Revenge, Part 5

This fictional account contains adult language and themes.  If such language
and themes offend you, please do not read further.  Copyright 2000 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 help and
encouragement.

REVENGE


5.	Integrating It Into Her Whole Life.

   All afternoon Larilyn pondered two lines of questions about what happened
with Mitch.  First, why did he kiss her, and why did she kiss back so
passionately?  That was easy.  Something inside her had awakened.  It'd been
ages since her last serious romantic relationship.  Mitch smoked, and till
this week she'd never have considered a relationship with a smoker.  But now
she wanted him.  She wanted him bad!  And the desire she felt in her body was
delicious!

   The second line of questions was harder.  Why did Mitch give her his
cigarette as they walked to the office, and why did she accept it and take a
puff?  Why in the hell did she do it twice, especially in front of the
building where anyone might've seen her?  She didn't know the answers to
those questions.

   Perhaps Mitch was testing her.  Or maybe he was just polite.  But her
ready acquiescence was most puzzling.  She didn't _have_ to take the drags.
She had, though, and more horrifying, she'd enjoyed them.  If Mitch intended
to make a point, he'd succeeded.  She'd taken the two puffs because she
wanted them.  And that scared her.

   All afternoon, whenever Brianna saw her, she laughed.  At one point she
asked how many cigarettes Larilyn had at lunch.  Hearing "two," Brianna
smiled and gave a knowing look of earnest approval.  She seemed exceptionally
eager to welcome Larilyn into the bondage she and Mitch shared.  It
reinforced Larilyn's determination to make clear she wasn't becoming a
smoker.  She was only doing it to get access to her granddaughter.  I'm not a
smoker, she repeated to herself all afternoon.  But the fact that she needed
to continually repeat it frightened her, too.

   She left work early and got home at six.  She rushed upstairs to get ready
for her date.  She was in her underwear when Andrea came in the bedroom at
six thirty.  She was comparing several different dresses in front of the
mirror.

   "What the hell are you doing, Mom?"

   Larilyn smiled.  "I'm having dinner with Mitch tonight."

   "Wow," Andrea shrieked.  "You didn't waste any time, did you?"

   Larilyn sat on her bed and giggled.  "No, I guess not.  You know what
else?  At the end of our lunch today, before we went inside, he kissed me!"

   "Awesome," her daughter laughed, sitting beside her.  "God, this is great,
Mom.  I'm so proud of you!  It's been a long time since you've had any
action, hasn't it?"

   Larilyn blushed.  "That's none of your business, young lady."

   "Yes it is," Andrea replied.  "Sex is part of life, Mom.  I'd like to see
you involved with someone.  You'd be happier if you weren't so sexually
frustrated."

   "I can't believe you're saying this to me," she said, shaking her head.

   "You know it's true, Mom.  Tell me.  Is he good looking?"

   "You'll find out," she leered.  "He's picking me up at seven."

   "Cool," Andrea giggled.  "I'll stick around to meet him.  And you say he
smokes?"

   "Yeah," Larilyn confirmed hesitantly.  "Mitch is the guy I'm smoking with
at lunch."

   "You always said you'd never date a smoker.  What happened?"

   She squirmed.  "Mitch is different.  "I like him _despite_ the fact that
he smokes.  Anyway, being a smoker isn't the worst thing in the world."  She
poked Andrea in the stomach.  "After all, my high school daughter is a
smoker, isn't she?"

   "Yeah, she is," Andrea said happily.  "By the way, have you had a
cigarette recently?  I'm dying to have one, if you are."

   Larilyn stood up.  "As soon as I decide what to wear, I'll join you for
one.  We're going to the Coral Room," she added casually.

   "No shit?  That's the fanciest restaurant in town!  God, he must _really_
like you!"

   "I don't know about that," she smiled.  "But I'm looking forward to it."
She headed back to her closet to make her final dress selection.

   Fifteen minutes later Larilyn sauntered into the family room wearing a
long, low-cut, slinky black dress.  A simple string of pearls adorned her
neck.  She'd put her hair up and wore long, dangling earrings.  When Andrea
saw her, she whistled.

   "God, Mom, you look fuckin' great!  Damn, Mitch will take one look at you
and start drooling!  You are dressed to kill, no doubt about it!"

