Taste the Consequences, Part 3

This fictional account contains adult language and sexual themes.  If such
language and themes offend you, please do not read further.  The persons and
events described in this work are purely fictional.  Any similarity to actual
persons or events is strictly coincidental.  Copyright 2004 by SSTORYMAN.
All rights reserved.  Permission is hereby 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 or using it.

TASTING THE CONSEQUENCES

3.	Tasting Better Than Expected.

   Amanda liked Claudia's suggestion.  It made sense.  If she didn't just add
to the stink in the house but also managed to convince Jodi that she was
truly beginning to enjoy smoking, then her daughter would see things
differently.  Smoking would no longer be an innocent game, but instead a life
and death battle.  No daughter would want to see her mom take up smoking.
Amanda was convinced of it.  She decided to immediately use the new technique
Claudia taught her.  It'd help Jodi taste the consequences.  She was sure
that her 16 year old wouldn't like them.

   They mostly ate dinner in silence.  Amanda asked Jodi about school and the
teenager chattered at her mom about some of her classes.  As they finally
cleared away the dishes, Amanda decided it was time to put the new phase of
her plan into action.

   "I think I'm gonna have a cigarette," she casually commented.  "Want to
join me?"

   Jodi intentionally tried to look surprised.  Of course she knew this was
coming.  She knew what Claudia Coleman had in mind.  So she only pretended to
be shocked.

   "What are you talking about, Mom?"  She was purposely opening the door and
inviting her mother to play the star-struck smoker.

   "I don't know," Amanda said, a bit too mysteriously.  "Before dinner
Claudia and I smoked while you girls were upstairs.  I think I'd like to try
doing it again."

   "Uh, okay," Jodi answered, pretending to be mystified.  "Yeah, I'd love a
cigarette."  That was a true statement, and she literally bounded upstairs to
get hers.  Upon returning to the kitchen she saw Amanda sitting there with
both an ashtray and a freshly opened pack of Benson & Hedges 100's on the
table in front of her.

   "Hey, where did those come from?"

   "These?  Oh, Claudia gave me these.  They're Benson & Hedges 100's.  I
guess they're a little stronger than the brand you and Kate smoke, honey,"
her mother mentioned offhandedly.  "After trying them I think I prefer these
to the ones you smoke."

   "Oh," Jodi said blankly.  She wanted to sound confused.  "I guess that's
fine."

   Amanda got a cigarette from her pack and nonchalantly slipped it between
her lips.  She took her disposable lighter from her pocket.  "Claudia also
gave me this," she said, clicking it and moving it up to the cigarette in her
mouth.  "I suppose I need a lighter if I'm gonna smoke."  Expertly this time
she touched the fire to the tip of the B&H.  Instead of a modest drag, Amanda
drew on the lit cigarette for five seconds as she expelled air through her
nose.  She then opened her mouth, like Claudia taught her, and sucked the
smoke deep inside.  Pausing, she turned to bravely smile at her daughter.
"Aren't you joining me?"

   Jodi was impressed.  Her mom did it like a pro.  She purposely lowered her
gaze to get herself a cigarette.  It wasn't till Jodi finally lit up that her
mom exhaled a stream of smoke.

   "God, Mom!  Did Mrs. Coleman teach you to inhale?"  The question had to be
asked.

   "Oh, this?  Yeah, Claudia did," Amanda said in a deliberately
dispassionate manner.  "I'd never tried it before.  But it really feels kind
of amazing, don't you think?"

   "Sure.  That's why I inhale," Jodi grinned.  She watched her mom return
her cigarette to her lips for another prolonged drag.  Once again Amanda
sucked all the smoke deep inside her lungs and held it in there almost
interminably.

   When Amanda had at last exhaled, Jodi felt a need to mention the obvious.
"My God, Mom.  You hold the smoke in your lungs even longer than me!"

   "Really?  Gee, I didn't notice," Amanda said with a coy smile.  She tried
to downplay it, but hoped it'd give her daughter cause for concern.  "When
Claudia showed me how to inhale like this, it just felt totally natural."

   That wasn't true.  She felt incredibly buzzed inhaling.  If she wasn't
already sitting down she'd have needed to.  Her head was spinning.  But she
couldn't let Jodi know.  Her daughter had to think inhaling smoke like that
had already become second nature.

