Nicole's Smoking Story Part 35

Nikki’s plan was starting to come together. Early on Christina was proving to be a valuable addition to the team. She wanted to build an empire that was different than anything that had ever been done. She was taking things learned during her time around the club and from Esposito and molding them together. It was a mix of a biker club and the Italian mafia, with a female twist.

Nikki made Al her vice president and Jasmine was the sergeant at arms, but she still wanted a consigliere. Christina and Greta were both captains, tasked with building their own crews and neither were women she felt comfortable bouncing off ideas yet. Al would also have to find her own crew and continue to run Pacelli’s, while Jasmine remained Nikki’s bodyguard. Gina still kept the books, but didn’t want to get involved in the other side of the business.

She wanted one more captain, who would also be one of her most trusted advisor. Nikki had one person in mind for the job, but there was still some resistance. Erica and Nikki had become closer since she came on board. Al was still Nikki’s best friend, but Erica was the same age, was obviously just as intelligent, wanting to get an Ivy League degree. She also was some to talk and do female things with, considering Al was more of a tomboy. Erica had been excellent in her role of marketing the two restaurants, but Nikki wanted more from her.

In order to convert her, Nikki had a plan. She knew Erica wasn’t making as much money as she would as a captain and the money she was currently making was going towards her tuition. The plan was quite simple. Nikki was going to ask or invite the girls to do things that were a bit out of Erica’s price range.

Part of that plan was already set in motion with Christina. Since Gina began dating Jack, her interest in motorcycles had skyrocketed. She was planning to get her license and buy a Harley in the coming weeks. Since Jasmine and Al already bikes, Nikki decided to make it mandatory. Greta was immediately onboard, but Erica simply didn’t have the money.

The only response Nikki gave her was, “Figure it out, E.”

Nikki celebrated her 20th birthday in February, but with her school and work schedule, she didn’t have time for anything special. So Esposito decided to wait until spring break in March to take her on a trip. The week before that, she had to make a weekend trip back to Buffalo to speak at Margie’s cocktail party. She felt this was another opportunity to flip Erica around to her side of the coin.

She decided Erica would accompany her, along with Jasmine, for the trip. Erica was apprehensive due to the cost of the hotel room, to which Nikki assured she could pay her back down the road.

They arrived on Friday night and decided to stay in the casino in Niagara Falls, where the party would be held. Both Nikki and Erica had classes during the day, but they still decided to have some fun in the casino when they arrived.

The three women had already started drinking on the plane and each snorted a line of cocaine before leaving the hotel room to go to the casino. Nikki noticed Erica was heading towards a drunken state and opted to let the scenario play out. She knew Erica was competitive and when she started to lose in roulette, Nikki sensed an opportunity.

When they awoke the next morning, Erica realized she had gambled away more money than she could afford and her debts were starting to add up. Hungover and depressed, Erica came in to Nikki’s room, where she was drinking coffee and and smoking a cigarette on the couch in her suite with Jasmine. Erica plopped down in a chair and lit a cigarette of her own.

“What am I gonna do?” Erica moaned.

“What do you mean?” Nikki asked.

“How am I going to afford my tuition and bills?” Erica said. “Between the room, the flight and the bike, things were going to be tight. But now I’m screwed.”

“That’s a tough one,” Nikki responded, pulling on her cigarette.

“Do you think maybe I could get in one some other action?” Erica asked slowly.

“You?” Nikki asked, feigning surprise. “I thought you didn’t want to get into that kind of life.”

“I need the money,” Erica said.

“I don’t know, E,” Nikki said. “I’m not sure you can handle it.”

“I promise you I can,” Erica pleaded. “Please.”

“OK,” Nikki said, crushing out her cigarette in the ashtray on the coffee table and standing up. “Let me think about it and I’ll let you know.”

“Thanks!” Erica said.

“Alright, we’ve got to get dressed now,” Nikki said.

The three women proceeded to get dressed for the cocktail party. Nikki wore a low-cut red blouse and a black leather skirt that went about three inches above her knees and her knee-high black leather high-heeled boots, along with her usual gold necklaces, bracelets and large Rolex. Jasmine wore black pantsuit with black leather high-heeled boots and a white tank top tucked in, tied together with her thick black leather belt and custom buckle. Meanwhile, Erica wore a pink blouse with black slacks, black stiletto high heels and a black leather motorcycle jacket.

Luckily for Nikki the party was in the casino, so she could smoke whenever she pleased. That’s exactly what she did. Nikki had a cigarette in her hand for the majority of the party, including during her speech, much to the chagrin of many of the people who knew her as an innocent teenager.

