J and M had been dating for a couple months. M was taking the relationship seriously and singly. He wanted J to say “I’m your girl,” when they got off the phone at night. Less convinced, J was still sleeping with a couple other people she worked with.
She smokes cigarettes, and M pleaded with her to stop like he was worried the abbreviation of her life would have a huge impact on his. He’d drone on about his mother dying of lung cancer. He begged her to quit for him because of this solemn connection - the failure of two lungs; the destruction of two more.
One day, in response to his millionth broach of the subject, J asked M what kind of cigarettes his mom had smoked.
He told her his mom had never smoked.
A couple weeks later, after countless unreturned phone calls and unanswered knocks on her apartment door, he showed up at the restaurant where she works. She hid in the walk-in refrigerator with the meat while one of her doxies told him that there had never been a J who worked there.
Love the ending!
somehow I can see J lighting a cigarette even IN the meat refrigerator while she prays that this will be the last time M tries to get to her... and I see M finding solace in a relationship with a woman who is a bit older already and much more grateful for his care and over-protection (a bit more like his mum, actually)... until after some time of getting to know each other he manages to drive her away as well.... and starts smoking to make his depression more bearable.