I'm Guilty, My Beauty[COMPLETED]

"My good cousin, you came just in time!" Jenna beamed a high-spirited smile. This time, she wasn't wearing dark glasses, and her eyes were dazzling black.

"Jenna cuz, I know you. You have a request to leave your post, right?" Clarence rolled his eyes in exasperation as he walked, dragging his luggage trying to avoid her. Jenna's eyes bored into him, telling him he couldn't refuse.

"Yup, yup. I want to have a rest today." She said in nonchalance as she stood with her hands akimbo.

Hearing her words made him curious and bent slightly as he looked into her eyes. "Oh, I wonder why?"

"I have a date." She averted her eyes and pouted.

"What? Who is this guy who melted the icy heart of the ice queen, Jenna? Do you know, Richard?" He was asking the bulky guy this time, trying to get a good gossip.

"I'm in no position to be involved with Miss Jenna's love life," Richard said it calmly. He stood with his back straight beside the girl.

"Love life? Haha. Nice news. At last." He guffawed at the thought.

"Stop it, do you want to get kicked? Richard, your pay is docked for half a month." She grew angry after being mocked by her cousin and the cool attitude of the other.

"I have the right to receive my pay for your private life has nothing to do with my salary. I'm also under the supervision of Mr. Paul Stevenson and his cousin, Mrs. Peres." Richard said as he remained standing with a stoned face.

"Whoa, you're more like the ice king. Cool answer, I like that." Clarence joked.

"I don't care, but I'm free today. You heard me. Ah, before I forget, include Ronald. He's my date." She turned her back at him and started to walk toward the car near them.

"What?" This time, Clarence wasn't prepared for this exclusive news. Of all the man surrounding his first cousin, Ronald was the one who got her attention.

"Am I hearing properly? Ronald is your date. Are you sure?" He stared at her, wide eyes.

"Fine, fine, don't get angry now. Just go and enjoy your date." He rather let them go, or she would continue to pester him.

Jenna happily opened her cell phone and sent Ronald a message.

Jenna: I'm free now, let's go out today.

Ronald was roused by the message tone, drowsily opening his cell phone. Suddenly, he was enthusiastic that he jumped up in a flash.

Women were expected to take an hour finishing makeup and another hour finding the best matching clothes to wear for a date. Yet, this guy took half an hour bathing. He made sure every part of his body was spick and span. He took another hour trying to mix and match his four shirts with his two pairs of pants and his one pair of sneakers.

They said men were rough and tough, but they were real consumers of beauty products. This guy had tons of them from cologne to cleanser, moisturizer, etc. He was actually doing the ritual of 'beautifying' himself.

He thought that was not enough so he kept on coming back nonstop in front of the mirror, checking his hair, teeth, tongue, breath, clothes—even smelled his armpits. If the mirror had sentience, it might scream, "Enough, just get out there now!"

. . . . .

The girl Jenna had short auburn hair, dark brown eyes, and fair skin; her face and figure were enough for a man to take a double look. Her iris' eye color betrayed her true blood as an Amerasian. She had facial traits similar to Claire, declaring their relationship.

Her outfit for today was simple: dark sunglasses, plain blouse, and tight jeans with white sneakers. She was on time to arrive in the lobby, but her date couldn't be found yet. Thirty minutes went by, and still, no Ronald came to view. A message was sent, no replies. An hour went by, still no shadow of him. She had gotten worried, thinking something bad had happened. She called his phone, "where are you?"

"Sorry, I'm about to go out now."

Another thirty minutes passed, and the lady started to get irritated. Her face was getting stormy. Somehow, when he arrived, her annoyance was washed off instantly. She was enamored—looking at this man, who was wearing a plain white shirt with knee-cut-out jeans and a pair of black Nike shoes, combined with his black short wavy hair brushing off his face. He walked toward her with his hands in his pockets.

What manliness, she thought. No one could tell a woman's taste at all.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." He spoke while acting cool. In his mind, he was asking Mother Nature to make him look cool and manly enough to make her attracted to him.

"No problem at all," said Jenna with her eyes fixated on him. Who could tell she's miffed earlier? "Oh, by the way, where are your glasses?"

"FYI, that's old-fashioned. I'm wearing contacts now. Look good?"

She nodded with infatuated eyes. "You look better with contacts."

The guy soared to the moon, hearing such simple praise, but his face remained calm. "Ahem, can we go now?" He folded his left hand on his hip and elbow turned outward near Jenna.

The girl just nodded and hooked her right arm on his readied hand. They left peacefully, for now.

Ronald had no license so Jenna was the one driving the convertible top BMW she insistently borrowed from the threatened Clarence who had no choice but to concede.

As the BMW dashed down the mountain's zigzag cemented road, heavy rain suddenly poured on them, soaking them wet. There was no place to stop for cover. She had no choice but to slow down so that the car speed wouldn't interrupt with the top trying to close. However, they got wet all the more when it did. The water collected on the folded roof canvas was poured on them directly.

They decided to go back to the hotel after being so wet—combined with the bad weather and a drop in temperature of the mountains. When the shivering Ronald went inside his room to change, a blast of colder air welcomed him and hit his sinuses. He realized he forgot to shut down the AC. This hotel's air-conditioning had been operated manually.

He did change his clothes, but he started sneezing until his nose was red. As if fate tied them, they had a sneezing spree and got mild flu. Their date was canceled. Clarence had to take care of Jenna. Richard had to nurse Ronald who complained that Mother Nature cheated him of his chance to bring a beautiful girlfriend home and even got stuck with a rugged man in his room. In the end, he shooed the other man away.

"Life is unfair!" shouted Ronald.