• “You know what?” Melanie said in a bored tone as she exhaled the smoke, “I’m a b***h.” It wasn’t so much as the message as it was the nonchalant way that the writer delivered this sudden revelation that drew Damien’s attention away from the squirrel that he had been following through the lens of his camera. Normally he was able to simply ignore all the convoluted bullshit that seemed to pour from the woman’s mouth every time she opened it, but never before had she said something so bluntly. Especially when it came to herself. Somewhere between the tree he was standing under and the low wall that Melanie currently leaned against signals were crossed and Damian’s blank look was mistaken for confusion. “No really, I am.” Melanie continued, “At least, that’s what my coworkers always tell me and they’d never lie to me so it must be true.”

    With that, Melanie sighed before taking another long drag from her cigarette, chocking as she exhaled. The two then fell into an uncomfortable silence as the woman recovered from her coughing fit. Looking down at the cigarette in her hand with a slight expression of annoyance, Melanie started to fiddle with it as if trying to find a position that didn’t feel so awkward in her hands. It was this motion accompanied by the slightly disgusted look she had on her face every time she took a drag that made Damien wonder whether or not this was just another show this woman was putting on.
    “Can I ask you something?” There was a slight pause as Melanie continued to fumble with her cigarette.
    “Shoot.”
    “How long have you been a smoker?”

    The question seemed to catch Melanie off guard as the woman looked from Damien back to the smoldering tip of her cigarette, as if the object held all the answers she’d need. After a moment of this silent consideration, Melanie shrugged and said, “Since… three hours ago.” With this answer and the slightly pathetic tone it was said in, Damien’s brow rose in question. Three hours ago she had called him saying that they should meet in the park and two hours before that she had called him to say she was going to have a lunch date with her boyfriend. Obviously something happened there that she wasn’t ready to talk about, at least not yet, but to pick up smoking? Sometimes this woman made no sense.

    Walking over to where she stood, Damien plucked the cigarette out of her hand and threw it on the ground before stomping it out. “I would suggest laying off the nicotine,” He said with a wry smile, “you already have enough bad habits as it is.”