Ink in the Bottle

My friend Justine has met this wonderful man in med school. He is well-versed and well-traveled; fun, nice, and popular. He is a regular Mr. Right, but he stinks...literally.
When she first told me this, I laughed. I mean really, in the dating world, when it's not one thing, it's the other! How is he a medical student with B.O.? According to my girl, he smells bad and no one will tell him, even though every one knows. it and knows him! She really liked him, but the fact that he was punchy was creating a funk barrier between them and the possibility that they could ever get together.
A part of me felt her pain. A smelly man, to say the least, is horrible. I remember how boys smelled in the 2nd grade after recess before they were old enough for deodorant. They smelled like 100 freshly cut onions. When I visited California, I walked into a Taco Bell where a group of men were eating. Apparently, they had just finished playing basketball, and their mustiness overpowered the smell of taco meat and hot sauce, so yes, I understand that severity of a stinky man. But a part of me wanted me to tell her to get over it. Finding a good, educated Black man these days is nearly impossible! So he has an odor? Look on the bright side: he could have kids or a prison record.
Nevertheless, something had to be done about the stench, if for no other reason than the fact that you can not be a grown man who is soon to be a doctor who smells. After about an hour of deliberation, we decided that getting him a gift basket of man soups and gels would do the trick. I figured if Justine got him something strong like Old Spice, that smell would be on him for at least a week whether he showered or not.
Fast forward to yesterday. Justine calls to inform me that she did not get him the basket of boy smell goods. Instead, she decided it was a better idea to tell him he smelled, which was emotional and draining because newsflash: no adult man wants to be told he stinks! In the end, he still did not believe he smelled. He figured Justine was just mistaken.
Needless to say, I don't think they will be hooking up any time soon. This colorful little tale is just further proof of what I have been saying: dating stinks.