Free Alien Indiscretions by Tracy St. John Page B

when Cissy wandered into her sister’s apartment again. They’d decided the connecting door would remain unlocked unless one of them was entertaining potential clanmates. A locked door meant private playtime. Cissy thought she wouldn’t need the locked door to dissuade her from entering Tasha’s quarters at the wrong time. Her sister was a screamer.
    Cissy felt vaguely uncomfortable as she came into Tasha’s greeting room, and not because she thought she’d stumble upon her sister being wild ... at least, not on their first night in their new home. Cissy had dressed for that night’s dinner. Being ‘all dolled up’ as she called it, felt funny to her. Tonight, she looked almost as sedate as Tasha tended to appear.
    The light blue slacks she’d bought that afternoon, while cut to flatter her rounded hips, didn’t bind. The fabric was light and airy. The patterned light blue, gold, and white blouse embraced her curves while giving the impression of modesty. Cissy had to admit she looked pretty good in the ensemble, especially with the strappy gold sandals and her hair falling in waves to her shoulders.
    She also looked too respectable for her own liking. Cissy had bought wilder outfits during her shopping spree, clothing that told the universe how happy she was to shed the restrictions Earth had once imposed on its women. However, this was her first night out on Kalquor and she was going to be in Empress Jessica’s company. She thought she’d behave and not cause a scandal for her cousin ... just this once.
    She found her twin sitting at the low table in her greeting room, tapping away at the keyboard on the computer Tasha and Cissy had bought together. Thus far the machine only responded to Kalquorian speech. Though Tasha had mastered the written form of the language, she struggled with speaking it. It was easier for her to type her commands since she refused to install the crutch of English interpretation software.
    As always, Tasha looked lovely. Her hair was caught up in a bun with artful bits straggling loose to frame her made-up face. Her blouse and skirt matched in a blushing pink. The hue made her skin appear to glow despite the paleness that came from months of space travel. She looked at ease in her sedate clothing, while Cissy felt as prickly as a cactus. It was hard not to be jealous.
    Trying to embrace the Tasha-look she sported, Cissy twirled in front of her sister. “Here I am, ready to not embarrass everyone for a change.”
    Tasha applauded her with a grin. “You actually appear respectable. No one will be able to tell us apart.”
    Cissy snorted her disbelief on that notion. She flopped down on the seating cushion across the table from her sister, doing it in the most unladylike fashion she could manage. She snickered as Tasha shook her head.
    “There. Now there can be no mistaking who I am.”
    “Only if you spend the evening tossing yourself onto the ground like a landed fish.”
    “Everyone will know it’s me within five seconds of opening my mouth.” Cissy frowned as Tasha went back to tapping her keyboard. “We’ve only got a couple of minutes before the cuzzies pick us up. What are you doing?”
    Tasha wiggled her perfectly trimmed eyebrows. “I’m confirming my date with a clan tomorrow.”
    “Oh, you’re getting busy right away too. Shall we double?”
    “I doubt it.” Tasha made her snooty face, the one she used when she played at being above Cissy’s antics. “This is a more mature clan than the one you picked for a first date. My guess is their tastes would run more operatic than that lemanthev concert you’re going to. We’re doing dinner and a live theater show.”
    Cissy yawned. “How very exciting. Are they at least cute?” She waved to forestall Tasha’s answer. “No, you wouldn’t want cute. Adorable isn’t your thing. Are they handsome, I mean?”
    Tasha closed out the computer program. “Does it matter? Looks aren’t as important as what’s