Losing and winning, Part 5

This fictional account contains adult language and themes.  If such language
and themes offend you, please do not read farther.  Copyright 1999 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, directly or indirectly, by the
person reproducing it.

LOSING AND WINNING

5.	Epilogue.

Lynne walked confidently through the library.  It was just before noon.
Bypassing the circulation desk, she strode directly to the reference room.
Stacie sat behind her desk, pouring through a thick reference book.

"Hey, girlfriend," she beamed when she saw Lynne.  "Are you ready for lunch?"

"I'm ready," Lynne smiled back.  "Let's do Jimmy's.  It's been ages since
I've been there."

Stacie grabbed her purse.  Another librarian saw Lynne and came up to greet
her.  "We miss you, Lynne," she said sincerely.  "Do you like working for
your husband?"

"It's great, Edith," Lynne said brightly.  "I can't believe it's been three
months.  Tom and I get along great.  You know, even though I never finished
college, the bookkeeping I'm doing for him seems surprisingly easy.  I'm
thinking about going back and finishing my degree sometime."

"That'd be wonderful," Edith nodded.  She smiled warmly as Stacie approached.
"You two girls enjoy your lunch.  I know you will," she added with a superior
tone.  "By the way, Lynne, I love your hair."

"Thanks, Edith," she replied sincerely, running her fingers through her blond
locks.  "So do I.  And so does my husband."

Sliding into Lynne's new Infiniti in the parking lot, Stacie whistled.
"Shit!  This is a great new car," she said admiringly.  "But it smells like
someone's been smoking in here," she teased.

"Damn straight," Lynne shot back, with a big smile.  "It's all your fault,
you know."

"Yeah, I know," Stacie sighed.  She opened her burgundy cigarette case and
put a Salem in her mouth.  "Do you mind?" she asked politely, as she readied
her lighter.

"Hell, no," Lynne answered with a smile of her own.  She pushed in the
cigarette lighter on the dashboard.  "In fact, I'd be disappointed if you
didn't.  I'd think something was wrong."

Stacie waited and, when the car's lighter released, she lit up.  Meanwhile,
Lynne opened her purse and removed a splendid-looking cigarette case of her
own.  The mark of true smoker, Stacie sighed.  Lynne's case was navy blue,
and it held a pack of cork-tipped Marlboro 100's.

"Hey, when did you switch to those?" Stacie asked, after pulling a welcome
lung-full of smoke inside her chest.

"Oh, about a month ago, I guess," Lynne smiled.  She let her cigarette dangle
as she pulled into traffic.  "It was too complicated buying different brands
for everyone in the house.  The three of us jointly decided to simplify
things.  Tom's brand won, hands down.  I'd already decided I prefer these
Marlboro 100's.  They're stronger, you know.  More tobacco flavor."

"Yes, I _do_ know," Stacie smiled knowingly.  "I've been a smoker for quite
awhile, you remember.  So, you decided to graduate from lights to full flavor
cigarettes?"

"Yeah," Lynne admitted.  "You know what?  If you're gonna smoke at all, for
Christ's sake, then you might as well really smoke.  Right?  I like 'em
stronger.  It didn't take long to figure that out.  And like I said, Kate
switched, too.  Now we all smoke these.  It makes it simpler.  Whenever one
of us runs out of smokes, there's always a supply in the house."

Stacie marveled at the complete transformation.  "How much do you smoke these
days, Lynne?" she asked.

"Oh, I dunno.  Between a pack and two packs a day, I guess.  It depends.
Ever since I've been working at Tom's office, though, I smoke much more.  I
mean, there's no reason not to.  I've got an ashtray sitting on my desk.
It's just too fuckin' easy to light up all the time.  Whatever I'm doing, I
like having a cigarette burning there."  She smiled.  "I still enjoy it, you
know.  Smoking, I mean.  I still love every single cigarette."

"I can tell," Stacie smiled thoughtfully.  "By the way, girlfriend, I love
your hair.  Maya did a great job with it.  You look damn good as a blond!"

