“Double espresso”

“Would you like cream or some dessert along with it?” 

“No thanks, there is no need to serve sugar either.” Turning away and walking towards the corner of the coffee house, I did not bother with the confused expression of the cashier or the hushed conversations of the people in the line behind me.

Why double espresso? It is because I finally achieved something that rarely anyone of my age does. It came with sleepless nights, and multiple crying sessions in between work hours. 

Anyways, at the young age of 24, I have become one of the youngest professors in the medical university. 

It was a hard journey, joining the med school at 17, and going for post-graduation at 23. 

I don’t remember taking any breaks ever since I was a little girl. I have always worked hard towards a singular goal and dumped everything irrelevant. Everything, except for my odd habit of recklessly buying weird things. 

Sitting at the corner of the café, I could see couples on the street and the cheerful conversations of the people inside the elegantly decorated room.

Jealous? Nope, I don’t think jealousy has ever been a part of who I am.

I was born into a very rich family, Both my parents being upper government officials and my elder sister being one of the most famous models and actresses in the country. Money, love, ambition, and a brain to back it up. Life has been relatively easy for me.

Waiting for others was not part of my personality, the only people who could make me wait were my immediate family members. 

I took out my phone which was vibrating for a while now. 

“Hey sis, I just got around in the parking lot, Do me a favor and get me a cappuccino.” came an exhausted voice.

“You were supposed to get here before me. What are you doing in the lot?” Even though I was visibly annoyed, I was already up and was making my way through the tables to reach the counter.

“Oh, please give us a minute more, your espresso will be ready soon.” said the cashier. 

“Get me a cappuccino. Make it sweet.” I told him while I wrestled with my purse. My phone somehow still managing to hold on between my ears and shoulder. 

“Don’t forget the cream!!” came another demand from the phone.

“Please add extra cream on the top and send it along with some cookies.”

Handing him the card, I motioned him towards my table, Indicating that he can send my card there later.

“I love you! Did you order the cookies for me? Aah, You indeed know what I like the best!” My sister, although she has too much energy to spare, is still one of my closest friends. It’s a very complicated love-hate relationship. 

“Don’t bother and get over here, or I am going to leave. I know that you are not in the parking lot yet. This is not the first time you are late.”

“Hehe, don’t be mad babe, I’ll be there in five. I’m hanging up.”

Today, by all means, was a special day because becoming a professor was my dream.

However, The feeling of achievement never came to me. I was pretty disappointed in myself over this. 

I felt empty, it was like a reason to live had been taken away from me. A big question lingering in my head was, NOW WHAT? 

What do I want next in my life? Frankly, I don’t know. All I remember is the smell of books and the splashes of ink on my hands. My youth was spent inside books, devoid of any romantic encounters, or anything remotely related to what youth of this era do.
Parties sound fun, but I have never been to any parties. That being said, I don’t think loud music and alcohol is my idea of fun. 
How about dancing, singing, and hanging out with friends? No, no, and nope. 

Friends are a luxury that I never had, and also, it was not easy to make friends with me because I would have rather spent that time studying.

Luckily, I was rich and my family cared for me. Resulting in me never having to go through bullying or any other kind of abuse. My professors were also pretty good to me keeping in mind the identity of my parents.

But, here I am sitting alone in the café feeling exhausted because in this life, I have achieved what I wanted but I lost the time to enjoy and experience everything else. 

This feeling of achievement, frankly, was not as sweet as I hoped it would be.

“Hey, hey, hey, Isn’t this our youngest professor!” While I was lost in my thoughts, a drop-dead gorgeous lady made her way through the café crowd. 

She came over swinging her hips sideways, in one of the shortest figure-hugging black dress ever known to man. 

Oh, let’s not forget the very characteristic sound of pencils heels when they strike the wooden floor. Yep, this lady feels offended if heads aren’t turned for her beauty.

Wrapping her arms around me, she gave me a deep hug. The smell of perfume, along with the fragrance of rose from her shampoo might be enough to entrance men and women alike.

Luckily, I have been neutralized to this poison after spending my childhood with her.

She took a seat in front of me and used both her hands to flip her waist-long blonde hair back and set them in place. 

It might not be an exaggeration to say that her face was sculpted by the gods themselves. An oval face, embedded with big, deep blue sparkling eyes reminiscent of a childhood naivety contrasted with full sexy lips.
Gods were indeed sometimes unfair like that.

Not long after, a few teenagers came over giggling and asked her if she was Ekaterina Petrovna. 

“Yes! But, I am sorry, I am trying to talk to my sister here and It would be great if you all could give us some privacy. How about this? Let’s take a selfie together before I leave?” she smiled.

