Rachel half choked on a bite of eggs at Mike’s joke.  Her eyes watered slightly as she took a sip of water to wash it down before she could choke in truth, her expression a mix of both shock and amusement.  Her personal thought was that at least part of a woman’s drive to be in a relationship was cultural, but his odd sense of humor had successfully derailed her for the moment.  That kind of conversation seemed far too serious for an introduction.<br/><br/>She gave Beth and Sean a smile of thanks and made a mental note to spend some time with the other woman.  She’d always wanted to spend time in London; the city had fascinated her since she was a teenager.  Most of the older European cities did, steeped in history and culture, unlike the States.  “I envy you’re musical talent, Sean.  I never progressed past the piano myself.”<br/><br/>“You’re all more than welcome to join me when I work out, though I don’t know how good of a teacher I’ll be.  I’m sure I can at least get you through the basics without too many bruises,” she chided.<br/><br/>“I think Beth is onto something, “ she said a moment later, with a thoughtful nod.  “Stability seems to become more important the older I get, but I’m a bit gun-shy at this point.  That’s one of the reasons I wanted to try something different like this.  I don’t have any preconceptions to fall back on, no experiences to tell me what I can and can’t do… it’s completely new.  Very… freeing in a way.  You also have to consider the cultural baggage as well.  Most societies tell us that women need to be attached, need to be in a stable relationship,” she shrugged slightly and stood to gather the empty plates.<br/>