It was an unseasonably warm afternoon for December- hard to imagine they were
predicting snow over the weekend- but that was fine with Teresa. Having the
club fair outside meant that she could demonstrate what their club was all
about. She pulled a long white cigarette from the pack of VS 120s and lit it
joyfully. It had been a good morning, with a steady stream of her fellow
smokers signing up.
Teresa smiled at Kenneth as he walked up to the table. She trimmed the ash
from her cigarette and took a cheerfully deep inhale.
“A smoking club ?”
“Yes- all we need to do is find a faculty advisor.”
“What would this faculty advisor do ?”
“Sit around for an hour once a week and watch five attractive young women
smoke.” Teresa punctuated the point with a perfect nose exhale.
“And you haven’t had any volunteers ?”
“Not yet. But we didn’t get the club started until about two weeks ago. We
just need to find an advisor by the end of the semester.”
“What does the club do ?”
“Well, we launched our website last week. It’s a smokers resource website.
Which dorms allow smoking, what teachers offer smoking breaks during three
hour classes, smoker-friendly hotels where prospective students and their
parents can stay, restaurants they can eat at. Smoking tips, testimonials.”
Teresa drew on her cigarette, exhaled. “And oh, we’re petitioning the school
to open all of the Chester dorms to smoking. This fall they turned away over
an hundred students who requested smoking rooms. And we have a sponsor- our
vice president Melissa’s dad owns The Tobacconist’s Haven downtown.”
“I don’t suppose that your advisor could get some free perks from the Haven.
That’s where I buy all my cigars.”
“I think something could be arranged. Think about it- we really could use
someone young and energetic.”
“How many members do you have ?”
“Seventy-two women, twenty-seven men.”
“Not bad. Three percent of the student population. I’ll consider it.”
Teresa watched him walk away, smiling.
She walked into her room and Melissa handed her a carton of VS 120s.
“Daddy’s compliments. He doesn’t want my roommate having to buy
cigarettes anymore. How’d the Clubs day go ?”
“We signed up another thirty-eight students. Did you get the discount
cards ?”
“Two hundred and fifty of them. I know that Daddy knows a good deal when
he sees one. A ten percent discount is a win-win situation for him and our
members. Did you have any luck finding a faculty advisor ? Daddy said he’ll
donate a box of cigars or a carton of cigarettes a month.”
“Well then, I think I may have come up with someone- Kenneth Billings.”
“Get out !” Melissa said, punching her new friend playfully on the arm.
“He’s fucking gorgeous. And he’s a cigar smoker. Best of both worlds.”
‘Well, he seemed interested, but I’ll have to let you know.’
‘You don’t mind if I have a cigar, do you ?’
‘Of course not,’ Teresa said. ‘You might want to crack the window, though.
Wouldn’t want to set off the smoke alarm.’
Melissa took a cigar from her humidor, prepared it with her plug cutter and
lit it patiently, making sure the flame never touched the tip. She exhaled a
thick cloud of smoke. ‘You know, as president of the smokers club, we’re
going to have to teach you to smoke cigars as well as cigarettes.’
‘Well, I’m certainly not resistant to it the way I was to smoking in
general. But you know that story already.’
Teresa lit a cigarette and smiled after a long nose exhale. ‘Maybe between
you and our dads, I can pick up enough pointers to give it a try. But not
right now.’
Melissa tapped the ash from her cigar and took a long, slow draw. ‘I’m
willing to be patient, roommie. As long as you don’t make me wait too long.’
Karen looked at the living room and smiled. She and her friend Brenda had
pulled up all the carpet on the main floor, all the padding, and all the
carpet tacks- good work for a Saturday morning. There was a loud echo in the
nearly bare rooms as the grandfather clock struck noon.
‘Well, that’s everything. Every last tack. I’ll get the beer.’
Looking outside, Karen saw the snow streaming down, heavy, cold, threatening
to turn the roads into a mess. She sighed. All she wanted right now was a
cigarette, but Brenda didn’t smoke and this was her house. She didn’t hold
out much hope of Brenda agreeing to allow her to smoke.
Brenda walked back into the living room, her footsteps loudly echoing on the
floorboards.
She was holding two Newcastles, a bag of salt and vinegar chips, and a small
bowl.
Karen took her beer and drank deeply.
Brenda put the glass bowl down on a small table.
‘What’s the bowl for ?’ Karen asked.
‘Well, it’s snowing like mad outside and you haven’t had a cigarette in
almost four hours. I’m not going to ask you to stand in the freezing snow and
the house is a little lonely now-‘
‘You still miss Sean, don’t you ?’
