The Hong Girls, Part 3

THE HONG GIRLS

by uciboy

PART THREE

As soon as Michelle got into her sister's car, her senses were greeted with
the comforting smell she had come to know and love whenever riding in her
Mom's car.  The interior was spotless except for a few flecks of ash near the
ashtray, but the aroma that emanated from the leather interior was heaven.
This was undeniably a smoker's car.  Patty took out her pack of Saratogas and
reached in for the remaining cigarettes.  "Last two," she said to Michelle,
"so we better make 'em last." Michelle put the cigarette in her mouth and
pushed in the car's  cigarette lighter.  "That takes too long, sis.  Just use
this," and Patty flicked her lighter.

"No thanks.  I've always wanted to try this."  After what seemed like an
eternity, the lighter popped and Michelle pulled it out of its socket, gently
lighting the tip of her cigarette.  She puffed once, letting the smoke float
from her mouth and nose, then inhaled, filling her lungs with the pure white
smoke that she had so recently come to love.  She opened her mouth wide and
let the smoke pour out like a waterfall before taking another deep puff.

"Shit, girl, you're really smokin' that thing," Patty commented.   Michelle
just sat back and smiled.  This is so cool, she thought to herself as she took
another puff.

When the sisters reached the mall, Patty took Michelle to the drug and
convenience store downstairs.  As the clerk helped several people in line, the
girls stared at the cigarette display that was nearly as tall as Patty.
Michelle was stunned at just how many brands there were.  "So what's the
difference between all these lights, mediums, and ultra-lights?" she asked.

"Strength and flavor, mostly.  Mom smokes Virginia Slims, but if she smoked
the 120s they'd be less strong than the 100s she likes.  She also prefers
regulars over menthols, so there's a difference in flavor.  With Marlboros you
have all sorts of choices, but I stay away from them.  That's a bit to
conventional for me.  I go for something a little more classy, something with
style."  She reached down to that familiar green pack.  "Ah, Saratoga.  Do you
have any special requests?" Patty asked her sister.

"Something long and sexy like yours, but not with that brown thing at the
end," Michelle said.

"It's called a cork tip," Patty giggled.  "If you're gonna be a smoker, you
gotta learn the terminology."  Patty crouched down and reached to the bottom
of the display rack.  "I think you'll like these.  Welcome to the Isle of
Capri," she said as she handed her sister a pack of 120s.  Michelle looked
closely at the all white packaging with the splash of tropical flowers on the
front.  "If you want sexy, guys are gonna be cumming in their pants when they
see you smoke this."  

Michelle grinned and gave the pack back to her sister.  "Let's get 'em."

When the girls walked up to the clerk, Patty put the cigarettes on the counter
and instinctively showed her I.D.  After the clerk - an older white woman -
double-checked the birth date, she looked over at Michelle and said to Patty,
"Are these both for you?"  "What if they aren't?" Patty snapped.  "What
business is it of yours?"  Michelle was taken aback by her sister's defiance.

"Look, young lady, it's against the law for me to sell cigarettes to minors
and-"

"You're not selling cigarettes to her, you're selling them to me," Patty
interjected, her voice rising.  "God dammit, I've shown you my I.D., now what
else do you want?"

The clerk was speechless and rang the sale to prevent a scene.  As she gave
Patty back her change she mumbled, "You should be ashamed of yourself for
buying that young girl cigarettes."

Patty gave the clerk an icy stare and said slowly and clearly, "Mind your own
fucking business."  She then turned around and in plane view of the clerk,
gave Michelle the pack of Capris, saying under her breath, "Fucking Nazis.  I
can't believe I used to be one of them."

Michelle was a bit in shock at what she had just witnessed.  She had never
seen her sister so assertive before.  The clerk had it coming, of course, but
wow - no passive Asian-female stuff here.  "Maybe we better go to the local
7-Eleven from now on," she said to Patty.  "I hear they don't card people
there."

"Forget it - that woman's a total hypocrite.  I used to see her smoke everyday
outside the entrance when I was working here last summer.  We'll probably see
her outside when we leave.  Now, however, there is one more place we need to
visit."

Michelle examined the Capri package once more before dropping it into her
purse.  Patty then led her to Charlie's Smoke Shop down at the other end of
the mall.  "I've never been in here," Patty said, "but I've heard Mom talk
about the cool stuff they have.  It's also the only place you can smoke in the
mall."

When they walked in, they were greeted by a kindly old gentleman behind the
counter smoking a cigar.  "What can I do for you two young ladies," he said in
a deep southern drawl.  Patty immediately took out her fresh pack of Saratogas
and unwrapped the seal.  "I'm looking to buy a nice lighter for my sister,"
she said as she pulled out a cigarette.  The gentleman reached into his pocket
and pulled out a shiny gold butane lighter and offered the flame to Patty who
accepted it graciously.  "Oh, that's a nice one.  Do you have that in stock?"

