"Cigar Hankerings"

As she was collating her latest story, Carolyn was listening to the Captain spinning one of his sea yarns. He sat at a chair by her desk, smoking a cigar. The windows of the room were wide open to air it out, letting in the sea breeze and the sound of the gulls circling the house. Suddenly the Captain stopped mid-sentence, put his cigar down in the ashtray, and vanished.

"What...?" Carolyn began, in surprise. Hearing a knock, she looked over at the door as it opened. Martha peeked around, then grinned and came in with a tray.

"You ARE finished! I've brought up your lunch."

"Thanks, Martha. Yes, this story is finally done!" Carolyn flourished the papers in her hand.

Martha's smile faded as she approached the desk, and stood eyeing the smoking cigar askance. "Celebrating a little prematurely?" she asked, the disapproval strong in her voice.

Carolyn caught up the cigar with a short laugh, then did what she had been longing to do for months. She took a quick puff. Having had some experience with cigarettes, she didn't choke on it, although the strong flavour caught her a little by surprise. She couldn't see why anyone would ever want to smoke a cigar. They tasted terrible, and smelled worse!

"SOME writers would have waited until they actually sold the story." Martha shook her head reprovingly. "And smoking is such a filthy habit. I've smelled cigar smoke before at Gull Cottage ... but I never really thought you had taken it up. I thought it was maybe my imagination."

"Well, I ..." Carolyn hesitated. There was really no defense she could make. As far as Martha was concerned, Carolyn had been caught red-handed. She hastily put the cigar back down, trying not to think that she had actually taken a puff from the Captain's cigar. She wondered if he were watching...

"If you can tear yourself away from that disgusting weed, you should eat this soup while it's hot." Martha motioned to the tray.

"I will." Carolyn felt wretchedly guilty, then was furious with herself for feeling that way. She was an adult, and entitled to act as she saw fit. "Thank you, Martha. I'll bring the dishes down when I'm finished."

"Far be it from me to tell you how to behave, but ..." Martha seemed bent on continuing the conversation.

"THANK you, Martha!" Carolyn said, with great finality, and Martha sniffed before going out the door. Hoping Martha wasn't too hurt, Carolyn sat at the desk and began to eat the soup.

"I seem to have caused a little unintended friction this morning, Mrs. Muir!" the Captain appeared, standing at her desk, reaching for his cigar.  He brought it to his mouth, then hesitated. An incredulous expression crossed his face, and he looked again at the cigar, then at Carolyn. A scowl darkened his features, and a low rumble of thunder sounded through the room. "Madam, tell me I'm wrong. You didn't touch this, DID you?"

"It was just one little puff." Carolyn shrugged nonchalantly. She certainly wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that she hadn't enjoyed it. Teasing him gently, she asked, "May I have another try, Captain? It wasn't too bad ...!"

Thunder crashed and a stiff breeze scattered her papers. "Ladies do NOT smoke cigars, Madam! No lady would dream of demeaning herself, sullying herself by even TOUCHING a cigar!"

"If a lady can't, why is it any better for a gentleman, Captain?"

Carolyn countered with a smile. He almost spluttered in his consternation. "Cigars are for gentlemen, who can appreciate the good aroma and flavour! Ladies..."    Suddenly he stopped ranting, and a glint appeared in his blue eyes. "Ah, I perceive what you are attempting to do, Madam."

"Oh? What is that?" Carolyn asked innocently, taking another mouthful of soup and beginning to pull her papers together again.

"Trying to put me off course by taking this discussion into the abstract. The point is, Mrs. Muir, this is MY cigar ... and YOU were smoking it!"

"Does one tiny puff really constitute ‘smoking it', Captain?  Really, I think you're going a little overboard with this whole discussion, don't you?"

Glaring at her, the Captain clamped the cigar between his teeth and took a puff, and his eyes closed involuntarily as he savoured the experience. After a moment, he removed the cigar and spoke softly. "Yes, you did smoke it, didn't you? And left your mark on it ..."

"I didn't SPIT on it, if that's what you mean!" Carolyn was a little indignant. How could she possibly have hurt a cigar by trying to smoke it?

The Captain smiled indulgently. "That's not what I mean. I mean, I can sense you on the cigar ... it's actually a rather sensual experience ... sharing a cigar. Lips touching the same place where other lips have been ..."

Carolyn stared at him, open-mouthed. At his knowing grin, she pressed her lips firmly together, and looked down at her desk, pondering his words. The Captain seated himself in the chair beside her desk again, and puffed contentedly, his eyes on her. Finishing her soup quickly, Carolyn took a deep breath, then looked fully at the Captain.

"May I try another puff, Captain? I could use a sensual experience right now myself." She smiled at him, seeing the flash of admiration in his eyes. Her glance fell to his lips.

After a slight hesitation, he put the cigar down and gestured to it. "Aye, my dear ... if you wish ... Be my guest."

Carefully picking it up, Carolyn put it to her mouth, her eyes never leaving his. Just as she inhaled, he gave her such a roguish wink that she sucked in her breath involuntarily, and choked. Tears came to her eyes as she coughed out the smoke, dropping the cigar back into the ashtray. The Captain roared with laughter.  Wiping her eyes, smiling rather sheepishly at him, Carolyn said huskily, "I think Martha is right ... these ARE filthy weeds. I think I prefer your pipes and the smell of pipe smoke. Sometime may I try that?"

"Mrs. Muir!" the Captain sounded aghast.

"I know, ladies don't smoke pipes either." she sighed. Then her face lit up with an impish grin, "But if you stop smoking cigars, Martha will be ever so grateful and will assume I've recovered from my temporary insanity. And really, pipes are preferable to cigars second-hand!"

Picking up the cigar and eyeing it rather regretfully, the Captain nodded. "I will take that request under consideration, Madam."