Life Decisions - Life with Karen

"Tomorrow is another day; we have still got fun to have today!" Karen smiled.

"Shall we finish these, and head down to the beach?" Laura asked as she inhaled on her cigarette again.

"Yeah, why not!"

Once the girls had finished their wine, they stumbled from the veranda of beach café and on to the sand. They stopped and leaned against each other to take their shoes off and made their way down to the water line with their cigarettes in one hand and their shoes in the other. They could see the castle and the various large boats out to sea. The autumnal sun was starting to set over the houses to the west.

"This is rather nice, but just wish it wasn't spinning." Giggled Laura.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Karen said taking a draw on her cigarette and gently exhaling letting the exhale drift off in the wind as she dropped the spent cigarette to the sand.

"It's gorgeous, we should go in for a swim?"

"Oh, go on, or may be just a paddle, it will be fun" Karen said before inhaling on her cigarette as Laura gave her handbag over.

"Shall we?" Laura asked and Karen nodded and smiled.

Laura screamed, "The water is fucking freezing!" as she waded into the water fully clothed. "Are you not going to join me?"

"I did say paddle. So, er... no!" Karen said giggling from the beach and pointing at Laura stood splashing around in the water up to her knees of her leggings as a large wave brought the water up to her waist. "We don't have a towel or anything until we get home!"

"Aghhh, tits and arse, its bollocks its cold!" Laura shouted and screamed back as she stumbled in the sand as the waves rolled in and pushed her back towards the beach. She waded ashore shivering and dripping. "Give me a ciggy, need to warm up!" Laura shivered as stood there still dripping. Karen dug into her hand back, pulled out and lit two cigarettes before handing one to shivering Laura as she stumbled out of the sea.

***

The girls trudged back up to the house Laura squelching in her sea wet and then piss wet leggings as they staggered up the hill. Laura had thought of a way to warm her cold wet leggings was by peeing as she walked. No sooner was in the front door had she sat down and peeled off her leggings before climbing up the stairs to the bathroom. She sat on the toilet naked inhaling deeply on her cigarette, whilst waiting for the bath to fill up.

She wiggled her bum, dropped the cigarette between her legs and flushed and slowly got up and on the three steps to the bath turned looked in the mirror to see her puffy tired drunk eyes looking back and her growing crow's feet around the eyes, she shook her head gingerly bent over, coughed, and picked up her pack of cigarettes and lighter off the floor, placed them in the soap indent and turned off the taps and climbed in to the bath, she sat down and then slid down until she got the warm water above her shoulders and relaxed.

Karen opened the bathroom door whilst dangling a cigarette and swayed into the bathroom carefully carrying a cup of coffee sat on the edge of the bath.

"I will put this on the windowsill?" She asked as she unsteadily got up and Laura nodded, and Karen placed the mug on the windowsill and flicked her ash into the sink "You ok hon? You got a little cold there!" She said as she sat back down on the edge of the bath and gently stroked Laura's stubbly hairy legs.

"Yup feeling a little better for having the bath, I am sure, it was good idea at the time to go in the sea." Laura frowned. "Oh, I am enjoying you stroking my leg, just watch out with my legs, they are a little hairy, haven't shaved them this week."

"It's ok Law, I'm the same, and oh I've put your soaking leggings and knickers on the radiator to see if they will dry overnight."

"Oh, you are kind honey, does mean we need to work out how to get the central heating to work!"

"Oh, of course."

"Honey..." Laura smiled, "...there should be room, do you want to get in with me too?"

***

The sat in front of the old electric 3 bar fire beside Laura's black leggings and large striped granny cut knickers balanced on the back of chair in front of it. They were both wrapped in old moth-eaten dressing gowns which had found in a wardrobe with a cup of coffee and fresh cigarette each.

"Think it will be nice to get home, don't you think Law?" Karen asked manicuring her cigarette in the ashtray between them.

"Well, I was enjoying Cornwall until my swim impromptu swim..." Laura smiled then forced her exhale.

"Well, I did say we should paddle?" Karen warmed herself as she inhaled on her cigarette, "but you being you, jumped straight in!" Tutted mid exhale.

Laura nodded, "I may have got carried away..." she smiled as she manicured her cigarette and drew on it again.

"I am grateful you didn't freeze to death, but we in and warm now." Karen smiled and took a deep drag on her cigarette.

Laura sighed, "But I know tomorrow we have a bliming long drive, but hey we will be home together for the weekend. Probably need to go shopping and sort the house out for Monday?"

