Watching Her

The most irritating thing about the car she was following as she crawled home in traffic that it was it an old white Skoda diesel car and the smoke and soot was pouring out it every time it accelerated. She almost growled as she flipped the vent on the blower to recirculation to try and keep the air in the car clean. She didn't fancy taking deep breaths of gunk in.

Eventually got home and picked up the junk mail post and put it on the bottom step and kicked off her heals and then climbed the stairs, she had only one thing on her mind, and that was to talk to her reflection in the mirror.

Lucy flumped down on the stool and leaned on the tabletop and studied the reflection. It copied her, it was a normal mirror, there was 30-year young women looking back at her. The ashtray in the reflection was clean and empty as was hers. She shook her head and slowly unbuttoned her blouse. Her mirror image copied her until they both tossed blouse on the floor behind her. She was sitting in front of the mirror in just her boring white work bra. Her practically China clay white skin with the exception of a dark brown mole just above the right breast, Lucy was proud of her slim figure. She smiled at the mirror and attempted to tease it by moving her white straps along her shoulders as if the bra were going to come off, but the mirror didn't play ball, it was just a reflection of her moving her straps around. She shook her head and shivered and so spun her legs around to pick up her t-shirt off the bed, she picked up her blouse off the floor and threw it on to the bed. As she fought it and put her arm holes through it, she turned around and looked at the mirror again. Her Reflection in the baggy shirt smiled back. Their hands reached for the pack and pulled out a cigarette.

"Bitch!" Lucy swore at her reflection.

Lucy's reflection shrugged her shoulders and placed a cigarette between her lips. The Reflection intimated to Lucy to pick up her pack.

She slid her hand over the pack and both of them nodded in unison, her Reflections cigarette bounced between her lips. Lucy picked up the pack and was faced with the cellophane after a few seconds the wrapping was off and in the ashtray. Her reflection smiled at her as she patiently waited for Lucy to catch up.

Lucy pulled out the filter between her sunshine yellow painted fingernails and nervously placed it between her lips.

"Now what?" Lucy mumbled as the cigarette perched between her lips.

Her Reflection looked down towards the lighter on the table and in unison they both picked it up.

They flipped open the gold lighter and the flame instantly appeared and in synchronised harmony the flames touched the end of the cigarette, a perfect reflection, Lucy copied the two drags to get the cigarette alight. She kept her eyes on the reflection as she smelt the awful burning smell and then felt the smoke as it rushed down her throat and hit her now waiting lungs. She waited for the cough. Everyone always talks about the cough with your first cigarette. She kept her blue eyes focused on her Reflection it never materialised. She felt the smoke in her mouth as she tried not to blink as kept her eyes on the Reflection as the smoke then suddenly arrived in her lungs. They instinctively smiled at each other and then as per the reflection she tilted her head and exhaled the perfect cone.

"Fuck, I am actually smoking a cigarette!" Lucy and her reflection said together. "I needed that." They said together this time with a slightly deeper voice. Lucy looked puzzled as to why she said that.

Her Reflection in the mirror smiled at her and intimated towards her hand to go again.

The two of them placed the cigarette between their lips and their cheeks collapsed in perfect harmony as they pulled the smoke in to their lungs and then removed the cigarette from their lips as they held the smoke for half a second as they stared at each other. They then exhaled the smoke in a repeated cone. There was no coughing, no problems at all, Lucy was feeling the adrenaline and the nicotine doing their thing as she could hear her heart beating in the silence and was starting to feel a pleasurable wooziness come like a crashing wave over her.

They kept their eyes on each other through the smoky haze. Lucy was trying to study the deeper crow's feet in the corner of her Reflection's eyes, the slightly more pronounced wrinkles on her forehead. Her Reflection rudely distracted her again by looking across towards her hand. It wanted more nicotine! The Reflection needed Lucy's help.

Their arms moved again in time with each other attempting to outstare each other. The cigarette placed in the middle of the lips, their cheeks concaving together. The tip of the cigarette burning bright orange as the lungs pulled the smoke deep within the chamber. As the Reflection held the smoke in their lungs, Lucy did too. Waiting for permission from her reflection to exhale. After the beat of one second the sound of a mobile phone ring tone belted up the stairs Lucy instinctively looked away towards the door, and away from the mirror. She instantly lost eye contact with her Reflection. Unfortunately, she still with a lungful of smoke and it was then she spluttered and coughed hard. She dropped the cigarette in the ashtray as she bent over double, leaning forward on her legs and coughed between her legs, she sputtered, urged, and coughed again.

