Lauren Robinson saw a familiar face enter the bar. June, one of the new hires had just walked in. The petite oriental woman smiled as she saw her co-worker at a table. "Hi Lauren!" she called. June Ohmori was 24, fresh from graduate school, and this was her first-ever after-work outing. Lauren liked her, always smiling, always ready to tackle the yucky assignments no one else in the department wanted. "Hey, kiddo. I’m glad to see you could find the place."
"Thanks for inviting me out after work. I’m still--trying to get acclimated here. You know, I’ve never been on my own before." June sat at the table. "The Wilson project--"
"Uh-uh-uh," Lauren interrupted, wiggling a finger at the new kid. "First rule--no work discussion at social gatherings. We are here to have fun, and work is not fun," she smiled. June nodded, smiling in response, and tossed her long black hair around her head. Lauren smiled again. "That’s better."
The two women settled down at their table. "Again, I think it’s really nice for you to invite me here," June said. "I don’t really know what to do after work. I mean, I don’t have homework to do any more, but I’ve never been one for going out to bars."
Lauren nodded. "I know how difficult it is to be all by yourself in a new place. I thought that I’d invite my new hire out for a couple of drinks and happy hour--maybe we’ll do dinner tonight while we chat. I like to know the people who are working for me. I know all about your education and things like that, but I’m interested in the people behind the resumés."
June took the hint, and a drink of beer. "This is my first real job, and the first time I’ve really been away from my family. I grew up pretty much like my resumé says, a 4.0 GPA through college, and a 3.7 in grad school. I was a good student, and my family was always proud of my academic achievements." Lauren nodded attentively. "In grad school, though, I sort of got--ummm--tired of school, and decided that I was going to try to get a job in the ‘real world’. It was a battle, but my dad finally gave in. I was really excited by your presentation at career day. So now here I am, two thousand miles away from home, with lots of time on my hands. I feel like I’ve missed something, Lauren. I mean, I literally didn’t have my first beer until I was in graduate school. I learned a little about blowing off steam in grad school, but I didn’t have the time."
Lauren nodded and absently reached into her purse, removing a fresh pack of Capri menthol 120’s. "Oh!!! Excuse me, June, but do you mind if I smoke?"
"Oh!!! I didn’t know you smoked, Lauren. That’s okay if you do. I’ll be right back." June popped up from the table and headed for the ladies’ room. Lauren carefully opened the cellophane, and lit one of the ultra-long, ultra-slim cigarettes. She took a long pull, opening her mouth while holding the smoke, and exhaled slowly and silently. June returned as Lauren took her second full drag. She pushed her wavy, dark red hair away from her ear as smoke began to flow from her nose. Lauren pursed her lips and blew the rest of the smoke out in a long trail. "Wow!!! Those sure are long and skinny!" June remarked as she tossed a fresh pack of Marlboro Lights on the table.
"You smoke too?" Lauren replied with surprise. "I didn’t know that. I’ve never seen you in the smoking lounge at work."
With a sheepish grin, June replied, "Well... sort of. I smoke when I drink. Something else I learned in grad school." She tore open the pack and lit one, taking a shallow puff and exhaling quickly. "My dad would kill me if he knew." She looked at Lauren’s pack. I’ve never seen anything like your cigarettes. I thought it was a joint when I got to the door and saw you," she giggled. June took another fast drag, and exhaled a thin stream of smoke.
"You’re right, June, you don’t get out much, do you?" Lauren giggled. The women continued their pleasant conversation and went their separate ways after the happy hour.
A few weeks later, Lauren invited June to dinner. Her new hire’s social life was still pretty much a zero, and she really didn’t want June to quit and go back home. June was quickly becoming indispensable at work. Since she was having some old college girl friends over, Lauren thought it would do June well to meet some more people. June arrived early. "I hope you’re going to be drinking. Claudia smokes like a chimney," Lauren grinned. June was quickly introduced to Claudia (pronounced "Cl-ow-dia") who was from Argentina. She had been Lauren’s college roommate, and had returned to the United States on business. Claudia’s tan skin and sandy hair contrasted greatly with June’s pale skin and black hair. As if on cue, Claudia removed a bright green box from her purse and lit a brown cigarette. A long drag was followed by another drag and simultaneous nasal exhale. She pulled the cigarette from her mouth and swallowed the last remains of smoke. Turning her head to the side, she exhaled a thick, swirling stream of smoke from her nose and mouth. Her next drag was punctuated with a heavy, barely audible inhale. A wisp of smoke came from her mouth, then Claudia exhaled forcefully through the nostrils.
