Jacob Tucker

The Scent of Jasmin

Saturday night had come and gone as it had for the last nine months. The same crowd. Same old men. The same bad jokes and even worse tips. But that's what she liked about this place. She lived here in this small town for almost a year trying to forget about her past to forget about “Jasmine”. Her shift was winding down and she began to clean the bar before she shut her down for the night, the same routine, wipe the tables, sweep the floor, stock the bar and close the till. She began to let her mind wander and she closed the gate and locked the bolt on the door. “Jasmine?” the voice startled her out of her memories and she spun on her heels fearing someone had found her this far south. Standing before her was the most cliche man she had ever laid eyes on. “Tall dark and handsome, oh please get over yourself” she mused before the weight of what he had said struck her again. “Jasmine?” He asked again almost pleading. “I’m sorry, you must have the wrong person, my names Meghan” she blurted out, the instinct to hide from her past so strong it was the only thing she could say without turning and running. The light of a passing car fell across his face illuminating the most striking eyes, bluer than she had seen in years, so blue oceans wept in envy. “Oh, my mistake. You look like someone I used to know. Sorry to bother you” her gave her a once over and gave a little smirk before he turned to walk away. It was just her luck the light of another car shown on his head, dark full hair. It was almost to much she wanted to reach out and run her fingers through it and she held his face between her thighs. “What the fuck are you thinking” she berarted herself as she watched him go. “Sober for a year and the sight of one sexy stud is gonna knock you off the wagon!!” She was angry and herself and she turned and walked swiftly to her car, she has a new life her, a new job, and one that doesn’t tempt her to sin! She had lived that life, lived it since she was 14 and she had sworn to the gods that she wouldn’t go back. The drive home was short and easy, only a 5 minute drive from the bar. It was time for a bath, that man had shaken her more than she had realized. As the bath filled she added a few drops of her favorite oils, rose and jasmine. She had been soaking in the tub for about 10 minutes when her mind began to wander, she thought a thought that had come to her many times as she relaxed back, "this tub is to fucking small!" But that was the last cohesive thought she had before her mind slipped back into memories.