I wandered just ahead staring at dark shopfronts, their shutters like eyes closed against sleep. Oceane from the bookshop was right, in that Paris had an ability to burrow under your skin and make you fall slowly, inexplicably in love with it. It wasn’t all pale pink blooms, and silky sunlight, there were scars on the city like any bustling place, overflowing rubbish bins, and the stench of waste in parks and gardens, but somehow it made it more real, finding the beauty in the urbane, against the backdrop of night sky.
‘It’s almost midnight,’ Sebastien said, glancing up from his watch.
My curfew! ‘It’s not!’ The evening had raced away after our first bout of awkwardness; we’d chatted nonstop and I felt as though I’d really got to know him as a person, not just as the competition organizer and son and heir of the family empire.
‘Will you turn into a pumpkin?’
I laughed. ‘Maybe!’ Part of me wanted to walk with him into the dawn, but the practical, sensible side of me prevailed. ‘I’d better head back. If I don’t get eliminated tomorrow, I know from experience I’ll need my wits about me for the coming week.’
‘You’re due for the rest of your facial, non?’ His eyes twinkled with mirth. Dammit! She had mentioned me to Sebastien!
‘It was sabotage!’
He pursed his lip in jest. ‘Sabotage?’
Shoot! I didn’t want to mention the lengths some contestants were stooping to in case it turned back on me. It didn’t seem right to tattle so I changed tact. ‘A case of mistaken identity and I had some trouble extricating myself from the situation. I really don’t think I should have been billed for such a service and I intend to tell them that.’ I folded my arms and stuck out my chin.
He laughed. ‘I haven’t met anyone like you before, Del. I hope you stay. Laughter hasn’t come easily lately and then you turn up.’
My chest seized. What was he saying?
‘It wouldn’t be the same without you and your disasters.’
Oh god. Disaster girl that was me.
‘I aim to please.’
‘You think I’m joking,’ he said, with a rueful shake of his head.
We headed back to the apartment, chatting about Paris and perfume and everything in between. Our pace was slow, despite my bare feet, my heels swinging by my side and I vowed never to wear them again, even if that meant not quite keeping up with the French women, and their effortless style.
At the foyer, we turned to face one another.
‘Thank you for dinner. It was quite the experience.’
‘My pleasure,’ he said, giving me that same intense stare that I found so compelling.
‘OK,’ I said, rooted to the spot.
After sharing confidences, I felt closer to him. Enjoying dinner in total darkness had bonded us somehow. I knew it was all a mentoring session, albeit framed not to look quite so sedate, but still, it had been better than I expected.
‘Until tomorrow,’ he said.
‘Yes, tomorrow.’ Please perfume gods do not send me home!
‘Sleep well.’
‘You too.’
He moved to peck my cheek but I turned my face and caught his lips. For a few seconds we pressed into each other, his warmth, the softness of his mouth against mine, his proximity sending tingles of desire up and down my body. I hadn’t meant to do it, and we both registered shock on our faces.
‘Sorry!’ I said.
‘Pardon!’
‘That was my fault, sorry, I only meant to…’ Was I supposed to kiss to the left or the right!
‘Don’t apologize,’ he said. Did he think I meant to kiss him? It was a simple mistake, those double barrelled French kisses always muddled me up…
Upstairs, Clementine snapped on the light, starting me.
‘Ten past twelve…’ she tutted and flicked off the light once more.
The last thing I needed was a lecture from her. I washed up quickly and jumped into bed, mind spinning at the events of the evening.
After tossing and turning for hours on end, I gave up, dressed and wandered around Paris in the hazy light of pre-dawn. It was achingly beautiful, all shuttered up and quiet, streets bereft of cars, pavements shy of pedestrians.
The city was a music box whose song had come to an end, waiting patiently for someone to wind it up again.
I walked aimlessly, lost in thought as the minutes slipped away. Soon it was nearly time to have breakfast and face the possibility of elimination. Quick as I could, I did an arc around my favourite places, returning home via the Champ de Mars to the Eiffel Tower, across the Pont d’léna to the Trocadero gardens saying a private goodbye to Paris as I went, just in case.
