The Perfect Face

Kylie is beautiful, but she doesn't know it. She thinks her nose is too big. She has curly black hair but she wants long blonde hair. She always wears a hat when she goes to work on the train. She doesn't like people looking at her. She thinks they are laughing at her nose. So she always reads a book on the train.

One Friday morning, Kylie is late. She usually catches the 7:05am train but she misses it. She has to catch the next train at 7:25. This train is more crowded. There are no seats, so Kylie has to stand all the way. She can't read her book. There is a man standing next to her. He is looking at her. Kylie doesn't like it. The man smiles and starts to speak to her. "Excuse me, I....."

Kylie turns around so the man can't see her face.

At last the train arrives in the city. Kylie gets off the train. As she walks up the road towards her office, she sees the man from the train. He is walking behind her. Kylie walks faster, but when she looks behind her, the man is still there. She is a little frightened, but it is 8:00am on a Friday morning, and she is in the middle of a big city full of people. There is no reason to be frightened.

At lunchtime, Kylie goes to the park. She always makes sandwiches in the morning and takes them to work to eat at lunchtime. She doesn't go to restaurants. They are expensive and Kylie doesn't have a lot of money. Her mother is sick and it takes most of Kylie's money to pay for the doctor and the drugs her mother needs.

In the park, she finds a seat. She is happy eating her lunch and reading her book. Then suddenly, there is someone standing in front of her. It is the man from the train!

"I waited outside your office until you came out," he says. "Then I followed you. I bought us some coffee. I hope you like cappuccino." He gives Kylie a cup of coffee in a plastic cup.

"Go away!" says Kylie. "If you don't, I'll call the police!"

The man sits down next to her. "I'm sorry I followed you. But you wouldn't speak to me on the train. And I really wanted to talk to you. I don't follow young women, I am not that sort of man."

"Why?"

"I work in advertising. My office just got a new job. It is for a Japanese company. Have you heard of New Ume-leaf Cosmetics? The company opened two shops here in America. They plan to open many more. So, they want to have a big advertising campaign on television and in fashion magazines."

Kylie knows about New Ume-leaf Cosmetics products, but they are too expensive for her.

"I don't know why you are telling me this. Please go away," she says.

"You have the perfect face," says the man. "I want you to be the model for New Ume-leaf Cosmetics in America. You are so beautiful."

"Me!" says Kylie. "You are crazy!"

The man laughs. He takes a business card from his pocket and gives it to Kylie. "Come to my company's offices. If you won't believe me, maybe you will believe the other people in my company. They will tell you that you have the perfect face and hair to be a famous model. Come with your mother or your father. You are very young and I don't want you to be frightened. Also you get a lot of money if you do this."

The man goes away.

Kylie sits and looks at the business card. She thinks that she will go to visit the advertising company. Kylie loves fashion and makeup. She dreams of having a small nose, long blonde hair and a lot of money to buy clothes. If she does this, she will have enough money to realize her dream.