The Code of the Road, Part 2

"The Code of the Road"
Part 2

Suzie sat in first class sipping a gin and tonic. The rim of the plastic 
glass was coated with a light impression of her lipstick. Her body was still 
slightly saturated from the nicotine of the 5 cigarettes she smoked in the 
Salt Lake City airport. She thought of the in-humane way smokers were 
treated in that airport and her brow furrowed. The airport had built small 
glass rooms on each concourse specifically for smokers. They were 
purposefully small and cramped and she felt like a fish in a crowded tank 
each time she visited one.

Suzie motioned to the stewardess by waving her empty glass. The stewardess 
acknowledged her and began to fix another gin and tonic. Suzie admired her 
beauty, if not overdone makeup, and stunning long legs. Suzie smiled as she 
approached with her drink. The stewardess, whose nametag revealed her to be 
Janice, reached across Suzie and placed her drink on the armrest in-between 
the seats. Her long red-dyed hair brushed Suzies face. Slightly buzzed, 
Suzie leaned forward and inhaled slightly.

"Thank you Janice," Suzie said smiling. "How soon until we land?"

Janice smiled back, and glanced to Suzies open purse at cigarettes 
prominently displayed on top. She smiled coyly and replied, "You'll be 
having one of those in about 45 minutes." Janice said playfully with a wink. 
She leaned closer and whispered, "I'm dying for one too..."

The two ladies shared a laugh for a moment, and then Janice returned to the 
galley with Suzie's emptied glass.

Suzie was first off the plane when it touched down and docked at the gate. 
She knew exactly where the smoking sections were in the Phoenix airport. Her 
step was quick and she dodged the scores of crowds gazing blankly at the 
Arrival / Departure Screens. Any faster and she would have been running. She 
found a seat in the sports lounge and lit one of the Marlboro 100's. She 
held the smoke as long as her body would allow, and then audibly exhaled a 
tight stream towards the ceiling. She ordered a coke from the smiling 
hostess when she was asked, continuing to enjoy the rewards of the 
cigarette.

She sipped on the coke from the thin red straw as she crushed out the spent 
cigarette. She browsed her itinerary and knew her next stop would be the 
Hertz rental car booth. She checked her watch, 4:25 pm, and decided to have 
one more cigarette. She casually lit the cigarette and drew. From a 
distance, she saw Janice exit the gate, towing a large carry on behind her. 
Her walk and expression told Suzie that Janice was tired. As Janice 
approached the lounge, she looked longingly inside, as if searching for a 
friend. Suzie grabbed her attention, waving the hand holding the freshly lit 
Marlboro.

Janice recognized Suzie and waved back, smiling. She pointed towards the 
empty chair next to Suzie and mouthed the words, "Can I join you?" Suzie 
drew and nodded.

Janice towed her small carry on behind her expertly then sat next to Suzie, 
sighing. Suzie laughed in respect of her friends mood. Janice reached into 
her own carry on and muttered, "Shit"

She pulled an empty pack of Virginia Slim 120 and crumpled it in her hands. 
"I meant to get some more in Salt Lake," she explained, tossing it to the 
table. Janice went to stand, but Suzie interrupted, pushing her pack across 
the table.

"Have one of mine if you like them..." Suzie offered, exhaling towards 
Janice.

Janice's eyes rolled as she reached for the pack. "Thanks a million. I hate 
to buy them in the airport, their so expensive." She removed a single 
Marlboro Light 100 and used her own lighter to light it. Suzie watched as 
Janice filled her mouth and performed a snap inhale, and exhaled both from 
her mouth and nose.

Karrie exhaled herself and replied "Anything to help a fellow smoker in 
need..."

Janice drew and privately surveyed Suzies itinerary. "Hey, you're staying at 
the Camel Back Inn too? That's where I'm staying tonight!" The two ladies 
trimmed their ashes simultaneously and discussed this odd twist of fate. As 
the exited the lounge two cigarettes later, Suzie had offered to give Janice 
a ride to the hotel, and they had made plans to have dinner together that 
evening.


The phone rang at 6:25. John glanced at his watch, and then at the CallerID 
box. OUT OF AREA was calling. John quickly dropped his half smoked cigarette 
into an empty beer can sitting nearby. For no reason, he exhaled and waved 
the cloud away.

"Hello?" he answered, innocently.

"John, Hi! It's me... I made it to the hotel." the familiar voice on the 
other end replied.

"Hey, how was the flight?" he asked.

"Same as usuall. Torture... I made a friend on the flight though, a 
stewardess, real nice... we're going to meet for dinner tonight."

"Stewardess huh?" John asked playfully, "Be a good girl Suzie!"

"Yeah right," she snapped back knowing his tone, "Like I'd tell you..." she 
joked.

They chatted for another five minutes, allowing Suzie to give John her room 
number.  They hung up  agreeing to talk the next night, saying I love you. 
Hanging up the reciever, they both reached for their cigarettes and lit up.



