The Love Expert

Chapter 8

Johnny waited patiently for the woman to go out. He stayed for more than two hours then at last, he saw the woman leaving the restaurant. She walked out together with the guy he suspected to be her boyfriend. Johnny drew near to them. The man saw him.

“Hey Bullshit! You’re here again? What do you want?” the man said.

“I just want to know her name.” Johnny answered.

“If you don’t leave us, we’ll call a Police.” The woman warned Johnny.

“Please don’t do that. I don’t have any bad intentions. I just want to be close to you.” Johnny talked to the woman.

“She’s my girlfriend. Now, go away.” The man answered.

Johnny was stunned. He could not agree with what he had heard. For Johnny, she was for him only. He could not be with other man. Johnny just watched the couple as they move away from him.

Johnny went home. He was very sad that someone has swept over him in his race-like pursuit for the love of the woman he called Jennifer. “What am I gonna do now? I’m useless.” He cried. He sat on the floor with nothing in his mind. Suddenly, he lost his mind and gone wild. He kicked his sofa, turned the table down, and smashed different things in his house. He felt like everything was not going according to what he wanted it to be. He wanted to end his life. He walked to the kitchen and got a knife. He placed the blade in his wrist then he closed his eyes.

He imagined what will happen if he dies:  nothing will change, his siblings will move on and forget him after a year, the girl of his dreams will marry another guy, and he will not be able to achieve his ambitions.

He pushed the blade a little bit to his skin, a small amount of blood trickled. He paused for a moment. “Dying means that I will no longer be able to live with Jennifer (He still does not know her name so he still calls her Jennifer).” He remembered what the old man said to him during his nightmare. “Seize the day!” He got up and covered his small cut. He said, “I will seize every day I had. I will do what I believe is correct. I will do my best in everything that I do.”

After a month, Johnny surrendered the taxi to his brother. Johnny already has a job. He worked as a crew in a fastfood chain. After his work hours, he would go to the department store hoping that he would see again the love of his life there.

“Johnny, still hopeful that you’ll be hired here again?” Stephen said.

“Shut your fucking mouth! I’m waiting for somebody.” Johnny replied in a cocky manner.

Stephen was shocked that he could fight back. Stephen could not accept that he was shamed by the man he considered as a trash. Stephen came closer and talked to Johnny using curse and bad language. The manager of the department store caught Stephen. Right after the manager saw it, he immediately gave a suspension to Stephen. After many days of lingering in the department store, he already learned how to fight back his bully co-workers there. Johnny was bored waiting everyday for the girl of her dreams but did not want to surrender because he was determined to reach his goals. Johnny would just do window shopping everyday just to kill time.

One day, he went to the department store after a tiring work at the fastfood chain. He was sweaty and he did not smell nice. His hair was messed up and he was wearing a shirt with a small hole at his belly part and a baggy pants. He thought that it would just be a day like all the other days wherein he would just waste his time in the store and going home without seeing the woman. He was walking at the department store absent-mindedly when he saw the girl of his dreams. “Oh shit! Not now! I’m all messed up.” He thought. His first conversation with her was a total failure because he looked like a maniac taxi driver back then. He wanted to erase the first impression of the woman. Although he did not want to spend his money, he was forced to buy a formal tops and a good-looking slim fit pants. He hurriedly went to the comfort room to clean his face up. He then proceeded to the perfumes section to spray a tester perfume in his clothes. He could do this all quickly because he already knew the store very well. He returned to the place where he saw her. “No! I lost her. Where is she?” He said to himself. He roamed around calmly then he saw her.

“Hi! Can you still remember me? Sorry about the first time we met.” He was at the back of the woman while talking because she was busy looking at the display of clothes. The woman turned around and was astonished. He saw a well-groomed handsome man. After a few seconds of looking at Johnny, he recognized him.

“I remember you. You are the taxi driver with a crazy behavior.”

“Yes. I must admit. I really have some problems back then. I accidentally saw you here so I think I should apologize.”

“Okay. Don’t worry; I’m not mad at you. Sorry also for my impolite reaction to you. I did not know you have problems.”

“I’m Johnny.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Claire.”

Johnny helped her in carrying the bag of stuff she bought. Their conversation went well. They were both entertained with all their topics.

“So why did you call me with another name before?” Claire asked.

Johnny laughed and created a false story. He did not want to tell her yet that she became his girlfriend in his dream. “I just thought you to be another girl.”

“Is she your girlfriend?”

“No.”

Claire finished shopping. She was a exiting the store but they were still deeply engrossed with their chat. Claire enjoyed the company of Johnny.

“Where’s your boyfriend?” Johnny asked.

“We’re having some problems now. He’s not been contacting me for a week and a half.” Claire replied.

Johnny saw a glimpse of light after hearing it. That means that he still has a chance for her. He accompanied her in going to her house. Claire’s house was near the department store that is why they just walk. Johnny asked for the number of Claire before he left.

“Thank you for going along with me.”

“I should be the one thanking you. You just completed my night.”

They said good bye to each other and Johnny left. Johnny felt a sense of fulfilment because he was able to get to know the love of his life.