My Kind of Perfect (8 page)

Hurrying to the restroom, I found the most comfortable spot
where I could put my things. Then I started dyeing my hair right away. So this
was my plan. It was brilliant. And after totally staining the sink, to which
the janitress responded with dismay, I managed to make a descent dye with my
hair—all flared up.

Now, I just needed to dry it and it would be perfect. That
guard wouldn’t even notice me. No one could ever stop me from rummaging that
Burchett Hotel. I must at least find out John Brooks location. I didn’t get all
the way from New Waulds to Creeksburg just to go home without any results.

I would see John Brooks at all cost.

After carefully drying my hair, I put on the new set of
clothes. Off the rack, but this would do for now. I didn’t have any other
choice. I checked out myself in the mirror and saw the new Kayla Wilson. I was
better with my light blond hair but this wasn’t that bad either. The flare
complemented my eyes, like how it was burning in desire to get what I wanted.
And I was beautiful to start with so a little make over every now and then
wouldn’t hurt my perfect charms. And it would eventually come off in a few
washes. I only needed this for this day.

I looked to my side and saw the janitress still fidgeting
with the stain. I gave her a pat on the back and said, “You’re doing a great
job. It will come off eventually.”

See? I was the nicest person in the whole wide world.
Nothing could beat that. But instead of smiling and agreeing with me, she
responded with a frown and an annoyed meet up of her two eyebrows.

Oh, not that nice, eh?

I let off a shrug. She rolled her eyes in dismay. Sheesh, it
was her job to clean. Why was she looking at me that way? It was a good thing
that I didn’t have the time to inquire who she was or else she might lose her
job with my complaint.

With my twenty-eight years of existence, I was proud to say
that I had filed nearly half a thousand of complaints by now. How many people
learned from it? I had no clue. I was just making this world a better place. If
they were doing their job right, I wouldn’t be complaining.

Simple.

I put all my things inside my bag and headed out of the
restroom. As I was in the hall on my way outside, I stopped on my tracks when I
saw a magazine rack. I couldn’t believe that I almost forgot to look at my
horoscope for the day. Hurriedly scanning the pages because I was obviously in
a hurry, I flipped the pages one after the other. And then finally, I found
what I was looking for.

You might be feeling low today and it seems that quite a bit
of the energy you have is taken up on helping others with their own needs.
Don’t let it get to you. There’s nothing wrong with getting some good karma!

I already did that. I helped that janitress by boosting up
her energy for today, although she wasn’t that fond about it at all. Anyway, I
would just help some more people on the way. My pure heart was more than happy
to do all that.

And so I inhaled my luck.

After I felt that my luck for the day was regained to a
satisfactory level—enough to save me for several hours—I headed out of the
mall. And as soon as I got out, I hastily looked for a cab again.

I was quite annoyed about the fact that there were no empty
cabs around. I uneasily tapped on my watch as I tiptoed on my heels to see if
my cab was just around the block. If I knew that finding a cab in Creeksburg
would be this hard, I would have hired a driver. Oh, I forgot that I couldn’t
afford it. Unless drivers accepted cards nowadays, maybe there could be someone
who could drive the car for me.

Speaking of cars, I heard a loud honking coming from behind.
A car almost hit me again but I dodged it just in time. Wow, I was getting
better at avoiding my own death. But the notorious driver didn’t let me off the
hook that easy. Instead, he scolded me some more before driving away. I
shrugged off my shoulders and continued hailing a cab.

“Burchett Hotel,” I told the driver as soon as I was able to
get inside one. “And make it fast but not super fast. I’m in a hurry but not
yet prepared to die.”

“Okay,” he muttered, a bit confused.

Shortly after, we arrived at the hotel. Again. I was here
once more. Even if I had to change my hair color or cut it, I would do so, as
long as I’d see John Brooks right away. I adjusted my hair that was now tied in
a messy bun and strolled along pass the guards. I was impressed with my own way
of thinking as the one who previously led me out of the hotel—Mr. Smith—now
greeted me with a pleasant smile.

