The Elusive California Dream, Part 9

   The following story is fictional and is provided solely for the enjoyment
of its readers. While there are references to actual establishments such as
several major corporations, other smaller companies, restaurants and
locations, the characters within the story are entirely fictional. Any
resemblance to a real person either living or dead is completely coincidental.
This fictional account does contain adult language and themes. If such
language and themes offend you, please read no further. This story is
copyrighted by AZ-MAN, all rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce
it in any form and for any purpose as long as this notice is reproduced and no
financial remuneration is received, directly or indirectly, by the person
reproducing it.
   
   Also, the author would like to thank SSTORYMAN for all his help and words
of encouragement along the way. You're great, man.
   
   THE ELUSIVE CALIFORNIA DREAM - Part 9 of 9
   
   18. Unlikely Friends
   
   The women arrived back at Jill's house a little after 3 PM. Jill missed her
United Way meeting but had decided to blow it off anyway. They entered the
kitchen together and Jill pointed to one of the barstools indicating for Jenni
to sit down. She opened the refrigerator, pulled out a new 1.5 liter bottle of
white wine and poured them each a large glass. They were not quite laughing
together but certainly speaking familiarly. Jenni had agreed to come in and
continue to talk. However, both women felt they had had their little 'talk'.
What they really needed was stress relief. Jill suggested that they go back to
her place for a drink.
   "So Jenni...are you going to smoke with me or are you still 'on the
wagon'?" Jill asked as she reached into her purse for her cigarettes.
   "Oh, I guess I'm off...as of today," Jenni answered, grinning.
   "Good." Jill seemed transparently pleased.
   "Is it okay to smoke in the house. I mean, your kids don't mind?"
   Jill laughed for a moment then said, "No. They don't mind. Go ahead."
   
