Note: This story is a sequel to, "With Friends like Cassandra..."
Cynthia eyed Kristen with playful suspicion as they dined on surf and turf at a little local seafood place she knew. The lobster came from an hour and a half away and the chef knew how cook a steak so juicy a butter knife could slide right through it and tonight, the place maintained its reputation. Truthfully, she was happy to have the excuse of treating her sister to come here, and happy to see her at all.
Oh, she knew they didn't have the kind of relationship where they had to talk to each other three times a week to feel complete or anything; an hour or two every two or three months was enough. They were both busy people who put work before most else. They'd relax when they reached a comfortable plateau when it came to salary, position, and respect in their fields. Once they hit their 'cruising altitude,' as Kristen called it, they'd focus on a husband and all the rest of the things that made for a well-rounded life.
Kristen had her city planning job and Cynthia was two or three years from associate partner at her accounting firm, maybe a little less if Wayne was still one of the men making the call, as he'd stare at her chest while talking to her at least a good third of the time. When she knew she'd be working with him she made a point of unleashing the girls just a little with an extra button undone or, occasionally lean his way to give him an opportunity for a quick glance. Her skills were impeccable and she knew it. What's more, she knew he knew it when he put her in the lead of more than one project. If, when the time came, 'the girls' put her over the top, then, great.
They were each focused and driven enough that it'd be every two years or so before their conversations inevitably led one of them to comment on how long it'd been since they'd seen each other. Then it would hit them how much they missed spending time together, then one of them would make the trip to the other to catch and just spend time together. It was getting to be about that time, so when Kristen suggested coming for a visit Kristen had already been almost absent-mindedly blocking time out over the next few months to make room for a visit no matter who did the traveling, so, when Kristen called, Cynthia was more than happy to pick her up at the airport and take them straight to dinner.
It was nice to have a chance to catch up and almost immediately Cynthia knew there was quite a bit to catch up on and Kristen was different. Neither of them were so uptight that people couldn't deal with them or they couldn't deal with them, but they were both driven and focused. Tonight though, Kristen was visibly more relaxed than Cynthia had ever seen her without a few glasses of Merlot first. And that wasn't the only change she needed to know about. "So what's up, Kris?"
She tried not to smile, almost as if she already knew what it was all about, "What makes you think something's up?"
Cynthia snickered as she swallowed a buttery bit of lobster. "Wanna list?"
"Why not, Miss Smarty? People talk over dinner, so why skip over things to talk about?"
"Well, you seem a shit ton more relaxed than the last time I saw you. Things must be going great at work."
"Everything at home is going great; never better, really." With the smile came an unmistakable blush. "And this is a nice little vacation for me, so, no, I'm not thinking about work for once in my life. Can I have an actual vacation for a few days, little sister?"
Her fork dropped to the table and she mirrored the blush. "I knew it. Who's the guy, Kris?" She leaned conspiratorially forward, "Dish, dish, dish."
Kristen leaned forward too, still not able to fully wipe the teasing, coquettish smile off her face. "What makes you think there's a guy?"
"Hmm... let's see, there's the makeup, which is more than you used to wear, which suggests there's someone who likes to see you in it. You seem pretty relaxed to me, which means you're either on anti-anxiety meds and they're doing great for you or there's a guy keeping you mellow. And there's the fact that they're floating free and I can't remember the last time outside of a beach where you weren't wearing a bra, which means you got into
that
because somebody likes seeing those things out."
Kris rolled her eyes, "Like you don't let
your
big girls roam free."
Cynthia conceded the point with a guilty smile, "I do, but not just because. Usually it's for the greater good: free drinks, reel in a client, and all that, but I'm not all into free-roaming pokies just to have them out." She waved it off, Anyway, you're dodging the question, so, who is the guy?"
"What makes you think there's a
guy
?
Her head dipped and her eyes bugged just a little, "A girl? Shit, Kris, don't tell mom and dad. You know they're live and let live for other people but their girls better find men and give them grandkids."
"That could still happen because," she began, looking up at the ceiling, drawing out the tease because there's
also
a guy."
Cynthia stopped eating for fear that she'd choke on her food, "You. Are. Kidding me."
Kris beamed, "Nah. A friend of mine from work introduced me to her boyfriend. She and I already were getting along because friend from work and he's a great guy. They live open and one thing led to another and..."
Cynthia stared in disbelief, "Holy shit, Kris, I didn't think you had it in you."
Kris snickered, her eyes sparkling, "Now I get in in me plenty."