She unsteadily got up as she kept coughing, gasping for air as she glared at the mirror as she staggered towards the door and used her hand on the door frame for support, the ringing is getting louder she got down the stairs. She was wheezing trying to get oxygen in her now smoke poisoned lungs. The phone is on the kitchen counter vibrating and clattering whilst ringing away, she stares at the screen, it's an unknown local number, and she frantically swiped up twice to try to answer.

"Hi, we understand you have been in a car accident in the last three years that wasn't your fault, please press 1 to talk to a trained operator...."

Lucy again coughed, glared, and swore loudly at the phone screen and quickly pressed the large red button and dropped it noisily back on the counter. With focus she shuffled over and pulled a glass out of the cupboard and quickly filled it with tap water. She hurriedly chugged down the water as if putting out a fire. Lucy instantly filled it back up again. The water was dripping down the side of her mouth splashing on her top and the counter as she focused on quickly pouring water down her throat trying to remove the awful taste from her mouth.

She sat down on her sofa and as she took a deep breath and exhaled fresh air as she sighed loudly. Lucy was conflicted, her mouth tasted like coal, but her brain was certainly enjoying the nicotine rush. She threw her head back against the sofa as she cried out in frustration and stared at the ceiling whilst she panted desperately for delightful oxygen.

Chapter 8

Five hours later, and yet another long conversation with her mum, it was dark, Lucy sat back on the stool looking at her reflection in the mirror. She was lit by just the angle light beside her, in the darkness it was just her and her mirror image. It had been driving her mad that the intensity and pleasure from that first cigarette was amazing and she was enjoying it until the phone wrang.

Lucy had plugged the phone in to socket near the bed to charge overnight and purposely turned it on to silent. She needed to focus. She sat there staring at the mirror, the pungent smell from the half-smoked cigarette still emitting from the ashtray ticking her nose. She had been too cross with herself to throw it out just yet. She sat there impatiently and frustratedly waiting for her Reflection to change. Nothing happened. It was still her. She tried turning her back, she tried pulling her t-shirt on and off, took her bra off and dropped it on the floor nothing changed. She sat there topless in front of the mirror, her smallish perky C cup white breasts, with light pink mammary with small nipples reflected back. Nothing.

Lucy huffed loudly and leaned on the tabletop as she went to move to get up, but glanced back at her topless Reflection which stayed put and grinned back at her.

"You are a Bitch!" she shouted at herself in the mirror as she sat back down.

The eyes of the Reflection looked down at the open pack. "Okay, let's do this again!" Lucy stated as both her and her Reflection rubbed her hands together confidently.

Within seconds Lucy was staring at her Reflection, the white cylinder with the dark almost mysterious tobacco stuffed in end looking back at her. Again, she was mildly surprized and taken aback by the heat and brightness near her nose hot flame from the lighter that in perfect harmony with the one in the mirror touched the cigarette and as she followed her Reflection. Her cheeks collapsed as if she had done this thousands of times as she pulled the thick grey smoke in to her lungs.

In harmony they removed the cigarette from their lips allowing an initial cloud of smoke from the filter to appear in front of their faces as the deep suction was removed. They looked at each other almost gaming who was going to exhale first. Lucy was almost enjoying the barrage of smoke as it hit her lungs. As the flood nicotine that again started to be pumped around Lucy's blood stream as they tilted their head and exhaled a backlit cloud of smoke into the darkness of the room.

Lucy kept her eyes on her Reflection the whole time even as they tilted, she didn't dare lose sight of her again. They almost teasingly together ran her tongue across her lips to deal with the bitter taste she could feel on her tongue. She desperately tried to see if she could find a drink, but before she could move, her Reflection again looked at the cigarette burning between her fingers. The steady stream of smoke leaving the tip and heading straight up, she was demanding another drag. There was no rest for the wicked.