"Thanks.  I like it, too," Lynne agreed.  "You were right again.  Maya Wilson
knows what she's doing."  Putting her cigarette in her mouth, Lynne ran her
fingers through her streaked, dark blond hair.  "You should have seen Tom's
face the first night I came home as a blond.  I was afraid we wouldn't make
it to the bedroom before he tore my clothes off and fucked me."  She laughed,
took a long drag, and moved the cigarette between her fingers to a three
o'clock position on the steering wheel.  "Maya also suggested some new make
up.  I do think I look good as a blond."  Smoke continually rushed out of
Lynne's mouth as she talked.

It was a quick drive to Jimmy's.  The women exited the silver Infinit and
took two last, long puffs on their cigarettes, dropping them on the ground
simultaneously as they entered the restaurant.  A familiar voice greeted them
as they stepped inside.

"Hello," Molly beamed.  "I haven't seen you two for a long time.  God, I love
your hair now," she added, looking directly at Lynne.

"Thanks, Molly," Lynne beamed back.  Identical rivulets of smoke escaped from
her nostrils.  "Can we have a table for two?  Non-smoking?"

"You're kidding, right?" Molly asked, incredulous.

"Yeah, I'm definitely kidding," Stacie laughed.  "Smoking is what we need."

"And smoking is what you'll get.  I have one table left in there," she
confirmed.  "Just follow me."

Molly led them to a booth by the window.  When they'd settled, they both lit
up again.  Another familiar voice greeted them as they began their exhales.
"God, I haven't seen you guys like forever.  And I see you're both still
smoking."  It was Jennifer, their usual waitress.  And she wore a big smile.
"The usual drinks, ladies?"

"I see you're still smoking, too, Jennifer," Stacie teased.  She reached up
and tapped the box of cigarettes nestled within Jennifer's breast pocket.  

"Yeah," Jennifer smiled resolutely.  "I told you I'd never quit."

"Actually, it's coffee for both of us now," Lynne explained, answering the
real question.  "And regular, not decaf, please."  She grinned at Jennifer
and turned to Stacie.  "I'm drinking coffee now," she explained as Jennifer
left.  "Now that I work at Tom's office, I picked up another bad habit, I'm
afraid.  There's nothing like coffee and cigarettes!"

"Yeah, I know," Stacie nodded.  She held her cigarette beside her head and
gazed at her friend's blond tresses.  "So, I guess things are going great for
you now, huh?"

Lynne beamed.  "Things couldn't be better.  Tom and I are getting along
great.  What a change from three months ago!  Now, all he ever wants to do is
fuck!  Our sex life is better than ever.  I have these to thank for that,"
she said with a sly smile, putting her cigarette in her mouth for another
puff.  "I was scared when Tom asked me to consider taking HER old job," she
went on, refusing to dignify the reference by mentioning her name.  She
sucked the smoke into her lungs.  "I suppose you know he fired her after that
little episode in May.  Well, I found out I could handle the job.  Tom says I
do a better job than she did.  I like bookkeeping.  I was serious when I told
Edith I may go back and get my degree.  This time, though, it'll be in
accounting."  She tipped her head and finally released a thin stream of
exhaled smoke.

"What about Kate?" Stacie asked, sincerely interested.  "How's she doing
these days?"

"Great," Lynne replied.  "She worked full-time at the office all summer.  It
was a little awkward; she really wanted to smoke at her desk..  Some of the
other employees didn't approve; after all, Kate just turned seventeen.  But
Tom supported her.  I think he's actually happy to see his pretty little
daughter smoking all the time."  There was a wicked look in Lynne's eyes as
she shared the last bit of information.  "If you know what I mean," she added
knowingly.

"And what about Alyssa?" Stacie asked.  "How's the other teenage smoker in
your life?"  

"It's been fun having her around.  Alyssa has practically lived at our home
this summer, mostly because I let her smoke with us.  I feel sorry for the
poor girl!  Kate and Alyssa talked me into buying cigarettes for her.  So I'm
her supplier now.  Alyssa's mother, Noreen, smokes, but won't face the fact
that her daughter smokes, too.  I'm sure Noreen knows, but she won't admit
it.  So Alyssa smokes at our house.  It's been nice, really.  It's like
having a second daughter.  I enjoy having her around.  We three girls smoke
and drink coffee together all the time.  With Alyssa there, Kate's opened up
more around me.  We get along better than I ever thought possible!"

