Jennifer

Jennifer
by smokingbeauties@yahoo.com

Jennifer was a beautiful, blonde-haired, blue eyed woman of only
thirty-three.  She had always had an interest in the news, even as a child.
After graduating from High School, she was accepted to attend one of the most
prestigious journalism schools in the country.  The news made her ecstatic.

Jennifer worked as hard as she could to make a name for herself in the
broadcasting world.  Even in college, she stayed away from anyone who could
possibly make her reputation as a "straight shooter" tarnish, even
slightly.

Very quickly, she was able to attain an internship with one of the local
network affiliates.  This internship wasn't glamorous, but it led to bigger
and brighter things for the starry eyed co-ed.  Within months, Jennifer was
offered her first on camera appearance.

Nervous but undaunted, Jennifer reported the story with accuracy, fairness,
and charm.  The producers of the affiliate were quite pleased by her
performance.  They offered her more camera time, which she gladly accepted.

Four years after entering college, Jennifer graduated.  The afternoon of her
graduation, she was offered a contract with the network affiliate she'd been
interning with.  This came as no surprise to anyone, because Jennifer was
"that good".

Jennifer quickly earned the respect of her coworkers, because no matter how
awful the story seemed, Jennifer relayed the facts to the audience with the
same accuracy, fairness, and charm as her first.

Two years after signing her contract, the news producer came to Jennifer with
a story she couldn't pass up.

It seemed the local politicians were trying to pass a law that would ban
smoking in all restaurants, bars, and similar places.

"I'll do the story, Jerry," Jennifer said.  "But you've got to know
something up front."

"What is it, Jen?" asked Jerry.

"I've never smoked before in my life, and to be honest with you, I really
can't stand smoking," Jennifer started.  "I'll do my best to be
objective, but I really do hate it."

Jerry laughed as he took a pack of Marlboros out of his pocket.  Much to
Jennifer's dismay, it was obvious that he was on his way outside to smoke.

"That's fine," he said.  "I know you'll do whatever it takes to be as
unbiased as you always are.  And who knows?  I heard there might be an anchor
position opening up soon.  I'd love to see you get it, but I've got to be
able to prove to the suits that you're worthy of the job."

With that, he walked away.  What did he mean by `whatever it takes'?
Jennifer hoped he didn't expect her to smoke, in the hopes of being
objective.

That night, Jennifer went home and prepared her research into the pending
legislation.  It seemed that this story would be easy for her, because she
could completely sympathize with the "plight of the non-smoker", as she
jokingly called it.

Three days later, Jennifer was at one of the local eateries, going through
her final preparations for her interviews.

Her first interview was a woman named Mary.  Mary was about fifteen years
older than Jennifer, and Jennifer noticed how she looked "like a smoker".
Any judgements Jennifer had were, as always, kept to herself.

The first interview went relatively routinely.  Jennifer asked Mary the
questions she'd prepared, and Mary was more than willing to answer openly.

After the interview, Jennifer found her next subject, a man about her own age
who was puffing enthusiastically on a cigar.

She began to interview him, but soon realized that the smell of his cigar was
too much for her to handle.  She politely eased her way out of the interview,
and moved on to her next subject.

Her third interviewee was a girl who Jennifer estimated was only a few years
younger than herself.  She was an attractive girl, with long, curly, blonde
hair, a very nice figure, and not a blemish on her skin.  Although Jennifer
was completely content with dating men, she had to admit silently to herself
that this woman was beautiful.  It was hard to believe that she was "one of
them".

Jennifer walked up to the young woman, and smiled.

"Can I help you?" the woman asked.

"Actually, yes," Jennifer began.  "My name is Jennifer-"

"I know who you are," the woman smiled.  "Care to sit down?"

Jennifer accepted the invitation and sat across the table from the young
smoker.

"Doing another story on smoking?" asked the woman.

"I've never-" began Jennifer.

"No, I know you haven't," said the girl.  "But your colleagues have.
They always claim to be so objective, but it never fails.  They send some
anti-smoker to cover us, and the truth always gets distorted."

Jennifer didn't know what to say.  She was the anti-smoker that was being
referred to.

"Just because I've never smoked, doesn't mean I can't be objective," she
objected.

"Sure it does," said the woman, taking a puff on her Marlboro Light 100.
"Just like I could never do a story on journalism, because I've never been
a journalist."

The analogy made frightening sense to Jennifer.

"My name is Courtney," said the blonde.  "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, also," Jennifer said.

"When is your story due?" asked Courtney.

"The producer wants it for a piece this weekend," Jennifer replied.  "But
I'm having a harder time getting information than I anticipated.  It seems
no one wants to be completely open about their smoking."

"Do you think you could get an extension?" asked Courtney, exhaling a cloud
over Jennifer's head.

"Probably, why?" Jennifer asked.

"Well I'd be willing to give you all the information that you want, but it
would involve you spending a lot of time with me.  Then you'll have an
objective story, free of any half-truths," Courtney explained.

Jennifer didn't know what to say.  She didn't know this girl from Adam, and
she didn't know what she was getting herself into.  She wanted the anchor
seat, though, and like Jerry said, she'd have to do "whatever it takes" to
get it.

"I don't know if I can get an extension or not," Jennifer explained.

"Well, how badly do you want your story?" Courtney inquired, stubbing her
cigarette out putting money on the table for her cup of coffee.  

As Courtney gathered her belongings, Jennifer realized that time was of the
essence.  Was this something she wanted to do?  She didn't know the answer,
but she knew that she didn't have time to argue with herself, either.

Jennifer took her cell phone out of her pocketbook and dialed Jerry's inside
line.  Courtney just listened as Jennifer talked to her producer.

"Jerry, it's Jen," she started.  "I need an deadline extension on the
smoking story.  I've got someone who is willing to give me all of the
information that I need, but it's going to take some time.  How long can you
give me?"

Courtney smiled.  Everything was going as she'd hoped.

Jennifer got off the phone and looked at Courtney.

"How long do you need?"  Jennifer asked.

"Well, you'll have to spend at least a week with me before you can even do
the story," Courtney said.

"Okay, and then?" asked Jennifer.

"Then the rest is up to you," Courtney replied.

"How so?" Jennifer asked.

"You'll see," the blonde replied mysteriously.  "Meet me back here at
seven tonight?"

"Sure," Jennifer said, though she wasn't sure why.

"Great," Courtney said, standing up from the table.  "And you won't need
your camera, so you might as well give him the night off."

"Alright," Jennifer said.  "I'll see you here at seven then."

"You bet!"  said Courtney as she walked out of the restaurant.  Jennifer
got back into the station's car, and returned to her office.  She worked on
some of the other stories she had on her list, but her mind kept returning to
"the smoking story" as she was now calling it.

Eventually, seven o'clock came.  Jennifer got into her own car, and turned
the key.  She drove out of the parking lot at the studio, and headed for the
restaurant she was supposed to meet Courtney at.

Within fifteen minutes, she was there.  Courtney was no where to be found.

"Excuse me," the hostess said.  "You're Jennifer Rose, aren't you?"

Familiar with some of the hassles of being on television, Jennifer smiled
politely and said, "Yes, I am."

"First, let me say that you're great," the young hostess said. 

"Thank you," Jennifer said politely, scanning the room for Courtney.

"I was asked to give you this," said the hostess, handing Jennifer a
package with a note attached to the top of it.

"Jennifer-Got tied up at work.  Meet me at my house, which is located at 419
Congress Street.  Don't open this package until I get there. -Court"

Normally, such suspicious packages would have made Jennifer uncomfortable.
Even though she was "only" on a local affiliate, many of the reporters had
received more than their share of mail that was a little over the edge.

Jennifer wondered how well she could trust this woman, who was, essentially,
a stranger.  The woman was very well dressed, and she didn't "look like a
psycho".  She rationalized her next decision with an affirmation.

"I'm going to do whatever it takes to get that anchor's seat," she said
silently.

Jennifer got back in the car, and put the brown mysterious brown cardboard
box on the passenger seat.  She studied it for a few minutes, tempted to open
it, hating the fact that she'd always been such an honest person.  If she
was given directions, she followed them to the letter, regardless of her own
personal feelings.  She used to joke with her friends that she was in the
military in a past life.  

She took her eyes from the box and started the car.  She drove downtown and
got on Congress Street.  After just a few miles, she found number 419.  It
was a very nice house - which calmed Jennifer's anxious nerves.  She
didn't see Courtney standing on the porch, but she saw the distinct orange
glow of a cigarette.  

"That must be her," Jennifer said, grabbing the package from the passenger
seat.

"Hi," Courtney said as Jennifer walked up the sidewalk.

"Hi," said Jennifer with a smile.

"I see you found me okay," Courtney laughed.

"Yeah, no problems at all," replied Jennifer.

"You ready to start?" asked Courtney.

Jennifer wasn't sure what she was agreeing to, but her streak of integrity
went into overdrive.

"Absolutely," she said.

"Excellent," said Courtney.  "Can I get you a drink?"

"Sure," said Jennifer graciously.

"I just made a pitcher of margaritas, want one?" Courtney offered.

"Sure," said Jennifer.  She was never a big drinker, but she did enjoy a
drink from time to time, and margaritas were towards the top of the list of
drinks Jennifer liked.

Courtney returned a minute later, and handed Jennifer a large glass of the
frozen citrus beverage.

"How exactly is this helping me with my story?" Jennifer asked, half-way
through her drink.

