Caroline crossed her legs and with her thumb fanned the tome of a conference brochure. Two lectures remaining in the afternoon session.

Pedagogical Environments in Chemistry: Effects on Girl's Self-Efficacy Beliefs – Dr. Diana Poole, British Educational Research Journal, July 2016

Advantages of Using Innovative Technological Tools to Teach Chemistry in Primary Schools – Dr. Caroline Elliott, National Foundation for Educational Research, December 2015

Stage right, the woman sitting next to her and next bound for the podium looked toward the speaker then leaned in toward Caroline. No sense of personal space. Or, the sense, disregarded.

"This is bullshit."

Caroline disregarded the disregard and leaned in to her, both watching the audience from the wings. "Absolute nonsense."

"She's shagged her way here."

Her breath smelled of anise and her thick raven hair of sandalwood – and – smoke? How much back and forth would Caroline indulge? No reaction.

She put her charcoal eyes on Caroline. "Maybe I shouldn't have said that."

"Maybe – not."

"You're the one shagging her, then?"

"No."

Open evaluation. "That's too bad."

Spinning up. A reaction was warranted. Earned. "Is it?"

"No."

Caroline stopped watching the audience and smiled at Diana Poole. Actions and reactions. New combinations of elements. An unexpected compound.

The woman they dissected laughed at a bad joke from an attractive man in the audience. Questions, the worst part of any lecture. Waves of onlookers missing the point. Highlighting their ignorance in their preamble, often an attempt to peacock their own point following. "I might have missed something in your talk, but…."

A petite girl tapped Diana's shoulder. "You've about five minutes, Dr. Poole."

"Thank you."

"I've read your paper, Diana." Dr. Poole had not shagged her way into the room. Her findings and conclusions concrete, considering the presence of the social sciences. Her citations were meticulous. No equivocation in her statements. Unafraid. Academically brash. Rare.

"Three minutes, Dr. Poole."

"Haven't read yours. Just caught the abstract."

Spinning down. Reaction. "Perhaps you'll stay for my lecture."

"One minute, Dr. Poole."

"Are you here in Cambridge tonight, Caroline?"

Yes. "No."

"That really is too bad."

Applause filled the auditorium. The laughing woman exited stage left.

Diana reached past her crisp pinstripe shirt, under her black suit to the inner pocket. From it she pulled an exquisite pair of round crimson glasses and one business card, which she handed to Caroline.

"I've drinks with a colleague when I'm done. Miss your lecture. Sorry."

Diana was called from above and welcomed. Center stage.

Caroline crossed her arms and flipped the card finger to finger, considering the woman in the footlights.