Pygmalion, Part 6

The following story is fictional and is provided solely for the enjoyment 
of its readers. While there are references to actual establishments such as 
major corporations, smaller companies, restaurants and locations, the 
characters in the story are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to a real 
person either living or dead is completely coincidental. Several 
non-fictional characters (celebrities) make brief cameo appearances. Their 
role is purely fictional and no way linked to their actual lives. 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, 2000, 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. 



A final thanks - to SSTORYMAN for his support, guidance and friendship. 

Should you have any comments, please feel free to respond to 
azman2k@yahoo.com. 


PYGMALION 
Part 6 of 10 


12. A Date with a Friend 

Beth was mesmerized each time she'd smoke in front of her large vanity 
mirror in the bathroom. This had been her 'homework' for the last four 
weeks under Cynthia's able tutelage. She'd done it at least once a day 
every day since her first lesson with Cynthia. At first, she was bothered 
by smoking in her condo. But then she'd said 'screw it' and dismissed the 
whole thing - proof that she was learning to relax. No one ever visited her 
there anyway. 

As she lit her cigarette this Saturday morning and stared at her reflection 
in the mirror, she was surprised at how natural she appeared smoking. She 
was wearing a long, full white robe and had a matching white towel crowning 
her head holding her wet blond hair. She'd just stepped from the shower and 
had her morning coffee in front of her. Lately, this had been her favorite 
way to smoke. Her Virginia Slims Menthol Light tasted so good mixed with 
her rich coffee - this had been another Cynthia insight. 

Beth had developed a seductive style of inhaling, aided by Cynthia's 
instruction and the mirror's presence. She found she really liked seeing 
the smoke swirl in her mouth briefly before taking it into her chest. This 
was what was so mesmerizing to her. Beth had done it so many times now that 
it was becoming her trademark, mirror or no mirror. This morning she 
slouched lazily in her chair smoking and sipping her coffee. Occasionally 
she'd look up at the mirror from behind her big mug of coffee, take a puff 
on her VS, then resume sipping and exhaling through her nose. It was a 
delicious combination. She was getting lost in this pleasurable moment when 
all of a sudden she heard her doorbell ring. Beth jerked her head up and 
her eyes got wide. She quickly pursed her lips and exhaled a long stream of 
smoke while putting out her VS in the small ashtray on the bathroom 
counter. She had to make a quick choice, to answer the door or ignore it. 
No one except Doug, Cynthia and Hank knew she'd been experimenting with 
smoking and she wanted to keep it that way. It was probably Doug at the 
door anyway. No need to get alarmed. She decided to answer it. 

"Heather!" Beth exclaimed as she opened her front door just a crack. 

"Hi! Just dropped by to see if you wanted to go for a run." She could 
barely see Beth behind the door. 

The two had barely spoken since their fight in the cafeteria over a month 
ago. And now here was Heather, decked out in her cute little running attire 
asking if Beth would like to join her. The Arizona monsoon season had ended 
and lately the mornings were refreshingly cool and dry. Beth hadn't really 
noticed the weather lately. In fact, she hadn't worked out once since she 
tried her first cigarette with Cynthia four Saturdays ago. She'd been 
meaning to though. "Oh. Well, actually I just stepped out of the shower." 
Beth squeezed out her door and closed it behind her. They were both 
standing on her porch, Heather in her athletic gear, Beth in her long robe 
and towel. 

There was an awkward silence between the women. "Look Beth. I'm sorry I got 
mad at you and threw the ticket back at you that day. I understand the 
shock you must've felt. I'm here to say I'm sorry and ask if you want to 
join me in a run. I thought we'd do Trail 100 along the mountain preserve. 
It's a beautiful morning. Whatdaya say?" Heather spoke hopefully. 

Beth was trying to assimilate the unexpected apology. She knew Heather 
wasn't here to make up because she wanted to see Shania Twain up close in 
concert. The concert was a week ago and the tickets went to waste while 
they sat in her Miata's glove box. No one got to use them. Heather did seem 
sincere standing in front of her. Beth asked, "What shock are you talking 
about? Shock when I realized that you smoke?" 

Heather was just hoping for an acceptance of her apology and maybe an 
apology from Beth. She didn't expect to have to explain herself. "Shock 
when I threw the ticket back, I guess." Heather was sensing hostility. 
"Look Beth, if you're still angry, I can just go. I think I did a rotten 
thing despite your comments and I just wanted to let you know." 

Beth recognized Heather's change and softened. "Oh Heather, I'm sorry too. 
I was out of line judging you that way. You wouldn't believe it if I told 
you but I've come to understand that in a big way over the last month." 

Heather just assumed Beth's comment to mean that after stewing over it, she 
was willing to let bygones by bygones. Little did she know of her friend's 
true understanding. They finally hugged as old pals then Heather asked, 
"So, join me on the trail or not?" 