   "Thanks," she blushed.  She sniffed the air.  "You've been smoking without
me?"

   "Yeah, I just finished one.  But that's okay.  I'll have another one with
you."

   From inside her small, black, clutch purse Larilyn took a box of Marlboro
Menthol Lights 100's.  She put a cigarette between her lips and waited for
Andrea to light her up.

   "Thank you," she smiled, receiving her daughter's light.  She took a
lengthy drag and sucked the smoke in her lungs, deeper than she'd intended.
"It's my first since lunch," she added indifferently, pausing to exhale.  A
huge volume of the blue-gray substance flowed from her lips over several
breaths.

   Andrea was busy lighting one of her own.  "It's not the first for me," she
giggled.  "Brittany and I went out after school for coffee.  There's a coffee
shop on the east side with a smoking area.  I smoked at least ten cigarettes
this afternoon.  It was great!"

   "Be careful.  You'll be as bad as your sister if you don't watch it."

   Andrea laughed and took a long, magnificent drag on her Salem.  "But I
like smoking, Mom," she explained as she inhaled.  "I love everything about
it.  If I could, I'd smoke all the time.  It feels so good."  She directed a
plume of smoke into the air.  "You know what I mean?"

   The question was pointed.  Larilyn nodded.  She had to tell the truth.  "I
admit it does feel good.  That's why I've preached that these thing are
dangerous.  Smoking delivers physiological satisfaction.  You can't let it
get the better of you."

   "Yes, you can!  Why not?  I'll surrender to that physiological
satisfaction, or whatever the hell you call it," she laughed.  "If I like
something, Mom, I do it.  Don't be afraid to admit you like smoking.  Just
enjoy it."

   "It's not that simple," she started to say, but was interrupted by the
doorbell.  "Oh God," she gasped.  "It's him."  She started to put her
cigarette out, but Andrea stopped her.

   "Don't put it out, Mom.  He won't care.  He smokes.  If he sees us
smoking, maybe he'll come in and have one with us.  I'd like that."

   Larilyn hesitated.  "All right."  As she got up, she looked at her
cigarette.  "Oh my God," she giggled.  "Look at this!  There's red lipstick
all over the filter!"

   "It looks classy, seductive, in fact," Andrea smiled.  "Don't worry.  He
won't mind."

   Andrea was right.  Mitch had a cigarette with the two girls and went out
of his way to complement Larilyn on her evening attire.  Andrea found him
charming, as Larilyn promised.  Mitch wore a navy blue pin-stripe suit, white
dress shirt and bold red necktie.  He looked ready for a big evening.  He and
Larilyn made a nice looking couple.

   Andrea bid them goodbye at the door.  "Be good.  Don't do anything I
wouldn't do, Mom," she shouted sarcastically.  Closing the door, she returned
to the family room, lit another cigarette and wondered what would happen.
"If I were you, Mom, I'd be _very_ good to him tonight," she sighed, exhaling
smoke.  "Good to him in his bed!"

   Dinner was wonderful.  The Coral Room deserved its reputation as the
town's premier restaurant.  The service was impeccable and the food
delicious.  They sat in the smoking section, of course.  At first Larilyn was
worried about smoking there.  But perusing the dining room she saw no one she
knew.  So she had two cigarettes before dinner, and added two more after.
She felt extremely mellow, having had a couple drinks before dinner and two
glasses of wine.

   "God, Mitch, this has been great," she sighed happily in the middle of her
second after-dinner cigarette.  "You really know how to make a girl feel
special!"

   "I'm glad you liked it," Mitch smiled.  He watched her take a long drag
and suck the smoke into her lungs.  "You look quite comfortable smoking
tonight.  I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but it really suits you."

   "What do you mean?"  She turned her head to exhale a long stream of smoke
through pursed lips.  She paused in mid-exhale, took a sip of coffee, and
resumed her exhale via her nostrils as the remaining smoke drifted out in
twin tendrils.

   He grinned.  "I like seeing a woman smoke comfortably like that.  Watching
you exhale is especially nice.  You look so relaxed, satisfied and serene,
releasing your smoke.  Seeing a woman really relish a cigarette tells me
she's not afraid to enjoy herself in any way she wants."