‘All I know,’ Brenda said, avoiding the question, ‘is that next week
they’ll be sawing and sanding and laying down polyurethane. I think I can
safely say that the smell of a few cigarettes will be long gone by then. Go
ahead and light up.’
Brenda turned on the Notre Dame game and sat down on the floor, sucking on
her beer.
Karen didn’t have to be asked twice to smoke. She lit her cigarette casually
and drew deeply on it.
‘How long have you been smoking, Karen ?’
‘That’s an easy one- I’ve been smoking for fifteen years.’
‘Fifteen years ?’ Brenda asked incredulously. ‘You’re what- twenty-eight ?’
‘Yes. I started smoking when I was thirteen.’
‘So you know a lot about smoking and guys then.’
‘I guess. What are you thinking about ?’ Karen exhaled, trimmed into the
bowl, drew again.
‘Well-‘
‘Let me guess- Sean, right ?’
‘Yeah, Sean. I know, you think good riddance to bad garbage. But I lo-liked
him.’
‘Yeah, I’m sure that you still do. But he’s gone. At least you weren’t
married. You’re twenty-seven, you own an house, a car, you have your dynamite
fucking looks. Date a little, have some protected casual sex. Live.’
‘That’s not where I wanted to go with this. I was just curious.’
Karen exhaled again and wondered if she might like the direction that this
was going.
‘About smoking and guys ?’
‘Anna, the woman he left me for, is a smoker. I never would have thought that
he would go for a smoker and I’m just wondering-‘
‘If he might have been attracted to her more because she smokes ?’
‘Exactly.’
‘Of course he is,’ Karen said, self-assured. ‘I can’t tell you how many
times I’ve turned heads by smoking. In fact, I see all the times with the
girls at school, too. It’s just one of those things that some guys enjoy
watching or being a part of. How would you have known- you’ve never smoked a
cigarette in your life, have you ?’
‘Of course I have. For instance,’ Brenda said, half-truthfully. ‘I smoked
for a year in high school. But I mostly sneaked around with a couple friends
of mine. We never smoked in public or around other people. I have no idea
what it’s like to smoke around other people.’
‘You smoked for a year and didn’t tell me ? Do you how angry that makes me
?’ Karen asked, only half-joking.
‘I knew if I told you that you’d never let me hear the end of it.’
‘Of course I wouldn’t. But now your priorities have changed. What I’m
curious about is how much they have changed and in what way.’
‘Well, I was thinking that if he’s turned on by smoking maybe I would
torture him a little.’
‘I don’t know,’ Karen said, finding it hard to believe that she was going to
point out the flaws in her friend’s plan. ‘First, if you haven’t smoked
since high school-‘
Brenda actually blushed. ‘All right. I’m come clean. I smoked on and off in
college, too. I was in a sorority for three years, after all.’
Okay, that was one objection quashed.
‘You two never see each other. You intentionally avoid him. What are you
planning to do ? Start stalking him ?’
‘No. Well, not tonight. Mutual friends- who we introduced to each other- just
got engaged, and they’re having a party. We can’t miss it.’
‘Then I’ll help you out, but only if you promise me this is about revenge
and not getting back together.’
‘Definitely. But let me get this straight. You think smoking for revenge is
okay but smoking to get back together with a guy isn’t.’
Karen trimmed, inhaled, framed her answer while she held the smoke. She spoke
through a milky exhale.
‘No, those are both valid reasons to smoke. I just don’t think smoking to
get back together with Sean is a valid reason to smoke. I think getting back
at him is in general a sound policy. Getting back together with him isn’t.’
‘But you’ll help me ?’
That brought a laugh. ‘Will I help my best friend smoke ? Of course. It’s
like something out of a fetisher’s story. If you’re going to make this work,
though, you have to be convincing.’ She tapped ash into the bowl, brought the
cigarette back to her mouth and pulled on it greedily. The exhale was
sizeable and satisfying. ‘That means you don’t just light the cigarette I’m
about to give you thinking about anything to do with Sean. You think about
smoking. You think about how much you are going to enjoy being a smoker
again-‘
She saw an objection form in Brenda’s eyes, inhaled, held it, and nose
exhaled.
‘If it’s going to work- if it’s going to punish him, you have to be a
smoker. He has to see a smoker, not a pretender. Sean is a lot of things but
let’s not include dim-witted.’
‘So what are you suggesting ?’
‘That you come stay with me while your floor is being done. That you plan on
taking smoking breaks at work, that we figure out ways to casually run into
Sean several times over the next week. But mostly that you take up smoking
first and revenge second. Now, are you sure that you’ll be able to smoke
tonight ?’
