On the same day that Ethan and Tiana went away to celebrate their Fifth year anniversary, was the same day that Ashton would be taking Phoenix out for a 'meal'.
Early in the morning, someone had come to Phoenix hotel all giddy and excited for the meal that Phoenix would be having that day.
Phoenix, who was woken up by the bell on the door, was puzzled seeing the unannounced guest who had abused the doorbell of her room in front of her door.
"Ms Mia, what are you doing here early in the morning?" Phoenix yawned, looking at the clock and questioned Mia who was already bright and fresh in front of her.
"Did you just wake up?" Mia creased her eyebrow and asked. "It's already 8 o'clock!" Mia said in a reprimanding tone.
"It's Saturday. I don't work on Saturday," Phoenix said, shrugging her shoulders.
"But you have a date!" Mia almost shouted out loud.
Phoenix yawned again and said, "It's not a date, it's just a meal."
Mia rolled her eyes, hearing that for the hundredth time. "Okay. Fine. A meal. You have a 'meal' at 10 o'clock. Why haven't you woken up and gotten ready yet?"
"It's still two hours away." Phoenix rubbed her eyes to dispel the trace of her sleepiness.
"Well. Yeah! You need to hurry up or you'll be late. Chop! chop! move your ass, sister!"
Before Phoenix could argue more, Mia pushed Phoenix inside the bathroom and urged her to take a shower, clean herself up, and get ready.
Inside the bathroom, Phoenix looked at the closed bathroom door, "I don't need two hours to get ready for a meal." She sighed to herself. She would love to get out of the bathroom and get some more sleep, but knowing how persistent Mia was, she just better follow what Mia asked her to do and resign to her fate.
While Phoenix was in the bathroom, Mia went to the Phoenix's closet and went through her hanging clothes and searched for the dresses that they made Phoenix buy the other day.
"Where are all the dresses?"
Mia couldn't find all the dresses from the hanging closet, but then her eyes caught on the paper bags that were neatly placed on the shelf.
"No way! She didn't even take it out from the bags?!" Mia's mouth twitched heavily. 'Is this girl for real?'
Mia quickly took out all the dresses and pulled out the tags from the clothes, while calling the laundry services and asked them to quickly come to room 1510. They quickly came when they heard the frantic voice of Mia saying that it was an emergency. It was an emergency for Mia. Fashion emergency! She wanted to make sure Phoenix looked dazzling for her date with her brother.
She chose one of the dresses that she thought would be suitable for a date, "I want this dress, and these to be washed, dried and ironed in an hour! And take the other dresses to be cleaned too, but those can be delivered later."
The staff quickly took all the dresses and scattered away to do the job. They did have an expressed laundry service, so it would not be much of a problem for them.
After 30 minutes inside, Phoenix left the bathroom, cleaned and fresh, wearing a bathrobe.
Mia quickly pulled Phoenix and made her sit on the table in front of the mirror and helped Phoenix dry her hair.
"I can do this myself, Ms Mia." Phoenix wanted to take the hair dryer from Mia's hand, but Mia evaded her attempt.
"First of all, just call me Mia without the Miss, and second, just let me help you, it will be quicker." Mia applied heat resistant oil onto Phoenix's long silky hair and dried it carefully.
Phoenix didn't have the heart to say anything to reject Mia, thus she just let Mia do whatever she wanted.
Mia started by drying Phoenix's hair, then she took out all the cosmetics that they bought from the mall.
"Why are these still in the bags?" Mia again gave a reprimanded look towards Phoenix.
"I have no idea how to use those things." Phoenix looked at Mia innocently.
Phoenix really didn't know how those things worked, she may know things about skincare, but make up? Nope. She might turn into a clown if she used them. She only knew how to use a tint for her lips.
Mia took all the cosmetics from its packaging and lined it up on the table, she then applied makeup on Phoenix's face while explaining which one that she used, where should it be used, how to use it, and what she did to Phoenix's face.
Truthfully, Phoenix didn't really need all that make up as she was already a natural beauty. Phoenix did take care of her skin as what she had promised her sister, thus her skin is really smooth and flawless and didn't need makeup. But with a little help with some cosmetics, it could bring out some of her features to make it more prominent and captivating.
While Mia was busy doing Phoenix's make up, the bell rang and the staff sent in the dress and the stuff that Mia asked them to prepare urgently and put it carefully on the bed. Phoenix peeked from the corner of her eyes, the item that had been placed on her bed.
After Mia's done with Phoenix makeup, she switched back to Phoenix's hair. She made a side French braid and made the tail fall on Phoenix's shoulder and framed Phoenix's face with side bangs, giving Phoenix a delicate look.
Mia picked up the dress, and the lingerie set that she had sent for cleaning on the bed and handed them to Phoenix and asked her to change into those.
Phoenix went back inside the bathroom in a trance, like she was Mia's puppet, and looked at the stuff that Mia had asked her to change to.
'When did she send these to the laundry services? Why did I have to wear these?'
Without her notice, her face was turning pink looking at the items that were on her hands.
'This is just clothes. Everyone wears this. Yup. Just clothes.'
Phoenix wore the lingerie and the dress that was given to her. She then touched her scar on her thigh under the dress and caressed it. 'I should wear shorts to cover it.'
Phoenix looked at herself in the mirror and she was surprised by what she saw.
"Is this really me?" She turned her head from side to side to have a better look.
She then remembered what her sister had once said.
"Beauty outside is one thing, but what really makes someone beautiful is the beauty inside. When you show how you're beautiful outside, make sure you pair it with a beautiful mind, heart and soul."
That's why after all this year, Phoenix didn't really bother with the latest fashion or the trendy make up. She was holding on to her sister's words of focusing on being a beauty inside.
But still, she appreciated that Mia had come early in the morning and worked hard on making her beautiful and presentable. So she didn't want to complain about it and just go with the flow. Making her friend happy was a quality of what being beautiful inside also meant, right?
Phoenix got out of the bathroom and walked quickly to her closet, before Mia could approach her, she went back inside the bathroom holding something in her hand. After a minute, she got out and stood in front of Mia.
Mia gasped while putting her hand in her mouth and chest.
"Awww… You looked so beautiful, Phoenix, and you give justice to my design."
Phoenix was wearing a cream coloured short sleeves knee length summer dress with see through lace details on the upper body above the chest area.
What could she say? Phoenix really looked delicate and pretty in the dress that she designed herself and Phoenix looked just the way that she imagined the dress to be.
"Now that you are all dolled up, you are good to go. But wait, I have ordered some pastries, you can have those to pat your stomach." Mia pointed to the food that was on the dining table.
Phoenix didn't want to think too much about the 'meal' she would have with Ashton. She sat at the dining table and nibbled on Pain au chocolat, but inside, her stomach was churned in nervousness, but she didn't understand it.
'Did I get a stomachache? My stomach feels weird.'
Couldn't blame her, this was all new to her. Hopefully, with time, Phoenix would understand all this feeling and enjoy her journey towards love.
"So, are you excited?" With stars in her eyes, Mia looked at Phoenix and asked.
"For what? It is just a meal," Phoenix said that to convince herself, but that weird feeling in her stomach was making her doubt her own words. She still showed that impassive face on the outside.
Mia clicked her tongue in disapproval, seeing the nonchalant attitude of Phoenix.
'Brother, you better plan something good for today,' Mia silently prayed for his brother.
Ashton picked Phoenix at the promised time and they drove towards the destination that he had carefully chosen.
When they arrived at the place, it left Phoenix speechless.
'What the….?'