Scent

All characters are 18 years old or older.

Scent

The lab was quiet, as usual, for this time of night. A few workstation lights provided a soft glow throughout the room. It was 10pm, and only one employee remained. Dr. Barbara Carbinaro was working late, yet again.

As head of the perfume division for Atlas Consumer Goods, she created the newest retail perfume products. After completing her Ph. D's. in chemistry and neurobiology, she joined the company about twenty years ago. The compensation the company offered when she graduated was off the charts. It was an offer she couldn't refuse and didn't.

Barbara approached fifty, but guessing her age, most would say thirty-five. She kept herself in shape by running. However, the constant standing and moving inside a lab was a workout in its own right.

Glancing at the clock, she grimaced. It was late, and she needed to get home. Her husband, Luka, was losing his patience with her constant late nights at work and working every weekend. It had been going on for months. However, Barbara had a deadline to produce the newest perfume scent that would be available for Christmas. Miss the deadline, and it was very likely she would be fired instead of being promoted to Senior Vice President. A title she coveted for the past couple of years.

The perfume business was brutal and cutthroat. Most products relied on marketing to entice the consumer to buy. Barbara wanted to up the ante. Her goal was to produce a perfume that actually did what a commercial advertised. Attract the opposite sex. Using her vast knowledge of chemistry and neurobiology, Barbara came up with the idea of creating a scent using pheromones.

Humans, animals, and insects all secrete pheromones, affecting those in their species. Specific pheromones are integral in attracting the opposite sex for mating.

Her theory was sound. But so far, the right combination of ingredients hadn't produced winning results. The next stage was to integrate animal pheromones, increasing the potency. A process that could be hit or miss until she found the correct combination. There were only three weeks left until her deadline. Barbara knew she was close, so she kept pushing. Working harder and longer than anyone else. It was going to cost her marriage if she didn't have a breakthrough. But, that was not going to happen tonight. She packed up her things, heading home.

On her way to the elevator, she spotted the night maintenance man. Luther Moss was a legend at Atlas. Everyone in the building loved Luther for his friendliness and his big broad smile. Although he was a bit younger than Barbara, Luther had worked these floors longer than she had been with the company.

When Luther spotted Barbara, he stopped mopping. "Calling it a night, Dr. Carbinaro?"

Barbara pressed the button for the elevator. "Hi, Luther. Yes, finally. It's been a long day."

"Well, you drive safely. I'll probably see you tomorrow." Luther went back to his mopping, working his way down the corridor. Barbara watched him work, admiring his strong muscular frame. His ebony skin glistened with sweat while he cleaned the marble floors. The elevator doors opened, interrupting Barbara from her thoughts.

On the drive home, she thought about her husband and kids. Both of their children were home for the summer, with only a few weeks left until they started their new semesters. Antonia, the eldest, was twenty-one and ready to begin her senior year. She was very shy and not quite as attractive as her mother. However, most of it was based on her frumpy attire and lack of caring about her appearance. Antonia never had a boyfriend. Barbara guessed she was still probably a virgin.

Her other child, Marcus, was just the opposite. He was very handsome with an athletic build and was very popular with the ladies. Marcus was twenty years old, about to begin his junior year at the state college. A future in baseball was possible. Barbara and Luka made sure his grades maintained a high level, just in case it didn't work out.

Barbara pulled into her driveway. She hoped Luka was still up and that lovemaking was a possibility. It had been quite a while since they had sex, mostly due to Barbara's work habits. She needed some tension relief. Her job would either kill her or make her a rock star in the cosmetic world.

"Hi, I'm home," she called out while closing the front door. There was no sign of life. The TV was off, and only one light remained lit downstairs. Barbara went to the kitchen, still no one. Pouring herself a glass of red wine, she headed upstairs.

Both of her children's doors were closed. She could see light from underneath their doors, knowing they were still up.

Barbara lightly knocked on Marcus's door first, "Marcus."

"Yeah," an annoyed response from her son. She cracked the door open. He was sitting at his computer, playing a video game.

Barbara remained in the doorway. "How was your day, honey?"

Marcus continued playing his game, "Um, fine. I'm kind of busy, Mom."

