Miss Gloria Gets a Surprise Visit From Oliver Olivier

Gloria's Surprise Visit

“Debbie dear, there’s someone knocking on the door. Can you get it?”

“Yes, I hear it. I’m just finishing scrubbing the toilet. I’ll get it real quick.”

Debbie runs to the front door wearing elbow-length rubber gloves and holding a toilet scrub brush.

“Oliver Olivier!” Debbie exclaims in surprise. “Come on in and have a seat.” She gestures with the toilet brush. “Gloria’s in the back room. Let me go get her.”

“Gloria!” Debbie calls excitedly. “Oliver Olivier is here for you.”

“Debbie! Debbie! Stop waving that toilet brush around.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“Oliver Olivier! I told you he’s nothing but a Casanova, thinks he’s going to get a taste and then break my heart. Well, I’ll show that smooth operator a thing or two. Let him in.”

While Debbie escorts Mr. Olivier into the living room, Gloria takes her time fluffing her hair and spritzing on her best Armani perfume.

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“Mr. Olivier, what a pleasant surprise,” Gloria says as she wheels herself into her living room. “What brings you here today?”

“Please, call me Oliver. I just wanted to congratulate you on your successful Vogue cover. It’s the best-selling issue so far this year.”

“Oh, well that is really something, Mr. Olivier. Where’s my cut? I’ll take it in small bills.”

“How about I send my chauffeur to pick you up at 6 p.m., and we can discuss it over dinner?”

“Are you making a pass at me, Mr. Olivier? You know I’m old enough to be your grandmother.”

“Well, Miss Gloria, you did rock that dress at my fashion show. Plus, I’ve made a reservation at Mélisse, an exclusive five-table restaurant in Los Angeles.”

“A restaurant with only five tables? Now that’s gotta be special. How can I say no? I’ll see your chauffeur at 6 p.m.”

Eavesdropping

“Debbie! Debbie! I’m going on a date with Oliver Olivier. He’s taking me to a ritzy restaurant in L.A.”

“Yes, I heard.”

“Are you eavesdropping again?”

“Well you know Gloria, the walls in this mobile home are literally paper-thin and yes, I was eavesdropping.”

“Help me figure out what to wear. I need to look like a million dollars on my ten-dollar Walmart wardrobe.”

“You’re asking for the near impossible. Even I can’t make Walmart look chic.”

“Well, how about my gold sequined dress?”

“Oh no, that one screams cheap.”

Debbie rummages through Gloria’s closet.

“Why don’t we take your Olivier original and doctor it up a bit?”

“We can’t do that, Debbie. Oliver will notice right away.”

“You’re right. I have an idea. Let’s unpack that beautiful wedding gown of yours. I can do wonders with it.”

“Are you crazy, Debbie? I was a size two then. Now I’m a size fourteen.”

“Don’t worry about it. I can work with the veil and all the extra frills and layers. I’ll turn it into a chic minimalist dress within the hour.”

“Go for it, Debbie. You have my blessing.”

One Hour Later - The Dress

“I’ve got your dress, Gloria. Let me explain what I did. I removed all the frills and lace and found a beautiful white knee-length silk satin dress underneath. I used your veil, made of the same material, to resize the dress so it would fit you. I reshaped the neckline to a high round style for elegance, and added ruffled lace to the bottom of your elbow-length sleeves.”

“Debbie, this is beautiful. You’re truly talented.”

“Oh, Gloria,” Debbie says, blushing.

“Let’s get this dress on me. The chauffeur will be here in forty-five minutes. Grab my pearl necklace, it should look great with this dress.”

“Why don’t you wear your diamond-studded tiara? You’ll look as beautiful as Princess Grace.”

“Sure, why not go all the way? It’s not every day a lady goes on a date with a rich and famous fashion designer who’s fifty years her junior.”

“Oh, Miss Gloria, you cougar, you.”

“Rawr,” Gloria laughs, clawing the air playfully.

6 p.m. — The Chauffeur Has Arrived

“Have a nice time with Mr. Olivier, Gloria. I’ll see you later tonight.”

With Gloria comfortably inside, the limousine pulls away.

“Hey, Mr. Chauffeur, what’s this little screen for? Is it some kind of monitor?”

“My name is Paolo, Miss Gloria. But you can call me Paul if that’s easier.”

“Paolo works for me. My momma was an Italiana.”

“Oh, well then we’re family. The screen is a streaming TV device.”

“Oh, we’re living in luxury. Can you get pornography on that contraption?”

“Oh no, Miss Gloria. None of the networks we offer have pornography. Mr. Olivier runs a clean business.”

“I was hoping to get a quick refresher before my date with Olly.”

“Miss Gloria, you have such a funny sense of humor.”

“Sense of humor? I’m serious.”

Inside Mélisse

“Mr. Olivier, I have no idea what to order. What do you suggest?”

“Miss Gloria, I recommend the Santa Barbara prawn and a bowl of savory golden tomato soup. It’s a tasty combination.”

“So it shall be, Mr. Olivier.”

“Miss Gloria, you look divine this evening. Your gown is beautiful.”

“Why thank you, Mr. Olivier. It’s an original.”

“Oh? I don’t recognize the style. Who designed it?”

“She’s new. Her name is Le Debra.”

“I’ve never heard of her. Her work is stunning. I’d love to meet her and possibly discuss designing a line for my brand.”

“Certainly. I’ll give her your card.”

“Ma’am,” the waiter says, arriving with their food, “You have the prawn and tomato soup.”

“Oh yes, thank you,” Gloria squints at his name tag, “Thank you, Horatio.”

“Is there anything else I can get for the two of you?”

“Yes, how about another go of sake for both of us?”

Horatio nods and promises to return in five minutes.

“Mr. Olivier, look at this. There’s hardly any food here, one prawn and a few tomatoes. The soup’s nice, but for $300 they could at least serve enough for leftovers.”

“Oh, Miss Gloria,” Oliver chuckles, “you’re mostly paying for the ambiance and exclusivity. The chefs are highly rated.”

“Highly rated schmated. This is price gouging. I would have been happy with a four-dollar burger from McDonald’s.”

“Give it a taste. I think you’ll be delighted.”

“Oh, Mr. Olivier, this is tantalizing. I love it. But it’s still overpriced. Now, I want to be frank with you.”

“Yes, speak your mind, Miss Gloria.”

“Okay, Mr. Olivier, I don’t mean to be presumptuous, but you’re not really my type. I mean, you’re handsome and all, and boy, you sure do have a whole lot of money, that can be attractive. But I’m not sure why you asked me out. You might be fun for a quickie, but I like them closer to my age, like sixty or seventy.”

“Oh-huh-oh-ha-ha, Gloria! You’ve got this all wrong. This isn’t a romantic date. It’s a business dinner.”

“Once again, I’ve firmly stuck my foot in my mouth.”

“Yes, this is a business date. I invited you tonight because I’d like to offer you your own talk show.”

“A talk show?”

“Yes, Miss Gloria. It wouldn’t be on traditional TV, but streamed through platforms like Spotify and YouTube. The shows on my network get between four to six million views and streams daily.”

“Oh, well that’s a big deal.”

“Yes. Why don’t we meet again next week at your home? I’ll bring my contract lawyer and we can discuss it. How does Tuesday sound?”

“Tuesday is fine, Mr. Olivier. Well, are you still up for a little quickie though?”

“No, Miss Gloria. You’re a real cutie, but you’re not my type. I do have a partner.”

“Partner?”

“Yes, named Andrew.”

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To be continued…

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