“Good morning,” he said to me.

I smiled a bit and adjusted my sunglasses. Then I changed my
voice a little to make it sound a little bit low. After which I returned a
cheerful, “Good morning to you, too.”

If we were always like this, Mr. Smith and I would surely
get along well. I headed for the elevator in a concealed hurry, getting along
with the flow of the people who scrunched themselves inside the elevator. Someone
already pushed the last floor so I didn’t bother pressing any floor button.
After going through several floors, there were only three people left in the
elevator, including me.

When we stopped at twenty-seventh floor, someone came in. He
was a young man maybe in his late twenties or early thirties with dirty blonde
hair that was kept neatly on one side. His face was angular, the rim of his
glasses decisively placed on the bridge of his nose. He was dressed in formal
clothes that would surely fit in for the affair that will be held in the
conference hall, the one I saw earlier. Maybe he was a guest for that wedding
downstairs.

He seemed to notice me looking at him and I casually lifted
off my sight away. He also did the same. After a moment, I noticed that he was
looking intently at his watch although that meant that I was still looking at
him. I had this hunch that he looked somewhat familiar aside from the fact that
he kind of belonged to the league of guys who deserved second glances. Curious,
I stole some more glances at him and tried to remember where exactly had I met
this man before. Although the moment ended a bit too soon, that was because as
soon as the door opened for the thirty-fifth floor, that man alighted.

“Wait!” I shouted as I promptly put my hands in between the
closing doors. It opened up shortly after and I found my way out. As I stared
at his back, for no sensible reason, I suddenly remembered who he was or maybe
who his cousin or brother was.

I looked around the floor and saw that he was a little way
down the hall. Setting my hesitations aside, I called him at the top of my
voice, “Mr. Brooks!”

So maybe that wasn’t the most intelligent way to randomly
call people. But then I desperately needed to get his attention. And if my wild
guess was right, he would definitely have a Brooks in his name. Either be it
his middle name or surname or maybe even his first name because he surely did
look like Johnny—only way hotter.

He turned back slowly and was quite unsure if he heard me
right. At least I had his attention now. And since he halted on his tracks, I
was able to catch up with him. I straightened my skirt and the sweater that I
was wearing. His eyebrows met in confusion and lines found its way to his
forehead, making him age two years at the most.

“Kayla?” the words came out of his mouth which surely caught
me off guard. “I thought I was only seeing things by thinking that it was you
in the elevator. What are you doing here?”

“Huh? You know me?” I asked obliviously. Did Johnny tell his
whole clan about me? Wow! I didn’t quite expect that. Maybe if I’d barge in to
their family reunion, everyone would know that I was Kayla Wilson. Sheesh, that
boy was surely head-over-heels for me.

He shook his head for a while and let out a baffled smile. I
felt my face flushed while staring at him. I must admit that he was kind of
cute when he smiled. I hoped that my blushing didn’t show though. It was kind
of embarrassing, knowing mine and Johnny’s history.

“Do you happen to know where John Brooks is?” I ardently
asked right away despite his laughing. As much as I wanted to stare at his
comely face all day long, I needed something real quick at this moment.

His smile turned into a soft laugh. I was confounded by his
untimely reaction. Then after a little more laughing, he finally said, “It’s
me, Kaye.”

I blinked twice. “Don’t kid me. I seriously need to see him
right now.”

His laughter caught up some more tone and it echoed across
the hall. We caught three heads who passed by. I sort of joined in and laughed,
too. For no reason at all. Seriously, I didn’t even know what I was laughing
about. His face turned even redder as he saw what I was doing. He held his
stomach as he laughed some more. I kind of forced some more laughs which
clearly sounded confused.

After a while, he held a hand in front of me as he got back
to his stance again. I stopped my sham laugh right away. The laughing mania
must be over by now. Then I heard him say, “So you don’t believe that I am
John? The one you fondly called Johnny from way back then?”

“Johnny?” I asked in utmost abashment.

He silently nodded.