   Mother and daughter smoked the rest of their cigarettes in silence.
Amanda was buzzed enough that she didn't feel much like talking.  Meanwhile
Jodi was content to watch her mom trying to look like a more serious smoker
than she truly was.

   After a last puff Amanda finally crushed her B&H out in the ashtray.
"There," she said ceremoniously.  "That was much better than I thought it'd
be."

   Jodi took a last hit on hers and likewise stubbed hers out.  "Yeah, it was
great.  A cigarette after eating always tastes good to me."

   "And how would you know?" Amanda asked.  "I thought you've only been
smoking for a couple weeks."

   "Uh, after school Kate and I always have a snack at her house," the
teenager regrouped.  "It always tastes so good to smoke afterwards.  That's
all I meant."

   "Oh."  For the first time Amanda wondered if her daughter had been totally
honest about her smoking history.  But she decided not to raise it.  She
still felt wobbly and certainly wasn't up for a fight.  She retreated to the
office with a fresh cup of coffee and sat down at the computer to return to
work on her manuscript outline.

   As Amanda worked she periodically heard Jodi light up.  As she counted she
realized her daughter was smoking about twice every hour.  Either Jodi wasn't
honest before or her smoking pace was increasing at a alarming rate.  It
underlined the importance of scaring Jodi into quitting.

   Around nine Amanda wandered out and stood by the door to the family room
where her daughter was working on homework.  Jodi looked up.  "How's it
going, Mom?"

   "Not well, I'm afraid," Amanda sighed.  "My publisher wasn't happy with
the outline for my new book when we met this afternoon.  I've got a lot of
work to do real quick.  She wants a new manuscript as soon as possible to
capitalize on the popularity of 'Tasting the Consequences.'"  She sighed
again.  "How's your homework?"

   "Fine.  Want to take break?"  The teenager smiled and held up her
cigarettes.

   "Yeah, sounds great," Amanda heaved another sigh.  "Let me get mine and
I'll join you."

   She returned to the family room with her Benson & Hedges 100's.  She
didn't feel like smoking a cigarette.  But she had to keep up the pretense or
Jodi wouldn't worry.  With a smile she sat down across from her daughter and
shook out a long white cigarette.

   Jodi already had one of her Marlboro Light 100's in her mouth.  "Here, let
me do the honors for you, Mom."  She clicked her lighter and lit up Amanda's
cigarette, then her own.  Jodi took a lengthy first drag off her cigarette.
"Ah, that's nice," the teenager said with a contented groan.  "Don't you
think, Mom?"

   Amanda also hit on her B&H a long time.  She sucked the smoke deep in her
chest as if it was second nature.  "Yeah, honey, it does feel good,
actually," she replied hesitantly, holding it inside.  She wasn't sure how
much a lie that truly was.  She pursed her lips and exhaled.  "You know, I
hate to admit this," she smiled.  "But I'm starting to understand why you
like to do this."

   Amanda expected Jodi to react badly but was disappointed.  "Yeah, it
really hits the spot, doesn't it?" her 16 year old agreed enthusiastically
while smoke spurted from her mouth.  "I'm not surprised you like it, Mom."

   Amanda returned her cigarette to her lips.  Hmm.  Apparently she had to
act even more devoted to scare her.  "Yeah, I'm amazed how much I already
like it."  She said it with seeming ardor, wrapping her lips over the filter
and this time sucking on it even longer.  She opened her mouth and summoned
more smoke deep inside her chest.  "It just feels so good," she sighed
contentedly before she opened her mouth and finally breathed out.  "Too bad
it's so bad for us."

   Jodi smiled.  She knew exactly what her mom was doing.  But she was
determined to keep her pretending as long as possible.  "Yeah, but we won't
be doing this forever, will we?"

   "God, I honestly don't know about that anymore," Amanda equivocated,
residual exhales still wafting from her lips.  "Smoking's honestly so much
more pleasant than I ever expected."

   Jodi just nodded.  Her mom was obviously trying to get a rise out of her.
Well, she stubbornly refused to take the bait.  "Yeah, smoking cigarettes
_is_ really nice," she simply agreed cheerfully.  "I'm glad you finally
understand, Mom."

   It was Amanda's turn to simply nod.  Damn, her daughter didn't seem at all
concerned about her apparent change of heart.  Well, eventually she would be.
She just had to keep at it.