The group of people looked over to the uncharacteristic girl sitting on the other chair, a.k.a. me. I could see the judgment in their eyes. Of course, I was familiar with it because it was not the first time. The difference between my sister and me was day and night. One was the princess of the heavens and I could be compared to a vitamin deprived ghastly science nerd.
It did not matter though. I was also thankful that despite everything, my sister was one of the people who would always be on my side- no matter what.

“Now, what are your plans Leysan? Finally, a professor huh? When does the job start? Are you going to teach foreigners? I heard that it’s the first of its type. Is it true?” asked my sister enthusiastically.

“I have no plans. Yes, I am a professor. It starts two days later on Monday. Yes, it is a group of English-speaking students. Yes, it is still a small experimental class. Also, ask one question at a time.”

“Nice, nice, as expected of my smart sister. We should totally go shopping before you start teaching.” teased my sister.

“Sure. When are you free?”

Fiddling around my purse again and taking out my phone, I opened the reminders app to make a schedule. Hearing no reply, I looked up to see my sister befuddled as her jaw was hanging and her eyeballs almost popping out from the sockets. 
How uncharacteristic from the nation’s top actress.

“I am sorry, it’s just. It’s just I never expected you to go shopping with me. You always find ways to decline some quality time with me. Ah, your sister is in tears.” She pretended to wipe her tears as she gave a cunning smile.

“I have nothing to do anyways. Also, stop behaving like this. It’s annoying.” 

We talked for a few more minutes and the waitress finally bought the coffee and cookies to our table.
“I still don’t get it. How can you eat and drink so much sweet as an actress?” I asked.

“It’s because I am with you, my cutie pie. It’s a happy occasion why are you drinking espresso? Also, it gets tiring to be on a diet all year long. I save my cheat days for when I spend time with you. You should be thankful!”

“Whatever, I did not sleep for two days because I had to submit my thesis today. I am going to sleep early.”

“Ah, what a waste. Aren’t you going to come home tonight? Dad was so happy that he said he is going to come home early today and cook for you. He never cooks for me, what a shame.”

“I am sorry Katya, I need to sleep.” I felt regretful. I have been ignoring my family for studies and work for quite some time now.

Looking at my sad expression, my sister probably guessed what was on my mind. She flipped her thin arm and checked the time on her wristwatch. 

“It’s still 14:00, How about this, I drive and take you home. You can take a nap in the car and take a shower and sleep on at home. Dad said he will be back early, but that usually means 20:00 instead of the usual midnight.
You will get your rest and can even spend the weekend with us.”

To be honest, I was lucky to have a sister like her. I smiled silly and nodded. 

“What about my car though? We have to take it to my apartment, and then we can go home.” I suggested.

“Leave it to my assistant. He will bring your car along home. It will be easy for you to come back to the city if you have the car. Traveling in the crowded metro sucks.”

“I’ll leave it to you then.” I agreed.

“Ah, also mom told me that she bought you a gift. I begged her to tell me what it was, but she won’t tell me. She says that I can’t keep secrets and tell about it to you. How lame.”

“But you just told me about it.”

“Oops” She struck out her tongue. “Whatever, let’s finish this and get it over with.”

Talking about the ongoings in our life, we left the café and found the group of youngsters waiting for that selfie.
She told me to go get my car while she sorts this out. I was quite surprised by how her persona took a turn. Suddenly turning into a professional actress from the clumsy, joking sister.

I handed the keys to my car to the young assistant and took the passenger seat.
“Let’s go”

I closed my eyes and was soon woken up as someone shook me.

“We’re home, get up sleepyhead.” A kiss was planted on my cheek before I could react.

“What was that for?” I glared as I rubbed my cheek.

“You looked so cute. I couldn’t control myself.” She gave a big smile which turned her eyes turning into a crescent. There is no fighting with her. She is the only one who can take such liberties with me.

“Ah, you should be thankful. The line of people would reach the next city if I say I am giving out kisses.” There is no debating her. I shook my head and got off the car.

“I am going to take a shower, then I’ll go to sleep. Wake me up when mom and dad are back.” I said as I entered the mansion.

I did not see the naughty smile my sister gave behind my back.

Closing the door after me, I just slumped in the bed. The room smelled fresh as if it has been cleaned recently. The covers were clean and had the faint smell of jasmine, A very specific scent that my mom prefers to use as a room freshener.
Turns out that everyone was expecting me today. It made me giddy-up and flail my legs There was a faint smile on my face without me knowing it. Small things like these are what make life worth living. 
Now, the only issue in this beautiful room was me. Lifting my arms and sniffing a little under my arms felt worse than getting hit by a truck. No matter what, a shower was necessary, and so I got to my work.

Propping myself up, I opened my wardrobe, which was sparkling clean for something that had not been used for months. It was pretty empty, since everything had been moved to my apartment which was closer to the university.

