A J. Castagno short story..

Big Tom’s Smoke Shop had long since succumbed to the move away from high end cigars and pipe tobacco, choosing to hawk instead a vast collection of neon colored flavored vapes and strangely shaped glass “pipes”. The window tint had yellowed under the unblinking Florida sun and silently flickering in the grimy window, a faded neon “open” sign sputtered and blinked out its forlorn message. A collage of stickers from various tobacco and vape companies peeling along the edges covered the double doors – washed out from long exposure to the same sun that had relentlessly attempted to penetrate the floor to ceiling windows. Firmly affixed to the top of the one working door, a small brass bell intended to announce the arrival of any timid soul brave enough to venture into the interior; it hadn’t worked in years not that there had been any substantive traffic to announce.

It had been a long hot summer trying to get healthy, she had cut down to four cancer sticks a day as her mother used to call them… that was winning right, not that there was anyone to ask; trading two packs a day for sweet cherry vape was progress wasn’t it… and it tasted good too. She pushes through the door shivering just a bit as the icy cold air hits her, there is a sweet oily smell in the air – a combination of syrupy sugar and industrial cleaner. The grimy exterior had given way to garishly bright fluorescent lights illuminating the shelves of vape cartridges and bouncing off the glass display cases holding a broad collection of brightly colored glass pipes. She hadn’t been able to find any “Lost Mary”, some man-boy trying to impress her had given her one months ago, he had been sweet but still just a boy… a weakness if she was honest with herself. He had faded, but the taste of that cherry mist hadn’t; only problem is you couldn’t find it anywhere up here; maybe it was just a South Florida thing she mused wandering through the aisle not really paying attention to the myriad of colored boxes.  

Josh had watched her stroll through the door, it wasn’t often anyone bothered to patronize Tom’s never mind a woman put together like this one, a combination of ‘90s cool and edgy punk… she seemed young at first glance, but if you looked a little closer you might notice the marks of a life lived, heartbreaks, and hardship… it had smoothed out her natural beauty a bit, but there was something intoxicating as well – the essence of the feminine emanating almost effortlessly from her. He stammers out, “can I help you find something…”  She glances up with a wan smile, “Lost Mary?…  cherry?” He wasn’t really her type or maybe he was she thinks wondering if she is falling back into bad habits? He was cute no doubt, younger-probably too young with a full beard and a well inked sleeve… what you would expect in here she thinks to herself. She shakes the thought loose noticing that he is standing just a little to close, close enough she can smell the cheap cologne and beard oil he had anointed himself with a little to generously that morning. 

He steps back, “actually I think we have a couple over here…” he wanders down the aisle and reaches up pulling down two of the dark pink boxes, “yep two left… forty-eight bucks apiece, pretty expensive… you sure you want them?” She nods contemplating whether to give him her number or not… lately she had sworn off men again, well bad relationships anyway, which of course they all seemed to evolve to at some point. Then came the inevitable recriminations, the feelings of inadequacy, the heartache and tears. It was routine she was all too familiar with, yet she still seemed unable to break the habit. Loneliness has its own demands and more times than not they trumped good sense and knowing better. She places her card on the counter and gives him a smile finding the strength somehow to turn without giving in… progress right? He watches her go wondering what it would be like to have a woman like that, he shakes his head thinking he should have asked for her number as he watches the door close behind her… Lost Mary… cherry flavor he thinks with a grin… damn she was hot.