   "You know, I never imagined I'd say this or feel this way, but I finally
see why you like to do this so much."  With a purposeful smile she raised her
cigarette up to her mouth, readying it for yet another hit.  "I just might
want to keep doing this," she said with an irreverent laugh.

   Jodi nodded.  It was time to communicate at least a small glimmer of hope
to her mom and her ridiculous pretensions.  "Oh come on, Mom," she smiled.
"I know you better than that.  You'll never really want to smoke, not like I
do."

   Amanda was releasing an exhale.  "You think?  Well, maybe not," she
mysteriously responded.  "I guess we'll just have to see what happens, won't
we?"

   Yeah, we sure as hell will, Jodi thought to herself.  I'm ready for that.
I bet you aren't!

   At bedtime they each smoked one last cigarette.  As with her earlier ones,
this one really buzzed Amanda.  But she tried hard not to show it.  In the
process she barely noticed just how easy it was becoming to play the smoker.
More importantly from her point of view, once again Jodi made incidental
noises about their smoking situation not being permanent.  Amanda was glad.
Soon Jodi would want to seriously backpedal on this smoking business!

   The next morning Jodi smoked a cigarette while getting ready for school.
Amanda didn't join her.  Her throat was parched from smoking the day before.
Jodi was disappointed.  But in a stoke of pure genius she made an offhand
comment to her mom that ultimately paid huge dividends.

   "Listen, Mom," the teenager laughed facetiously as she walked out the
front door.  "While you're all alone, I don't want you smoking all day here
without me.  Okay?"

   Amanda smiled.  "Don't be silly, Jodi.  Of course I won't."

   But when the teenager left Amanda began to think.  God, what a perfect way
to scare her!  If Jodi later came home to find ashtrays full of cigarette
butts, her poor daughter would worry more than ever about her.

   She did a quick check.  Jodi diligently cleaned out every ashtray before
she left for school.  That was good.  It meant that when she got home
anything in the ashtrays had to be from her smoking.  God, it was perfect!
Despite what she told Jodi, Amanda resolved to smoke alone throughout the day
and as a result she'd scare the pants off her daughter!

   Instead of starting work on her manuscript outline right away, first she
got her pack of Benson & Hedges 100's and took it into the office.  She sat
down by the computer and shook one out.  She sniffed at it before putting it
in her mouth.  "God, I'd never do this if I didn't have to," she sighed
wistfully.  Reluctantly she went ahead and lit up the cigarette.  Without
thinking she took a powerful first drag, like Claudia taught her, and sucked
the smoke deep into her lungs.

   Nicotine hit her system, and she involuntarily gasped.  "Ooh," she groaned
aloud.  She really hadn't thought about how she'd react.  She was unprepared
for the warm sensation she was now feeling inside.  She wasn't ready for the
powerful stimulation she got from inhaling her first chest-full of smoke of
the day.  "Oh God," she whispered in amazement.  "What a rush!"

   She pursed her lips and released an exhale.  She didn't want to admit it,
but it felt remarkably good.  Somewhat surprised by her reaction, she shook
her head and laughed out loud.  "Well, there's certainly no need for me to
really smoke this cigarette," she reassured herself.  "I'll just set it in
the ashtray.  All Jodi needs to see is a bunch of cigarette butts."

   She laid the burning cigarette in the ashtray and went to the kitchen to
get some coffee.  By the time she returned the cigarette had burned halfway
down.  She looked at it and frowned.  "Damn," she muttered, examining the
situation.  The long untouched ash looked like exactly what it was, a
cigarette no one had smoked.  "This won't work," she grudgingly admitted,
tapping off the long ash and picking it up.  "I guess I have to smoke it
after all if I want the remains to look authentic."

   Putting it to her lips she took a second drag.  It never occurred to her
to hold back.  She simply did it the way she always did, the way Claudia
taught her.  The tobacco crackled under the pressure as she sucked hard on it
for several seconds.  Then she pulled the smoke deep into her lungs once more
and held it there.  She waited.

   An intriguing thought process was set in motion inside her blond head.
She liked how the smoke felt inside her.  No denying it.  The disturbing buzz
she'd felt the day before had been replaced by something else.  Instead she
felt a pleasant warm sensation inside.  It was a strange combination of
excitement mixed with soothing wellbeing.  She finally pursed her lips and
let loose an exhale.  God, it was weird.  So incredibly weird!