   Larilyn blushed.  "Thank you.  I'll take that as a complement.  You know,
smoking with you after dinner is quite relaxing."  She gave a sly smile.
"I've come to appreciate some of the ambiance of your nasty habit."  She set
her cigarette in the ashtray and opened her purse.  "That reminds me.  I
should give you two in exchange for the Winstons I had at lunch."  She passed
two Marlboro Menthols over the table.  "Thanks again helping me stay on
schedule."

   "It was my pleasure," he replied.  He slipped the two menthol cigarettes
in his pack.  "I take it you aren't upset or even terribly surprised that I
think you're attractive when you smoke?"

   Larilyn was in the midst of yet another puff.  She chuckled, spurting
smoke from her mouth and nose while laughing.  "My daughter Susan gave me an
article from the internet about how sexy smoking can be.  I thought it was
nuts.  But the longer I smoke, the more I understand.  I guess that's why the
femme fatales in movies in the forties and fifties all smoked."

   "You got it," Mitch agreed.  "Lauren Bacall, Rita Hayworth and the other
actresses of that era understood that there's something alluring about a
beautiful woman sensually puffing on a cigarette and blowing smoke from her
mouth."

   Larilyn shook her head and smiled.  "Mitch, you're one sick puppy!"  But
her grin showed she didn't mind.  After a final drag she crushed her
cigarette in the ashtray.  "I can't believe I'm about to say this," she went
on, pausing briefly to exhale once more.  "Maybe I've had too much to drink.
I've been fighting smoking and smokers for years.  But the truth is, except
for those damn health issues, smoking cigarettes has been a blast!"  She
giggled coyly.  "Does hearing me say that surprise you?"

   Mitch gave her an affectionate smile.  "Not really.  It probably _is_ the
result of too much wine.  But I don't mind.  You're beginning to see the
other side of the smoking issue, Larilyn.  A lot of us smoke despite the
health risks.  We just find it so damn pleasant and pleasurable.  If being
slightly drunk helps you understand, well, I'll ply you with liquor more
often."  He looked at his watch.  "God, this has been a wonderful evening.
But I guess we should go."

   She looked disappointed.  "Yeah, you're right."  She glanced at her
wristwatch.  "Shit!  It's ten thirty."  She shook her head.  "Where in the
hell did the time go?"

   "Time flies when you're having fun," he replied, helping her with her
chair.  "And I've had a wonderful time with you tonight, Larilyn.  You are
wonderful."

   "You're not bad yourself, Mitch," she winked.  "I can't believe I turned
you down the first few times you asked me out."

   "Me neither," he laughed.  "But I'm glad we finally got together."

   The weather was frightful.  She pulled her coat tight around her and
huddled against Mitch as they walked to his car.  As she got inside, she
wondered if he'd make a move.  She did _not_ want to go home.  She waited to
see what he'd say next.

   "Well, what do you want to do?" he asked, turning his key in the ignition.
"It's still early.  I know a decent bar not far from here where we could have
a couple more drinks."

   She didn't want to dilly-dally.  She screwed up her courage.  "I'd like to
see your place, Mitch," she said unashamedly.  "You saw mine.  I'd love to
see where you live."

   "Okay.  I've got a bottle of wine somewhere in the house.  You're not
totally drunk yet, Larilyn.  I'm hoping to finish you off pretty soon."

   "Don't worry.  You don't have far to go," she smiled serenely.  They drove
through the night and she looked out the window.  She tried to make small
talk.  "Only two more tonight," she mused.  "That makes eleven in one day.  I
can't believe it.  I never thought I could do it."

   "And it was easy, wasn't it?"

   She smiled.  "It wasn't really hard.  But being with you makes it easier,"
she said dreamily.  She'd have admitted to being an ax murderer if it
would've helped convince him to take her home.  "Maybe it's because you
smoke, Mitch," she went on.  "But I don't mind smoking when I'm with you."

   "I'll bet you've never smoked in a car before, have you?"

   She startled.  "No.  Never."

   He grinned.  "Let's smoke, then.  Consider it part of your education.  Get
a cigarette."  She opened her purse and got one, and he coached her on the
procedure.  "Roll down your window a crack.  That's good.  Now light up."
Seeing her hesitate, he laughed.  "Don't worry, Larilyn.  I smoke in my car
all the time."  He gave her his Winstons.  "While you're at it, will you
light one for me?"

