"Robert Tine - The Astronaut's Wife" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tine Robert)

big sister needed when Spencer was away. And Jillian was glad to have her near.
Of course, like many siblings close in age they were a study in contrasts. Jillian was
thoughtful and took care of the things that were precious in her life, constantly giving thought to
the results and possible aftermath of even trivial occurrences; Nan, of course, was impulsive and
spontaneous, wandering in and out of jobs, friendships, and relationships with men, without
much thought for the future or the consequences.
And although they were sisters they could not have looked more dissimilar. Both were pretty,
but Jillian had finer, more classically even features which were set off by her soft, short blond
hair and her wide blue eyes. NanтАЩs face was small, and its component parts were pleasingly out
of of proportion. Her eyes were just a tiny bit too far apart, her mouth slightly off kilter, her hair
was a rather random mop of brown silk. All of this imperfection served to make her a pretty
young woman.
There was a haphazardness to her gamine face that suggested a mischievousness that
contrasted with her sisterтАЩs alternating moods of serenity and anxiety.
The two women dressed in completely different
manners and styles as well. Jillian kept things casual and classical, never straying an inch beyond
the boundaries of good taste; Nan looked thrown together.
She appeared for dinner at JillianтАЩs door that night dressed in bright pants, a ribbed knit shirt,
a pair of black classic Keds on her feet. Had she looked any more current she would have been
dressing in the styles of the week after next.
The two sisters were at work in the Armacost kitchen, back to back, preparing dinner. Even
the tasks the two chose to do pointed up the differences between them. Jillian was bent over a
cutting board, chefтАЩs knife in hand, carefully but skillfully making a julienne of fresh vegetables.
Nan, no less skillfully, worked the cork out of a bottle of red wine. Behind them, mounted under
the glass-fronted kitchen cabinets, a small color television set played, the sound off. The sisters
were hardly aware that it was there.
тАЬLet me get this straight... he called you from space?тАЭ said Nan as she eased the cork from the
bottle of pinoe noir. She sounded incredulous. De-spite her sisterтАЩs marriage to an astronaut she
still could not get used to this NASA stuff. It was still science fiction to her. Of course, it wasnтАЩt
the technology тАШinvolved that astonished her, but the act itself. Nan was not famous for her
success with men.
The cork emerged with a pop. тАЬFrom outer space,тАЭ she repeated as she reached for a wine
glass.
Jillian, still engaged with her vegetables, did not
turn around. But she nodded, as if to herself. тАЬWell, technically not outer space,тАЭ she said. тАЬHe
was still in the earthтАЩs orbit. But, yes, he called me from the orbiter. Out there.тАЭ She gestured
vaguely toward the window with the knife in her right hand.
Nan sighed and sipped her wine. тАЬI canтАЩt get Stanley to call from the Beef and Brew and you
get a call from outer space. You gotta admit, thatтАЩs got to make a kid feel a little... inadequate.тАЭ
She poured a glass of the scarlet wine and handed it to Jillian. тАЬNot that itтАЩs your fault or
anything, Jilly 0...тАЭ

Jillian smiled and took the glass. She thought that if she was in NanтАЩs shoes she would not
exactly relish the idea of a call from NanтАЩs latest boyfriend, Stanley, whether from the Beef and
Brew, outer space, or anywhere else. Stanley, sadly, was no womanтАЩs idea of a knight in shining
armor.
тАЬLike I said,тАЭ Jillian replied gently, тАЬtechnically it wasnтАЩt outer space, Nan.тАЭ
Nan shrugged and shook her head. тАЬEarthтАЩs orbit, outer space, Jupiter, whatever. Jill, if you
want to get really technical about things, you scored.тАЭ She took a deep pull on her wine and
shook her head again. тАЬOh man...тАЭ