na’

pencil skirt and stop in front

nce her features, and is wearing a classic pencil skirt, pale pink silk blouse and a blazer. Paired with

a woman whose entire world ha

or nodding to one of my colleagues in marketing an

ange the blazer for a lab coat and p

here.” Owen, one of the scent

owd in my lab?” I ask him, cro

uilty, “Sorry Owen I didn’t mean to sna

ave excellent rapport with my employees and I’m not g

is currently eating the other creators alive do

ll that Owen said before straightening

unch except me.” I grumble to

ng of people to the long table

voice is deep and condescending. I can already feel a headache brewing at the back of my skull. I wish Antonia

eside the man currently staring d

ator that can’t sniff?” He looks d

an might be one of the best perfumers in the world and the new hire here at Silver Moon Scents, but I refuse

him and he looks me up and down. I refuse t

run the most important department in his company. He must have gone soft in the head. I will

h. And if you wish to leave, there is the door.” My heart p

a first name basis, are we? You have me at a disadvantage. You

ds.” I tell h

y better than your employees. Don’t feel pressured,

ths to center myself before waving the bottle under my nose, concen

rattle off the rest of the ingredients

ed with me for the past two years

ut this is a fairly simple concoction. A simple recipe I came up with to test the people I will b

dn’t get to the position I am in with Silver Moon Scent

ame for the rest of this crew. I will be taking my leave.”

o you agree to stay on and treat the rest of the team with respect? I would think someone as ex

a wicked smile on his face,

ate a compound, even a simple one, requires a lot of experience.” He looks down his nose at me. I know he

down to this man who came into my lab and created chaos. I don’t care if he is friend

time to test that

e, smelling the concoction again and

ll bottles of scent that I need, lining them up o

ud click of my heels on t

l the other equipment I need to re

beaker and testing the concoction, adding a bit more of this an

nd noses it. He sits it down and noses his own. He goes back and forth several ti

ou do this? I’ve worked with perfumers with decades of experience who could not have done this. How long have you

y but I’ve been dabbling

. I will not doubt you again.” He nods to me and t

e waves his hand in the

them with respect. Teach them

ulders. Appealing to his ego might be the

st perfumers in the world. You will be my legacy.”

______

runch my toes up. I want a glass of wine, take

ing Amorak settled and sooth

cah and the demanding day at work, I just wa

can afford not what I was living in but better. For now, the cute little hous

______

at the ceiling, my thoughts circling around my impending divorce. I thought that we would be celebrating our three-year anniversary and the extension o

f the phone brings m

h. My heart is in my throat, not knowin