Grabbing a blue jean, a black shirt, undergarments, and a towel, I headed straight to the attached bathroom. I could have, of course removed my clothes in the room. But, I am a very shy person, and hence I entered the bathroom fully clothed. 

To be honest, the one thing I have missed while living in the apartment has to be this bathroom. No matter what, the space in an apartment is limited and there is only so much you can fit into the bathroom. Unlike this place, which is almost as big as my apartment’s bedroom.

The walls were lined with white marble, and a pitch-black and white zebra styled soft carpet covered the floor. On the corner was a huge jacuzzi styled bathtub that had blue lights inside it when full. 

Let us not forget the full wall-sized glass window which gave a clear view of the estate gardens. 

Regardless of the beauty, multiple nights have been spent in this bathroom as a high schooler because of the good view. I preferred to study in the bathroom, which was more glamorous than my apartment, thanks to my very picky mom.

I would talk more about how majestic this bathroom is, but since I was so tired, I decided to quickly take a bath and go to sleep.

Undressing from my baggy pants and a suit shirt, I glanced at the full-body sized mirror. 

“Well, Clearly, I am not a looker.” I mused. 

My breasts were massive for the thin body that I had. Standing at approximately 175 cm, my weight was around 55kgs, clearly bordering on the limits of going underweight, thanks to the rigorous schedule of the med school. My 34D breasts were not helping my life. They are sure a genetic blessing for my sister, but for me, they are a nuisance. 
Contrary to what people might think, I am quite influenced by my mother, and sadly, not in a good way. Waist-length hair is a chore to maintain, but I have been forced to keep my hair long because of my mom, who believes girls should have long hair.

A shower isn’t complete without good music. Turning on some good jazz, I dropped my undergarments and took a step into the shower. 
The cold water flowed down my body giving me goosebumps. It felt so good, that I was reluctant to get out. Deciding to stay for a while longer, I just stood there under the shower thinking about life, letting the water run through my body. 

Just as I was about to finish, a pair of hands came in and grabbed my breasts from behind.

“Aah…. What!!??” I jumped and exclaimed, almost slipping and falling. 

“Hehe, I just wanted to shower with my sister… Is it so wrong?” An annoying person had made their way in. Facepalming, I realized that I forgot to lock the doors, A bad habit you pick up once you start living alone.

“GET OUT RIGHT NOW!” I exclaimed, trying to cover myself up. It’s not like we have never seen each other naked, it’s just that it was back when we were kids, and we used to hang out in the sauna in the backyard.

My sister, who was as shameless as anyone can be, totally ignored my pleas, strutted forward, held my chin with her left hand, and using her right hand, tucked my hair securely behind the ears. Before I could react to any of the multiple new experiences, a soft and plump pair of lips were planted on mine. 
Now, for those who might not know, I am a virgin, even in the department of kissing. Surely, my sister has kissed me full on the lips before, but there was an enchanting and unsettling atmosphere to this particular instance. 

A feeling as if seasons were changing, bringing in the spring and the taste of lychees. 

Wait! Lychee???

Coming back to my senses, I pushed her back. She did not resist, but there was an expression of victory on her face- An expression which should have made me mad, very mad. However, I found myself in an emotional state I never thought I would be. 
I was not angry, neither was I happy, I just stood there in a confused emotional state, forgetting to cover my lady parts.

“Don’t be mad… I was just having fun… It has been so long that we took a bath together. You have been too hard on yourself, and you have been hard on me too. Did you know that I have no friends? The only person I freely talk to is you, and you totally abandoned me. This was revenge.”

I was speechless at her face full of grievances. How can someone be so shameless? 
My eyes stopped just for a fraction of a second on her lips, reminding me of a certain taste. Is that her lipstick?

“Your revenge is to molest people?” My heart was pacing into dangerously high speeds. I took a deep breath, and lifted my arm to motion her to leave. “Leave, while I am being nice.”

“Aren’t you scary? Anyways, I knew you were working hard all these years, But now, you have a stable life. You are starting a new journey. How about doing a makeover?” Katya had entered her model professional persona. It’s amazing how she switches back and forth.

“What makeover? Aren’t we going shopping tomorrow?” I replied in annoyance. 

“Look at you. You have a forest growing down there. You even forgot to shave your underarms. Are you going to become a naturist? What was the last time you shaved? Your legs can get some work too. You are also so pale staying indoors all day long. We should totally go for sunbathing on Sunday. Ah, while we are shopping tomorrow, we can totally get some new makeup, There is a new brand of makeup from South Korea and your sister is the brand ambassador. We should totally go and try some out, I know you hate putting on makeup, but since you are starting a job, a bit of presentation hurts nobody. You know what? Imma call my makeup assistant right now and ask her to join us tomorrow... Tell you what, she is so good! I am sure she can get you the best stuff. Ah, we should totally get a family photo with mom and dad after you dress up tomorrow. Oh! How can I forget? I need to go get my hair done too. Why don’t we go to the saloon tomorrow evening after shopping, we can get some good hair cut and the place has amazing ah the nail technicians there are so good! We should also get our nails done….”

