The woman at the salon was a slightly larger version of Valentina. She was about thirty, he guessed. She had some ideas about how to make Vale look older. They were soon chattering away like long lost friends. Brian said he was going to the bakery next door for a coffee and a sweet roll. He pulled a paperback from his pocket then settled into a comfortable chair. A while later he stretched his neck while looking around. He saw an interesting looking shop across the street, so he strolled over to check it out.
An hour later two women approached him, he recognized the hairdresser first, then, with a near classic doubletake, noticed Vale.
“My god Valentina, I did not know it was you, you look fantastic,” he said getting up to give her a hug.
Her smile was so huge he thought her face might split, “Gracias Senor Brian,” she said as she turned to show him the back of her head.
When she turned forward, she held up her hands to show him her pink painted nails before lifting a foot to show him her matching toenails.
“You look absolutely fabulous young lady,” Brian enthused. “Let’s go pay the lady then find some lunch.”
When the woman handed him his change it included a business card. As he started to put it in his pocket, she made a hand motion meaning turn the card over. Handwritten on the back it said, ‘Vale told me about her size issue, I don’t have that problem, Tami’. Underneath that was her cell phone number. When he looked up smiling, she gave him a wink.
In the car Brian asked Vale where she wanted to eat.
“In the big shopping mall is a nice restaurant and bakery. It smells so good when you walk by, but of course I have never had the money for even a cookie,” she said dreamily. “Would it be possible to go there?”
“I love the food there, let’s go.”
Valentina was nervous about going into a fancy restaurant, so Brian held her hand as they went in. She was still nervous as they were being led to their table.
Brian leaned down and whispered, “None of the young women in here are as well dressed, well groomed or as beautiful as you.”
She squeezed his hand while giving him a grateful smile. The waitress seated then before handing them menus. Vale’s apprehension came back as she whispered, “I can’t read the menu.”
Brian frowned, he could read his fine. He took the menu from her then laughed, “Here, let’s switch, they gave you an English one and me a Spanish one.”
After their meal they wandered around the mall looking in the stores. Valentina seemed to linger the longest at the jewelry stores and kiosks.
Brian asked, “Would you like a pair of earrings?”
“Oh, I have never been pierced,” she said turning her head to show him her ears.
“Well, I’ll be damned, I never noticed before. I just thought all girls had at least two extra holes in their head,” he said smiling.
She didn’t get it at first then covered her mouth as she laughed out loud.
“Yes, I always wanted to pierce my ears. There is a woman in the barrio that will do it for 20 pesos but it is not clean there so I never did it. Then also, the earrings cost money,” she explained.
“Well, all of these places look clean and sanitary, you want to get them done now?” he asked.
She turned her back to him, then nearly running, ducked into a nearby restroom. He waited patiently on a bench near the door. After twenty minutes she came out, he could see she had been crying. She silently crawled into his lap so he could hold her.
After a while she pulled away asking, “Why are you so kind to me? You don’t have to do these things to make me want to have sex with you.”
“I do these things because I can, because I want to. You have been dealt a shitty hand. You have done nothing to deserve this life of yours. I enjoy helping you, seeing you smile, watching you blossom into a young woman.”
“Yes, but soon the judge will say I have to leave,” she said as the tears started again.
“Valentina that is true. The judge will say I can make you leave. He will not say that I must make you leave,” he said gently stroking her back.
“But you said before we could not have a life together, that someday you will throw me out,” she said resignedly.
“Well, maybe I will tell Cece the puta, and Karin and her daughter that they have to come to my house so we can all live together,” he said with no smile.
“I can not always tell when you are teasing or being serious but now I know you are teasing. Four such sex demanding women would kill you in a month,” she said hugging him tightly.
“You’re probably right,” he agreed. “Come on, let’s get your ears pierced and go home.”
“Yes, I want to make a bed on the floor in front of the tall mirror in your room,” she told him.
“Why in the world would you want to do that?” he asked.
“I want to look at the face of a beautiful young woman and watch her new earrings sparkle and dance as she is getting some big thing put in her butt,” she informed him.
As he watched her pick out the earrings she wanted he thought, well it seems I have rescued another puppy from the pound. He shrugged, it’s who I am, I guess. The only thing to do is to keep Living the Dream in Mexico.
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