A smell of success is Aramis body splash.
Let me explain.
Back in the summer of 2001, I placed a £100 bet on Triple H to win the 2002 Royal Rumble in what - at that time in my life - was the largest sum I had wagered.
Out of the many I had told, there were only a few that thought it was a sane bet to make.
One of the few was my uncle.
That Christmas, him and my aunt bought me a bottle of Aramis and every time I smell the aftershave it reminds me of the Monday following the pay-per-view.
I went to work after Triple H won the match and thus secured my own victory at William Hill. I had a sense of retribution that day especially when all those who were doubting me in 2001 came up to me and congratulated me.
It was a great day. It was enhanced with the amount of tips I earned. I can't recollect how much (even though I did keep track in a little book) all that I can remember is I was feeling on top of the world.
On my next day off, I went to the shop my uncle owned and was bragging about how I won the bet and told him about the following day's success at drawing a lot of tips.
I joked that it was probably the Aramis.
He laughed and we spoke about other things for an hour or so before I had to catch the bus home. He shook my hand as he often did when I was leaving.
I went into that shop many times in 2002 but this visit was one of the ones I remember the most.
He died a little over a year later.
The aftershave is still in a bottle on my desk and I didn't wear it for years after his death. In the spring of 2005, I decided I would wear it on special occasions as a tribute to him.
I only wear it on Mondays following a weekend where I have done great at betting. I refuse to wear it any other time.
And I am strict in only using it when there has been a win worth celebrating.
I can't shake his hand, sit in that shop or tell him about my wins anymore so the only thing I can do is remind myself of that time period by splashing on the aftershave and doing a proverbial tip of the hat to him in that way.
It's the only way I can let him celebrate with me.
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