Lawrence of Suburbia - Part III The Set Up

I started printing this story a couple of weeks ago.  This is the third installment.  The first can be found here and the second here.   Like I said before this is like an old time serial you would see at the movies.  I hope it leaves you wondering "what is going to happen next?"  Will King of the Texas Rangers save the beautiful girl?  Will Shera rescue the safari from the tiger?  Will Tarzan swing from the trees and loose his loin cloth?  Come back next week and you might find out.

Part III- The Set-UP


Months went on and Omar and Gladys became fast friends. He would take her shopping or to the movies. He would call her and ask if she would like to go with him to run his dog. Gladys would happily accept. She loved the big goofy Irish Setter Omar loaded into his Range Rover and brought with him when he picked up Gladys. They would venture out on cool autumn Sunday mornings with a wicker basket and a wool blanket to spread while Hawkeye, the dog, would run and chase birds and splash in the waters of the river.  Hawkeye smelled special.  Gladys believed he must have been bathed every day in Omar's special strawberry and shampoo.  What Gladys would give to have hair just like Hawkeye.

Omar would regal Gladys with stories of how he came to be so successful in his salon. “Little one, it is all about letting the hair be itself. You should never force it to do what it does not do naturally. You cut, you coax a bit and then you are done. Hair is much like the woman, it wants to be made love to not force into complying. Otherwise you end up with what did you call it? The tidy bowl hair.” Gladys enjoyed her Sunday mornings with Omar and Hawkeye. She enjoyed the exotic cheeses and the Champagne he poured into the real crystal champagne flutes he had packed into the basket. Gladys felt as exotic and special as the kumquats that were wrapped individually in tissue paper.

Omar was ever the gentleman always keeping his space but always being just close enough. He always spoke in a semi-whisper in order to force you to really listen to what he was saying. He always praised and spoke lovingly to Gladys. He never failed to tell her how beautiful she was or how she looked lovely in that shade of green. He would open her car door and always gave her a hand to help her up or down. He was in Gladys’ mind a perfect gentleman.

One Sunday as they were sipping champagne and eating chocolate dipped strawberries Omar leaned close and whispered in her ear “Little One, I have a favor to ask of you.” Gladys blushed thinking this was it. He wanted to teach her the ways of love. She wasn’t ready. She knew nothing of being physical with a man. Oh she had her share of make-out sessions but to be truly intimate with another human being scared the living daylights out of her. The hair on the back of her neck stood up, her breath came fast and she blushed deeply “um, I, um…” Omar looked into her eyes and then smiled and let out a deep belly laugh “oh, no! No, no, no you are much too young for that Little One. No that is not what I am requesting. No that would be much too big a favor.” Gladys sighed in relief and tried to take a deep breath to clear away her flush “what is it?” Omar traced a finger up her arm causing her once again to blush and her heart to skip a beat “you are going home to your parents next weekend?” Gladys nodded her head and he continued “would you deliver a package to a colleague of mine while you are there?” Gladys a little disappointed tilted her head to one side “a package to a friend?” Omar smiled “yes, to Filipe. Do you know of him? He has a salon there and would like to try some of my special shampoo.”

Gladys was relieved it was not another woman nor was it anything bad just shampoo to the most popular stylist in her home town. The salon where she always wanted to have her done but could never afford. Now she was in the inner circle. Felipe would know her she would know him and know that she and Omar were friends. “Of course I’ll do it for you. So do you want me to swing by the salon on my way out of town and pick it up?” Omar patted her on the hand and whispered “no, I don’t want to share my few moments with you. I will meet you here and give it to you before you leave. Let’s say three o’clock in the afternoon on Friday?” Gladys would have met him at three o’clock in the morning if he had asked her. She wanted so badly to please him. She wanted him to approve of her and more. She wanted him to love her like she was falling in love with him.