Happy Anniversary

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
Mark S.

   Mark felt uncomfortable buying cigarettes, always afraid that he would run
into someone he knew.  "what would they think?", he often wondered.  But by
now his obsession seemed to control him, although he was still very careful
about where he went to satisfy this fixation with those long slender
cigarettes.  The usual routine was to leave after work and drive to the other
side of town where he was practically guaranteed  to be just another nameless
face in the crowd, not  Mark Spencer, everyone's idea of the perfect young
man, always the all-american boy.  He would go into the convenience store and
purchase pack of Virginia Slims, sometimes he would  also buy a pack of
Marlboro's just so the cashier would not think that the Virginia Slims were
for him.  But they were for him.  How he wished they were for his beautiful
young wife, Gwen.  But, she abhorred smoking, just like Mark did - or at least
as much as he pretended to abhor it.  The truth was that Mark dreamed of
seeing Gwen casually light of one of those long slender cigarettes and take
one of those long, slow, seductive drags.  Just the thought brought Mark to
the point of intense arousal.  But he knew that this would never happen and so
he was destined to live in this fantasy world the rest of his life.  
   On the way home, Mark would toss the Marlboros in the garbage and pull out
one of those sweet and sexy Virginia Slims.  He could never decide which was
his favorite, the menthol luxury lights 120s or the menthol ultra lights.   He
usually alternated his purchases.   Most of the time, Mark never even lit one
of the cigarettes.  More often than not he would just admire them.  He would
admire the look and feel of the pack and the sleek slenderness of the
cigarette.  And he imagined.  He did lots of imagining.  He conjured up in his
mind all of these wonderful scenarios - Gwen smoking at a restaurant or Gwen
lighting a cigarette while the were in the car.  Sometimes Mark would light
one a smoke and think about the possibilities.  But unless he wanted his
reputation ruined, he would have to remain secretive about this passion. 
   Mark sometimes hated his image.  He was 25 years old, handsome, well
mannered, and everyone's idea of a perfect you man.  He was clean cut,
athletic, and conservative.  Gwen was a beautiful brunette with big brown
eyes.  She was a former high school cheerleader, homecoming queen, and college
beauty contestant winner.  She was a year younger than Mark.  They had been
married not quite a year and they were everyone's idea of a perfect couple.
Together, they looked as if they stepped right out of a Norman Rockwell
painting.  And they did have a wonderful relationship.  Mark could not imagine
being with anyone else.  However, he never felt like he could tell her about
his fetish for watching women smoke.  Gwen had caught him more than once
looking through her women's magazines.  Mark would always say something like,
"Hey, I just want to know what kind of trash you are reading these days", and
they would both laugh.  The truth was that he was searching for those
wonderful ads.  He enjoyed the ads showing beautiful women smoking.  The Capri
ads he liked, but he coveted the Virginia Slims ads.  Gwen, he thought, could
be in one of these ads.  Of course all of these things made Mark very sexually
aroused which in turn led to some very hot lovemaking with Gwen that night.
If Gwen knew what turned him on, would she indulge just for him?  Mark often
wondered about that.
   Mark rushed home after tossing the cigarettes before he pulled into the drive
way.  "Hey babe", he said as he walked in the front door, "Did you decide
where you want to go for our first anniversary?".  She paused for a moment,
"Do you think we could get away for a long weekend and go to the beach?".  "My
parents said we could use their condo in Destin.  And you know how much I love
Florida", she said with a look that no man could deny.  "Of course", said
Mark.  "I am sure I could take that Friday off and we could drive down on
Thursday night". 
   Now that they had something to look forward to, the next two weeks seemed to
creep along at a unmercifully slow pace.  When the big weekend finally
arrived, they packed, hopped in the car and took off like robbers trying to
make a get away from the scene of the crime.  Mark was delighted to see that
Gwen had brought several new women's magazines with potential smoking ads.
Only the Good Housekeeping was a disappointment to see, since they never carry
any cigarette ads.  Mark looked forward to scanning the magazines when Gwen
was asleep.  
