Smoking Paradise Origins Marion

This story is part of a little trilogy of "how did the residents get to the island" you may find it interesting, or you may not.

I have tried to have a different story for each character. I hope that its enough to hold your interest.

I hope that there is enough smoking and hints of sexy women smoking and drinking for you all to enjoy.

Thanks again,

B

1983

Chapter 1

Go Grease Lighting was yet again playing quietly on the old juke box as Marion Jones cleaned down the surface of the heavily varnished mahogany bar picking up the splatter of spilt beer and cigarette ash, she smiled as it was the end of the lunchtime rush and the office workers had all reluctantly gone back to attempt to tipsily finish their afternoon of business sales, she poured herself on the optic a double vodka and settled down on the stool at the end of the bar and after striking one of the matches from pubs branded box as she lit her cigarette. Her exhale joined the fading fug that had engulfed the pub over lunch as she crossed her skinny white legs over, straightening up her miniskirt as the slightly cover her thin legs as she inhaled again.

She exhaled another cone and sipped her drink then placed the cigarette in the ashtray as a shadow was created at the open door; she smiled as the powerful smell of aftershave engulfed the bar as young slim, clean shaven and darkly tanned Martin Fitzpatrick walked in.

"Afternoon sweetheart, long time now see!" he said as he smiled with a cheesy wink and walked up and leaned his frame against the now clean bar with his elbow.

She shook her head "So your usual tipple Martin?" She stated with a smile as she stretched as she reached on tiptoes highlighting her braless breasts fighting tightly against her form fitting top as she stretched her fingers and retrieved the handled pint glass from shelf above the bar.

"Oh, thank you, yes please Marion." His white teeth on show as he smiled back and took a pack of cigarettes out of his crisp ironed white shirt pocket and picked up the pack of matches off the bar and lit up before hopping up on the bar stool as she handed him the pint of warm ale and he handed her handful of change. "Keep the rest." He smiled at her.

"Oh, you are so kind, thank you!"

"No problem!" He grinned flashing his white teeth contrasting against his dark tanned skin.

"So, what sunny destination have you been for the last fortnight, as I haven't seen you for a while and you're late in today?" she asked with a smile as she quickly turned and put the money in the till before she then leaned against the bar and picked up her cigarette up from the ashtray and drew on it as Martin sipped his beer.

He ran his spare hand through his dark thick hair "Well I have been off to an exotic island for a couple of weeks, but the downside is that I been in bloody long meeting with higher management since I got back."

She exhaled a cone as she gently nodded her head encouragingly as she listened to him talking "Oh that explains the tan, so was it holiday or something interesting?" she smiled as she then sipped her drink and then fluttered her thick mascara laden eyelids.

"Well, it's going to be all change for me!" he smiled and sipped his beer again.

"Oh why?" she tilted her head and nodded egging on and encouraging the conversation.

Martin grinned his bright white teeth, "You will never believe it, but in a couple of months' time I am going off to manage this remote island!" he stated and then took a gulp of his beer.

Her eyes widened "Oh wow, I will miss our afternoon chats," she smiled sweetly, "do you need any assistance?" she cheekily grinned and fluttered her eyelashes then flicked her ash into the green brewery branded plastic ashtray at the bar.

Martin snorted "It's not going to be fun to be honest, stuck hundreds of miles from home with a load of rather hedonistic smokers."

"In that case, do they need a bar maid?" she grinned and took a sip of her drink.

Martin shrugged his shoulders "Maybe, but I have been given the task of turning it around or closing it."

"Oh crikey!" Marion responded. "Or if you need any admin, I did my typing at evening school, 130 words per minute on the typewriter!" she smiled "What use that has done for me..." and she tilted her head back and heaved on her cigarette.

Martin picked up his pint and took two big gulps as he thought and then licked his lips of the frothy head.

"I don't think it's for you, firstly it's a long way from home. Secondly there practically no contact with the mainland with exception of a rather old boat that I think is only one large wave away from being a wreck that runs once a week from the island to the mainland and back."