   She hit on the cigarette even longer next time, intentionally inhaling her
smoke deeper still.  She wanted to see if dragging longer and inhaling deeper
made any difference in the way she felt.  While she kept all the smoke inside
her chest, her deep sense of peaceful wellbeing intensified.  Without
thinking she finally started to breathe out with her mouth closed, and spurts
of smoke began trickling from her nostrils.  The feeling of having smoke
inside her nose gently tickled.  But it didn't feel bad; not at all.  And
that was the trouble.  At that moment she felt really good.

   Since she'd left it to burn unattended at the start, the cigarette was
nearly finished.  She thoughtfully manicured it in the ashtray.  "God, this
isn't what I expected," she said aloud.  "I didn't at all expect smoking to
feel like this!"  But she couldn't admit to herself that she actually liked
the pleasurable feelings she was experiencing with her cigarette at that
instant.  Something inside warned her that she couldn't admit that, even to
herself.

   "Shit," she grumbled, using uncharacteristic language.  "Well, it doesn't
matter how it feels.  I need to do it anyway.  I have to fill up these
ashtrays so Jodi's shocked when she comes home."  Mindful of the fact that
not actually smoking her cigarette would make the remains in the ashtray look
inauthentic, she took a final hard drag on her B&H prior to crushing it out.
The same euphoric sensation she felt before slowly enveloped her all over as
she held the smoke inside her chest.  Waiting her characteristic five seconds
before exhaling, she shook her head in confusion.

   "I gotta be careful," she told herself.  "I need to keep reminding myself
that liking it is totally irrelevant.  I don't want Jodi smoking.  That's it.
Pure and simple.  Nothing else matters."

   She turned to her manuscript, trying to think only of revising the outline
for her second book.  It was frustrating work, though, because most of her
ideas had already been shot down by her publisher.  After an hour, most of it
spent staring blankly at the computer screen, she finally pushed her chair
back and sighed.

   "I gotta take a break," she announced to herself.  "More coffee.  That'll
help."

   She went to the kitchen to refill her mug.  Returning to the office she
eyed the gold pack of Benson & Hedges 100's on the table beside the ashtray.
Only one cigarette butt was in the ashtray.  She groaned.  "I need to keep at
it.  There's no point in doing this unless I keep applying myself and fill
the ashtray."

   So Amanda got out another cigarette.  As she lifted it to her lips a
strange sense of anticipation flooded her being.  She felt a peculiar hunger
inside, and it was intensifying.  The sensation was an odd one; it could only
be called eager expectation.  Trying to ignore the curious feelings that were
suddenly raging inside, she clicked her lighter and lit up her cigarette.
Smoke filled her mouth while she emptied her lungs through her nostrils.  But
this time the smoke wasn't merely good.  No, this time it tasted absolutely
divine.  Despite her better judgment she sucked all the smoke from her long
first drag deep down inside her chest.  She could actually feel it begin to
assuage the bizarre cravings budding within her.  She didn't let the smoke
out; not right away.  Instead she let it soak in as long as she could hold
it.  Finally, unable to keep it in any longer, she opened her mouth to let it
out.

   Almost no smoke escaped from her lips.  It'd all soaked into her lungs.
But all of a sudden Amanda didn't care.  She wanted only one thing.  She
wanted more.  She put the smoldering cigarette between her lips so she could
drag on it again, harder and longer than the last time.  The smoky fragrance
and exquisite pungent tobacco flavor smelled and tasted heavenly.  Her eager
mouth and sinus cavities soon filled to overflowing with the thick rich
substance that she was impatiently drawing into her body.  After a six second
drag, she opened her mouth and pulled the smoke into her lungs.  A jubilant
sense of elation overwhelmed her as that glorious stuff at last reached its
intended destination.  It made her quiver with delight.

   "Oh my God," she groaned, nearly overcome with emotion.  "What the fuck's
happening to me?  I don't believe this!"  She opened her lips and began to
breathe the smoke out, slowly, reluctantly.  "Damn, this is totally out of
control!"  As she said the words they were mixed with an ethereal looking,
blue-gray misty substance escaping from her mouth.

