Next on the mental list: perfume.
Not because he was image-obsessed, but because he often met people in small conference rooms, sat next to senators, executives, foreign investors. It would be nice not to smell like coffee, sweat, and recycled plane air.
He walked into a department store and headed for the fragrance section. Glass shelves, rows of bottles, brand names he knew and a lot he didn't.
A saleslady approached, polite but not pushy.
"Good morning, sir. Looking for something fresh? Or more on the woody side?"
"I have no idea," Timothy said plainly. "I just want something that doesn't smell like I'm trying too hard."
She smiled at that. "Understood, sir. Something clean and subtle."
She sprayed one sample strip. "This one is more fresh, everyday use. Good for daytime, office."
He smelled it. Light, citrus at the top, then it settled into something quieter.
"Okay," he said. "What else?"
