Page 44 of The Rebel

“He’s been great to me, and I’m learning a lot. I like these most.” I pointed to the two middle bottles, and Isabeau immediately shoved them to one side.

“But you’re only going to work for him temporarily, right?”

“That’s the plan. But you know what they say about best-laid plans. I thought I moved here to be a senior marketing manager, but that fell through, so I’m trying to keep an open mind. Do you have any ready-made perfumes? I’d love to send my mom one.”

“Yes, we have quite a few.”

“Excellent. She and I always bonded over fragrances. She changes them a lot, unlike me.”

“We can ship it to her too.”

“No need. Annelise can take it to her. She lives close by, and between you and me,” I said in a conspiratorial tone, “she’s my little spy. Tells me whenever something goes awry. My parents are determined not to worry me.”

“But you do anyway.” Isabeau’s voice softened.

“I can’t help it.”

“The boys can be like that with us too.”

“Yes. Anthony said that most of the time he goes fishing with his grandfathers to keep an eye on them.” Then I pressed my lips together, realizing I’d just let loose something he told me in confidence. “Whoops. Was that a family secret? I didn’t mean to give him away.”

She chuckled. “It is a secret, but we all know about it. All the boys do that.”

“Then I don’t feel too guilty.”

Isabeau gave me a strange look, and my stomach somersaulted.Oh crap. Did I cross a line?

“Right… You know what? I don’t think I can finish a perfume for you on the spot.”

I deflated instantly. “Why not?”

“I need some time to think about what should be in it.”

I blinked, looking over at Annelise and Celine. She was packing a small bottle for my friend. Clearly Annelise had gotten her custom-made perfume.

I focused on Isabeau again. She was looking at me very intently.

“So… should I drop by again next week?” I suddenly felt very silly.What’s going on?

“We’ll give it to Anthony once it’s ready.”

“Thanks.” Was this usual for them? “I hope I didn’t offend you.” I was beginning to worry now.

“Oh no! Not at all.” Isabeau turned around, shuffling through a few small boxes.

Hmmm.Did they often send potential customers on their merry way because they needed time to think about ingredients? That didn’t seem likely.

“Now, let’s get something for your mother. What perfumes does she like?” Isabeau asked.

“Her favorite is Euphoria by Calvin Klein.”

“Right. I know exactly what she needs!” Her eyes lit up.

She knew just like that, huh? And yet she needed time to think about what worked for me? This was bizarre.

I moved over to Annelise as she swiped her card. Then I paid for Mom’s.

“What did you get?” she asked me.