It was getting more challenging to connect with her son. He had reached that age, where he thought he didn't need his mother any longer. Most of the time, Barbara felt she was annoying him. In her mind, he was still her baby boy. "Sorry, honey, I'll leave you to your game. Good night."

Marcus kept playing, never turning around, "Night, Mom."

Barbara went to her daughter's door, hoping she would be more engaging. Knocking, "Toni," using her nickname.

"Come in," her daughter's response was at least a little more cordial.

Antonia was lying on her bed reading. Music played at a low level, the newest Taylor Swift album.

"How was your day sweetie," Barbara asked.

"Fine. Are you just getting home?" asked her daughter.

"Yes, unfortunately. What are you reading?"

"A book about Quantum Physics by Art Friedman," Toni responded.

Antonia was brilliant, like her mother. Barbara was confident that her daughter could be a renowned physicist someday. She just wished she'd find a balance between her studies and her social life. What good would it be if she spent her entire life alone?

"So, some light reading then," Barbara chuckled. "Hey, did you want to go shopping this weekend?"

Toni kept reading, "Um, what for?"

"So, we can get you some new clothes."

Toni shrugged, "My clothes are fine, Mommy. Besides, there's a lecture series at the library this weekend that I was going to attend."

"Oh, are you going with someone?" Barbara inquired. Hopefully, she had a date.

"No, just by myself."

Well, that was disappointing, Barbara thought.

"Anything else, Mommy? I'm trying to get this chapter done before I go to sleep," Toni asked, attempting to go back to her solitude.

"No, Sweetie. Good night," Barbara hastened out of the room. Standing in the hallway, she felt worse than when she got home. Adult children were difficult.

Barbara entered her bedroom. All the lights were off. Her husband, Luka, was already asleep. Preparing for bed in the bathroom, she gulped down the remainder of her wine, crawling into bed. She really needed an orgasm, it had been far too long, and her body was extremely tense.

She gently nudged her husband, "Luka," she whispered. "Luka, are you awake?" already knowing the answer to that question.

Luka stirred, "What? Oh, you're finally home. What time is it?"

Barbara caressed his body, "I don't know, after eleven. I think?"

Luka rolled over, pulling the covers up, "Ugh, I've got an early day tomorrow. I need to sleep."

"But, I thought maybe we could make love?" Barbara was half pleading.

Luka didn't move, "Not tonight, I'm too tired."

Barbara lay on her back, frustrated. It was more or less her fault. Her work had taken over their life, and she was paying the price. She had no connection with her children anymore or with her husband. It was like they lived one life, and she lived another by herself. The wine started to take its effect. Slowly she drifted off to sleep.

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The next morning, Luka was already gone when she woke. He was a salesman for a prestigious Italian clothing manufacturer. Most days, he had early morning meetings with the corporate office that was located in Italy. Which meant his day began early but also ended early. Barbara, on the other hand, worked into the late evening. It was far from an ideal arrangement. If she could just complete her project, everything would be different.

The kids were still sleeping when she headed off to the lab. Barbara hoped they could have breakfast together. However, she was fooling herself, thinking they would be up that early.

Arriving at the lab, her small but incredibly talented team was already hard at work. Since the project was highly classified and confidential. Barbara brought in only three people to help her.

"Good morning, Dr. Carbinaro," an Afro American man called out. Derrick Barkley was the first to notice her when she entered. Derrick was an outstanding lab assistant and second in command of the project. He was tall, about six feet four inches, and built like a linebacker. Derrick's looks were unusual for this type of work, with most men and women looking like nerds. His specialty was zoology, with excellent working knowledge of chemistry.

"Good morning, Derrick. How's it going this morning?" Barbara inquired.

"Good, good. I'm organizing the animal pheromones for testing. I have Stacey reviewing yesterday's results, and Brad is preparing the culture trays for today. How late did you stay last night? You look tired."

Barbara wiped her face. She was tired and a bit depressed. "Very late. I guess it shows, huh?"

Derrick nodded.

"Excellent work Derrick, it seems you have everything under control. I'll be right back. Just want to check in with Stacey and Brad."

Stacey Lawson and Brad Harrison were working side by side at a long counter. Stacey was a petite blonde who always had her hair in a ponytail. Her glasses were slightly on the large size, which made her attractive features a little less noticeable. She had been working with Barbara for the past five years, and her specialty was Neurology.