Lucy gulped and submitted to the request, and her Reflection smiled at her as she placed the orange filter back between her lips and Lucy smiled too, she was transfixed by her reflection as the tip of the cigarette fizzed as they both inhaled.

For the next three and a half minutes Lucy and her Reflection worked in harmony. As the ash on the cigarette grew, her Reflection would look towards the ashtray beside them and they would flick the long greying ash off, before quickly returning the filter to their lips.

Like dancing without music with her Reflection. It led them a waltz around the smoke-filled dancefloor until finally they were at the butt. With one final exhale Lucy followed her Reflection as they triumphantly stubbed the cigarette out in the ashtray. Lucy looked up and smiled, and her Reflection smiled back too as she watched a little more smoke drift out of her nose as she breathed out.

As the smoke quickly dispersed the next glance back at the reflection her face in the mirror was normal. It had morphed back, she leaned forward, nope, it was her again in the mirror, the glass clearly showed the two butts rather than the ten in the ashtray.

She sat there staring at herself as all that could hear in the silence of the darkened room was the fast beat her heart thumping loudly as it pumped the nicotine around her bloodstream. She felt elated, but with the buzz she got up and felt the queasy and giddiness. She felt as if she was drunk, she stumbled in just her black thong as she headed desperately to the bathroom to gargle mouthwash to try and remove the putrid taste in her mouth.

Chapter 9

Lucy slept soundly, only to be rudely woken by her alarm. She winced as she could smell the smoke in her hair that lay across her face as she sniffed it, she shook her head and climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom to start her morning ritual.

She sat down in front of the mirror in her towel around her chest and unravelled her hair, she wouldn't normally wash her hair so frequently, but she was nervous about the smell of cigarettes in the office.

She bent down and retrieved the air dryer from the under the dressing table and started to dry her long hair after five minutes she was happy that it was dry, she pulled it up out of her face with a hairband on the dressing table and started to look at her make up.

Her Reflection cheekily grinned at her and glanced down at the pack of cigarettes.

Lucy's heart sunk "No not now, please, not before work, that is not fair, I have just had a shower!" she glared at herself.

The face in the mirror again stared at the pack, asking for Lucy to open it.

"You did it all by yourself the other day!" Lucy begged as if she was talking to a toddler, rather than herself.

Her Reflection continued staring at the pack.

"Oh, are you sure?"

Her Reflection stared at the pack and then back at her and smiled kindly.

Lucy's shoulders dropped, she looked back at the alarm clock. "Oh, go on, I think I have time for just one!" She relented far too easily.

As their hands in symmetry went for the pack and extracted a cigarette.

The cigarette was lit, and the smoke inhaled, the mirror teased her holding the smoke for what seemed like ages within her lungs before letting her exhale only a small pathetic steam of smoke. Lucy was surprised as to where it had gone, but her body was soon enjoying the rush again.

They repeated the process once again, Lucy desperate not to lose eye contact on the reflection whilst inhaling and exhaling. With the whisps of the exhale still drifting out of her mouth, the reflection looked down at the makeup, and smiled.

"You want me to smoke and do my makeup?" Lucy asked.

The Reflection nodded.

"I kinda guess I need to get ready!" Lucy said to her reflection and picked up her foundation cream and placed the cigarette in the ashtray and started to cover her face in cream. As she smoothed it in the reflection stared at her as if she were doing something wrong and looked at the cigarette burning on the ashtray.

"Oh, you want me to smoke whilst a do this, can I?

Lucy instinctively flicked the cigarette to knock off the growing ash and her reflection copied her, and she then placed the cigarette as instructed in the corner of her lips.

She tried to focus on the makeup, trying to add layers, the reflection was kind to let her take it out of her mouth to breath normally ever couple of drags, but with the cigarette dangled the smoke kept going up her nose. She eventually stubbed the cigarette out and focused on getting the makeup done.

She finished with her lipstick and dropped it on the table and was about to get up and her Reflection glared at her again.

"Look, I need to get to work!"

Her Reflection looked at the pack on the table and back at her again and flattered her eye lids.

"You want me to have another cigarette?"

And with that she reluctantly but quickly sat back down like a good girl that she was and flicked open the pack.

Chapter 10

"Morning Lucy!" Tammy said as she popped up from behind the grey desk divider.