Marion thoughtfully nodded "But it will be better than stuck in this dark damp smoke filled dump all day, I am sure?" she smiled and tugged at her t-shirt to show off a little more of her small chest, which Martins eyes noticed as she then flicked her ash and then took another long drag leaning against the bar trying to get Martin to look at her.

Martin twisted his mouth as he watched and appreciated the beautiful young Marion as she hungrily dragged on his company's product and nodded. He tapped his fingers on his lips "Let me talk to my bosses and see if there is budget for a second person, I might need some company." He stated and with one long gulp finished his beer. After burping he apologised and stubbed his half-smoked cigarette out in the ashtray between them. "Okay, err, right I better get back to the office, I needed that beer after the meeting, and I am too tempted to stay for second, but if you are serious about joining me on this adventure, I will get back to you later in the week."

Martin picked up his things and turned and waved goodbye from the door.

Marion, grinned, nodded to herself and picked up her vodka and had a nervous slug of her vodka realising what she had suggested. She smiled at Martin with tentative eyes "You not going to hang around for second?" her eyes brightly shone invitingly.

"Don't worry, I will be back." He shouted from the door as he smiled.

"Great! I do like the idea of an adventure."

"Well, I have another meeting tomorrow morning about it; I will see what they say." He mused out loud and rubbed his smooth chin as he thought as he leaned against the door.

She nervously twirled one of her dark brown stray hairs hanging down by her face "I finish here both today and tomorrow at seven, if you want to talk to me about it?" She smiled and batted her eyelids and flirted like crazy, her dark eyelashes flashing against her overly bright blue eyeliner as the grey smoke drifted up from her cigarette between her fingers.

***

At five past seven Marion paused in the doorway of the pub and glanced up at the rain and shivered before she protected cigarette protruding from her lips with her and, lit it and as she exhaled dropped the pack of matches back into her handbag and waved to extinguish the lit match and then flicked the spent match on to the soaking wet floor, she shuddered again in the cool evening air as she as turned to walk to the short distance back to her flat, as the rain continuously poured down and the cars drove past splashing large puddles over the pavement, she cursed herself for forgetting her umbrella or coat after a couple of paces she looked up to see black golfing umbrella hovering over her head as Martin appeared to her side and matched her steps.

"Oh, hello you!" she smiled warmly as the raindrops poured off the edge of the umbrella in front of her nose.

"Hello," he grinned back, "I know you have spent the day in a pub, and its pouring with rain but can I take you for a drink?" he nervously asked.

Marion cackled and nervously flicked her cigarette to remove the ash "As it's you, of course I guess you can, mind you I was heading home to eat, I am starving!" she said far too quickly as she then rummaged around in her handbag and brought out her lipstick to get ready to apply it.

"Okay, well shall we head around the corner for some food, I know I nice place?"

"Great, just one second" both stopped walking as she dug in her bag and pulled out a small round mirror and whilst her cigarette was between her fingers, she quickly applied some more red lipstick.

Martin grinned "Happy now?" he asked as she pursed her lips together.

"mmm...Yes!" she stated as she instantly put the cigarette back between her lips smearing the lipstick around the filter as they continued walking along.

***

They sat down in a booth at a back of another dark local pub around the corner; he had a pint whereas she had yet another double vodka and coke.

Martin lit his cigarette and exhaled before looking sternly at Marion. "I hope you were serious earlier about potentially helping me out?" he asked before taking another drag.

Marion enthusiastically nodded and pulled her own cigarette out the pack of Marlboro reds in front of her. "Err, yes, if you say it is such an amazing place to live?" She asked as Martin stroked a match and she leant forward and accepted the flame and lit her cigarette with a powerful drag as Martin wiggled and dropped the hot match in to the ashtray.

Martin smiled as the smoke between them created a cloud above their heads "Well having spent two weeks there, it's delightful, if a little crazy- it's described as remote self-sustaining Tropical Island."

"Sounds enchanting and wonderful, so why is there a plan to close it down?" Marion asked flicking her cigarette and taking another drag.

"Ah, because it's actually, err, not self-sustaining" Martin chuckled and gulped his beer. "My bosses feel like they are basically paying for ten people to live a strange life where they can freely smoke, sunbath and have fun, but we get the impression that they are more likely get stoned and have sex with each other rather than, actually getting on with building a society together and funnily enough the money men don't appreciate it, it is not the positive PR that they media guys want either."

