Chapter 4 Or Make a Few Waves….

My weekend started after the room cleaning finished on Friday. I was to present myself at the hotel salon for the full treatment and, after that I would be taken to the hotel womens’ dress shop to be given my costumes for the Fiesta. Before I went to the salon I took a safety razor with me into the communal showers and gave myself a Brazilian. There was no way I would allow anyone to see how I was built down there.

For the second time in my life I found myself down to a bra and panties, sitting with my head back in a salon chair with people working to make me beautiful. I thought that I could get used to this. This time, however, it was no provincial make-over but a very professional big city salon and when I was allowed to redress I could not believe the sight I saw in the mirror. The lass in charge told me that I had been given a semi-permanent make-up so that nothing would mar my looks over the weekend. My hair now gleamed auburn with red highlights, and I had lips to match the red in my hair and also on all my nails.

With my eyes now highlighted with deep black lining and extra length lashes, my own mother would never recognise me now. Actually, I thought, if she did she would die of fright as, to her; I would be the ghost of her ne’er-do-well son. Well, I thought, now I am the devils daughter I had better go and get dressed to suit the occasion.

There was to be a party in the hotel that evening and my first outfit was a beautiful long dress with heels and jewellery that I would need to take back Saturday morning. The lady in the shop was very angry that I did not have pierced ears yet and refused to carry on until I had been done. So when I got back with a couple of hoops dangling from my lobes she was much happier.

Saturday, during the day, was very simple. I had three bikinis that I would wear, and was able to keep; one in the morning for the parade through town, one for the catwalk part of the Fiesta, and one for the presentation ceremony with an open wrap. With a bikini on I never had felt as vulnerable as I did at that moment. I just wanted the earth to open up and swallow me but the lady and her assistant clapped their hands and told me I looked fabulous. There was another outfit that may be needed on Saturday evening but that one depended on whether I was placed in the contest. We did pick one that I would use if I was not placed.

So that Friday evening I left my attic and made my way to the function room. I was dressed to the nines and as I looked at myself in the mirrors as I passed by, I wondered at just what I was doing. Here I was, looking like a movie star and heading to take part in a beauty pageant. I took the long way there as the more I got to walk in these heels the better I felt with them. In the function room I got to meet the hotel manager, who walked me around and introduced me to the city dignitaries and Fiesta organisers. I also met up with the real girls who all looked stunning. I felt that it was a good job they all looked so good because I did not want to do any more than go along with the fun.

I tried to make small talk as much as I could, as well as moving away from wandering hands and staying off the drink. One guy, from a local photographic studio, was very interested in me and wanted me to pose for him at various places around the town so that he could put together a tourist calendar and brochure. He was, to be honest, the nicest guy I had ever met in my life and we chatted away quite happily. All of us entrants were gathered together and we had some pictures taken, all smiling nicely.

When I was back in my room and in my bed, I thought about the evening and realised that I had been flirting with the photographer and he with me. He had got very close to me a couple of times and had even taken my arm to lead me to the buffet and I had not complained once. In fact, I realised that I liked it; also that I quite liked Lucca Gimenez.

Saturday morning I was ‘dressed’ in a bright yellow bikini with pale pink spots that barely covered my private parts. I knew that I would have to move very slowly and carefully this morning if I was to keep my modesty. After I had my breakfast I took my evening gown and jewellery back and then I was taken to the starting point of the parade where I was shown the float that I would be riding on. It had a throne which the retiring Queen would sit in today. I was told that there would be another parade tomorrow and that the throne would have the new Sea Queen; with the Princesses at her side and the rest of the entrants at each side of the float, waving.

Before we left we were again lined up and had more photos taken. I saw Lucca and he came over and gave me a kiss on the cheek and told me that I ‘had it in the bag’ and I had to laugh at that one. We started out with the parade, wandering around the streets of the city, waving at all of the cheering public until my arms felt as if they would fall off. At last we arrived at the Las Toscas Beach where I saw Emilio, Gabriela and Sofia in the crowd. I waved to them but they didn’t seem to recognise me in my new hair and face. I did see Gabriela start when I was introduced to the crowd before the pageant began.

There was food, there was dancing and there was a lot of fun being had by one and all. As someone who was central to the festivities I had an absolute ball and didn’t mind when men wanted to give me a hug; even less when Lucca came over and gave me a kiss as well. I felt female and brazen in the bikini. It was not as frightening as I thought and even gave me a position of power. Today I was a beautiful girl to be feted and loved by everyone. A very strange concept as I was a good five years older than any of the other contestants; as well as being a guy.

In the afternoon I had another bikini to wear. This was a plain red one that matched my lips and highlights. We had to walk up and down on a catwalk and were interviewed by the compere. When he asked what I most wanted out of life I told him that I just wanted to be the best I could at whatever I did but that I had not yet decided what that would be. That got a laugh.

I had kept my eyes and ears open on Friday evening and today so, before the contest was over I knew who the three prize-winners would be. It is one thing to have a competition where you give out the prize and everyone goes home; it is another where the winner is the ‘face’ of the town for a year. This is why all the entrants had to be local. One girl stood out as being the perfect winner; she was beautiful, busty and bright. On top of that she was a niece of one of the city dignitaries and already worked for the tourism office, having left school early. The Princesses would, of course, be her two besties who were both heading for the local university. Only, one of them fell off her heels when doing her turn on the catwalk and fell into the first row, needing to be taken away to be looked after.

That left the rest of us to share third place as one of the two Princesses. I was sure that one of the other six entrants would be equal to the task. In any way, I was having a lot of fun and was being as sociable as I could, posing for pictures whenever a camera was pointed my way. I had never been the centre of attention except the award ceremonies for the rowing competitions, and then that was usually the number one oarsman and the team coach who hogged all the limelight. Today, I was Haley and loving it.

My last bikini for the day was a royal blue with white fur trim, matched with an almost sheer royal blue robe and heels. When I looked in the mirror I was amazed at the girl who looked back at me. When I came out of the change area Lucca immediately had me posing and must have filled up a whole memory card of me. We were all called to line up on the stage and the award ceremony began with the speeches by the dignitaries and one from the reigning Queen telling everyone what a wonderful year she had experienced. She then removed the crown she was wearing and held it so she could put it on the head of the new Queen.

As I expected, it was Bianca that I had picked and the ceremony was a bit crazy for a while as we all clustered around her to congratulate her before the actual crowning happened. Once she was sat on her throne we got to the second and third places. The First Princess was, of course, her bestie, Melina and the third place was me!

To say that I was truly flustered was not an overstatement. I shed tears and waved to everyone as I was given my Princess robe and tiara to wear before I went to stand beside the throne. Then there was an absolute barrage of flashguns as we were consigned to history as the Sea Queen and her Princesses.

I saw Lucca among the throng and he had a woman beside him, carrying his bag for him. That evening there was a big public party at the beach and we three were taken to the change area where we were fitted out with suitable gowns and jewellery, as befitting the new royalty. We were dressed in white for the Queen and a light blue for us Princesses so, standing in our proper sequence we looked like the town flag. I had a chance to get to chat with Bianca and Melina and when we walked out, arm in arm; it was as companions for the year ahead, if not friends yet.

Marianne G 2021