“Summer is a gentleman: slowly warming the earth at length before undressing her in the fall.” ― Curtis Tyrone Jones

 “What are you making?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm only cooking so that I can smell something besides you."

There was that edge in his voice again.

He turned up the fire and poured oil into a skillet and water into a pot and then he lined up the jars of spice that Louise kept on the countertop: parsley, oregano, bay leaves, pepper, and thyme, and mini branches of herbs, including basil and dill as well as some lemons and fresh cloves of garlic. He added them to the oil. His plan worked- the kitchen filled up with new odors that did not quite overcome my own but were certainly gaining ground.

"The ancient Romans wore bay leaves on their heads for virility," he said.

"You don't need any," I said.

"Borage is used to induce abortion. We learned that in the first year of med school."

"I don't need any."

"Arabs believe that cardamom builds good feelings among friends."

"We don't need any other people in our lives."

"I'm showing off, you know."

"I know. Keep going."

"Let's see. Curry powder should always be browned in butter. Fenugreek is hairy and it'll make you dream of sex. Ginger makes men horny, but not women. Lavender should be spread on the bedsheets. Not yours, of course, we don't need to add any more scent to your bed, but it can also be used in making soup."

"I'm impressed.”

― Margot Berwin, Scent of Darkness