‘Yeah. Jessica is a committed smoker- she’s the sorority sister who was best
at getting me to light up. And so’s Phil. The party is at Leonard’s- you
know that bar on Chapel ?’
‘Perfect. Now, you’re sure that you want to be a smoker ?’
‘Yes.’
Karen stubbed out her cigarette, took two more from the pack, and lit them
both. She exhaled a double heavy cloud of smoke, walked over to Brenda, and
placed one between her friend’s eager lips.
Brenda drew on it and then removed it from her mouth. She held the smoke
longingly, arched her head, and exhaled slowly. Her hold was sufficiently
feminine and Karen thought there would be something to work with if she
wanted to turn Sean’s head.
‘You know, I’ll want you to come with me tonight. I get to bring a date.’
Brenda stood up, walked over to the bowl, and trimmed the ash from her
cigarette. She then drew on it again. It was another deep inhale and the
exhale streamed through pursed lips.
‘You want me to go as your date ?’ Karen asked. ‘That alone could get his
attention.’
‘Hey, whatever sticks the knife in a little deeper works for me.’
That was the sort of talk Karen liked to hear.
A few moments earlier on the far si8de of town, Teresa pulled into the
driveway just as the snow started to fall. It was the sort of beautiful
winter day that made her think about her days as a carefree child. She killed
the engine, lit a cigarette, drew deeply and decided she had no desire to go
back to those days. As enticing as the thought of getting bundled up and
playing in the snow was, she preferred driving a car and smoking cigarettes,
living at college at-
Boys seemed a lot nicer these days as well.
She got out of the car and stood in the falling snow for a moment,
looking up and down the street and the tastefully decorated colonial houses.
She could almost smell mulled apple cider mixing with the real smell of
woodsmoke and luxuriated in the deepening sense of comfort that she was
feeling.
She drew on her cigarette, trimmed the ash, and inhaled again. That was
when the front door opened and her father walked out of the house smiling.
She went to him and gave his bearlike frame as solid an hug as she could
manage.
“Hello, Daddy.”
“How’s it going, pumpkin ?”
Teresa resisted the urge to object to the nickname. It might be out of
season but it was still endearing.
Trimming again, Teresa took a deep draw, enjoying as always the chance to
smoke around her family. Funny how things changed.
“I came home to spend some time with you, Dad. If you have a few hours.”
He looked at her gravely and she knew that look was hiding his sense of
humour. “Out of cash again, eh ?”
“No, daddy. I still have half what you gave me in September, Free food,
free cigarettes- I’m all set.”
“You’re not pregnant, are you ?”
She laughed, put her arm around him, and they started walking towards the
house. “No, daddy. I haven’t even had sex yet.”
“Well,” he said, swinging the door open, “so much the worse for all those
unlucky boys. How’s your schoolwork going ?”
“Well, so far, pretty damn well. I have an A minus average and finals are
starting in about two weeks. I think maybe this college thing is okay. Dean’s
list will be nice, assuming I don’t go into the tank during exams.”
“You just missed your mother. She left fifteen minutes ago. I don’t
expect her back for at least eight hours.”
“Shopping ?”
“It is the Christmas season.”
“I can’t believe that you didn’t want to go with her,” Teresa joked.
Mom’s legendary shopping extravaganzas were a thing to be missed unless you
had the patience of Job, Dad always said.
“Well, I already have the coal for your stockings and that means I’m all
set,” he replied. “So what brings you home ? Hot apple cider and a place by
the fire ?”
“No,” Teresa said getting serious. She wasn’t sure why she was nervous
but she was. They went into the living room and sat down. Teresa took one
last long drag on her cigarette, stubbed it out, and lit another, enjoying
the simple pleasure of smoking in the house. Her dad watched her from his
easy chair and smiled broadly.
“What ?” Teresa said, suddenly self-conscious.
“Oh, I just enjoy watching the women of this house smoke. For someone who was
all ‘I’m not a smoker, dammit’, you sure have come round nicely.”
“Daddy !” Teresa said, anguished. “I really am sorry about all that.”
“I wasn’t being critical. You want something to drink ? Cider or a beer ?”
“It’s only noon, daddy,” Teresa said mockingly.
“You aren’t going to turn down a beer, are you ?”
“Of course not. You know how hard it is getting beer into the dorms these
days ?”
“Beer it is.” He got up and went to the kitchen and Teresa pulled out the
discount card and thought about the right way to approach this. There really
wasn’t any reason to be worried, after all. Dad would probably be thrilled at
the change to spend some time with his daughter this way.