Courtney laughed.

"Well, you're doing a story about smoking, and how the new legislation
which would ban smoking in public places is going to affect both smokers and
non-smokers, right?"  she asked.

Jennifer swallowed her drink.

"Exactly," she replied.

"Well, have some more of your drink, and it will all begin to make sense,"
Courtney instructed.

Jennifer was beginning to not only feel a bit confused, but a bit buzzed as
well.  The margarita wasn't overly strong, but it had been a while since
Jennifer had eaten, so she was drinking on an empty stomach.  It had been
even longer since she'd consumed alcohol.

After finishing her margarita over some idle chatter, Courtney announced it
was time to begin.

"Okay," said Jennifer, feeling the effects of the alcohol.

"But first, another drink," Courtney laughed, getting up from her seat and
heading for the kitchen.

Jennifer wasn't sure if she wanted another drink, but she was enjoying
Courtney's company and hospitality, so she didn't decline.  Plus, it was
Friday, so she might as well unwind a bit.

Courtney returned with another glass full of the green slush and handed it to
Jennifer.

"So tell me," Courtney began.  "You've never even tried smoking, right?"

Jennifer was amazed at how Courtney seemed to know her so well, despite the
fact that they'd just met that afternoon.

"How'd you know?" asked Jennifer.

"You just seem like the type who has been too afraid to try it, that's
all," Courtney replied, sipping her drink.

Jennifer was slightly offended by her new friend's assumption.  She looked
at Courtney, who was placing a Marlboro Light 100 between her lips.

"It's not that I'm-" Jennifer began.

"Of course it's not," Courtney interrupted patronizingly.  "No one ever
admits to being afraid of trying smoking.  They all just complain about the
smell without ever understanding the pros of the habit."

"I never complained," Jennifer defended.

"No, I'm sorry," said Courtney.  "I didn't mean you.  I haven't heard
you complaining about my smoking yet.  But let me ask you this - how do you
plan to do portray an honest assessment of how this legislation will affect
smokers if you've never been one yourself?"

"That's what my interviews are for," Jennifer replied confidently.

Courtney laughed.  

"If you were to interview a surgeon, would you be able to explain accurately
how to take out someone's spleen?"  she quipped.

"Well no, I guess-" started Jennifer, before being interrupted once more.

"I've been both a non-smoker, and I've been a smoker," Courtney began.
"I know what it's like to be on both sides of the fence, and both sides
have their advantages.  But I know that I never understood why people smoked
until I tried it myself."

Jennifer seized the moment to begin interviewing Courtney.

"When was that?" she asked.

"First of all, let me just say this," Courtney began.  "I see that you're
changing the subject because you're uncomfortable.  I'm not going to try to
convince you to smoke, Jennifer, so don't worry about that.  I just don't
think you can be impartial without trying it, that's all.  How you do your
job is no business of mine."

Jennifer felt relieved.  She was getting the impression that Courtney was
going to try to pressure her into smoking, and that was not something she
wanted to do.

"With that said, I'll answer your question," Courtney continued.  "I'm
twenty-four now, and I've been smoking since I was twenty-two years old."

"So you started relatively later in life, since the average starting age is
only nineteen," Jennifer stated.

"Yeah, I guess you could say I started late," Courtney admitted.  "But
since the time I started smoking, I have to admit that my life has been
incredibly great, and I've been happier than I've ever been in my life!"

Jennifer took another sip of her margarita.

"How so?" she asked.

"Well, for one thing, I've been able to get rid of any stress that comes
up, no matter how bad it seems," Courtney replied.  "Also, I've met some
of the most amazing people when I go outside to smoke.  It's like a special
club, only for people who are brave enough to face the consequences in
exchange for something that brings us incredible pleasure."

Jennifer was no chugging the remainder of her margarita.  The alcohol in her
system removed any inhibitions that she had.  She still didn't want to
smoke, but she found herself wondering what it was like.  She didn't
understand why Courtney would completely ignore decades of research proving
how harmful smoking is.

"So you're not worried about the health effects smoking has on you?"
Jennifer asked her friend, who was now stubbing out the butt of her fully
smoked cigarette.

"It's not so much that I don't worry about them," Courtney said.  "It's
more like I've weighed the pros and cons of smoking versus the pros and cons
of not smoking."

"And what did you conclude?" Jennifer asked.

"Well," said Courtney.  "I decided that by not smoking, I would be missing
out on a world that I never knew even existed.  I would miss out on the
people, the camaraderie, and most of all, I would miss out on the pleasure
that smoking brings to me."

Jennifer was surprised by Courtney's dedication.

"And if you smoked you would get all of those things?" she asked.

"Oh my God, yes!" Courtney enthusiastically replied.  "I would miss out on
those things and so much more!"

"Like what?" Jennifer asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, for one thing, since I started smoking, I've lost over fifty
pounds!"  Courtney said proudly.  "I never would have done that if it
weren't for cigarettes."

"Really?" asked Jennifer.

"Yes, really," agreed Courtney.  "I mean, haven't you ever wanted to do
something, and not known how to accomplish your goal?"

Jennifer thought.  She was no different than any other woman.  She was always
trying to lose the occasional pound, but like many, was unable to drop below
a certain weight.  

Far from fat, Jennifer stood nearly five feet, nine inches tall.  Her height
came hand in hand with a myriad of other figures though, including the one
hundred-fifty pound weight.  She'd always hoped she would be able to get
down to a leaner one hundred-thirty pounds.

"Of course, but-" Jennifer began.

"No buts," said Courtney.  "I smoke.  I'm happy that I smoke.  I'm happy
that I've found something that brings me the satisfaction and pleasure that
I deserve in my life.  And most of all, I've noticed how guys react when
they see me smoking.  There's nothing like it."

For the first time in her thirty-three years, Jennifer contemplated asking
Courtney if she could have one of her cigarettes, just to see what it's
like.  

"God," Jennifer began.  "I must be drunk."

Courtney laughed.

"Why do you say that?" she asked.

"Well, I hope you don't take advantage of this," Jennifer began.  "But
I'm almost tempted to try a cigarette."

Courtney laughed as she grabbed her pack and put one between her lips.  She
flicked her pink disposable lighter, and moved the flame closer to the tip.
The tip began to glow as Courtney pulled the smoke into her mouth.

She opened her mouth as Jennifer watched intently.  A swirling ball of creamy
white smoke crawled around inside of Courtney's mouth.

In an instant, the smoke disappeared down Courtney's throat and into her
lungs.  She held the smoke inside for what Jennifer perceived as an eternity.
Then she turned her head sideways and blew the smoke out in a tightly wrapped
stream, at a perfect forty-five degree angle.

Jennifer hadn't realized she was staring, but she must have been, because
Courtney seemed to notice.

She extended the hand holding the long, all-white cigarette across the table
towards Jennifer.

"Go ahead and try it," she said.

Jennifer stared down at the smoldering cigarette between Courtney's fingers
as smoke billowed gracefully from the ashen tip.

"I can't, I'm sorry," Jennifer said.

"There's nothing to apologize for," Courtney said as she brought the
cigarette back to her lips and took another impressive drag.

After exhaling the smoke in the same manner she had moments before, she again
held the cigarette towards Jennifer.

"Just hold it," she said.

Jennifer, who was rather intoxicated, decided that it would be safe to just
hold the cigarette.

She said nothing as she nervously reached across the coffee table and, for
the first time in her life, touched the smooth white paper which encapsulated
the burning tobacco inside.

"Put your hand up like this," Courtney coached.

Jennifer followed her mentor's directions exactly as instructed, propping
her elbow up so that the cigarette was being held up next to her head.  

It would be so easy for Jennifer to bring the cigarette to her lips and take
a puff.  She didn't have to do it all the time, she just wanted to see what
it was like.

She couldn't bring herself to smoking it, even though Courtney was lighting
a new cigarette for herself.

"You're lighting another one?" Jennifer asked.

"Well I can't smoke that one," Jennifer said, speaking through her exhale.

"Why not?" asked Jennifer.

"Because that one is yours!"  Courtney remarked.

Jennifer hadn't thought of it as "her" cigarette, but figured that
Courtney was right.  It was her cigarette.

"Oh," said Jennifer, unsure of exactly what she should say.

"You should trim the ash off that before you burn my house down," Courtney
replied.

Jennifer turned her head so that she could see the tip of her cigarette.

"I don't know how," she embarrassingly replied.

"Like this," Courtney said.  "You hold it between your thumb and middle
finger, and tap it gently - but firmly - with your index finger."

Courtney demonstrated the technique so that Jennifer could see how to do it
properly.

Courtney tried her best to emulate her friend's movements, but the cigarette
felt awkward in her fingers, and she didn't think she'd done a very good
job.

"You're a natural!" declared Courtney, taking a puff on her cigarette.

"Thanks," said Jennifer.  "I think."

Courtney laughed.

"Relax," she said.  "You're doing just fine."

"I don't know why I even care," Jennifer said.  "But I'm glad I'm doing
alright."

"Aren't you even tempted to try it?" Courtney asked, exhaling.

"I don't know," said Jennifer.  "I didn't think so."

"So you are now?" asked Courtney.

"I guess maybe a tiny bit," Jennifer replied.

"Go ahead," Courtney encouraged.  "I won't tell anyone."

Jennifer hated to admit it, but holding the lit cigarette did almost make her
feel a little curious about what it would be like to smoke it.