"Oh, I'd love too. But I've got to be uh, somewhere in about an hour. I 
need to get dressed." She had Lesson Five and her 'final exam' with Cynthia 
this afternoon. 

"Okay." Then Heather thought of something. "Oh, hey. A few of us upstairs 
at work are getting together this evening at a place near Squaw Peak for 
some drinks and to listen to some live music. Are you interested?" 

Beth brightened. She'd been toying with the idea just now of telling 
Heather that she'd been smoking a little herself but was chicken. She had 
yet to truly come out of the closet. "Sure. I'll come. When and where?" 
This would be a perfect opportunity to surprise Heather and join her for a 
cigarette. IT sounded like fun. 

"Aunt Chilada's, 8 PM. It's a Mexican place at Squaw Peak just across the 
street from the Pointe Hilton. You know it?" 

"I can find it. See you at eight." 







13. The Final Exam 



"That was perfect, Beth. It's obvious you've been practicing," spoke 
Cynthia. 

Beth was pushing her final stream of smoke upward towards the casita's 
ceiling. She had completed Lesson Five, which entailed showing Cynthia 
several versions of French inhales, snap inhales and other smoking tricks. 
She had smoked portions of five cigarettes with Cynthia this morning. The 
previous lessons had been designed for Beth to learn and master the subtle 
mannerisms she would use in public - the soft, gentle pulls on her 
cigarette, long luxurious exhales, alternating smoke between her mouth and 
nose, etc. But as Cynthia explained, when the situation called for it, the 
advanced tricks would sometimes be necessary. Beth found it fun to 
experiment with them, but when she'd watched her first French inhale in the 
mirror, she imagined having a tough time doing it seriously in public. 

"We're done now, aren't we?" she asked somewhat proudly. Beth was glad but 
she'd also had fun with the lessons. In addition to learning to smoke, 
Cynthia taught her how to dress more appropriately for a casual evening 
out. The two women wore the same size, so she even let Beth have a stack of 
clothes that Hank bought her that she'd worn only once. And they were 
expensive, stylish, slinky clothes. They looked just like many of the 
outfits Beth had seen in the magazines that Cynthia had left lying around 
for her to read like 'Vogue' and 'Cosmopolitan'. 

"Well, yes, we are done but I think it's time we try you out in public. Are 
you ready to take that step?" 

"Yes." Beth knew exactly what she'd wear. 

"Okay, then. What about tonight?" Cynthia had already spoken to Hank about 
it. 

Beth remembered her meeting with Heather and innocently made a suggestion. 
"Tonight would be fine. Can I recommend the place?" 

Cynthia was surprised. She didn't know Beth knew any of the 'spots', as 
Hank liked to call them, in Phoenix. "Sure. Where did you have in mind?" 
Cynthia was ready to make an excuse and turn her down if she didn't name a 
place on her 'approved' list. 

"A place called Aunt Chilada's." She laughed at the name, finally getting 
it - pronouncing it 'enchiladas', like the Mexican dish. 

Cynthia recognized Aunt Chilada's. During Fridays and Saturdays when they 
had live music, the place was like a meat market. Frisky twenty-something's 
jammed together smoking and drinking with loud music blasting, Coronas on 
ice and a small dance floor that was usually packed. It was trendy and very 
popular. She'd been to it numerous times. So had Hank. Yes, this place was 
on Cynthia's approved list. "I think we can manage. In fact Hank will want 
to come." Hank had been looking forward to Beth's first night out since his 
bet with Doug. 

"Hank? Really? He's back?" Beth was excited. She'd only seen Hank a time or 
two since that first morning in the casita. Since then, he'd been mostly 
away on business. 



Cynthia watched Beth depart down Hank's long driveway in her red sports car 
after the lesson ended. She re-entered the casita to smoke one final 
cigarette before she was to meet with Hank. She had about 10 minutes. Over 
the last four weeks, she had come to like Beth. Once the initial 
difficulties were behind them due to the misunderstanding, Beth proved to 
be a very quick study. Cynthia was beginning to see, as Hank had promised 
her, that this girl was special. Cynthia never took any real interest in 
her understudies before. They all seemed to resonate with the same 
characteristics - tall, thin, gorgeous blondes slightly on the ditzy side. 
They rarely had anything intelligent to say. They were simply groupies, 
hangers-on that would do anything to stay around Hank, his money and the 
possible connection or two that he could provide. 

Cynthia took a long, leisurely puff on her rich menthol cigarette and 
frowned. She knew she had been one of Hank's original groupies over seven 
years ago. She learned to smoke for him simply because he had asked. There 
had actually been a spat between them when she realized that she wasn't 
special and her whole purpose was to satisfy his sexual desires by 
converting from 'virgin' to accomplished smoker. Once she had taught 
herself to smoke, Hank had used her for several successful sexual romps 
then one day just called it quits over the telephone. If he didn't end the 
intimate contact, he feared his 'problem' might return. Cynthia was so 
upset that she drove to see him anyway. She was hurt and crying and 
immediately lit up a cigarette in front of him to try to please him. Hank 
coolly put her off but was struck by her sense of loyalty since she was his 
first. No female had ever started smoking and gotten addicted just to 
please him before Cynthia. He finally offered her a job, one that would 
support her with a full-time salary and benefits. She was to become a 
special teacher for his 'students' and would remain on his staff just like 
the regular household help. 

