The fragrance of our lives

I wonder how the month of May compares with Christmas for the retail industry.  It seems there are people out shopping for Mother’s Day, Graduations and let’s not forget Father’s Day and June weddings.  

On the weekend right after Mother’s Day, as Blaise walked into a major department store, he found himself accosted by a beautiful young woman who was dressed as if she was on her way to a night on the town.  She blocked his path and with a coquettish smile asked “wanna try?”  He froze as he took her in.  Her makeup was perfect- her lips just the right shade of red; her long black gown was open to show her long legs and she smelled wonderful.   As he regained his composure he realized she had a bottle of cologne in her hand, she was a fragrance model.   “It’s called ENOUGH, its debuting today and it’s guaranteed to make your girlfriend realize you’re all she’ll ever need.” She smiled again and winked at him and said, “Hi, my name is Marcy”

Blaise didn’t come in shopping for cologne but when Marcy wearing that big smile, pointed at him with a spritzer bottle, he responded: “sure, why not.”  He found that he did like the fragrance.  Smells like a man, he thought. He enjoyed feeling fresh, clean and masculine with a touch of cologne or aftershave. It reminded him of his dad.  On Sunday morning his dad told them that a man needs to clean up and be ready to stand before God.  He would wear his best shirt and use his best cologne. During the week he would head straight for the shower when he came home from the shop.  After a while his dad would come down with nails clean, hair combed back and smelling like a dandy just to please Mom.  That’s what a family man does his dad had taught him, always come clean to the dinner table.   Without a second thought, Blaise had Marcy ring it up.  The fragrance would be his present for Camille, his wife. 

On Monday Blaise had to be up early for work. After he showered and dressed, he remembered the new cologne he’d bought over the weekend.  Because he was going to the office, he sprayed himself lightly, just ENOUGH he smirked to himself at the clever play on words. 

In the bedroom, Camille was getting a whiff of something powerful coming from the bathroom, and she felt her stomach turn.  What on earth?!  When she sensed Blaise coming into the room, she closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.  She still had another hour before the alarm rang for her.   Blaise stood over the bed trying to decide whether or not to wake her so that she could enjoy him and his new cologne.   Camille wishing for him to go away with that smell, kept her eyes closed and pretended to roll away from him in her sleep.  Blaise tiptoed out of the room and headed to work. 

Blaise was greeted by Mrs. Meddles at the front desk like any other morning.  She was an older woman who reminded him of his mom.  She was always ready with a smile and a cheerful good morning as everyone came in.  “Don’t you look dapper today?”  Blaise gave her a shy smile “just as I do every day” he told her and continued on his way down the hall.   She stared after him a little longer as he walked out of sight and then it hit her, it was the fragrance that made him look different.  He was wearing cologne today and she could swear he had a spring in his step.  Or did he?  She asked herself.   She remembered Bill when he was that age.  He would get playful whenever he wore cologne.  She loved that clean fresh shaven smell.  It was like the chicken or the egg.  Did he get frisky because he was wearing cologne or because of her reaction to him?  It was so long ago, she felt lonely all of a sudden.  It had been years since she and Bill….. The last heart attack took her Bill away.  The stranger in her house just stared at her when she got home each evening.  Did he remember?  Fragrance is a powerful thing.  She wondered if she were to buy his old cologne or her perfume would he have a reaction? Would there be at least a flicker, a bit of recognition in his gray eyes?   “Good morning, don’t you look nice today?” she was grateful for the interruption.   “Good morning, Mrs. Meddles.  It’s always nice to see your smiling face in the morning.” said Mary Grey.   Mrs. Meddles was glad to have people streaming in regularly now as she greeted each one with a smile and a cheerful comment. 

On the other side of town, Camille was arriving at work.  As she got in the elevator, she heard Winnie Madison call out “hold it for us!”   Winnie came running to catch the elevator to their office, followed closely by her boyfriend, Randall.   Camille had heard all about Randall who worked on the same floor of their office building.  Winnie and Randall started saying their goodbyes, and Camille tried to focus on the numbers above the door in front of her as the elevator made its way up to the 22^nd floor. Winnie told her it was difficult for her to be apart from him during the day.  “Doesn’t he smell wonderful?” Winnie asked “I can just eat him up”   Camille didn’t know where to look, but she had noticed a smooth, wood and musk fragrance as the elevator doors closed.  She was feeling lightheaded as she got off the elevator.  Camille didn’t want to remember all the intimate details Winnie had shared but found herself wondering if it was true what they said about fragrances and pheromones.   She thought of Blaise.

During the coffee break, Camille asked about Randall’s fragrance.  She admitted it was pleasant and told Winnie that she was thinking of getting new cologne for Blaise for Father’s Day. She told her of the incident that morning with whatever cheap, awful smelly thing that he wore after he showered.  “Of course, I know what kind it is; I bought it for him this weekend.  They were presenting it to the public at the mall.   It was a little pricey, but I think it’s worth it.  It’s called ENOUGH but be careful, it may be too much for you and Blaise.”  They shared understanding giggles.  Camille decided to go after work to pick up a bottle, but Winnie teased, “Fragrances don’t have the same reaction on everyone you know.”  Camille smiled; she didn’t think she would wait for Father’s Day to find out. 

Day Eighteen: Compose a Series of Anecdotes; the same narrative from a different point of view.  #everydayinspiration