He came back with two beers and Teresa followed a deep inhale with a long
pull from the Celebration Ale.
She handed him the card and he sat down again.
“What’s this ?”
“Well, I have good news and weird news. That’s the good news. A present from
Melissa. A ten percent discount to you favourite tobacconist.”
“Excellent. I knew that roommate of yours was going to work out. Now what’s
the weird news ?”
“Well, I want you to teach me to smoke a cigar.”
“Really ?” The sound in his voice was not what she expected. She’d just
assumed that he would be pleasantly surprised but instead he seemed totally
non-plussed by her announced.
“You don’t- well, I thought you’d be excited.”
“I am, pumpkin. I’m just- surprised is all. I mean, Melissa smokes cigars
and she lives in the same dorm room with you.” A look of comprehensive came
into his eyes. “Unless she’s been pressuring you-“
Teresa exhaled and laughed. “It’s not like that. Well, a little, maybe,
but this is not another example of my stubbornness impeding my growth as a
smoker, Daddy. I just thought that this would be a good chance for you and I
to share something special. The way I started smoking- if I had it to do over
again I wouldn’t have been such a bitch about it.”
“You were a little hardheaded. Well, if you want to take up cigar
smoking, I’m your man.” He looked at her take another spectacular draw off
the VS 120 and follow it up with a stunning exhale. His expression was all
together serious. “But if you really want to take up cigar smoking- something
I highly encourage- well, I don’t want you to take this the wrong way- but
many of the things that make you such a gorgeous cigarette smoker are things
you will have to unlearn for smoking cigars.”
Teresa blushed. “Daddy-“
“I’m serious, Teresa. You are a stunning smoker.”
“Next you’ll be telling me it turns you on.”
He smiled. “I never lose sight of the fact that you and Arial are my
daughters, honey. But if I wasn’t married and you weren’t my daughter, it
would be sexual. You do everything well- from the way you light your
cigarettes to how you hold them- the way you take those deep draws and let
loose those thick exhales of creamy smoke. But those are those are all things
you have to do differently. I think cigar smoking can be utterly feminine,
but it has to be done just right. Lighting a cigar is totally different, and
if you were to try and smoke a cigar like a cigarette you would get sick and
it would not be pleasant to watch at all. And cigar management is a
completely different kettle of fish.”
“I know. That’s why I’ve come to an expert.”
“Well, I’m flattered, but my style and yours won’t be the same. We’ll get
you started on a nice, mild, small ring cigar that will, to somewhat
contradict what I just said, take advantage of the way you smoke now. One of
the things we want to avoid is messing up your smoking style.”
‘I know what you mean,” Teresa said, her nose exhale feminine and
compelling. “Melissa smokes cigars and cigarettes completely different.”
“That’s because she’s very patient when she smokes cigars. That night we
took her out to dinner I was watching her very closely afterwards when she
lit up, and she has the gift of patience with a cigar- that’s the hardest
thing to learn. You can’t pop out of bed in the morning and light a quick
cigar before you shower and head for classes. It’s like the difference
between snapping a photograph and painting a landscape. Now, I’ve talked
enough. Let’s go take advantage of this discount card.”Smokers Club
Part 2 of 2
Brenda looked at the carton of cigarettes in her hand. She felt so
wonderfully decadent- she hadn’t had a carton of cigarettes given to her
since her senior year of college.
‘What are you thinking about ?’ Karen asked as they made their way back
to her car.
‘What do you mean ?’ Brenda asked innocently.
‘You look like- well, if I had known a carton of cigarettes would put a
look like that one your face I’d have given them to you two months ago.’
‘I was- I was thinking about the last time someone gave me a carton of
cigs. It’s a funny story.’
They got into the car and Brenda pulled the first pack out of the carton,
tore off the cellophane, and lit up. Karen did the same before pulling slowly
out of the parking lot, looked at her friend, and smiled. ‘I happen to like
funny stories.’
‘Well, it was the night before reading period. My boyfriend Greg and I
were almost finished- we didn’t have any finals, just papers. He’d written
all his by I was still working on an English paper and he came over to the
room looking for a little- well, you know-‘
Karen trimmed out the slightly opened window and pretended that she
didn’t. Instead she concentrated on the challenge of driving in the spreading
snow. ‘Sex. I told him no, not until I finished the paper. He said that
wasn’t a good enough reason so I picked up an empty pack of cigarettes- I
always had to be smoking when I was writing- and said I couldn’t possibly
have sex without a cigarette to smoke afterwards. He left and came back two
hours later with a carton of Marlboro Lights 100s, handcuffs, black leather
underwear- for me- and a bottle of champagne. For the next ten days- reading
period, exams, and senior week, all I did was have mindblowing sex, smoke,
drink, and cry.’
