Turkish Delight, Part 6

This fictional account contains adult language and themes.  If such language
and themes offend you, please do not read further.  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.  Thanks to AZ-MAN and STOGIE-MAN for their support,
ideas and encouragement.

TURKISH DELIGHT

6.	Aftermath.

   Krissy and Linda returned home late.  Krissy assumed she'd be sent right
to bed.  But instead Linda suggested they sit together in the family room for
a while.  Krissy was tired, but was happy to spend some time alone with her
mom processing everything that'd happened.

   "So, Krissy, are you happy?"

   The youngster grinned.  "Mom, I'm ecstatic," she admitted.  "I've enjoyed
smoking ever since I tried it.  But the thing I wanted most was to be able to
smoke with you.  It'll be fun doing it together now."

   Linda opened her purse and got out her pack of Marlboro Lights 100's.  She
shook it, exposing several cigarettes.  "Here," she said.  "Take one.  Let's
smoke, just the two of us, for the first time."  She paused.  "Unless you're
smoked out."

   Krissy laughed.  "Not me, Mom.  I haven't been smoking that long, but I've
never been smoked out yet."  She pulled one of the exposed cigarettes from
the pack.

   "Me neither," Linda confessed.  "I'm always ready for another cigarette."
She clicked her lighter and held it for her daughter.  "Here you go,
sweetie."

   Krissy leaned in, caught the light, took her first puff and inhaled
deeply.  "Thanks, Mom," she smiled, holding smoke in her lungs.  She began
releasing it from her mouth and nose.  "This is so cool.  I can't believe
we're really smoking together.  I've been so jealous watching you.  It's
great to finally join you in having a cigarette."

   Linda lit up her Marlboro.  "It _is_ nice, isn't it?"  Removing it from
her mouth she gazed at her daughter.  "I hate to say it, but now that you're
smoking I'll probably smoke even more."  She shook her head.  "It's nice
having someone else to smoke with, isn't it?"

   Krissy sighed.  "Yes!  God, I can't believe this.  I'm the luckiest girl
in the world!"

   "I don't know 'bout that, but you're sure the nicest."  Linda took a drag.
"You know, Krissy, I've been thinking about something.  I underestimated you.
You're quite mature, especially for your age.  But if you're old enough to
smoke like this, and you sure are, darling, then you're also old enough to
not need a baby-sitter."

   "What are you saying?"

   "There's no point paying Leah to baby-sit while I'm at my class.  You can
stay alone with no problem.  If anything happened, the Evans' are down the
street and only a phone call away."

   "But Mom," Krissy objected.  "You can't do that!  Leah needs the money!"

   "And why is that?"

   Krissy blushed.  "I heard her mom say if she's going to smoke, she has to
buy her own cigarettes.  It's part of being grown-up.  If you fire Leah,
she'll have trouble affording her habit."  She smiled.  "You don't want that,
do you, Mom?"

   Linda rolled her eyes.  "No, I suppose I don't."  She took another long
drag while thinking about her daughter's plea.  "Okay.  Leah can finish her
ten week baby-sitting assignment, even if it's silly to pay her to smoke with
you all night."  She grinned while exhaling.  "You and Leah have become great
friends, haven't you?"

   "Yes, we have.  I really like her, Mom.  And I'm so glad Leah insisted she
be allowed to smoke at our house while sitting with me, and I'm so glad you
let her.  It's the thing that finally pushed me over the edge and made me try
it.  I'd been curious about smoking and thinking about it for a long time.
But if she hadn't come along, I might not have gotten up my courage to try
that first cigarette.  Once I did, wow!  I finally realized what you'd been
talking about.  I finally understood why you won't quit.  Leah warned me
smoking really gets under your skin.  It does, of course, but in a really
good way.  I can't imagine living without it now."

   "That makes two of us, honey," Linda smiled.  She crushed her cigarette in
the ashtray and ejected the last bits of smoke through her nose.  "But Mr.
Martin was right.  It's not easy being a smoker these days.  Things have
gotten much worse since I started smoking.  Lots of people lecture smokers
now and make rude comments about our habit.  It'll be especially bad for you,
because you're so young.  No matter how carefully you hide it, sooner or
later people will see you smoke and give you all kinds of shit.  For that
reason alone, many smokers decide to give it up.  It's not a pleasant state
of affairs."

