Scent Notes: Clouds of fluffy peppermint goodness.

Ms. Candy Carlyle smiled down at little Johnny, handing him his two bags of penny candy. “Now, run along, young sir, and go have yourself a wonderful day, okay? I’ll see you next week!” Johnny couldn’t answer as he was shoving half of one of the bags in his mouth already, but he managed a nod and a smile as he ran out the shop door, the bell above tinkling gently as he left. She watched from behind the counter as he ran out from under her red-and-white-striped awning and across the boardwalk to his pregnant mother who was pushing the pram containing his two little sisters. Her dress was tattered, her gloves were ripped, but she kept a smile on her face whenever she ran errands with her children. Candy smiled and waved, and she waved back. Johnny excitedly handed his mother a sweet, and she popped it in her mouth with glee. It gave Candy great joy to provide sweets and special memories from her shop to children of all ages, even if those children were actually adults. 

Candy’s Sweet Shoppe has been a hit on the boardwalk since it opened last year. She made almost all of the candy herself, except for a few specialty chocolate bars she had imported and sold to her higher end clients who came during the summer. Thankfully, she had plenty of local clients who lived near the beach year-round who loved her homemade sweets. Some even claimed that her treats had powers. She demurred whenever anyone asked her directly, but, secretly, she considered herself a kind of good fairy, or good witch, or something mystical who made her candies with specific intentions. One of her best summertime sellers was her renowned Crystal Mint, a delicious sweet of fizzy peppermint that made your mouth and lips tingle, send delightful shivers down your body, and make you feel calmer. Though it wasn’t technically penny candy, she always slipped a few into the bags of penny candy for children like Johnny as a special treat. It was clear the family was having a hard time, but that’s why she added the Crystal Mints. Peppermint was calming, soothing, and still delicious. She was sure Johnny’s mom could use as much calming for herself and for her children as possible. She made a mental note to bring in some of her old dresses and gloves to give to Johnny’s mom the next time he could make it into the shop. 

She had several more customers over the course of the afternoon; at one point, she was so busy she revisited the idea of hiring a shop girl, someone to assist her with the making and selling of her sweet treats. It was the busy summer season, after all, and it shouldn’t be too hard to find someone. As the afternoon came to a close, one young woman was loitering, twisting the handle of her parasol in her hands. “Hi,” Candy said, coming over. “Can I help you find anything?” The girl smiled. “No, thank you, miss, I was just looking. I’m afraid I can’t afford anything. Your shop was just so inviting, I had to come in and look at your offerings.” She smiled and gave a polite curtsy. She was about to walk out the door when Candy asked her to stop. “What’s your name, darling?” she asked. “Patricia, but everyone calls me Patty.” “Well, Patty, would you like a job here?” Patty’s face lit up. “Yes, yes I would love that!” Candy nodded. “Be here at 7 tomorrow morning. We’ll be making Rainbow Sherbet candies.” Patty nodded and gleefully left the store. Candy locked the door and changed the sign to “Closed.” She couldn’t wait for the morning. She hoped Patty was as wonderful as she seemed, and deep inside, she knew that she was.

Scent Notes: Clouds of fluffy peppermint goodness.