Cynthia and Hank soon evolved into a platonic relationship. They would 
sometimes go out to dinner together. She would sometimes act as his 
official escort at a social engagement or business function or travel on 
his private jet to perform some duties as a personal secretary. She was 
given free reign to purchase a vast personal wardrobe as part of her travel 
role. The trips and outings were fun but sporadic. Her primary job as Doug 
would remind her was to teach Hank's latest female acquaintance to smoke. 
And most of them had never once touched a cigarette before meeting Hank. 
Cynthia grew wistful when she'd send a new, bubbly blond into one of Hank's 
lavish parties with her freshly lit cigarette, smoking like a pro. She was 
envious but she also knew Hank didn't have sex with any of them - he only 
liked to watch, to have them around. And before long, he'd add another to 
his female smoking entourage. 

Cynthia took another long, deserving puff on her full-flavor VS. After 
sitting and teaching Beth through the five-week program, she sensed as did 
Doug, that this Beth was going to turn out to be 'the one' for Hank. She 
noted Hank was already treating her special. Had this been any other of his 
blond bimbos, he would have already invited her to one of his large social 
gatherings or taken her out to a dinner party. He hadn't even so much as 
spoken to Beth since the beginning of her lessons except by phone. She 
could tell he had big plans for Beth and tonight things would begin in 
earnest. Cynthia looked at the almost-finished cigarette in her right hand. 
She wanted another one but there wasn't time. Hank was waiting so she took 
a final puff and put it out in the expensive ashtray. The menthol smoke 
caressed her sinuses and tickled her throat. She loved smoking and didn't 
know whether to thank Hank or be mad at him for the strange life he'd given 
her. Cynthia let out her final exhale very slowly over several breaths then 
rose to go to her meeting. 



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



Hank, Cynthia and Doug rode to Aunt Chilada's together in Hank's mammoth 
Lincoln Navigator SUV - one of his many vehicles. Doug drove while Cynthia 
rode in the back with Hank. They would meet Beth at the restaurant. Cynthia 
had encouraged this. She wanted Hank to see the marvelous job she'd done 
coaching Beth and felt it best for Hank to make his arrival when Beth was 
least expecting it. Hank agreed. He was very excited about tonight. He knew 
he'd already won his bet with Doug; that was of no concern to him. No, 
lately Hank had been thinking a great deal about Beth. And these thoughts 
were not the usual hey, I-wanna-get-laid thoughts. Ever since he'd met 
Beth, Hank felt that she was special. The note he'd written her after their 
first dinner out was rooted in truth. He wondered if he was falling in love 
but then quickly dismissed the idea because he had never actually been in 
love - a tough thing to admit to himself, especially as he approached fifty 
years old. 

Now as he sat in the back of the Lincoln, watching Cynthia exhale another 
narrow stream of cigarette smoke out her cracked window, it was really Beth 
that he wanted to see smoke. He wanted to be with her, to dance with her, 
to hold her close and tell her that he loved her even though he wasn't 
quite clear on the subject. He felt like a college kid again - similar to 
the way he'd felt around Marla. He initially found Marla exciting to his 
senses beyond just her smoking. Later though, when he reflected on their 
miserable marital chapter, he knew he wasn't in love. They were 
intellectually compatible but there certainly wasn't any true love in their 
relationship. And even though it wasn't completely clear to Hank that Beth 
was his first true love, he had to admit there was something attracting him 
beyond her new ability to smoke for him. Either way, he knew he was going 
to be a winner tonight. 



The girls had just arrived at Aunt Chilada's and grabbed one of the few 
remaining inside tables near the band while yelling their order for two 
Corona's. Then Beth surprised Heather by taking out her cigarettes and 
resting the pack on the table. 

"NO WAY! I can't believe that you smoke!" Heather spoke excitedly to her 
blond companion even though she had an idea that this might happen. 

"When did you start?" she finally asked. Heather had more than an idea. She 
knew her small role that she played in her friend Hank's scheme but never 
thought it would truly happen. If she'd known about the bet, she probably 
would have taken Doug's side. 

"Oh, I've been smoking now for about a month," spoke Beth as if that 
qualified her as a veteran. She took out one of her VS Menthol Lights and 
lit it suggesting that maybe she was a veteran. 

Heather decided to play along. "Looks to me like you've been smoking a lot 
longer than a month Beth." Heather could tell that this woman was certainly 
'Cynthia-trained'. 

"Well, I've been practicing," responded Beth with a casual flare. Then she 
let out a wonderfully long trail of smoke from her lips before taking a sip 
of the lime-flavored beer that just arrived. 

