My Kind of Perfect (10 page)

I let out a long sigh and picked myself up. I checked myself
in the mirror just to make sure that I was still perfect. Well then, just a
little more and all this madness would be over. I pushed my phone inside my
gown, squeezing it in my chest. Whoever invented the wedding gowns should have had
thought that sometimes the bride needed a place to put her phone.

It was an existing demand that my phone should be in my
reach because Aaron, my ex-boyfriend who would soon plea for my attention,
would call me any moment soon. And in the near future—I was talking about three
hours at the most—my curse would be lifted off and everything would be back to
normal. I even changed Aaron and Sandy’s ringtones. Their calls were of prime
importance. I also thought about changing Claire’s or my previous boss’
numbers, thinking that maybe my job would come back too. But then I realized
that they were the last person on earth who I wanted to talk to right now.

Especially Claire. She fired me... recently.

I trod my way downstairs and was welcomed by a total
stranger who was supposed to play the part of my ‘dad’. He greeted me with a
warm smile to which I replied with a scowl. He seemed displeased but
nevertheless kept a poker face afterwards.

‘Play the part well, Kayla,’
I heard John Brook’s words echoed in my mind.

I took a deep breath and forced a wry smile. ‘Dad’ nodded
his head in approval. Everyone was just playing a part in this charade anyway.
Well, most of them. I just happened to get the lead role alongside my soon to
be fake husband. Given my part, I should at least act well. I figured that
maybe I would even get a bonus and win the lottery or something afterwards, due
to all this madness I was getting through for him. And it was for turning him
down years ago?

This was insane.

I put my veil down and prepared myself to walk. The lobby
was carpeted in a dark shade of red and covered the length of the foyer all the
way to the conference hall. Flowers flooded both sides and their fragrance
filled the atmosphere with an exquisite aroma. I heard the band played on,
signaling the start of the procession. And so I forced my feet to move against
its will and paced up.

Now, I realized that maybe being an actress was such a hard
job after all. You got to do things that you didn’t want to, talk about the
horror of doing such. I felt relieved for the first time in my life that my mom
dragged me out of that teen star audition years ago. Who knows, if I actually
auditioned for that event, I might be the most spectacular star in the industry
by now.

Then suddenly, I was blinded by the flash of lights that
came from the photographers. But instead of smiling perfectly, I scanned the crowd
to see if there were any media around. I was so busy looking around that
suddenly they stopped taking pictures. Maybe I looked horrible? Sometimes when
I was frantically searching for something, my perfect face faded off.

“Smile,” ‘Dad’ told me. I forced one up and put a rest to my
relentless worries. John already assured me that there wouldn’t be any media in
the crowd.

If this was my real wedding, maybe I already freaked out a
moment ago. Everything a girl could wish for was right here—long red carpet
walk that made the guests swoon at the absolute elegance of the bride,
beautiful flowers of all sorts were scattered around making this part of the
hotel a garden in itself, and the scent that lingered in the air which filled
the place with the love-love aroma. And if half of the crowd would fall in love
with each other after this wedding, that would be the answer why.

As the procession went on, an overly romantic music played
in the background. And as soon as I reached the entrance of the hall, all eyes turned
its gaze on me. I straightened my walk and headed down the hall. I saw John
standing at the altar. He was dressed in tuxedo and his dirty blond hair still
kept in place like the way he did before. He had a poker smile on his face. It
was all business for him. With the sight, a bit of remorse for who he turned
out to and the warmth he lost along the way, I remembered the entry I had made
years ago.

March 5, 1998

Dear Diary,

John Brooks had some new glasses today and the first thing
he did this morning when he saw me in the cafeteria—he made me wear it. I mean
he plunged it into my eyes against my will. And worse, the whole school was
looking at us! I fiercely took it off and threw it to the ground. If that thing
ever breaks, it’s his fault and not mine. And guess what he did as I was about
to walk away? He said the annoying words,
‘I still like
you, Kayla’.
I felt a snap in my head as if one of my veins broke out
that instant. The whole cafeteria laughed at us and I walked away in total
shame.