Nervously, Jennifer brought her quivering fingers closer to her mouth.  She
parted her lips slightly, and felt the tip of the filter as it delicately
touched her soft lips.

Before she could take a puff, common sense and overwhelming nerves broke
through her intoxication.

"I can't," Jennifer said as she rapidly moved the cigarette further away
from her mouth.  She had been so close to smoking-closer than she'd ever
thought she'd be.

"Yes, Jennifer," Courtney began.  "You can."

Jennifer noticed the compassionate tone in Courtney's voice.  It seemed like
she was really trying to take care of Jennifer, even if she was trying to get
her to smoke a cigarette.

"You're doing fine," Courtney continued.  "You're just nervous.  I was
nervous my first time, too.  It's perfectly natural.  And once you do it,
you're probably going to hate the taste and cough a little, that's normal,
too.  But it goes away after a little while.  Once your body gets past the
nerves and initial reactions, the pleasure is unbelievable."

Jennifer wondered why anyone would want to smoke if their first impression
was so awful.

"You want to do an objective story, right?"  Courtney asked.

"Well yeah," said Jennifer.

"Then you've got to see life from both sides of the story," Courtney said.

"But I did a story about Air Force fighter pilots, and I'm not a pilot,"
Jennifer defended.

"But what kind of research did you do on the story?" asked Courtney.

"I went to the base, talked to a couple of the guys-" began Jennifer.

"And then they took you for a ride, didn't they?" Courtney queried.

"Yeah," said Jennifer.

"Then consider this me taking you for the ride of your life," Courtney
instructed.  "Just ash that thing again!"

Jennifer awkwardly trimmed the ash from the tip of her smoldering cigarette.
It had burned to about the half-way point.  She noticed that this time, it
seemed easier to handle than her first attempt at trimming the ash.

She wanted to be able to present a fair report about how the legislation
would affect smokers and non-smokers like herself.  Maybe one time wouldn't
hurt.

She considered, if even for just a brief moment, putting the filter in her
mouth and smoking the cigarette.  It wasn't something she really wanted to
do.  She was drunk, and she knew that if she hadn't been drinking, smoking a
cigarette would never be on her list of things to do.

"I think I'll just stick to holding it," Jennifer said, hoping to not
disappoint her new friend.

"Alright," Courtney began. "But you really don't know what you're
missing!"

Courtney brought her cigarette to her lips and drew deeply on the long, white
filter.  She opened her mouth and revealed yet another swirling, white ball
of the thick, creamy smoke.  Again, in only a moment, the smoke completely
disappeared into her lungs.

A few minutes of awkward silence passed, and both women knew that Jennifer
was more tempted than she'd ever been in her life to smoke a cigarette.  

"I should get to bed," Jennifer said as she stubbed out her unsmoked
cigarette in the ashtray.  "You're sure you don't mind me crashing here?" 

Courtney smiled.

"Of course I don't," she replied.  "Maybe I'm a bit drunk, but I really
think that you and I could be great friends.  I think we have a lot more in
common than either of us knew."

Jennifer smiled back at Courtney.

"I think you might be right," she said.  "I have to be honest though.  I
was really nervous coming over to your house tonight."

"Why is that?" asked Courtney.

"Well," Jennifer began.  "I know we're `only' a local affiliate, but
when you're on television, a lot of people don't realize that they don't
really know you, and there are a few who tend to take that delusion to a
whole new level."

"Yeah," Courtney agreed.  "I'm harmless though, I promise."

Jennifer laughed.

"Trust me," she started.  "I figured that out long before I came here."

The two women laughed as Courtney escorted Jennifer to the guest bedroom.
Jennifer had left the cardboard box sitting on the coffee table, but
apparently Courtney had noticed it.  As they entered the guest room, Courtney
set the box on the night table beside the bed, next to a very nice glass
ashtray.

"You forgot your box," she said to Jennifer, who hadn't noticed.

"Thanks," Jennifer replied as she sat down on the bed.

"I'll see you in the morning," Courtney said to Jennifer before walking
out of the room and closing the door.

Jennifer, who was still feeling more than a little drunk, turned on the
television and tried to watch for a little while before going to sleep.

Her thoughts continued to return to the box.  What was inside that Courtney
wanted me to have so badly?

After ten minutes of trying to forget about the box, Jennifer's curiosity
got the best of her.  She reached across the queen sized bed and snatched the
box from it's resting spot.

Jennifer wasn't sure if Courtney wanted her to open the box or not, but
figured that if she didn't, she wouldn't have made a point to bring it in
and set it beside the bed.

Jennifer opened the box and looked inside.  What she saw surprised her.
There was a pack of Marlboro Lights 100s, a lighter, and a note.  

She picked up the note and began reading.


"Jennifer-If you're reading this, it means you're as curious about smoking
as I suspected you might be, and I wanted you to know that although I'm not
trying to persuade you into doing something you don't want to do, you're
more than welcome to experiment in your room if you'd like.  You can smoke
as few or as many as you'd like, and throw the evidence away, and I'll
never even have to know.  The decision is yours, of course, but I know what
it's like to experience the joy and the pleasure that smoking brings me, and
it's something that I enjoy sharing with others.  Sincerely, Court"

Jennifer didn't know what to do.  She had been so tempted to smoke before.
She was closer than she'd ever thought possible to smoking.  She had almost
done it.

Was this curiosity something that Jennifer could control anymore?  Now, with
the pressure off, smoking seemed even more tempting than before.

Jennifer set the pack of cigarettes and the lighter on the bed beside her.
She again tried to watch television, an effort which proved futile.

The sliding doors which hid the closet from sight were mirrored.  Jennifer
saw herself lying on the bed, with the pack of cigarettes and lighter beside
her.

As if spellbound, she watched herself reach down and grab the pack of
cigarettes and bring them closer.  Before she could come up with a reasonable
justification for stopping her actions, she found herself tearing the
cellophane off the top of the box, and opening the flip-top lid.

Removing the foil, Jennifer saw twenty long, all-white cigarettes looking
back at her.  They were, conceivably, hers to smoke if she wanted.

But did she want to?

She glanced down at the pack of cigarettes in her hand.  She had held one
before, so it didn't much phase her when she reached down and slid a
cigarette from the pack.

Jennifer returned her eyes to the mirror as she held the cigarette between
her fingers as Courtney had shown her earlier in the evening.

She had to admit, she did look different holding the cigarette.

She brought it to her mouth, wrapped her lips around the filter, and took a
pretend drag.  This was the first time she'd ever really had a cigarette in
her mouth, and it felt extremely foreign.

"What the hell?" Jennifer asked herself quietly, but aloud.

She put the cigarette between her lips once more, and watched her reflection
in the mirror as she flicked the lighter to life.

With a flame dancing on top of the metal collar, she slowly moved the flame
to the tip of her cigarette.

Smoke began to billow from the end of the now burning cylinder.  Jennifer had
watched Courtney smoke enough to know that she had to apply the slightest bit
of suction in order to get the cigarette to light.

The flame bent inward as Jennifer did just that.

Smoke began to fill the novice's mouth.  She set the lighter back down on
the bed and removed the cigarette from her mouth.  She immediately turned her
eyes to the mirror and blew the smoke from her mouth without inhaling.

She again propped her arm up and looked at herself in the mirror.  The woman
she saw looked so different than the woman she'd been her entire life.

Jennifer was beautiful, there was no doubting that.  But the woman in the
mirror looked sexy in a way Jennifer never knew existed.  She looked sexy,
sophisticated, and just "bad" enough to excite the young reporter.

She watched as the girl in the mirror brought the cigarette to her mouth and
wrapped her lips around the filter once more.

The tip glowed brightly as the girl in the mirror pulled smoke into her
mouth, turned her head, and slowly blew the smoke out.

That's when reality hit Jennifer.  The woman in the mirror that she was
watching smoke was herself!  She had been so mesmerized by the sight, that
she hadn't even thought of it as her smoking.

"I'm smoking a cigarette," Jennifer said aloud.  

Even the words felt foreign.

Jennifer tried to remember the steps Courtney had taken while smoking her
cigarette earlier in the evening.

She brought the cigarette to her lips once more, and began to pull smoke into
her mouth.  Still watching her own reflection, Jennifer opened her mouth and
revealed a swirling ball of smoke inside her own mouth.  The sight made
Jennifer want to both laugh hysterically and climax at the same time.

She began to breathe the smoke in deeply but slowly, and was astounded at how
easily she was able to bring every last drop of smoke into her lungs.  Her
innocence had led her to believe she would be able to smoke without coughing,
a thought which was about to prove itself wrong.

The smoke in her throat caused Jennifer to cough, and all of the smoke she'd
tried to inhale came pouring out as she did.

Regaining her composure, Jennifer felt a new desire to master the art of
smoking.  She was determined to smoke it and not cough.

She brought the burning cigarette to her lips again and watched as once more
the tip glowed bright orange.  She couldn't believe what she was doing.  

She opened her mouth again and tried to inhale the smoke.

Again, the sensation of the smoke sliding down her throat caused her to cough
most of the smoke out.  A small portion of it, however, was able to find
it's way to her lungs, and it didn't come out until long after the coughing
had stopped.

"I've gotta be close," Jennifer said to herself, raising the cigarette
again.

She took one more puff, and this time the smoke slid easily down her throat
and into her eager lungs.

She held the smoke inside as long as she could, because she had seen Courtney
hold it in for as long as she possibly could.  

