A Series Of Fortunate Events, Part 5

A Series of Fortunate Events
by Kalithanatos

CHAPTER FIVE

Anne and the others continued to check on Katrina throughout the night to
make sure she was ok. Anne used Katrina's phone to text Rose and let her know
her daughter was fine and would be staying out.

The next day, Sunday, Anne woke Katrina twenty minutes before noon, when they
had to check-out. The other three ladies had already gone home, but Anne had
volunteered to stay behind and help Katrina. Her fiancé Gio was coming to
pick her up, and she had asked if he would mind driving Katrina home. Gio was
cool with that, and after a slightly worse for wear Katrina finally freshened
up, they were on the road.

Anne sat in the passenger seat, smoking one cigarette after another as Gio
drove. Katrina, vaguely remembering her experience from the night before,
vowed never to smoke or drink again. As the car pulled up in the driveway to
the Sime household, Katrina invited the couple in for a coffee.

"No, that's ok, thanks," Anne said. "We've got to be heading back. Big day
tomorrow!"

"Are you sure?" Katrina asked, "I would love to repay you somehow for last
night!"

"Actually," Gio piped in, "a coffee WOULD be nice. We've got a long drive
ahead of us," he pointed out to Anne.

"Ok, coffee it is," Katrina said, delighted she could spend some more time
with her friend.

They entered the house and were greeted by Rose.

"Hi mum!" Katrina said.

"Hi, Mrs. Sime!" Gio and Anne chimed in unison.

"I'll have none of that `Mrs. Sime' nonsense from anyone," Rose said. "My
name is Rose and any friend of Katrina's is a friend of mine."

"Mum, this is Anne and Gio. Anne is the one I was telling you about from
training; Gio is her fiancé. They ran me home, so I invited them in for
coffee."

"Excellent!" said Rose, "always nice to have guests. Now, take your shoes off
and make yourselves comfortable while I make the coffee. Anne," she said,
pondering, "was it you that sent me that text last night?"

"Yes, Mrs. - I mean, Rose. Katrina got a little tipsy and I just wanted you
to know she was ok."

"Very thoughtful and kind of you," Rose said, "I appreciated that." Just then
she noticed Anne standing up and making for the front door with her
Marlboro's in her hand.

"Do you mind if I step outside to smoke before the coffee," Anne asked.

"Actually, I DO mind," Rose said after thinking a moment, "Anyone who takes
that much care to look after my daughter has earned the right to smoke under
my roof. Please, feel free."

Katrina was shocked. As far as she knew, no one had EVER smoked inside this
house. Even Grandma Lee had to go out the back door! Anne looked over at
Katrina for confirmation and Katrina shrugged her shoulders. Anne sat back
down and lit up as Rose went through to the kitchens to get the coffees. She
came back a few minutes later with four cups of coffee just as Anne lit her
second cigarette.

"Ah, nothing like coffee and a cigarette," Anne said, visibly relaxing.

"So, Anne, for such a young woman you certainly seem like you smoke a lot!"
Rose said.

"Ah yes, sorry about that. It's just that when I have coffee, I just HAVE to
smoke too. I take it you don't smoke, Rose?"

"Never have, never will," Rose responded. "Neither does Katrina here, do you
dear?"

Katrina's heart skipped a beat as she lied, "No, not me." Anne threw Katrina
a tiny glance that said, "You liar!" which thankfully went unnoticed by Rose.

"How did you start smoking, Anne?" Rose asked, curious.

"Actually, it was my mum and twin sister who encouraged me," Anne responded,
a remark which shocked both Sime women. "I found out they both smoked on the
same night and we were all a bit drunk. Mum told me that she didn't mind if I
started since she would be a hypocrite otherwise and I took the opportunity
to try it. I was like a duck to water and started like I meant to go on. I
think I was addicted right away. I loved the taste and the kick that
cigarettes gave me, and still do. Within days I was smoking more than my mum
and sister combined and probably average about seventy a day, don't I, Gio?"

Gio nodded as Rose blurted out, "SEVENTY a day! My god, that seems an awful
lot. Don't you get sick of it?"

"No, not at all," Anne said, lighting another. "If truth be told, I hate
going to bed since I can't smoke for six hours!"

"Sometimes she wakes up two or three times a night, just so that she can
smoke," Gio piped in.

This seemed incredible to the Sime women, whose exposure to smoker's only
extended to Grandma Lee, who smoked no more than five a day.

"Doesn't this upset you, Gio?" Rose asked, "That your fiancée can't seem to
function without smoking?"

Gio smiled as Anne answered for him. "He LOVES it, don't you Gio?" Gio
nodded. "You see, Gio has a `thing' for women who smoke - it turns him on!"

Katrina turned to her mother to see her response to this, shocked at the way
the conversation had turned. Rose merely sat there, thinking. At last she
said, "Well, whatever makes you two happy, I suppose. I don't understand it
myself, but I'm not going to judge."

The discussion then turned to other things, such as the excitement the two
girls felt at starting a new job and the price of petrol. Anne, of course,
smoked throughout and Katrina got a chance to watch an expert at work, .
Remembering her experience from the previous evening, she admired the way
Anne would hungrily suck the smoke in then hold it in her lungs until
eventually there was a tiny stream to blow out. Katrina could not imagine
doing this ten times per cigarette, seventy times a day, and wondered how
Anne managed it. Again, she started to feel aroused watching Anne smoke
cigarette after cigarette until eventually, an hour later, Gio announced it
was time to go. Everyone hugged and Rose thanked Anne again for looking after
her daughter. Katrina promised to keep in touch, and with that, they were
gone.

After they left, Rose immediately attacked each room with the air freshener,
opening all the windows and remarking that the house would stink "for days."
Katrina reminded her that she had given Anne permission to smoke, and Rose
eventually stopped moaning about the smell.

Katrina decided to have an early night a few hours later, knowing what a big
day she had ahead of her.

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