When the party was over, Nikki invited Margie and some of the other members of the organization to come spend the evening on the casino floor with them. Needless to say, Margie was quite intrigued by her new lifestyle, particularly after their last meeting.

Nikki was sitting at the bar, her left arm cocked at a 90-degree angle with a cigarette smoldering between her fingers, watch sliding down her forearm, when Margie walked up and sat down next to her. She lit one of Parliaments and turned to Nikki.

“Things sure have changed for you, haven’t they?” Margie asked.

“Since I was 15?” Nikki laughed before taking a drag on her cigarette. “Yeah, just a little bit.”

“It seems like you’re doing well,” Margie said. “But it seems like there is a price.”

“What do you mean?” Nikki asked.

“It seems odd to me that a college sophomore could be so wealthy already,” Margie admitted. “Unless there was a catch.”

“Such as?” Nikki asked as she spoke through an exhale, smoke drifting out of her mouth and nostrils.

“Forgive me, but are you involved in anything illegal?” Margie asked quietly, fearing someone nearby would hear.

“Oh Margie,” Nikki laughed. “I’m just an Ivy League student putting her education to good use. Come on now, let’s go have some fun.”

Nikki got up and walked over to Erica and Jasmine at a craps table, Margie paused for a moment, watching the young woman walk away her perfectly toned and leather-covered butt swaying back and forth with every step, a half-smoked cigarette in her left hand.

As the night wore on, Nikki decided to take the party to her suite. In turn, she invited Margie and the head of the charity organization, Paul, a married lawyer that had taken a shine to Erica. A few others came along as well.

Once in the room, Nikki lit a large Cuban cigar and poured herself a glass of vodka. Meanwhile, Jasmine cut a few lines of cocaine, taking a bump and passing the tray to Nikki, who followed suit. Nikki then turned and offered to Margie, but she was silently stunned and declined. Nikki shrugged and handed it off to Erica.

About two hours later, it was beginning to get late and it was obvious that Erica was beginning to grow weary of Paul’s advances. Margie was the only other person from the organization left by then and Nikki decided it was time to call it a night.

“Well it’s getting late,” Nikki said, swirling her glass of vodka around in her hand. “I think it’s time to shut it down.”

Margie stood up and Nikki sat forward in her chair.

“So, I guess the only thing left is for you to give me the money you owe me,” Nikki said to Paul.

“What?” He asked, clearly inebriated. “Money for what?”

“For speaking at your party,” Nikki responded curtly.

“Nicole, I thought it was clear it was all on volunteer basis,” Margie said. “You know how we operate.”

“Yes, but that’s not how I operate,” Nikki smiled. “I don’t do anything for free. I’m just a poor college student remember?”

“How much are you looking for?” Margie asked.

“Well, between the flight and the rooms, I’d say about $3,000 should do the trick,” Nikki said.

“Well that’s not going to happen,” Paul chuckled loudly.

“Margie, I think it’s time you left,” Nikki said sternly. She walked Margie to the door and assured her nothing bad was going to happen.

Once she had left the room, Nikki returned to the suite common room, picked up her pack of Marlboro Red Label 100s and casually lit one.

“So Paul,” Nikki began, letting out a large exhale. “Where’s the cash?”

“I’m not paying you anything little girl,” Paul told her. “You’re just some girl who spoke for five minutes. You aren’t worth three cents let alone $3,000.”

Nikki simply let out an evil cackle and nodded to Erica, who was sitting next to Paul on the couch. She quickly elbowed him in the crotch, sending him to the floor. Jasmine came over and pulled him to his knees. Nikki strutted over to Paul and pulled a chair over to meet him eye-to-eye.

“How about now, Paul?” Nikki asked softly, cigarette burning between her fingers. “How do you think your wife would feel if she knew you spent all night hitting on a 20-year-old?”

“She couldn’t live without me,” Paul moaned, holding his injured crotch.

“We really don’t want to make her find out then do we?” Nikki said. She put her cigarette between her lips, held him by his necktie and unbuttoned his shirt.

“Now,” Nikki said, holding up the cigarette to his face. “I’ll ask one more time. Are you going to give me my money?”

Paul didn’t make a sound, which was as good as a ‘no’ to Nikki. So she then extinguished her half-smoked cigarette on his hairy chest, causing him to writhe in pain.

“OK! OK!” Paul shouted as he lay face down on the carpet. “I only have $1,000 on me. I’ll write you a check for the rest.”

“This better not be money from the charity, Paul,” Nikki said as she stood over him, using the toe of her boot to lift up his face. “I’ve heard you’re quite notorious for that.”

“Of course not,” Paul said.

Nikki motioned for Jasmine to let him up. He reached for his suit jacket, handed Nikki the cash and then took out his checkbook.

