Sisterhood Of The Smoker Babes, Part 19

Writers Note---Those that enjoy a good science fiction story know that they
need to suspend their beliefs of the real world and allow for the possibility
of things that are out of the ordinary. You will need to do that when you
read this story. With that being said, while the science fiction stuff is
mostly a product of my imagination, many of the smoking scenes are in fact
based on real encounters and sightings that I've experienced throughout
my life. Some have been modified to fit the context of the story but others
remain mostly intact as they actually occurred. Lastly, when reading this I
suggest that you pay attention to the timeline as it is critical to how
you'll draw your conclusions over the story's ending. My email address is
hotelcalifornia14@hotmail.com if you wish to discuss or comment on the story.
I hope you have as much fun reading this as I did writing it.


          SISTERHOOD OF THE SMOKER BABES-THE SMOKING WAR CHRONICLES

CHAPTER 19 - October 4, 2011 - It's full circle for Katie Beckett
    It was an unseasonably warm fall day when I called Katie and asked her to
meet me at Harbor Crest to discuss a potential employment opportunity for
her.  I was a bit concerned about how I was going to contact Katie out of the
blue.  To her, at this point, we were nothing more than friendly
acquaintences that saw each other every now and then at her best friend's
family functions.  Both Erin and I were concerned that a cold call out of the
blue would seem awkward at best and downright weird at the worst.

    As luck would have it, though, I ran into Dan and Alyssa at my brother's
house. One thing led to another and it came out in conversation that Katie
was looking to gain experience in marketing, which is what my family thought
I did, and suddenly I had my in.

    Harbor Crest is a combination restaurant/hot spot situated on the water
along the Rhode Island coast. There is a deck in the rear of the restaurant
with tables, and restaurant patrons have a perfect view of both the water and
the many boats which dock there.

    As you step off the deck you move into a large area that functions as a
club. There are a couple of bars, a dance floor, and more tables where people
congregate. It was at one of these tables in front of the dance floor where
Katie and I were to meet.

    I arrived at our agreed upon time of twelve thirty and Katie was already
there. She didn't see me arrive since she was dragging from a nearly smoked
cigarette and crushing out the butt in an ashtray. Katie was twenty now and
more gorgeous than ever. Now a college junior, she had maintained both her
athletic and academic prowess. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail and was a
bit darker than I remembered. She was wearing a sleeveless light brown top
with green stripe which partially exposed a tattoo on her shoulder.

    We made small talk at first. I asked her how school was going and how the
basketball team was supposed to be that year and then our talk switched to
the current state of the Red Sox, who were involved in a three team dogfight
with the Yankees and Baltimore Orioles. The waitress came by and asked us if
we wanted anything to drink. I ordered a Bud Light and was mildly surprised
when she asked for a Corona. She showed the waitress what was obviously a
fake ID and the waitress went to get our order.

    "So, Dan tells me you're looking to get some marketing and sales
experience to prop up your resume."

    "I am. There's so much competition out there. Nobody hires anyone out
there after graduation unless they've been working already. I know people
that graduated last year and they can't find anything," Katie said. I saw her
eyes shift towards her cigarette pack.

    "I remember those days, just out of school. I got lucky, actually. The
company I worked for just out of school had just lost a sales associate and
they were kind of desperate." I said, noticing Katie's attention alternating
between me and her pack of Marlboro Reds. "Go ahead, I'm going to have one
myself." I reached over the table with my lighter and lit Katie's cigarette
and then my own. The waitress returned with our drinks.

    "So, what's your company anyway?' Katie asked as trails of smoke came out
of her mouth and nostrils simultaneously.

    'It's called RJT, Katie" I began, "I'm not sure if you've heard of it,
we're actually affiliated with the tobacco industry. I'm not sure how you
feel about that."

    "I do smoke," she said, smiling and holding her cigarette out in front of
her as if to show me the evidence.

    "True," I said.

    "So what does your company do, market cigarettes? That must be pretty
hard these days with all the smoking restrictions and bans on advertizing
that are out there," she said and then did a double pump and fired a stream
of smoke straight up in the air.

    "Well, not exactly," I began. Then I told Katie everything.  She sat
there listening and not saying much at first. I began by telling her about
the group of senators and tobacco industry lobbyists efforts to form RJT and
fund it's top secret research. She leaned forward when I told her about the
experiments with different chemical combinations that were mixed with
nicotine for the purpose of creating an insatiable nicotine addiction.

    "To get more smokers addicted so that they'd keep the sales numbers up,
right?" she jumped in eagerly. She lit another cigarette.

    I explained that this was part of it, but that there was more. I
explained that there were powerful anti-smoking groups out there. Factions of
government, the media and the medical field; all had different agendas but
all of these groups were responsible for passing legislation and slowly
turning the public sentiment against the tobacco industry. I noticed that she
was super smoking her cigarette as I explained this to her. I waded in
further, explaining to her that a serum had been successfully developed and
was already working. She just sat there, listening intently, her eyes and
ears were glued to everything I was saying. She remained focused as I started
telling her about time travel. I have to admit that this part is the hardest;
the part where I'm still expecting one of my targets to think I've lost my
mind and run away screaming. But Katie just sat there, transfixed. When I'd
finished telling her everything, including that I wanted her to come work
with us I asked her what she thought.

    "I need another drink," she said, signaling the waiter and ordering red
wine this time. She fired up another cigarette. She sat there for a minute
saying nothing and smoking her cigarette. She was calm but I could tell a
million thoughts were running through her head. The waitress came back with
her wine and she took a large sip.

    "I have one question," she said finally.

    "What is it, Katie?"

    "When did you... umm you know, when did you give me this stuff?"

    I figured it would be fruitless to try denying it.

    "It was the night of your state championship game four years ago," I
said.

    She double pumped her Red and with smoke still pouring out of her mouth
said, "Well, that explains a lot. I remember feeling totally fucked up for
days. Then I start smoking and I go back to normal. It makes sense now, but I
always wondered, ya know? That was a crazy time."

    "You don't have any regrets, do you, I mean you're not upset that you
were targeted, are you?"

    For the first time since I told her everything a wide grin crossed her
face.  "Are you kidding!" she said a bit louder than she intended. She leaned
back and pumped in a deep drag. "I love smoking! It's like the best thing
that ever happened to me. Do you know how many guys have wanted me since I
started this little habit?" she giggled a bit after saying the last part. She
took another drag, and this time let the smoke ooze out of her mouth as she
thought for a moment and then she asked me a question. She already knew the
answer but she asked it more as a way of confirming it to herself; a way of
processing perhaps. "So, I'm going to be hooking people on cigarettes, right,
girls especially! And I get paid for it too, which is fucking incredible, I
can't believe you're going to pay me for something I already find soo much
fun," she said as she took the last drag of her latest cigarette and crushed
it out in the ashtray and was starting to get horny as she did each time this
subject came up.

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