"Wow, you certainly have. Mind if I try one of yours?" 

Beth laughed. 'One of mine,' she thought to herself. "Sure. Help yourself." 
Beth watched as Heather lit up. She didn't look as confident as Beth 
expected. But Beth was feeling very confident tonight for some reason. She 
took another firm pull on her VS and let Heather see the smoke swirl around 
in her mouth. 

Heather stared. 

But Heather wasn't the only one staring. A young professional-looking man 
in his mid-twenties had been watching the Arizona Diamondbacks game on the 
big screen TV until the table with the two attractive female smokers caught 
his eye. He also noticed Beth's yawning inhale of smoke. "Hey, dude," he 
said to his male partner still eyeing the game. "Check it out." He nudged 
the other man and they both became instantly locked on Heather and Beth. 



The band this evening was loud. They were a local group hired to perform 
covers of rock tunes from the 70's, 80's and 90's. But occasionally they'd 
slip in an original. The lead singer was belting out the old Tommy Tu-Tones 
hit, '867-5309' or 'Jenny' as it was more commonly known. 

Doug looked at Hank. He was acting edgy as they walked through the main 
portico of Aunt Chilada's. Cynthia was beginning to acquire her usual 
quiet, disinterested look as she walked slightly behind Hank as if to say, 
'I'm not with them'. She was dressed very casually in a cool, lightweight 
blouse and tight blue jeans. And she was already smoking again. It was her 
'I'm-available' look. 

Hank recognized one of the managers at the door. "Senor Graham," spoke the 
man sounding pleasantly surprised. He offered his hand. 

Hank shook it warmly. "How are you doing tonight, Tomas?" 

"Oh, muy bueno, senor" he replied. Both men laughed. Tomas spoke flawless 
English and kidded Hank with this bit of pseudo ambiance. "You will like 
the band tonight. Can I take your drink order now and have it sent to your 
table?" 

Hank looked detached so Doug spoke up. "Thanks Tomas. We're meeting someone 
here tonight." Then he whispered several instructions to the manager, who 
nodded, then quickly headed off. 



As Beth and Heather sat enjoying the music while drinking and smoking, they 
were joined by some of Heather's other companions. Deb from work and two 
other girls Beth recognized but didn't know came up to the table dragging 
chairs they'd stolen from other tables around them. Introductions were made 
and it wasn't long before all the women were drinking, swaying in their 
chairs to the music and smoking their long cigarettes. 

The two young men watching the baseball game couldn't help but recognize 
their good fortune when the saw the party next to them had grown in size. 
One immediately seized the opportunity and asked Beth to dance just as 
she'd put out her cigarette. The other man asked Heather. 

Soon they were caught up on the crowded dance floor and neither one saw the 
trio of Hank, Doug and Cynthia moving among the thick horde of people 
across the room no more than 30 feet away. 

"There they are," commented Cynthia as soon as she spotted Heather and Beth 
with the two young guys. She was silently delighted and quickly looked at 
Hank for a reaction. Little Doug was not able to see the two women; he 
couldn't see over the crowd, but he could see Hank's reaction and decided 
to steer them to their usual table on the outside patio near the bar. 

From across the room on the dance floor, tall Heather spotted the 
unmistakable Hank and his two minions. The song they were moving to had 
come to a close and she wondered aloud, "What are they doing here?" 

Beth looked up. When she saw Hank, he looked like he was being guided out 
one of the large opened doors onto the patio area. "Oh, they're here!" Beth 
said excitedly. Then she turned to Heather. "You know them? You know Hank?" 

Heather felt she needed to be elusive. "Doesn't everyone know him?" 

Beth was confused but quickly remembered both Doug and Cynthia asking her 
about Heather. It clicked in her mind that Heather did know these people. 
"You do know Hank, don't you?' Beth wasn't sounding displeased, just 
surprised. "They were asking about you during one of my, uh lessons..." 
then her voice trailed off. Beth didn't like her choice of words that 
described her smoking experiences with Cynthia. 

Heather was never very good at being evasive and quickly reacted to Beth's 
comment. "So you got lessons too, huh?" Then she put her hand over her 
mouth and laughed. "I mean, oops." It was an embarrassed laugh. 

"What do you mean 'too'?" 

Heather looked around the room and said, "Beth, let's step outside for a 
moment on the other patio. We need to talk about this - away from this 
noise." 

Beth was glad to comply. She was rapidly growing more interested in what 
Heather seemed initially eager to cover up. The girls each excused 
themselves from the men and took their purses and cigarettes to a remote 
but still very crowded area on one of the terraces. 

After sitting down and each had lit up again, Heather spoke, "I should let 
you know, I do know Hank Graham. It's really no big deal. We're just 
friends. But I see you know him too?" Heather tried to feign ignorance. She 
still was pretending that she didn't know Hank and Beth had met. 