   Vainly trying to gather herself, she tapped an ash into the ashtray.  For
the first time she worried that she couldn't control the way she was feeling.
The experience of smoking was becoming almost overpoweringly rewarding and
satisfying.  She shook her head.  "No, I can do this," she reasoned with
herself.  "I'm in control here."  As if to prove it, she put her cigarette in
her mouth for another drag.  This one was shorter, but the result was the
same when she inhaled.  She liked it, God damn it.  She really did!

   She finished the cigarette trying not to overdo.  She cut back the
severity of her hits and the depth of her inhales.  But by the time she
finally did put it out she felt incredibly good.  "Well, at least Jodi will
see I've been smoking.  And that should frighten her."  The trouble was, it
also frightened Amanda.  She didn't want to get in over her head and, for the
first time, she began to realize that was a distinct possibility.

   She smoked one more cigarette after lunch.  It was all she could muster.
She was afraid what might happen if she indulged too much or too often.  She
returned to her manuscript and tried to advance the outline, mostly in vain.
The ideas simply weren't coming the way she needed them to.  

   Jodi arrived home at three thirty.  Amanda was still sitting in the office
by the computer.  The petite brunette looked at her mother deep in thought in
front of the keyboard.  She noticed the ashtray.  "Oh my God, Mom," she
exclaimed.  "You've been smoking today."

   Jubilant that her daughter noticed and seemed worried, Amanda smiled.
"Yeah, I couldn't help it," she said with a guilty tone.  "I just felt like
smoking a little by myself.  I hope you're not too upset."

   Jodi put down her books and stood in the doorway to the office.  "Mom, I
was kidding this morning when I told you not to smoke alone.  I never thought
you might really do it!"

   "Honey, smoking's a terrible habit," Amanda sternly replied.  For the
first time she felt it might have been worth the risk she'd taken earlier by
smoking.  "I hope you understand that."

   "Yeah, I suppose," Jodi agreed, unaware of the deep emotional reaction
that smoking had already set in motion inside her mother.  But she understood
the game that was in play and she wasn't about to give ground yet.  "Someday
I might want to quit," she fibbed.  "But not today."

   Amanda was crestfallen.  She hoped her daughter would immediately
foreswear her cigarettes and give up her habit.  Apparently she hadn't yet
convinced Jodi that she herself might have fallen prey to smoking.  So she
put on a pleasant expression.  "Well, me neither," she announced, purposely
trying to sound impudent.  "Want to join me for another cigarette?"

   Amanda hoped the suggestion would further scandalize Jodi.  But it didn't
seem to.  "Sure, Mom," the teenager announced.  "I'd love one."

   Now Amanda was stuck.  Shit, she'd have to smoke again with Jodi and
unfortunately she wasn't sure how she'd react to it the next time.  But
bravely she shook out a B&H from her gold pack and placed it between her
lips.  "I just put on a fresh pot of coffee," she said pleasantly.  "Let's go
into the kitchen and we can smoke there."

   Amanda followed her daughter to the kitchen, with an unlit cigarette
dangling.  She felt torn.  On the one hand she wanted to light it up.  But
she was also afraid to.  So she decided to put it off as long as she could.
Unfortunately for Amanda, that moment came calling almost immediately.  Jodi
poured herself a mug of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table.  Taking a
sip she removed her Marlboro Lights 100's from her purse and put them in
front of her.  "God, I'm really ready for a smoke."

   Amanda sat down across from her daughter.  She was, too, and suddenly
admitting it fit perfectly into her plan.  "Yeah, me too."  Igniting her
lighter she raised the flame to the tip of her dangling cigarette.  It
caught, and Amanda began her one of her usual long, hard first drags.

   The smoke filling her mouth again tasted wonderful, almost better than
before.  Even if she wanted to Amanda couldn't have stopped herself from
instantly pulling all that luscious smoke deep down into her hungry lungs.
But she didn't want to stop, so she didn't even try to restrain herself.
Instead she simply hurriedly summoned all the smoke inside her body.  The
same euphoric sensations that she felt earlier returned in full force.  She
looked up and grinned sheepishly at her bemused daughter as she began to
reluctantly exhale.  "Nice, isn't it?" she said simply.

   "Yeah, no doubt," Jodi nodded, releasing an exhale of her own.
Immediately she noticed the subtle change in her mother's smoking demeanor.
She did seem more dedicated, more eager about it than she'd been earlier.
That was definitely a good sign.  Gotcha, she thought silently.  You're
almost a goner, Mom, an absolute goner!