   "Um, okay," she tentatively replied.  She put his pack on her lap while
firing up a Marlboro Menthol Light 100.  Then she fumbled trying to figure
out how to hold her burning cigarette and light one for him at the same time.

   Mitch gently laughed.  "Larilyn, don't make it so hard.  Put both of 'em
in your mouth at once.  Then your hands will be free to manage the lighter."

   She did as he suggested.  With two cigarettes dangling from her lips, one
lit and the other unlit, she easily clicked the lighter.  To get Mitch's
started she sucked hard.  As a result she got a double dose of smoke in her
mouth.  Instinctively, she inhaled, which meant she sucked smoke from both
cigarettes into her lungs as she dropped the lighter to her lap.

   "Ooh," she gasped, her lungs literally bursting with smoke.  "That's quite
the rush, isn't it?"  She handed Mitch his cigarette and released a thick
cloud of smoke into the car's interior.

   He smiled.  "Thanks.  Yeah, you should try smoking two at once.  It's real
nice."

   "Two at once?  At the same time?  Why in hell would you want to do that?"

   "For the rush," he replied with a patient smile.  His admission didn't
seem to embarrass him in the least.  "Sometimes I do it when I'm alone and
it's been a long time since I've had a smoke."  He laughed.  "You wouldn't
understand.  You're not addicted yet."

   She frowned.  "What do you mean, yet?"

   "Just what I said.  If you keep smoking like that, Larilyn, it's just a
matter of time.  I don't want to scare you.  But you already like it a lot.
You admit that.  And it'll keep growing on you, more and more, if you keep on
smoking.  Pretty soon you won't ever want to stop."

   She took a drag, inhaled, and thought.  "You underestimate my will power,"
she replied stubbornly.  She tipped her head to exhale toward the driver's
side.

   "Maybe," he shrugged, covered with smoke.  "But remember what I said.
It's easy to get in over your head, Larilyn.  I don't want you to be
disappointed.  That's all."

   "I appreciate your concern," she smiled.  "But I'm a big girl.  I can take
care of myself."

   "I'm sure you can," he smiled back.

   Mitch lived alone in a large apartment.  They walked in and Larilyn threw
her coat on a chair.  She sauntered through the room with her purse.  "Nice
place," she casually observed.

   "Thanks.  It's big enough for me.  He walked to the kitchen.  "Can I get
you a drink?  Beer, wine, or something harder?"

   "I'd love a Bud Light."  She looked at his furnishings.  Ashtrays were in
each and every room.  Of course, she realized, he'd seen them all over her
house now, too.  She smiled at him.  "You look like you've got it pretty
comfortable here, Mitch."

   "Yeah, it's okay."  He motioned for her to sit on the couch.  "A Bud Light
coming up!"

   He carried two cans from the fridge and handed one to her.  She patted the
seat next to her as she took a first sip.  "Sit next to me, Mitch, on the
couch."  The confidence in her voice made it a command rather than a
suggestion.

   "Okay," he agreed with a slight hesitation.  "Look, Larilyn," he began.
"I really like you.  I don't want you to think I'm trying to . . .."

   She put her index finger on his lips.  "Hush," she whispered.  "Put your
beer down and kiss me, stupid.  Why in the hell do you think I wanted to come
here?  Not to talk!"

   Leaning toward her, he took her head in his hands and locked his lips on
hers.  They kissed.  At first it was restrained, almost polite.  But as it
went on, the passion increased.  In a couple minutes they were prone on the
couch.  She'd pulled him on top.  With their lips still engaged, Mitch's
fingers found her breasts.  She moaned as his hands cupped her tits.  She
wrapped her arms around him and pulled him even closer.  As she moved, she
inadvertently kneed him in the groin.  It wasn't too hard, but he gasped
nonetheless.

   He used the embarrassing moment as an opportunity to pull back.  "Oh,
God," he panted.  "I didn't expect things to happen so fast.  I mean, I'm
delighted they have.  It's just that . . .."

   Larilyn sat up and started unbuttoning her long black skirt.  "Mitch, I'll
be frank.  I want you to fuck me.  I've been hot for you since lunch
yesterday.  I haven't been with anyone for awhile.  Call me horny.  Call it
whatever you want.  But I want you, Mitch."  She smiled as her bra and naked
stomach greeted his eager eyes.  "Don't you want me, too?"

