“Petrichor.”

“Huh?”

“That’s the smell you’re describing—petrichor.”

Cecil blinked. “I didn’t know there was a word for it. That’s such a specific scent.”

“I get curious about random things sometimes, so one day when it had that damp smell I wanted to describe it better and I looked up some rainy day words and found the word petrichor.”

James smiled silently. He wasn’t sure if his friends appreciated Joanna’s sporadic knowledge, but he found it to be quite charming. Truthfully, he thought to himself, if Cecil and Will weren’t here, he and Joanna would be going back and forth right now, exchanging words with unique meanings. He would tell her that once they got to the café they’d finally have some chrysalism—the feeling of protected peacefulness from being inside during a thunderstorm. She’d probably respond by commenting that the city streets had a sense of kenopsia about them today—the forlorn atmosphere of a place that is usually bustling with people but is now eerily quiet. They’d go on until the conversation drifted to their shared love of rainy days and he’d—

“—don’t you?” Cecil asked, looking at James.

“Huh? Sorry, I was lost in the thought of—“

“—how much he loves rainy days,” Joanna finished his sentence.

Cecil noticed they shared a look, but repeated their question. “You always drink your tea without any sweetener, don’t you James?”

“Yeah. Not all of us can drink sugar with a splash of tea like you,” James teased.

“Hey, there’s no such thing as _too_ sweet.”

Will nodded. “Which is why I’ll be dipping my cinnamon roll in my hot cocoa,” he declared.

James feigned a gag as he reached to open the bakery door. His fake expression quickly melted away as he was hit with the sweet aromas of baking pastries and brewing coffee. He smiled again as the door gently closed behind Will, sealing them off from the pitter-patter of rain droplets bouncing off the concrete sidewalk and rippling in the curbside puddles. The damp gray air was replaced with a comforting warmth, the mellow chatter of others seeking refuge from the rain, and the clinking of coffee cups.

Joanna stepped forward to place her order. “Can I get one cardamom scone and one sour cream scone with lox please?”

Cecil and Will turned to James in disbelief. James tried to hold back his laughter, but it burst out loudly, confusing Joanna and the barista.

“What’s wrong with scones?” Joanna asked, unsure whether to be embarrassed or annoyed.

It was the three friends’ tradition to try out Freshly Ground’s weekly scone flavors whenever there was a rainy day. James had bet Cecil and Will that he knew Joanna so well, he could predict that she would get two of the three new scone flavors. With the idea that Joanna, never having been to their favorite spot, wouldn’t even think to look at the specials chalkboard on the sidewall, the two friends took the bet.

“Nothing’s wrong with scones,” James grinned. “In fact, you just got me a free lunch.”