Dear Prudence,
I got myself into a stupid dilemma. My boyfriend wears a cologne that I’ve come to hate. It’s not cheap, it goes for over $100 a bottle. I’m not a cologne man myself, so I really can’t tell the difference between it and a $20 bottle of drugstore cologne. My boyfriend has called this his “signature scent.” At first, I could put up with it but since my sense of smell changed after my latest case of COVID, it’s gotten even worse. It’s gotten to the point where I suggest dates based on things I know he won’t wear cologne for, like hiking, tennis, or a movie night at home. He took this as a sign I was trying to save money and surprised me with a date to the free night at the museum followed by happy hour drinks…of course, a night he wore cologne to! On a different occasion after a few drinks, I stole the bottle intending to throw it out, but it fell out of my jacket, and in the spur of the moment, I lied that I’d stolen it because the smell reminded me of him, which he thought was cute. I like his elegance and appreciate the care he puts into his appearance and he knows this, so it will be even more weird when I rock up with this new opinion. He really values honesty and straightforwardness so when he finds I’ve been lying about this, he’s going to be hurt. How do I tell him?
—I Smell Trouble