A little later on, Shannon and Michelle arrived. Shannon was a tall, willowy blonde who could easily be mistaken for a movie star or a model, while Michelle’s brown hair cascaded loosely around her face; her accent was unmistakably British. "So how are things between you and Dave?" Shannon asked Lauren over dinner. "If he isn’t treating you right, let me know, and I’ll hit him in the head with a rolled-up newspaper." Everybody giggled except June. "Oh, June... that’s a joke. Lauren’s dating my little brother. When we were little kids, I used to hit him with a rolled-up newspaper like he was a puppy." The wine and the reminiscing flowed freely, but all the women were very aware of June and kept her a part of everything that was going on, with explanations that led to more stories. After dinner, everybody settled in the living room, and all the cigarettes came out.
Claudia, as usual, was first, lighting her brown cigarette. Shannon took out an elegant-looking cigarette case, while Michelle pulled a black-and-gold box from her purse. Lauren joined them from the kitchen with an already lit Capri 120. Shannon took a long white cigarette from her case; June guessed it was as long as Lauren’s, but it wasn’t as slim. "I hope you smoke, June," Claudia said in her accented English. June nodded, and pulled out the pack of Marlboro Lights she had bought that first night out with Lauren. Shannon lit June’s cigarette with a lighter that matched the gold case with the black and gray marbled pattern, then her own. June took a shallow puff and exhaled a short, thin stream of smoke.
"Social smoker, huh?" Shannon said. The blonde took her second drag, a long, long, pull on the white cigarette, and opened her mouth. The smoke curled upwards into her nose and she closed her mouth. Slowly, Shannon tilted her head back and exhaled noiselessly through her mouth in a thick, long, plume for what seemed like forever.
June blushed, and looked around the room at the other smokers. "I’ve never seen so many different kinds of cigarettes! What is that that Michelle is smoking?" she said, indicating the British woman, who was holding a gold-tipped black cigarette.
"It’s a Sobranie Black Russian, June. They’re from Great Britain." Michelle replied with a smile before dragging deeply. She began to exhale slowly through her nose, then finished with a pursed-lip, silent oral exhale of the remaining smoke.
"And this is not a cigar," Claudia said, correctly reading the expression on June’s face. "I am smoking a very fine cigarette called a Virginia Circle. It’s made by Nat Sherman in New York City." She smiled at June. "When I want a cigar, I smoke a cigar."
"You guys have to forgive June. She only smokes when she drinks," Lauren chirped, and the others nodded.
"Well, I don’t want to smoke--ummm--at the risk of offending you guys--too much. I only started to fit in a little better at grad school... and to piss off my dad," June replied. "Of course, he doesn’t know that I smoke at all, but--I know I’m not doing what he wants me to do." She took another quick puff, inhaling shallowly, and exhaling in a hurry.
"That’s fine, June, and I know that none of us is offended," Shannon replied, immediately easing the tension. The blonde drew again on her long cigarette, ending with a quick french-inhale, and slowly pursed her lips before exhaling. Everybody agreed, and the wine flowed freely while the women chatted and smoked. By ten o’clock, June was definitely more buzzed than she’d ever been in her life.
Michelle opened up a tan pack, lit a pale brown cigarette and inhaled deeply, drawing for several seconds. The British brunette exhaled lazily through her nostrils.
June peered at Michelle’s cigarette. "Now what are you smoking? I swear, I’ve never seen so many--different looking cigarettes in my life!"
"It’s a More Light," Michelle easily replied. "The Sobranies are my favorite, but they’re terribly expensive here in the states. Not to mention difficult to find." Michelle took another long drag, exhaling a quick burst through her nose as she dragged, then finished her drag and slowly exhaled smoke into the space between them. "These taste somewhat similar, and they are much easier to find. And I don’t go broke buying them."
"I never knew there were so many kinds of cigarettes and that they tasted different before I met you guys. I smoke these because--well, that’s what I started with, and everybody seems to smoke them. I only knew Marlboro Lights and Camel Lights. That’s what my friends smoked." She reached for her pack, since everybody was smoking again. "Oh, shoot. It’s empty." She looked around the room. Only Shannon had been smoking anything that looked like a Marlboro Light, even if it was really long. June wasn’t ready to try Claudia’s cigar-looking things, while Michelle’s light brown cigarettes and Lauren’s super-skinny, super-long cigarettes seemed a little too weird. But since everybody was smoking, and June wanted to fit back in, she turned to Shannon. "Ummm... Shannon? Can I have one of yours?"
