Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. I'm just playing around :)

Hey y'all!

This is my first time participating in the Twilight Twenty-Five, and I am SO EXCITED!

Round 9 has a Central Character theme, so each of my entries will focus on Rosalie (what a surprise, lol) and be inspired by a single-word prompt.

I fear I've lost some of my FF writing mojo based on all that's going on in RL, so I'm hoping this experience will reignite that fire. Those waiting on Roseward and Carlsme updates, I'm really trying to get those to you. But in the meantime, I hope these will suffice.

Enjoy!

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: #18, "Mist"

Main Character: Rosalie Hale

Rating: K+

Word Count: 485

Checking her wristwatch again, Rosalie realized the futility of calling Alice a fourth time. But Bloomingdale's wasn't the worst place to waste part of Spring Break, so she headed to housewares with a deep, cleansing breath.

And froze, caught by an unexpected scent.

It was sensual and inviting with enough mystery to pique her interest. She took another whiff and began following the scent, hardly knowing why. With each inhale, she sensed additional notes—vanilla, amber, patchouli—and was further enticed to fully sample its bouquet.

As she proceeded down one aisle and across three others, Rosalie expected to land in Ladies' Fragrance. So when she saw the service elevators, she realized her folly and decided again on housewares. Rounding another corner, she spied a brawny guy in a polo shirt pulling a large utility cart.

"Hey there." He slowed as she approached. "Are you the lady looking for empty boxes?"

"No, uh…I was looking for something else."

His blue eyes twinkled. "Is it available in stores?"

"I don't know." She was surprised by the lilt in her voice. "I've never seen it before."

"Really?" He leaned against the parked cart, folding his well-toned arms. "Do tell."

"I didn't see it because I smelled it." He wrinkled his nose, and she laughed. "It was a good smell, like the perfect summer night. I followed the scent here, but I guess I made a wrong turn."

Studying her silently, the beautiful stranger strode toward her, stopping at a comfortable distance. Angling his head to one side, he tugged down the other side of his collar. "Is this it?"

Rosalie hesitated then leaned in, slowly inhaling where indicated. The warm, familiar fragrance filled her soul, and she closed her eyes to savor it. When she opened them again, his azure eyes were smiling at her.

"That's it." She stepped back, clearing her throat. "What's it called?"

He looked away as he answered.

"What did you say?"

He blushed, and it was the cutest thing she'd ever seen. "Silky Sunset Body Mist."

She fought to keep a straight face. "Okay."

"I was running late and couldn't shower after the gym. This was the only smelly stuff in the lounge besides the drain cleaner."

"I understand."

"And I think I'm man enough to wear it."

"I think I'd agree with that."

He smiled. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

As they shimmered and simmered, a blaring PA announcement burst their bubble, and he returned to his cart, gripping its handle. "Someone's waiting for these."

She swallowed hard. "Right."

"But…" Their eyes met. "I'll be done in twenty minutes."

"Then I'll be right here."

"Yeah?"

She nodded. "Definitely yeah."

The blue-eyed stranger whooped, and Rosalie laughed. As he disappeared around the corner, her phone rang, and she answered it immediately.

"Rosie! I'm so sorry I'm late, and…"

"It's fine, Alice." Rosalie collapsed on a nearby bench with a sigh. "Actually, it's better than fine."