The Rising - Ennead 1

Scene 5 - Love Connections; Act 3

The seminar was a royal snooze-fest. It spoke volumes that Denise was looking at the screen of her phone when it rang on silent. It was her sister, Rachel, they hadn't really spoken in months - but anything would be better than sitting through more droll commentary.

"I have to take this!" She mouthed to her dean as she moved out through a side door. He at least seemed enraptured by their current guest speaker, some Professor from India or something.

After leaving the conference hall and picking the call she continued walking towards the building exit. She would deal with the fallout later, her sanity depending on leaving the seminar.

"Hi Rachel,"

"Hi Dee, are you on campus?" Her older sister sounded more relaxed than she had heard her sound in years.

"Yeah, uhm... what's the problem?"

Rachel tsked and chortled, "Does there have to a problem before I call?"

"There usually has to be." Denise mused drily.

A second of awkward silence hung between them for a while.

Rachel broke it. "I'm in D.C. Dee, thought we could meet and catch up," a hint of a lie colored her words. "If you're not busy that is."

"Sure. I'll be at the café." Explanations weren't needed. There was only one "the café" in their shared dictionary, the MUG at the ICC galleria.

***

Rachel waved her over to a corner table when she stepped into the café. Denise took a moment and a deep breath to center herself before she minced over to the table.

Her sister looked younger than she had been the last time she saw her, and prettier, if that was possible. Their shared Korean ancestry amped Rachel's exotic eyes, cheekbones and looks without touching her height phenotype, which meant she was a whole foot taller than Denise's petite 5 feet.

Rachel had a light dusting of light tan freckles, which instead of detracting from her looks accented them instead. It was one of the great injustices of life that Rachel Astor had never been very conscious of the fact that she was usually the most beautiful woman in any given room.

It was also curious to note that Denise's lean, sloe-eyed mink of a sister was one of the most ferocious Gladiators on the continent: a tiger masquerading as a Siamese cat.

Rachel rose as her younger sister reached the table and stepped forward to give her a crushing hug. When Gladiator finally let go of Psychic, Denise was pretty sure she had had at least one of her ribs bent out of alignment.

One of the student part-timers at the MUG came over to take their order. Rachel started the conversation before Denise could get a word in edgewise.

"So...I heard my Baby sister moved in with a certain dashing FBI Agent?" her innocent tone contrasted with the rather naughty glint in her eyes, "How is he?"

"He's ok, he's been out of town for a couple of days though." Denise answered blandly.

Her sister chuckled, leaned forward and rested her chin in her palm. "You know that wasn't what I was asking Dee..."

With a naughty wiggle of her brows she pushed the matter, "How is he, you know, in the sack?"

Denise did a minor meditation to prevent a blush and clear her mind of several very graphic images that rose from the question.

"He's ok I guess...experienced, considerate..." She shrugged, "I doubt that's why you wanted to see me though, is it?"

Rachel ignored her attempt to change the topic "You two better mix it up though, a little whipped cream and chocolate syrup... handcuffs, you know, light stuff a..." she paused to grin evilly "a little bit of nasty and passionate stuff."