Still have a wig and a mask,

Kayla

Now tell me where did that
‘I still
like you, Kayla’
had gone off to. It was like after almost ten years of
no communication, he totally changed into a different person. I took my eyes
off him and refused to think anymore about it. Like him, we were all business
here. So instead of dwindling in the past, I looked around and checked out the
crowd.

Good, at least no one I knew was around.

After another moment, I was at John’s side. In the movies,
when the bride finally reached the side of the groom, the groom would instantly
flash that passionate smile of satisfaction. But in our case, he just quietly
nodded as if needlessly telling the world,
‘Oh, here’s my bride’.

Then soon after, the reverend went on with his speech, “Dear
family and friends, on behalf of...”

He was cut off for a while and shook his head before he
continued, “...an Anonymous Bride and Mr. John E. Brooks, I welcome all of you
for this marriage celebrations.”

Wait. Did he just call me anonymous?

I threw a meaningful glance to John. He looked away and
cleared his throat nervously. Murmurs were heard from the audience. Who could
blame them? The bride was just named as anonymous.

Nevertheless the reverend continued despite it all, “We are
here to celebrate and support the covenant of these two people, Anonymous Bride
and John Brooks...”

Someone hadn’t succeeded in holding his laughter and a
bashful sound echoed in the crowd. I turned back and saw everyone’s eyes
fixated on that guy and the man turned tomato red afterwards. The pungent smell
became noticeable as the moment went on.

Someone could make use of a toilet right now.

The next moment, he ran off towards the exit. I shrugged my
shoulders and John did the same. The reverend cleared his throat and adjusted
his glasses before he continued, “...beloved to us all, now make and to share
in the joy that both of them are feeling as they pledge their undying love and
commitment to each other. We rejoice...”

I felt my phone vibrating and my newest ringtone echoed in
the air, “Sandy is calling. Answer your phone ‘cause you’re about to hear some
good news.”

John looked straight to me, baffled. I ignored his gaze and
pretended that I was also annoyed at the ringing phone. “Who’s calling at a
time like this?”

The reverend and John weren’t convinced as the annoying
sound came straight from me. I expected the call to come during the reception
and not actually right now as I was in front of the altar. Was my luck this
good that as soon as I was justified of my previous misadventures, it already
showered me down some extra boost?

“Kaye, you may want to answer it or turn it off for a
while,” suggested John and the reverend silently nodded in agreement.

“It’s not mine,” I lied. Okay, so obviously, the sound came
from me but I had no plan to admit it. After a while my phone stopped ringing.
Now, all I got to do was to call Sandy back after this wedding.

“...and celebrate in the ways life has led them to each
other’s arms,” the reverend went on after the commotion.

At this moment, I was fully convinced that no one really
listened to the wedding vows except for the overly romantics and the bride and
groom themselves. Well in our case, only the overly romantics paid any
attention to it. Clearly, John’s distant stare that looked as if he would pass
out any moment soon and my relentless fidgeting inside my gown to silence my
phone ascertained that.

“John Brooks, do you take,” the reverend stopped for a while
but nonetheless continued, “
her
as your lawfully
wedded wife, to live together in marriage? To have and to hold, in sickness and
in health, for richer and poorer, so long as you both shall live?”

“Sure,” he casually replied with a shrug. I was certain that
the reverend was annoyed with both of us for one prominent vein miraculously
found its way on top of his hairless head.

The reverend turned to me and said, “Anonymous Bride, do you
take John Brooks as your lawfully wedded husband, to live together in marriage?
To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer and poorer, so long
as you both shall live?”

“No prob,” I said nonchalantly. Another vein appeared on the
other side that looked as if it would explode any moment soon. Maybe he was the
only one, aside from the guests, who was not taking part in this charade. Deep
inside, I was positive that he wanted this ceremony to be over this minute.

“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you...”

