Molecules. I’m increasingly convinced that’s what it came down to, mostly because there was no other explanation. One minute I was fine – better, than fine, really. Bright! Attentive! Able to form complete sentences with very little effort! – and then there he was. And then there I was, plop! off my barstool, slack-jawed and stupid.
It wasn’t that he was a particularly handsome man, or that he showered me with any special attention so as to make my heart go pitter-pat. He was, in fact, average. He dressed carelessly, carried around an average man’s beer belly, and on the issue of my affection, tended to run pretty hot-and-cold. On top of it all, the things we had in common made a very short list comprised of deep, meaningful items like tacos and cold beer.
Like it mattered. The first time he walked into the room, the part of my brain responsible for bad decisions regarding men, alcohol, and chocolate cake started chanting, “Take off your pants!” Obviously, way ahead of the game. I hadn’t even smelled that spot under his chin that made (well, to be fair, the idea of still makes) my stomach do cartwheels. We’d never even spoken, much less had our first argument, or watched Zoolander with his hand clamped furiously tight over my mouth because, as hard as I try, I just can’t watch it without reciting the lines like I’m Ben Stiller’s brain twin.
Again, like it mattered. It was all in the way his molecules were arranged. In the way they danced around mine in a naughty strip tease, making my brain go soft, and for the nth time in my life, filling me with gratitude that my anatomy wasn’t capable of giving away my… amorous state.
I ordered another cocktail and waited for things to get complicated. Who was I to argue with science?
Pitter patter goeth my little heart. That is absolutely the best way to start, er… actually, meet again (from my spiritual beliefs).
Thems phermones my dear and I myself have a love/hate relationship with them. First sighting – love, third date when he says he doesn’t want kids – hate.
Smelling that spot under his chin? There’s one I haven’t heard before!
Molecules! That’s a WAY better explanation that I have for it. But what is it that makes you swear you can still smell his smell in your car three days after you drove him home?? Do they leave molecules behind??
Why do they have to smell so damn good? Can someone please tell me that? Sometimes I can’t sleep because I just want to lay there on his shoulder and breathe him in.
Sounds like fun
Ain’t lust grand…?
LOVE this! The molecules made me do it!
I just dicovered your AWESOME blog this week and have spent WAY more time reading it than doing actual work. Thank you. I’m not a twenty-something single gal like yourself – I’m a thirty-something divorced mama of two – but we seem to be on the same wave length. (although I suspect you are much cooler than I am) Anyway – love your stuff – and as I was perusing the archives I stumbled upon your entry of Dec. 19, 2003 – great writing – I have been there and I get it.
Ooooh. Yum.
A man walked past me in a crowded place today when I stopped like I’d been struck by lightning.Almost called out a name-My ex’s that is.
Why do we remember these smells.These people.
This week I’ve come across scentmemories of people I love/d and miss,family and otherwise.
Sometimes I’d really like to forget.
not trying to be a dork or anything here but… from the American Psychological Association: The connection between odor, memory and emotion has an anatomical basis. The primary olfactory cortex, which receives information about smells from nerves in the nose, links directly to the amygdala, which controls expression and experience of emotion, and the hippocampus, which controls the consolidation of memories.
I’ve kept a bottle of oil of olay with me for years because my grandmother used it every night and sometimes I’ll just breath it in to remember her. Not exactly what you are talking about but I have a story like that too with a certain someone, but only that one man has ever been able to do that to me and I will never ever be able to explain or understand why HE smells so good. It must have been love, or something like that.
GO fish!!!
Who is this masked man?
I’m totally with you here. My main problem was that my pheromones kept leading me towards bass players. They can’t all wear the same cologne, can they? My head knows it’s a bad idea right from the start. They’re always way too laid back and “whatever” about life in general to work out long term, but in that moment I am unable to stop myself.
I am worse, I think I may them smell soo good.
there is a certain cologne I love, and when I get into a relationship, if they don’t already have it I purchase it! I love it, it means love to me. when they wear it, i feel they have me with them. gosh sooo dorky I know. maybe even borderline psycho GF. But hey I dont run around spraying people with it!