“Stop, just stop,” I said and let out a deep sigh. Letting her go unchecked was my mistake, I should have known better. 
Taking a look at her, I was made aware of the fact of how different we were despite being sisters. Even though we were almost the same physically, She had maintained herself pretty well, and I have probably lived like a person not giving a damn about looks.
Her smooth and soft skin, supple and soft pair of breasts, clean shaved body, and a perfect tan, as compared to my body was making me a little ashamed. 

There were multiple line of thoughts running through my mind. First, I have never been the person to care about such things, so why am I feeling anxious now? Is it because I was relieved of my burden that I am experiencing these new feelings?
Secondly, How nice would I look if I took as much care of myself as my sister? I wanted to get an MRI of my brain to make sure how the second thought which was not even in my list of concerns till yesterday was the priority in my life right now.

“What are you thinking? I am sorry I said such things. I know that you don’t like to dress up. Either way, I love you, no matter what, you will always be my little sis. You don’t have to force yourself” She pouted and hugged me. This time, she was not playing around, clearly aware of her boundaries. She exited the shower without another word, grabbed her towel, and started washing herself off.
I decided to stay in the shower because I was feeling shy, and a few other emotions that I might not know how to classify. This feeling of excitement and warmth was nice.

Katya was done washing off, and just when she was heading towards the door, I finally gathered the courage to just utter one sentence. 

“I’ll think about it.” 

It was so slow that I did not expect her to hear it.

My heart almost stopped as she turned her head said “What?”

Taking a deep breath, I finally said something I never thought I would in my life.

“I said, I will think about it. Let’s do those things, one at a time.” My head was down, almost digging through the floor, I had no courage to look up and face her, so I kept my back towards her.

“Alright, I am happy as long as you are.” I heard her say as she closed the door. I could hear the sounds of humming, clearly from my sister who was pleased with her efforts.

I got out of the shower as soon as Katya left and pranced around the bathroom to pick up another towel from the closet. Quickly drying myself, I applied a fair amount of almond body lotion.

Looking again in the mirror, I tried to see myself as a woman for the first time.  I guess it might not be bad to doll up once in a while, I haven’t done anything like it before anyways.  I thought.

Turning around, I found that my fresh clothes were missing, and the only thing on the floor was a pair of dirty clothes, my sister’s and mine. Taking a moment to curse her, I decided not to wear the old clothes.
I wrapped the towel around myself and headed out of the bathroom. There was no one in the room, and yet I was startled because of the open door.

The only people in the house except us were two other housekeepers, and I did not want them to see me in this situation. However, something had been ingrained in my brain today, something that kept telling me to do things differently. 

With a little tinge of excitement, I fastened the surrounding towel to make sure there will be no wardrobe malfunctions. I tip-toed around the walls and hid near the wardrobe, peeking out to make sure that there was no one around, I decided to make a run for the door and close it.

This small event made me realize a few things, Firstly, that small things like these make my heart race almost as fast as scoring good grades. 
Secondly, that perhaps, I was living under a tunnel because I was a fool to not experience such a state of arousal before.

If anyone is thinking about why I am not more befuddled, I would like to remind that I am a doctor, I am educated and I know about the world. Not experiencing love does not mean that I do not know what love is. Not flirting with others does not mean that I do not know what flirting looks like.

What was new, were the reactions of my body. I knew about everything in theory, but putting something in practice, that is something new!

Opening the wardrobe, I found a new set of undergarments and a light frilled ankle-length skirt. Pairing it off with a full-sleeved sweater, I felt snugly comfortable. 
Sure, the last few minutes of my life were out of earth experiences, but I did not plan to die of heart issues at such a young age

Lying on the bed, I finally thought about the events till now. 

Maybe, It was a blessing that I have finally left behind my past and I can start enjoying my life now, albeit a little late, but it’s still better than never.
For the first time in my life, I was thinking about things other than studying. Going shopping for new clothes with my sister made me excited. I wanted to style my hair like her, and look pretty. Perhaps I wanted people to turn their heads and look at me when I walk by too.  
It’s amazing how I never thought about such things before, but suddenly my thoughts are preoccupied with such ideas and fantasies.

Lost in my thoughts, I have no idea when I drifted off to sleep.

Aurorene

It is my first time writing in first person, so I had a hard time writing the chapter. Hopefully, I will learn and adapt as the story progresses.
There are too many novels taking place in Asia and America, so I am taking a liberty to explore other cultures too. 
Please be understanding and find me if I make mistakes in the cultural representation of any country.