   The afternoon wore on. It was after 4 PM and both Jill and Jenni were a
little buzzed from their wine. Jenni was laughing, "That's great. You mean you
got half of everything? So you're set then?"
   Jill had been chain smoking since arriving home an hour ago and reached
into her pack for another cigarette. "Shit. They're gone." Then her wine made
her laugh for no particular reason whatsoever. She looked up at Jenni grinning
great big, "Yeah, I got half. It took a big expensive lawyer but when this
thing clears, I'll have more than three million in Ilex stock. And have you
seen how it's been doing? In another month, it'll be worth four million." Then
her attention turned back to her empty pack of Virginia Slims. "Shit. They're
gone."
   Jenni took a long puff on her cigarette and inhaled so loudly that Jill
would hear her. She grinned sheepishly as her chest expanded. "Sorry. I took
the last one. Aren't there any more in the house? Don't you buy cartons?"
   "Yeah, but that was my last pack. I was going to get some more today...but
then my agenda changed." She smiled at Jenni letting her know it was okay,
then took a big gulp of her wine.
   Jenni volunteered, "Look, my car's outside. I'll go buy us TEN more
cartons. Lord knows, I'm going to need them now." She took another puff and
exhaled in Jill's direction, pretending that this was the last cigarette on
earth.
   Jill sidled up next to Jenni and took her cigarette, "You're not going
anywhere. You can't drive after all that wine. Besides, I have a solution."
She took a super-long puff on Jenni's cigarette and put it out in the ashtray
despite half of it still remaining.
   "What are you doing?" Jenni acted alarmed. "That's the last cigarette in
the house, you said so yourself."
   "Maybe it is...maybe it isn't," Jill said playfully as smoke came from her
mouth and nose in multiple bursts.
   Just then the front door opened. Jill looked toward the foyer and called
out, "Hey Brit! I'm in here." Brittany entered the kitchen in a tenuous manner
when she spotted Jenni. Jill reached out to hug here and said, "Honey, this is
my friend Jenni." Then she turned to Jenni and said, "This is my older
daughter, Brittany."
   Jenni held out her hand to this young woman of 17 who looked 21. "Pleased
to meet you."
   Brittany shook Jenni's hand then turned to her mom and asked in a low
voice, "Is it still okay?"
   Jill responded knowingly, "Of course it's okay. In fact, we just ran out.
Go get me a pack of yours."
   Brittany grinned and left the room to run upstairs. She had been without a
cigarette since breakfast and needed to smoke NOW. She had been upset when she
saw her mom had a guest. She wasn't supposed to smoke in front of other
adults. 
   Jenni asked, "She smokes?"
   "Yeah. Longer than me. I found out last spring and confronted her with it.
It's a long story but I think she's part of the reason I finally started
smoking myself. Then, once she found out I was smoking, I couldn't very well
tell her she had to quit. Actually, it's been great to have a smoking friend,
especially through the divorce."
   "Does John know she smokes?"
   "Yes. He even lets her smoke when she comes to visit him. Fortunately, he
hasn't used her or her smoking against me during all this...God knows he's
tried everything else."
   Just then, Brittany returned with a lighted cigarette and handed her mom an
unopened pack of Salem (full flavor) 100s. "Here you go, Mom." She grinned at
Jenni this time.
   Jenni was surprised at the brand. Jill kissed Brittany on the forehead and
said, "Thanks sweetie. Why don't you stay and join us. Mrs. Bond is picking up
Kyle so she won't be home 'til after 7." Kyle was still in her disapproval
mode now that mom AND Brittany were openly smoking in the house. 
   Brittany took a long puff on her Salem. Jenni watched as she kept her mouth
open in one position during the inhale and exhale. Still, a lot of smoke
poured from this young girl's chest. "Okay, just a sec, Mom. I need to make a
call." She picked up the walkaround phone, then darted back upstairs.
   Jill spoke as she tore open the Salems, "She'll be up there a while. She's
found a new hobby. She loves smoking and talking on the phone. Here, you
first." Jill extended the pack to Jenni with the first long white cigarette
partially exposed.
   Jenni pulled it from the pack. Jill lit both cigarettes and the women
concentrated on smoking for several minutes. Finally Jenni spoke, "These are
strong Jill. Does Brittany really like them?"
   "She and I both love 'em. I just can't bring myself to smoke them all the
time. I guess I'm too chicken." Then she laughed. "Actually, I just started
smoking the VS Lights again. I was smoking the Ultra Lights until last
month."
   Jenni watched the rich smoke pop in Jill's mouth. It looked inviting. She
decided to take a long puff to see what it would feel like. As she inhaled,
she felt the familiar catch in her throat only it was much more evident this
time. The light, sweet taste was replaced by a richer, more full-bodied flavor
with only a subtle reminder of menthol. It wasn't bad, she thought as the
smoke rested in her lungs...not bad at all.
   Jenni and Jill smoked until the wine was gone - all 1.5 liters worth.
Brittany did eventually join them for part of the time, smoking at least as
much or more than Jill and consuming a couple glasses of wine of her own.
Jenni was amazed at what a mature-looking smoker young Brittany turned out to
be. If anything, she outdid her mother in quality and quantity. But eventually
Brittany left the two older women, going to her bedroom with the door shut to
talk on the phone some more. 
   Jill and Jenni were now both well past being buzzed - they were happily
drunk. They giggled all the way up to Jill's bedroom and stumbled into her
king-size bed. Jill carefully closed the door and locked it. Jenni never had
to ask why. Jill still had half a cigarette left so the girls shared it as
they lay next to each other staring at the ceiling and touching. There was no
resistance from Jill when Jenni turned and exhaled her long puff into Jill's
waiting lungs. Tina had shown her how to do this when she first smoked and
she'd been dying to try it on Jill. It was such a turn-on for them both that
they repeated it several more times before briefly touching tongues on the
last exchange.
   Jill took one final puff from the cigarette, reached up and switched off
the light. She felt Jenni's hand slowly caress her stomach then move down into
her panties. It felt wonderful.........
   
   
   19. Epilogue
   
   John and Jill's divorce became final in December - nine months after they
filed and separated. Jill managed to secure half of the Ilex stock that was
now being traded publicly and was worth more than $3.5M. She surrendered half
a million's worth to John for his share of the house. Between other
investments and child support, Jill did not need to worry about money and was
able to maintain her lifestyle.
   In September, she started going back to school to get her real estate
license. Not that she needed to work, but she felt she needed the change. She
knew the Peninsula as well as anyone and was eager to meet some new people.
Her old associates and friends just didn't seem the same after the divorce.
   Jill and Brittany enjoyed a wonderful relationship. Their mutual smoking
gave Brittany the feeling that she'd been elevated to an almost adult status
around the house. Consequently, the two behaved as roommates and not as the
antagonistic mother and rebellious teenage daughter of old. Jill continued to
smoke her Virginia Slims Menthol Lights at a rate of a pack a day while
Brittany stayed with her Salems just like her friend Gail. All three were
hopelessly hooked and loved it. Jill was still working on Kyle...
   