   The ride was went by pretty fast.  The talked most of the way.  It seems that
they did not have a lot of time to focus on one another lately because of
their hectic schedules and both saw this weekend not only as a time of
celebrating their first anniversary, but also as a time of catching up with
one another and enjoying each other's company.  When they finally arrived late
that night they were both exhausted.  Gwen went immediately to bed but Mark
decided he was going to take a short walk on the beach before he turned in for
the night.  But before he did, he thought he would go across the street to the
convenience store and buy a pack of cigarettes and he might just smoke one or
two while on the beach.  He purchased a pack of Virginia Slims menthol ultra
lights.  Mark was sure to show his wedding ring so that the lady at the cash
register would know that the cigarettes were for his wife.  Even Mark realized
how foolish it was to live with such a fear of what others thought of him.
Nevertheless, he was trapped by this perfect image that others had of him.
So even a couple of hundred miles away from home, he was careful about how
others saw him. 
   That night, it seemed like he was the only one on the beach.  "That's okay",
he thought, "just the way I like it".  He sat down in the sand and pulled out
a cigarette.  He looked at it for a long time.  How beautiful it would be in
the slender hands of Gwen, he thought to himself.  He just imagined her beside
him now lighting a cigarette as he watched the glow from the tip as she took
in a long slow drag.  He decided at that moment that he couldn't take it
anymore.  He was going to have to tell Gwen the truth about this "fetish".  Or
he was going to have to give it up, at least give it up as best he could.  He
decided that he couldn't tell Gwen.  He stood up walked back to the condo,
tossed the cigarettes in a trash can and made a vow to himself that he would
do everything within his own power to end this smoking obsession. 
   Friday morning came and they quickly ate breakfast and headed to the beach.
Gwen spent most of the time reading on the beach, Mark did the same only with
a few more trips to cool off in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.  Before they
new it  the entire day just seemed to slip right by.  Tonight they were going
to celebrate - nice dinner at a favorite seafood restaurant, a little dancing
at a nearby beach club, and hopefully lots of romance.  Gwen was stunning as
ever in her white "dancing dress" as she called it.  Mark was taken aback as
he saw her.  "You have got to be the most beautiful woman this world has ever
seen", Mark said.  And she was. 
   As they drove to the restaurant, Mark couldn't help but think of the decision
he made the previous night.  How was he going to get this obsession out of his
head?  He was sure to see many beautiful women smoking tonight.  Was he going
to be able to avoid staring at them?  Mark was not sure.
   They arrived at the restaurant and to their pleasant surprise there seemed to
be tables available without a wait.  "Table for two", said Mark.  The waitress
said, "Okay sir, will that be smoking or non-smoking?"  Before Mark could say
anything, Gwen quickly asserted, "Smoking please".  Mark just looked at her
with a blank stare.  "What are you doing?!, he asked.  "What do you mean?  I
just want to be able to smoke if I want, you don't mind do you?", Gwen said
with a wink.
   As they sat down, Mark was still somewhat speechless.  Gwen pulled out a pack
of Virginia Slims menthol luxury lights 120's.  "You know, it took me a while
to figure it out, but you should never think that you can pull one over on a
woman.  We have that instinct, you know", Gwen said with a wry smile.  "Would
you give a light please?", she asked seductively.  Gwen put her lips around
the thin white cigarette while Mark took her lighter and brought it closer to
the tip.  His hand was shaking just a bit out of nervousness and excitement.
Gwen took a long drag on her cigarette and slowly exhaled the smoke into the
air.  "I've been practicing for weeks", she said.  "How did you know?, asked
Mark.  "Well, at first I thought I was imagining it, but then I figured it
out.".  "But how?", asked Mark again.  "Well first of all, when we go out, I
have seen you looking at other women, which I don't mind, but the ones you are
always looking at are the ones smoking.  Then I noticed that you were looking
through my magazines.  When I would go to read, I noticed that the pages that
they most naturally opened were the cigarette ads, especially the Virginia
Slims ads.  After that, everything just seemed to piece itself together.  Then
one day, you accidentally left a unopened pack of cigarettes in the glove
compartment".  Gwen laughed, took another long drag on her cigarette and said,
"You didn't think you could live with me for a year and have me not figure
this out?  Come on, you have to give me more credit than that".
   "Are you mad?", was the only thing Mark seemed to be able to stammer out.
"Not at all", Gwen reassured him.  "If smoking turns you on, then I want to
smoke for you".  "It is very simple really", she explained, "I love you and I
want to make you happy".  "Besides", she continued, "I think I have begun to
enjoy it".  Mark could only smile and marvel at the beautiful and devoted wife
he was so lucky to have.
   That night after dining and dancing, Mark and Gwen made love like they never
had before.  What a happy anniversary trip it was for both of them....and it
was only the beginning.