Marion blushed and smiled and studied Martin's face with her eyes "So what's the history behind it?"

"The original idea had been that these ten people saved money over time and effectively bought an island, to build a community where people who loved to smoke, could without any problems. Well they did buy the island, but with a bit of help from us, and start to build that society, so whilst they have kept their side of the bargain, the amount of money coming from us has had to increase over the last few years. As harvests have failed, and things broke."

"So?"

Martin nodded and looked down beside him and huffed as he pulled up his black plastic briefcase and placed it on his lap, he looked at the chrome number code locks and they whizzed as spun the numbers before unclipping the chrome clasps with a successful grunt. Marion watched as he rummaged around inside the briefcase before saying "Ah hah!" he dangled his cigarette and pulled out a rolled up large sheet of paper out before closing and placing his briefcase on the empty chair beside him.

He rolled out the large sheet using the ashtray and his pint and his pack of cigarettes as paperweights to stop it curling back on himself. "You won't tell anyone about this will you he asked?"

"Even my mum?"

"Oh well maybe her." He smiled as smoke drifted out his nose. "Anyway, have a look at this, I've put it the right way around for you, but excuse me if I make a mistake, my excuse is it is upside down for me." He grinned and Marion nodded encouraging him on.

Martin pointed on the map "If you look here this is the tiny island that they settled on, it's the more sheltered one in the east" Marion's eyes followed Martin's tanned strong fingers with neatly trimmed nails as they moved across the paper. "Over here on the this tiny point is where they all live, with each hut having its own gorgeous little beach and a undisturbed views of the sea, I can confirm its absolutely stunning having spent two weeks there and at the other, far end of the island is the theme park, with a bar and rides and all good things like that, again I can confirm is great fun, in the middle here is an area where they attempt and fail to grow their own food."

"Is that because they are all stoned?" Marion giggled and took a gulp of her drink.

"Most likely, or drunk! In the last two weeks they offered me lots of both types of dried leaf..." he grinned "...anyway the important bit, over here is the large unused island. My vision is to move the islanders over to the big island and use the space on the southwestern slopes as farm, on the east here is a small lake and waterfall, this can be used as a tourist destination and importantly generate some income."

"How?"

Martin nodded as she smiled knowingly, "Well going back to the original income method Time Share is all the rage, if I can build let us say twenty houses on the main island, I could sell maybe say ten to permanent residents for all year round living. Then sell the other ten, I can sell those ten out fifty two times at maybe four or five thousand bucks a week for five or ten years. I think that's easy money."

Marion nodded intently and drew on her cigarette "So importantly where do I come in?" Marion asked as intense stare briefly stopped looking at Martin as she focused on manicuring her cigarette and then briefly looked back at Martin before closing her eyes as she pulled on her cigarette again and enjoyed the smoke in her lungs.

"Well, I have only thought about it this afternoon. But I think I will need a lot of help getting this off the ground."

"Have your bosses given you a budget?"

Martin nervously fidgeted and then dragged on his cigarette before responding. "No, not yet that's why I have another meeting tomorrow." He picked up his beer and took another long gulp.

"So, Martin why are they all on a small island rather than, you know err just on a remote area of the mainland, up on the moors or something?" Marion looked inquisitively and flicked her ash.

He smiled "Because of fear!"

Marion's eyes widened "Of snakes?"

Martin chuckled and shook his head "No, silly not of animals, but they can be, but of the governments and the anti-brigade."

"The what-ants auntie's? She asked and drew on her cigarette.

Martin chuckled at Marion "Not the bugs or relatives, the people, the ones who say we should ban smoking, our mission is to see if we can provide a safe place where people can come away and enjoy our products without fear or prejudice."

Marion looked around the bar beside them. "But they are, and we are, almost every single patron of the pub does?" she stated holding the cigarette burning between her fingers.

Martin nodded gently as his head disappeared as he looked back in the briefcase "It's the future, our lobbyists with governments know the future, it's not good, and so we have to look for other avenues." He held a handful of Polaroid pictures and placed them down on top of the map.