"Oh fuck, yeah, think we left it in a pigsty, we will also need to straighten this place up before we leave it." Karen said looking around at the full ashtray and Laura's clothes on the back of the chair.

"Shall we order a pizza tonight, don't think I can face going out again, my legs are knackered from the walk, plus my leggings are not particularly dry?" Laura grinned.

"Sounds like a plan." Karen said before coughing "Also I think an early night is needed by both of us and coughed again. "I think I've got a cold coming." As she coughed again.

Friday

Laura squeezed her thighs together as with her latest dangled her cigarette as she opened the front door and Karen followed her in.

"Well done on getting us home safely." Karen said dropping their bags at her feet and then giving Laura a hug and kiss on the cheek.

"It's ok, I am looking forward to getting some clean clothes on." Smiled Laura as she sniffed her two day old t-shirt.

"Shall I pour us a drink from the fridge?" Karen asked as she dumped her bag at the bottom of the stairs and walked towards the kitchen exhaling her smoke as she spoke.

"First I am going to change out these stinking clothes and have a pee!" Laura said as she slowly climbed the stairs. "Then think about having a drink, but please help yourself to the wine".

***

Laura effectively bounced back down the stairs in her short shorts and t-shirt wrapped in her dressing gown dangling a recently lit cigarette.

"You know something Kaz?" She asked as she sat down on the sofa and inhaled on her cigarette.

"What?"

"It's the soberest I have come down those stairs for a long time, it was almost easy." She smiled.

"I am sure we will soon solve that." Karen said before pulling a cigarette out of the pack on the arm of the sofa and lighting it. Once she had inhaled and exhaled "Did you manage to get hold of Zoe to see if she was around this evening?"

"Yeah, she said she unavailable as she was out on a date!"

"Really?" Karen exhaled her smoke in surprise "She sneaked that one up on us, do we know who?"

"She was being really coy in her texts, so I guess we do know who it is!" Laura said before closing her eyes deeply as she drew on her cigarette.

"Shall I pour you a glass of wine?" Karen asked as she flicked the ash from her cigarette.

Laura finished exhaling and shook her head. "No, I think I am going to have a cup of tea. I am rather thirsty." Laura nodded approvingly.

"How come?" a surprized Karen asked with her exhale?

"Because I think that one glass or three of wine and other drinks is the reason, I didn't get something I actually wanted." Laura mused and then inhaled.

"Oh?" exhaled and screwed her face up thinking what Laura meant. "What do you mean?

"Any way shall I get some dinner on?" Laura asked changing the topic, "there are some frozen chicken and chips in the freezer I think?" Groaning as she got up off the sofa and padded into the kitchen.

Saturday

"Fuck I need my morning cigarette." Coughed Laura as she reached across and grabbed her pack of Reds and her lighter and deeply inhaled on the lit cigarette.

"Is it morning already?" asked Karen before she started coughing as well, trying to keep her eyes shut.

"Yup it is, bright and sunny morning, here have a ciggy!" Laura said shaking the cigarette out of the packing for Karen to pick up.

"You are a life saver for my lungs." Karen said before lighting her cigarette, after a couple of deep inhales. "My head hurts though."

"Well, you did finish a lot of the wine box in the fridge yourself." Laura grinned before taking another draw on her own cigarette.

"Did I?" Karen asked asking out loud but realised how much her head hurt so had another draw on her cigarette, "Did you not help me?" She asked with exhale.

"No, I was too tired from driving to have a drink last night, and my stomach hurts, maybe tonight if we go out."

"Maybe we ought to see if Zoe is about for lunch?" Karen asked as she looked around before flicking her ash on to the bedroom floor and shrugging her shoulders before inhaling again.

Laura rolled her eyes at Karen, "Yeah, but I think she is miffed we didn't invite her to Cornwall..." Laura suggested manicuring her cigarette in the ashtray on the bedside table, before picking it up and balancing it on the bed between them.

"Oh, I see, we both got rather excited on that Friday afternoon!" Karen said pensively with another exhale. "Maybe I should spend some time at my place this afternoon instead?"

"Up to you, I need to get washing done and sort the house out, my mother is bound to make an inspection at some point before Monday..." Laura sighed before drawing on her cigarette.

"Maybe I will..." Karen said sat there thinking.

"Anyway, it's up to you, I am going to go and have a shower, you can either join me or I will see you downstairs for breakfast." Laura said stubbing her cigarette out in the ashtray on the bed side table.