Turning her head sideways, Jennifer watched from the corner of her eyes as
she blew the smoke out in one tight stream.

She was doing it.  She was smoking.

She raised the cigarette to her lips once more, and drew smoke into her
mouth.  Opening her mouth again, Jennifer saw the swirling ball of smoke
inside, and breathed the smoke down into her lungs.

She felt like she'd been kicked in the chest, but it wasn't a bad feeling.
It was as if something was alive inside of her, and the only way to get it
out was to feed it more of what it wanted.

It wanted smoke.

She held the smoke inside her and took another puff.  This fresh smoke mixed
with the smoke already inside of her and created a sensation of tightness
that was unlike anything she'd ever felt before.

Turning her head to again get a better view of her exhale, Jennifer pursed
her lips and blew the smoke out towards the ceiling.  

Immediately, she felt the nicotine in her blood go directly to her head.  She
didn't know what caused this dizziness, but she knew that she liked it.  It
was as if she'd drank four more of Courtney's margaritas.

As quickly as it began, Jennifer's smoking experiment ended.  She had smoked
her first cigarette.

Jennifer already knew that her perception of smokers, more specifically of
smoking, had begun to change.

She stubbed the cigarette out in the glass ashtray and went to sleep.

Courtney woke the next morning and couldn't wait to talk to Jennifer.  She
wanted to know if she had smoked a cigarette.  She really enjoyed introducing
others to the joy of smoking, which she'd partially implied to Jennifer.
She just hadn't told her quite how much she enjoyed it.

With Jennifer sleeping soundly in the guest bedroom downstairs, Courtney
figured that it was safe for her to enjoy her other hobby, which is something
that she closely monitored, and something that no one knew about her.
Because of this secrecy, Courtney permitted herself to do it only in one room
of the house.  

Unfortunately, this room was a small utility room which was situated right
next door to the guest bedroom in which Jennifer slept.

Courtney accepted the risk of what she was about to do.  She carefully and
quietly walked down the stairs and into the room next to the guest room.

Hidden in the top drawer of the desk that Courtney kept in the room
specifically for this purpose, she found her small bag of marijuana and her
brass bowl.

She opened the bag and pulled out one medium sized bud.  She broke small
pieces off the bud, essentially separating the bud from the stem.

Dropping the smaller pieces into the bowl, she pressed it down firmly with
her pinky finger and raised it to her lips.

She flicked her lighter and watched as she brought the flame closer to the
open top of the bowl.

As the weed began to glow, Courtney pulled air through the bowl, bringing the
thick smoke directly into her lungs.

She removed the bowl and took a large gulp of fresh air, blocking the pot
smoke deep inside her.

She held her breath for an eternity and blew a small stream out the window
which she'd cracked.  She usually kept the window closed so as to breathe in
as much of the second hand smoke as she could while she smoked the bowl.
She'd found that this would enhance her high to a certain level that could
only be topped by a cigarette afterwards.  The cigarette after her bowl would
always complete the act of getting high.

She pulled more smoke directly into her lungs and took a big breath.  Her
body began to tingle as the THC raced through her veins.  Courtney loved the
feeling of getting high, even if it's something she only started doing
relatively recently.

She had been teaching high school since she graduated college two years
earlier.  It was pure luck that had led Courtney to teaching high school.
She'd wanted to teach elementary school, but while at her interview, the
school superintendent informed her that with her credentials, he would much
rather have her teaching the older children.

At first, Courtney was intimidated by the students, who were not much younger
than she was.  By the time the first holiday break had started, she was a lot
more comfortable.

Courtney took another hit from her bowl as she remembered how her life had
changed so dramatically.

It was the last day before the holiday break, and all of the students (and
the faculty) were anxious to begin their vacation.  This meant that most of
the students had no homework, and the teachers could completely relax, free
of any thoughts about work.

Courtney had planned on staying home and enjoying her first lengthy vacation
since she began teaching.

Although there wasn't much classwork that she had her students do, they had
all been very excited about the approaching break.  As the result of this
anxiety, they were very unruly.  Courtney had a very difficult time getting
them to listen to her and follow her instructions, and as the day went on,
she became more and more eager to get home and make a margarita.

After class was over, on the way to the parking lot, Courtney made a quick
stop in the ladies' room.

As soon as she opened the door, she smelled smoke.  

Standing in a stall, huddled around one toilet, Courtney found three of the
school's most popular juniors, Diane, Cara, and Sabrina, each with a
cigarette in their hand.

"What do you think you're doing?" Courtney asked in disbelief.

"Miss Warren," Diane started.  "Please don't tell on us."

"Why shouldn't I?" Courtney asked.

"We don't really smoke," Sabrina defended.

"Oh really?" asked Courtney, trying not to laugh.

"No, we don't, I swear," Diane said.

"Well it looks like you're really smoking to me," Courtney said.

"I smoke," said Cara.  "And they were just trying it to see what it's
like, but please don't tell anyone.  I'll get kicked off the volleyball
team."

"I'll make a deal with you," Courtney said.

"I'll do anything," Cara pleaded.

"You give me your cigarettes, your lighter, and anything else you've got
that you shouldn't have, and I won't tell anyone," Courtney began.  "But
you've gotta try to quit."

"Deal!" said Cara.  "Can I talk to you alone for a second, Miss Warren?"

"Sure," Courtney replied.

Diane and Sabrina threw their partially smoked cigarettes into the toilet and
left the bathroom.

"Thank you," they said to Courtney as they walked out of the bathroom.

"No more smoking," Courtney said sternly.

"Okay," the two girls said as the door closed behind them.

"What's up, Cara?" asked Courtney.

"What did you mean by `anything else I have that I shouldn't have?" the
nervous teen asked.

"Well, what else do you have?" Courtney asked.

"Well, Diane and Sabrina don't know this, which is why I couldn't say
anything in front of them," Cara continued.

"Are you smoking weed?" Courtney asked.

Cara said nothing.

"Cara, don't you know how bad that stuff is for you?" Courtney asked.

"You don't understand, Miss Warren," Cara said.  "I know it's all bad
for me, but I like it.  You've probably never even done it, have you?"

"Well, you're right," Courtney began.  "I have never done it.  But
that's only because I know that it's illegal and because it can kill you."

"I know, I know," said Cara.  "Do you have to take it though?"

"Well," said Courtney.  "If you hadn't said anything about it, I
wouldn't have known about it, and you could have kept it.  But since you
brought it up, I have to confiscate it.  If you promise me you're going to
quit, then I won't rat on you.  You have my word."

"Can I at least finish this cigarette?" Cara asked, hoping to have at least
a little more time to smoke.  

Courtney was surprised at the level of dedication that the young girl had to
her habit.  

"Fine, but that's the last favor I'm doing for you," Courtney said.
"Now turn over the rest."

Courtney extended her hand to receive any contraband that Cara possessed.

"Hold this," Cara said, handing her cigarette to Courtney so she could
access the items she had in her pocketbook.

Courtney had never touched a cigarette before in her life, so she was
skeptical to hold Cara's cigarette.

Courtney's youth began to work against her.  She didn't want Cara to see
how uncomfortable holding a cigarette was making her.

She held it between her middle and index fingers, as if she was the one
smoking it.  The cigarette felt very foreign in her fingers, but she tried
her best to not let it show.  

Courtney looked down and glanced at the cigarette, burning away between her
fingers.  Seeing the cigarette there made Courtney's heart race, and she
didn't know why.

Cara pulled a small bag of marijuana from her purse and handed it to
Courtney, who took the bag.  

"That's it?" Courtney asked.  "What do you smoke it with?"

Cara sighed as if to surrender.

"Fine," she said, realizing she wasn't going to get away with anything.

She handed Courtney a small brass bowl and a disposable lighter. 

"That's it?" Courtney asked.

"Yes, Miss Warren," Cara said.  "That's it."

"Take two more puffs and go home," Courtney said, handing the cigarette
back to Cara.

For reasons unknown, Courtney didn't take her eyes off Cara while she raced
through two long drags, even longer inhales, and seemingly endless exhales.

When she was done, Cara tossed the cigarette into the toilet with the others
and flushed.

"Quit," Courtney said as Cara exited the bathroom.

Standing alone in the bathroom, Courtney held a bag of marijuana, a small
pipe to smoke it in, a pack of cigarettes, and a lighter.

She walked towards the trash can in the corner of the bathroom to dispose of
the materials.  As she opened the lid, she realized that if she put them
there, any other girl could easily find them, and since the pack was nearly
full, a new smoker would be born.

Courtney decided she should just put the items in her purse, and throw them
out when she got home.

She used the bathroom and headed for her car.

As soon as she got in, she realized how generous she had been to the three
girls, especially since she had never smoked herself.  Most non-smokers would
have written the girls up with no questions asked.  Courtney tried to be the
nice teacher, though, and although some students tried to take advantage of
this, most respected her leniency.

As she pulled the car into the driveway, Courtney saw Cara walking down the
sidewalk.  Sure enough, in the young girl's left hand, was a freshly lit
cigarette.

"Hey," Courtney said to the teen.  "I thought you were going to quit!"

"Oh my God, Miss Warren," said Cara, throwing the cigarette to the ground.
"I know what I said, but it's so hard.  It's not like I'm addicted or
anything, because I've gone months without a cigarette-but I like it so
much, and it makes me feel so relaxed, I don't want to stop."

Courtney tried to lecture Cara on the dangers of smoking, but this just made
Cara go on the defensive.

