Faith and Paula agree to meet afterwork for drinks. Faith goes home for about an hour and freshens up before heading to the bar, she wonders if Paula will be up for a cigarette or two tonight. She feels kind of naughty knowing that she had lead Paula towards the path of nicotine addition but she rationalizes that Paula just needed a little push and is likely happier for it.
Faith waits at the bar for Paula and orders two beers, she immediately notices a change in appearance of Paula as she enters the bar. Paula is wearing a fun and light summer dress and has applied some light make-up to give just a hint of a sultry woman behind an innocent face. Her bright blue eyes now look dreamy and mysterious coming from the smoky mascara around the eyes and dark eyeliner. Faith motions Paula to head outside and find a small table so they can smoke while they drink their beers.
Before Faith can offer Paula a cigarette, Paula has taken out an already opened pack of cigarettes and new silver lighter from her purse. Faith pauses from lighting her own cigarette to watch Paula as she lights her cigarette like a pro, cupping her hand around the flame and inhaling her first drag. Faith is a bit mesmerized as she watches Paula exhale a tight stream of smoke from her pursed lips as though she is forming a kiss. Clearly Paula has given much thought about smoking and is imitating what she has seen in movies.
Paula smiles, "I figured I should buy my own pack of cigarettes now that I am a smoker."
Paula looks admiringly at her cigarette held elegantly between her index and middle finger. "I practice smoking a cigarette in front of my vanity mirror before coming here." Paula takes another drag of her cigarette looking as though she is in bliss as she inhales the creamy white smoke deep into her lungs. "I should have started smoking years ago," Paula says with a smile after she exhales another tight stream of smoke into the air.
Faith had been so transfixed in watching her new friend transformation into a fully committed smoker that she had forgotten to light her own cigarette. Faith giggles a bit before lighting her cigarette and is more attentive to smoking her cigarette with more style in the company of Paula.
That night Faith and Paula have a few more drinks and they each smoke several more cigarettes. While Faith smoked two or three cigarettes for every one Paula smoked she could tell that Paula was fully enjoying the her new smoking habit and would commit to smoking more. As Faith and Paula talked they grew much closer during the course of the evening and beyond just being a couple smoking buddies they found that they had much in common to be true friends.
Paula notices a handsome young man watching her. "Umm...It looks like my new smoking habit has garnered the attention of shy handsome man across the way. I think I will see if I can get a light. Have a good night Faith."
Faith gives Paula a warm hug and watches as she slowly and seductively walks towards the cute but shy young man with a un-light cigarette perched between her finger at a 45 degree angle near her face ready for a light.