Page 36 (1/2)
“I’ll be back shortly,” he said and disappeared through the door
If she was going to be bad, she arette in years, although she’d never been a serious srown-up and sophisticated to ser and all her friends had tried it, but as she grew older and gave up the habit, she was asha about what an evil it was to anyone who had the nerve to light up God, sheShe would remember to keep her opinions to herself in the future and let people live however they dah the door using a broad shoulder and strolled toward her with a sundae glass of ice creaarette case in the other
“Are you GPS tracking lass dish down on the table next to her glasses “No, I don’t need to I can feel where you are”
Pipernoise in the back of her throat “Gie if he’d seen a goddess with red hair He had, I gave him a ten dollar bill, and now you’re busted” He flicked open the cigarette case “Now this is a bad habit”
“Only if you can’t stop at one recreational, nostalgic stick of cancerous badness”
“Can you stop at one?”
“Yes”
“So why do it?”
She shrugged “The taste, the kick, the nicotine hit, the forbidden fruit of it It’s a stupid, expensive thing to do, but so totally evil that only hurts me”
Matt nodded to a couple who’d just appeared about fifty yards away “You’re not alone in that “ She took one of the slender Nat Sherarettes and he did the saed “Sure, we’ll give the concierge his silver cigarette case back pretty ine these little beauties come cheap”
“If you say so, but this is a very clever way of getting his fancy cigarettes for free—our rooets to keep eighteen”
She laughed “Oh well, you’re paying”
“Actually, yes, I aht I booked us in independently when I had to choose your courses for the wedding banquet”
“You didn’t think to ask me?”
“No, I’m a control freak, remember?”
“The food was very nice Thank you”
He clicked the lighter into life and offered her the flame “The bride’s parents paid for the food and drink”
Piper lit her cigarette and took a quick puff “Da that wasn’t nailed down into his face? No wonder his wife is so freaking thin and brittle”