   "Oh yes," he nodded enthusiastically.  "God, I've wanted you for months!
But I figured I had no chance.  I knew how you felt about smokers.  When you
asked to go to lunch and smoke with me, I thought I'd died and gone to
heaven.  But doing _this_ still seems like a dream.  I can't believe it's
happening!"

   She smiled and lost her dress.  She wore black lace underwear and
stockings.  "Let's dream in your bedroom," she coyly purred.  "I don't mean
to be too forward, but my daughter will ask questions if I'm too late."  She
stood up and smiled.  "Aren't you coming?"

   Mitch nodded.  And then he came.  So did she, again and again.  It was
great.

   Forty-five minutes later, they lay exhausted on his bed.  Larilyn was
grinning.  "Oh God, that was nice," she sighed.  "It's been too damn long
since I've been fucked like that."

   "Why don't you call it making love?  Fucking sounds so impersonal."

   "I don't mean to hurt your feelings, Mitch," she said, rolling over and
looking into his eyes.  "I really like you.  But what we did tonight was pure
passion.  It was just fucking.  Love is something that grows over time."  She
smiled.  "I'd like an opportunity for love to develop between us."  Then she
laughed.  "Though the fucking isn't bad."

   He rolled over and reached for the table.  He tapped a cigarette from the
pack sitting there and put it in his mouth.  He noticed her looking at him,
mouth agape.  "Haven't you ever smoked after sex?"  Then he smiled.  "Oh, of
course.  That's right.  I guess you haven't, have you?"

   She shook her head.  "What's the fuss about smoking after sex?  Is it
really a big deal?"

   He nodded suggestively.  "Get your cigarettes and let's find out
together."

   She bounced naked from the bed and padded into the living room.
Retrieving her pack she returned and laid back down beside him.  "Okay," she
said simply.  "Let's try it."

   He clicked his lighter and lit hers, and followed by lighting his own.
She took a long first drag and sucked the smoke deep into her lungs while
snuggling up against him.  "Hmm," she sighed, expelling some smoke.  "This
_is_ nice."

   "Yeah, smoking after sex is damn relaxing," he offered philosophically.
"With sex lots of passion and tension is released.  And smoking's relaxing,
too.  After making love . . . I mean, after fucking . . . well, having a
cigarette somehow seems extra comforting and nice to me."

   She nestled closer and sighed happily.  "Mitch, here's a secret.  I
wouldn't be nearly as interested in smoking if I weren't doing it with you.
When Susan said I had to, I was pissed.  It was a chore, something to be
endured.  But smoking with you, and being with you now, is completely
different.  It's so . . . I don't know . . . so nice sharing a cigarette with
you."

   He kissed her on the cheek while she was in the midst of another puff.  As
she sucked the smoke into her lungs she turned to face him.  Without waiting
for her exhale, he put his mouth on hers and began kissing.  Her protests
dissolved as she felt his tongue urgently probe the interior of her mouth.
She sighed and kissed back, forgetting about her smoke, which slowly escaped,
mostly through her nostrils, as they shared a long embrace.

   "Wow," she laughed, at last pulling away.  "I needed to exhale.  You got a
mouthful of my smoke."  She looked squarely into his eyes.  "But you _meant_
to do that, didn't you, you little devil?  You knew exactly what you were
doing!"

   He giggled.  "Sure I did."  He took a hit of his own.  "I love teasing you
about smoking, Larilyn.  You're such an easy mark."  He put his arm around
her and pulled her closer.  "God, this _is_ a dream, being with you naked in
bed like this."

   "It's so nice," she cooed.  "Speaking of dreams, what is this?"  She put
her free hand on his cock, which had begun to harden and rise again.  "Don't
tell me you're ready for more?"

   Mitch smiled.  "You're too damn exciting."  He gazed into her eyes through
the smoky haze.  "I can't help myself.  Before we finish these cigarettes,
I'll be ready for another round."  He began to massage her nipples with his
free hand.