***

"Law, I was thinking that maybe I will head back to my place this afternoon, firstly to do some clothes washing, and secondly get my stuff together for going back to work on Monday?" Karen asked before lighting her second breakfast cigarette with a cough.

"Oh ok, yeah, you are not trapped here, I thought you, you know, where enjoying it here?" Laura said before sipping her coffee and manicuring her cigarette in the ashtray between them, then drawing deeply on it.

"Oh, I am, but after being away, I just, you know, I've thought about it, and I want to go home?" Karen said with her exhale.

Laura swallowed her coffee with a large gulp "It's fine, I was enjoying your company." she smiled and flicked her cigarette against the ashtray again.

"Thanks sweetie, it's been a good week away, honestly."

Laura smiled again and drew on her cigarette "I know," she said with her exhale and with her left hand took Karen's hand and squeezed it.

***

Laura standing in front of the bedroom mirror as she attempted to squeeze her bulging belly into her blue denim jeans. "Fuck I haven't worn these for a day or two." she sighed as breathed out letting her stomach overhang. She nodded for a second before one final deep breath in with her cigarette dangled in the corner of her mouth and with a loud groan popped the button into the hole. She relaxed as the button took the strain. Then pivoted on her toes to see how she looked and smiled at how the fitted jeans stretched and enhanced her fat bottom. She walked over to the ashtray and flicked the ash into it inhaled and then headed towards the stairs.

"You look good Law!" Karen said poking her head around the door from the bathroom as Laura creaked on the floorboards outside the door.

"Thanks, Kaz" She smiled and leaned in for a kiss before heading down the stairs.

Laura got to the bottom of the stairs and flumped on the sofa and waited waiting for Karen to get her stuff together so she could drop her home. She got her phone out and messaged Zoe.

"Hey Zo, fancy meeting for a coffee this afternoon? Want to catch up! xxx"

Instant response

"Busy today, might be able to tomorrow? X"

"Oh, ok, yes to tomorrow, let me know what time xxx"

"K x" was the response.

"She is never busy!" Laura thought to herself as she finished her cigarette off, stubbing it out in the ashtray balanced on the arm of the sofa.

"Hey, you could have used my washing machine?" Laura exclaimed as Karen thudded down the stairs carrying her large suitcase.

"I know, but as I said, I just want to get home" she said dropping the bags at the bottom of the stairs. "I will come back, maybe after work on Monday, just want some time to myself"

"Oh, ok hon, Let's get this in the car, and I will drop you home." Laura got up and gave Karen a kiss on the cheek and a bear hug, wiping the tear that came down her cheek as she stepped back.

***

Laura sniffed hard as she walked through Tesco's and sighed as picked up a couple of microwave lasagnes for one. She almost forced them in the basket, then walked to the wine aisle and picked up a couple of bottles of chardonnay but thought about it and put one back. She queued up at the tobacco counter, asked for three packs of reds, and paid for her wine and lasagnes, she also paid the 10p extra for the carrier bag and headed out of the store.

She paused at the front door as the blast of cold wind got her, retrieved a cigarette from the open pack in her handbag sheltered the cigarette from the wind with her hand and lit it with a deep inhale and headed off home on her own.

The Friday Evening Before.

"Hey Sean, thanks for agreeing to see me this evening!" Zoe said exhaling and stubbing her cigarette out with her black shoes.

"It's ok, ever since I gave you that lift back to Zoe's the other month, I have been noticing you around the office." Sean smiled.

"Stalking me?"

"Oh no, erm..." Sean smiled "...well, I don't think so, shall we go in?" Sean asked opening the door the Italian restaurant.

Zoe nodded and followed Sean into the restaurant, with the table found they sat down and opened the pleather menus.

"Just checking rules of engagement, are you having a starter? Don't want to get too excited to find myself eating lone" Sean asked

"Yeah, I can do a starter." Zoe smiled sweetly.

"Great, wine or beer?"

"Wine!"

"Excellent"

***

"Night cap in Spoons?" Sean asked as they walked out the restaurant arm in arm.

"Do you mind if I say no?" Zoe asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Of course, not" Sean smiled kindly.

"It's been a long day, and I got up early for work." Zoe smiled back.

"It's absolutely fine"

"But." she paused and opened her handbag, and then looked up at Sean, "I could do coffee, if you want to come over?"

Sean slowly nodded. "Oh, of course I can"

"Great, but first I need a cigarette before we do anything." Zoe said rummaging in her bag and retrieving her pack and lighter.

The End....

The story continues with Life Decisions Christmas with Karen and Trisha.