By the end of the discussion, it had become more of a heated debate, and Cara
had stormed away, calling Courtney a bitch.

The argument had left Courtney feeling very upset.  She had never had a
confrontation quite like the one she'd just had with Cara.

Suddenly, her relaxing vacation had turned into the most stressful thing
she'd faced yet.

"I like it so much, and it makes me feel so relaxed," Courtney said aloud
mockingly, as she entered her living room.

"I'll make you feel relaxed, you little bitch!" Courtney cursed.

Instantly, Courtney knew that she shouldn't have called Cara a bitch.

"I'm the one who needs to relax," Courtney thought to herself.  "Maybe I
should start smoking!"

Before she could convince herself that she was only kidding, Courtney was
standing in the living room with a cigarette in her mouth, bringing the flame
to the tip for the very first time.

The smoke flooded her mouth and she blew out a cloud of smoke.

It tasted terrible, but Courtney was determined to find out why Cara, and so
many other people, would be so loyal to the habit.

It took several attempts to learn how to inhale, but once she learned, she
was glad she had.  Her head was spinning so much that she had to sit down.

"Wow," Courtney said.  "You really do make people relax!"

Courtney finished the cigarette and didn't smoke again until the next day.
It seemed that this cigarette was even more enjoyable than her first.

Courtney secretly smoked her cigarettes during her holiday break.  By the
time Tuesday had come, she had smoked the entire pack.

"Oh my God," Courtney said.  "I'm going to have to buy my own."

Courtney did just that.  She went to the store and asked for the same kind of
cigarettes that Cara had given her-.Marlboro Lights.

The clerk informed Courtney that they didn't have any, and asked if Marlboro
Lights 100s would be alright.

Not knowing what the clerk was talking about, Courtney accepted the
substitute, and soon realized that she preferred the longer cigarette.

Before she knew what hit her, Courtney was addicted to nicotine.  She
continued to secretly smoke cigarettes for about six months, just until the
school year drew to a close.

With summer upon her, she was free to sit in the house and smoke all day, if
that's what she wanted to do.  Fortunately for Courtney's lungs, it
wasn't.

One weekend, the weather was awful.  The rain outside was torrential, with
the occasional drop of hail, too.  Courtney was completely out of cigarettes,
and had absolutely no desire to venture out into the storm.

Eventually, Courtney's craving for nicotine was the only thing on her mind,
but she still didn't want to go outside.

"Maybe I've got some tucked away somewhere," she rationalized to herself. 

As Courtney dug through her usual hiding spots, she came across something
she'd completely forgotten about-.the bag of marijuana and bowl that she'd
taken from Cara.

"I can't smoke this," Courtney told herself.  "I should just throw the
shit out."

On her way to the kitchen, Courtney saw a film playing on television.  All of
the characters in the film were smoking, and it drove Courtney insane with
jealousy.

She looked outside again, just as a huge flash of lightning illuminated the
evening sky.

Glancing down at the bag and the bowl that she'd set on the coffee table,
Courtney weighed her options.

"At least I'd get to smoke," she said.

Before she'd come to any definitive conclusions, Courtney found herself
trying to fit a large bud inside the bowl.

"I guess I've made up my mind," she told herself.

When the bud kept falling out, Courtney figured she should break some smaller
pieces off and try those instead.

Raising the bowl to her lips, she lit the lighter and pulled smoke into her
mouth.  

The taste was much more pleasant than that of the cigarettes, which she loved
so much, so she inhaled the smoke deep inside her lungs.

Holding the smoke in like she did with cigarettes, Courtney realized that she
was getting high.  As much as she didn't want to do it, her curiosity was
now getting the best of her.  

"If I'm going to do it, I might as well see what the big deal is,"
Courtney said.

By the end of the evening, Courtney had smoked half the bag of marijuana, and
felt incredible.

Soon, cigarettes were part of her daily routine, and weed occupied the
majority of her weekends.

Cara never knew how much she'd changed Courtney's life.  It was at this
point that Courtney decided that she would use her talent as a teacher, and
her love for all things smokeable, to bring these experiences to anyone who
was interested, provided they were over the legal age to buy cigarettes.

While Courtney was reminiscing over how she'd gotten to where she is, she
hadn't seen Jennifer sneak in the door.

"What are you doing?" asked the blonde reporter, fairly sure that Courtney
was getting high.

"Oh my God.  Jen," Courtney said, trying her best to hide the bowl from her
friend.

"Are you smoking pot?" Jennifer asked.

"You caught me," Courtney admitted.

"You do that shit?" asked Jennifer.

"Yeah, I do, but only on the weekends," Courtney said.

"I had no idea," said Jennifer, uncomfortable by the presence of drugs.

"It's really no big deal," Courtney said, hoping to convince Jennifer that
it was "only" weed.

"Okay," said Jennifer.  "Hey, guess what?"

"What?" asked Courtney.

"Last night," Jennifer began.  "After you went to bed-"

Courtney got a huge smile on her face.

"Did you smoke a cigarette?" she asked.

"Yeah," Jennifer admitted sheepishly.

"Holy fuck!" Courtney exclaimed.  "Did you enjoy it?"

"I hate to say it," Jennifer started.  "But I did."

"Well congratulations," Courtney started.  "Starting smoking is a pretty
big decision."

"Well, I don't know if I started smoking," Jennifer said.  "I only smoked
one cigarette."

"Want to smoke one right now?" asked Courtney, pulling out her pack.

"Oh, why not?" asked Jennifer rhetorically.

Jennifer took a cigarette from Courtney and put it in her lips.  She wasn't
sure what kind of changes her body was making, but she had to admit that she
liked the way smoking made her feel.

"So what's that like?" asked Jennifer, referring to the pot.

"Do you want to try it?" Courtney offered.

"Oh, no," Jennifer began.  "No, I can't do that." 

"Okay, but if you ever change your mind, you know where I am," Courtney
said.

"Okay," said Jennifer.

The two women smoked their cigarettes, discussing everything that old friends
discussed.

They spent a lot of time together, and quite a friendship developed.  Every
Friday night, the two women would rent movies and sit by the television,
drinking their margaritas and smoking their cigarettes.  Jennifer finished
her pack of cigarettes in about a month, and resigned herself to buying
another pack.  She didn't want anyone to recognize her, though, so she
figured she had to talk to Courtney.

"Hey," she said as Courtney opened the door to her house.  "I need a
favor."

"What's up?" asked Courtney.

"I need more cigarettes, but I can't really go out and buy them, because
people know who I am," Jennifer started.

"I think I can help you," Courtney said.  "But you've got to do something
for me."

"Okay," said Jennifer.

"Follow me," Courtney said, leading Jennifer to the room designated for
weed.

Courtney opened the drawer with her bowl and her marijuana supply, and packed
a bowl.  All the while, she had her back turned to Jennifer, who was
oblivious to what was going on.

"What do I have to do?" Jennifer asked.  "Clean your house?"

Courtney laughed.

"Not quite," she said as she turned around and proudly displayed the bowl
to Jennifer.

"Court, I can't do that," Jennifer said.  

"Do you want your cigarettes?" Courtney asked with a wicked laugh.

"How much do I have to smoke?" Jennifer asked.

"The whole bowl," Courtney said.

Jennifer nervously reached out and took the bowl from Courtney.  She didn't
want to get high, but she wanted cigarettes, and figured this was the only
way she was going to get them.

She put the tip of the bowl to her lips, and waited as Courtney lit her
lighter.  She'd seen Courtney smoke enough to know how to do it.

As Courtney moved her lighter over the top of the bowl, Jennifer began to
breathe in, pulling the thick smoke into her virgin lungs.

She inhaled as deep as she could before exhaling two small streams from her
nose.

"Not bad, is it?" Courtney asked.

Jennifer brought the bowl to her lips once more and took another hit.  This
one was larger than the first, and it felt even better.

"No," said Jennifer as she held the smoke inside her, her voice straining.
"It's not."

She exhaled another stream towards the ceiling.

Courtney took the bowl from Jennifer and took a hit of her own.

The two women stood in the silence of their smoking room and smoked the
entire bowl.  When it was finished, Jennifer was laughing hysterically.

"What the fuck are you laughing at?" Courtney said, trying not to laugh
herself.

"I just got fucking high!" said Jennifer, using the notorious "f-word"
for the first time in her life.

The revelation made Courtney lose her composure.

"Yes," she said laughing.  "You did, bitch!"

Jennifer's mouth hit the floor.

"Did you just call me a bitch?" she asked jokingly.

"Yeah, I did," said Courtney.  

"Well fuck you," said Jennifer.  "You cunt!"

Jennifer had never used such foul language her entire life.  She had to
admit.  She was beginning to  enjoy the side of her that Courtney had
introduced her to.

The changes in Jennifer were beginning to arouse Courtney.

She set the bowl down on the desk, and looked at Jennifer.

"I've got to tell you something," she said.

"What?" asked Jennifer.

"I've never, ever, ever done this before, but I just have to say-"
Courtney began.

"What?" asked Jennifer again.

Courtney grabbed Jennifer and kissed her on the lips.  It wasn't a kiss
between friends.  This was a kiss between two people romantically involved.
Their tongues wrapped around each other and Jennifer felt a hand pressing
between her legs.

"I've never been with a woman before," said Jennifer, whose knees were
wobbling uncontrollably.

"Neither have I," admitted Courtney.  "I've never wanted to.  But I think
I'm falling in love with you Jen."

