It had to start somewhere...

[Aurelia Wayne]

"Well... if you did want to stay and have dinner, you could. After all, you'll be impacted by traffic too if you leave now," Aurelia offered.

She offered her best disarming smile, recognizing the anxiety she felt at the idea of Nikole leaving lessened with the effort of having her stay.

"Dinner, another glass of wine, and talk about life back on Corellia. It's strange but I can't help but feel like we've met before..."

[Nikole Nystrom]

She bite her lip thoughtfully, conceding that traffic would impact her travel and it would look incredibly rude to leave under those pretenses. That would make it clear Nikole didn't want to be here. She did ... and that scared her.

"What was that?" she asked in bewilderment. "Met before?"

Blushing softly, she cleared her throat. "I think I would've remembered that ..."

[Aurelia Wayne]

At that, Aurelia had to smile.

"Me too, honestly. But it's just that... well, you seem familiar somehow." She shifted her shoulders, regarding Nikole. "Anyway... will you stay? Dinner is ready, and then you can eat and dodge traffic."

[Nikole Nystrom]

She tried to place Aurelia anywhere but here because Nikole had a spot on memory regarding everything. It was why she was a brilliant linguist, able to memorize anything, but her passion for languages was what made her speak a dozen or so of them, that her body was equipped to speak, fluently. She narrowed her gaze, staring into beautiful blue eyes ...

"I'm uncertain ..." she began, almost as if talking about dinner! "But... I ... perhaps? Maybe somewhere in passing we've met? We're both from Corellia so ... who knows?"

[Aurelia Wayne]

Aurelia nodded, perplexed by it too. She lifted her brows, half-smiling at Nikole. If nothing else, there was definite attraction and she thought and hoped Nikole felt that too.

"Please stay?" she asked, trying to infuse a bit of her charm and persuasion into her words. "It... it might be good. For us both."

Auri realized how that​ sounded, then laughed.

[Nikole Nystrom]

There was still that palpable nervous air about Nikole as she looked away, fighting a smile before she ended up chuckling along with Aurelia.

"About as smooth as my saying I didn't want to take advantage of you back in your office?" she responded back jokingly. Her nerves clearly settled somewhat as her smile was broad and genuine.

[Aurelia Wayne]

Aurelia grinned wickedly at that.

"Just about as smooth, yes," she laughed. "C'mon. We can have dinner on the patio. I have a nice view..."

I do! And not just my company! Auri thought, amusing herself. Expecting that Nikole would follow, she walked into the kitchen to get dinner out of the oven.

[Nikole Nystrom]

"I'll say ..." Nikole muttered under her breath as she admired Aurelia's 'view' while following her into the kitchen. Now wanting to have eyes linger for too long, she leaned against the counter and looked expectant.

"Can I help with anything?"

[Aurelia Wayne]

Aurelia looked over her shoulder and smiled.

"Thanks, but I've got it under control. Well... you could get the wine and pour us another glass... I'll get the salads and the entree out."

The entree in question was the family recipe for lasagna. Nikole, she hoped, would have no idea it was previously frozen! Aurelia was good, but putting together an entirely fresh meal that fast was too fast! She cooked in batches for herself (and for Keir, when she could catch him) regularly.

[Nikole Nystrom]

Nodding, she walked over to the bottle. "As you wish."

She scooped up both glasses by the stems and refilled them with expert care. "Whatever you made for dinner tonight smells wonderful."

Even though she was not asked too, Nikole took enough plates and silverware for the two of them and brought them to the patio. She stopped her tracks, admiring the nighttime skyline and traffic that buzzed through the horizon.

[Aurelia Wayne]

Aurelia smiled, seeing Nikole's reaction to the view. She enjoyed it too and spent many an evening out on the patio, even if it was usually working from there.

"Lasagna. A recipe my parents had perfected together, though I'll admit I've added a few secret ingredients myself," she replied as she set the salad out.

Aurelia went back inside and plated the lasagna portions, a little larger than usual because she was famished. If nothing else, she hoped Nikole would take it as being generous rather than a glutton! She smiled at her as she set the plates down.

"And... dinner is served," she said softly.

[Nikole Nystrom]

"If Kalyn were here, she'd be the one to deduce your secret ingredients," she said, laying down the salad plates and glasses. "She's the cook in the family ..."

She was wistful speaking of her sister despite seeing her only a few hours ago. They were that close. Aurelia's return broke her from that loss and eyed the servings that she brought back.