‘So do you think he was turned on by your smoking ?’
‘I think,’ Brenda said, blowing smoke out the window, ‘he was attracted
to my warm moist hole and he knew smoking was a part of the package. He never
gave me any impression he didn’t like it, but I think he more just accepted
it.’
‘So why did quit ?’
‘I got my job right out of college, none of the people I worked with were
smokers and Sean didn’t smoke.’
‘That’s something I need to ask you about.’
‘I thought this wasn’t about Sean.’
‘No, it’s about work. Are you going to have anyone to smoke with ?’
‘I guess you’re pretty serious about my being serious about smoking.’
‘I didn’t buy you those cigarettes to stare at, girl. I expect you to
find someone at work with that you can share your smoking breaks with.’
Karen took her left hand off the steering wheel and brought her cigarette
to her mouth, drawing deeply.
‘Do you think that’s important ?’
‘I know you, Brenda. You’re going to need a support group until you get
comfortable smoking again.’
‘Well,’ Brenda said, exhaling, this time into the car as Karen had, ‘it
just happens that my assistant Candice is a smoker. She takes four or five
cigarette breaks every day plus she smokes at lunch. I think she’ll be
willing to work with me. It’s not like she has a choice.’
‘Great. Now getting back to this Greg, are you sure he wasn’t just a
little bit attracted to your smoking- he did give you a carton after all, not
just a pack.’
‘Is that why you gave me a whole carton ?’ Brenda teased.
Karen laughed. ‘We’d have to have a pretty miserable night at this party
for me to have sex with you.’
‘Well, that’s good to know- one lifestyle change at a time.’
They both laughed at that.
The tobacconist’s shoppe was full of holiday shoppers and smokers. Teresa
walked through the door, enjoying the opportunity to smoke and shop at the
same time. Her father had started browsing as soon as they’d gotten inside
the door, so she was free to check out all the smokers milling around.
She saw one unexpected young woman standing near the counter in the middle of
the shop and Teresa went right up to her.
“Brittany ?”
“Hey Teresa.”
“I didn’t know that you smoked !”
Brittany flashed her membership/discount card. “I’ve only been smoking ag-
for about two weeks now.”
“How’d that happen ?” Teresa asked, her voice bright and accepting.
“You sound surprised.”
“Well, I remember the day I told you I’d started smoking and you looked at me
like I’d let you down.”
“That was kind of immature, wasn’t it ? Can we just forget about that ?’
‘All’s well that ends well.’
‘Well, I was studying with my boyfriend one night about two weeks ago, and I
was having a lot of trouble staying awake. He suggested I try one of his
cigarettes. I did- pretty hesitantly- but I liked it and it worked. Not to
mention that it seemed like it was a really turn-on for Mike. The only thing
was that he didn’t like the way the cork filter looked and I thought his
Marlboro 100s were a little strong. So I tried lights and that was better for
both of us.”
“So it wasn’t just about you finding a way to stay awake while you were
studying ?”
“No. When we met the first thing he did was offer me a cigarette.”
“Really ?” Teresa asked, intrigued. ‘Do tell.’
“We were walking out of Hellmann and he pulled up short to light a cigarette
and I walked into him. He turned around as I was saying I’m sorry, finished
lighting up, looked at me and said ‘Hey, it’s okay- you’re cute. Want a
cigarette ?” I said no thanks and he said “That’s too bad” and walked away.”
“That must have gotten your attention !”
“Did it ever. I sat down right next to him the next class and the first thing
I said was ‘So you think I’m cute ? That’s too bad.’ He was hooked right
then. After that he kept calling me until I agreed to a date and the rest is
history.”
“That’s so cool,” Teresa said. “So what brings you here ?”
“Well, believe it or not, I’m already up to half a pack a day. I was bitching
about how I’m using all my laundry money buying cigarettes at four dollars a
pack and he said I should join the smoker’s club and get a discount card and
buy a carton. So I stopped by your room, joined up, and got this card from
Melissa. But I’ve been standing here for ten minutes trying to decide what to
buy. Your roommate lit up one of her Virginia Slims 120s and I thought Mike
would really get off on me smoking those- but I’m not sure I want to switch
brands.”
Teresa held out her pack and lighter. “Try one of mine then. I may be biased
but there’s nothing like them- especially for making a guy hot.”
Brittany took the pack, extracted a cigarette and lit it somewhat nervously.
But her hold and exhale were both very well done.