   She moaned, put her cigarette between her lips and closed her eyes.
Taking a long, lavish drag, she happily pulled the smoke deep inside her
naked body.  As she did, her breasts rose, increasing the pressure exerted by
his hand.  "Oh," she gasped.  "I'm ready, too."  She exhaled into his face as
he rubbed harder.  He drank in her smoke and smiled.

   "I love you, Larilyn," he sighed.

   She released the last of her smoke through her nose.  "That's your
hormones talking, Mitch," she giggled.  "Just tell me you want to fuck again.
That'll do for now."

   "I want to fuck you," he whispered, rolling over and pushing his rock-hard
cock against her bare abdomen.  "And I want you on top this time."

   She took a final puff from her cigarette and crushed it in the ashtray.
"Be careful, Mitch.  I could get used to this," she laughed.  Before exhaling
she planted her lips on his again.  They kissed, and she felt his manhood
grow firmer as she released smoke into his mouth.  "Right now I want to fuck
again."

   He crushed his cigarette in the ashtray and moved it to the table by the
bed.  He positioned himself underneath, and she compliantly went on top.
Craning his neck he started kissing the lovely breasts that hung above him.
In response she reached down and inserted his cock into her labial lips.
With her hand around his shaft, she began moving it back and forth.

   "Oh, yeah," she moaned.  "That feels _so_ good."  Slowly and methodically
he continued his gentle thrusting.  "Oh, fuck," she whimpered as he hit the
right spot.  "Oh, that's it!  Yeah.  Keep doing that!  Right there!  Oh God,
yes!"  She released her grip on his member and dug her fingernails into his
torso, pulling him in and moaning louder.  Her rhythmic movements picked up
and his thrusting intensity increased.  "Shit, yes," she groaned.  "Fuck me!"

   "Oh, yeah," Mitch panted.  His cock was deep inside her now.  The pleasure
was excruciating.  She was on the verge of coming again, and he sensed it.
He was able to control himself better this time.  He put his hands around her
ass and pulled her tight against him.  She responded by shrieking with
pleasure.  He moaned.  "Do you know, Larilyn, that the only reason this is
happening is because you started smoking?"  He panted passionately.  "This is
your fuckin' reward for being a smoker.  Don't forget it, woman!"

   Unable to speak, she moaned while her rhythmic pelvic motion increased.
Suddenly, she screamed.  Her body erupted in a series of consecutive,
rapid-fire, violent orgasms.  Wailing like a banshee, her fingernails cut
into his arms.  Retaining control, Mitch responded by thrusting harder and
deeper inside her.  "Yeah, that's it, baby," he urged.  "Keep coming,
Larilyn.  That's it."  Unable to hold himself back any longer, he groaned and
unloaded inside her.  She shrieked again, and this time he did, too.  Their
frenetic motion slowly resolved into a quivering mass of conjoined flesh.
She collapsed on top of him, exhausted.

   She trembled involuntarily on top of him.  "That's a good girl," he
whispered, still holding her tight.  "Are you happy now?"

   "Happy?" she gasped.  "God, yes!  I'm ecstatic.  You are one terrific
lover, Mitch."  She laughed.  "Every nerve ending in my whole damn body is on
fire right now!"

   He grinned.  "Speaking of fire, how about having another post-coital
cigarette with me?"

   She sighed as she rolled off.  "That last one was my eleventh.  I already
met my quota."

   "Fuck your quota!  Have a bonus cigarette then, just for me.  I'd hate to
smoke alone after fucking the most beautiful woman in the world twice in one
night!"

   She laughed.  "You are a charmer, Mitch," she sighed.  "Okay, just one
more."

   He reached for her Marlboro Menthol Lights and pulled one from the box.
He placed it in her lips and softly caressed her cheek while putting it
there.  He grabbed one of his Winstons and his lighter.  He clicked it, and
the flame erupted and shone brightly in the dark bedroom.  He lit hers, and
then his.

   Larilyn took a long drag and inhaled.  She held the smoke deep inside her
lungs for a long time.  "Oh, God," she moaned.  "That was wonderful.  Thank
you so much."

   "No, thank you," Mitch replied, watching smoke flow out of the beautiful
naked body beside him.  "I'm so glad you started smoking, Larilyn."

   "Yeah, me, too," she replied happily, taking another puff.  She was
surprised by her answer.  But it was true her initiation as a smoker brought
her to Mitch's bed.  She released a slow stream of smoke from her nostrils.
How could she _not_ be glad?