It was just after eight when I got back to breakfast, surprised to find almost everyone in the dining room – even the night owls had woken with the birds. The atmosphere was tense, Kathryn had a wooden smile, Lila jittery and fidgeting, and Clem was quiet for a change. Nerves had got the better of everyone.
I found Lex in the group, and made my way over to him.
‘America,’ he said, with a slow smile. ‘You been pounding the pavement?’
‘Couldn’t sleep,’ I said, returning his smile. ‘What about you, this is a first, having breakfast with us mere mortals.’
‘Right?’ He gave me his trademark grin. ‘I thought this old dog was past all that senseless worrying that laypeople feel. Couldn’t sleep either, guess this means more to me than I thought.’
I gave his arm a reassuring pat. ‘Guess it does,’ I said.
‘Battling the demons about it all though, like why bother at my age? What do I want out of this? But being able to mix potions like an old wizard again makes me remember why I love it so much.’
I felt a deep sense of paternal warmth for Lex. I felt like I could trust him, that if I did right by him he’d reciprocate, and it would be as simple as that. And I still wondered what had set him on his nomadic path all those years ago. While it sounded fun, traveling the globe, being a world citizen, I was sure there’d be fallbacks too. Loneliness and never putting roots down.
Before I could ask him, Aurelie appeared and told us to assemble in the salon for the results.
‘Good luck, America,’ he said, giving my hand a squeeze.
‘Thanks, you too.’
Clementine caught my eye and gave me a wink. In the blink of an eye she was back to her incorrigible self, you could sense her devious side just from the sparkle in her bright blue eyes. Pushing her way over to me, she linked her arm through mine and managed to whisper loud enough to draw the attention of everyone.
‘Let’s hope Anastacia is sent home, non?’ She glared at her and then snapped, ‘I’m ’aving a private conversation ’ere, or can’t you tell?’
Anastacia rolled her eyes and volleyed back, ‘Then why don’t you keep it down to a half bellow, Clementine? Pretty sure everyone up at Sacré-Coeur can hear you.’
Clementine scoffed. ‘As I was saying.’ She turned back to me. ‘I ’ope it’s Anastacia, three ingredients do not make a proper perfume where I come from. The birth place of parfum, non?’
I grabbed Clem’s arm tighter and motioned for her to zip her lips, but she took no heed.
‘And imagine setting you up in the Ritz like that, Del! We should ’ave told Sebastien a long time ago about how she tried to sabotage you.’
Anastacia leaned over and stuck a finger in Clem’s face. ‘Keep out of it. Or I’ll mention how Lila was given directions from the Parisian herself, and managed to get all the way to Versailles. That is cheating if you ask me.’
They bickered heatedly and I did my best to stay out of it despite Clementine pointing and gesticulating at me. Really, they’d both been underhanded, and worse they seemed to enjoy it.
Sebastien entered the room and a hush soon followed. My heart thudded so hard I was sure everyone could hear it. He was soon followed by Aurelie.
Panic skidded in my chest. Suddenly I was sure I’d be sent packing and I rued the fact I’d played it safe
. Leaving would be heartbreaking, and how could I ever go home after this?
‘Welcome,’ Sebastien said, gazing at us all in turn, skipping over me far quicker than the rest. Did he regret confiding in me?
Aurelie spoke next: ‘It’s come time to say au revoir to one of our perfumers, regretfully, as we must. Please know it hasn’t been an easy decision. The votes were close. You should be very proud of yourselves, no matter what happens.’
While outwardly Sebastien radiated calm, his eyes were clouded with worry, as if he too was nervous about delivering the results. But if he lost his protégée, me, then he’d be free, wouldn’t he?
I threw Lex a pained look, and he shook his head, as if to imply it wasn’t going to be me this time.
Aurelie laced his fingers and said, ‘Without further ado, I will read the scores from highest to lowest.’
There were murmurs and the air grew thick with apprehension.