Scent memories -remembories- are the best kind of “worst”. I can start thinking about something or someone and come up with the smell. And, as hard as I try, things *always* get complicated right after I order another cocktail (especially if I get to thinking about smelling that little spot under his chin).
You are deliciously terrible, Fish! Tell us more!
Your stuff is brilliant lately. Spot on as always but filled with a delight in life that is very endearing. Don’t know what’s up with you girl, but shine that light and rock on. What a pleasure to look you up Fish and see how your life is rolling.
I remember the days of dating, when I would nuzzle my nose into my man’s neck. He smelled so damn good- the cologne would make me swoon. In turn, I wore silk panties- specifically, thongs.
Now, we are married, and the cologne and silk thongs have been replaced by dial soap and cotton panties.
No fun. No fun, at all.
http://andria-and-co.com
I remember the days of dating, when I would nuzzle my nose into my man’s neck. He smelled so damn good- the cologne would make me swoon. In turn, I wore silk panties- specifically, thongs.
Now, we are married, and the cologne and silk thongs have been replaced by dial soap and cotton panties.
No fun. No fun, at all.
http://andria-and-co.com
“The first time he walked into the room, the part of my brain responsible for bad decisions regarding men, alcohol, and chocolate cake started chanting, “Take off your pants!”
OMG…too funny
i love this post, especially the last paragraph and line. of course, it makes me miss by boyfriend all the more. i’m still stuck at work for another 1.5 hours.
i’ve also never thought to smell the spot under the chin in particular.
Molecules? That would be another word for hormones?
Even when my husband has totally shat me off, I love the way he smells in bed, in the morning. All warm and soapy and aftershave-y. It makes me remember why I love him even though he hasn’t picked up the dog poopies/done the dishes etc
Then again, if that is the worst of it, who I am to whinge?
@Heather.
I have an attic’s worth of scentmemories.
As for the stranger in the crowd,i realised it was the molecules after all.’Ferrari Black for Men’ that is.
Lol.
@Cielo.
That reminds me of a girl I once knew who liked to buy every new boyfriend a Superman fitted tee.And made them all pose for pics,together in the tees once.Go figure.
sweet. i can’t even remember that feeling. it’s been that long. thanks for letting me live viccariously thhrough yours! enjoy…:-)
You know … when it hits there’s absolutley NO choice. I fell hip deep in sheep dip for a woman who outweighed me (by a bundle), who had no idea about life in Canada, had even more problems than i had…but who absolutely blew me away …. and for awhile back there it actually worked. who are we to argue?
Phermones, sometimes it’s hard to argue with them.
@ poster Heather: I totally agree about the scent memories. I bought Coty powder and would sniff it to remember my grandmother. For remembering my Dad, only Aquavelva will do. Smelling something familiar and comforting is probably why we call some foods “comfort food”. Or maybe we have taste memories too?
it is impossible to argue with science because science doesn’t follow the rules, specifically ‘I before E, except after C.’
weird. it’s also why i can’t argue with keira knightley.
I love the way the smell of coffee permeates your clothing if you walk into the 7-11 in the morning. All men should smell like that.
This also reminds me when my sister borrowed my jacket and she said, “It smells like you.” I asked her if that meant I smelled good or bad and she said, “No, it just smells like YOU.”
Speaking of pheromones, I read a really interesting article about a new dating service that matches people through DNA and smell!
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-sex19-2008may19,0,5686684.story
LOL at the “Take off your pants!” line!!!
Love your blog. I’ve added it to my blogroll. We singletons must stick together!
do you have an email address i can write to you at? thanks.
thisfish at gmail dot com
I wonder if its just the bar atmosphere that causes confusing attraction…or mayb its just the liquor lol! Either way who cares…nuthin wrong with sum hot action no matter what causes it;)
i’m trying to understand this myself. have you ever been surprised when you kissed someone whom you didn’t think you felt any attraction for, and wow, it knocks your socks off? and have you ever kissed guys and felt nada/zip/blah, even though you were really attracted to them before the actual kiss? maybe that’s the sweet spot under the chin at work…