Beth took a long, leisurely puff on her VS Menthol Light. She again let 
Heather see the smoke swirl in her mouth before sucking it into her chest. 
Addiction to this delightful, stimulating sensation was starting to 
overwhelm Beth much faster than she had anticipated. She dismissed the 
thought and blew out a wonderful nose / mouth combination exhale away from 
Heather. "Yeah, I know him. It was Cynthia who showed me how to smoke," she 
said matter-of-factly. "You say you got these 'lessons' too?" Beth was 
completely naïve to the possibility that Cynthia was actually a teacher of 
smoking. 

Heather was embarrassed but could not lie. She took a shallow puff on her 
Marlboro Light and exhaled very quickly. "Yeah, something like that. Look 
Beth, I need to explain something now that we've come this far on the 
topic. I think Cynthia works for Hank. When he meets women that don't 
smoke, for some reason he wants to turn them on to it. That's where Cynthia 
comes in. She's done it before. You and I weren't the first." She paused. 
"Does any of this make sense? Does what I'm saying apply to you? I only 
know Hank as a casual friend...we were never 'boyfriend / girlfriend'." 
Heather took another puff on her cigarette, only longer this time. She 
continued to speak as she exhaled. "I like to tell myself that I started 
smoking for my own pleasure." Smoke mixed with her words. "But, the truth 
is, I did it for Hank." 

Beth was stunned. All she could manage was, "Why?" 

"Oh, I don't know...because I initially was attracted to Hank. He was 
handsome, charming and rich. We probably would've ended up in bed together 
but I realized that being handsome and rich are not reasons to jump in the 
sack with a guy. We parted as friends. Occasionally we still see each 
other." Heather was reminded of her role then continued, "That's about it." 

"But you continue to smoke? And you say you did it for Hank?" asked Beth. 

"Yeah I continue to smoke - not that much but I do like it. I was being 
truthful when I said I only do it socially." 

Beth was quickly gaining respect for Heather. Heather was being honest and 
she admired her scruples when it came to Hank. The other night when she was 
in his arms sipping her martini and smoking her first cigarette, he 
could've easily carried her off to the bedroom and she wouldn't have 
objected in the slightest. Now she was getting angry. Somehow she'd been 
duped into smoking for this guy and she didn't understand exactly why. The 
explanation that Hank offered of only wanting to teach her how to relax and 
party seemed pretty flimsy after her little talk with Heather. Beth took a 
four-second puff on her Virginia Slims, inhaled deeply while savoring the 
sensation then spoke, "You know, we were supposed to meet here tonight, 
Hank and Cynthia and I. I was actually looking forward to it." She was 
suddenly almost ready to cry. "Now I'm so mad at him, I don't know what to 
do." Beth noticed smoke coming out with her words, so she pursed her lips 
to finish her large exhale before speaking again. "I just want to go over 
there and tell him to go to hell." She wiped a small tear from her eye. 

"Beth, I'm so sorry, but I have a better idea. If Hank came here to see you 
tonight then let him see you. Let him see you smoking and dancing and 
having fun with those guys we met earlier. Don't even talk to him or 
acknowledge his presence." Heather leaned closer and put her arm around 
Beth. "It'll be perfect." 

Beth showed a weak but genuine smile. "Yeah, okay." Her anger was 
retreating. "It will be perfect!" She pulled out another long Virginia 
Slims and readied her lighter. After noticing it was evenly lit, she rose 
from the table and headed back towards the band trailing a rich exhale of 
smoke from her opened mouth. Several guys standing and holding beers turned 
their heads as she passed and left them in her wake. 

Back at their original table, Beth wasted no time concentrating on her 
smoking. If Hank was watching, she was going to give him one hell of a 
show. Right in front of her friends she executed several remarkable French 
inhales, a few rich looking snap inhales with long, multiple exhales, each 
time tipping her head in a very sexy manner. The other girls at the table 
noticed but continued to smoke at their own pace. In fact, one of Deb's 
friends whom Beth had just met had been offered, and was actually smoking a 
cigar. It appeared she knew one of the guys sitting behind them and was 
sharing this medium-sized stogie with him while sitting in his lap. They 
were laughing and playfully touching each other. This surprised Beth but 
didn't alarm her. She was feeling very loose and was enjoying watching 
everyone around her getting more raucous and rowdy. 

Just as she stubbed out her cigarette and was contemplating a second, the 
young twenty-something guy came back and asked Beth to dance again after 
her break on the patio. With a flirtatious smile, she rose to her feet and 
quickly headed with him for the floor. Freshly exhaled smoke trailed in her 
wake. 



"She's really taken to this well, hasn't she?" Cynthia asked, now feeling 
somewhat sorry for Hank. Beth was supposed to have waited alone for the 
trio to arrive. Cynthia didn't know what had happened until she noticed 
Heather and Beth disappear for several minutes. Now she was fearful, as was 
Hank that the beans had been spilled about the whole plan. And Cynthia now 
wondered what Heather was doing here in the first place. 