‘The perfume that we found most incredible belonged to Lex. A scent that managed to take us to an exotic place, tropical and lush, full of hope.’ I risked a glance at Clem whose mouth was an ‘O’ of surprise. ‘Second was Lila; we loved the celebration of a new day, a breathtaking fragrance. In third we have Anastacia with a striking fragrance that captured the brilliance of stars themselves. A truly atmospheric perfume.’ To which Clem let out a guffaw. ‘In fourth place we have Clementine who concocted our only masculine scent, spicy and herbaceous, almost primal, the judges loved it.’
I couldn’t look at Lex or Lila but I felt my friends’ worried eyes on me. There were only two places left, it was either me or Kathryn.
Aurelie paused and glanced up from his sheet of paper, sorrow etched on her face. ‘The next two contestants were very close, almost too close to call. The judges weren’t in agreement which made the decision a little more difficult. After much deliberation we believe we’ve made the right choice.’ Her gaze fell back to the sheet. ‘In fifth place is Del, so I’m sorry to say, Kathryn, your time here is over, and we wish you all the best for the future…’ I risked a glance at Kathryn, whose mouth hung open.
Golly, that was close… I closed my eyes as relief rushed me. But I knew my perfume hadn’t hit the brief, and disappointment sat heavy on my shoulders.
Hanging back, I waited to hug Kathryn and say goodbye. Her pale face was whiter still. My heart broke a little for her.
Kathryn’s mouth was a tight line as she fought tears, and everyone murmured farewells and promised to keep in contact. Her devastation was obvious, the space around her pulsed with it.
I gave Kathryn a hug, ‘I’m so sorry,’ I said, guilt nudging me, knowing how close it had been.
‘It’s OK, Del.’
Kathryn left with a backwards wave, and the room fell silent.
I desperately wanted to call Jen but I wouldn’t get a chance until much later this evening as our next challenge was imminent. But I felt like if I didn’t step up, I’d be the one going home next. Could I leave so soon? I had so much more to learn.
Chapter Nineteen
Once Kathryn had left, Aurelie clapped her hands together to get our attention.
‘Challenge two is here. This week you’ll work with your mentor creating a perfume together. There’s no gallivanting around Paris for this one.’ To that the room let out a sigh of relief. While it had been great to see the sights, we’d run some miles, and my legs had been heavy as stone for days after. ‘Instead, you’ll be driven to different destinations around France. Vincent believed that quality perfume started at the source.’
I’d read about Vincent and his beliefs about sourcing products for his perfumery. Elements like lavender were from chemical free fields in Provence, and rose petals from organic farms in Normandy – in that instance a rose was not just a rose. Leclére had strict quality control processes and it reflected in their fragrances. Some larger perfumeries used hothouse roses to save money but this was against every principle Vincent held dear.
He had searched regions of France himself, taking time to find the right lavender fields, the best flower farms for resins, balsams, spices, grasses and fruits to name but a few. After harvesting, then came the extraction process, then the blending where we perfumers came into it, and then the ageing process. All of this depended on the high-quality producers.
‘So,’ Aurelie continued, speaking over excited whispers. ‘The locations are as follows, Grasse, for Lila, that’s where you’ll find our factory, and Sebastien’s uncle who runs things there. You’ll be given instructions once you arrive. Provence for Del, Nice for Anastacia and Bordeaux for Lex and Clementine.’
‘Why are we both going?’ Clementine asked pouting.
‘Why not?’ Aurelie threw back, giving Clementine a long stare to which I hid a smile. Clementine would have her hands full trying to sabotage Lex. He might have come across as laid-back but he was no one’s fool. Perhaps the management team knew exactly what Clementine was up to, and were putting Lex in her way. Besides, their mentors would be there alongside them – but could they survive a week with Clementine? I shook my head just thinking about her and her ploys to get ahead. Nothing was sacred.
‘You have an hour to pack, your drivers are outside waiting. You’ll head back Friday for a class with another esteemed perfumer.’
I tried to catch Sebastien’s attention but he was conferring with a Leclére employee. I didn’t want our visit to Provence to be awkward after our near-miss kiss. But this morning it was almost as if he was purposely ignoring me. Well two could play at that game! I didn’t have time for these ridiculous feelings, these clumsy altercations. But with him being my mentor it made things difficult.
