The Fruitcake Special
I never thought I would discover something quite so amazing by accident. I was a chemist at the Amos Cosmetics factory in New Jersey, USA, trying to design a new perfume when it happened.
I was trying out all the usual mix of flowers and things - just like I always did - when I decided to throw in a piece of the fruitcake Momma had packed for my lunch. I don't know why I did it - I just did.
I put it into the mix with all the other things. Before long, I had a little bottle of perfume made from the things I had mixed together. I put some on the back of my hand. I thought it smelled nice, but there was nothing special about it, so I put the bottle into my handbag. I couldn't give something like that to my boss. After all, I am a chemist and my job is to make perfumes in a proper way. If I told him how I made this one he would tell me not to be a silly girl. Later, he would probably make a joke about it to his friends at the golf club.
That's the kind of man my boss was.
`Anna!'
It was my boss, David Amos, the owner of Amos Cosmetics. He happened to be walking past where I worked. He never usually spoke to people like me. What did he want? I felt nervous.
`Yes, Mr Amos.' I said.
`You're looking terrific today! Mmm . . . what's that lovely smell? It's like fresh bread and flowers and sunshine all mixed together with . . . I don't know - is it you, Anna?'
I didn't know what he was talking about. I couldn't smell anything special.
Mr Amos had an expert nose for perfumes. And he knew it.
`Yes, it is you!' he said loudly. All the other chemists nearby could hear. It was embarrassing.
I had never heard my boss speak to me like that before. Or to anybody else, come to think of it. David Amos is a
dark, handsome English guy who would never dream of saying nice things to ordinary looking girls like me. He