Life Decisions - Life with Karen

"Yeah, I think she may have learnt her lesson there, I can still drink her under the table!" they laughed, coughed, and had cheek caving inhales on their cigarettes.

"I am just looking out for you two, as I don't want you broken!" Zoe said exhaling with a stern face flicking her ash out the window and taking another inhale.

"Think I am ok, a little drunk and smoking far too much," she coughed "but not yet out of control" She smiled and then inhaled on her cigarette, "but I am grateful for you being here for me, and for us!"

"Here have, some chewing gum." Zoe suggested reaching down into the door pocket beside her and handing the stick to Laura, "might make your breath stink less of a pub!"

"Is that obvious?"

Zoe nodded, "Right," Zoe said looking both ways and ignoring the question, "let's get on to the supermarket before it shuts!" smiled Zoe as she accelerated away

***

Laura sighed, "We have food, but I don't think I can face cooking tonight" she stated into the fridge door wide open with a full glass of wine on the kitchen table and a cigarette between her fingers.

"Have we any oven chips or something?" Karen asked after stopping and leaning against the door frame so she could inhale on her dangled cigarette, bumped slowly along the hallway from the living room into the kitchen so she could refill her glass. "They will be fine for tonight!" she slurred with her exhale.

Monday

"Sweetie, you don't know where my denim skirt is?" asked Karen sounding rather stressed as she rummaged around on the floor beside the bed.

"Honey, it's in the washing machine?" Laura replied from the bathroom. "Have a cigarette and relax sweetie"

"Oh, is it?" she asked flumping down on to the bed and started focusing on putting her bra on. She had to stop for her deep chesty cough with which she shook her head and grabbed a fresh cigarette from the pack beside the bed and lit and dangled it and carried on turning the bra around her small chest.

"Yup I put it in the washing machine yesterday when cleaning the floor."

"Oh ok, will have to find something else to wear." she said before exhaling her smoke up to the light fitting.

Laura shook her head, inhaled deeply on her cigarette, stood up, wiggled her bum a bit to drip, bent over, coughed, and pulled up her large poker-dot panties up over her belly.

***

"Do you want a vodka and orange?" asked Karen pouring herself the generous double vodka and topping it up with bit of orange juice.

"Nah I am actually ok with my coffee." said Laura taking a sip and then drawing on her cigarette "plus I didn't feel too well yesterday!" She said with her exhale.

"Suit yourself, we are on freaking holiday!" Karen bopped on the spot before taking a gulp of her drink, and then topping it up with vodka.

"I was thinking of seeing if mum still the keys to the cottage had her uncle owned down in Cornwall." suggested Laura before exhaling her smoke and then chewing on the toast.

"Cornwall? Is that a little far away?" asked Karen taking a gulp of her vodka and orange.

"Yup, but we have the week off, and if we are not careful, we will be drunk by 11am and asleep in uncomfortable wet knickers by 12 every morning?" Laura said thoughtfully and inhaled on her cigarette.

"It was fun yesterday, we could skip the knickers?" Karen said thoughtfully, then looked down at her drink and then to her legs, her rather wet crotch and thought about her bruised thigh.

"It may be, but to do it all week?" Laura asked flicking her ash in the ashtray. "It's not as if we are still 18 in Ibiza where you sleep from 6 am to 6pm and dance and drink all night!" she grinned and had a bite of her toast.

"I can at least pretend I'm still 18!" Karen laughed, coughed, and then lit her cigarette with a double pump inhale.

***

"Okay Kaz, my mum is coming around later, could you help me clean up a little bit?" asked Laura standing with a bin bag about to empty the full astray.

"Oh, sorry Lauz," Karen giggled, "am I in your way?" She asked slouched on the sofa taking a swig of her topped up neat vodka.

"Not at the moment, but you might be..." Laura sighed again as she emptied the ashtray into the bag. "Do you want to do the hoovering?" She asked then coughed as the clouds of dust and ashes came up from the rubbish bag.

"Ummm of course sweetie, where is it?" Karen replied taking a large gulp of the vodka and then inhaling on her cigarette.

"Cupboard under the stairs." Replied Laura getting a little frustrated with her drunken lover. "You might also want to get dressed?" She suggested helpfully.

"Will go for a pee first then I will do both." Karen said stubbing out her cigarette in what was now a clean ashtray before she slithered out of the chair and on to the floor, then climbed back up the chair to standing and took a cigarette out the pack on the occasional table and lit it.