Hank was wondering the same thing and spoke angrily to Cynthia, "I knew she 
should've ridden with us. Now look at her. She's out on the floor with that 
twenty-nothing completely unaware that we've even arrived." 

"Oh, she knows we're here. I've already made eye contact with them." 

"This is fuckin' great Cyn. Why'd you let her come alone? I knew this would 
happen. And isn't that Heather with them?" 

Cynthia hadn't seen Hank this pissed in a long time. She felt it best to 
let him stew rather than argue so she lit her first cigarette since sitting 
down. She expertly double-pumped on her full-flavor VS as she rested her 
lighter back down and casually inhaled the entire mass of rich menthol 
smoke. 

As she let out a marvelously thick stream from her pursed lips, Hank 
continued fuming. "And do you have to smoke now? Why are you always 
smoking?" he asked, simply out of frustration with the plan being derailed. 

Cynthia glared at him. "I'm not going to sit here and take this shit." She 
slowly stood up, picked up her cigarettes and lighter and walked away. 

"Come on Hank. Go easy on her. It's not her fault," spoke Doug. 

"Oh yeah? Whose idea was it to let Beth come alone in the first place?" 

"Calm down big guy. She was doing it for you." 

"Yeah," Hank sighed. "I guess." He paused before continuing. The deep bass 
guitar and drums from the band were filling the place up with sound. The 
lead singer was crooning out the Tom Petty song "Free Falling" and all the 
tables near the band were joining in on the harmony part. Hank raised his 
voice to be heard, "You know Doug, she's different. I've told you this 
already. I feel differently about Beth." He was afraid to admit, even to 
Doug that this feeling might be love. 

"I know Hank." Doug rested his hands on Hank's in a sympathetic gesture. "I 
know." 



When the band finished their song, a huge blast of laughter and applause 
resonated throughout the bar area near the dance floor. The huge clusters 
of men and women at the tables were half-drunk and enjoying the festive 
atmosphere. The air was smoky and there was a pervasive smell of beer and 
perfume swirling about. Beth noticed the 'cigar couple' was still together. 
The gal was still in the man's lap only this time sharing a passionate 
kiss. 

Beth's partner escorted her back to the table. She wanted another cigarette 
but wasn't sure if she should smoke in front of this guy or not. She didn't 
want to lead him on by acting too comfortable around him. He was cute but 
maybe five years her junior and Beth only wanted him to stick around for 
the next couple of hours. Still, this was refreshingly fun. Beth hadn't 
been in this boisterous, unruly of an environment since her college years. 
Beer was flowing all around, people were smoking, yelling and even making 
out. And this time, she was part of it. She smiled to herself and casually 
slid out one of her all-white cigarettes. 

"I'm Tony," the kid was saying to her and holding out his hand. 

For some reason, Beth was not interested in providing her true name. She 
didn't know why but no sooner had she started giving it consideration than 
she heard herself answer back, "I'm Eliza." 

Eliza was the other half of her birth-name Elizabeth and she'd used it only 
once on a blind date just after college. Actually the name sounded good to 
her. As she sat in this smoky bar (smoking herself), she felt she'd truly 
been through a transformation of sorts and she liked her new persona. Eliza 
could and would be her new name. Beth was a lonely, hyper-tense, workaholic 
bitch. Eliza is a cool, radiant, sexy blond who smokes and drinks and knows 
how to party. 

"Well Eliza, you want to dance again, or what?" 

She held up her cigarette. "Sorry. Maybe in a few minutes." She took a long 
puff and then showed Tony a perfect snap inhale. While the smoke swirled in 
her lungs, she took a long pull from her Corona bottle. She wasn't 
concerned with the exhale as her eyes met his. Keeping eye contact, she 
took another puff only this time Tony moved slowly to her lips and 
initiated a smoky kiss. It was a bit startling but the new Eliza maintained 
her composure and fed Tony all of her sweet exhale. When they finished, 
Tony dragged Eliza back to the dance floor, cigarette and all. A new song 
had just begun. 



"Look at her. What's she trying to prove, anyway?" asked Hank, clearly 
showing his annoyance to anyone who would listen. 

"She's just having a good time Hank," responded Doug. 

"That's not why we came," Hank spoke, reminding Doug again that he was 
displeased with the planning behind this outing. 

While Doug did feel badly for Hank, he wasn't going to let him continue 
down the path of bitching about a set of uncontrollable circumstances for 
which he and Cynthia were being blamed. "Shut up Hank! You're going to just 
have to roll with it for now. She's a good-looking young woman. She's bound 
to attract attention. It's up to her to make the next move." 

Hank eyed Doug suspiciously as if Doug knew something he didn't. "No. It's 
not up to her." Hank noticed a table had just freed up very close to where 
Beth and her growing retinue were seated. In one smooth move he stood up, 
grabbed his drink and walked the straight line 30 feet to his new location. 
Doug felt it necessary to follow. 

