Autumn followed behind her co-worker and good friend Suzanne, blankly staring at the sway of Suzanne’s ankle length floral skirt along the way. The crisp ‘click click click’ of Autumn’s 2 inch, burgundy-brown, round toed pumps called her back into awareness. “I wonder what this is all about? Suzanne was so nervous when she asked if we could go on a coffee break together… I hope she doesn’t have a terminal illness,” Autumn thought to herself. The two women left work through a side door (also unusual for Suzanne) and crossed the barely busy street to a small restaurant/cafe (a charming Panera) where they occasionally took breaks. After ordering her usual, a medium iced coffee with cream, sugar and sugar-free Irish Creme syrup, Autumn and Suzanne were seated. “Autumn,” she began, uncomfortably, “I’d like to talk to you about a difficult issue. I hope if the situation were reversed that as my friend, you would talk with me. Are you aware that your daily perfume is extremely strong smelling?” Autumn was dumbstruck. Her perfume? What? Suzanne pressed on, “Rita and Jennifer asked me to bring this up, but truthfully, I have wanted to talk to you about it for some time now. People… people joke about it, Autumn. They sort of snicker when you pass by…. they…. oh god… they say that they can tell when you have been in the ladies’ room or in the elevator because the smell… it lingers.” Autumn couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She loved her perfume! What is the point of wearing perfume that you can’t even smell? Rita AND Jennifer had asked Suzanne to… to what? Stage and intervention? Unbelievable. After finally finishing her coffee and carrying on an obligatory, topically changed conversation with Suzanne, Autumn left work early. She drove to her condo, parked her sedan, and sat in the driver’s seat, motionless. Ten minutes later, gently placed on the lid of the curbside Rubbermaid trash bin, sat a bottle of ‘Sensational by Celine Dion’ perfume. Autumn had made her choice. Now she would have to live with it.