“Wait, we haven’t exchanged rings yes,” I reminded the
reverend just in case he forgot and make us do this ceremony all over again. I
couldn’t take another round of this one and my fake husband would agree with
that.

John snapped out of his slumber as I asked him where he had
put the rings. It took him a moment before he finally realized what I just said
to him. He muttered something to the man beside him—the fake best man, I
assumed. After a while, a ring came in sight.

John and I pushed the ring to each other’s finger without
saying anything much. The reverend went on with the verdict as he pronounced
our untimely death, I mean, marriage. And with the power vested in him, we
headed off to doom.

“You may now kiss the bride,” Mr. Reverend finally uttered.

John lifted my veil and I threw him a warning look. He
wouldn’t dare. Afterwards he smiled and whispered, “I’ve got the perfect plan
for that.”

Then suddenly he reached for something in his pocket and in
a while he sealed the kiss—over a duct tape. I hadn’t felt the touch of his
lips. Instead, what brushed my lips was the uneasy sticky feeling coming from
the duct tape. I couldn’t believe that he hated me this much for him to even
refrain himself from kissing me.

And worse, he planned it all along.

He hadn’t taken off his hands from my face for a moment,
studying me carefully. And after smiling like a fool, he took it off—the duct
tape—together with my facial hairs.

“Ouch,” I hissed.

“Shhh.”

The crowd clapped their hands after we sealed the ‘kiss’.
What did they know? They had no idea that the passionate kiss that touched
their hearts was done over a duct tape. An ample of congratulatory words echoed
in the air as we trod our way down the aisle again. I hadn’t paid any attention
to them as my thoughts lingered on the luck that was about to come back any
moment soon. Maybe Aaron would appear at the door and drag me away from here,
but that was just a thought though.

“Oh such a fun and lovely wedding. But don’t you want the
world to know who you are?” asked Dorothy as soon as she came to our side.

“I’d rather be called as,” I said and threw an irritated
look at John, “
anonymous
.”

“Oh well, don’t you worry about it, dear. I already took the
initiative and announced to the world my new granddaughter,” she told me.
Afterwards she signaled something to Nate. The door of the hall opened. I had a
bad feeling about this. And to my horror, to confirm my speculation, a bunch of
what looked liked as reporters flocked inside the room.

“I already told them who you are. I was quite surprised a
while ago when I hadn’t seen any reporters around so I especially picked some
of the best in the field so they can fully cover your special day,” she said.

“Dorothy... you shouldn’t...” I was about to tell her the
truth when I was cut off by a dozen of questions that were thrown to me. John
and I were pushed back as people flooded us from all sides. Dorothy was my
worst nightmare. It was as if she was here on earth to torture my perfect
being.

“Okay, dear, enjoy your time and I’ll head off to the
clerk’s office and submit the marriage license. Oh my, I’m so happy with all this.
Aren’t you?” she said to me, her eyes oozing with happiness. Then she began to
head off towards the exit.

I hastily pulled John’s tuxedo and mumbled to him, “Johnny,
your grandma’s heading off to the clerk office now. With our license!”

I instantly caught his attention because the next moment, he
was also looking at Dorothy’s vanishing figure. But even though it wasn’t what
we both wanted, we had no choice but to stand there, unable to do anything as a
dozen of reporters were asking us endless questions. I tried pushing my way out
of them. However, I wasn’t able to do much or move from where I was. And as the
clock ticked on, Dorothy’s departing figure became more distant and right there
in her hand was our marriage license—duly signed and completed.

“John!” I shouted to catch his attention.

“What?” He was startled at my screech and so was the rest of
the crowd who looked at me in astounded query.

“Are you guys fighting?”

“Will you divorce tomorrow?”

“I heard that John Brooks was dating another girl a month
ago. Was there a truth behind the rumor?”

After my momentary lost of sanity, the question showered us
one after another. I then realized that maybe it was not such a grand idea to
shout to him out of nowhere, especially when this kind of people surrounded
you.