“Good boy, Paul,” Nikki said in a mocking tone as Jasmine walked him to the door. Just as they reached the door, Nikki turned over her shoulder and handed out an instruction. “Erica, break his thumbs.”

Jasmine stepped in front of Paul and socked him in the gut. At first Erica walked over tentatively, as if she was not quite sure what to do. As Jasmine stuffed Paul’s tie in his mouth to muzzle him, Erica grabbed a hair straightener from the neary bathroom and stuck his fingers between it, holding it in place for nearly a minute as it singed his skin.

Finally, Nikki had Jasmine take him to his car to ensure he wouldn’t go to security, although she was almost positive his ego would never allow him to admit he was subdued by three women.

Once they left the room, Nikki sat down in her chair, lit another cigarette and invited Erica to sit across from her. She obliged and lit a Camel of her own.

“I told you to break his thumbs, not burn his fingers,” Nikki said.

“Sorry, I didn’t think I could do it,” Erica said. “He was moving too much.”

“It was a good touch,” Nikki said as a smile crept across her face. She then took the check and signed it over to Erica. “This is yours. Consider it a preview of what you’ll be earning in the future.”

Erica smiled and accepted the check. Meanwhile, Nikki had found her last captain.

____________________________________________________________________________

Now that Nikki had gotten the management in order for her organization, she could focus more on school and enjoy her trip with Esposito. In the middle of March, the couple would travel to Miami for the week, marking the first trip they would take together alone.

Nikki got off the plane wearing a black tank top, tucked into a pair of mint green capri pants, tied together with a thick black leather belt and a pair of six-inch black stiletto heels. She had her gold necklaces around her neck, gold bracelets on her right wrist and large gold Rolex fitting loosely around her left wrist. She had dark full-shield sunglasses over her eyes, her curly brown hair in a ponytail and a recently lit large Cuban cigar burning between her left index and middle fingers.

Rather than getting a limousine, they opted to get a car - a BMW M3 convertible - that was waiting for them once the plane landed. Nikki put her bags in the trunk, letting her cigar dangle in her mouth, still puffing away. As she moved to the passenger side to get in, Esposito stopped her.

“You know they are going to charge us if you smoke in the car,” He said.

Nikki made a face that conveyed annoyance and irrelevance at the same time as she removed the cigar from her lips.

“So what?” Nikki said. “Put the top down and if they charge us, I’ll pay for it.”

Esposito reluctantly gave in and they headed to their villa overlooking the beach. Although for the first couple days of the trip, they would spend the majority of the time in the bedroom. On the occasions they did leave, it was down to the side of the pool. Nikki was a stunning sight in her small black bikini, gold jewelry perfectly accenting her sunkissed tan skin.

One afternoon, Nikki sat down in a reclining chair next to Esposito, lathering sunscreen on her tattooed arms and back before lighting a cigarette and laying down in the chair to enjoy the Florida sun.

“Have you called Stefania?” Nikki asked as stared into sun behind her sunglasses, left arm outstretched with a cigarette smoldering between her fingers.

“No, I haven’t,” Esposito admitted.

“You do realize that she’s your daughter, right?” Nikki said. “I shouldn’t be the only one making sure she’s OK while we’re gone.”

“You’re so good with her,” Esposito responded.

“Well, I love her,” Nikki said with satisfaction. “But I’m not her mother. That bitch is nuts so she needs her father even more.”

“OK, I’ll call her when we get back to the room,” Esposito said.

“Good boy,” Nikki quipped as she took a drag on her cigarette, blowing the smoke straight up into the air.

After a few hours of sunbathing, they headed back to the room to get dressed for dinner that evening. After showering, Nikki put on a tight navy blue dress and a pair of six-inch white heels for the occasion.

When they got to dinner at an upscale Miami restaurant and were seated at a table on the patio, Nikki played with her gold crucifix as she smiled at her fiance sitting across the table.

“I spoke to Stefania while you were in the shower,” Esposito informed her.

“How is she doing?” Nikki asked as she sipped her glass of wine.

“Oh, she’s mad because my mother won’t buy her cigarettes,” Esposito said.

“I just got her a carton before we left,” Nikki said in bewilderment. “What happened to them?”

“She forgot them at home,” Esposito replied.

“OK, I’ll have someone bring them to her then,” Nikki said, pulling out her phone and sending off a text message.

Esposito didn’t say anything in response, instead he looked down at the steak on his plate.

“What?” Nikki asked, sensing something was wrong.

“Do you have to encourage her smoking?” He asked, taking a bit of his food.

“I buy her cigarettes,” Nikki said. “I don’t cheer her on when she lights one up.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t do that,” Esposito said. “She is only 14 years old.”