When they sat down Hank locked his vision directly on the new Eliza until 
she could no longer avoid eye contact. She and Tony were finishing up their 
second dance when Tony noticed the staring too. Sensing the threat and 
recognizing the opportunity to act chivalrous, he asked his partner if she 
knew 'that older guy' and was there something he could do? 

"Yes, I know him," she answered, pleased that she'd attracted Hank's 
attention. 

"You want me to drag his ass out of here? Kick the shit out of him?" 

Eliza laughed. "No. Just ignore him. I know how to deal with it." 

"He your boyfriend or something?" Even though Eliza was showing a certain 
sense of ease with the situation, Tony felt threatened if for no other 
reason than he didn't want to lose this gorgeous woman who just exhaled her 
sweet smoke into him. 

"No, nothing like that. Come on. Let's go back to the table. I've got 
something I need to show him." 

Tony complied. As soon as they took their seats, Beth refreshed herself 
with a sip from a new Corona that had just been delivered. Then very slowly 
and deliberately she lit her sixth Virginia Slims of the evening. After 
getting it going, she placed it between her lips and pulled long and 
evenly. She watched the cigarette angle down in her mouth as its tip burned 
brightly. Only after removing it did she make eye contact with Hank, who 
was staring intently. She remembered that the new Eliza knew how to French 
inhale and in that instant, she let Hank see the creamy white smoke cascade 
towards her nose and completely eclipse her upper lip. She could feel the 
thick smoke tickle her nostrils as she breathed in. After letting the smoke 
rest inside her for about five seconds, she broke eye contact with Hank and 
exhaled a slow, steady stream towards Tony. She offered him a flirtatious 
gaze and leaned close as if to cue him. Tony didn't need any coaxing. After 
seeing his dance partner's expressive puffing technique, he leaned back and 
met Eliza's awaiting lips as they shared a post-exhale kiss. 

This stunt drove Hank completely wild and he struggled to retain his 
passive exterior. 

Doug looked around wanting to distance himself from this potentially 
volatile situation. He spotted Cynthia at the bar sipping a martini and 
holding a freshly lit cigarette. She was talking to the bartender and 
laughing. Doug decided to join her. He stood up and excused himself without 
looking at Hank then wondered off in the direction of the bar. 

After watching another French inhale with the exhale landing squarely 
between Tony's lips this time, Hank got up and leaned over the couple's 
table. Tony noticed and made a fist, just in case. Eliza turned around in 
mid-exhale when she sensed Tony's reaction. The last remnants of smoke 
trickled from her mouth. "Hank," she spoke, spinning around trying to sound 
surprised. 

The only thought that filled his head came spewing forth. "I need to talk 
to you. Can we go somewhere? 

Eliza smiled curiously. "Where?" She was toying with him. 

"I don't know. For Christ's sake Beth, can we dance?" Hank found himself in 
a rare moment of possessing absolutely no control over the situation. He 
had never been treated like this by 'one of his women' before. 

"Sorry. I'm on my cigarette break right now. See?" She held her VS up in 
her left hand. 

Tony interjected, "Why are you calling her Beth?" Then he looked at Eliza, 
then back at Hank. "Look pal, I think you've made a mistake. Why don't you 
go look for your Beth somewhere else - she's with me." Tony glanced back at 
Eliza to make sure she'd back him up. If she did, he was ready to tear this 
interloper's head off. 

Eliza neither returned Tony's look or Hank's glare. She just stared off at 
the band and continued to puff on her cigarette. 

Hank understood what was going on. He stepped back from their table out of 
Tony's view then came up behind him after no more than 30 seconds. He knelt 
down and whispered very softly in Tony's ear while Eliza was looking away. 
Tony nodded several times, took a folded $100 bill then looked away. Hank 
immediately reached across the table and took Eliza's arm in his hand. He 
spoke, "It's okay. If this is the way you want to play, I'll go along. Now 
I'm going to ask you again, will you dance with me?" He spoke in a firm, 
gentle tone and maintained a thin smile. 

She noticed Tony's disengaging look and felt she had no choice. Eliza 
wanted only to toy with Hank. She'd been mildly amused watching him squirm 
under Tony's threatening presence. So now she decided to dance with him but 
go no further. A part of her was mad at him. And it wasn't just over his 
petty, possessive jealousy. She was confused and afraid about what she now 
didn't know about Hank. She was afraid by how deeply she might have been 
deceived. "Just once, I guess. Then I have to get going. It's late you 
know." 

Hank held her hand and walked her to the dance floor but then continued on 
through the doors that led to the patio that she and Heather had been on 
earlier. It was quieter and much more conducive to talking - something Hank 
felt he needed to do. 

"I thought we were going to dance," she said rather challengingly. 

"We need to have a talk," he said firmly. 

She didn't want a talk. A talk meant getting serious and she didn't feel in 
control enough to get serious. "Suppose I don't want to talk? I thought we 
were going to dance." 