Suzie checked her makeup once more, tracing a thin line around her lips to 
remvoe any excess lipstick.  She then dropped the tube into her purse along 
side the half pack of Marlboro lights. She walked to the hotel lounge 
passing through the lobby, admiring the Southwestern Motife'. Scores of 
business travelers made small talk. Several noticed Suzie and admired her 
confident walk and striking beauty.

Suzie entered the lounge and quickly surveyed the room. Janice was sitting 
at the bar, chatting with a handsome man dressed in a casual polo shirt, 
emblazzened with the hotel logo on the chest. Suzie lay her purse on the bar 
and sat next to Janice, smiling.

"Hey, you made it.. what'll ya have?" Janice asked.

"Cranberry Vodka, please..." she said to the bartender as she reached into 
her purse and pulled out her Marlboro Lights. She placed the cylinder in her 
lips and dug a little deeper to find her lighter. The bartender graciously 
flicked his own lighter and held the flame out to Suzie. She smiled and 
leaned into the flame, and drew. "Thank you," Suzie replied, smiling.

The bartender left to fetch the drink. Janice leaned close to Suzie and 
whispered, "Thats Tom... great guy, very nice, but a lousy lay." Suzie 
almost choked as she burst out laughing, spurting clouds of smoke.

"Here, looks like you could use this..." Tom offered as he placed the drink 
in front of Suzie on a fresh napkin. Suzie and Janice shared a private laugh 
again as Tom just stood watching, oblivious. The two ladies drew at the same 
time and exhaled through their noses as they sipped their drinks. "Im so 
glad I don't work in California..." Tom said as he left to help another 
patron.

The two ladies caught the meaning of his statement and again shared a 
giggle.


Suzie sat back in the chair and drew on her newly lit cigarette as Janice 
scooped the rest of the nacho topping onto the last chip. They'd decided to 
just hang in the lounge and order off the appetizer menu. Karrie sat up and 
drank from a sweating bottle of Corona.

Through a half full mouth, Janice said "So, you've been keeping this from 
him the whole time? Wow, I think that's kind of sad." Suzie nodded as she 
inhaled.

"It is, but I really think he'd go balistic. I come off as such an 'anti' 
bitch most times, it would be a real 180 for him, too much I think..." she 
said thoughtfully, and then drew again. "This job has been a god send for me 
though. It's like I can be 'me' when I'm on the road. It's always a let down 
when I come home, knowing I have to hide my smoking, and lie."

Janice was washing down the remainder of the nachos with her own Corona, and 
reached for her pack of VS120's. She pushed her chair back a bit, crossing 
her legs and inhaled. She then looked at Suzie with a devlish smile and 
said, "What other things are you keeping in the closet, Suzie?" Janice 
reached a leg forward and purposfully brushed it against Suzies leg. Suzie 
cleared her throat and smiled and drew again. Her heart fluttered a bit as 
she pondered her reply.

In one second, her mind searched and found it's answer. A country singer she 
couldn't remember had once sung about the 'word of the road' or something to 
that effect, and how things that happened on the road, stayed on the road. 
She relayed the story to Janice, trying to remember these words, but she 
nervously tripped on them.

Janice smiled as she drew, and then exhaled a stream across the table and 
into Suzies torso. "Garth Brooks," she said, giggling. "Oh the stories we 
could tell if it weren't for the code of the road..." she mimicked. Suzie 
blushed and poured more cold Corona down the back of her throat.

"Your teasing, Janice, not very nice..." she warned. Suzies senses slowly 
came back to her and she sat up, pulling back from Janice.

Suzie slowly drew and spoke through a cloud, "I might be reading you 
completely wrong, Janice, so forgive me. I find you extremely attractive, 
but that's not my thing. I love my husband and I'm young, I dont want to 
cross that bridge. If I were, I'd jump you in a heart beat..."

Janice nodded and swigged the last of her beer. "I can respect that Suzie, 
Im sorry if I read you wrong too." She sat her bottle down and stood, 
signing her room number and name to the check. Suzie stood to gather her 
things as well. They left the lounge waving goodbye to Tom, Janice blowing a 
kiss his way.

Janice walked Suzie to her room and the two exchanged cards so they could 
keep in touch if they felt like it.  As Suzie slid the key card in and out 
of the door lock, Janice reached behind her and cupped her breasts in her 
hand. Suzie spun around to protest but was met with a deep, wet kiss, 
expertly placed. Suzies knees buckled a bit and she gently pushed Janice 
back. Janice looked at her with lust, and licked her lips. "Just wanted to 
give you a taste of what you're missing, honey.." She said, wiping her lips. 
"Im in room 305 if you change your mind. I'll be up watching dirty 
movies..."

Suzie gasped to catch her breath, and watched Janice saunter down the 
hallway, never looking back. Suzie decided to hook up the laptop and check 
her email and stocks, and of course smoke.

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