The Affair, Part 6

    This story contains adult language and themes. If such language and themes
offend you, please do not read further. Copyright 1997 by SSTORYMAN. All
rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce this story in any form and
for any purpose as long as this notice is reproduced and no financial
remuneration is received by the person reproducing it.

    THE AFFAIR


    6. Who's Caught and Who's Not?

    At three o'clock on Thursday afternoon Sherry Crawford left for home. She
was leaving the library early. She was using some vacation time. It was no big
deal.

    Last night she'd been disappointed. John came home. He worked in the
basement all evening. There was no way to privately talk to Beth. Sherry was
both relieved and upset. She wanted to follow Anne's suggestion, but she was
terrified about talking with her daughter; about smoking.

    Instead of trying on Wednesday evening, she asked Beth to meet her at home
after school today. Beth was curious but didn't ask questions, for which
Sherry was thankful. Grace would be busy after school at an activity. She
wouldn't be home 'til five or after. That was perfect. Sherry was not ready to
talk about smoking with both daughters.

    Sherry pulled into the driveway and entered the house through the garage
door. "Hi, Mom," a voice called out from the living room. Beth was sitting in
front of the TV with a plate of cookies and a glass of milk. Sherry smiled.
The same routine she'd followed for years. An after school snack and talk
shows, putting off homework as long as possible.

    "Hi, Beth," Sherry smiled. She was nervous. She hoped it didn't show.

    "What do you want to talk about, Mom?" Beth turned off the TV. Despite a
carefree exterior, Beth, too was extremely nervous. Something was up. Why else
would her mom take time off from work to meet her alone? Was she about to get
busted for smoking? Beth desperately hoped not. She smoked only one cigarette
walking home from school today, instead of her usual two. She brushed her
teeth before her mom came home to cover up any lingering odor.

    Sherry thought about making coffee. Beth enjoyed drinking it with her.
Beth and Grace had both become coffee aficionados. But Sherry decided not to
put off the discussion longer than necessary. Time was running out. She took
off her jacket, laid it over the back of the chair, and sat down.

    "Beth, honey, I've got something to talk with you about." Her tone was
uncharacteristically serious.

    Oh, God! thought Beth. I am going to get busted.

    "You know, your father and I have been having trouble for awhile. I'm sure
you've sensed it. Things haven't been the same since ... well, since he
started smoking."

    Uh-oh. Sounds bad. Maybe she's going to tell me they're getting divorced,
Beth feared. She prayed it was something else.

    Sherry fidgeted in her chair. "I have something to tell you and something
else to ask. Please don't say anything until I've finished. It's not what you
think."

    Beth was confused and concerned. This was obviously going to be a big
deal.

    "First, I know you've been smoking." Sherry held up her hand to stop Beth
from interrupting. "Wait. Don't say anything. Let me finish."

    Beth took a deep breath. Oh, God! Her worst fears were about to be
realized.

    "Last night I talked to a friend of your father's. I was afraid your
father was getting ready to leave me. To leave us. I asked whether she thought
there was anything I could do to save our marriage. She gave me an unusual
suggestion. I'm not happy about it, but I think she's right. I need to stop
driving your father away from me. Only I'm going to need help. I'm asking you
to help me."

    Beth sighed in relief. The focus had shifted away from smoking. "Sure,
Mom," she replied. "What is it?"

    It was Sherry's turn to take a deep breath. "I need to learn how to smoke,
Beth," she blurted out. "I want you to help me learn how."

    Beth almost fell off the couch. "What?!?" she exclaimed. "You, Mom?
Smoking? Are you serious?"

    "I think so, honey," Sherry replied. She nervously brushed her dark hair
away from her face. "Your father is not going to quit smoking." She smiled. "I
assume you don't want to quit either. If I learn how to smoke, if I become a
participant instead of a critic, it might help patch things up between your
father and me." She observed the look of amazement on her daughter's face.
"What do you think?"

    Beth sputtered for several seconds. "I don't get it. If you knew I was
smoking, Mom, why didn't you bust me? And how did you find out?"