   Amanda had returned her cigarette to her lips for a second drag.  She
wanted Jodi to be concerned.  But that wasn't the only reason she was smoking
like someone desperate for a cigarette.  She felt she had to have it.  She
truly did want it and that scared her.  So she said so.

   "Honey, I'm a little worried about how I'm reacting," she slowly admitted
after inhaling once more.  "I mean, the more I smoke the more I like it.
That kinda scares me.  You know?"

   "Mom, you don't fool me," Jodi laughed.  "You're just trying to worry me.
It's the 'tasting the consequences' principle.  Remember, I know all about
it.  You think if I believe that you like smoking it'll scare me and make me
want to quit.  Well, get off it.  I'm not buying into your little game."

   "I'm not kidding, Jodi," Amanda protested.  "It's the truth."  She tapped
an ash in the ashtray between them.  "Smoking's become lots more enticing
than I ever thought it could be.  Yeah, I started just trying to scare you.
I admit it.  But today things started to change when I smoked by myself."
She stopped to hit on her cigarette.  "I actually like it now, honey.  I'm
not joking."

   Jodi wasn't sure if her mom was telling the truth or trying to set her up.
But it didn't matter.  Either way she wasn't giving ground.  "I'm sorry to
hear that, Mom."  But there was also no real reason not to pretend she was
becoming concerned.  "Honestly?  I simply don't believe you.  Not yet.  Maybe
in a couple days I will.  But right now I think you're just toying with me."

   Amanda felt a growing sense of panic inside.  "Honey, I don't know if I
can do this," she admitted.  Despite herself she hit on the cigarette.  "It's
really affecting me.  God, I'm not sure exactly why, but it truly is.  I'm
not making this up."  Finally she released her exhale.  "I may not be able to
keep doing this with you, regardless of the 'tasting the consequences'
principle."

   Jodi finally realized her mom wasn't pretending.  That gave the teenager a
deep sense of inner satisfaction.  She always figured her plan would work,
but she never thought it'd be so fast.  Of course, as she thought about it,
why shouldn't it be quick?  After all, her own descent into nicotine
infatuation followed by outright addiction was lightning fast.  Perhaps her
mom was just experiencing the same collapse of will that she herself had
encountered months before.  Well, whatever.  She had to keep her mother going
until she could be sure there was no escape.

   She smiled.  "Mom, I tell you what.  I'm still not sure I believe you.
But fine.  You keep it up a few more days and I'll quit."  She paused.  Time
for the big lie.  "I really don't want you to start smoking.  I hate to admit
it, but that'd probably make me decide to quit."

   Victory, Amanda groaned.  At last!  "Okay, Jodi, it's a deal.  I'll prove
to you it's real.  I'll keep doing it for a few more days and you'll see.
Then we'll both quit.  Deal?"

   "Deal," Jodi nodded with a coy smile.  God, she hoped she'd played it
right.  She hoped a couple more days of smoking would render her mom's
willpower to resist totally impotent.  Reflecting on her own experience, she
was pretty sure she had it pegged just right.  It'd happened to her that way.
Hopefully her mom would go down in flames the same way she had.

   Jodi made it a point to smoke a couple times an hour, and each time she
sweet-talked her mother into joining her.  It wasn't hard to do.
Unfortunately for Amanda, her newfound smoking gratification was escalating
with each additional cigarette she smoked.  She certainly didn't want to
undermine her plan to scare Jodi, so each time she dragged and inhaled on her
cigarettes just like Claudia had shown her, luxuriously repeatedly bathing
her lungs with lots and lots of thick, rich full-flavored smoke.  Never had
she smoked so intensely.  The scary thing was, and it really did scare her,
as the evening progressed she felt more and more comfortable smoking.

   Jodi was delighted.  Till now she'd never been able to smoke as much as
she really wanted.  Playing the 'tasting the consequences' game with her mom,
she was suddenly free to indulge and enjoy it.  She definitely did.  Around
eight she got a call from Kate on her cell phone, who reported that things
were also going swimmingly at her house.  Like Jodi had with her mom, her
best friend was already noticing a change in her father's attitude toward
smoking the more he did it.  She sensed addiction was already digging in.
Kate and Claudia were thrilled.  Things were definitely looking good all
around.

