Smoking

by

Elizabeth Anne

 

It was Thursday evening and I was with my friend Alice at the Golden Parrot; we always got together at least once a week after work for a few drinks and dinner. We were both Administrative Assistants, glorified secretaries, at a local manufacturing plant. She was off in the ladies room, probably calling her husband to let him know where she was, while I was at the bar protecting our seats. The Parrot was a popular after work watering hole but today it seemed to be unusually crowded. Usually we found a table, but today the only seats available were at the bar. Alice was not happy. She is a non-smoker and really hated sitting at the bar. "Sitting at the bar is like sitting in an ashtray," she always said. "Well," I said to myself, "when in Rome," and reached into my purse for the pack of cigarettes that I always carried. A pack would usually last me a month or more since I only ever smoked was when I was in a bar with friends. I took one out of the pack and clasped it tightly between my lips. I fumbled around for my lighter when a deep voice said, "let me get that for you." I looked up to where the voice was coming from and saw his face. He was older, probably 50ish, with gray just showing around the temples. His face was smooth, with lines just forming at the corners of his mouth and eyes. He had what could pass for a heavy 5-o'clock shadow. He held out a lighter and struck a flame. I leaned into the flame and touched the tip of my cigarette to the flame and inhaled. I straightened up and turned my head to exhale. I returned the pack and my lighter to my purse and said, "thank you."

"I've seen you here a couple of times, usually you sit at a table. You're usually with someone. Are you alone tonight?"

"No, my friend is in the ladies room. We got here a little late and couldn't get a table."

"My friend and I have a table," he said. "Perhaps you and your friend would like to join us?"

Just then Alice came back. "Harry is upset. Joey has a temperature and he doesn't know what to do. Just like a man. I'm afraid that I have to cancel our plans for tonight. I hope you don't mind?"

I looked at her and beyond to the stranger and said, "No, go home and take care of your family. I'll be okay. We'll do this another day." I saw the smile on his face. Alice grabbed her coat and headed out the door. "It's a shame you're with somebody," I said to the stranger.

"I'll see what I can do about that," he said and turned and walked into the crowd.

I took a sip of my drink and then took a deep drag from my cigarette.

"Mind if I join you?"

I looked up and it was him. "What about your friend," I asked.

"He's already met someone."

"It just so happens that this seat is empty," I said as I pointed to the stool just vacated by Alice. We sat and talked for a while. I had another drink. He was a salesman in town for a couple of days and his name was Victor, or Vic as his friends called him. In fact, he had been over at the plant where Alice and I worked.

"I'm getting a bit hungry," he said. "Would you care to join me for dinner? There's a nice little Italian place a couple of blocks from here."

"Let me freshen up," I replied. I grabbed my purse and headed off to the ladies room to fix the damage to my makeup. When I returned, he helped me on with my coat and we left the Parrot. When we got outside, he started to hail a cab but I stopped him. "Is the restaurant your thinking of Alberto's?"

"Yes, that's the name," he replied.

"It's not that far, and the weather is nice. Why don't we walk?" It was a pleasant walk and by the time we got to Alberto's he was gently holding my hand in his.

He arranged a secluded booth at the rear of the restaurant and we sat close together as we enjoyed our meal. After he paid the check we left the restaurant. We were standing on the curb when he mentioned that he was staying across the street at the Hilton and would I care to join him for an after dinner drink at the bar. I agreed and he took my hand and led me across the street. We entered the bar and took a table by the door. The waitress came and took our order. I fished around in my purse for my cigarettes and as I pulled one out of the pack, he had his lighter handy. I held his hands and guided the flame to my cigarette and inhaled. I turned my head and exhaled.

"I only smoke when I'm in a bar," I said, "but whenever I pull out a cigarette you always have your lighter ready. But you haven't smoked a single cigarette all evening."

"I use to be a heavy smoker, a pack and a half a day, but I've cut back. A lot. Now, outside of second hand smoke in bars, the only time I light up is after sex."

I looked at him for a couple of seconds. "Pay the young lady, I hate smoking alone," I said. While he flagged the waitress, I crushed out my cigarette.

We quickly walked to the elevator and waited as it descended. After the doors opened, he placed his hand in the small of my back and guided me into the waiting car. As the doors closed, he took me in his arms and kissed me. The kiss was long and passionate. After catching my breath, I repaid the favor, forcing my tongue between his lips and as I withdrew, his tongue followed. I teased him by gently sucking on his tongue. The elevator arrived at his floor and we hurried down the hall to his room. Inside, after taking off my coat, I excused myself and went into the bathroom to freshen up. I noticed a terry cloth rob hanging on the door and decided to get a little more comfortable. I quickly got undressed and slipped on the terry robe, replacing it on the door hook with my skirt, blouse and bra. I freshened up my makeup grabbed my purse, checked to make sure there were some condoms inside and then joined Vic in the main room. He was just hanging up the phone. "I ordered a bottle of wine and some hor d'ouvres."

I walked over to him and kissed him. I then undid his tie and began unbuttoning his shirt. "Let me finish that," he said.

"Okay," I replied and moved my hands down to his belt. I unhooked his belt and then his pants and let them fall to the floor. Just then there was a knock at the door. He grabbed his pants and pulled them back up. As I stood by the window, he opened the door and after a couple of minutes rolled in a cart with the wine and hor d'ouvres. He let go of the cart and then undid his pants and stepped out of them. He walked over to me and in one swift motion, undid the robe and slipped it off my shoulders and let it slip to the floor. The erection pushing out my panties matched the erection pushing out the tent on his boxers.

"Oh," was all I heard.

My face began to burn and I reached down to grab the robe. "I thought you knew," was all I could say, "the Parrot is a very TG friendly place." I was thinking don't let this guy kill me, please.

"But your friend. She has a family, and I just assumed, well, you know"

"Alice is just like me except she's already had her surgery. And Joey is not her child; he's her husbands' child from a previous marriage. But Alice is more of a mother to that little boy then his real mother ever was."

He continued looking out the window as I moved around him and headed towards the bathroom. I was almost to the bathroom when he asked, "You're not leaving are you?" An hour later as we lay in the darkened room with only the glow of our cigarettes lighting the room he asked me if I would like something to eat. I crushed out my cigarette and grabbed another condom from my purse and began to slip under the covers when he pulled me up. "I meant some wine and hor d'ouvres, we have all night for that." He pulled out another cigarette and lit if for me. I was beginning to think that a cigarette after sex was also okay.

  

  

  

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