    Sherry smiled. "Look, I'm not as dumb as you think, Beth. I smell it on
your clothes when I do the laundry. You think you're keeping it secret, but a
mother can tell when something's going on. I didn't say anything because I was
afraid your father might get mad if I came down hard. I'm not sure if he knows
you're smoking, or how he'd feel if he did know. But I was afraid it'd be one
more battle between us. I didn't need that." Sherry gave Beth a serious look.
"Don't get me wrong. I'm not happy you're smoking. You're underage and it's
not right. But I need someone to help me learn. And you're all I've got, kid."

    Beth was shell-shocked. "You actually want me to teach you how to smoke?"
she asked, still in disbelief. "You, my own mother?"

    Sherry nodded. "That's right. Look, I don't like cigarette smoke. I think
smoking is a filthy habit. It's terrible for your health. It looks gross and
smells worse. But unless I change - unless I learn to have a positive attitude
about smoking - I'm going to lose your father. I can't let that happen, honey.
I just can't. I'll do anything to stop it from happening. Anything at all.
Even smoking."

    "Have you told Daddy about this?" asked Beth.

    "No. I'm not going to tell him until I figure out whether I can do it."
She smiled a weak smile. "What do you say? Will you help me?"

    Beth still couldn't believe the request. "I guess so. You mean right now?"

    "Right now," replied Sherry. "It's a quarter 'til four. Your sister will
be home a little after five. I'd like to learn before she gets home."

    "Look, it takes awhile, Mom. You can't learn overnight. You have to build
up a tolerance for tobacco."

    "Your father isn't coming home for dinner tonight. He won't be home until
very late. We have until ten o'clock tonight to work on it." Sherry gave her
daughter an evil grin. "I assume your sister won't be upset about this, will
she?"

    Beth said nothing. She wasn't about to squeal on Grace.

    "Look, honey, I know Gracie is smoking, too." It was a lie, Sherry
reasoned. She wasn't as sure as she sounded. But she'd find out.

    Beth smiled involuntarily. "Mom, you're a lot smarter than we thought."
She sighed. "Yeah, Gracie smokes, too. Not as much as me."

    "And she likes it, too?" Sherry asked.

    "Mom, we both like smoking," she admitted shyly. "Let me ask you
something. If you try smoking and like it, will Grace and I be allowed to keep
smoking?" Beth smiled as she asked. There wasn't much question whether her mom
would like it. She'd like it, all right. That wasn't much risk. Beth knew that
from personal experience.

    "I worried about that," Sherry admitted. "I guess it's part of the deal.
If your father doesn't object, if we keep it under control, I'll give my
permission. I'd be a hypocrite to have you help me learn to smoke, and then
make you stop, wouldn't I?"

    "Yes, Mom, you would," grinned Beth. God, this was too good to be true!
"So, do you want to start? Do you want me to get my cigarettes?" Having
accepted her mother's unusual request at face value, Beth was ready.

    "Okay," Sherry nodded. "I'd like to get started before Gracie gets home."

    Beth ran upstairs to her room to retrieve her stash. Oh my God! Will Grace
ever be surprised when she gets home! Me and Mom smoking together!

    She ran downstairs with her pack of Marlboro Light 100's and her lighter
in hand. For an instant she worried whether it was a scam. Maybe her mother
was going to confiscate her cigarettes and ground her. Sherry was standing by
the basement door.

    "Mom, this is so weird," Beth began.

    "Hush, Beth," her mother replied, putting her finger in front of her lips.
"It's worse for me than for you. I feel guilty. But it's the right thing to
do. If I smoke, it may make the critical difference." She opened the basement
door. "But let's do it downstairs. That way the smell of smoke will stay in
the basement."

    They descended the stairs together. The basement functioned as a small
office for John. There was a desk, a desk chair an old couch and a small
table. Sherry and Beth sat together on the couch.

    Beth picked up the ashtray from her father's desk and set it on the couch
between them. She got out two cigarettes. "Mom, you're very brave. I
appreciate what you're trying to do. I hope Dad will, too."

    Sherry picked up one of unlit cigarettes and looked at it. She sighed.
"Okay, Beth, show me."