Shannon smiled. "Sure. But they’re menthol."
June shrugged as she took one from Shannon’s case. "I don’t know what that means." She regarded the extra-long cylinder between her fingers for a moment. "What kind are these?"
"It’s a Max 120," Shannon replied, lighting one of her own after she lit June’s. "You like them? They’re also sort of hard to find, but you can."
June nodded, and took a longer-than-normal drag. The smoke came back through the young woman’s lips quickly, but in a longer, steadier, stream. "These are different. The smoke seems--I dunno--cooler. Is that the menthol?" June asked. She took another drag, and exhaled while studying the long white cylinder between her fingers.
Shannon and Lauren nodded. "I guess you’ve never been in a store to buy cigarettes," Shannon said, and June nodded in response. "Only bought them from a machine in a bar?" The petite Oriental woman gave another nod. Shannon said, "Then you would be really surprised at how many different kinds of cigarettes there are." Shannon looked at Lauren. "Remember back in high school when we used to look in the mirror and practice smoking?" she giggled.
Lauren nodded. "Yeah," she grinned. "And we had a cigarette-of-the-month. We couldn’t decide which ones were the best-looking. We wound up smoking Virginia Slims Lights because they were the cigarettes for women. We were so chic." She laughed at the memories.
Claudia said, "And what did I tell you when we met in college? That American girls did not know how to smoke." June was sure she was missing something, but she kept quiet and took another puff from the Max. Menthol. Hmmm... I kinda like these... Claudia looked at June and took a deep, long draw on the Virginia Circle. She paused, waiting, waiting, then eased her chest forward and thick smoke drifted slowly from her nose and mouth. "See? American girls know nothing about the art of smoking. I had to teach Lauren and Shannon everything," she declared with a teasing smile.
Shannon shot back with, "Well, not everything. You were just as interested and new as the rest of us that night we sat around learning to french-inhale." She stuck her tongue out at the Argentine. "Now I do it all the time, and you still can’t. Even Michelle can do it, and she’s British. You know how they hate anything French."
June looked lost while everybody giggled. Lauren turned to June. "There was one night where a bunch of us were sitting around smoking and one of the girls we knew was french-inhaling." June still looked blank. Lauren quickly explained, "Oh--a french inhale is when you take a drag, and inhale some of the smoke through your nose." June nodded, and tried clumsily to emulate what she had just heard. She sneezed.
"No, not like that," Shannon said. "Watch." The blonde took a long draw on her Max, and rolled the smoke out with her tongue. As the smoke drifted out, she drew it into her nose, almost in slow-motion. Then Shannon exhaled through the little "O" of her lips. "See? The smoke comes up naturally, and all you have to do is breathe in through your nose." June tried it again. She failed, but didn’t sneeze this time. Shannon repeated her last exhibition, slowly pulling the thick, creamy smoke back into her nostrils before exhaling silently.
June determinedly took a long pull on the Max. She opened her mouth to let the smoke drift out, but it went too fast. She took a breath to try to calm down... and suddenly Shannon said, "That’s it!" June exhaled the rest of the smoke in a hurry, surprised by the exclamation. All the other women were applauding, and June felt like she belonged. She was going to try again, but her cigarette was down to the filter. June looked around. "Can I try it again?" She looked at Lauren. "With one of your cigarettes? Is it menthol?"
Lauren said yes, and handed June the pack. June lit it, and took a puff, gaining a tiny amount of smoke. She swallowed it, surprised by the lack of smoke. "You have to drag hard, June," Lauren counseled. Capris are really thin, and sometimes you need to really suck on them."
June’s next drag took several seconds, and she swallowed the smoke again, exhaling quickly, as usual, with a surprised look on her face. Sheepishly, she said that she had forgotten to french-inhale. "That’s okay, June," Shannon said. "Just relax and don’t worry about it."
June drew steadily on the Capri 120. She pursed her lips, and breathed in through her nose. She felt the sensation of smoke flowing through her nostrils. Swallowing, she was surprised to find some escape back through her nose, but she exhaled the rest through her mouth in a fine stream. "I did it, didn’t I?" the young woman said, with some excitement. She immediately tried again, and felt the same sensation. "Cool!" Everybody in the room was grinning at June’s excitement.
"You’ve got that down, June. With a little more practice, you’ll be as good as Shannon at it," Lauren grinned.
