It depends. Did you, sorry, your friend, get caught sniffing a single seat or is there CCTV footage of them sniffing a lot of seats (presumably all the women in the office). The former is easier to get away with than, say, being caught licking a bicycle seat, just say your pen rolled under the desk and you were on your hands and knees by the chair fishing for it. If it's the latter then walk out immediately, then drive a truck laden with gas canisters into the front of the building and throw a Molotov cocktail at it in the hole that the explosion and fire would destroy any evidence and anyone who saw it.
I don't think I'd have to worry as much since my sense of smell is basically gone.
I'm sure the people I'm working with would know that, so I'd be forced to save face for having my face too close to their seats, in which I got no clue how to save face from that.