It just so happened that Teresa had her digital camera in her purse-
she’d been thinking that she might let Dad take a picture or two. She took it
out and snapped a picture just as Brittany was taking a second inhale on the
long white cigarette. She took another one of her holding, the long white
cigarette up near her face, angled away.
‘Well, what do you think ?’ Teresa asked.
‘I’d like to see the pictures,’ Brittany said.
Bringing them up in the viewfinder, Teresa was pleased to see the smile
that came across Brittany’s face.
‘I think Christmas is going to come early for Mike this year.’
She turned to the young woman behind the counter and asked for a carton
of Virginia Slims 120s and a carton of Marlboro 100s, showing the discount
card.
‘You get a free pack with each carton.’
‘One pack of Marlboro Lights 100s and one pack of Virginia Slims 120s.’
Brittany handed the pack of 120s to Teresa, who shook her head. ‘You
don’t have to.’
‘I want to say thank you. And can you email me those pictures ?’
‘Sure,’ Teresa said, taking the pack.
“I’ll catch you at school.”
Teresa found her dad talking to Melissa’s dad.
“So my daughter’s roommate wants to learn a little bit about cigars ?”
Carlos asked.
“Yes,” Teresa said, somewhat seriously.
“You seem more afraid than excited, Teresa.”
“Well, this is kind of a big thing, isn’t it ?”
“It can be, but I wouldn’t look at it that way. I remember when Melissa
started. She was so eager, but she came to me of course I told her the same
thing I’ll tell you. You are already such an attractive young smoker that
cigar smoking can be an extension of that for you. Donald and I have been
talking and I think you did the right thing coming to him. Melissa is a
wonderful cigar smoker but she would have rushed to get that first cigar in
your mouth and that’s not the way to do this.”
Teresa gave her dad a little hug around the waist and he slipped his arm
around her shoulder.
“Now, let’s talk about the cigar your father and I have selected for you-“
“I can’t believe this snow,” Jessica said, a frown on her pretty face.
“Come on, you know the snow is supposed to stop by late this afternoon
and the party’s not until eight,” Phil said, slipping his arm’s around his
fiancé’s waist. He hugged her gently.
“Yeah, I know,” she said, resting her head on his shoulder.
“That’s not what’s really bothering you, is it ?”
She kissed him on the cheek. She loved the fact that he was actually
sensitive- sensitive to her moods, something he accomplished without being
needy and whining like most sensitive guys were. He was right. There was
something else nagging her. She pecked his cheek a second time, walked over
to the coffee table, picked up a pack of Marlboro Lights 100s and pulled one
out He was there to light it for her immediately.
“It’s Sean and Brenda.”
“You feel guilty that they introduced us, went out with us on our first
date and now they’re not together. It even makes you wonder about us, right ?”
Jessica smiled. “I could lie and say no- I mean, a part of me does say
no. I think what you and I have is special. But it’s disconcerting. They
seemed so happy together and it was part of the warm glow that got our
relationship off on such a good footing. And then he leaves her for somebody
else.”
“Whom he’s very happy with,” Phil said, defending his friend. “And
Brenda’s Brenda. She’ll be fine.”
“Oh, you men,” Jessica said, only half-teasing.
“What does that mean ?”
“Oh, the difference between men and women is that women want to see their
exes happy and men want to think there is no other guy out there for any
woman they’ve dated.”
“That’s not true. I know plenty of spiteful women. And Brenda and I only
dated for a month way back in college. But if it will make you happier, I do
think there’s someone I could introduce her to- Kenneth.”
Jessica brightened. “That’s a great idea,” she said, but then she frowned.
“What ?” Phil asked, although he knew very well what exactly what was on
Jessica’s mind.
“Well, he’s another one of you guys.”
Phil watched Jessica draw on her cigarette. He enjoyed every part of
watching her smoke. The way the cigarette rested between the first and second
fingers of her left hand like it was meant to be there. The easy way she
lifted it to her mouth, never hurried, even when she was angry. The deep and
patient inhale. The way she kept her mouth closed and forced the smoke out
her pert nose.
The way her eyes smiled as she did it.
“Kenneth is first and foremost the nicest guy I know.”
“He also joneses on women who smoke.”
“I’m just looking at introducing them. Kenneth, this is Brenda. Not
Kenneth, this is Brenda and I’d like you to sleep with her a few times and
then decide you need a woman who smokes. And I still contend that’s not why
Sean broke up with Brenda. He had a thing for Anna before he started dating
Brenda. He just didn’t have the balls to ask her out. If you want something
guys can’t understand about women- the same sort of thing as guys not liking
to see old girlfriends dating someone else-“
Jessica trimmed the ash from her cigarette, drew on it and then wrapped
herself around Phil. Their noses were touching as she nose exhaled. Her eyes
were playful.