"Back doorstep or toilet, not the kitchen this afternoon, I have already cleaned in there!" Laura demanded as Karen stumbled past.

"Yes ma'am," Karen saluted as she giggled, "Don't be stressed, back door will do me fine." Karen slurred as she unsteadily wobbled across the living room.

"Thank you, honey!" Laura smiled and squeezed Karen's hips as she came past and followed her with her eyes as Karen's buttocks split by wet dark blue thong, they quivered with each stumbled step into the kitchen.

Laura hurried into the kitchen once she had retrieved all the takeaway cartons with a full bin bag of the pizza and Chinese tubs to see Karen still on the back doorstep. "You ok honey?" she asked.

"Yup, just relaxing." She giggled and flicked her finished cigarette at her feet rather than further away.

"Do you want a hand up?" Laura asked as she came over to see Karen still squirting her pee across the patio with her now damp blue thong round her knees.

"In a second, yes please, I'm probably little stuck," Karen giggled, "but firstly could you light and pass me one of our ciggies" she giggled and leaned against the door frame again.

***

"You and the house are looking better than the other day" said Trisha between sips of tea.

"Thanks mum, I thought I look awful, needed to pile on the makeup at the moment, but I appreciate it." Laura smiled and then lit the cigarette that had been bouncing in her mouth since she let her mum in 5 minutes ago.

"I thought Karen would have been here?" Trisha asked looking around. "Seeing as you gone all lesbian on me!" she stated with a smile.

"She is, but she was feeling a little unwell after lunch, so has gone upstairs to lie down." Laura gave a knowing smile and then inhaled deeply on her cigarette, "and mum we are just good friends!" She tried to placate with her exhale.

"Oh ok, I see" said Trisha taking a cigarette out of the pack on the table, "I thought you were bad at drinking too much?" she questioned, before lighting her cigarette too.

"Mum, if I drink, I really don't need an afternoon nap!" Laura said defensively with her exhale.

"Except for the other Saturday?" She asked and then inhaled.

"Oh, well, yes, that was different." Laura squirmed, "I have been a good girl mum, cleaned the house and been shopping this week."

"It's good to hear, let's see if you can keep it up!" smiled Trisha and exhaled her smoke up to the ceiling.

"Sooo, mum," she inhaled deeply on her cigarette for courage, "I was thinking since our chat yesterday..." she exhaled "...dangerous I know, me thinking!" She giggled with smoke still pouring out of her mouth. "Do you have the keys to great Uncle James cottage in Cornwall?" She leaned forward and manicured the cigarette in the ashtray before inhaling again "The one that you share with Auntie June?"

"Well yes dear, I do, but why?" Trisha asked with an inquisitive face.

"Just thought it might be good to escape for day or two?" She exhaled her reply and smiled trying to be happy.

"Probably be good to see if you can get out of this rut." Exclaimed Trisha in a mumsey way. "I have the key in here somewhere in my bag." She said as she dangled her cigarette and rummaged in her handbag. "Ah ha, here it is!" she said putting the brass Yale key with a weathered red plastic key ring on the table and then manicured her cigarette. "Don't know why, been carrying it around for years!" she smiled.

"Where is the house?" Laura asked picking up her phone as if to google it.

"Ah, good question, no idea, Cornwall?" Trisha said thinking out loud "I will have to look it up in my address book at home, I will text you the address later this evening"

With that they heard a prolonged hacking cough upstairs.

"Well, I guess Karen is alive!" Laura laughed and then coughed herself and put her phone back on the kitchen table and inhaled deeply on her cigarette.

"Are you sure you are going to be sober enough to get to Cornwall?" Trisha pushed with great concern

"Yes mum, I promise not to drink too much tonight, so we can make good time tomorrow, as Dad would have said."

Trisha nodded. "For god's sake don't drink and drive tomorrow!" She said sternly and stubbed her cigarette out in the ashtray. "And be good!"

***

"Feeling any better honey?" Laura asked from the lounge holding cup of tea as a dishevelled, and sleepy looking and very hungover Karen slowly and carefully stomped down the stairs.

"Headache and feel crap, but nothing another cigarette and glass of wine won't fix, I feel worse for the sleep!" Karen replied stretching and then wiping the sleep from her eyes. "Has your mum gone?" She asked whilst looking around, "if not, I ought to get some more clothes on".