Lynne chained into a second cigarette.  She looked at Stacie.  "Hey, what's
been happening with you?  Do you smoke alone outside the library, now that
I'm not there with you?"

Now it was Stacie's turn to smile.  "Actually, no.  Edith's smoking now,
too," she said quietly.  "Edith goes out with me for smoke breaks these
days."

"Are you kidding?  Edith?"  Lynne couldn't believe the news.  "God, she was
so critical after we started smoking this spring.  What the hell happened?"

Stacie was pleased to have a story of her own to tell.  "Edith and I came
here for lunch one day," she began.  "I asked if we could sit in smoking, so
I could smoke.  Not smoking over lunch hour is no longer an option!  Edith
reluctantly agreed.  Before long she was asking twenty questions.  You know?
Why did I start again?  How much did I smoke?  Did I regret it?  That sort of
stuff.  I just told Edith the truth.  I told her I was damn glad I was
smoking again, and that I never wanted to quit.  She was surprised, but it
turned out that Edith used to smoke, too.  She recently got divorced, and
wanted to do something good for herself.  I gave her one cigarette.  The
rest, as they say, is history.  Now Edith smokes all the time.  And we've got
a new girl in the audio visual department.  Her name is Gwen.  She smokes.
There's a small group of smokers at the library now.  We take our breaks
together and smoke outside the back door."

"That's great," smiled Lynne.  "I feel better knowing you aren't smoking
alone.  God, I so much prefer smoking with other people.  When Kate, Tom and
I all started smoking at the office, it was funny to see the reactions.  Some
people were mad about it.  But not everybody was upset.  Believe it or not,
it turned out Kelly, Tom's receptionist, was a closet smoker.  She was afraid
to let anyone know.  But one day, when she was really stressed, Kelly asked
if she could bum a cigarette.  That day she and I smoked in Tom's office.
Pretty soon, Kelly came clean.  Everybody knows now.  We eat lunch together,
and smoke together, all the time.  It's cool to have people at the office to
smoke with."  She crushed her cigarette in the ashtray and lit another.  "How
are things with Randy?"

Stacie grinned.  "Great!  I see him all the time.  Socially, I mean.  Plus,
when he can, he comes across the parking lot and smokes with me on my break.
I'm crazy about him, Lynne.  It's so much better than it ever was with Bill.
I guess we're pretty serious.  I suspect he's going to pop the question," she
added with a giggle.  "His insurance business is going great.  He and his
partner need to add another employee.  In the meantime, his partner's
daughter is working as a receptionist for them this summer.  Sort of like
Kate worked for Tom."

"God, I'm so happy for you both," Lynne sighed.  "Stacie, you deserve someone
like Randy; someone who likes you the way you are."  She raised her eyebrows
and motioned knowingly at the burgundy cigarette case on the table in front
of her friend.

"Yeah, I kid Randy about it," Stacie acknowledged.  She picked up the case.
She, too, lit another cigarette.  "I said he should let people smoke in their
office," she added brightly, taking a deep inhale, "so I could come over and
take my breaks with him in his office."

"I'm surprised he smokes," Lynne admitted.  "I mean, isn't a strange for a
guy who sells insurance to be a smoker?"

"He doesn't sell life insurance," Stacie explained patiently.  "He sells
property and casualty insurance.  Randy and his partner sell business
insurance."  She took a long drag and sucked the smoke inside, allowing her
breasts to elevate and accept the deposit.  "Anyway, Randy is thinking about
setting aside a storeroom in his office for smoking.  That'd be a lot better
when it gets cold outside."

"I'm glad you guys get along.  As a smoker, you don't want to hook up with
another guy like Bill."

Stacie nodded enthusiastically.  "You're right!  And I _am_ a smoker, too,
God damn it!  There's no question about it anymore.  Being with Randy
deepened that conviction.  I'll never quit now.  I wouldn't even think of
it."  She grinned.  "Actually, I think Randy's a little bit like Tom," she
confided mischievously.  "He likes it if I smoke for him while we make love.
It's such an aphrodisiac.  As long as I'm with Randy, I know I'll never
quit."

"So you haven't thought about quitting?"