Brad was the newest member of the team, arriving only a few months ago. He was what people envisioned when you said you worked in a lab. Brad was short, maybe five foot eight, and his appearance was always a little unkempt. He reminded Barbara of a male version of her daughter, brilliant, but frumpy. He was probably the smartest person in the room but lacked self-esteem and confidence. Barbara had to continually pry his thoughts out of him, and they were usually excellent. She really relied on his expertise in Molecular Chemistry to help her complete this project.

"Good morning, you two. How's it going over here?" Barbara asked Stacey and Brad as she approached.

"Good morning Dr. Carbinaro," they said in unison. They caught her up on what they were doing, so she let them be.

The day progressed with no breakthroughs or even the slightest incite on how to get the project accomplished. As the early evening rolled in, the sight of Luther meant that it was time for most employees to go home. However, for Barbara, it was just a signal to get something to eat from the cafeteria before it closed.

Barbara returned to the lab with her dinner on a tray. The lab was empty. She ate while she worked, reading all the test results from today. Nothing! It was getting quite frustrating with the lack of progress. God, she was so tired. Her eyes felt heavy. She should just go home and get some sleep, but she continued working.

An hour later, Barbara grabbed a tray of animal pheromones and headed across the room to a mixing area. This is where they mixed various components together, hoping for any form of results. The tray had all sorts of exotic species, tiger, lion, gorilla, grizzly bear, and even hummingbird. It held fifteen different species in small vials.

Just as she approached the vat, she stumbled, falling to the ground. The tray and vials flew into the air, landing inside the mixing vat.

"Oh shit!" Barbara cried out. Picking herself up, she went to the vat. The vials and tray floated in the liquid already inside. "Fuck, this is a total mess." Putting on some gloves, she used tongs to retrieve the glass vials and tray. These had to be completely sterilized before they could be used again. Barbara placed the equipment inside the sterilization chamber, starting the decontamination process.

"Now, what to do with this mess," Barbara muttered to herself, staring at the vat of liquid. She grabbed some glass containers and began draining the fluid out of the vat and into jars.

While securing the containers, she raised one of them towards her nose. Barbara inhaled deeply, "Well, at least it doesn't smell horrible," she thought.

She grabbed an eyedropper, siphoning a small amount of the liquid, and put a drop on her finger. Rubbing her fingers together, she checked the viscosity.

"Not bad. It's not gooey, and it absorbs quickly," Barbara was now having a conversation with herself, trying to work out the viability of her accident. While she was thinking, she checked again how quickly the liquid absorbed into her hand. Barbara began massaging her neck with the same hand. She glanced at the clock, 10pm. Ugh, she had to get home. All of this would have to wait until tomorrow.

Barbara secured the containers and started the decontamination process on the mixing vat. Whipping off a quick email to her assistants, she let them know what happened and what to do in the morning.

Waiting for the elevator, she saw Luther approaching with his mop. You could set your watch to the man, on where he would be every evening.

"Heading home Dr. Carbinaro?" Luther asked, stopping next to her at the elevator.

"We have to stop meeting like this, Luther," she laughed. "Yeah, heading home."

Luther chuckled, and then a strange look appeared on his face. He breathed in deeply several times while inching closer to Barbara.

"Luther, are you alright?" Barbara placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Um, yeah, I think so. It's just," Luther breathed in deep again. His eyes locked on hers while he moved closer to Barbara.

The elevator doors opened. Barbara stepped in, "Well, if you're okay. Good night Luther."

Luther stared at her while standing in the hallway. "Good night, Dr. Carbinaro," his words came out like he was in a trance.

The doors slid shut. Barbara was trying to process what just happened. Luther looked like he was about to pounce on her. Very strange, maybe she imagined it? She was exhausted and looking forward to getting some sleep.

When Barbara got home, it was the same scene as the night prior. Her kids were in their rooms, and Luka was asleep. She downed her glass of wine while getting ready for bed in the bathroom and crawled into bed. Another day down, still not even close to completing her project.

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Luka woke up before his alarm went off. The clock read 5am. He rubbed his face, deciding to relax a bit before getting out of bed. He took a deep breath, trying to get his wits about him. He breathed deeply again. Something smelled terrific, looking over at Barbara, who lay on her back sound asleep. Luka rolled over, placing his nose near her neck, and breathed deeply. His wife smelled incredible.