Laura chuckled, "Yup, she went about half an hour ago when we thought you were getting up!" She smiled and passed the naked Karen her cigarette pack and lighter from the occasional table.

"I stayed in bed to see if I could sleep again, but I couldn't" Karen said coughing again before focusing all your energy on lighting her cigarette.

"Well sweetie, get us both a glass of wine and then get yourself acquainted with this road map." Laura stated patting the map on the sofa with the ash from her cigarette falling on it, she brushed it on the floor. "As we can have a road trip, as we are popping to Cornwall!" Laura grinned holding the key in her hand. "Oh, as you are navigating, oh and we might need to pack something to wear!" Laura informed with a smiled, before bringing the filter to her lips.

"We are?" asked Karen cocking her head to the side and scratching it to check she heard it right.

Tuesday

It was rather dark when they pulled into the gravel driveway of the house, they hadn't managed to set off early as planned as Karen was hungover and both of them had needed to shower, do their makeup, pack a bag. They had to pop back to the house twice, firstly for towels and washing stuff and secondly for some more shoes. They then popped to Tesco's for a several packs of cigarettes and some supplies for the trip and for when they got to Cornwall. The drive had been surprisingly uneventful, several stops for coffees and the subsequent stop for the toilet, but they eventually got themselves down to deepest corner of Cornwall.

"So have you been here before?" asked Karen as she carried a bag up the stairs to the house.

"Nope, I have never, got to thank the great god of Google for getting us here, I don't think my mum has been down here either since my dad died." Laura said panting as she climbed up the front steps carrying her overnight bag and the bottles of wine in a carrier bag.

Laura dropped her bags at the front door and hunted for the keys, she exhaled her smoke upwards looking at the outside of the house, flicked her cigarette on to the driveway and opened the door and then hunted for the light switch on the inside of the door. With the old yellow 1970's light fitting illuminated they both stood and admired the size of the house.

"Wow what a place, what a time warp!" Karen said opened mouthed as they were faced with a long hallway lined with flowery wallpaper with wooden doors off either side.

"Shall we find the kitchen and get this wine in to the fridge?" Laura said walking in "This bag is too heavy to carry!" she smiled as she left her overnight bag at the bottom of the stairs and walked and clanked the bottles along the hallway to try and find the kitchen and the next light switch.

Karen coughed as she walked in the kitchen "Blimey it's dusty!" she said looking around at the older style fittings. "No one has been here for years, just hope your family are not expecting us to tidy up?"

"I don't think so, as long as we don't break anything or make too much mess, we should be ok!" smiled Laura as she turned to open some of the cupboards "There must be some glasses in here somewhere, I am parched"

***

They looked around the house cigarettes in one hand and the little port wine glasses they found in the cupboard in the kitchen in the other. Exploring the dated house and its features, the pink 1970's bathroom fittings, the old beds and lots of dust! They retreated to the living room, with the little old port glasses topped up with wine, which was as per the rest of the house with its 70's period furniture, the high back 'granny' chairs and the room stank of stale cigarettes, must, and dust.

"At least great uncles Jim's ashtrays are still here." Laura mused as she stretched to manicure her cigarette in to one.

"Did he die of old age?" asked Karen equally stretching to ash her cigarette.

"Nah, smoking too many of these things!" She said before bringing the filter back to her lips and inhaling deeply. "Emphysema got him I believe!" Laura said with her exhale, before taking a gulp of her wine.

"Oh, I see, may explain the slightly yellow ceilings!" smiled Karen looking up with her exhale before finishing her drink off. "Might need to drink straight from the bottle sweetie, these glasses are far too small." She laughed, then coughed and inhaled deeply on the cigarette.

"As it's only nine, I was thinking we could head down the hill to the waterfront? There must be a several pubs down there as it's a university town?" Laura suggested.

Karen's eyes lit up, "Oh, that's probably better than drinking wine out of these shot glasses." She mused before necking the rest of her wine. "I will go and find the loo, rather than my knickers. I think it's upstairs, throw some make up on and then we can head out?"             

"Yeah, we can't make a mess here. My mum would kill us!"

***

Karen and Laura were sat with half empty pints of Cornish cider, they were on the bench tables on an old quay conveniently located under the outside heaters. Both had their lit cigarettes burning between their fingers as they observed the locals and students milling about around them.

"Glad for the drink, it's been a long day!" Karen stretched.