Lucy grinned as she made her way into the office "Morning Tam!" she then took a large gulp from her McDonalds coffee cup, desperate to remove the lingering taste of the last cigarette from her mouth. She then removed her jacket and settled down on her chair. She looked up at Tammy still leaning on the office divider. "You okay Tam?"

"Yeah..." Tammy looked down as Lucy wiggled her mouse to bring her computer alive, she then loudly sniffed the air and Lucy looked up pensively "...Oh is that a new perfume?"

Lucy relaxed "Yeah, well, it was actually my grandmothers, goodness knows how old it is, but I found it in an old draw, and there was some left, it is really sweet and fragrant, it almost takes me back to being a child!"

"Great, there is nothing scary overnight in the emails this morning."

Lucy rolled her eyes and smiled "That's a relief!"

"Do you want another coffee?" Tammy asked as she headed towards the kitchen carrying her white mug.

"Nah, I've got this one, thanks!" Lucy lifted to McDonalds cup and took a gulp and watched Tammy stride off towards the kitchen.

As she turned to focus on her computer, which still hadn't come to life and all she could see was her face reflected in the computer screen, she frowned and wiggled the mouse yet again and then looked up as Simon walked past, she got the noticeable smell of a freshly smoked cigarette permeating off him. Her nose unusually followed Simon as he walked past, he stopped and looked back at her.

"You okay Lucy, do you need anything from me?" he asked as she stared at him.

"Oh, I would...sorry, in a daydream, need more coffee." She said and took a gulp "Have a good day Si!" she grinned and nervously waved before cursing and hiding behind her computer. She nearly said she would like a cigarette...

Tammy waked back in carrying her mug in both hands "That's better warm the fingers up before attacking the keyboard." Lucy nodded and twiddled with the end of her hair. "Are you going to come out with us this evening?"

Lucy nodded "Yeah, why not, nothing on telly tonight is there!"

"There is nothing ever interesting on Telly!"

"Are we jeansing or dressing up tonight?" Lucy asked as Tammy sat down behind the divider.

"Oh, thinking we could dress up a little, got a new top and skirt last weekend!" Tammy stated, her voice appearing as if from nowhere.

Lucy nodded to herself as the stared at the blue homescreen on her computer and typed in her password. "Great, are we meeting at eight as usual?"

"Yeah, why not!"

"Wonderful..." Lucy replied as she lost her train of thought as she started to read her emails "Oh hell Mr Halliwell as emailed a snotty complaint again."

Tammy laughed "Have fun hon!"

Chapter 11

Lucy poured herself a glass of wine and sat down on her sofa. She swirled the wine around and smiled as she caught her elongated face in the glass before taking a gulp. She looked up towards the stairs and hummed to herself. She wiggled her bottom into the sofa and pulled up her legs and tucked them under herself and took another gulp of wine, she had an hour or two before she had to leave.

After five minutes of being unsettled on the sofa she got up, she just couldn't get comfortable. She carried her wine glass up the stairs and opened her wardrobe and between gulps of wine looked through her now hung-up tops and dresses. She picked out a couple of options and then promptly sat down in front of her dressing table. She looked at the mirror sat there and offered the tops to herself. 'I need a full-size mirror' she mused as the alternated between the red halter neck style red dress and the strappy purple number top and jeans.

As she put the red halter neck top in front of her the Reflection nodded in approval.

"Oh, isn't it a bit posh for Shades?" She seriously asked the reflection

The Reflection shook its head.

"Oh, I will trust you. It's good to know you are here now, that's early for you?" Lucy asked as she looked on, "Are you sure that one is the best?" asked with the red dress folded on her lap on front of her.

The Reflection again nodded and then smiled at Lucy and looked again longingly at the cigarette pack.

It was Lucy's turn to smile and shrugged her shoulders as then both her and the Reflection took a gulp of her wine, as she put the glass down on the tabletop Lucy hesitantly pulled out a cigarette and placed it between her lips, she then panicked, and then hung her tops up on the old brass handle of the dressing table and it was then just the both of them smiling with the cigarette between their lips that they quickly lit up.

They alternated drag on the cigarette and sip on the wine, Lucy enjoyed that the wine washed the taste of the cigarette away rather nicely, but also enjoyed the buzz from the cigarette.