   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Anne had just finished a Lean Cuisine microwave meal. She wasn't hungry.
But she was ready for a cigarette. She opened a fresh pack of Marlboro Light
100's and lit up. The smoke filling her lungs was a pleasant conclusion to a
boring dinner.

    John was supposed to come over early so there'd be plenty of time for
lovemaking before he needed to go. She looked at her watch. It was after six.
He was late.

    There was a knock on the door. She rushed to answer it, cigarette in hand.
Opening it without looking, Anne was surprised to see Hope standing in the
doorway.

    "Can I come in?" Hope asked with a polite smile. She didn't wait for an
answer. Instead, she walked in without hesitating.

    "No, Hope," Anne sputtered. "You can't. John's coming over tonight."

    Hope sat on the couch. "That's okay. I don't mind. I'd like to meet him,"
she grinned facetiously as she pulled her pack from her jacket pocket.
"Besides, I need a smoke. Real bad. I'll just stay for one cigarette. Then
I'll go." She lit up before Anne could say another word.

    Hope took a big drag and inhaled. "Oh, boy. It never gets old, does it?"
she declared, holding her breath to keep the smoke inside as long as possible.
"It always feels so good to light up!" She began a nose exhale and looked over
at Anne. Slowly escaping smoke framed Hope's cherubic face. "You're really
getting into this smoking thing, aren't you, Anne?" She pointed to the ashtray
on the table which was full of butts and to the cigarette in Anne's hand.

    "Yeah, I am," Anne admitted. She took a drag of her own. She needed more
nicotine right now! "Look, Hope, you can't stay. I don't want you here when he
arrives." Intermittent bursts of exhaled smoke emphasized Anne's words.

    Hope smiled but didn't budge. "I'm not leaving until I'm done with my
cigarette. We have a deal. I can smoke at your place when I need to. Well, I
need to right now."

    Anne said nothing. She couldn't throw her out. But John was overdue. What
would happen if he showed up now?

    That question was about to be answered. Anne heard another knock on the
door.

   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Sherry and her daughters sat at the kitchen table. The dinner dishes had
been cleared and Hope carried a tray with three cups of coffee to the table.

    "Mom, I can't believe this! It is so cool," Grace smiled. Her young face
glowed. Like her mother and sister, she was of slight build with long, brown
hair. A large glass ashtray had been retrieved from a kitchen cabinet. Sherry
kept it for guests who smoked. But now the ashtray and a pack of cigarettes
served as the table centerpiece.

    At only 13, Grace's figure had even less shape than Beth's. Otherwise,
however, she was a carbon copy of her 15 year old sister. And they both looked
like their mother.

    "I can't believe you're going to let us smoke in the kitchen," Grace went
on. "You know Dad will smell it when he comes home."

    Sherry sighed. "That's the point, dear. After school Beth and I smoked in
the basement. But there's no point in hiding the smell now, is there?"

    "I guess not," Grace agreed. "So are you going to show me? Are you really
going to smoke, Mom?"

    "Yes, Grace. I said I would. And I suppose you want a cigarette, too?"

    "You bet!" Grace exclaimed. She reached for the pack of Marlboros on the
table and shook out three cigarettes, distributing one to her mother, one to
her sister, and keeping one for herself.

    Sherry placed her cigarette in her mouth, picked up the lighter and lit
it, taking a modest puff. Just like Beth had taught her earlier. She lightly
inhaled. It was her fourth cigarette of the day. She'd learned to inhale. Beth
made sure she learned right away.

    Beth lit up, too. She took a much harder drag than her mother and inhaled
the smoke much deeper. Beth then passed the lighter to Grace.

    Grace held the lighter and waited. She was watching her mother. "Gosh,
Mom, you even inhale! I'm very impressed." She stopped talking long enough to
light her own cigarette. Like her sister, she took a big drag and inhaled the
smoke deep into her lungs. "It is so weird, all of us smoking together," she
giggled. The smoke began escaping while she talked. "Dad will just freak when
he finds out," she giggled.

    Sherry forced a smile. It broke her heart just a little to see all that
smoke billowing from the mouths of her two daughters. But she reminded herself
that saving her marriage was worth the cost.