“She’s a smoker, Ange,” Nikki said. “I started at 15 and that’s in the fall for her. Besides, if say no, she’s going to want to even more.”

“I’m not so sure of that,” Esposito said. “She’s not you.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Nikki said, now starting to get annoyed.

“I mean, she wants to be just like you,” Esposito responded. “Maybe if you didn’t smoke so much, she wouldn’t want to.”

“Since when does how much I smoke bother you?” Nikki demanded. “It’s not like it’s a new thing.”

“It doesn’t,” Esposito backtracked. “It’s just that it’s in the house, in the cars and everywhere in between.”

“My smoking hasn’t changed since we’ve met,” Nikki snapped. “Now all of a sudden you have a fucking problem with it? What’s your deal?”

“Nothing,” Esposito muttered. “Let’s just not make a scene.”

Nikki dropped her fork and took a cigarette out of her purse, lit up and blew the smoke directly across the table into Esposito’s face.

“How about you go fuck yourself, Ange,” Nikki snapped.

“I’m sorry I brought it up,” Esposito said.

Nikki slumped back into her chair in disgust and confusion. They had been together for more than a year and he had never questioned or complained about her smoking in the past. It seemed like an odd time to start doing so now.

The following day Nikki was still in a foul mood from the night before, which was unfortunate for the teenage girls that took the last two chairs by the pool. Both girls felt Nikki’s wrath and quickly scurried off rather than take a chance on getting physical with her.

“Nicole,” Esposito said. “Those girls were just teenagers. You didn’t have to yell at them. Now they’re terrified.”

“Good,” Nikki snapped.

“Why is that good?” Esposito asked. “Not everyone needs to be afraid of you. Who would want that kind of life?”

“Oh, are you going to criticize me again today?” Nikki asked sarcastically. “Was last night not enough?”

“Look, there’s just a difference between running your business and how you treat random people,” Esposito said. “At some point you’re going to run out of luck and wind up in jail.”

“Really? Now it’s my attitude?” Nikki said. “I’m the same woman as when we met. I may be a bitch but I’m the same one you asked to marry you a year ago.”

The rest of the vacation went well, but Nikki was still upset about Esposito’s critical behavior and that anger was simmering just below the surface. When they returned to New Jersey, things remained the same. Nikki was concerned about what he may pick out next. Not that she was concerned about the criticism, she simply didn’t want to hear it.

For the next month, Esposito kept his comments to himself for the most part, but there were subtle digs about her smoking and occasionally her attitude. Finally, Nikki had enough.

On a Saturday in the middle of April, it was unseasonably warm. Esposito was planning to take Nikki to an upscale restaurant for dinner with some prospective business associates for a legitimate project and she had a plan to test his patience.

She knew that Esposito would be wearing one of his expensive suits. He had never complained about her style in the past because Nikki was an exceptional dresser that knew what to wear at the right time. She decided on black leather leggings and open-toed stiletto heels, along with a black tank top. Normally this would have been fine, but the tank top had the Perrillo Family logo on it. She also chose to wear her black leather vest with the same logo on the back.

Needless to say, Esposito was less than thrilled with her choice of clothing and he made it known as soon she walked into the room to leave.

“Nicole, we aren’t going to a motorcycle rally,” Esposito complained.

“So?” Nikki asked.

“So can’t you choose something else to wear?” Esposito asked.

“Now my clothes bother you!?” Nikki yelled. “What else?”

“It’s just not appropriate attire for where we’re going,” Esposito said. “They’ll think you’re some uncivilized biker.”

“I am a fucking biker, Ange,” Nikki snapped. “Since when does that bother you?”

“It doesn’t,” Esposito said.

“You know, you are starting to act awfully controlling lately,” Nikki said. “All of a sudden things that didn’t bother you are starting to annoy you. Then when I ask you about it, you won’t say anything.”

“You just have to act a certain way around these people,” Esposito said.

“I’m so fucking sorry I’m not sophisticated enough for your new friends,” Nikki snapped. “But I am who I am. If you have a problem with that, I’ll walk right out that door. So what’s it going to be?”

Esposito did not say a word, which Nikki took to mean it was time to leave. She ripped the large diamond engagement ring off her finger and slammed it on the counter before running upstairs to grab her belongings.

Stefania came out of her bedroom and asked what was going on, but Nikki simply told her not to worry about it and go back to her room.

“By the way, now you’re going to have to take care of your kid by yourself,” Nikki told him as she walked to the door. “You should probably start by explaining what happened to her.”

Nikki walked out and slammed the door behind her. She drove home as fast as she could, sobbing the entire way. Tears were a rarity for Nikki during the last five years, but the man she thought she was going to marry basically told her she wasn’t good enough. It would be a long time until she recovered from this night.