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By The Flying Pen

"So you did okay in finals?"
Julie nodded. "All that stress actually made me work my ass off.
I think I did pretty well," she grinned.
"I'm going to miss your company out here, but good luck with quitting," I said. "The few, the proud, the exiled," I added.
"Mike, thanks for keeping me company and listening to me bitch all semester," Julie said. "I'm gonna miss hanging out here with you and those -- yeccch! -- Mores."
"I would have offered, but you never bummed one from me," I grinned. "You always had a brand of the day. I never knew what you were smoking." We stuck our tongues out at each other and laughed.
"You're so funny. Anyway, I'd better go; everybody is meeting at O'Reilly's in another 15 minutes. I'll see you around in the halls and I'll drop by once in a while to say hi. See ya 'round." Julie smiled, waved, and headed to her car in the parking lot.
I didn't see her for a long time after that. She must have quit, I reasoned. Maybe Julie had even left school, because I never saw her in the halls. Oh well, graduate students come and go. However, I eventually did run into her again, in mid-March, at the same bar where we had officially introduced ourselves.
"Julie?" I hesitantly questioned the vivacious, black-haired women sitting at a table with a group.
"Hi! Michael! I'm happy to see you again! How have you been?" Julie's eyes sparkled, and she certainly looked as if she were happy to see me. She got up from the table and gave me a hug. "My class schedule this semester is kinda weird. I only have class in your building at night this semester," Julie apologized.
"I was gonna leave you a note, but your section of the building is locked up by the time I get there. Let's go somewhere so we can catch up," she suggested. We chatted amiably about the previous three months for a few minutes; she was having a much easier time with her classes and hadn't been stressed all semester. Julie excused herself for a second, went back over to her table and grabbed her purse. She pulled out a lighter and a Capri.
I commented, "Still smoking when you drink, I see."
Julie blushed a little. "No... actually, I guess I'm just a smoker now. I never did quit like I said I was going to." She indicated her classmates. "It's kinda nice not having to pretend any more."
We smoked and talked; she bought two beers and we talked some more. I would watch her lean casually against the bar, Capri in hand, and tilt her chin slightly before each exhale. She was definitely more relaxed, and not in as big a hurry. One of Julie's classmates came over and told her that the group was leaving for another club.
Julie waved her on. "You guys go ahead. I haven't seen Mike all year." As her classmates headed out, she gave several hugs and wished all a good spring break. After they were gone, Julie reached into her purse for another cigarette, but her pack was empty.
"Dammit. Now I gotta go get change for the machine. I know they won't have these in it." She looked at me and continued, "I hope they have more than Camel Lights. Bleccch." She wrinkled her nose in distaste, then grinned.
"Julie," I said as she began to pull out her wallet, "there's a book store less than a block away that sells cigarettes. I think I've seen your brand there."
"Really?" Her face brightened, then she cocked her head. "You'll be here when I get back?" I nodded. There was no way I was going to miss the remainder of this evening. Julie came back in about ten minutes with a pair of fresh beers. "I decided to stop on the way," she grinned. "Figured we could use some more beer, and the crowd at the bar is getting bigger."
Her smile and dancing eyes made her look very attractive, and distracted me. Somehow, I managed to remember that she had also bought the last round. "Julie, you bought the last round. At least let me contribute," I said, feeling very odd.
"You can give me a light," she coyly replied. "You look like the gentlemanly type." Julie pulled out a fresh pack of Capri 120's. "Before you say anything, these were on sale, 3 packs for 2. Since you smoke really long cigarettes, I thought I'd give it a try in my brand." She opened the pack, pulled one out, and studied the long, very slim white cylinder between her fingers. "Wow, these are long," she giggled.
"Sir? If you please?" I lit it, and watched her take a drag. She turned her head aside to exhale.
"Hmmm, not bad. But I can see that I'd have to take my time with these."
Julie took a long, deep drag, and closed her eyes. She let the smoke flow from her nostrils for a few seconds, then exhaled the rest through her lips. Her eyelids fluttered a little as she opened them.
"You're right. This is relaxing," she smiled.
"Now that you're not stressed anymore..." I began, but my thought died when Julie took another long pull and some of the smoke spilled out from her lips, only to be drawn into her nostrils. She leisurely exhaled a long trail of smoke.
"You're right. I'm not stressed anymore; I can enjoy a cigarette." Julie paused to look at her watch. "If you really feel guilty about the beer, there is a way you can make it up to me. Take me to a movie sometime."
"Ummm...." Julie chose that moment to french-inhale again, hold the smoke, and exhale leisurely with her chin slightly inclined. It took me a few seconds to process what she had said. "Sure, when?""I was thinking... the midnight show down the street. That is..." Julie took another slow, deep drag, drawing escaping smoke back into her mouth as she pulled the cigarette away from her lips.
"If you don't mind waiting for me to finish my very relaxing, long cigarette," she teased.
I shook my head and grinned stupidly. As we walked out of the bar five minutes later, Julie turned to me and asked, "By the way, Mike... how old are you?"