"Oh my God," said Jennifer.  "I think I might be feeling the same thing
towards you."

"Stay the night," Courtney invited.  "But not in the guest room."

"Are you sure?" Jennifer asked.

"No," Courtney began.  "But I know that I want this to continue."

"Alright," Jennifer accepted nervously.

After finishing the bowl, Courtney pulled a cigarette out of her pack and put
it in her lips.  She flicked the lighter to life, and moved the flame closer
to the tip as she applied suction to the filter.

Smoke flooded her mouth and she removed the cigarette, inhaling every last
particle of smoke.

"Come here and open your mouth," she said to Jennifer.

Jennifer moved closer and opened her mouth, as instructed.

Moving closer to Jennifer, so that their lips were almost touching, Courtney
blew a fine stream of smoke into Jennifer's mouth.  The smoke was eagerly
accepted.

The close contact and intimacy of what the two women were doing made
Jennifer's pulse increase rapidly.  She'd been with men before, but she'd
never been with women.  Could she be a lesbian?  She'd never thought so.  

"Smoke this," Jennifer said, putting the filter of the cigarette between
Jennifer's lips.

While Jennifer was busy taking a long drag on the cigarette, Courtney moved
her hands down to Jennifer's jeans.

Exhaling the smoke, Jennifer felt her pants unbutton, and sliding down.

She felt a little uncomfortable, standing there with her pants around her
ankles, but she didn't care.  She took another puff on the cigarette and
held the smoke deep inside her.  

Before she knew what happened, she felt her underwear sliding down to join
her jeans.

Exhaling the smoke, Jennifer felt Courtney's fingers slide inside her vagina
and massage her clitoris.

This was by far the most erotic thing Jennifer had ever done.  The excitement
began to build uncontrollably as Courtney moved her fingers in and out of
Jennifer's pussy.

Jennifer, unsure what to do with herself, brought the cigarette to her lips
for another huge drag.

She inhaled the smoke and looked down at Courtney, who was staring up at
Jennifer as she worked her fingers in and out.

Saying nothing, Jennifer handed the cigarette down towards Courtney's mouth.
Courtney parted her lips and leaned forward, accepting the cigarette.

She pulled the smoke inside her deeply, inhaling until she felt her lungs
could handle no more.

"Blow it on me," Jennifer said.  She wasn't sure where the idea had come
from, but then again, this was all new to her.  She didn't question
anything.

Courtney turned her face to Jennifer's pussy and pursed her lips, blowing a
tight stream of smoke on Jennifer's juicy lips.

The cool breeze nearly made Jennifer climax on the spot, but she tried her
best to contain the orgasm.

Suddenly, the anticipation was over.  Courtney leaned in and began to lick at
Jennifer's wet vagina.

Feeling Courtney's tongue inside her, Jennifer began to cum.  

"Give me the cigarette," Courtney requested.

Jennifer passed the cigarette to Courtney, who did something neither woman
had ever even dreamed about before.

With the fingers of her right hand, Courtney spread Jennifer's labia open.
Using her left hand, she slid the filter of the cigarette just millimeters
into Courtney's vagina.

"Smoke it with your pussy," Courtney insisted.

Jennifer, not quite knowing how to do what she was being asked to, tried her
best to contract the muscles of her vagina.

Courtney's squeal confirmed that she was doing it properly.

"There you go," she said as she watched the tip of the cigarette grow
brighter as Jennifer smoked the cigarette with her second set of lips.

"If I'm going to smoke it," Jennifer began.  "You've gotta inhale it!"

Courtney knew what to do as she put her lips over Jennifer's saturated
vagina and stuck her tongue inside.  She began to suck as much smoke as she
possibly could out.

Raising her head from Jennifer's lap, Courtney turned her head to the side
and exhaled a tiny amount of the smoke that she'd pulled from Jennifer's
slit.

The sight made Jennifer weak as she came to orgasm.  

"Oh-my-God-." Jennifer said, feeling not only her first orgasm induced
by a woman, but her first orgasm while stoned.

The tingles in her body seemed to spread to every limb, lasting for what felt
like hours.

"My turn," Courtney said, handing the cigarette back to Jennifer.

Jennifer put the cigarette in her lips and pulled the smoke into her lungs.
She tasted the tiniest remainder of her vaginal juices as she inhaled the
smoke.  It tasted much different than she'd expected it to.

"Let's go upstairs," Jennifer said.

"Okay," said Courtney.  "But let's bring this stuff with us."

Courtney picked up the bowl, her bag of marijuana, cigarettes, and her
lighter, and disappeared out the door.

Jennifer hesitated, still unsure what was happening to her.  When this year
had started, everything was so crystal clear.  Now she had started smoking,
was stoned for the first time, and was in the middle of making love to
another woman who she felt like she couldn't get enough of.  In all reality,
Jennifer felt like she couldn't get enough of any of those things.

As she entered Courtney's room for the first time, she saw Courtney lying on
the bed, completely naked, waiting for her, bowl in hand.

Jennifer climbed onto the bed as Courtney wrapped her arm around the
beautiful woman.  

"Want to smoke?" Courtney asked.

"Yeah," said Jennifer.

Courtney handed the bowl to Jennifer, who brought it's cold metal end to her
lips.  Courtney flicked the lighter and Jennifer pulled the thick smoke into
her lungs before passing the bowl back to Courtney, who did the same.

After taking three more hits each, Jennifer leaned over and kissed Courtney.
Their tongues met once more.

Jennifer let her hands wander down to Courtney's breasts, but hesitated
before moving her hand any lower.

She caressed Courtney's nipples between her fingers.  Finally, she had
enough courage to let her hand slide down to Courtney's neatly trimmed bush.

She'd never touched anyone's vagina, except on the very rare occasions she
had touched her own.

She found it to be much less uncomfortable than she'd expected.  Spreading
Courtney's lips, Jennifer slid two fingers inside her friend's quivering
body.

"Eat my pussy," Courtney begged.

Jennifer was too stoned and too horny to argue.  

She kissed every inch of Courtney's body as her mouth passed it on the way
down to her wetness.

As soon as she reached Courtney's clit, Jennifer realized what she was about
to do, but she didn't care.

She used the fingers on her right hand to spread Courtney's vagina wide
open.  At first, Jennifer kissed slowly, but then she stuck her tongue out
and licked gently at Courtney's clitoris.

Within moments, her tongue was deep inside Courtney's vagina, licking and
sucking like an expert.

Five minutes later, and Courtney exploded in an orgasm that was unlike
anything she'd ever felt.

The two women collapsed in each other's arms.  Courtney reached over and
took the pack of cigarettes from the nightstand.  She put them both in her
mouth and flicked her lighter.

The flame that appeared on the top was brought closer to the tips of the two
cigarettes, and suction applied.

When they were lit, Jennifer instinctively reached over and took one from her
friend's mouth.  She put the filter between her lips and pulled deeply on
the long, all-white cigarette.  

Smoke poured into her mouth before she removed the cigarette.  Opening her
mouth, Jennifer snapped the swirling ball of smoke into her eager lungs.

"So this is why people smoke after sex," Jennifer said with a smile.

"Exactly," said Courtney.  "And that's why they say sex is better when
you're high!"

Jennifer laughed at Courtney's statement, but agreed fully.

They spent the remainder of the afternoon showing each other exactly how much
they enjoyed the other's body.

Jennifer spent the night, and the two women made love four times before they
fell asleep in each other's arms.

When Courtney woke, Jennifer was in the kitchen, making breakfast, smoking a
cigarette.

"Hi," said Courtney, unsure if Jennifer was feeling any sense of regret.

"Hey," said Jennifer.

"So are you completely creeped out?" Courtney asked.

"No," Jennifer began.  "Not at all.  You?"

"Not in the least bit," Courtney said with a smile of relief.

They ate their breakfast, and Jennifer announced that it was probably time
she went home.

"Am I going to see you again?" Courtney asked as Jennifer walked towards
the door.

"Come here," Jennifer said.

Courtney walked closer to Jennifer, who wrapped her arms tightly around
Courtney.  

"Of course you are," Jennifer said.  "I love you."

"I love you too, Jen," Courtney said.  "This is a little weird for me
though, you know?"

"I know," said Jennifer.  "It's weird for me, too.  But I like how it
feels."

"How what feels?" asked Courtney.

"All of it," Jennifer said with a smile.  "But I have bad news.  I'm
going to be out of town for two weeks on an assignment, but I'll come back.
And when I do, I'm coming straight here from the airport."

She gave Courtney a kiss and walked out the door.

Courtney was beyond confused.  She needed to talk to someone, but she didn't
know who.  She had to find out if she was a lesbian.  But who?

Sitting at the computer, Courtney nervously searched the list of chat rooms.
Surely, there was a room somewhere for lesbians who lived in her area.  Not
surprisingly, she found one.

Courtney created a screen name that she hoped wouldn't give away who she
was.  She came up with COUREN, a hybrid of "Courtney Warren".

As soon as she entered the room, she was bombarded by instant messages.  She
tried to ignore as many of them as she could, until finally she just picked
one and began talking to the person on the other end.