"So, locking five couples on an island is the way forward?" Marion studied Martin's face before observing at the photos.

Martin shook his head. "That's the problem, and why if I don't grow it, it will be closed down, it needs to grow; I need more people moving to the island, I need more smokers out there, buying into the project. These guys were just the original settlers and ten years later they are still there." He pointed at the old pictures, and then produced some up-to-date polaroid's of the same people.

Marion nodded as she looked down "I see what you mean about hedonistic!" Marion's lips curved up to form a smile. "But don't she have amazing tits!" she giggled.

"Err, well I can't say I have considered Trudy's large breasts too carefully." Martin said with a guilty half-smile across his face.

"Yeah, yeah, I believe you those guy and girls look gorgeous." Marion then bit a lower lip and then inhaled on her cigarette. "Do you think your bosses would agree to me coming out with you?" she asked excitedly with her exhale and manicured her cigarette.

Martin smiled back and tilted his head and with enquiring eyes through the two streams of smoke drifting up off both their cigarettes "Well would you agree to come out there with me?"

"Actually" she paused and twirled a stray hair in her finger "I don't know it might not be my thing!" she stated unconvincingly and took another hit on her cigarette.

"Well, you smoke, that's a bonus!" he grinned at her as she forced a cone of smoke exhale.

"Ha bloody ha, ten out of ten for observation skills their sir! I also need some sun, I am as white as a sheet!" she studied her arm as the smoke drifted out her nose, and then bent it so she could instantly take another short drag and exhaled straight out into his face. Martin faux coughed and waved the cloud away from his face.

"I think you look stun..." he nervously smiled as Marion teasingly battered her eyelids "so have you dabbled in other things?"

"Martin is the pope catholic; I work in bar!" she cheekily grinned.

Martin nodded with a sly smile. "Ok, in that case, let me know your smoking back story, honestly this isn't an interview..."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, but I will need to tell my bosses that you are a serious candidate, and hell, I am actually curious, as I might end up taking you, who incidentally is a gorgeous and committed smoke to a smoking island, and I need to know these things."

Marion smiled at the compliment and picked up her drink for shot of Dutch courage and took a large gulp almost finishing it in one. "I don't think I've never been asked." She smiled and took a final drag on her cigarette and stubbed it out as she exhaled. "I think it's just the normal one, dad left mum, when I was like six mom always smokes, it's just there, and by time I was what eleven or twelve I am inquisitive try it as they are just around me, and a bit of falling in with the wrong crowd who thought smoking made them look cool and older. And a bit behind her back I did the usual stealing from her pack, after trying like two or three I get the hang of it and get cocky and steal some more off her, somewhere along the line I easily got caught with my hair and clothes smelling of fresh smoke. I had just had my walking home from school ciggy, but rather than berating me, and telling me off, she smiles gives me a big hug and offers me a cigarette there and then stating that its great as it is just the two of us! Guess early girl power. Nearly ten years later, and I am still smoking, and I guess enjoying the darn things!" she frowned and pulled another out of the pack in front of her and nervously twiddled the cylinder between her fingers like a majorette with her baton.

"Does your mum still smoke?" Martin asked as he picked up what was remaining of his pint and gulped some down.

Marion chuckled and shook her head "No five years ago she married my staunch rather anti-smoking now step-father, it was sad but hilarious she had to give up before he would marry her!" She smiled and placed the filter between her red lips.

"See what I mean about the growing 'anti-brigade' they are taking over stopping us in our tracks, and as such it is not great for our business model, this is where these islands are so important!" Marion looked at him as he spoke and nodded as words made sense, Martin tilted his head "How come you still smoke then?" He enquired and flicked his lighter and she leant forward and inhaled as he took another gulp of his pint trying to catch up with Marion's nearly empty glass.

Marion exhaled and grinned her white teeth "Simple, I didn't really like him and as little rebel I still wanted to smoke as I thought I looked cool and grownup, so I moved out, sofa surfed and eventually got my own digs!" she laughed and quickly with one gulp downed the rest of her drink, licking her lips of the sweat cola afterwards.