UNEDITED
Between his semi-committed addiction to smoking and his role as CEO of Elemental Coffee, Cassian Russell has spent the majority of his life running one of the most popular coffee shops on the Island with his best friend, Jake Swift. After a...
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Cassian
Smoking.
It's a terrible habit. I only do it when I can't calm my nerves without aid. I'm disgusted with myself for inhaling toxic ingredients, but it does such a good job of calming my nerves I can't help myself. Aside from the potential damage I'm doing to my lungs, it pleases me that I can divide my focus on breathing in and then breathing out, watching the smoke dissipate into the air. I could revert to breathing exercises, the kind that shrinks suggest, but where's the fun in that? With this cigarette between my fingers, I'm a skater boy covered in tattoos. A full-on fucking Avril Lavigne skater boy.
"If you keep that up, you're going to get lung cancer, Cassian."
I glance over my shoulder and make eye contact with Penelope. During our company's last business trip, Jake and I became good friends with Penelope and offered her a spot on the team. Since then, she's become an essential asset to Elemental Coffee. She always provides her keen sense of intuition and stellar wisdom on which investments we should or shouldn't make. Without Penelope's help, Jake and I'd be up the river without a paddle.
I stub out my cigarette and toss it into the remnants of my coffee. I then toss that into a nearby trash can. When I turn to face Penelope, I stuff my hands in my pockets and shrug. "Your guess is as good as mine," I say, resisting the urge to cough. It's been two months since I last smoked and my lungs are taking the brunt of it.
Penelope scowls at me, adjusting the collar of her white blouse. Today she's paired it with teal-coloured high-rise pants and white heels. She has her buttery blonde hair tied up into a professional bun. "The smell of smoke in the air is potent."
I glance around the beach-front lot and shrug my shoulders. "I don't know what to tell you, Pen." Her hoop earring glints in the light and I reach out to tug at it, a smile playing across my lips.
She swats my hand away and holds out a muffin wrapped in brown tissue paper. "Here. I got you your usual muffin from Bliss Bakery."
My eyebrows raise, and I accept the muffin and unwrap it. "Is it the chocolate caramel one with the mini chocolate chips embedded in the top?"
"The one and only," she chuckles. "Though, I don't understand why they call it a muffin when it has the same sugar content as a cupcake."
Through a mouthful of chocolaty goodness, the caramel dripping from the corner of my mouth, I grin at her. "Muffins have the same sugar content as cupcakes. The only reason society deems muffins healthier is because they're ugly cupcakes." I eye the cherry strudel in her hand. "And even though you're allowed to judge me, I'm not sure you should be. How much sugar is in a strudel?"
For the second time today, Penelope rolls her eyes at me. "Come on, Cassian. We've got an appointment."
I wipe the away the clammy sweat from my palms on my pants.