“So you admit it ?” she asked, in her most sultry voice and then teased
him with a tongueless open-mouthed kiss. She used the index finger of her
free hand to draw a circle on his cheek and closed her teeth down on his
lower lip briefly.
“I’m just saying that women do this thing were they find a guy who is
dating someone else suddenly much more attractive than he was when he was
alone. Anna didn’t have the time of day for Sean until after he started
dating Brenda. The mechanism is exactly the same- ‘˜What does he see in her ?
I thought he liked me.'”
“Anna knew Sean liked her ?”
“Yeah. She’d have had to be brain-dead and blind not to. Look, our
friends are interesting and all, but right now your have the most stunning
erect pair of nipples pressed against my chest-“
She turned her head so she could reach her mouth with her cigarette, drew
on it, arched her head, and blew a thick cloud of smoke past it, then stared
directly in his eyes.
“You are driving me wild with your smoking, I just want to have sex with
you one last time before this damn party.”
She placed her free hand over the bulge in his pants and rubbed it.
“It’s hardly worth getting naked if it’s only going to be once, silly.”
He swept her up off her feet and started carrying her out the room and
she protested.
“Wait. Take me over to the table.” Once he was there she scooped her
cigarettes and lighter off the table and allowed him to carry her upstairs
into the bedroom. Once there, she stubbed out the cigarette, pulled her
sweatshirt off, wriggled out of her pleasantly tight jeans, and watched him
as he stripped down to nothing but his socks- he knew how she disliked cold
feet, another plus.
She took a deep pull on the cigarette and spread milky white smoke into
the room, then unhooked her black bra. It floated to the floor. She followed
that by slipping a thumb inside her underwear and dropping them down to her
ankle.
Jessica drew on the cigarette again, a double pump, and smoke trailed
from her mouth and nostrils as her hand drifted down to her pussy. “It’s cold
down there,” she said sexily as she began gently fingering herself.
“Let me help you keep that warm,” he said, walking over to her.
She turned her left hand over, offering him a drag on the cigarette. As he
drew on it she brought her other hand to her mouth and put her finger inside
it, sucking on it gently before she slid it back inside of herself. He knew
exactly what that meant. He held the smoke, pressed up against her, and
kissed her, his smoke becoming hers.
Then he slid down the taunt length of her torso and stopped when he was
on his knees. He began the slow enjoyable pleasure of pleasuring the woman he
loved so painfully it hurt to think about.
She looked down at him, on his knees making love with his long, supple
tongue and playfully said “Would you still love me if I quit smoking ?”
His mimsy-muffled response was incoherent.
“Phil,” she said, still teasing, “I’m serious.”
She wriggled in pleasure as she spoke.
He stopped what he was doing and stood up. She offered him another hit on
her cigarette, which he took gracefully and then she reached over to the
nightstand and trimmed.
“No, of course not. But I’d still love you enough to marry you, silly.”
“You always know the right answer,” she said, laughing as she tousled the
hair on the top of his head. Then she gently pushed downward and he returned
to duty. He looked up at her, his eyes full of that love as she took the
deepest draw she could on her cigarette and blew the smoke down to him.
He reached up with one hand and tapped the area just under her breasts.
She moved both hands down to her nipples and stroked them, breaking only
to smoke and trim.
Just as she was about to finish the cigarette she came to orgasm. There
was a small ejaculatory squirt and then she stubbed out the cigarette
groaning loudly. She bent down, pulled him up and tossed him onto the bed. He
lay still as she picked up the pack of cigarettes, pulled on out and planted
it between his eager lips. She lit it with her other hand, let him draw in
smoke, and then moved it away and leaned close so that he could bathe her in
his smoke. She repeated this and then handed him the cigarette. Crawling over
him, she rubbed her breasts against and reached over to her nightstand. She
grabbed the large ashtray there, the handcuffs in them jingling. One end of
the braces she locked onto his left wrist and the other was quickly locked to
a slat in the headboard.
She placed the ashtray where she’d be able to reach it, took another
cigarette from the pack, and lit it. She pulled hard and then slid down onto
his chest and her blue eyes dancing, blew smoke up along his body. Then she
wriggled down and began fellating him. Stroke, stroke, stroke and then a puff
from her cigarette. As his penis grew and danced inside her mouth her watched
the cigarette, which she held dexterously over the ashtray. He could see the
moistness on the filter tip and it made him even harder.
Three strokes and a pull on the shrinking cigarette, which she kept
perfectly trimmed. He smoked his own as he moved closer and closer to orgasm.
