A Surprising Encounter: The Day My Husband’s Scent Turned into Hibiscus and Cookies

Did you know that Mark smells like a hibiscus flower mixed with cookies? Well, only these last few months, but the change surprised me, and I think I surprised him a bit with my reaction, too.

First, you must know I’m not the most serious person at the best of times. When I’m in a comfortable setting, I tend to react like a toddler who shares a single brain cell with a cat. That is just a little information to set up what will be a slightly outrageous story.

A few days ago, I wandered into our bedroom, where Mark was diligently editing our newest book. Exhausted, I just wanted to sit next to him and relax. As I plopped down on the bed, my head somehow ended up on his thigh, and by sheer coincidence, of course, because I wouldn’t dare to disturb him, my nose landed right on his tummy.

Instinctively, I took a sniff, then another. Before I knew it, I was nuzzling him like a cat with a particularly alluring batch of catnip. I don’t know what he did, but seriously, who smells like hibiscus tea mixed with chocolate chip cookies? When I began sniffing even more vigorously, he pulled away, and that’s where my silly nature decided to strike.

I didn’t let him. I was squealing to high heaven when he tried to push my head away, and the more he pulled away, the more I followed him like a bloodhound. The poor man was defenceless against my assault, and in the end, he was laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes while pushing my head out of his tummy because my constant rubbing tickled him so much.

In my defence, I can only say that it was entirely his fault because who in their right mind smell like something edible in front of a forty-year-old woman? Of course, I wanted a nibble or at least a good, long whiff.

We still don’t know what caused this scent, but if I ever catch him smelling like this again, I’m going to roll him in an oil-soaked bed sheet like the guy in Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, did to extract the scent. Not that I want to damage him, but a couple of days of cooking in oils could do the trick.

And no, he has no right to deny me. It is this or the endless belly rubs.