   A few minutes after nine her cell phone rang again, just as she finished
another cigarette with Amanda.  Assuming it was Kate once more, she clicked
it and simply said, "Yeah, what?"

   "Jodi, this is your father."

   The teenager was stunned.  She hadn't talked to him in nearly a year.  Her
dad kept himself totally separate from Jodi, and of course from Amanda, ever
since the divorce.  She couldn't imagine why he was calling.

   "Well, Dad, this is certainly a surprise," she said, loud enough for
Amanda to hear.  "What do you want?"

   Amanda's ears instantly perked up.  Of course she couldn't hear the other
end of the conversation.

   "Jodi, I've been a terrible father this last year," he began.  "A lot's
been happening to me, and I was wondering if maybe you and I could get
together so I can mend some fences."

   "You want to get together?  Dad, I haven't heard from you in a year.  So
why should I want to see you?"

   "Listen, I know I've been an inexcusable jerk.  I thought I knew what I
was doing when I ran off with Jaime.  I lost my mind or something.  I can't
explain it and I'm not trying to excuse it.  But like I said, I'd like to try
and fix things if I can.  Can we get together?"

   Jodi smiled smugly at her mom.  Reaching for her Marlboro Lights 100's she
put one in her mouth.  This was a chance for revenge.  "Dad, I'm not sure you
want to get together with me," she said defiantly.  She clicked her lighter.
"I'm smoking now, you see."  She hit on her cigarette and audibly exhaled
into her cell phone, certain that she'd scandalized him.

   "Really?  You?  Oh honey, I'm sorry to hear that."

   "Yeah, I smoke now, Dad.  I'm sure you must be completely appalled."

   There was a pause.  "Well, I am sorry to hear that.  But I really can't
say much about it.  You see, I started smoking again myself."

   Jodi was astonished.  At first she thought she heard wrong.  "You?
Smoking?  Dad, you're joking, right?"

   "No, honey, I'm not.  I can explain how it happened if we get together."
Another pause.  "I suppose I'll even smoke with you.  I'm comfortable doing
that if you are.  Say, does Amanda know you're smoking?"

   "Yeah, she sure does know.  Mom knows all about it," Jodi said, grinning
at Amanda.  "As soon as Mom found out about me smoking she decided to use
your 'tasting the consequences' principle on me.  So she's smoking right now,
too.  Right here beside me, in fact."

   "Amanda?  Smoking?"  He laughed nervously.  "God, even though I originally
helped your mom come up with the 'tasting the consequences' principle for the
book, it's hard for me to imagine Amanda actually smoking."

   "Yeah, well, she's totally doing it, Dad.  In fact Mom and I just finished
smoking a cigarette together.  You know all about the concept.  Mom thinks if
I see her smoke it'll eventually scare me into quitting.  Even though I
understand her plan, I have to admit it just might work."  The last statement
was for solely Amanda's benefit.  The teenager didn't want her mother to know
her true intentions.

   A pause.  "So, tell me.  How is your mom?  Apart from the smoking, I
mean."

   "Oh, she's fine," Jodi replied flippantly, exhaling a stream of smoke.
"She was on Oprah a couple months back, you know, promoting the book.  She's
become a real celebrity."

   "I know.  I'm glad to hear she's okay.  At some point I need to talk to
her as well.  Even though we're divorced now, I feel like I should try and
mend fences with her, too.  So, what do you say, Jodi?  Can you and I get
together for coffee?  I really want to talk face to face."

   The teenager pondered the request.  She hadn't seen her dad in a long
time.  For months she'd hated him.  But now his humble request melted her
heart.  Plus, not only was he willing to let her smoke, he was apparently
smoking as well.  It was so weird.

   "Okay, sure.  We can get together as long as your promise not to preach to
me about smoking."

   He laughed.  "Honey, you forget something.  Before our divorce that best
selling book of your mom's was originally half mine.  And like the book says,
neither your mom nor I believe in preaching at kids.  I'm not about to start.
I'm not exactly happy you're smoking.  But I'm also not too upset about it.
How can I be, if I'm smoking, too?"

   "Okay.  Let's get together.  What time?  And where?"

   "How about tomorrow afternoon after you finish school?  I'll meet you for
coffee wherever you want.  We can chat, maybe get to know each other again.
I really want that, Jodi.  I made a lot of mistakes this last year and I want
to start doing some things right for a change."