She knew exactly when he was too far gone to stop and then held him with her
mouth, inviting him to cum, which he did willingly.
Still holding his warm spunk in her mouth she teasing said ‘Mmm,
vanilla,” in a lispy voice and then swallowed. They finished their cigarettes
and she immediately lit another and then handed it to him. She spread herself
across his chest, facing the ceiling, his still hard penis pressed against
her thigh and they took turns on the cigarette.
“Well, I’d love you less if you quit too. But I’d still marry you. I’d
just have an affair with a guy who did smoke.”
He laughed at the joke.
“Can I tell you my secret fantasy ?”
“Is this one where I invite my gorgeous buxom redhead friend over for a
three-way ?”
“You’ve been reading too many stories,” Phil said playfully. “No, this is
about our wedding.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. Gilson told me he’s moving the reception to
the smoking hall. She was very apologetic about the mistake.”
“No, this is a fantasy, remember ?”
Jessica took a draw on her cigarette and then offer it to Phil, who
sucked on it greedily.
“Okay, so what are we talking about ? Female naked wedding ?”
“Oh, I don’t think so. Neither one of us want to see our mothers naked,
do we. I don’t suppose you’d be interested in picking up cigar smoking ?”
“Ah. You mean so that we have cute reception pictures of me sucking on a
cigar, right ?”
“Well, I was more thinking of you walking down the aisle with a cigar.”
“My father would LOVE that,” Jessica said enthusiastically. “That’s a
great idea. Fantasy ! Why didn’t you mention this sooner ?”
“Because I thought that you would think it was stupid.”
Jessica drew on their cigarette and then kissed Phil, pushing the smoke
into his mouth. He exhaled it through his nose and she drank it in again.
“You would honestly consider-“
“Of course- if you can get that amazing penis of yours hard enough to
pleasure me again.”
Phil did as he was asked without complaint on either side.
“Dad, stop the car.”
They had just pulled up alongside Brittany, who was trudging along the
snow-covered sidewalk, her backpack slung over her shoulder.
“Brittany, how about a ride ?”
“Are you headed back to school ?”
“Not straight away, but eventually.”
“Well, I’m going to the Snowfest with Mike tonight. I don’t want to get
stuck in the snow.”
“It’s supposed to stop in a couple of hours and I’ve got my car. Come on.”
Brittany piled into the backseat. Teresa lit a cigarette using the car
lighter and Brittany asked if her father minded her smoking in the car. He
puffed on his cigar and laughed, and Teresa passed the lighter back to
Brittany, who lit the first cigarette from a pack of the VS 120s.
“I saw your parents in Larainne’s the other night. I was surprised,”
Donald said.
“I hear they are being allowed out at night if they are really well
behaved,” Brittany quipped.
“Well, what I mean is that I saw them because they were sitting in the
smoking section. I saw your mom smoking- I thought that both of your parents
had quit a few years back.”
Brittany laughed. “I suppose that’s my fault.”
Teresa turned and looked at her. “Your fault ?”
“Well, remember how you were saying I didn’t seem to approve when you
told me you’d started smoking ? There’s some history there. When I was
fourteen, I started smoking. About a month after I started, my father caught
me smoking behind the house one afternoon when he came home early. He was
furious and he ended up deciding I was smoking because he and mom smoked.
Which was total shit. It had nothing to do with them. But he came to the
conclusion that all three of us would stop smoking. Mom was really against
the idea, but he made us an offer we couldn’t refuse- if all three of us quit
he’d pay for a trip to Paris. Even Mom couldn’t pass that up.”
“Your dad rewarded you for quitting with a trip to Paris ? That seems
bizarrely counterproductive,” Donald said, laughing.
“Tell me about it. We were the only three people in Paris over thirteen
not smoking. But the deal was they wouldn’t smoke as long as I didn’t. Well,
when I told them a week ago I was smoking again and that it really had
nothing to do with them, I made mom the happiest mother in the nation. She
hung up the phone as soon as I told her and went out and bought cigarettes.
So that’s what’s up with that.”
“Now that’s a smoking story with an happy ending,” Teresa said.
‘How come you’re not smoking one of your cigars ?” Brittany asked.
“Well, Dad has to give me a tutorial first. I’m going to take my time
with it. But after we get home-“
“Can I watch ?” Brittany asked.
“Watch ?” Teresa’s dad asked. “Of course. You can even participate if you
want.”
“Boy, that would get Mike going, I bet.”
Brittany thought about that and decided that maybe she would do just that.
But she had no idea just how much she would giving Mike to look at later on.