I smiled politely at the tall man who entered and turned back to my drawings. I watched him from the corner of my eye, not because he looked suspicious, but because he was a striking looking man. His hair, although mostly hidden beneath a tightly pulled down stocking cap was ebony and thick. His hands thrust deep into the pockets of baggy khaki pants he wandered around the shop exploring the items on every shelf. Having felt he’d had ample time to browse, I walked quietly over to him and smiled when his eyes met mine.
“Is there anything in particular you’re looking for today?” I asked the man who towered over me.
“No, not really” he said quietly, picking up a small box with intricate inlaid brass designs.
“Okay then” I said softly, smoothing the fabric of my skirt. “If there’s anything I can help you with just let me know”
He nodded slightly, fingering the dark wood of the box. I turned to walk away, wanting to let him to continue his shopping.
“I’m staying in the hotel next door” he said just as I sat down on the stool behind my counter.
“Oh” I said smiling slightly.
“I’ve walked by here everyday for the last....gosh....week and a half I guess. I figured it was about time I stopped in” he said, picking up a bag of tea and putting it up to his nose, drawing in a deep breath to smell the fragrant leaves.
“Here for a vacation?” I asked.
He chuckled softly. “Business, I’m afraid”
I laughed a little, struck by the fact that he didn’t look like the typical businessman who occasionally visited my shop.
He walked over to the counter and laid down a small box of black tea bags, then dug deep into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled up twenty dollar bill.
“What is that amazing fragrance?” he asked as I rang up his purchase.
“Eucalyptus incense. It’s wonderful, isn’t it? Used for centering, balancing the mind if you believe in aromatherapy” I said, pulling a long incense from beneath the counter and handing it to him.
He ran the length of it beneath his nose and closed his eyes as he breathed in the scent.
“Nope. That’s not what I’m smelling” he said handing the stick back to me.
I gave him a perplexed smile and as I took the stick from his hand he gently grabbed my wrist and pulled it up to his nose. Again he breathed in deeply, closing his eyes and then smiling.
“It’s you” he said with a slight smile, releasing my arm.
“Oil” I said, my eyes meeting his. “Lavender”
He scrunched up his nose and eyebrows as a signal that I wasn’t making sense.
“Lavender oil” I said, noticing the sparkle in his green eyes. “I...I’m wearing emerald oil”
“Emerald oil?” he said, making that confused face again.
I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at myself. It wasn’t often that I was tongue tied, and even rarer that it was caused by a handsome man.
“Lavender oil” I said, clearing my throat and collecting my thoughts. “I wear lavender oil”
“It’s beautiful” he said picking up the small paper bag containing his tea. “Thank you” he said, and turned to walk away.
“Wait” I said, the word coming out of my mouth before my brain realized what it my mouth was doing. I knelt down and pulled a few sticks of lavender scented incense from a small box beneath the counter.
He walked back to me and I smiled softly at him and slipped the sticks into his bag. He smiled a beautiful full smile, thanked me again and walked out of my tiny little shop.