    Sherry was holding her cigarette erect, right beside her head. Slowly she
took another puff, sipping the smoke gently before inhaling. Her daughter had
taught her well. She exhaled a steady stream of smoke into the air. "I hope
he'll be pleased."

    "I'm sure he will, Mom," Beth assured her. Beth was pleased with her mom's
progress. She'd mastered the basics quickly. Beth smiled. Now it was only a
matter of time. If her mom stayed with it, soon she'd be hooked, too. The
thought excited Beth. She took another drag of her own.

   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    John entered Anne's condo without a word as soon as she opened the door.
Focused only on his lover, he gave Anne a gentle kiss on the lips before she
could speak or close the door. "Ahh, smoky kisses," John sighed. "I love 'em."
Suddenly he realized someone else was present. Looking past Anne and the
cigarette she held, he saw Hope sitting on the couch. Smoking. He jerked in
surprise.

    "Hope Cummings?" he gasped. "What are you ...?

    "Mr. Crawford?" Hope gasped simultaneously. "What the ...?"

    "Oh, shit!" Anne exclaimed. The proverbial cat was out of the bag!

   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Grace talked constantly while they smoked. "Mom, you're being so mature
about this. About Beth and me smoking. I guess you may as well, because we'll
keep smoking anyway. But it's so great that you're actually letting us! And
you smoking will really help things with Dad. It's brilliant! Dad will be
happy and relieved. I know it!"

    She stopping talking long enough to take a quick, hard drag. Her cigarette
glowed brightly. She inhaled and continued. "Daddy loves to smoke," she went
on. "He'll go nuts when he sees you're smoking, too. He'll be so pleased! It's
a great idea and I know it'll work. You're a genius, Mom!" Bursts of smoke
punctuated Grace's words. "You're an absolute genius!"

    As her daughter's smoky monologue continued, Sherry sighed. Even at 13,
Gracie's smoking and talking at the same time was a dead ringer for her older
sister's style. Sherry knew Beth and Grace had been smoking together for
several months. Sherry almost frowned thinking about it, but then reluctantly
smiled. She took another puff from her own cigarette and inhaled. Yes, Beth
was right. She was becoming accustomed to the taste and feel of the smoke. She
understood now why people grew to like the feeling associated with smoking.
Maybe John wasn't so dumb after all ....

   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    "That's the whole story," Anne concluded. Both John Crawford and Hope
Cummings listened silently to Anne's tale in disbelief.

    Hope was the first to speak. "Well, I'd better be going." She looked at
John. "Mr. Crawford, you won't say anything to my mother about me smoking,
will you?"

    John shook his head. "Everything is our secret," he agreed. "All of us
have good reasons to keep quiet about what we're doing, don't we? And you
won't mention anything to Beth?"

    "Oh, no," Hope replied. "I promise. And Mr. Crawford? Beth won't get in
trouble because of her smoking, will she?"

    John smiled. As embarrassed as he was about his daughter's best friend
finding out about his affair, he was almost amused to discover that Beth was
smoking, too. Apparently Sherry was right. His smoking had been a bad
influence.

    "Not from me she won't," he answered solemnly. "Remember, our discussion
today never happened. I don't know about you and Beth smoking." He shook his
head. "I'm not really surprised to find out Beth's smoking. I almost expected
it. It explains a lot of other things that never quite added up." He smiled.
"You know, unexplained walks after dinner, getting home late from school, that
kind of thing."

    Hope took her leave. "A nice kid," Anne smiled. "I'm sorry she had to find
out."

    "Look, Anne," John interposed. "Sooner or later everybody's going to find
out. Because I have an appointment tomorrow morning with one of my partners
who does domestic relations law; to talk about filing for divorce."

    Anne didn't know what to say. She still wanted him tonight. But she needed
to tell him about her rendezvous with Sherry.

    "First, Anne, I've got a surprise for you," John said before she could
speak again. He pulled two cigars from his jacket pocket. "Have you smoked one
of these before?"

    "A cigar?" Anne asked, making a face. "Look, I know professional women
smoking cigars is the rage these days. But, no, I've never done it. Until a
week ago I'd never smoked a cigarette either."