"Knew i was hungry?" she asked and pulled out her hostess' chair.

[Aurelia Wayne]

"Mm, thank you. And well, I am too then," she replied with a smile. "Ah, Kalyn's the cook. What is your role... and, was it Katja, you said? Your sister?"

Of course, having seen Nikole in what she perceived as "smuggler's attire," she imagined her being the chief mechanic in their operation. But, Auri didn't want to stereotype her in the least! And, she hoped that safe questions would prompt the beautiful woman to talk more. Aurelia loved the tone and accent of her voice.

[Nikole Nystrom]

She pushed in her chair, shaking her head. "Kalyn's more than a cook. And helluva shot. But to be honest, she's better at numbers than I am, which is why we're far better off in our career path than most."

Taking the seat across from Aurelia, she opened her napkin and set it along her lap as she continued. "Katja is the youngest of us. She's ..."

Pursing her lips, she searched for the right description for the wild Nystrom. "... larger than life. She has an extreme lust for it. I try to temper her, but she's quite angry ... never quite came to terms that she was orphaned so young."

[Aurelia Wayne]

Aurelia noticed how easily Nikole spoke of her sisters, but avoided mentioning her own credits. It was both endearing and enigmatic, leaving her even more curious about this woman that was affecting her so!

"Kalyn seemed quite impressive in our meeting. And, as for Katja... I empathize, even if I was an 'adult'--" At that, she made air quotes with her fingers, "--when my father died. I was Daddy's Girl and had to quell my rage at losing him. What had happened to your parents? If you don't mind my asking."

As she asked, Auri was trying to run numbers of her own, trying to gauge the twins' age against their younger sister. Kalyn and Nikole didn't seem much older than Aurelia herself, so how young was Katja? How long ago had their parents' passed? Again, the mystery of the woman before her continued to lure her in.

[Nikole Nystrom]

She dressed her salad and mixed up the leafy greens and vegetables, nodding as Aurelia explained her feelings about loss. The only difference was that Katja had never knew her parents as the three of them were ushered into a shuttle by their uncle as they were forced off planet forever ...

"Illness. We lost them to both illness," she admitted quietly. "Katja was ..."

Barely a year old as I ripped her out of our mother's dead arms...

"We were devastated, but we endured."

[Aurelia Wayne]

The empathic side of her nature was reeling with the pain that Nikole endured.

"I'm so sorry for your loss. At least my mother is still in contact, even if not exactly around," she whispered. "You and Kalyn have had a hard path to take, I'm sure, in taking care of yourselves and your sister."

Aurelia reached over to touch Nikole's arm sympathetically, and again, the world felt like it shifted on its axis at that contact. She gasped softly and pulled back, staring into her eyes.

[Nikole Nystrom]

Brows lifted in agreement. Katja has always, and still is, a handful. But they were Nystroms. Her parents instilled that within them at a young at that Nystroms always take care of one another, no matter the cost. Even the greatest cost of ones own life. Katja understood that, gratefully. Despite how destructive she were to herself, she would do anything to protect her older sisters. No amount of passionate arguing would change that.

Aurelia's words were kind and genuine. It wasn't the run of the mill sympathy that most beings in the galaxy would placate her with if they've had the chance to learn her story. They were few and far between. Which made this more peculiar. Nikole wasn't one to open up so easily. How did this conversation turn so suddenly about her past? Or why her face suddenly flushed at the gentle brush of Aurelia's hand against her arm ...

Her eyes lifted immediately to Aurelia's after hearing that gasp. "Why did you pull away...?"

[Aurelia Wayne]

Aurelia's expression was one of puzzlement, trying to find a way to explain what she felt. Coruscant was stable and gravity had not changed. So why did touching Nikole make it feel like everything was different?

And how poorly would admitting these crazy feelings for her go over?! Auri thought. I can't even fathom them. How would she take that? Like I'm a loon!

Still, Nikole deserved an answer.

"Did you feel the same jolt I did?" was her reply, tossing the question back at the gorgeous woman.

[Nikole Nystrom]

Nikole's face worked through the question and its implications.

"I ..." she grit her teeth and looked away, hating how her awkwardness made it difficult to express herself. Negotiations and sweet talking herself out of a firefight she had no problem with, but trying to explain to a beautiful woman that she took her breath away from the moment their eyes met.

" ... perhaps?" she answered with wince because that sounded so terrible!