"Its nice cider, haven't seen it at home." Laura said taking a gulp. "It been tiring driving all the way down."

"Yeah, ooh, thanks for getting us both down here and then out of the house!" Karen smiled as she took in the dark view of the harbour. "It's a great location and I think the smoking tables have a better view than those inside!" She said before closing her eyes as she took a large inhale.

"It's a pity they have stopped serving food, could eat something now." Laura said taking a gulp of her cider. "Hey ho, the cider will have to do, I am sure it counts as one or two of my five a day?" She giggled and gulped some more.

"I am just admiring the view!" Karen said watching a couple of blokes walk past carrying their pints.

"I thought I was your view this week?" Laura huffed on her cigarette.

"Oh, you are sweetie, but they were rather gorgeous?" Karen smiled at the thought of the blokes.

"Just checking I was the one in bed with your tonight?" Laura asked raising her eyebrow and then finishing off the cider.

"Yes, of course, but there is no harm in admiring the art, is there?" Karen mooted as she exhaled before stubbing her cigarette out.

"That's good honey" she said and leaned across in an attempt to kiss Karen, which took Karen by surprize.

"Ooh, PDA", replied Karen backing her head away from Laura.

Laura looked dejected at Karen, she had refused her kiss, was she embarrassed by her? She was concerned.

"It was only a kiss?" Laura said exhaling whilst stubbing her cigarette out.

"Yes, but in public sweetie, we are just friends... with benefits!" Whispered Karen before taking another cigarette out of the pack and lighting it.

"Oh," Laura stated making a big O with her lips, feeling a little lost. "Shall I get us another drink then?" She asked as she crossed her arms across her chest and feeling the mood had been broken somewhat.

"Sounds like a plan"

"Yeah, maybe have this one then go back to the house?" Laura suggested.

"The night is young, and so I am I." Exclaimed Karen looking around the people on the quay followed by a deep cough, with which she retrieved a cigarette from the pack in front of her and lit it.

Laura smiled pensively. "You sure are".

***

Laura came back from the bar and placed the drinks on the table, Karen acknowledged her with a nod, but carried on chatting to the guys behind her. Laura retrieved a cigarette and lit it, and inhaled deeply, exhaled up to the dark sky and took a slug of her cider.

"Kaz, hello?" she asked

"Oh, Law, this is Simon and Phil, I am just saying hello, they are students down here."

"Kaz, you are about 10 years older than them?!" She stated, "I am feeling a little tired after the drive."

Karen smiled and inhaled on her cigarette, "I know, but I am having fun." She grinned happily.

"Hey Sean, hope you are well? x" Laura texted from her phone as Karen continued to ignore her as she flirted and chatted to the guys.

***

"We could have brought both of back with us and had, you know, had some fun?" Karen said dejectedly as she trudged back up the hill.

"But Kaz," Laura said stopping and grabbing both Karen's hands. "Maybe I didn't want them, I want you?" she said defiantly.

"That's very kind thing to say Laura, but I thought we were down here on holiday to have some excitement?"

"We are going to, but together?" Laura asked looking at Karen's eyes for confirmation

"Yes, of course, let's get back to the house have a drink or two and get in to bed. Together!" Karen said rather unconvincingly.

Wednesday

Laura rolled over as she coughed as the old bed springs bonged and creaked as her body shook with the coughs, she grabbed her cigarette from the bedside unit, lit it and had a double pump inhale. She looked back over her shoulder, Karen wasn't there. She was sure that she was there when they went to bed. She sat there and smoked her cigarette and listened.

There was silence in the house all she could hear were seagulls outside, the fizzle of the tobacco burning in her cigarette between her fingers, her own heartbeat thumping and her ever present morning thud in her hungover head.

She inhaled and listened to her own chest wheeze and then exhaled, flicked the long ash into the ashtray beside the bed and slowly swung her legs out of the bed, the mattress creaked under her heavy weight as she lifted herself out of the bed. She stopped for another deep cough following the sudden movement of getting out of bed and bent down to pick up her top from yesterday and coughed again. She balanced the cigarette in the ashtray and pulled her top over her head, picked up her cigarette and then progressed to the bathroom for her morning pee.

She creeped down the stairs whilst dangling her cigarette to see Karen asleep snoring on the sofa with a coat over her as a duvet, Laura stopped to think, why she would not have slept upstairs with her.