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

   Larilyn walked through her front door at twelve thirty.  The lights were
on.  She thought Andrea forgot to turn them off when she went to bed.  Then
she heard a voice in the family room.

   "Haul your ass in here, Mom," came the cry.  "I want a full report."

   She hung her coat in the closet and walked toward the sound.  Andrea was
in the family room watching TV.  A half-empty pizza box and a full ashtray
were on the table beside her.

   "Sit down," the teenager instructed.  "Tell me all about it."

   "There's not much to tell," Larilyn answered defensively, seating herself.
"We had a nice dinner at the Coral Room, a few drinks, and then I went back
and saw his place for a bit."

   "C'mon, Mom," Andrea urged.  "Tell the truth.  It's after midnight.  Did
you do it?"

   "I won't dignify the question with a reply," she said huffily.  "It's none
of your business."

   Andrea's eyes twinkled.  "If you won't answer, that tells me all I need to
know," she said contentedly.  "Plus, your hair is still messed up.  And my
God, Mom.  You're blushing!"

   "Okay," she smiled.  "Yes, we went back to his place and we did it."

   "And?"

   "And it was great."

   "Yes!" Andrea exclaimed.  "God, that's great!"  She reached for her
Salems.  "Let's smoke a cigarette while you tell me all the gory details."

   "Now, now.  Good girls never kiss and tell," Larilyn demurely replied.

   "Yeah?  So?  Since when are _you_ a good girl, Mom?  God, you used to fall
into the sack with every guy you went out with.  I'm just glad you're back.
It's been too damn long."  She paused and pointed at the cigarette she'd just
put in her mouth.  "Won't you join me?"

   Larilyn shook her head.  "Actually, I've already met my quota today.
Thanks, though."

   Andrea didn't argue.  She clicked her lighter and lit up.  Based on the
ashtray beside her, she'd been smoking heavily all night.  Following a hard,
initial hit, she exhaled a thick stream of smoke into the air.  "You know,
Mom," she began.  "I've been thinking about something."

   "What's that?"

   Andrea smirked.  "The 'eleven cigarettes a day' thing is only a minimum.
If you can do better, you can see Ashley sooner than the 16th."

   Larilyn frowned.  "What are you talking about?"

   "Mom, think about it.  If you have another one with me now, you'll be
ahead of schedule for tomorrow.  If you exceed tomorrow's target, you're
ahead for the next day.  And so on.  Soon you'll shave days off your
timetable."  She took another drag.  "It's something to think about," she
added casually as she inhaled.  "There's no reason not to get done before the
16th if you can, is there?"  She exhaled.  "So, do it.  Have another right
now with me.  It's easy as pie."

   Larilyn hesitated.  The aroma of ambient smoke was tantalizing, and
Andrea's logic was irrefutable.  It'd be easy to have another one.  In fact,
it'd be damn nice.  "You're right," she smiled, getting her pack.  "If I can,
I _ought_ to smoke more."  She quickly had a cigarette in her mouth.  "God,
I'd love to finish before the 16th.  That'd shock Susan, wouldn't it?"

   "Damn right," the teenager confirmed as she watched her mother light up.
"So what is this?  Number twelve?"

   Larilyn exhaled with a big grin.  "Actually, it's lucky number thirteen,"
she admitted with a devious gaze  "I already smoked number twelve in Mitch's
bed."

   "I knew it," Andrea exclaimed triumphantly.  "You have to tell me.  Was it
good?"

   Larilyn nodded while taking another drag.  The illicit pleasure of sharing
her exciting sexual adventure with her daughter was greatly enhanced by the
marvelous feeling of bathing her lungs with thick, rich smoke once more.
"God, it was wonderful," she said with a satisfied sigh.  "Like I said, we
had a nice dinner and went back to his place.  I was so horny I jumped him!
He was shocked."  She'd ignored the fact that her lungs were full of smoke,
so her words were punctuated by unavoidable exhaling.  "We fucked like
animals in heat for an hour," she went on, spewing smoke.  "Then we did it
again!  Mitch seemed to enjoy it.  I know I did!"

   "God, Mom, that is fabulous.  I’m so happy.  To be blunt, I wondered if
some of your bitchiness the last few years might be related to sexual
frustration."

