She rifles through her purse for a moment to find her holder, then gratefully accepts a cigarette from him. She had no plans to quit either, but until she'd gotten herself settled and landed a regular singing job, smoking had to be more of a luxury than a habit.

"Yes, ever since I left school. First in the USO, during the war, and then afterwards when I returned to New York I started singing in jazz clubs. It didn't take long until I'd become quite an established part of the nightlife."