Hank's frustration with the evening was beginning to show - frustration 
with Cynthia's wayward plan, with Heather and Tony's intrusion and now with 
this defiant young blond before him. "Fuck dancing for now!" He lowered his 
voice. "I need to talk to you." 

She looked at him closely for no more than a second then spoke, "I'm outta 
here." She started to stand. 

"No, no. Please don't go. Not just yet." He rested his hands on top of 
hers. 

Hank was looking as desperate as any man she'd ever seen. He was pleading 
with his entire heart and soul and it reflected in his eyes. She softened 
but nonetheless kept a defensive posture. "What do you want with me Hank?" 
Her voice sounded tired of his game, almost bored. 

"Beth, I think I owe you an explanation," he said, working hard to stay 
calm. 

"It's Eliza now. I'm not going by Beth tonight - not tonight; and maybe not 
ever again." 

"Sure, fine, whatever." Hank was willing to accommodate her as long as she 
stayed seated at the table. "But why 'Eliza'?" he asked not yet 
comprehending the connection. 

"Because Eliza is a fun-loving, party animal," she said freely. "Eliza 
smokes and drinks and loves to get laid by young studs she meets in bars." 
She giggled then took a final long puff on her cigarette and let Hank watch 
as she inhaled. 

Hank tried to assimilate her meaning. He couldn't tell if she was teasing, 
being sarcastic or actually telling the truth. The once large significance 
of his bet with Doug was no longer the issue. Based on Eliza's last 
statement, he'd unconditionally won the bet but right now that was the last 
thing on his mind. He decided the new Eliza didn't recognize what she was 
saying. She's just drunk. She'll be back to Beth in the morning. "Well, 
Eliza. You certainly do smoke now - better than I expected." 

"You can thank Cynthia for that. Professor Cynthia - teacher of the masses. 
Tell me, Hank. How many students have attended the W. H. Graham School of 
Smoking? I certainly know that Heather is a graduate. Tell me, how many 
other alumni are there?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. There 
would be no rational talk on this subject - at least not tonight. 

"That's not important. I think before you overreact you should know..." 

"Yes, it IS important! Suppose I want to organize a reunion or something. 
You know, to compare notes; to celebrate our common bond - that we've all 
been to Hank's little charm school." Eliza looked Hank right in the eye and 
continued. "I know why you do it. I know why... It's so you can watch us 
smoke, so you can dream about us and fantasize about fucking us while we 
smoke so you can get off. Isn't that it?" She knew she was way out of line 
but couldn't stop. 

"That's enough, Beth," Hank spoke softly in a firm tone while pleading with 
his eyes. 

"I'm right aren't I? Say it. Say you want to fuck me right now. Right now, 
while I inhale a huge chest full of smoke deep into my lungs...." 

"Cut it out, Beth," Hank replied. 

"It's Eliza," she again reminded him. Under different circumstances, alarm 
bells would be going off in her head saying, 'Warning. Stop now. Don't go 
there!'. But she couldn't help it. She felt betrayed and a little drunk. 
"Admit it Hank. You want me to sit in your lap with your cock buried deep 
inside me while I smoke for you...while I feed you my sweet exhales as we 
rock back and forth until you come." 

"Please don't Beth...not here." Despite the circumstances, her talk was 
making him horny. Hank mildly began rubbing the bulge between his legs. 

"Eliza," she again reminded him. Then she leaned very close to Hank's ear. 
"I know how hot you are right now. You want to see me smoke again, don't 
you? Don't you?" She felt very much in control and was dangerously leading 
him on with her sexy talk. 

Hank decided to answer truthfully. "Yes. I want to see you smoke. You do it 
very well, Eliza. Are you going to smoke for me now?" 

Eliza laughed cruelly then rose from the table and walked back into the 
main bar area towards her own table. 

Hank watched and thought for certain that she'd return with her cigarettes 
but she disappointed him. What Hank was treated to was a distant view of 
Eliza and Heather each lighting fresh cigarettes before starting another 
kissing session with the young men at their table. He stared long enough to 
see Tony (lucky Tony) swallow another stream of Eliza's rich menthol smoke. 



"We're leaving. Are you coming or not?" Hank tersely asked Cynthia at the 
bar. He was furious. 

Cynthia was vaguely aware of what had happened tonight between Hank and his 
new Eliza creation. She was sitting at the bar sipping a Bailey's on the 
rocks between puffs on her Virginia Slims. She had been casually talking to 
several men and a woman that she'd just met. "I saw what happened, Hank. 
I'm sorry. Why don't you sit down and join us." She was playing the good 
friend and really trying to accommodate his bad mood. 

Rather than notice the benign gesture, Hank ordered, "Put out your 
cigarette. Let's go. Come on." He wasn't going to let two of his women 
mistreat him tonight. Cynthia would do as she was told. 

After taking a long hit on her full-flavored VS and inhaling, she simply 
batted her eyelashes and said, "Screw you." 

The trio around her all laughed in support as Hank stormed for the door 
with dutiful Doug in quick pursuit. 

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