   They agreed on a coffee shop, one that Jodi knew permitted smoking on the
premises.  As she hung up her mother practically leaped at her.  "So, what
was _that_ all about?"

   Jodi grinned.  "I'll tell you, Mom, but I want you to smoke while I tell
you."  She pointed at her mother's Benson & Hedges 100's.  "So light up with
me and I'll tell you the whole thing."

   Amanda readily lit up a cigarette.  Her nervousness made her smoke it even
harder than usual.  "Okay," she impatiently groaned, smoke twisting from her
lips and nostrils.  "Tell!"

   "Daddy says he realizes he made a lot of mistakes and he wants to mend
fences.  That's exactly what he said.  I don't know precisely what he means.
But he sounded pretty damn humble if you ask me."

   "You don't need to swear like that, Jodi," Amanda interrupted.

   "Look, Mom, I hear you say that kind of stuff when you think I'm not
listening.  So get off my case, okay?  Do you want to hear about Daddy's call
or not?"

   Amanda sighed.  "Yeah, you're right.  You're almost grown up, I guess."
She smiled.  "You sure as hell smoke like a grown up."

   "That's better," the teenager grinned.  "Anyway, the amazing thing is
Daddy told me that he started smoking, too.  That's why he says he can't
really criticize me for doing it."  She held her cigarette up to her lips.
After dragging on it a couple seconds, she inhaled deeply.  "He says he'll
let me smoke if I get together with him tomorrow after school."

   Amanda shook her head.  "That bastard!  I can't believe he's so
irresponsible that he'd start smoking!"

   "But Mom," Jodi teased.  "Look at you.  What do you think you're doing?"

   Her mother was in the midst of a long exhale.  "This is different," she
said defensively.  "I'm only smoking because I'm trying to convince you to
quit, to make you 'taste the consequences.'"

   "But you like it, don't you?  You said you do!"

   Amanda hesitated.  "Yeah, but ?."  She stopped.  God, it was true.  Damn
it, she _did_ like smoking.  And her daughter knew it, too.  "Okay," she
finally admitted.  "But that doesn't excuse your father."

   "Of course not, anymore than it excuses me," Jodi replied.  "But you have
to admit you can now at least sort of understand why Daddy might want to
smoke?"

   "It had to that damn bimbo, Jaime," Amanda mumbled.  She smiled, suddenly
realizing that her daughter had caught her swearing.  She laughed it off by
compounding her infraction.  "Hell, Jodi, I bet you anything that Jaime got
Joe to start up smoking again.  Now that I think about it, I remember that
she was a smoker.  Your dad used to smoke back in the old days, years ago,
before he and I got serious.  That stupid bitch must be the cause of this.
I'm sure of it."

   Jodi shrugged.  "I dunno, Mom.  Maybe.  But it doesn't matter.  I'm gonna
get together with Dad to see what he wants.  It's possible he's really had a
change of heart.  I hope he's willing to admit he was wrong in the way he
treated you and me."

   "That'd be nice for you, honey," Amanda admitted, as she manicured her
cigarette.  "God, I want you to have a real father.  I always felt that way.
So if Joe's finally willing to mend fences with you, as he calls it, then
it'd be real good for you."

   "Yeah, but Dad also said that he wants to mend some fences with you, Mom."

   "Well, I'm not sure that's possible," Amanda answered cynically.  She
paused for a long thoughtful drag.  She realized, in the midst of the stress
of talking about her ex, she was smoking furiously.  She shrugged it off and
tipped her head to release her exhale.  "Your dad's an asshole, Jodi.  If he
wants to mend fences with me he needs to eat a hell of a lot of crow!"
Without waiting she hit again on her B&H.  "I'll be nervous as hell till we
find out what he's thinking," she admitted, holding smoke in her chest.  "I'm
sure you feel the same."

   Jodi nodded.  She, too, noticed the intensity of her mom's smoking picked
up as they talked about her dad.  She smiled.  Stress is good, she told
herself.  Stress is _very_ good.  Stress makes budding smokers want to smoke
more.  Wickedly, she'd keep talking about her father precisely in order to
keep her mom turning to nicotine for relief.  Because Jodi knew, the more
relief her mother sought from nicotine, the more relief she'd need from
nicotine!

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