    She watched John prepare both cigars with a clipper he pulled from his
pocket. "The smell of cigars reminds me of going to baseball games when I was
a kid," she went on. "You don't honestly expect me to smoke one of those with
you, do you?" she asked suddenly, realizing what he was doing.

    He beamed. "Of course. If you're going to smoke, Anne, you need to learn
versatility. Cigarettes are the mainstay of my tobacco needs. But I enjoy a
good cigar, too. You'll enjoy this," he promised. "You need to learn how to
enjoy a good cigar. And these are good ones. These are LaFontana DaVinci's.
Excellent!"

    John got his lighter, handed Anne the cigar he'd prepared, and was ready
to show Anne how to light it. "By the way, you've eaten dinner, haven't you?"
he asked.

    "Yes. Why?"

    "Good. Never smoke a cigar on an empty stomach. It's different from those
Marlboros. The smoke is stronger and richer. Without a full stomach, sometimes
novices get nauseated. Needless to say, that ruins the experience."

    John demonstrated how to begin by lighting his cigar. Anne watched as
John's was brought to life. He then helped Anne light hers. John had her
rotate the cigar in her mouth as she held it to the flame, ensuring an even
light. Once her cigar was fully lit, she blew out a mouthful of smoke. She
knew better than to try inhaling. But the taste was smooth and rich, far
different from what she had expected. It tasted wonderful! Her earlier
trepidation disappeared. This wasn't bad after all!

    John gave a running commentary on how to properly smoke a cigar. Anne felt
the cigar provided a far more leisurely smoking experience than her
cigarettes. She was enjoying herself. But why weren't you supposed to inhale?
With cigarettes, inhaling was the crown jewel of the experience. After one
puff on her DaVinci, she decided to try. She pulled it into her lungs, but
felt the thicker smoke catch in her throat and hit her lungs like a hammer.
Her gag reflex kicked in and she fought hard not to start coughing. She turned
pale and her eyes watered as the inhaled smoke slowly escaped from her mouth.

    "Hey, I warned you not to do that," said John with both amusement and
concern. "Are you okay?"

    "Yeah, I think so," Anne gasped. "You were right. You can't inhale these
things the way you inhale cigarette smoke!" She fought to regain her
composure. "Just like me to learn the hard way!"

    After the mishap Anne settled down and enjoyed the different, yet
pleasant, experience of her first cigar. John was pleased. He obviously
enjoyed watching her smoke a cigar as much as enjoyed seeing her smoke
cigarettes. They chatted amicably. But John seemed nervous. Anne suspected
there was something he wanted to tell. Something important.

    "Anne, I did it. Earlier today," he announced, about 20 minutes into their
cigars.

    "Did what?"

    "I told my firm I'm going to Johnson & Myers. My last day at Williams &
Connors will be two weeks from tomorrow. Kevin, Jodi and Bonnie gave their
notices, too. They'll come with me. The firm agreed I can tell my clients.
Someone from Williams & Connors will contact you, asking GTS to keep its work
with W&C. Hopefully you and most of my other clients will follow me."

    Anne explained the word was out at GTS about their affair. She didn't
blame Julie Russell. No sense in blaming her. "But this will make it more
difficult for me to transfer our work to Johnson & Myers. Especially the
non-corporate work, like the discrimination cases. The stuff you're not
working on personally."

    John shrugged. "I knew it was a risk," he sighed. "But I told you before,
I'm going whether or not GTS work comes. It's too good an opportunity to pass
up."

    Anne knew that was how John would react. Professionally.

    Cigar smoke was thick in the air. Anne smiled. It did not smell like the
baseball games of her youth. But she was about to play a different game.

    It was time to talk about her meeting with Sherry. The revelation about
her affair with John, now public knowledge at GTS, was going to make it
virtually impossible to transfer the GTS business. Despite Hope's assurances,
there was a chance Beth would find out about the affair, too. It was time to
tell John something which might have a positive effect. Even if not in her own
best interests.

    "John," Anne said sweetly. "Did you know I met with your wife last night?"

    He almost choked on his cigar. "You what? You're kidding!"

    Anne told him about Sherry's call, and about Sherry's concern that he was
having an affair. "I hope you're not upset," Anne concluded.