   "I'll never quit," Krissy proclaimed with youthful assurance, taking a
last hit on her cigarette and putting it out in the same ashtray.  "I don't
care what they say.  I know the truth.  Smoking is something I'll never want
to give up, no matter what."

   "That's my girl," her mother sighed.  She smiled.  "I'm going to enjoy
smoking with you, honey.  But for now, let's hit the sack.  Shall we?"

   "Okay, Mom."  As they stood up, Krissy spontaneously gave Linda another
hug.  "Thanks for letting Leah smoke, Mom.  And thanks for convincing Mrs.
Martin it's not such a big deal.  But most of all, thanks for being so
understanding with me.  I'll never take your permission for granted."  She
picked up an ashtray from the table.  "Can I take this upstairs and put it in
my room?  I'd really like to have an ashtray on my bedside table."

   "Sure, honey," Linda smiled.  "I know you'll need it.  God, it's so weird,
though.  Look at you!  You're a real smoker now, with your own ashtray in
your room and everything.  It's hard to believe.  My little girl has finally
grown up to be just like me, a real nicotine addict."

   "Yes, I have," Krissy agreed.  "And I'm enjoying every minute of it.  Just
like you."

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

   The Martins' phone rang.  Kelli answered it.  Then she called out.  "It's
for you, Leah."

   The blond teenager bolted into the room with a lit cigarette in her hand.
Stuffed in the pocket of her blue jean shorts was a half-full pack of Merit
Menthol 100's and a lighter.  This was no disposable, but an expensive,
engraved gold lighter.  Her father surprised her with it as a gift.  He said
it was a 'welcome to the club' present.

   "Hello?" she breathlessly uttered into the receiver.

   "Leah?" came the reply.  "Hi.  My name is Lynne Harrison.  You don't know
me, but I'm a friend of Linda Evans.  She and I work at the same company.  In
the same department, in fact."

   "Hi," she politely answered.  "What's up?"

   "Linda told me you baby-sit for her daughter.  I wonder if you'd be
interested in sitting for me a bit this summer?  We don't live far from your
neighborhood."

   Leah took a drag from her cigarette, away from the receiver so the sound
couldn't be heard on the phone.  "I don't know.  I don't do much sitting
anymore."  Then she thought.  Hmm.  Linda Evans recommended her.  She wanted
to know why.  "But I suppose I might be willing.  Exactly what do you have in
mind?"  She turned her head and exhaled away from the receiver.

   "My husband Steve surprised me by signing us up for swing dance lessons at
the community center.  It's every Wednesday evening for four hours.  I'd like
to do it, but I need a sitter for my kids.  Are you interested?"

   "How many children do you have?"  Her tone was non-committal.

   "We have two.  They're not quite old enough to stay alone at night.
Cheryl is twelve and Monica is almost eleven.  Both girls are very well
behaved.  I'm sure you'd like them."

   Lynne gave her the address, and Leah frowned.  Why would she want to do
this?  She proffered a logical excuse.  "I don't know.  I'd have to get
permission to use my mom's car to drive to your house.  It's way too far to
walk."

   "Oh, my husband Steve or I will pick you up and drop you off," Lynne
interrupted.  "You won't have to drive."  Then she hesitated.  "I already
tried several teenagers in our neighborhood," she explained.  "All of them
used to baby-sit for us.  But they all turned me down.  I think it's because
I just started smoking again."

   Leah's interest perked up.  "Oh, really?

   "Yeah," Lynne acknowledged with an embarrassed laugh.  "All the girls who
used to baby-sit for me say our house smells too much like stale smoke now.
It's awkward, really.  I quit smoking a few years ago, but at work we've been
really short-staffed.  I've been totally stressed out.  A couple weeks ago I
saw Linda Evans going outside for a smoke break, and something just snapped
inside me.  I followed her out and asked to bum a cigarette.  Bang!  That was
it!  Right away I was going outside with Linda all the time.  I didn't care
for her Marlboro Lights, though, so I started buying my old brand again, full
flavored Virginia Slims.  In no time, I was hooked again.  I'm smoking more
than ever."  She paused.  "Linda mentioned that you smoke, Leah.  That's why
I called you.  I figured you wouldn't mind being in a house that smells like
smoke.  And I don't mind if you smoke while you're here with my girls.  So,
what do you say?"

