One of the reasons why I know I’m in love with Jeff is that I can catch his scent on a pillow or piece of clothing and be reminded of him. One time when he was gone for a few days, I wore a shirt he left at my apartment so I wouldn’t be lonely. I’ve figured out that the scent is his Old Spice High Endurance (Fresh) deodorant.

Growing up in the hot, humid South, I never considered simple deodorant to be an option. I don’t “glow” — I sweat like a pig. But around the time that I noticed most anti-perspirants switching to Aluminum Zirconium Tricholorohydrex GLY as an active ingredient, I started developing rashes under my arms. I keep switching brands to try and find one with fragrances or coloring I didn’t react to, but they all had the same effect.

One day when I ran out of anti-perspirant, I borrowed Jeff’s deodorant. Surprisingly, I found that I didn’t sweat too much. My underarms didn’t sting from chemical interactions. And the deodorant did a much better job of covering the sweat smell than anti-perspirants.

I’ve used a couple different brands of deodorants now over the past few months, but I also kept sneaking swipes of Jeff’s deodorant now and then. So, today I finally broken down and bought my own stick of Old Spice High Endurance (Fresh) deodorant.

My experiment commences. Will wearing Jeff’s scent every day make me fall even more deeply in love with him? Or will the sensory memory connected with it wane from overexposure?