar mannerisms. Octavia had joined them as well, leaving Alexios to take the fourth and final seat at the handsome, red-wood finished table. The dinner started with a fairly standard fare: dormice and bread with olive oil as well as a salad consisting of lentils and asparagus, but Helios could not conceal his excitement when Merula announced the main course would be steamed mussels and clams. Helios was a bit too fond of wine, and the intoxicating combination of: alcohol, excellent food, and interested listeners in the guise of two attractive women caused him to prattle endlessly. Much to his dismay, Alexios quickly found himself on the periphery of the conversation. He managed to remain exceedingly polite and pleasant, however. As the night wore on, Helios' stories became grander and his tales grew taller: he spoke of the wild beasts and strange encounters while his searches for untapped quarries brought him to the German border, and Atia and Octavia were all too willing to press him further.

Atia impishly eyed Octavia before once more addressing the drunken Helios, “Dear Master Helios, we've found your stories of eluding the deranged priests of Woden interesting, but frankly, my daughter and I are rather disappointed. We expected such an esteemed, venerable tradesman as yourself would have had a least a sordid tale concerning the Ptolemys! (Atia now pouted prettily, a sight which made Alexios quiver) Isn't there some story you can amaze us with?”

Helios paused a moment before responding, “Vulcan has spoken to me before. One day after I just finished a masterful bust of your uncle, the god appeared to me in a puff of smoke and said my work was finer than anything he'd ever created!”

Octavia, who was contentedly peeling grapes provided for dessert, chortled at this, “Did Vulcan also say you could take (his wife) Venus as a lover?”

Helios had clearly had more than his fill and Atia wished to bring the evening to resolution. Glancing sideways at Alexios, “Well, I think it's time for you gentlemen to go as it's clear your master needs to sleep this off. It's a shame though! Since Castor has the strength of a 10 year old girl I was hoping to get some muscle-power to move some furniture around in my bedroom.”

Alexios forcefully blurted out, “I'll be happy to assist you. I'll also pay you to borrow a slave and horse to make sure Helios gets home quickly....without hitting a tavern.”

Atia smiled brightly, “How thoughtful of you to think of poor indisposed Helios! You look out for those you love, don't you? I greatly admire that. (Alexios couldn't help but blush slightly) Thanks for the offer to pay but we'll get Helios home safely as a favor to you. Now, the kitchen servants must be growing anxious to clean up, let's get up from the table. Octavia and I will see to Helios, please follow Castor and he'll show you to what needs fixing in my bedroom.

Alexios followed Castor into Atia's bedroom. He couldn't help but be taken aback by the vibrant greens and blues, plush furnishings, and most of all the huge canopy bed which took up the whole center of the room. Castor pointed out a large table which sat under the series of large, interlaced windows which surely afforded a wonderful view. Alexios noticed this table functioned as Atia's desk, and smirked as he saw several make-up bottles on it. But he also spotted a half-written letter, which revealed Atia to have a beautiful, refined style of penmanship. For all the notorious stories of her extravagance and outlandishness, she was still a very educated, cultured woman. All the more unattainable she is, Alexios thought and sighed. Castor instructed Alexios to move the table from one end of the windows to the other. A simple enough task, once he and Castor carefully cleared the things from the desk. The bulky desk was heavy, but it was a short move, so using his brawny arms Alexios simply lifted it up in the middle about a foot off the ground, quickly moved it gently dropped it in the other corner. Unbeknownst to him, Atia, with a gleam in her eyes, studied the exertions of his powerful frame as his muscles strained against his bright blue tunic before ducking back into the hallway. Alexios then reordered the desk.

About a minute passed, when Merula came into the room. Helios had left safely and Atia was pleased with Alexios favor and was just fetching her purse now to properly reward him. Merula and Castor then departed to check on the kitchen while Alexios was left alone with his thoughts.

What went wrong tonight? Nothing in particular. I do think she finds me agreeable, but no more that that. Oh well, maybe I'll go hit Helios' taverns tonight...

“Alexios.”