"No," Stacie acknowledged.  "These days I smoke over a pack a day.  It's even
more on weekends.  In fact, it's just like the old days, when I was in
college, and I love it.  I'm _so_ glad you asked me to help you learn to
smoke this spring, Lynne.  If you hadn't, I'd still be with that jerk-off,
Bill.  Now I'm with Randy, and I have my cigarettes.  My life is fuckin'
wonderful."

"Only one thing I wonder sometimes," Lynne mused wistfully as she returned
her cigarette to her lips.  "Whatever happened to that bitch, little blond
what's-her-name?"

"You'll probably never know," Stacie smiled, lighting another cigarette.
"You know, I never even met her.  But she made possible everything good
that's happened to me.  I owe her a big debt of gratitude.  Well, don't
worry, Lynne.  I suspect you'll never hear her name again."

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

"Kim, it looks like you've got all the qualifications we're looking for,"
Randy Conrad smiled.  "Your accounting background is perfect for the job at
our agency.  Welcome aboard!"

"Thank you, Mr. Conrad," Kim smiled sweetly.  "I think I'll enjoy working
here.  You and Bob seem so nice.  I'm glad I'll be able to start right away."

"Please, call me Randy," he grinned.  She was damn attractive!  Maybe he
wouldn't mention to Stacie just how good looking his new bookkeeper was.
"The bookkeeping has gotten out of hand," he went on.  "With your background,
you'll get us caught up in no time."

"I'll do my best," Kim replied, fluffing her blond hair.  "By the way, who's
the charming young lady I met when I came in here today?  Is she full time,
too?"

Randy laughed.  "Oh, no, that's just Heather Miller," he explained.  "Heather
is my partner's daughter.  Believe it or not, she's only fifteen."

Kim's look of surprise confirmed Randy's suspicion that Kim had no idea.  "I
know, I know, Heather looks more like she's twenty, doesn't she?"

"She sure does."

"Heather's helping us this summer.  She's a smart girl.  I think she'd like
to stay and work part time when school starts.  In part that'll depend on
whether you think you need the help."

Kim smiled.  "Based on what you've said so far, I feel certain that letting
Heather continue to work here part-time would be a good idea.  In fact, it'd
be wonderful.  I'm sure she and I will become good friends.  It'd be nice to
have another woman in the office."  

Suddenly, Kim looked at the floor and lowered her voice.  "Randy, can I ask
one more question?  I'm embarrassed to bring it up.  But ... do you permit
smoking here in your office?"

Randy's eyes shone.  "Oh, do you smoke, Kim?"

"Well, yes, a little," she answered shyly.  "But it's not a big deal ...."

"That's okay.  Actually, so do I," he said, a bit too eagerly.  "Bob and I
decided it's not a good idea to allow smoking in the offices.  But there's a
back door.  I often slip outside for a quick smoke.  You're welcome to do the
same."  He leaned forward and went on in a half-whisper.  "Actually, I think
Bob will eventually agree to let me set aside an extra work room as a smoking
room, a place away from the customers where we smokers can do our thing."

"That would be wonderful," Kim sighed demurely.  "You know, I find I'm much
more efficient when I'm permitted to smoke.  Isn't that terrible?" she
twittered innocently.  "Now, tell me this, Randy.  Does Bob smoke?  Or does
Heather?"

"Oh God, no.  Heather's only fifteen years old!  Of course she doesn't.  Now,
Bob, on the other hand, used to," he smiled.  "He quit a few years ago.  But
these days I've been smoking much more often than I used to, and I know he's
been thinking about it ...."

"Oh, so your smoking is a recent thing?" Kim asked naively.

"No.  But I started smoking a lot more during my divorce this year.  Plus, I
have a new girlfriend who smokes.  In fact, she smokes like a chimney," he
added with a laugh.  "As I was about to say, I think Bob's a little jealous.
Now, if you smoke, too, we may just push old Bob over the edge and get him to
start smoking again, too.  That'd sure make my life easier!"

"Hmmm," Kim smiled serenely.  Absent-mindedly, she straightened her blouse by
tucking it in at the waist, accentuating the ample breasts underneath.  She
looked up and stared into Randy's eyes.  "You know, it's funny, but things
like that do happen sometimes to people who once were smokers," she sighed.
"Now then, why don't you introduce me to Heather?  I'm dying to meet her.  I
have a feeling she and I are going to get along just fine ...."

THE END

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