“What?” I pretend ignorance.
“A spray! A love-attractor spray!”
I come back with some water. “Yes,” I say. “It would be cool.”
That satisfies her, and to my relief, she says, “What are you working on now? Not a love perfume, I bet.” She laughs as if this is a hilarious joke, and it takes everything I have not to scream in frustration. She doesn’t mean it. I drink the wine and force a smile.
“A client came in with her new baby the other day while you were out. She wants a perfume to celebrate being a mom.”
“Will it smell like exhaustion and diapers?”
I laugh, a sound rusty from disuse over the last few days. “Absolutely not. Her daughter’s name is Anala. She says it means fire, so I was going with something like roasted chestnuts, pepper, and coffee. A bit of guaiac wood for depth.” I’m dying to get at it. I can already smell it—a lush, comforting smell that Anala will forever associate with her mother’s love. And the opposite of my own mother’sfavorite scent, a cool, silvery iris.
I grasp around for anything to talk about that isn’t love and notice Ana’s necklace. “That’s pretty.”
“Thanks.” She grins big enough for me to see her gold tooth outlined by red wine and chocolate, then leans forward with the chain stretched out to me. It’s made of interlocking daisies and is like nothing I’ve seen before. A delicate pendant shaped like a hand holds out another flower with a tiny citrine in the center of the petals. It’s stunning.
“I made it,” she adds.
“You what?”
“Yeah, I trained as a silversmith. Made the chain and the pendant. Won a few design awards too.”
I sit back. “Why did you stop?”
She bends her head down to look at it. “I had a partner and we were going to open a business. When he dumped me and then flaked on the business, I gave up.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Hey, you know what? I moved on to open Auntie’s Closet. Life of an entrepreneur. ABH. Always Be Hustling. Don’t look back, only forward, and all that jazz.” She runs her finger along the chain while she speaks, then her mouth twists to the side as she bites her lip.
We spend the next hour chatting about the store, and Ana’s cheerful voice floats over me as I turn on a few lamps. By the time she leaves, the smell of cookies and the echo of her raucous and infectious laugh have shrunk the emptiness of my apartment. It feels warmer.
At least for the moment.
7
Hua Huiying
Tang dynasty. Renowned polo competitor who rode astride a donkey to play.
Heart note //Improve tranquility
Base note //Frankincense
The rest of the month passes as Februarys do. I wake up in the dark, go to work in the dark, and return home in the dark. At least the store has been busy in the aftermath of Valentine’s Day, as frantic lovers try to make up for forgotten plans or subpar gifts.
Ana comes out from the back, frowning.
“What’s up?” I ask.
“Do you think we have room for another workspace here?”
“Sure.” Not to mention it’s her store, so I would feel like a cad for saying no. “What are you planning?”
“You asked about my necklace when I was at your place.” She looks out the window at the snow swirling outside. “I’ve been thinking I want to make jewelry again. I want that back in my life.”
“Then we can definitely make it work.”
