The Accidental Time Travellers

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The following day was Friday. Anna would be going home for the weekend, so this would be his last chance to make an impression for a couple of days. What he needed was some aftershave; that always seemed to work on the adverts. A man would spray himself with something that presumably smelt good, and all the attractive young ladies were drawn to him like bees to honey.

If only he had some.

Jack figured that it didn’t have to be that brand necessarily, any aftershave or body spray would do, so long as it was for men. So when his mum was downstairs in the kitchen he went into their bedroom to see what his dad had that might work.

Last Christmas he’d bought his dad some Brut body spray. It was sitting on the shelf, alongside other bottles of cologne, deodorant, and hair gel. He picked up the Brut and gave it a shake. It didn’t feel like it had been used at all. Whilst Jack felt a little disappointed that his present did not appear to be appreciated in the way he had hoped, he also figured that his dad wouldn’t miss any. He lifted his t-shirt, and gave three short sprays on his chest and stomach. He’d never smelt Brut before. He wasn’t sure if he liked it: if he didn’t, then would Anna?

Maybe he should try something else.

Next to the Brut was a small bottle of something called Gucci Sport. It really was a very small bottle. It must be a sample. On the basis that it probably hadn’t cost very much, he did the same as he’d done with the Brut, and gave three sprays under his shirt, then gave one more for luck.

He couldn’t really tell how it smelt, as it was now mixed with the Brut, so he sprayed some on the back of his hand to check. It was certainly more pleasant than the Brut, so he also put some on his other hand, and behind each ear as he remembered hearing that was a good place to put perfume.

He was convinced Anna was going to be impressed.

Jess was already outside waiting for him. “Come on,” she said when he eventually went downstairs, “I’ve been waiting here for ages. Where have you been?”

“Just brushing my teeth,” he lied, realising that he hadn’t actually brushed them this morning. Now he started worrying about his breath. “Actually, I just need to go to the toilet before we go.” He ran back in and went upstairs two at a time, brushed his teeth in record time, and rushed back down to where Jess was still waiting.

“Come on, then, let’s go,” he said, picking up the hammer and nails he’d found in the shed the previous evening, and the curtains that his mum had let him have to make the roof of the den. She hadn’t been too keen on him using her bed sheets.       

“What’s that smell?” asked Jess, as she walked beside him towards the woods.

“What smell?” he replied, innocently.

“Like the perfume department in John Lewis. What are you wearing?”

“I just used some of Dad’s cologne. Something called ‘Gucky’, I think.”

“Yucky, maybe. You stink.”

“It’s sophisticated. You’re too young to understand.”

“Oh, I understand all right. You like Anna. You fancy her, don’t you? You wouldn’t stop talking about her last night. I’m not sure wearing Dad’s aftershave is the best idea, though. Not the amount you’ve put on, anyway.”

“Have I overdone it? Bugger. Maybe it won’t be so strong by the time we actually see her.”

“No, maybe it won’t. But that won’t make it any better for Freddie and me. You’d better work outside in the yard.”