She hopped onto the bed and lay down. Suddenly, it dawned on her that she needed to tap the cubicle door to let the attendant know she was ready. "Oh, shit! I am naked. What should I do?"
She decided to call the attendant instead of tapping the cubicle. "Miss! Miss! Are you out there? I'm ready," Alexa yelled to get the attendant's attention.
The attendant heard her and came back to start the waxing procedure. Alexa was lying on her stomach with a white cotton sheet covering her whole body.
"Miss, I must check your body first to determine how much wax. I would need to complete the job. I'm going to remove the sheet, okay?"
"Okay!" Alexa mumbled inaudibly.
After carefully looking over Alexa's whole body, the attendant was happy to announce that she would not need much waxing. Alexa felt relieved after hearing that.
"I'll start with your legs first, okay? " the attendant announced. Alexa nodded in acknowledgment.
The attendant spread the hot wax on Alexa's legs and afterward put a strip of gauze on them. Everything was fine until the attendant pulled the piece of cheesecloth off. "Ouch! WTF!!! That f**king hurts!" Alexa loudly screamed and kicked her legs, almost hitting the attendant.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Alexa turned around and sat up to apologize to the attendant.
"It's alright! I knew that the first time, it would sting. I was prepared. You did not hit me." The attendant was trying to calm Alexa and usher her back down so they could continue.
Ms. Garcia heard it all and started laughing. "Hahaha!" She decided to check on what had made her scream like that. "So, you could not handle it, huh? Do you want to stop here and go home? It's fine for me; I don't care either way, " she threatened.
There was no way in hell Alexa was going to give up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"Alexa can endure it, and she would endure it. She must bear it." Alexa kept on chanting for Mrs. Garcia to hear.
"I guess that's a no!" Ms. Garcia motioned to the attendant to continue, then left.
For thirty minutes, Alexa screamed and yelled each time the Attendant pulled the piece of gauze, and then it stopped. The waxing was over, and the whole room turned quiet.
Alexa came out with only a robe on, her skin smooth and shiny. When she looked around, there was no Ms. Garcia, and she started panicking.
Ms. Garcia was relaxing, drinking tea on the balcony, and looking at the oceanfront view. She was mumbling to herself, deep in her thoughts. "A couple of years of training, she will be ready to be the next beauty queen. But would she be able to endure the training? She is so naive and innocent. She needs a lot of polishing. Do I want to do this?"
Alexa heard everything that Ms. Garcia was mumbling to herself. "Ma'am, if you give me a chance, I promise you, in the name of my Grandmother, who has raised me with all her love, that I will be the next beauty queen when the time comes," Alexa swore to Ms. Garcia.
Ms. Garcia looked at her for a minute, contemplating her reply. She sighed before replying.
"Alright! It is a deal. I will give you one chance. However, you must ensure that you will become a beauty queen after I train and polish you. It does not matter which one, Miss World, Ms. Earth, or Ms. Universe. I don't care as long as you become one."
Ms. Garcia stretched her hand towards Alexa for a handshake, "Deal?"
Alexa shook Ms. Garcia's hand before replying. "Deal!"
"Now go back in there and finish dressing. We have our dinner to attend," Ms. Garcia ordered Alexa sternly.
Alexa graciously complied and went back to get ready for the dinner date with Ms. Garcia.
Alexa was determined to keep her oath. She would do whatever it took to accomplish her dreams and goals. Her grandmother always said, "When opportunity knocks, keep the door open, and once it's in the door, make sure it stays for good."
Waiting for Alexa, the attendant came with her ringing cell phone in hand. "Miss, your phone was buzzing. I thought you might want to answer it if it's urgent."
The phone stopped buzzing just as the attendant handed it over to her. Alexa checked the caller's number to see if it was urgent. It was from her grandmother: "Let me make a quick call. It's my grandma, and it could be important." She told the stylist she was waiting for her to finish getting dressed.
The stylist smiled at her and motioned for her to carry on.
Alexa went out to find a more discreet place to make her call. "Hello! Grandma, what's up? Are you looking for me?" She could hear mah-jongg tiles being shuffled in the background.
"I just wanted to let you know that I am at Aunty Bering's house, playing Mah-jongg." Grandma Santos sounded like she was having fun.
"I know. I figured that out when I got home, and you were not there. Are you winning? You sound like you are. I can hear it from your voice. Hehe!" Alexa teased her grandmother.
"Yes, I am. I'm about to quit while I'm still ahead." Grandma Santos said it out loud so the other players could hear her too.
"What do you mean you're quitting soon? I need to get some of my money back first." One of the players complained.
"Alexa, tell your grandmother that she cannot quite yet. She can't keep winning all our money and then suddenly stop!" One of the players yelled, and Alexa heard the banter.
"Hahaha! Grandma, you had better give them a chance to get some of their money back. Otherwise, they would not let you play anymore. Hahaha!" Alexa warned her grandmother jokingly before saying goodbye.
"Grandma, I have to go. I am quite busy right now. If this pays off, I will be on my way to stardom. See you later at home, alright?" Alexa tried to sound as cheerful as she could. But what she wanted to say was... She would have enough money to pay for all of Grandma Santos's gambling death...