Cold Turkey, Part 1

All characters in this story are purely fictional.  Any resemblence 
of these characters to real life people are conicidence only, and are 
not meant to cause offence to anyone.  All place names and locations 
in this story are intentionally fictional.  

COLD TURKEY
by Blackbladder

Part 1

"I thought you quit?" Maria laughed, whilst exhaling smoke into the calm
autumn breeze.

"I quit last week..........now Ive started up again." Irene blushed whilst
raising the cigarette to her lips for another deep puff.  

"Is that the thirteenth time you have quit smoking this week?"  Maria asked
sarcastically as she de-ashed her cigarette against the ashtray.

"Probably Maria.........I am gonna quit for real this week though.  I am going
away with my daughter for the week." Irene stated, looking at the cigarette -
her closest friend for thirty years.

"I thought you didn't get on with your daughter?"

"Its not so much Denise, but its her husband - hes a fucking anti!" Irene
laughed.  Although Paul was an anti-smoker, she knew he was only acting in her
best interests. Paul had always been vocal against his mother-in law's smoking
habit.

Maria inhaled on her shrinking cigarette, before exhaling across the
restaurant table towards her work colleague.  She ground out her cigarette in
the ashtray, almost full to capacity of dead butts.

"So tell me more about your week, Irene." Maria asked, smoke punctuating her
words.


"Hillford Surgery Reception, Denise speaking, how may I help you?" 

"Hi Denise, its Paul.  Could you pick the kids up from school after work?"

"Sure honey, what's up?"

"The guys from work are going for a couple of drinks after work.  It is my
mate's last day at work before he retires. That ok?"

"Yeah it should be fine.  Could you ring my mother and tell her i will pick
her up at eight am sharp tommorrow morning?"

"Ok love, I gotta go.  I am supposed to be covering another operator's job
right now.  See you tonight. Love you."

As the phone line mumbled, Denise replaced the handset on the receiver smiling
to herself.  This week will be the best - just her and her mother for three
days, Denise thought.  The receptionist removed her glasses, swept back her
blonde hair, and wiped the lenses with a cloth.  When she returned her glasses
to the usual position - resting on the bridge of the nose, she had perfect
vision - this week was her one shot of helping her mother defeat the evil
weed.  Denise had grown up despising her mother for smoking during her
childhood.  She made every effort to help her mother give up this vile habit.
However, by the end of the week, her ambition was to show her mother that she
did not cigarettes.

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