"Scented candles! Of all things, why scented candles?" Janice threw her hands up in defeat, causing her friends to erupt in giggles.

"You did say he was really self conscious," Mary said, trying to keep a serious expression on her face, but failing.   "Maybe he wanted to make his own... odor, less noticeable."

Bethany hadn't stopped giggling, and was now laughing harder as Mary tried to appease Janice. "Can you... can you imagine..." Bethany got out between giggles. After a few moments it was clear she wasn't going to get any further than that, so Mary turned back to Janice.

"And besides, candles are supposed to be romantic. What does it matter if they're scented or not. You said the room was completely candlelit, right?"

"That was part of the problem. I can understand if a few candles were scented, but he had about thirty candles, and they were ALL scented," Janice said, chuckling. Bethany's giggles picked up again, and Mary began to smile. "And," Janice said, "Not one of them was the same smell!"

Giggles erupted into laughter, and Bethany started pounding her fist on the table. Mary slid off the couch laughing, and Janice was giggling now.

"Did you..." Bethany started, had to stop again. She took in a deep breath and rubbed her hands along her cheeks, trying to ease the aching muscles. When she spoke, her palms still lay on her face, elongating her features, "Did you do it, or did the smell drive you away?"

"It was almost that bad. Overpowering, really, but I could tell he was trying so hard to make it a romantic evening. That dinner, and the star gazing, I think he even bought silk sheets, and there were rose petals strewn around the room and everything."

"Which probably clashed with the scents from the candles," Mary said, and Janice nodded, laughing.

"They did. But then, vanilla and pine and jasmine don't really blend anyway," Janice said, and leaned over and helped haul Mary back up onto the couch. "But it was kind of romantic."

"And he was hot," chimed in Bethany, who had managed to get herself under control.

"And he was VERY hot," Janice agreed. "So, yeah, I stayed. After a bit, the smell didn't bother me anymore," she said with a shrug.

"So...?"

Bethany shot Mary a glare for the question, but then turned to Janice to wait for her reply. Janice looked between them. "So, what?"

"Is he the one?"

Janice looked at Mary, then turned her gaze out the window into her backyard. She bit her lip. After a moment of silence, she shook her head. "I don't think so."

Bethany let out a breath she had been holding, and Mary got onto her knees to scoop Janice into a hug. Bethany left her space on the floor and joined the embrace, wrapping her arms around Janice from behind. They sat like that for several minutes. The only sound in the room was the quiet sobbing coming from the middle of the huddle.