Page 17 of Perfume Girl
“This one’s pretty.” She reached for a square bottle.
“Lilies & Freesia,it has soft summer notes. It’s youthful and yet sophisticated.” And it was one of mine. I took the sample and squirted it onto a paper stick and offered it to her.
Skye sniffed. “How much?”
“I want you to have it.”
“For free?”
“Yes.” I reached for a paper bag stamped with the shop’s logo. “I’m closing my store.”
“Early?”
“For good.”
“Oh.”
I couldn’t believe I’d even spoken those words. “We have plenty more over here.”
She pointed to the small Lalique bottle on the countertop. “Sure I can’t have that one?”
I curled my fingers around my beloved scent. “Actually, it’s not even finished.”
“That’s what he told me.”
“What? Who?”
“This guy I met back in South Beach. He smelled like that.”
She’s wrong.
I humored her. “Do you remember his name?”
She shrugged. “I can find out. We have a reservation system at The Artisan Café. I’m training to be a manager there. The man was sitting in my area.”
“This was in South Beach?”
She nodded.
“You’re a long way from home.”
“I’m visiting my mom.” She pointed in the direction of Monroe Street. “She works at the House of Beer.”
Skye fished her phone out of her purse.
“I can access the reservations on here,” she said. “It was last Monday.”
“You don’t need to do that.” I raised my hand to stop her.
“I got it.” Her gaze rose to meet mine. “Penelope Beauregard booked the table.”
“Beauregard?” I was stunned.
A perfumer…? It was too much of a coincidence.
“He had that exact bottle.” Skye looked sincere. “I remember the way it makes the perfume glint like a potion.”
“This one?” I pointed to mine, which was one of two Lalique bottles I’d purchased from an antique store in Paris.