June shook her head, smiling. "You guys actually practice--smoking?"
"Not any more," Lauren replied. I usually do what feels natural to me." She lit a Capri 120 of her own, sucking in the escaping ball of smoke before lifting her head and sending smoke streaming through her nose and mouth.
"What is that you just did? I mean, what is it called?"
Her mentor had just taken another deep drag and was savoring it. She tossed her head back, then sent a stream of smoke into the air. "I don’t know if it has a name. I just kind of let the smoke out and suck it back in." June immediately tried to do it, but wound up producing a cloud of smoke in front of her face. She waved it away with her hand.
"American girls..." Claudia sighed. "You do everything in a hurry." As if to demonstrate, Claudia drew deeply on her brown cigarette, paused, and swallowed the smoke. She turned her head to the side and exhaled leisurely through her nostrils. "A cigarette can be used for flirtation, as a free introduction, as a tool for seduction. Most American women blow the smoke out--poof! There is no mystery," she complained. "June--try to do everything slower. You must wait for the exhale."
The petite Oriental woman took a slow, steady, even drag on the Capri 120, her manner noticeably different from earlier in the evening. She swallowed the smoke, waiting... waiting... then exhaled quickly, in a fine stream. She watched Lauren, head tilted back, chest rising easily, exhale slowly, in a thick, creamy stream. "Like Lauren did," Claudia said. "Just like I taught her in college." She stuck her tongue out at her friend.
"Exhaling is easy, June," Shannon interjected. "Don’t push it all out at once, just breathe out normally." June followed Shannon’s advice, and produced a much more leisurely, thicker trail of smoke. "And then you can let it out through your nose or your mouth, or both." She grinned. "That’s what we practiced when we were younger." She smiled as June slowly produced twin streams from her nostrils. "See? Now nobody knows you’re just a social smoker, even if you do buy your cigarettes from the machine in the bar."
June nodded attentively, very pleased with her new friends and the acceptance they were giving her. "One more thing--can you teach me how to do--smoke rings?" Everybody laughed. By the end of the night, June had tried everybody’s cigarettes, even smoking two of Claudia’s "Virginia Circles", which, Claudia had explained, were not the same thing as "Virginia Slims". The almost sugar-sweet, tangy taste of Claudia’s brown cigarettes were significantly different from anything else in the room. June liked them, but wasn’t sure she could ever be comfortable smoking something that looked kind of like a cigar in public. Besides, she really did prefer menthol. The gathering was concluded with plans being made for the following evening. The group was going out to dinner, and then to nightclubs. June was explicitly invited. The young woman accepted eagerly, happy with her new friends. When Claudia’s taxi came, June rode with the Argentine woman, who had agreed to take her home, since the trains weren’t running that late. They each had another Virginia Circle during the trip, June smoking slowly, as Claudia tutored her on the finer points of smoking style.
She had bought a new outfit for the evening, something in good taste, that she hoped would not make her seem out-of-place. June did not notice the cab driver’s appreciative look as she climbed in, and gave him the address of the restaurant where Shannon, Lauren, Michelle, Claudia and she would begin their girls’ night out. As the cab wound its way through the neighborhood, June suddenly realized that she had no cigarettes. Since Shannon had kidded her about buying from machines at clubs, June decided that that wouldn’t do for tonight. "Would you please stop for a minute at this drugstore?" she requested.
She stood in line at the counter, and found herself faced with a monumental array of choices. Shannon had been right: June really hadn’t had an idea of how many different kinds of cigarettes there were. As she slowly inched toward the register, June frantically tried to figure out what kind she wanted. She knew that she wasn’t going to pick Marlboro Lights; but that was about it. She couldn’t see any green boxes like Claudia’s--besides, she wanted menthol, and Claudia’s cigarettes, as nice as they had tasted, weren’t the same cooling sensation she preferred. Lauren’s cigarettes seemed so... Lauren. June didn’t think she’d like to be puffing as hard as she had last night. Suddenly, it was her turn. There were four impatient people in line behind her, and she also had a cab outside with the meter running. Shannon’s cigarettes appeared in her mind. "I--I--I’d like a pack of... M..." The word had slipped her mind. It was short, one syllable and started with M...
"More?" the clerk supplied, trying to speed up this particular transaction.
