Unscentable By Jennifer Francis Novels & Stories

The study was dark. He didn't turn on the main light. Just stood at the window with the city below. Quieter than daytime. This version of New York that only existed in these hours, still alive, still moving, but differently. Like the city had finally exhaled. He looked at it. Thought about Thursday evening. He thought about the handshake. About dark eyes holding, and the feel of her hand on his when they were introduced. He thought about what she studied. Olfactory neuroscience. The way scent bypassed conscious processing and interacted directly with neurological response.

I told her she looked and smelled great , and she looked back at me and winced . “Hi Hugo Luke Black. You smell good too. Cinnamon is my favourite scent. “ “ Vanilla is my favorite scent . I'm totally glad Woody scents are your favourite.” What is wrong with me I must sound so obtuse and unoriginal. She chuckled and looked at me sort of chuffed. "Luca I didn't know soccer players knew a lot about fragrances. " Before I could speak , Jessica spoke; "Ex Soccer player . You didn't hear?"

My pixie cut have me a new look. Since my transformation ... no one can recognize my new face. Seraphina Moretti stared back at me, composed. I'll never be Aurelia. The elevator slowed down. The doors began to close at the next floor. Then a foot slipped between them. The doors slid open again. A man stepped inside. I caught the scent before I could look up. That familiar cologne. Dark oud with a hint of cedar. My breath caught in my chest. No. It couldn't be.

My heart skipped. There was a plate of thick, fluffy pancakes, golden brown, stacked high with a side of crispy bacon and scrambled eggs. Next to it was a tall glass of orange juice and a small cup of steaming black coffee. A tiny note rested beside a gorgeous bouquet of lilies—white, with hints of blush pink. The whole room smelled like spring. “Woooow,” I breathed, blushing. “He’s so romantic.” And that was when Jake stepped out of the bathroom. He had a towel around his waist. Another one in his hand, drying his hair. Water still dripped from his chest to those goddamn abs. Tight—sharp and perfect like they were shaped by someone who knew exactly what temptation was.

It began the moment the sun rose on her eighteenth year. The girl’s breath faltered as if some unseen fire had been lit beneath her skin, spreading quick and merciless. By the time the household stirred, she was already trembling, her palms slick, her pupils blown wide. The scent came next…sharp, sweet, intoxicating…rolling off her like smoke from a blaze. Whispers rippled through the pack. Some turned away, muttering prayers. Others lingered, unable to stop themselves from inhaling that dangerous perfume. Every head lifted, every gaze followed her restless movements as she stumbled through the hall like a creature no longer tethered to her own will.

He says calmly. “You’ve really planned this thoroughly huh?” “Yes,” he replies stiffly. I understood that our stocks have truly been plummeting slowly and we are on the verge of releasing our new scent ‘Noir classique’. I guess that’s why my uncle seems to be so bothered about the sales. We’ve also had some problems with the press recently, anonymous people have been sending complaints to the media that our perfumes are causing skin reactions. It’s currently being investigated, but it has really put us in a tight spot.

The kind that means they're watching. Stay calm, Sable whispers inside me. Don't give her what she wants. I don't. I straighten up, meet Britney's eyes for just a second, then turn back to my locker. My hands shake as I reach for my chemistry textbook. I hate that they shake. I hate that she can see it. "What's wrong?" Britney leans against the locker next to mine. Her perfume is too strong. It makes my nose itch. "Cat got your tongue? Oh wait—you don't have a wolf, so I guess nothing's got your tongue."

He wasn’t going to stop calling until I answered, so covering the phone with my mouth, I answered. “Beatrice, love.” His words were slurred and he was clearly drunk. He said something about picking him up, but I cut him off. “Not now,” I hissed into the phone, my eyes locked on Diana and the sales associate. I disconnected my phone, turned it off, and stuffed it back into my purse. “Glorious,” Diana beamed, deeply inhaling the scent. “Is that jasmine?” “You have a good nose,” the sales associate smiled brightly. “It is. With undertones of vanilla and chai. It’s a new line we just brought in. That scent is called ‘Winter Moon’.”

TRISTAN The scent hit me first—creamy, warm and sweet; vanilla lingering in the air—feminine and deeply alluring. It wrapped around me, sinking into my skin, sparking something primal and raw in my chest. My hands clenched the arms of the chair as a strange tingling rushed over me. This couldn’t be happening. My heart raced as I stood, the chair scraping loudly. Maurice shot me a confused look, but I ignored him. The sight before me made my heart stop.

” Lucia’s heart warmed at his words. Just as she was about to reply,an unfamiliar feminine fragrance caught her nostrils. “What’s that scent?”Lucia asked,moving her nose closer to him. Jacob’s nerves were in shreds,instantly.