Alexios' thoughts were interrupted by the breathy, feminine delivery of his name. He turned to meet it and saw the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. Atia stood in the doorway, wearing nothing but the see -through garment similar to what legend said Cleopatra wore to entrance Antony the first time they met. But the similarities ended there. For Alexios now took in the revelation of the statuesque, heart-stopping beauty whom Antony spurned for that mousy queen. What a fool Antony was!! Atia paraded around Alexios, her full chest quivering while her round rear undulated in a hypnotizing rhythm. Alexios's eyes hungrily traced Atia from her supple shoulders down to her long, creamy legs. His body reacted vigorously to Atia's display, and he couldn't conceal the largest spear Atia had ever seen. Not that he wanted to. He now fixated on Atia's green pools and gave her the most loving look he could give. The two moved closer together to where their faces were almost touching, and then both betrayed a look of relief that they could conceal no longer. Their strong feelings were mutual.

After a lingering moment, Atia gave Alexios an inviting smile. Alexios responded by tilting down slightly to kiss Atia's lips deeply, while holding her eyes in his gaze. Once finished, Atia huskily suggested he “give her a comparison to the statue he just installed.” Quickly understanding what this meant, Alexios pulled off his tunic, leggings, everything--to reveal his virile, youthful form. Atia nodded approvingly as Alexios possessed all the same positive attributes as his likeness by the fountain...and unlike in that pose, he was currently in a state of nearly full arousal, proving quite clearly that he was anything but mikros!

Atia now implored him to help her out of her scanty gown, and thus achieved the two new lovers could at last enjoy each other's naked flesh. Alexios, more confidently now, made the first move. He kissed Atia vigorously up and down her neck while caressing her sensuous middle and spherical breasts. Atia moaned in delight and flung her arms around Alexios' solid torso, finding his rear and grabbing on to it, pushing their bodies ever closer together. All the intertwined flesh made standing difficult so they silently separated and sat down onto Atia's lush bed. Alexios deftly pulled Atia's limber legs around his middle so both lovers were solidly anchored and passion could be renewed. Alexios now gave full attention to Atia's curvy rear, which he cupped in his strong hands and adroitly rubbed and stroked, while Atia's hungry probing kisses of his chest, shoulders, and face began to damage Alexios' resistance to his libido. Fortunately his attentions to Atia were having their effect too.

For the final act, Alexios delicately swung Atia's legs back around, and then helped her to the center of the bed, beneath Alexios' mounting. As Alexios gently began their thrusts, the two urgently kissed and groped in the hopes of heightening their passion. Alexios quickly found out that attentions to Atia's tummy caused the most reactions, while Atia noticed her hair had a dramatic impact on his pleasure, wherever it touched him. Alexios' gyrations became more powerful, and Atia's moans grew louder. As their climax came, the two fresh lovers clasped hands firmly and held eye contact until they were finished, emphasizing their new partnership.

The two were now sated, but only momentarily, as they made love again and again that night. They said little between the lovemaking, mostly idle chatter about what a fool Helios made out of himself that evening, but there would be a time for more serious discussion later. After the fourth session the two finally collapsed into each others' arms, and slept more tranquilly than either had in many moons.

Alexios woke up before Atia, and after a quick nuzzle kiss to make her dream extra sweet, he put his clothes own and clambered out into the kitchen. The kitchen slaves were already making their standard fare breakfast of bread, cheese and fruits, but Alexios was determined to make his own speciality, a sort of proto-omelet with mushrooms and several vegetables. The kitchen-hands hardly objected, since he asked nothing of them other than to locate utensils and ingredients for him. Atia awoke from a very pleasant dream to an even more pleasant reality, as she recalled the night before. She did wonder where Alexios went, so she put on her favorite crimson red stola and went out looking for him. Alexios just finished his breakfast creation when Atia walked in with a big radiant smile. Alexios smiled equally brightly and said: “I hope you're hungry”. The two walked towards each other and embraced with a long hug and then a soft kiss. Atia then nose-kissed him and matter-of-factly stated: “You're a keeper!”