25 Days of Camie

Day 13 - Peppermint

Saturday, December 13th

One of Cathy's favorite scents was peppermint. She always had a few candies in her purse, she always bought peppermint candles during the holidays, and there was a cup of candy canes on her desk at work. Jamie even made sure to purchase hot chocolate with peppermint bits mixed in.

She'd never actually said why she loved it so much; he just knew that she did. He'd been meaning to ask her, but the question kept slipping from his mind.

But today he'd ask. They were on their park bench, enjoying the oddly-mild December weather. There was a comfortable silence before he cleared his throat.

"Hey, Cathy? I've been meaning to ask for a while, but what's so special about peppermint? Why are you so fond of it?"

Her cheeks grew redder than they had been, and she didn't meet his gaze. "Um…I just do. It's…it's nice, you know…"

"I sense a story…" He raised an eyebrow.

"It's nothing, really…"

"Come on, tell me!" He pouted slightly.

"No." She buried her face in his shoulder. "It's embarrassing."

"Please?" He lifted her chin, giving her his puppy-dog eyes. "I promise not to laugh."

She stared at him for a few seconds before she sighed. "Fine. It's…it's a bit of a family joke, really." The blush on her face steadily grew. "I…I was about three-and-a-half, and we always visited my grandparents' house a few days before Christmas to bake cookies. Well, I was too young to actually do anything, so I wandered around and found my way to one of the candy bowls on the coffee table. And…um…" She squeezed her eyes shut, mumbling something.

"What?"

"Ismffsmpprmsdnmps."

"What?"

"I stuffed some peppermints down my pants." She bit her lip. "I wasn't supposed to take more than one piece, and I knew that. But I guess the peppermints my grandmother made had a distinctive smell, so…my parents and Emma caught on when we got home."

Jamie was fighting the giggles that bubbled in his chest. "Is that all?"

"When I was old enough, I figured out that I actually really liked peppermint, so…"

He let out an involuntary laugh, clapping his hand over his mouth. "Sorry. I just…" He smiled. "That's hilarious."

Her face was still bright red as she peered up at him. "Glad you think so. You're the only person outside my family I told." She smiled a little. "Mum almost told Tommy, my first boyfriend, when we had peppermint ice cream one night."

"I'm honored." He pulled her closer, kissing her forehead. "And I'll make sure to tell that at every family gathering we go to."

"Jamie, you wouldn't!"

"You know me." He winked, kissing her softly. "Mmmm, you even taste like peppermints…"

She slapped him, trying to pull away, but he kept a firm grip on her. "You little bastard," she mumbled.

"Love you too, hun."