“No... don’t tell me...” I stalled with the words, not
knowing what else to say. My eyes widened in shock as I came to realize who he
was. I was still in denial but then as I looked closely at his features, it was
really the same as Johnny’s.

“Yes, it’s me. What do you expect to see? Someone in
suspenders and bow tie?”

“Maybe,” I murmured to myself, suddenly feeling bad about
the whole thing. But it was that way all along. What else did he expect him to
see? Nothing but an older version of the Johnny I once knew.

But as much as I wanted to tell him yes, I’d settled down on
not making him angry instead. That would be too much of a tragedy if this whole
building would collapse on me. Like only the side where I was would fall down
and the rest where John was would still be intact.

I’d seen too many tragedies that I’d easily believe in any.

“That’s alright. We haven’t seen each other for years. What
brought you here?” he asked.

“Oh, yeah. That’s right! I’m actually here to ask your
forgiveness,” I sputtered the words one after the other.

“Forgiveness? For what?” he asked me, confused.

“I don’t know. Maybe you have an idea?” I shrugged. Well, I
had a hunch but it might or might not be right. You know, holding a grudge
because I dated Jonathan and not him.

“I don’t have a clue on what you’re talking about,” he
honestly told me.

“Don’t you have some sort of hatred towards me?” I asked him
once more. “I’ll do anything to make it up to you.”

He thought for a while before answering, “Maybe when we were
younger, I used to. But a lot of things happened after that so I don’t think it
matters anymore.”

“Really? You did? When? Why?” I asked one question after
another. So he did hate me. I couldn’t believe that the kindest person I knew
was even capable of that.

He flung his hands as he explained, “It wasn’t even a big
deal. And it was like what? Years ago?”

“Oh no, you have to forgive me,” I told him, holding him on
both shoulders. “I will do anything I can to make it up to you. Swear!”

He was quite surprised by my unexpected plea. And I also
noticed that he shove my hands away carefully. It felt awkward being, you know,
pushed like that. Although he had done it in a discreet manner, I felt
repulsion with his touch.

“Okay, I forgive you,” he said with a half smile.

“You didn’t mean that. You have to sincerely forgive me,” I
said. Then after which, a splendid thought came to mind. “I know! Make me do
anything. In that way, we will be even. And I won’t have to feel bad about it.
And you don’t have to hate me, okay?”

He was lost in thoughts for a while. Tapping his right foot,
he looked at his watch once more before he finally met my eyes and said, “Okay
then, be my bride.”

“Excuse me?” I replied incoherently.

“You said you’d do anything for me. I don’t have a bride and
I have a wedding to finish tomorrow,” the words came out of his mouth way too
easily.

“But it’s a wedding! And you’re asking me to be your bride
out of nowhere,” I pointed out the gravity of the situation to him just in case
he didn’t notice.

“I actually am. But it’s not like I’m forcing you. You don’t
have to do it if you don’t want to,” he told me. Then shaking his head with a
quiet laugh as if regaining back sanity, he ran his fingers through his hair
and added, “Oh, forget it. I’m just playing around with you. I’ll find another
bride, Kaye. In fact, I should probably get on with that. So...”

“But...” I tried protesting some more only to realize that
it was me who offered to do anything for him in the first place.

“Look, Kaye. I seriously need a bride. And if you don’t want
to, I’ll just have to find somebody else,” he said to me.

And I seriously couldn’t believe that he was just picking
brides out of nowhere. What was he up to? He was like,
‘Oh!
I’m having a wedding.  Can you deliver a bride to me?’
What happened to
the over passionate Johnny I once knew? He once told me that love was a serious
matter and it shouldn’t be taken lightly like most people did all their lives.

“Wait. Why will you even throw a wedding if you don’t have a
bride?” I incredulously asked him, exasperated. And lacking sane reasons of
what could have been really going on.

“My bride ran off this morning,” he said, shrugging off his
shoulders.

“Say what?” I asked, baffled.

“Well, we actually don’t know each other. We just met once
and his father wanted me to marry her so I agreed. But she ran off this morning
saying that she couldn’t do it after all,” he explained.