Joanna Riggs walked briskly through Beech Hill Museum, her mind racing with plans for the day. She had already dealt with the chaos of Gigi Hadid's visit, but the work was far from over. She found three of the newly-hired docents, Emily Cooper, Jordan Baker, and John B. Routledge, and assigned them to keep an eye on the Monolith and explain its history to visitors.
"Alright, you three," Joanna said, gathering them near the Monolith. "Your job is to ensure that our visitors understand the significance of this artifact. The Monolith is a key piece of our new exhibit, 'Finding the Maya: A Lost Civilization Speaks.' Be thorough and professional in your explanations."
Emily, with her trademark enthusiasm, nodded eagerly. "Got it, Joanna! We'll do our best."
Jordan, ever the disciplined athlete, gave a thumbs-up. "We'll make sure everything goes smoothly."
John B., still a bit on edge after his run-in with Topper the previous day, nodded solemnly. "We're on it."
Joanna smiled. "Oh, and one more thing. Gigi Hadid is at the museum today. Please be professional and courteous if you see her."
The trio's eyes widened, but they nodded in agreement, ready to take on their duties. Joanna left them and headed upstairs to the large Mayan pyramid, specifically to Level 1 of the Temple, where she needed to check on the other newly-hired docents, Jessica Davis and Veronica Lodge.
As she ascended the stairs, Joanna caught sight of a familiar figure attempting to play the "Match-Up" game, a popular interactive exhibit. Her jaw dropped as she realized it was Salma Hayek. Trying to maintain her composure, she discreetly went back downstairs to the laboratory to find Henrik van der Hune.
"Henrik," she whispered urgently as she entered the lab, "you won't believe this, but Salma Hayek is upstairs playing the Match-Up game."
Henrik looked up from his work, his eyes widening in surprise. "Salma Hayek? First Gigi Hadid and now Salma Hayek? This place is turning into Hollywood!"
Joanna chuckled. "I know, right? Let's go tell Eva King. She needs to know about this."
They quickly made their way to Eva's office. Joanna knocked, and Eva looked up from her desk. "Back again? What's the news now?"
Joanna took a deep breath. "Salma Hayek is at the museum."
Eva sighed dramatically. "Oh, great. Another celebrity. Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of Salma Hayek either."
Henrik raised an eyebrow. "Not a fan? Why?"
Eva rolled her eyes. "It's a long story. Let's just say I find her overrated. She's always playing the same roles. But that's just my opinion."
Joanna, clearly exasperated, asked, "Eva, why are you always so picky about celebrities?"
Eva shrugged. "I guess I just have strong opinions. Everyone has their favorites and those they don't care for. It's not that big of a deal."
Henrik smirked. "Well, regardless of your opinion, she's here. Do you have any suggestions on how to handle this?"
Eva thought for a moment. "Why don't you talk to Alejandro del Rio? He loves Salma Hayek. He might be able to make her feel more welcome."
Joanna and Henrik exchanged glances. "Good idea," Joanna said. "We'll give him a call."
They returned to the lab and called the Mexican Consulate. Alejandro del Rio, ever enthusiastic, agreed to come to the museum immediately.
A short while later, Alejandro arrived, his presence announced by his vibrant energy and the unfortunate scent of onions on his breath. As soon as he entered the museum, he headed straight for Salma Hayek, who was still engrossed in the Match-Up game.
Salma looked up, immediately wrinkling her nose at the strong smell. "Hola, Salma!" Alejandro greeted warmly, oblivious to the odor emanating from his breath.
Salma's smile was strained. "Hola, Alejandro. It's good to see you, but... have you been eating onions?"
Alejandro blinked, confused, then laughed heartily. "Ah, yes, I had some tacos before coming here. My apologies."
Joanna and Henrik, watching from a distance, exchanged amused glances. Joanna whispered, "This is not going exactly as planned."
Henrik chuckled. "Indeed. But it's entertaining."
Alejandro, realizing his faux pas, quickly excused himself to find some breath mints. Salma, still smiling graciously, continued exploring the museum. Joanna and Henrik decided it was time to intervene.
Approaching Salma, Joanna introduced herself. "Ms. Hayek, I'm Joanna Riggs, the curator here, and this is Henrik van der Hune, our Mayan epigraphy expert. We're thrilled to have you at Beech Hill."
Salma's smile brightened. "Thank you, Joanna. It's a beautiful museum. I've always been fascinated by Mayan culture."
Henrik nodded. "We'd be happy to give you a more in-depth tour if you're interested."
Salma's eyes lit up. "That would be wonderful!"
As they guided Salma through the museum, Joanna couldn't help but make a joke. "So, Salma, what do you think of our 'star-studded' collection of artifacts?"
Salma laughed. "It's truly impressive. And I must say, it's been quite the adventure visiting today."
Henrik grinned. "We aim to please. But we'll let you explore more on your own. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."
As they excused themselves and headed back to the laboratory, Joanna turned to Henrik. "Well, that was unexpected, but it turned out pretty well."
Henrik nodded. "Indeed. And who knows? Maybe we'll have more surprise guests in the future."
Joanna laughed. "At Beech Hill, anything is possible."
