Chapter 2 of 2 : The entire wing of the office

"Morning, Eliza ... if you wanna go by unnoticed, you might wanna try a milder fragrance with fewer notes of cotton candy."

Eliza gasped. "You noticed ...!"

"… As did the entire left wing of this office …"

"I know you're lying," Henry said to Eliza. "So, why don't you stop the charade, and tell me what is going on."

Throughout the time he'd known her, he'd also learned about her looks and her tells. When she was happy, sad, or pissed; when she was mocking his 'old man' ways; when she was serious about work; when she was pensive; when she cast a wistful glance his way. The look she wore now was a mix of guilt and a little embarrassment at having been caught.

"Okay. Well, last week, I came in early one morning after SoulCycle …"

"… Which was the subject of a damning report in the Business Insider last year …"

"Whatevs. Anyway, I forgot breakfast, and I was on the prowl 'supes hungs' …"

"Eliza, please tell me you didn't …"

"No, I didn't steal any of Joan's food. I took Raj's chicken-salad sandwich instead …"

"Aw geez, Eliza …"

"Point bees, I was about to dig in when I caught your scent."

"My scent?"

"It bugged the crap outta me the entire morning, until I stopped by your office later to bug the crap outta you."

"No surprise there …"

"And that's when I realized it was your cologne I detected earlier that morning. Guess I just missed you."

Aside from that delicious double meaning, he wondered if this hangup of hers didn't go way back. "How did you know it was my …? Oh, you know what. It goes back to my jacket, doesn't it."

"Yeah, it's you. I mean, your jacket …" Her thoughts betrayed her, because she wore a dreamy distant look, quickly followed by one mixed with trouble and regret.

"You know, Eliza," he said, breaking her out of the traitorous thoughts. "I've been wearing this scent on most workdays, for as long as we've known each other."

"I guess I started paying attention."

Letting that loaded statement go for the time being, there was another question he needed to ask. "When did you finally catch on?"

"In the elevator, the other day. I was legit overwhelmed …"

"Yeah, it was just the two of us, and unusually, even for you, you stood really close to me."

"Yes, hard as it is for me to admit, but your cologne, whatever it is, has been driving me batshit crazy to distraction."

"Explains why you've been coming by my office even more, if that's possible, and standing close to me …"

"Yeah, fact is, Henry, you smell really good."

He grinned, staring at her for a full quiet minute.

"Oh well ..." she said, breaking the awkward silence.

"No, not 'oh well'; never 'oh well' ..." He repeated the same phrase uttered in Saperstein's office when all three considered how baby diaper cream could be marketed into "Butt Eyes" for new moms. He never told Eliza he actually liked "Butt Eyes," even if it was a terrible marketing device.

"Okay. So now what?"

"If you want a good whiff, just lean in."

"What?"

"Yeah, I'm telling you: come right up and get a good sample." Where was this courage coming from?

"Are you trying to come on to me, Henry? Because straight up, it's kinda lame …" What? No! Why did I say that?

"Come on, I dare you, Eliza. I'm giving you a challenge. Since when have you ever said no to a challenge?"

"Yeah, but …"

"Do you trust me?"

"I do."

"Okay." Squeezing her arm in reassurance, he got up and closed the office door. "You can have as much of me … I mean … my scent."

Eliza definitely picked up on that little gem of a slip, but she said nothing. Instead, she tossed the granola bar wrapper into the trash can and, slowly and carefully, she stood and stepped inside his personal space. Closing her eyes, she leaned forward, and took a deep breath.

Natural. Comforting. Like nothing would ever hurt her. Like a promise he would never hurt her again. Wood, of course, but there were earthy tones, too. Like a walk through coastal Redwoods after a spring rain, a memory from years ago when Mom and Dad had taken Bethany and her for a short holiday in Northern California. The ocean, a hint of the deep salt sea, a warm breeze sweeping up and over, carrying her, like she was flying. All this spoke of Henry.

Soooooo goooood. Her eyes were closed, lingering and savoring and following him. But the proximity was intoxicating, and she felt herself falling. To steady herself, she reached and grabbed onto his arms.

Henry caught her before she fell, holding her by the waist, tight against his body.

She opened her eyes to find his smolder trained fully on her: deep concern mixed with something very intense.

"Whoa. Thanks, Henry …"

"I want you to know … that you smell really good, too."

"Uhm, what?"

"You smell great. I know you've cut down on the volume of body spray, because I can no longer detect it from the entire left wing of the office. But I think … " He leaned forward, right up against her ear and under her neck, the closeness forcing an upswell of a hot charged feel for Eliza. "Yessssss …" And the vibrating sound he was making in the affirmative was sending ripples of sexual energy up and down her spine. "I smell cotton candy, of course, but I also smell definite hints of cherry … and vanilla."

Oh-em-gee, she marveled. He's describing me like an ice cream sundae with a cherry on top. Like he wants me, like he wants to eat me.

He closed the silent deal he made with himself, and began closing what little distance remained between them. "And from now on, you are more than welcome to enjoy my scent. As much as you want."

No more delays. No more longing. No more waiting.

Simultaneously, Eliza and Henry converged: a meeting of minds (of course), and a meeting of mouths (finally). They breathed deep from another, hungry for the other, free with relief; laughing with joy, in the breaks when their lips weren't locked; their hands released from their own self-imposed shackles, restless and ready to touch, wander, stroke, and tease.

Old habits die hard, Eliza thought. She took out her iPhone to tweet and `gram this moment for Internet posterity.

"Please, no." He stilled her hand. "Not yet."

"But whe-e-e-e-en?" She whined, sticking out her lower lip for full effect.

"I want this moment to be about us. I don't want to share this with everybody just yet."

"But how will my followers know about my new status?"

"Oh? Do tell, Eliza; I'm very interested. What is your new status?"

She stared at him, a smirk aside to soften the blow. "The only follower I care about is the one standing in front of me."

"This coming from the woman who's got over one hundred thousand followers. Besides, how would you know I'm following you?"

"Because I got a hold of your phone one day …"

"… of course you did …"

"… and I made sure I installed every social media you didn't already have, and I made sure you were following me."

"Really?"

"Why hello, my name is Eliza - have you met me?"

"Well, it's a good thing I'm no ordinary follow-whore ..."

"Absolutely not. But seriously, you do know what I mean, right?"

He chuckled. "I do. But how you push my buttons all too well. In a good way, of course. Well, most of the time …"

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"What I mean is that it cuts both ways …"

Grumpy cat pushes all of my buttons, but I'm not giving him any satisfaction. "Whatevs! Just so you know, you drive me crazy, with your mad sweet cologne, and your …"

"Crazy horse-riding antics?"

"That, too. But it's how you see me, through all the hashtag window dressing, despite the crazy stuff I've pulled and done."

"Eliza, you see me, too. From day one, you broke down the walls I'd spent years putting up. I'm a better person when you're by my side."

Drunk with his scent, she leaned forward for a peck on his chin, before she buried herself in his embrace. Truth told, his cologne and her memories were getting her to think up ways of breaking into his house and stealing his jacket. Because next time, she'd be ready. She wanted to surprise him by reliving that epic elevator scene, but with a very different twist and a fully satisfying conclusion for them both.

"I think that … you've always been totally adorbs, and you're a lot more fun when I'm around. But don't think this gets you out of future snuggle time."

"No no, I would never think that. Besides, I think we can sacrifice a little bit for something a whole lot better."

"What's that?"

"This." He stopped talking.

She didn't mind that at all.