Now, What?

On the way down to the restaurant, Ms. Garcia received a call and was informed that the meeting was canceled. After hanging up, she looked at Alexa. The latter seemed so nervous that sweat was forming on her forehead. Ms. Garcia felt sorry for Alexa. She had gone through so much trouble for this meeting only for it to be canceled at the last minute.

"Alexa, are you alright? You don't look good. You look pale. Do you want to cancel this meeting?" Ms. Garcia lied to Alexa with a straight face to see how she would respond.

Alexa contemplated for a minute before replying. "No! I am sorry if I don't look good at the moment, I'm just nervous. Give me a minute, and I'll be fine."

"It's alright, Alexa, the person we were supposed to meet canceled the meeting just now." Ms. Garcia sadly informed Alexa with a half-smile on her face.

"Oh! No for real?" Alexa was disheartened, but she did not show her disappointment on her face. "Whatever you say, Ms. Garcia, just let me know."

"How about this, as compensation for your wasted time, I will let you keep everything you are wearing now. Of course, that includes my one of a kind designer dress that has not been presented in public yet. What do you say?"

Alexa did not need to think about the answer. Everything she was wearing worth several thousand dollars. She was not that stupid... "Yes, Ma'am! Thank you! I will cherish this outfit for the rest of my life."

"We can still have dinner together if you want unless you need to be somewhere else. I don't mind at all." Ms. Garcia told Alexa just as the elevator arrived on the first floor. 

The elevator door dinged and opened, and Alexa saw him... 

"What are you doing here?" Alexa asked Ramon as the elevator opened. 

===

After dropping Alexa off at the hotel, Ramon decided to go for a drive around the town to kill some time. He scouted the area to find a good restaurant where they could have a nice and quiet dinner. After driving for about an hour, he still did not find one that suited his needs.

Ramon decided to head back. He was lucky to be staying at the same hotel where Alexa had her business meeting. He could take a quick shower, and while he was waiting for Alexa to call, he could search the internet for a good local restaurant nearby.

Ramon looked at the time, 'Alexa has been with her client for almost two hours if I calculated correctly, she might finish soon.' He thought.

While waiting for the elevator, Ramon was in deep thought. ' Would she believe me if I tell her the truth, or would she take it as a joke? If she only knew that all this time, I have been secretly watching her grow up. Would she think that I am a stalker? Would she believe that I have loved her ever since we were young? Ah, what should I do?'

As the elevator doors opened and dinged, he came out of his thoughts when he heard a voice suddenly asked.

"What are you doing here?" Alexa asked Ramon, who was dumbfounded seeing her. He was speechless. Right in front of him was the person who filled all his thoughts. She was looking at him with a beautiful smile that could entice any man alive.

When Ramon refused to answer, Alexa repeated her question. "Hello! Earth to Ramon! I asked, what are you doing here? Do you hear me?" She was standing in the elevator door shaft blocking the door from closing.

Ms. Garcia was secretly smiling to herself. She noticed how Ramon was looking at Alexa. She could guess from the astonished look on his face that he was not used to seeing her looking like a million-dollar barbie doll. She decided to intervene, "Alexa, if you don't mind, I'm going back to my room to rest since our meeting was canceled." She made sure her words were loud enough for Ramon to hear.

"I'm so sorry! It was rude of me, Oh! Yes, Ma'am! It's fine with me, by the way, this is my childhood friend Ramon." She then turned her attention to Ramon, who was still looking at her in a trance. 

Alexa moved to step out of the elevator shaft and stood next to Ramon before introducing Ms. Garcia in return. "Nice to meet you!" Ramon extended his hand to Ms. Garcia.

Ms. Garcia accepted Ramon's handshake before excusing herself. Ramon's face was all red from embarrassment. He bid Ms. Garcia goodbye, as the doors of the elevator closed.

"Who was that? I know her from somewhere," were the only words that Ramon could utter after the elevator closed.

"What was wrong with you? You have not answered my question yet. Are you mumbling something about knowing Ms. Garcia?!" Alexa complained while fidgeting and straightening her dress.

"Why are you wearing that dress? You were wearing something else earlier when I dropped you off. Why have you changed into this, and where were you going?" Ramon bombarded Alexa with questions.

"Whoa! Slow down, partner, hold your horses! What is with the interrogation? Are you my boyfriend or something?" Alexa was only joking, but Ramon wished otherwise.

Alexa realized that Ramon was waiting for the elevator, "By the way, where are you headed? You were standing by the elevator a minute ago. Were you on your way up? Don't tell me you were going up to get me?" Alexa was looking at him curiously, waiting for an answer.

Ramon finally got his senses back, "No-no-no! I am staying in this hotel. I was about to go up and take a quick shower while waiting for you to finish your appointment."

Alexa's eyes widened when she heard that he was staying in this hotel. "You're staying here...? Wait a minute, when did you arrive? Oh No, do not tell me, let me guess... You arrived today, and the first thing you did was look for me, right?" She said with a teasing smile.

However, Alexa was stunned when Ramon replied. "Yes! How did you guess?"

"What the f**k. I was fooling around when I said that, and now you are telling me that I was right. What kind of coincidence is that?" Alexa said it so unladylike and a little too loud that the person behind her started coughing and clearing his throat. 

Alexa did not like that the person behind them was listening to their conversation, so she turned around, thinking of saying something along the lines of 'If you'll excuse me...!'

However, she noticed it was... 

"You!" was all she could utter to the person in front of her...