   "And what would _you_ know about sexual frustration, young lady?"

   "I follow the U. S. military policy, Mom," she laughed.  "Don't ask, don't
tell."

   Larilyn nodded.  Andrea was sexually active and had been for awhile.  Due
to her irregular menstrual cycle, but more due to her lifestyle, Andrea had
been on the pill for two years.  An active supporter of Planned Parenthood,
Larilyn preferred addressing such issues before they became problems, instead
of afterward like many parents.  "Honey, I told you before.  As long as
you're careful, I don't care if you screw around.  Hell, I did when I was
your age."  She paused.  "And I smoked when I was your age, too, come to
think of it."

   "See then?  I'm just like you, Mom."  Andrea smiled and raised her
cigarette to her lips.  "We're twins now, I guess," she sighed, taking
another puff.  "And you know what?  It's much more fun talking with you now.
You're more relaxed since you've been smoking."

   "You really think so?"

   "I sure as hell do  Maybe it's because we finally have something to do
together when we talk.  But it's not just that.  I think smoking relaxes you.
Honest, you're much more pleasant to be around with a cigarette in your
hand."

   Larilyn smiled.  "Are you trying to tell me something?"

   "No.  Well, yeah, maybe I am.  Smoking seems to suit you, Mom.  That's
all."

   Larilyn reached out and manicured her cigarette in the ashtray.  "Really?
You're the second person tonight to tell me that!"

   Her daughter was pleased.  "Really?  God damn!  So Mitch says smoking
suits you, too?"

   "Those were his exact words."

   "Well, he's right," Andrea smiled.  "I know you think this is only
temporary, Mom, that you'll quit as soon as Susan lets you see Ashley.  But I
hope you'll consider continuing, at least a little, even if it's just when
we're together.  It's been much easier for us to relate, and I like that.  I
never thought I'd say it, but I like being with you, especially when you're
relaxed like right now."

   Larilyn pondered Andrea's statement.  "Mitch would prefer I keep smoking,
too," she admitted.  "He says smoking is inherently relaxing, and he's right.
I hate to admit it, but I've come to enjoy it."  She took another hit off her
cigarette.  "Smoking with someone brings a certain rhythm to the
conversation, doesn't it?  A certain shared tempo in what's happening."  She
laughed and exhaled.  "God, listen to me!  I sound like I'm trying to defend
this stupid habit!"

   "No, you just understand now," Andrea said softly.  "Why don't you
consider it?"

   Larilyn shrugged.  "To be honest, honey, it's the health thing.  I can't
justify continuing with all I know about how bad it is for you . . . for us.
And it's a damn bad example for others, like Ashley, for instance."

   Andrea laughed.  "Mom, Ashley will have lots of bad examples.  Whether or
not you smoke, she'll have plenty of people influencing her to smoke."
Seeing her mom's chagrin, she went on.  "You may not like it, but a high
percentage of kids with smoking parents eventually smoke themselves.  Why do
you think Susan and I started?  Kate was a major factor."

   "It keeps coming back to Kate, doesn't it?" she muttered disapprovingly.
"If that damn woman hadn't been a smoker, none of this would've happened."

   "But she _is_ a smoker, Mom," Andrea replied.  "There's nothing you can do
about that.  By the way, when I got home tonight there was a message from
Kate on the machine.  She wants to get together with you tomorrow.  She wants
to see you smoke."

   Larilyn frowned.  "She wants to gloat."  She sighed and took a last hit on
her Marlboro Menthol before crushing it expertly in the ashtray.  "She got
Susan, she got you, and I suppose now she thinks she's got me, too."

   "And maybe she does.  But don’t be too hard on her," the teenager
replied.  "She's just curious to see how you're doing.  As far as I can tell,
you're doing great.  But whether you quit once Susan's test is over, I guess
is up to you."

   "I guess it is," Larilyn groaned.  "But I wouldn't mind getting together
with Kate."

   "It'd be good, Mom," her daughter smiled.  "Enjoy the rhythm of the
conversation, like you were talking about, while you smoke with her."

   Larilyn grimaced, but inside she was smiling.  "I suppose.  Right now,
let's hit the sack."  She turned out the light and headed upstairs to bed.
Smoking with Kate would be interesting.

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