CARAMELLOW:   hi there
COUREN:       hi
CARAMELLOW:   ur new here?
COUREN: yeah-I guess I've never had a reason to be here before
CARAMELLOW:   and now u do?
COUREN:       I guess you could say that
CARAMELLOW:   lemme guess-first time, right?
COUREN:       Yeah
CARAMELLOW:   lmao ok ok-so u got drunk/stoned and did a girl-big deal
COUREN:       but neither of us had ever done anything like that before
CARAMELLOW:   so?  u must have liked it or u wouldn't be here
COUREN:       we did like it-does that mean we're gay?
CARAMELLOW:   no lol it doesn't mean ur gay
COUREN:       are you?
CARAMELLOW:   no lol im not gay-i dont mind sex w/ girls sometimes tho
COUREN:       how old are you?
CARAMELLOW:   im 20 and u?
COUREN:       24
CARAMELLOW:   and the other girl?
COUREN:       shes 33
CARAMELLOW:   tell me what happened

Courtney told the story of how she'd wanted to get her friend to smoke, and
she did.  Then she told her the plan to get her stoned, and how much she was
beginning to enjoy having Jennifer around.  (Although she was sure to not
mention Jennifer's name, being that she was in the public eye.)

The two girls talked about Jennifer for hours.  Courtney was relatively
convinced that she wasn't a lesbian, when the question was asked.


CARAMELLOW:   can i meet u for lunch?
COUREN:       what?
CARAMELLOW:   u heard me-id like to have lunch with u
COUREN:       are you asking me out on a date?
CARAMELLOW:   no lol  it sounds like u have ur hands (and mouth) full
COUREN:       lol
CARAMELLOW:   i just want to meet u and get to know u..help you thru it
COUREN:       so you know that I wouldn't be meeting you for anything other
than lunch, right?
CARAMELLOW:   of course-unless u wanna get high too lol

Courtney wasn't sure if she should go meet this girl or not.  What if
Jennifer found out?  

"It's not like I'm going to fuck her," Courtney said to herself.

COUREN:       ok, where would you like to meet?
CARAMELLOW:   meet me at the pier-ill be wearing a blue jacket and a red hat
COUREN:       ok what time?
CARAMELLOW:   its 11 now-meet me there at 12
COUREN:       ok

Courtney logged off her computer and headed for the shower.  She couldn't
believe she was doing this, but she knew that in order to understand her
pending relationship with Jennifer, she had to.

Terrified at what she was doing, Courtney drove to the pier, where she had
told the girl she'd chatted with that she would meet her.

As she walked down the pier, she noticed a girl who looked familiar.  It was
Cara, who she'd busted for smoking some three years earlier.  Cara was
indirectly the one responsible for Courtney's starting smoking.

Courtney was terrified.  She didn't want to be seen in public meeting
someone from the internet in a lesbian chat room, but at the same time, she
wanted to meet this girl, so she couldn't very well leave.

"Miss Warren?" asked Cara.

"Shit," Courtney thought to herself.  She'd been spotted.  "Hi, Cara!
How are you?"

She hoped that Cara wouldn't see through her insincerity.

"I'm great, thanks.  How are you?" Cara asked.

"I'm good, thanks," said Courtney.  "I thought you were away at school?"

"I was, but we had a week off, so I came home," Cara replied.

"Oh cool," Courtney said.  "How is school going?" 

"Great," Cara replied.  "At least I can smoke there!"

"I thought you quit?" Courtney inquired.

"I did," said Cara.  "After you and I last talked, I quit and never smoked
again.  But then I got to college, and I started again.  I hope you're not
mad at me."

Courtney laughed.

"No," she said.  "I'm not mad at you.  In fact, I should probably thank
you."

"For what?" Cara replied.

Courtney reached into her pocket book and pulled out a pack of Marlboro
Lights 100s.

"Oh my God!" Cara said.  "You smoke?"

"I do now!" Courtney said, putting a cigarette between her lips.

"That's too funny," Cara said, taking her own pack of Newport 100s out.

"I see you've switched brands," Courtney teased.

"Yeah," said Cara.  "I tried these at school, and they're much better.
So when did you start smoking?"

Courtney laughed again.

"What's the matter, Miss Warren?"

"First of all, you've gotta stop calling me `Miss Warren'," Courtney
replied.  "You're not my student anymore.  You can call me Courtney."

"Okay," giggled Cara.  "So when did you start smoking, Courtney?"

"Well," Courtney started.  "Remember that day when I busted you guys for
smoking in the ladies room?"

"Yeah," said Cara, taking a double drag on her Newport.

"Well," Courtney continued.  "That afternoon I got home and I smoked one.
Next thing I know, I am smoking all the time.  To be honest, I love it!"

"That's cool," said Cara.

Cara remembered that Courtney had confiscated her marijuana that afternoon,
as well.

"Wait a second," said Cara.  "Did you smoke my pot, too?"

Courtney didn't know what to say.  Could she be open with Cara about her pot
smoking?  Even if she could, should she?  She decided to take the chance.

"Promise to keep this to yourself?" asked Courtney.

"Of course," Cara promised.

"Yeah," Courtney continued.  "I've smoked it a few times."

"We should get high sometime while I'm back!" Cara said enthusiastically.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," said Courtney.

She wondered where the girl from the internet was and why she was taking so
long.

"That's okay," Cara said.  "I understand.  I've gotta get going anyway.
I'm supposed to meet someone here at noon."

Courtney's heart stopped beating immediately.  She hadn't even thought to
inspect the clothes that Cara was wearing.  She was wearing a blue jacket,
and a maroon baseball cap.

Cara was the girl on the internet.  "CARAMELLOW" made much more sense now.
She had made an appointment to talk about her sexuality with one of her
former students.  Should she let Cara know that she knew?

She looked at Cara, who was drawing deeply on her Newport 100.  The girl in
front of Courtney was certainly much older than the girl she'd busted for
smoking three years earlier.  This girl was now an adult.

"Your hat isn't red," Courtney said knowingly.

"What?" asked Cara as she exhaled.

"Your hat," Courtney explained.  "It's not red.  It's maroon.  You said
you'd be wearing a red hat."

"Oh my God," Cara said.  "Are you `COUREN'?"

Courtney looked down as she tried not to blush.

"And you're `CARAMELLOW'," she said.

"No fucking way," Cara laughed.

"Yes fucking way," Courtney replied.

"Looks like we have some talking to do, don't we?" asked Cara.

"Apparently," admitted Courtney.

The two women walked to Courtney's car and climbed inside.  They drove to a
local restaurant, and sat immediately in the smoking section.

Courtney nervously pulled out her pack of Marlboro Lights 100s.  

"Want to try one of mine?" Cara asked, extending her pack of Newport 100s
towards Courtney.

"Sure," she said, taking one of the cork tipped filters in her fingers.

Cara lit her own cigarette and passed the flame to Courtney, who immediately
tasted the thicker, mentholated smoke as it flooded her mouth.

"They're stronger," Courtney said as she inhaled the dense cloud.

"Yeah," Cara said.  "They're great."

They enjoyed lunch, and talked about Courtney's sexuality as if they were
old friends.  Any awkwardness disappeared within half an hour of their
arriving at the restaurant.  

"Let's go get high," Cara said.

Courtney still wasn't sure if it was a good idea to get high with one of her
former students, but she was in the mood to smoke.

"Alright," Courtney said.  "But we've got to go to my house to do it so
we don't get caught."

Cara understood.  They paid their bill and got back into Courtney's car.
They decided it would be best to leave Cara's car by the pier.  She did,
after all, live just down the street from Courtney, and surely someone would
notice the car in her driveway.

They arrived at Courtney's house, and Courtney headed for the smoking room.

"Follow me," Courtney said.

Cara followed her former teacher into a small room.  She shut the door behind
them.  Courtney reached into the dresser she kept her marijuana in, but Cara
interrupted her.

"You know," Cara said.  "You taught me for how many years?  Maybe I should
teach you for a little while."

"What do you mean?" asked Courtney, who was beginning to feel a little
uncomfortable.  It was obvious that Cara was coming onto her.

Cara reached into her purse and pulled out a small vial.  She pulled the top
off the vial.  Courtney noticed that attached to the bottom of the cap was a
small object that looked like a spoon.

Cara dipped the object into the vial and pulled it back out.  It was coated
in a white, powdery substance.

Pinching one nostril closed, Cara snorted the powder up her other nostril
before returning the spoon to the vial again.

She reversed her hands and snorted another spoonful of powder into the now
open nostril, and returned the cap to the vial.

Once more, she removed the cap.  Once more, the spoon was coated in the white
powder.  She held it out in Courtney's direction.

"Cara," Courtney began.  "I can't do that.  Can't we just smoke pot?"

"Courtney," Cara started mockingly.  "I haven't touched weed since I
discovered this.  Trust me, okay?"

Courtney didn't know what to say.

"I didn't let you down with cigarettes, right?" Cara said.  "And
weed-you liked that?  Let me teach you about this."

Courtney leaned forward until her nose was in position with the small spoon.
She pinched her right nostril shut and snorted the powder as hard as she
could.  As she wiped her nose, Cara dipped the stick back into the vial.

"One more," she said.

Courtney leaned forward once more and snorted another line of the white
powder.  She immediately felt the effects of the cocaine in her bloodstream.

"Nice, isn't it?" Cara asked with a smile.

"Yeah," said Courtney, in disbelief at what she'd just done, and with whom
she had done it.

"So tell me about this girlfriend of yours," Cara said, lighting a Newport.

"There really isn't much to tell," Courtney began.  "Neither of us had
ever been with a woman before, and I guess we were just lonely.  We smoked
some weed, and one thing led to another."

"That's how a lot of people find out they like girls," Cara replied.

