The warm scent of apples, vanilla, pumpkin spice and cinnamon wafted in the air, greeting Lariette and Ruediger as they stepped into the body care store. To commorate autumn, the shop had transford into a cozy, fragrant wonderland with appropriate displays.
"Wow, the decor is nice," Lariette muttered, her eyes falling on the arrays of autumn-thed products arranged on the center table.
Rustic wooden crates were stacked on the table, displaying candles, lotions, body wash and more products. Artificial maple leaves in fiery hues adorned the towering arrangents, along with tiny pumpkins, plaid blankets and signs with playful phrases.
Ruediger followed Lariette to the center table. Standing next to each other, they looked at the rows of carefully labeled scented candles.
"Fireside Forest," Lariette picked one of the candle samples. She took a sniff with her eyes closed, "Pine and firewood. The sll is nice."
Raising an eyebrow, Ruediger leaned down, trying to take the scent of the candle as well. Lariette instinctively pushed it closer to him, letting him sniff at the candle. Her gaze montarily caught the way his crimson locks shone under the golden lights.
Ruediger nodded, agreeing with Lariette, "We can get a few for Elsie. Perhaps sothing suitable for Lorianne too."
"Yes, we should."
Lariette and Ruediger sampled a few more before deciding on three candles for Elsie. They picked the first one, including the blend of lavender and eucalyptus, as well as one that slled like fresh rain.
As for Lorianne, the salesperson suggested getting body mists of lighter scents, sanitizers with cute holders and foaming hand soaps. Most items here were catered to teens and adults, but so were still appropriate for children.
While waiting for the staff to pack everything into two separate gift boxes, Lariette and Ruediger wandered around the store. She paused at a shelf lined with body lotion and body mists, leading him to also halt his steps.
Lariette swept her gaze across the exquisite bottles, each labeled in crafty scripts and adorned with illustrations of nature. She picked up a pale green bottle of a body lotion. Twisting the silver cap, she took a sniff.
As for Ruediger, he simply looked at the products. He still had a few sealed bottles of body care products back in the bedroom, waiting to be used much later.
"Eddy, this kinda slls like you."
Blinking, Ruediger traced his gaze back to Lariette whose countenance was beaming. She was holding another bottle of body lotion, this ti in icy blue hues.
"Like ?"
"Yes," Lariette chuckled. She showed the bottle to Ruediger, "This slls fresh and minty, like you. The notes aren’t exactly the sa tho, but quite similar."
Ruediger laughed softly while inwardly agreeing. Taking the bottle from Lariette, he sniffed it himself. The scent of spearmint and eucalyptus lingered from the small opening.
Ruediger humd in approval as most of his body care products had such scents. Amused, he grinned at Lariette. Lowering his voice, he asked teasingly, "Does it an you like my scent?"
Lariette froze for a mont. Trying not to look away from Ruediger, she declared albeit stuttering, "Yes. I like clean scents too. You happen to have it, so..."
Ruediger held back from laughing out loud. His heart lted into a puddle of honey at the sight of the blushing Lariette. She glared when he lightly pinched her right cheek.
"Lettie, if it’s you," Ruediger lowered his hand from Lariette’s face, his voice softer than before, "You sll like a wildflower garden after it rains. Also with a hint of berries."
To him, she slled like a mix of sunshine, floral sweetness with a hint of berries, also sothing crisp and clean.
Blinking, Lariette stared at Ruediger, curious, "What do you an? What kind of sll is that?"
Ruediger winked at Lariette, his smile playful, "You should know it better yourself."
"Eddy, tell ."
"Hehe, figure it out. Co, let’s get our gifts."
Lariette scowled at Ruediger, her face still dusted with blush. He simply laughed as he took her hand. They returned to the counter where two sleek paper bags, each with a gift box, waited for them.
After leaving the store, Lariette and Ruediger headed to the bookstore. They had an easier ti picking up children’s storybooks for Lorianne. They purchased a few, including two fun puzzles.
"Shall we have dinner here?" Ruediger asked as they walked away from the bookstore, "Or do you wanna go sowhere else?"
Lariette glanced at her wristwatch, finding it was already six. She didn’t realize how much ti had passed. The sky outside might have darkened already.
"I want sothing hot and spicy. I don’t mind which cuisine."
Arching his brows, Ruediger asked teasingly, "Like the spicy Thai food that made you cry?"
"Eddy! I just cried a little. I can eat spicy food now," Lariette complained, feeling the urge to squeeze Ruediger’s cheeks hard.
"Then, shall we get the spiciest ran we can get? Or so curry?"
Huffing, Lariette pinched Ruediger’s arm, only to make him laugh more. They continued to banter as they walked, not realizing two people were staring at them.
"Lari."
Lariette blinked, noticing the slightly familiar voice calling her na. Turning from Ruediger, she was stunned for a mont once she saw the people who stood a few feet from them.
"...Dec," Lariette muttered, "And Cee."
Ruediger also looked ahead, his eyes falling on Declan and Celina who seed surprised to find him and Lariette here. If he was not mistaken, it had been over one month since their last interaction with the couple.
Declan and Celina took a few steps closer before stopping right before Lariette and Ruediger. While the forr was quiet, Celina greeted them.
"Hello, Lari," Celina smiled politely, "I saw you and your husband from afar, then I told Dec. I hope we’re not bothering you."
"Hello. We shop for gifts for a bit. I didn’t expect to see you two here."
Lariette returned the greeting. She still rembered Celina’s act of kindness toward her, even before Declan began showing changes.
Instead of answering Lariette, Celina glanced at Declan. Lariette and Ruediger also looked at the man, who seed to struggle with words.
Declan noticed the three pairs of eyes staring at him. After a period of silence, he finally spoke, his voice hoarse, "You look better now, Lari."
Lariette blinked, never foreseeing Declan ntioning her state of well being. Her eyes collided onto his, which shared the sa shade of deep blue.
Reviews
All reviews (0)