"The 48 hours ago Cig"
By Jack Crowder the Third

This time, Elle was pretty sure her co-workers were onto her.
	She stood well back in the shadows of the warehouse ally, watching. Light
rain obscured the bulky outlines of the tethered freighters and narrowed the
MiB dock lights into pinpoints. Steam rose as the rain hit the hot deckboards,
bringing with it the faint odor of creosote. From behind her came the
nocturnal sounds of the port: the staccato bark of a dog; faint laughter
leavened with languages' phrases; calypso music from the waterfront bars in
Manhattan.
	Elle took another long drag off her cigarette as she looked at her watch. She
had slipped out of Headquarters again for some air. She heard footsteps and
turned around. Damn it! She had been caught. She couldn't make out who it was.
With her luck it would be someone like Kay. Playing by the book and cutting no
slack. The darked dressed fellow stood beside her and leaned against the wall.
	"Got a match?"
	He withdrew his cigarette pack from his coat. He gave her a slight smile.
	"Sure, bro." 
	He slid a stick out of the pack and extended it towards her.
	"Light me up, sugar."
	She gave a soft smile as she touched the tip of his cigarette with the flame.
He watched her beautiful raven hair bounce as she did so. He held the
cigarette between his index and thumb. Carring the cig to his lips and he took
a long drag off of it.
	"Que, Que, Que, what are you doing out of the libraries?"
	He placed a hand over his heart, "Oh you wound me, Cheri."
	She grinned that grin that always teased him.
	"Oh.. first an insult and now the evil grin. You little vixen."
	Elle licked the tip of her cigarette and took another drag.
	"You'll have to see if I am a vixen or not."
	Que matched her drag with one of his own.
	"Temptations.. Temptations."
	A short break in coversation occurred as they both matched the same smoking
pace. The clamminess was welcomed, they had both known each other a long time
and had enjoyed each other's company. When she fell into low times, he was
there to make her laugh. At many points she wished to quit but they had made a
bond. They if she jumped, he jumped. This spawned their titles as "Bro & Sis"
to the other MiBs. She smiled to him, letting those pools of color shine in
the night.
	"Since when did you come out here to smoke, Que-Ball?"
	"Since I got sick of those little wormies bothering me when I was trying to
relax in the breakroom. I'm a man of many traits, man of many things, man of
many skills, all this could be yours if you bow down and worship me." 
	His voice had that real serious tone he had grown to use throughout the years
here in MiB. She knew he was supposed to smile with that line. 
	They flicked their cigarettes off the dock together and he kicked off the
wall. 
	"Come on, my little Que-Tee. We have work to do."
	Que smiled as Elle led their way back to Headquarters.