As we left the room, I hung back to congratulate Lex. ‘Hey, well done, Mister. I’m so proud of you.’
He grinned. ‘Ah, luck of the draw and that’s all it was.’
‘It was amazing perfumery skills, so don’t downplay it. You deserved to win. What was your perfume called?’
‘Hope.’
‘And what does hope smell like to you, Lex?’
‘It’s the cool of the shade under a palm frond, the juice from a fresh mango, sand and salt and light and shade, but most of all it’s the waft of hope itself on the breeze, and the girl of your dreams a few steps away.’
I smiled. ‘So there is hope?’ I said. ‘With the girl?’ I sensed Lex had unfinished business somewhere. Just occasionally I caught him downcast, as if he was reminiscing about someone. The woman on beach perhaps?
‘Nah, just an old man living in the past.’
‘You’re not that old, Lex!’
‘Compared to you young cats, I am.’
Obviously he wasn’t ready to share his woes. ‘So how do you bottle hope, and have it interpreted as such?’ This whole bottling a feeling idea still bamboozled me. I understood the value of it, but how did you know it would translate for someone else? Like Nan had wanted to bottle love… How? What if love smelled different to everyone? Sure, what we made was inspired by the notion of it, but it wasn’t tangibly it.
‘That’s the thing, Del. It’s everything and nothing. You just have to be bold and hope they understand what you’re trying to do. It was just damn luck on my part, but I hoped…’ he smiled at the word ‘…that they’d understand.’
I shook my head, knowing I had to solve this damn riddle myself, but that was thing about perfume, sometimes it was unsolvable like the most complex mathematical equation. And it was all subjective too.
‘Enjoy Bordeaux.’
‘I’m gonna dash out now and buy some earplugs, all the burgundy in France can’t dull that voice of Clementine’s.’
I laughed, imaging the fireworks.
‘Off you go, America. Kick ass, yeah?’
I gave him a quick hug. ‘See you at the end of the week.’
Packed and ready, I headed to the car to find Sebastien standing stiff as a toy solider, his hands in pockets as he surveyed the avenue.
‘Del,’ he said. ‘There you a
re.’ Four simple words that had my heart hammering. Damn it.
‘Here I am.’
‘Safe, for another week.’
‘I’m so relieved.’
‘It was very close.’
‘Yes. Too close. I promise the judges made the right choice and I’ll prove it to them this week.’
‘I know you will, Del. You have a gift, there’s no question about that.’ He gazed so deeply into my eyes, all thought of perfumery leapt from my mind. He stared at me like I was the only person on the planet. There was such an intensity about him and I had to remind myself to speak, and not just stare back like some dumbstruck fool.
My distractions had got the better of me so far, and I was determined not to break my focus again. But damn the man, he made my heart rumba of its own accord, and what the heck was I supposed to do about that? I went to touch my lips, remembering the accidental kiss, before I thought better of it. I blamed it on his perfume, that’s all it was. He smelt so dang good and it was lulling me into a false sense of…
‘So Provence,’ I said. I mentally added great conversationalist to my repertoire.
‘You’ll enjoy it, Del. At least I hope you do. About last night—’
Oh god, the about-last-night talk. I held up a hand to stop him. I didn’t want to hear him tell me it shouldn’t have happened because I knew that. And I was mortified by it. I’d asked Clementine what the kissing etiquette was so I’d never mess up again. Kiss left cheek first, and then right. Whose left though, yours or theirs? And in some parts of France it was a three-barreled kiss but not for Parisians. Confusing or what?
‘I wanted to apologize for that. I didn’t realize there’s a certain side to kiss, well not kiss, peck, and I got muddled. I am a walking disaster, you said it yourself. Let’s just be glad I didn’t kiss, I mean, peck your ear or something.’
His eyes reflected the confusion I felt. ‘Oui, a mistake. I’d hate for people to accuse me of anything untoward. It would not be appropriate as your mentor and head of Leclére.’
The Little Perfume Shop Off the Champs-Élysées Page 13