Luka began nuzzling her neck with his nose and lips. Her scent made him aroused. Placing his hand on her firm breast, he massaged it. Her thin tank top preventing him from touching her skin.

He increased his foreplay, now sucking on her neck, while his hand slid under her panties. His fingers began rubbing her vagina.

Barbara stirred the sexual sensations waking her. What the hell was going on? "Luka?"

Luka's mouth engulfed her lips. He shoved his tongue inside, finding hers. His fingers continued rubbing her pussy, finally sticking a finger inside.

"Aaahhmmph," Barbara moaned inside his mouth.

Luka pulled her tank top down, freeing her breast. His mouth sucked in her boob while his tongue swirled over her nipple.

"Oh my god, Luka, what's gotten into you?" Barbara moaned. She needed this for so long. It wasn't like her husband to wake her up for sex. Who the hell cared at this point? He was pushing all of her buttons, and it felt incredible.

Luka threw off the covers, grabbing Barbara's panties, practically tearing them off. Positioning himself between her legs, his stiff cock bobbed near her entrance. He grabbed his penis, pushing it inside her.

"Aaaahh," Barbara moaned. "Oh, baby, you feel so good."

After a few quick thrusts, his cock glistened with her juices. He plunged down all the way in. Barbara's hips rose, meeting the thrust, "Aaaahh, you're so deep."

Luka stared into her eyes. Barbara hadn't seen him like this for years. The lust in his eyes, and taking control with wanton desire. He began pounding into her, thrust after thrust.

His body dropped onto hers. Barbara threw her arms around his back, holding on while he banged her.

Luka grunted with every thrust, picking up his pace, fucking her rapidly. The smacking sound of their skin colliding filled the room.

"Aaaahh, aaahh, baby, I'm going to come," Barbara cried out.

Luka barely reacted while he continued pounding her.

"I'm cumming Luka, aaaahhh," her fingers dug into his back.

Luka lifted up, grabbing her legs, lifting them higher. The new angle made him go deeper. Again and again, he drove his cock deep inside her.

After minutes of more thrusting, he erupted, flooding her pussy with his cum. He practically howled when he came. Luka collapsed, slowly rolling off his wife. His chest heaved up and down while he caught his breath.

Barbara curled up to him. "Oh my god, baby. You haven't fucked me like that in a long time."

Luka rubbed his face, shaking his head. He felt like he was partially drunk. Looking at her, "Sorry to wake you. I just had to do that. You looked so amazing lying there. I had to have sex with you."

She kissed him, "Don't apologize. I've wanted you to do that to me for months. I'm the one that's sorry that I've been working so much. I promise it's almost over one way or another."

"You had a breakthrough?" Luka asked her.

"No, but if I don't soon. The company will probably fire me. I have a meeting with Bob Evans, the CEO of the corporation today. It probably won't be a great meeting."

Luka's alarm started to chime. Reaching over, he shut it off.

He kissed his wife. "I've got to get going. I have a flight to catch."

"What? You're going out of town?" Barbara was surprised.

Luka grimaced at her, "I told you weeks ago that I had a four-day business trip, starting today."

Barbara rubbed her head, nodding, "Yes, you're right. I completely forgot. I've been so busy. Hope you have a great trip."

Luka bent over, kissing her one last time, "You'll figure it out, babe. You always do."

"Thanks."

Luka got ready for his trip while Barbara fell back to sleep, savoring the feeling of Luka's cum inside her. God, what a morning it's been already.

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When Barbara finally got out of bed, she was running late. Not having time for a shower, she cleaned up quickly and got dressed. Hurrying downstairs, desperate to get some coffee, she could smell the aroma of coffee brewing coming down the stairs. Either Toni or Marcus was up.

Entering the kitchen, it was Marcus. "Good morning, honey, could you pour your mother a to-go mug," she asked him.

"Good morning, Mom, sure, no problem."

Marcus filled her travel mug, preparing it just how she liked it. Barbara hugged him, their faces side by side. Marcus had become such a well-built young man. His broad chest and sculpted biceps engulfed his Mother's slim frame. He usually just let her hug him, but today he reciprocated. Barbara could hear him breathe in deep while his arms circled her.