   Jenni started flying out of San Francisco with Delta soon after settling
in. She had fallen in love with California and was saving to buy a home in the
hills between Santa Cruz and San Jose. She still had a long ways to go but
didn't care. She knew she would make it one day. The future never looked
brighter.
   She continued to see Jill on a regular basis about once a month. She even
got her a special airline pass and the two of them spent a week in Hawaii
together. Each had outside interests with men but managed to maintain and
share a unique friendship that extended into the bedroom on occasion. They
were happy and found no guilt in it, especially when they discovered they
could satisfy each other nearly every time just by inhaling each other's
smoke.
   Jenni was also once again a happily addicted smoker. After smoking and
making love with Jill on that fateful afternoon, the floodgates irrevocably
opened. It was a very important part of her life and she knew she'd never quit
(again). Even though she'd made a clean break and remarkable recovery from her
'dreadful' trip to San Francisco last spring, she knew something was not right
during that month she didn't smoke. Now, everything was in balance again and
she too was happy.
   
   The following article appeared in the Business section of "The Arizona
Republic" newspaper dated May 15, 2000:
   
   SMALL ARIZONA FIRM POISED FOR FAST GROWTH
   
   Tempe, Arizona - CipherSystems, Inc., a small Tempe-based firm is on its
way to achieving a whooping $10 million in expected revenue when it closes the
books on its first financial year on June 30. The success story started when
its two owners, John Patterson and Mike Smith, saw the niche for a special
product in the huge satellite-based telephone communications market that
Motorola (MOT) and Iridium (IRID) have pioneered over the last ten years.
   The first product CipherSystems is offering is being sold directly to
Motorola and will be incorporated into the Motorola - Iridium handset. These
handsets have the look and function much similar to a cellular telephone but
work in conjunction with low Earth-orbiting satellites known as LEOs.
CipherSystems is providing an optional encryption circuit, called the DS2000,
that will scramble the digital signal assuring any subscriber that no one will
monitor or listen in on a potentially private conversation. The new device can
also encrypt data and fax transmission.
   According to co-owner and President John Patterson, CipherSystems has
shipped over 2000 of the encryption circuits and has orders for several
hundred thousand. "We have been fortunate to be able to quickly provide
Motorola and Iridium with a product that appears to be in such high demand,"
said Patterson in a recent interview. "We believe almost 90% of the Iridium
subscribers are selecting the DS2000 handset version."
   CipherSystems' second product appears to be on the fast track as well. It
involves installing large circuit boards at the ground-based gateway stations
so that true end to end secure communications can be achieved between a pair
of handsets. "This is what the US Government is requiring before they place
any significant order with Iridium," Patterson explained.
   CipherSystems appears to be the perfect role model for small companies
desiring to make a mark in the next wave of high tech. "Communications is
certainly the next big high tech boom now that the PC industry's growth is
slowing," said Cheryl Weigand, CipherSystems' newly-hired Controller.
   Despite CipherSystems' admirable start and phenomenal success, it is not
without problems. The Arizona Republic learned last week that Ilex (ILXS), a
medium-sized communication company based in the Silicon Valley, is suing
CipherSystems and its two owners Patterson and Smith over alleged infringement
of intellectual property rights and breach of contract. Ilex alleges that when
Patterson and Smith, two former employees of Ilex, left the company they took
with them key software algorithms and hardware design that are now the heart
of the DS2000. "It's all just a business issue," said Patterson. "They're just
upset because they didn't think of it first, now they're trying to slow our
progress anyway they can."
   The allegations may have merit, however. Twelve of CipherSystems' twenty
employees are ex-Ilex employees. The latest addition is Cheryl Wiegand who was
a financial manager in Ilex's pricing department. She is now the Number 3
person in the company and is the Controller. In a side note, Patterson and
Weigand announced their engagement yesterday in an interview that was held
primarily to discuss the lawsuit. "Cheryl and I have known each other along
time. She was the logical choice when we were looking for a Controller and
today, I'm proud to say that she will also be my wife."
   
   THE END

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