That sounded right. June knew that she had heard that word last night sometime. "Yes. More. Menthol, please." She thought about the night. "Make that two packs--and a lighter." The clerk pulled two long, slim, green packs from the rack, and placed a Bic on the counter. June paid for them, and scurried from the store. The two packs looked about the right length and width, but the cab had a very prominent "No Smoking" sign in it, so she didn’t open the pack to find out for sure. June was pretty certain that she had gotten Shannon’s brand.
The restaurant was a pretty classy place, and June was happy she had dressed up. Judging by the people around her, she looked about right--maybe a touch overdressed, but it wasn’t a glaring fashion faux pas. The maitre’d asked her for the name of her party; she gave him Lauren’s name. To her surprise, the maitre’d called her by name, and said that she could wait in the bar; any cocktails would be compliments of Miss Robinson. June took a seat and ordered a glass of wine. She reached into her purse and pulled out the pack of Mores. She carefully opened the wrapper and gave a quiet gasp of shock as she pulled out a cigarette. It was brown! She had gotten the wrong kind!!! June wondered if there was a drug store or something nearby. She wasn’t sure if she could handle--
"Hi, June." Lauren’s cheerful voice froze her. The tall redhead sat down. She saw Lauren look at the pack. "Mores? Very daring, June. I didn’t think you had it in you," she said with a smile, pulling out her Capri 120s. The bartender lit Lauren’s almost immediately, and June had no choice. She took the offered flame, and took a tentative sip on the brown cigarette. It was menthol. She exhaled slowly, feeling the smoke glide over her tongue. Not too bad. She took a second, deeper draw, letting the smoke drift from her nose. Actually, these aren’t bad at all. Even if they are brown. But will the guys at the nightclub think that me and Claudia are--lesbians? "Shannon and I used to smoke Mores, too. Back when we were in college. It was always good for--raising a few eyebrows. Along with some other things," Lauren grinned. June grinned back, feeling a little better. She couldn’t imagine anybody mistaking Shannon for a lesbian, brown cigarette or no. June took an extended drag, french-inhaling it. She let the smoke flow through pursed lips in a thick stream. "Have you been practicing?" Lauren said.
June looked at Lauren, shocked. "What? No--I only bought these on the way over here. I didn’t want to buy some out of a machine in front of Shannon." She smiled and blushed. "Actually, I made a mistake. I meant to buy Shannon’s kind, but I forgot the name and the clerk said, ‘More’. It kind of sounded right--"
"Michelle was smoking More Lights," Lauren interrupted. "That’s what you probably remember. After all, you were pretty buzzed last night." The redheaded woman took another good-sized draw and snap-inhaled, before leaning back in her chair and sending the smoke skyward. "As long as you like them," she shrugged. Lauren dragged and snap-inhaled again, exhaling smoothly from her mouth and nose. Just then, the rest of the party walked into the bar. Hugs and greetings were exchanged, and Shannon immediately noted June’s More, kidding her about not buying from a machine for the first time in her life.
After dinner, the women all headed to one of the better nightclubs in town with a DJ spin. Claudia wanted to dance. "But we all have to stick together tonight. We have to take care of June," she smiled.
The women chose a table and sat. Claudia lit up first, a Virginia Circle, followed by Michelle with her Sobranies. Michelle said, "We were dining in such elegance that I decided to smoke Sobranies tonight." Lauren removed her ladylike pack, and lit a Capri 120 menthol. June was next, lighting a More with her new lighter. "Much better, June," Claudia said, watching the young Oriental exhale silently into the air, chin raised. "Now you have a little bit of style with your smoking." Shannon opened her case and lit her Max 120 menthol with the lighter that matched the case. They chatted among themselves, dancing occasionally as a group, and watching the men as they came in.
June wondered what everybody was waiting for; there were single men, and all the women at the table were single, yet nobody made any moves. She was having a good time, but she didn’t quite think that this was the nightclub scene. Without warning, Lauren quietly said, "Shannon... there’s a guy over there at the bar. I think he might be--interested."
Shannon surreptitiously caught the man’s glance. "You’re right. And he’s kinda cute. I wonder if he has any social skills?" she giggled. "Shannon lit another Max, taking a huge draw, and french-inhaling a large creamy cloud of smoke. She languidly turned her head away from the bar, and exhaled, with her legs crossed. "Lauren?" she quietly said.
"Definitely interested. He’s watching."
"Let’s give him something to look at again," Shannon giggled, very softly. She took another demonstrative drag, and slowly french-inhaled. She closed her mouth, and exhaled through pursed lips. June was confused. What was going on here? She watched Shannon smile. After the next drag, the young man came over and introduced himself, asking Shannon to dance. She put out her cigarette and let him lead her to the floor. Soon, two other men asked Michelle and Claudia to dance, leaving Lauren alone at the table with June, but not for long.