   "What did your girls think about you starting to smoke again?"

   "Oh, at first Cheryl and Monica were upset.  You know how it is.  Teachers
try to convince kids today that being a smoker is worse than being an
ax-murderer!"

   "Yes, I know," Leah smiled into the receiver.

   "But Cheryl and Monica have adjusted.  At least they've stopped
complaining.  I tried to explain that Mommy just needs something to give her
some relief from stress.  Smoking does that for me.  I'm sure _you_
understand."

   "Oh, I certainly do," Leah agreed.  "How about your husband?  Does he
smoke, too?"

   "No, Steve doesn't," Lynne admitted.  "But he's okay with my smoking.  You
see, it's the lesser of two evils for me.  I got into the habit of drinking
too much when I was stressed out.  Really, it wasn't good.  But since I've
been smoking again, I haven't had a drink at night for two weeks.  Instead, I
just smoke.  All the time.  Oh, I know I smoke too much, but it's better than
drinking.  On balance, you see, Steve's delighted I'm smoking." She paused.
"I can't believe I'm telling you all this."

   "No, that's okay," Leah said pleasantly.  "It's important for me to know
how I'll be received at your house if I baby-sit for you, as a smoker, I
mean."

   "Don't worry about that," Lynne said confidently.  "Steve is just as eager
as I am to find someone who'll watch the girls.  Look, we'll pay you fifty
cents an hour more than Linda does.  And you can smoke all you want.  We
don't mind.  What do you say?  Will you do it?"

   Leah pondered the request.  As she did she reached in her pocket and got
out another cigarette.  She lit it up.  "When would I start?" she asked.

   "This Wednesday," Lynne answered hopefully.  "I'd love for you to say
you'll do it.  I've heard little Krissy Evans loves you.  I'm sure my girls
will, too."

   Leah thought about Lynne's two girls as she dragged hard on her cigarette.
Hmmm.  Cheryl and Monica.  Here were two young preteens, little girls who
undoubtedly had many questions about smoking.  They were surely curious about
their mother's recent transformation into a nicotine addict.  They needed
someone to explain it, someone to help them see that their mom's smoking
wasn't necessarily so terrible.  Yes, they needed someone their own age to be
a role mode.  She smiled a devilish smile.

   "Mrs. Harrison, I'd be happy to help," she said enthusiastically.  "In
fact, I'm already looking forward to meeting Cheryl and Monica."

   Leah heard the tell-tale click of a cigarette lighter on the other end of
the phone.  "Oh, God, that's wonderful," Lynne sighed in obvious relief.
"Leah, you are absolutely heaven-sent!"  The next sound was the unmistakable
swish of Lynne exhaling smoke into the phone.  "I'll pick you up at your
house on Wednesday night around six thirty.  Will that be okay?"

   Leah took a long drag of her own.  "That'll be fine, Mrs. Harrison," she
said happily.  "You know what?  If you don't mind, I'll see if Krissy Evans
can come along, too, to help.  No extra charge, of course.  Krissy is close
to the age of your older girl, Cheryl.  I think she'd love to get some
baby-sitting experience.  We'll bring along some activities to help entertain
your two girls."

   "Oh, that'd be wonderful," Lynne gushed.  "Oh God, Leah.  Thank you _so_
much!"

   "No, Mrs. Harrison.  Thank _you_ for this opportunity!  I'll check with
Krissy and make sure she can come.  We'll have a wonderful time with your
girls.  I'll see you Wednesday night."

   Leah hung up, smiled a devilish smile, and puffed again.  Yeah, she'd be
_more_ than happy to baby-sit for little Cheryl and Monica Harrison.  Once
she explained it to Krissy, she was sure she'd want to join her, too.  She
had in mind one special, grown-up activity in particular for the two Harrison
girls.  Before long, she expected that the two youngsters would be enjoying
that special, grown-up activity with Leah and Krissy.  It always starts with
that first taste, she giggled to herself.  But pretty soon, you can't get
enough!

   "Turkish Delight," she whispered aloud.  "Cheryl and Monica will love
being introduced to Turkish Delight."

   Leah took another drag, sucked the smoke deep into her lungs, and held it
for several moments before releasing it.  Yes, this would be fun!  Cheryl and
Monica Harrison were going to _love_ spending lots of time with their new
baby-sitters!

THE END

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