The next morning, Rita—unsurprisingly—took another fake day off. When Erisia questioned it, she just waved her off and practically shoved her into the bathroom, declaring, "If I'm skipping work, then you're going to look divine to make it worth my sacrifice."
Erisia barely had time to protest that she didn't ask her to take an off day—that she was clearly just using her as an excuse—before Rita started barking orders from behind the door.
"Use the lavender shampoo! No, not that one—the other one. And the citrus body scrub! I want you smelling like a refreshing breeze or a blooming garden, not like freshly bought fabric!"
Erisia rolled her eyes and yelled back, "I don't think 'refreshing breeze' is a scent!"
"Whatever, just use it—you'll smell nice!"
Erisia couldn't suppress a smile but followed along anyway. The warm water and the carefully chosen scents did exactly what Rita intended—they relaxed her, easing the restless tension that had lingered from the night before.