"Sure do.  It's also the kind your mother likes."

The blood suddenly drained from both Patty's and Michelle's faces.  "Oh, so
you know who we are," Patty said.

"You must be Patty, and I'll guess that you are Michelle.  My name is
Charlie," and he put his arm out for a handshake.  "I could tell you were the
Hong sisters as soon as you gals walked in.  Your mother is one of my best
customers - 'was just in here last week talkin' 'bout her daughter comin' home
from college."

Charlie turned around and reached into the shelf where he kept the butane
lighters, pulling one out of the package to test it.  "She was a bit worried
because of somethin' 'bout you bein' quite the anti-smoker.  But it looks to
me like your time away from home has helped you to see the light," he said
with the flick of the lighter, bringing forth a flame.  "What she didn't say
was that her youngest had also taken up smoking," and he looked at Michelle
with a smile.

Michelle wanted to run and hide.  Oh shit, she thought to herself, why did I
come in here?  Now I'm totally screwed.

Patty quickly spoke up.  "That's my doing, I'm afraid.  I'm just a bad
influence on her," and she nervously smiled back at the friendly face.

Having his fun at the expense of their discomfort, Charlie leaned over the
counter towards the girls and said with a wink and a nod, "Now don't you gals
worry, we'll just keep this our little secret."

After wrapping up the lighter and an elegant ash tray, Charlie rang up the
sale.  "Will there be anythin' else?"

"Yeah -" Patty gave a wicked smile at Michelle.  "Do you have any holders?"

"My," Charlie said with a belly laugh, "we are the sophisticated one.  Well
how about these - see anythin' you like?" and he pulled out a velvet display
of white and black cigarette holders.  "Hmm, these are all really nice.  Come
here Michelle."  They admired the different lengths and styles of each one.
There were sterling silver, imitation ivory, bubble rhinestones - but nothing
that really struck her fancy.  "I'm looking for something more -- elegant."

"Elegant, elegant...well, let's see what I have here," and he reached down
under the counter and pulled out a small black case.  He opened it with his
big thick hands and revealed a truly elegant 3 1/2 inch mother of pearl
holder.

"Oh, yes," Patty said after taking a puff and setting the Saratoga down in an
ashtray.  "That's beautiful."  Michelle's eyes opened wide.  She knew she
could turn more than a few heads at the lunch court with that little thing.

Charlie was leaning over the counter, propped up by his elbow, and said,
"Pretty nice, ain't it?  It's the kind your mother uses." Patty couldn't hide
her surprise.  "No way," she exclaimed with a wide grin.  "Mom owns a
cigarette holder?  No Way!!"  Patty handed the holder to Michelle who examined
it carefully.  "Are you sure we're talking about my Mom?  Grace Hong?  The
boring Baltimore lawyer?"

Charlie put his hand over his heart, "I swear on my dear departed wife's
grave.  Your mother is quite the aficionado, you know."

Patty was amazed at how little she knew about her Mom and was gaining a new
found respect.  "We'll take two," she said to Charlie.

"Now hold on just a second, young miss," he said as Patty handed the holder
back to him.  "These aren't cheap," and he showed her the price tag.  

Patty's heart skipped a beat, amazed that her mother would spend so much on a
holder.  "You got anything in the $20 range," she said with a disappointed
look.  Charlie held up two 4 inch plastic holders.  Patty nodded with a sigh
and said, "we'll take a black and a white," and Charlie wrapped up the entire
transaction.

"Now you really won't tell our mother we were in here?"

"This is just between you and me."  Then he looked at Michelle.  "You know you
can't hide forever, though.  Your mom is gonna find out sooner or later - and
better sooner than later."  Michelle was feeling extremely uncomfortable now.
"But if you girls need anything else, you just ask for Charlie."

Confident that Patty had made a new friend in the old man, she thanked him and
walked out with Michelle in tow.  "That was a close call," she said.  "But I
think we can trust him."  

As the two headed out the exit of the mall back to their car, they noticed the
clerk from the drug store standing outside smoking a cigarette.  Patty stopped
and gave her an icy stare.  With an ashamed expression on her face, the clerk
turned to the side to avoid Patty's gaze.  Michelle pulled her sister by the
arm and the two walked out to the parking lot.  "White trash," Patty said
under her breath.  "Did you see the pack she was clutching in her hand?  Some
generic crap.  No accounting for taste."

Michelle laughed, calling her sister a "smoking snob" and the two drove home.

END PART THREE

Previous part | Next part