"But it's not like I like girls," said Courtney.  "I just like this girl.
I like her a lot."

Cara smiled.

"Well," she began.  "She's a very lucky girl, whoever she is."

Courtney was flattered.

"Thank you, Cara," she said smiling.  

"You're welcome," Cara said.  "But I mean it.  I'm not sure if I should
tell you this or not, but you were the first girl I had ever fantasized
about."

Courtney laughed.

"Yeah right," she said.  "You fantasized about me?"

"Yes," Cara admitted.  "I did.  I didn't mean to.  It's just-"

Courtney listened as Cara told the story of how she fantasized about her.

"Courtney," she continued.  "This isn't easy for me to say, but I've got
a little of a smoking fetish."

Courtney laughed.

"I'm sorry, Cara.  I don't mean to laugh," she said.  "A what?"

"A smoking fetish," Cara continued.  "I think it's sexy when people
smoke.  It was always just guys, and then that day when you took my
cigarettes and my weed, I got so aroused at the thought that you had gone
home and smoked.  It was at that point that I realized that I was attracted
to you."

Courtney didn't know what to say.

"Haven't you noticed how differently guys look at you when you smoke?"
Cara asked.

"Well, yeah," said Courtney.

"That's because they have it too," Cara said.  

"That's amazing," Courtney said.

"So you like girls who smoke, too?" asked Courtney.

"It's not just girls who smoke," Cara said.  "I don't like girls who
smoke a lot, but I love teaching people how to experience new pleasures.
There's nothing sexier to me than a guy, or a girl, who is just learning how
to smoke.  And not just smoking.  I like sharing all of the pleasures I enjoy
with them.  It drives me wild.  Why do you think I wanted you to do coke so
badly?"

Courtney was astounded at how open Cara was being.

"Did you know you can smoke cocaine, too?" Courtney asked.

"I know, but I've never found anyone willing to try it with me," Cara said
sadly.  "Unless-"

Courtney just smiled.

"I'll make a deal with you," she said.  "I'll smoke coke with you once,
but you've got to do something for me, and you can never tell anyone about
it, okay?"

"Sure," said Cara, who was now beaming at what was going on.

Cara reached into her purse and pulled out a small glass tube.

"You want to do it now?" Courtney asked.

"Do you know of a better time?" Cara quipped rhetorically.

She had a point.

Courtney watched as her former student took a small amount of cocaine out of
her vial and loaded the glass pipe.

She brought it to her lips and flicked her lighter to life.  The cocaine
began to crackle as Cara pulled the thick smoke into her lungs.

Her first reaction was to cough as the much thicker smoke entered her lungs.
She was experienced enough with the smoke from other substances, though, to
keep the coughing inside.

She passed the pipe to Courtney who raised the pipe and took a hit of her
own.  She also was able to refrain from coughing, and let the cocaine go
directly to her brain.

After just two hits each, they both felt incredible.

"So what's this I can do for you?" asked Cara.

"Well, it's a multi-faceted thing, really," replied Courtney.  "First,
there's this-"

Courtney put one hand on each side of Cara's young face and leaned in to
kiss her.  Cara met this advance with an open mouth and a tongue that swirled
around Courtney's.

After kissing like this for almost a full minute, Courtney backed away.

"And the second part?" Cara asked.

"Come home for the weekend in two weeks," Courtney said with a smile.

"Okay," said Cara, no questions asked.

Two weeks later, Courtney was eager for Jennifer to come home.  Right on
schedule, Jennifer knocked on Courtney's door.

Courtney opened the door and smiled as she saw Jennifer standing on the
porch.

"Hi!" she said, throwing her arms around the beautiful reporter.

"Hi hun," Jennifer replied.

"I'm so glad you're back," Courtney said.

"Not as happy as I am to be back," Jennifer replied.  "I was with my
camera crew for the whole trip, and the only time I could smoke was in my
hotel!"

"Aww," said Courtney.  "Well you don't have to hide anything here.  Let
it all hang out!"

The two women laughed.

Jennifer reached into her purse and pulled out a pack of Marlboro Lights
100s.  She put one between her lips and flicked her lighter.  The tip of her
cigarette grew brightly as she pulled the thick smoke into her lungs.

"I wanted to talk to you about something," Courtney nervously began.

Jennifer began to panic.  Her friend was feeling guilty about their
lovemaking, and now she wanted out.

"Okay," Jennifer said.

"It's not what you think, trust me," Courtney replied, sensing her
friend's disappointment.

"Okay," said Jennifer.

"While you were gone, I did some thinking," Courtney began.  "I love you.
I want to be with you.  Because of that, I had some serious soul searching to
do regarding my sexuality, as I'm sure you did too."

"Yeah," Jennifer admitted.  "You can say that again."

Courtney was relieved that she wasn't the only one who was more than a
little confused.

"I didn't know who I could talk to about this," Courtney continued.  "So
I went online, and I found this chat room.  In there, I started talking to
this girl who was very understanding, and she helped me through a lot of it."

"What are you trying to say?" asked Jennifer.

"Well," Courtney continued, even more nervously than before.  "I invited
her here.  Tonight."

"For what?" asked Jennifer.

"Because she's a really sweet girl, and I think she could help you, too,"
Courtney said.

"Help me how?" Jennifer asked.

"Do you love me?" asked Courtney.

"Of course," said Jennifer.

"Then you've got to trust me on this, okay?" Courtney asked.

"You're asking a lot," Jennifer said.  "Do you even know this girl?"

"Well," Courtney said, nervously laughing.  "Believe it or not, I do.  I
didn't know it at the time, but I later found out that she's a former
student of mine.  She's legal now, though."

Jennifer didn't know what to say.

"What if she recognizes me?" Jennifer asked.

"I've made her swear that she won't say anything about anything that goes
on in this house," Courtney assured.

Jennifer thought long and hard as she took a double drag on her Marlboro
Light 100.

"And what will I get in return?" she asked.

"You won't want anything else, I promise," Courtney said.

"Okay," Jennifer agreed.  "But after tonight, I may want this to become an
exclusive thing between you and I."

"If that's what you would like," Courtney said.  "That's fine with me.
But keep an open mind, alright?  If you do that, you may not."

The two women caught up on what they'd missed about each other in the two
weeks Jennifer was on assignment.

At seven o'clock, the doorbell rang.  

Courtney ran to the door and opened it.  When she did, Jennifer saw a very
attractive, young girl standing at the door.  She estimated the girl to be
approximately twenty-one or twenty-two.  

Courtney introduced the two women. 

"You're on television,"  Cara said surprisingly.  "That's why Courtney
made me promise-"

"Yeah," said Jennifer.

"I want to teach her the things you taught me," Courtney cryptically
declared to Cara.

"Does she know about it?" Cara asked.

"Do I know about what?" asked Jennifer.

"Let's play a game," Courtney said mischievously.

She went to her bedroom and retrieved a blindfold, which she tied around
Jennifer's eyes.  To Cara's amazement, Jennifer did not object at all.

"What next?" Jennifer asked.

"You'll see," Courtney said defiantly.

Courtney indicated to Cara to get out the vial of cocaine and the glass tube.

"Do you want to smoke?" Courtney asked deceitfully.

"Yes," Jennifer said.

Cara couldn't believe that Jennifer Rose was sitting in Courtney's living
room, blindfolded, asking  to smoke.  The scene made Cara very, very wet.

She put some cocaine into the glass tube and brought the tube to Jennifer's
mouth.  While she held the tube in place, Courtney flicked the lighter and
moved it over the cocaine.

"Take a hit," Cara said.  

Jennifer did as followed, sucking a large cloud of the thick smoke directly
into her lungs.

"This tastes funny," she said, holding the smoke in.

"You ain't seen nothin' yet," Cara joked, as she dipped the spoon into
the vial, and moved it below Jennifer's left nostril.

"Sniff your nose, hun," Courtney said.  "It's running."

Jennifer sniffed her nose, unknowingly snorting a huge pile of cocaine in.

"What the fuck was that?" Jennifer asked.

"Relax," Courtney said.  "You're going to love this."

Within a minute, Jennifer felt a cigarette being pressed into her mouth.  She
heard the flick of a lighter, and began to suck smoke into her mouth.

Moments later, she felt her pants being taken off, and a mouth on her breast.
She wasn't sure who was sucking her nipples, and she didn't care.

No sooner did her pants come all the way off, than she felt another mouth,
sucking away at her wet pussy.  

Two mouths.  That meant that both women were pleasuring her.  The feeling was
indescribable.

"Watch this," she heard Courtney say to Cara as she took the cigarette from
her blindfolded lover.  "Smoke it with your pussy."

"Only if Cara inhales," Jennifer said defiantly.

Courtney put the filter between Jennifer's swollen lips and Jennifer pulled
the smoke into her vagina.

Cara buried her face in Jennifer's pussy and inhaled every last bit of smoke
from inside.  She then turned to Courtney and gave her the best smokey kiss
she'd ever received.

The three women made love all night.  Before, during, and after, they all
smoked various substances, including cocaine, cigarettes, and marijuana.
They even convinced Jennifer to do two lines with them, which all three
enjoyed.

The next morning, Courtney talked to Jennifer.

"Jen, I want you to move in," she said.

Jennifer didn't know what to say. 

"I thought you'd never ask," she said.  "I do have one request though."

"Anything for you," Courtney said.

"Can Cara visit on weekends?" asked Jennifer.