Lawrence Carine Roitfeld 2019

I’m sitting on one of those uncomfortable café chairs at the table you reserved for us, right in the middle of the marketplace, and just as I’m being handed the menu, I see you rushing towards me.

*it’s about time, sweetheart!*

In soft goat leather black pants (which I’ll later confirm are indeed soft), paired with a cream-colored linen shirt, barefoot, and wearing a colorful pork pie hat.

*Nice, I just love his style, I think I can forgive him for making me wait.*

Then you’re in front of me, standing tall, taking my hand and making me rise.

*Whoa? What’s happening now?*

A first scent impression from you wafts towards me with the breeze you bring along.

*Seriously? He shows up to the date with a sweet fruit-rum chewing gum? Quite bold!*

Then you perform a theatrical bow in front of me, still holding my hand. “My dear, what a pleasure to see you! I’m intoxicated with joy for the afternoon with you! Will you forgive my little tardiness?”

*Sweet, he can be old school too. And gallant. Like.*

My inner self waves at you with a delighted grin, and the psychodramatist in me immediately engages with your scene: I nod and hope it comes across as something between gracious, self-assured, and amused.

You reach with your free hand - you still haven’t let go of mine! - to your hat and take the small bouquet you had tucked into the hatband. You take a step closer to me and now you’re standing pretty close. And you offer me the flowers: “May I present you with this little floral greeting as a sign of my affection?” A fine, creamy jasmine scent reaches me, and behind it, I think I can smell the scent of your slightly sweaty skin.

My neurodivergent brain is firing on all cylinders:
*Whoa, how can this beautiful little jasmine bouquet on his hat hold so well? So lovely! Hey, I’m not even bothered that he’s holding my hand for so long, wow! Mhm, what else is that wafting towards my nose? Rough somehow, maybe the leather of his pants? Hey, they’re not even black but a super beautiful espresso dark brown. I wonder how they feel? Oh yes, I’m craving that delicious espresso they have here, decolonized thankfully. I mustn’t forget to ask him about the chewing gum brand, it smells really nice too! He’s really putting in the effort, bless him. But how does he know I’m into a bit of old school? Did I tell him that before, or what? Oh, I definitely need to tell him not to give me cut flowers anymore, I hate watching them slowly die in the vase. But whatever, I’m happy anyway, and just the gesture is nice.*

I accept the bouquet with a smiling “thank you” and a hint of a curtsy.

*Help, what are you doing??! A curtsy??! And tilting your head while doing it!! My goodness, behavioral biology sends its regards.*

“Shall we sit?” I nod, sit down, and look forward to a fun and casual afternoon with you.

***

Well, if a scent pours into a scene while I’m standing still, then I just have to write it down.

Lawrence actually opens with a delicious note of sweet, fruity, rum-soaked chewing gum. Soon, it is accompanied by lovely jasmine blossoms, creamy-soft, slightly sweet, and yet fresh. At some point, it also becomes pleasantly spicy, and oud makes an appearance as well. Until then, I find the scent really quite nice, amusing in a way, despite its synthetic quality, which in my nose mashes all the notes together rather than connecting them. But then that type of musk comes in that makes a scent uninteresting by making everything somehow creamy (up to being greasy on my skin) and arbitrary.

Anyway.
Thank you for these truly delightful, exploratory, and refreshing hours with you, dear Lawrence!