    He grimaced. "No, I'm not upset. I need to learn to be more discrete," he
added. He tapped some ashes from his cigar into the ashtray. "You must have
been about ready to wet your pants! But she didn't suspect you, and that's
good. So what did you say?"

    Anne blew out a puff of cigar smoke. "She still loves you, John. I could
tell. So I decided to do something I almost never do. I decided to play fair.
I gave her my best advice. I told her if she wants to keep you, she should
take up smoking!"

    John's eyes grew wide with disbelief. "You didn't!"

    "Sure I did," Anne replied. "I told her I'd heard her anti-smoking stand
was hurting your marriage. I suggested she show her interest in saving the
marriage by compromising on this important issue. Important to you, that is. I
advised her to find a friend who smokes and learn how herself."

    "God! What did she say?"

    "She thanked me. She's going to have Beth teach her how to smoke."

    "She knows about Beth?" asked John incredulously. "I don't believe it.
Then why didn't she ...?"

    "She knew that getting after Beth would underline the smoking dispute
which already existed between you," Anne interrupted. "She didn't want to make
things worse." She smiled and crushed her cigar in the ashtray. "Instead she's
going to make things better." She looked at her watch. "She's probably smoking
with Beth now," she added.

    John shook his head. "Anne, what're you doing? I thought you wanted to
maintain our affair. To protect it. Instead you're trying to save my marriage.
What gives?"

    Anne shrugged her shoulders. "Do you mind if I have a cigarette?" she
asked, picking up her pack from the table. "I'm ready to inhale again," she
smiled.

    "You're not answering my question," he reiterated, waving his cigar in the
air. "What are you doing?"

    Anne placed a Marlboro Light 100 in her mouth and lit up. That familiar
flavor seemed good to her, particularly when she pulled the smoke deep into
her lungs. "I'm not sure what I'm doing," she replied. "I do want to keep
fucking you, John. But now I've met your daughter. She's a sweet girl. And
I've met your wife. She's a nice lady and she's really concerned about you.
You deserve better than me, John. I'm not ready to settle down. And I'm about
to wreck your life by screwing you." She took another drag on her cigarette
and inhaled again. She liked the cigar but she missed having cigarette smoke
in her lungs. "Hell, maybe I'm in love with you. Which means I want what's
best for you. Even if it's not best for me."

    John crushed his own cigar out in the ashtray. "Does this mean it's over?
That you don't want to make love tonight?"

    "Absolutely not!" Anne responded. "Are you crazy? I'm ready to fuck you
tonight or any other night you want. I'm just saying that if your wife is
smart, she'll start smoking. And if she does, then if you're smart you won't
leave her. Because I think you love her, too." She paused. He said nothing.
"Don't you?"

    "I don't hate her, if that's what you mean." John gazed into space. "God,
if she started smoking it would tear down the walls between us." He looked at
Anne, whose wrist was bent as she held her cigarette erect approximately 6
inches from her face. She looked fetching.

    John moved next to her on the couch. "You're full of surprises, Anne," he
whispered. He kissed her ear. "We'll see what happens with Sherry. But right
now I have something to give you." He kissed her ear a second time and placed
his right hand on her breasts. Slowly he began to squeeze.

    Anne put her cigarette in her mouth. "Talk dirty to me, Johnny," she
sighed, putting her own hands over on top of his as he continued to squeeze
her breasts. "If you play your cards right, you can have a wife who smokes and
a mistress who smokes, too!"

    When she spoke these words, a bolt of electricity passed through him. He
was excited. His hands moved more vigorously over her tits. Anne moaned. It
was time. She took her cigarette out of her mouth, having taken a big drag,
and laid it in the ashtray. She unzipped his pants and buried her face in his
crotch, where she exhaled smoke directly into the zipper opening. He groaned.

    "The bedroom!" Anne teased him with a whisper. "Listen, Sherry may save
your fucking marriage eventually, but let's not make it any easier on her
tonight." She led him into the bedroom. He was ready. And so was she.

    "Anne, you're a little devil," he grinned. "On the one hand you're trying
to save my marriage. But on the other hand you're shamelessly fucking me."