"Hiya, gorgeous. Can I buy you a drink?" A good-looking blond-haired man had slid alongside the table and was addressing Lauren. This was the type of guy that women met in bars; June had heard all about them, and was sure that Lauren wouldn’t even give the guy the time of day.
"Sure, handsome. Grab a seat and flag a waitress," Lauren replied throatily. June couldn’t believe what she had just heard! She never thought that Lauren was that kind of woman! She was even kissing him and they had just met!!! "June Ohmori, meet Dave Gray. This is Shannon’s little brother," Lauren smiled. June sighed in relief, and chatted excitedly with Dave. Lauren pulled out a Capri 120, and Dave lit it for her almost immediately. Lauren let her head tilt back slowly, then exhaled long streams from her nose and mouth. Her eyes were sparkling. June was also surprised that Dave lit her More for her. June took a second drag, then absent-mindedly french-inhaled it, before pausing, then finally exhaling.
Lauren felt Dave’s crotch under the table. It was--inflated. She grinned. She would eventually have to explain this to June, she was sure, but for now, she would have some fun with her boyfriend. Lauren french-inhaled her next deep drag. Pursing her lips, she let some of the smoke flow out, then languidly exhaled the rest through her nostrils. And Dave was excited. June’s next drag and exhale recaptured his attention. Lauren’s little game was interrupted when Claudia came back to the table. "David!!! It is good to see you again!!! Let’s dance!!!" He grinned and shrugged as the Argentine dragged him away from the table.
June was going to kid Lauren about smoking and Dave in one shot. "I thought you only french-inhaled when you were thinking about--Oh!" Lauren smiled knowingly at her, answering the question, and confusing the hell out of June. "But--why? I thought guys didn’t like women who smoked."
Well, I guess I have to tell her now, rather than later. "Some don’t. But others do. I do some special smoking tricks for Dave because he likes to watch me smoke," Lauren answered. "For some guys, it’s not just that you smoke, it’s how and what you smoke. Remember when Claudia was talking about mystery and all that? It’s just not for Argentine men," she grinned.
"Is that why you smoke the Capri 120s?"
"It’s partially why. But Shannon and I have been smoking extra-long cigarettes since college. In fact, she’s the one that told me about Dave. Still, he thinks it’s very stylish and ladylike."
"Was he watching me?" Lauren nodded. "What about Mores--does he think they’re ladylike?"
Lauren leaned forward and conspiratorially whispered, "Judging by the reaction I got, he certainly does. And he thinks your style is worth--watching." June grinned at that. She was feeling a little buzz right now, and decided to see if she could get Dave’s attention again. When he and Claudia came back to the table, she asked him for another light. The petite, black-haired woman took a deep pull, and french-inhaled slowly, just like she had seen Shannon do a number of times. Dave showed no outward reaction; in fact, he was busy talking with Claudia and Lauren. June tried a few more times, but nothing happened. Disappointed, she put her cigarette down. And promptly got asked to dance.
Afterwards, she went to the bar to get another drink. As the bartender busied himself with that, June removed a cigarette. She frowned. She had brought the cigarettes with her, but left her lighter at the table. She was shocked when a flame popped into existence next to her. "Thank you," she said. The gentleman smiled at her, and June felt funny. Very funny. She decided to sit and talk with this guy for a moment. As she took another languid drag and exhaled, she noticed the spark of interest in his eyes. She sent smoke dancing slowly into the air from her pursed lips, crossed her legs, and leaned against the bar. June watched her new friend watch her next drag, slow french-inhale, and relaxed, silent, leisurely exhale... and she understood what a difference style made.
Across the room, Lauren and Dave were sitting at the table alone. "So, do you approve?" She squeezed his thigh under the table.
"Oh, yeah, Lauren. Where did you find a More-smoking, petite, gorgeous Oriental woman, anyway?"
"You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. Last night, she walked into my apartment smoking Marlboro Lights without any style, and bought the Mores tonight by mistake."
"Really? You’d never know it to see her," he grinned. "I thought my heart was going to stop a little while ago. She’s been taking lessons from my sister." Dave looked over at the bar where June was sitting. "She seems to have a really good sense of style. Paul’s going to be talking to her all night."
"Maybe longer than that," Lauren commented with a wry grin.