A hospital is rarely thought of as a calming place, but for Adam, walking down the hard white hallway, the ambient sounds of people rushing here and there, constant talking, constant sounds of machines, it was exactly that. He had been working in the hospital’s HR department for almost half a year and had acclimated well to the setting. Some days were hard, and he had to stay late a bit more than he would have liked, but his coworkers were sweet and friendly, and that can matter more than anything else.

“Hey Sally,” he said, swinging into the office where he worked, finding the girl standing near the coffee maker. “How's it going?”

“Not bad,” she answered, brushing a loose strand of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail back behind her ear. Sally was the type of girl that everyone liked. A bit quiet, reserved, but funny once she came out of her shell. It had taken a bit, but eventually he had worn her down. “Just got back from lunch. I need to find a better place than the cafeteria. I’ve never eaten chicken could be so… utterly flavorless. Know anything close?”

Adam shrugged. “Got a couple fast food places around the corner.” He looked at her again, making note of her slim waist, long legs, shapely torso. There was no way a girl like her would be interested in some grease joint. “There might be a Panera around somewhere. I think.”

“Maybe. Where’d you just come back from?”

“Cafeteria,” he admitted.

“Oh, I didn’t see you. Hey, next time you leave tell me. We can suffer together.”

“Sure thing,” he said with a smile, continuing on his way.

He moved to the back of the office, peeping into his boss’ little area. Mrs. Brooks hadn’t come back from her break yet. That wasn’t unusual. She always tried to cram a hefty workout in right after lunch. So Adam just shrugged, slipping into his chair by his desk, powering on the computer, and opening whatever paperwork he needed to get done.

It was only ten minutes before Mrs. Brooks popped into the office. “Oh man,” she announced to anyone who would listen, lightly panting in the office doorway. “My glutes are killing me. James, I see you in the corner. Don’t believe me? Want to feel?”

“No thanks, mam,” James, one of the new interns, said awkwardly.

“No? Adam?”

“I’m fine,” he said with a smile.

“Your loss.” She started walking to her office, her strides long and confidant, her presence powerful. That was the type of lady Mrs. Brooks was. Tall, dominant, the type of person everyone looked up to and followed without question. Though that wasn’t to say she was mean or nasty. The opposite, if anything. Confidence. It was the quality that Adam admired the most.

Of course she was also beautiful. Working out every day will do that.

As she walked by Adam caught the faintest whiff of something, a scent that he knew and recognized. It wasn’t as extreme as it sometimes was, but unmistakable. After every workout Mrs. Brooks would return to the office, her gym clothes, her gym sneakers, in her bag. Everyday, when that scent wafted over him, Adam was taken to a realm of his fantasies, a world where her shoes were his entire being. Often he fantasized about sniffing those puppies, rubbing up against them, maybe even a bit more if he was feeling daring. But those were only fantasies.

Mrs. Brooks dropped her bag onto a chair in her office, looked around for a moment then came back out. “Adam, did anyone call while I was out?”

“I don’t think so,” he said, looking at the phone. Nothing was logged. “Oh, but I did get an email from the guys upstairs. Your meeting got pushed up.”

“To when?”

“Let me check.” He quickly popped on his email, opening the message. “Now.”

“Oh god damn it,” Mrs. Brooks said, exasperated. “Those guys don’t care about anything. Fine. Adam, would you mind watching my stuff? Just make sure nothing happens to it. I’ll be back in an hour or so.”

“No problem,” he answered, but she was already out the door.

He looked around again, finding that office suddenly quiet. Everyone else seemed to have moved on, either to their own cubicles, or just away. Quiet, with only that hospital ambiance.

And that scent wafting through the open door. Usually Mrs. Brooks was careful to put away her gym clothes, but now they were just sitting there, out in the open. Suddenly Adam found himself unable to think of anything other than the fact that the thin fabric of her bag was the only thing separating him from her gym shoes.

Maybe no one would notice if….

No, he couldn’t do that. He should just stay at his desk.

But no one was around.

And that smell was so strong.

Was it getting stronger?

No, he needed to work.

Or did he?

Just a quick sniff couldn’t hurt.

He could close the door.

No one would ever know.

Before he even realized what he was doing he was up, walking into Mrs. Brooks’ office, locking her door behind him. His heart was beating fast, his excitement building. With a snide grin he turned back to the gym bag sitting on her chair, just waiting for him to play with.

“This is going to be great,” he whispered, unable to contain himself as he moved over to the bag, crouching down and opening it. There they were, sitting comfortably inside. Her Asics were a bit worn, but they still had that shiny brilliance to them. The fabric was white, cut with hard lines of bright pink and deep blue, accentuating the shape. Still, when he looked close he could make out the spots of wear. The small areas where the fabric had almost been worn away, where her sweat had practically soaked through. But the sight was nothing compared to the aroma that enveloped him.

He reached down, picking up the shoe and turning it over. The sole was speckled with shades of gray and black. It still had most of the complex pattern of treads it had been made with, but the section near the balls of her feet was starting to wear down. And there were so many tiny particles wedged inside. Little bits of dirt and rock that she had carelessly trampled.

Just one good sniff, that's all he needed, then he’d leave. Flipping the shoe back over he looking down into the dark hole, the entrance to the magical world of her feet. The pink sole had been ground down to the point it was almost gray, with the asics logo barely even visible inside. Just one sniff. He bent down, letting his nose find the inside of her shoe, the rim gently pressing on his cheek.

The fragrance was overwhelming. It was so strong, so powerful, more than he had ever experienced with the subtle passing. So intense was it that he started to lose his balance, his feelings started to grow numb. He was in a different world, a new reality. He was falling, he was sniffing, he was in euphoria, he was encapsulated by the smell.

So encapsulated that he didn’t even notice the world changing around him.