    "That's right," Anne smiled in return. "I'm giving Sherry a chance, that's
all. What happens next is up to her." But Anne didn't believe her own words.
She knew this was likely to be her last fling with John. She intended to make
the most of it.

   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Anne sat at her desk on Friday. Robin had been away from her desk for
quite awhile and Anne couldn't find the Nevins file. Where was that girl?

    "Anne, do you have a minute?" Robin stood in her doorway.

    "Sure, Robin, come on in," Anne replied. "I've been looking for you. Where
were you? Downstairs again?"

    Robin looked uncomfortable. She had been going downstairs more and more
over the last few days for smoke breaks. "No," she answered. "I was in
personnel."

    "Why were you there?" Anne asked.

    Robin closed the door and sat down. "Anne, I just turned in my two weeks
notice. I'm leaving GTS. I've accepted another position."

    Anne was shocked. Shocked and disappointed. "But why? I thought things
were going well. I've been happy working with you. Where are you going? And
why?"

    Robin squirmed. Meeting with personnel was easy. But she didn't want to
talk with Anne. "I screwed up this week. I shouldn't have said anything to
Julie about you and John. I should have known better. God, I'm so sorry. I
know you were upset. And rightly so. I decided it would be best if I moved
on."

    "Robin, I was upset. And you're right; you shouldn't have said anything.
But the reason I was upset had nothing - well, almost nothing - to do with me.
I already have a reputation around here as a loose woman. I can live with
that. But I was upset because it might hurt John. You see, he's leaving
Williams & Connors for another firm. The news about my affair will make it
hard for me to transfer the GTS work to his new firm. It would look like I'm
taking care of my boyfriend rather than doing what's best for GTS. John says
he's not worried about it. So neither am I. It's okay, really. I should have
told you. But 'til he gave his notice I didn't feel I should say anything
about it."

    "God," Robin replied. "I wish I'd known. But it's too late now. I've
accepted the other position."

    "If you're willing to stay I'm sure we could work something out. I
probably can't get you more money. You haven't been here long enough. But we
could do something. Where are you going to go?"

    "It's a firm called Johnson & Myers," Robin answered. "Do you know them?"

    Anne's face betrayed her surprise. "Oh my God. That's where John is
going."

    "No shit?" Robin gasped. "Maybe that's why they're hiring new
secretaries."

    "I'm sure it is," Anne frowned. "John is taking three other lawyers and a
paralegal. They probably need more secretaries." Anne looked at her. "Is there
anything I can do to talk you into staying? Are your leaving because of their
smoking policy?"

    Robin nodded. "That's part of it. I also have some good friends at that
firm. All the girls there smoke at their desks. I originally came to GTS
because I thought it would be easier for me to quit here. But I'm not quitting
anymore, and the Johnson & Myers offer is very attractive. Plus, I really
haven't made any friends here. Other than you, of course, Anne." She paused.
"I still think I want to go, Anne. I'm sorry."

    Anne sighed. She wasn't happy. But no sense being mad. Robin had already
decided. "I understand," she assured her. "That's partly why John's going,
too." She smiled. "Maybe you'll wind up working with him. Wouldn't that be
ironic?"

    "Sure would," Robin agreed. She'd thought about that. She did think John
was awfully cute. Wouldn't that be a riot? She went on. "I appreciate your
understanding, Anne. I've enjoyed working with you. I hope we can still be
friends."

    "Don't worry, Robin. You're still one of my few smoking friends. But I
guess I'd better call personnel and talk about what's going to happen at your
desk."

    After Robin left her office, Anne thought about what had just happened. It
was her own fault, she decided. She should have assured Robin that she
wouldn't hold the disclosure gaffe against her. The whole business caused Anne
to feel unsettled. Then she recognized what was really going on. It was the
familiar urge for a cigarette. She smiled. She was jealous of Robin's move.
Being able to smoke at work would be wonderful. She pulled her cigarettes and
lighter out of her purse and put them in her suit jacket pocket.

    "Robin, I'm going downstairs for a cigarette," she announced as she left
her office. "Or maybe two."

    "I understand," Robin smiled. "I sure do."

   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Previous part | Next part