50. "We're Even Kiddo" / Part Two
My dislike for the cigarette underwent a change. Ulterior motives led me to view it as an ally. It became my darling vehicle, which gave tongue to emotions that my bashfulness had hitherto kept suppressed. It also proved to be an instrument that Martin would use to lure into the open my feelings for him whenever he wished. Cigarettes were no longer lit to appease an addiction but only to be extinguished purposefully. Our romance advanced splendidly with a burning intensity with every cigarette killed. Having enticed him like a temptress for years, the cigarette seemed like a dangerously seductive Delilah who avenged her zealously extinguished light by fanning the flame in Martin’s heart. Not only his love seemed to be escalating wildly in intensity, but his respect and admiration for my innocence also mounted. I was no longer unattainable simply because of the obstacles posed by tradition, religion, or my own ingrained Puritanism. My artless innocence, which surfaced in the impeccant