March 18

Kathy went to a meeting at work today. (She works for a huge financial institution) It seems that she met a team from another office who had participated in St. Baldricks. For those of you who don?t know about St. Baldricks, it is a charity organization where people ask for pledges of money to help benefit Childhood Cancer research. If the pledge goal is met, the participant shaves their head.

There apparently was much discussion around the table because a woman actually participated and went though with the clipper shaving. Most of the women agreed that they would never do something like ?shave off all my hair!?

In her inimitable straight-forward style, Kathy popped up and said; ?I?d do it in a minute, if it would benefit someone! Its only hair, it grows.? Interesting thought?

March 20

Even as the date approaches for Kathy?s haircut, I am torn between let it grow and cut it off. I?ve looked at countless internet pictures. I am more voyeuristic than usual with women in the mall, on the street, etc. I scan for the shortest haircuts and how they look on the women wearing them. With my eyes I follow women with long flowing waves and curls thinking what it would be like to have Kathy?s waves and ringlets back.

I saw one particularly beautiful woman walking down the street. Her hair was waist length, thick and waved into ringlets near the ends. Even with her I thought not only about the beauty of her long and flowing locks, but also how beautiful she might be with them shorn close to her head all around.

Add to this conflicted scenario that I am also going nuts with my hair. I want to stop at the first barbershop and have clippers reduce this 5 inches of grow out to a crisp, clean military flattop. I think about how good it would feel to have the flattop comb rest right against the top of my head while the clippers reduce everything above to stubble. But then the thoughts of regret fill me with the anxiety that I will probably not like the result in my mirror.

March 22

I am scurrying around trying to tie up all the loose work ends in preparation for Kathy and I to leave town tomorrow.

I have been purposely quiet about my fetish in the last few days. Although she will play, Kathy does not really have the strong sexual feelings around hair and its cutting that I do. Hence, I try to not talk constantly about the subject as she does tire of hearing about it.

I don?t have a clue where we?re going tomorrow. Even though I?m paying for the trip, I?ve agreed to let Kathy make all the plans and surprise me with the itinerary.

The last thing I am doing before going to sleep is brushing Kathy?s now short shag. Resistance to the brush is now almost non-existent and I continue to do mental flip flops on the subject of Saturday?s haircut. Kathy says; ?I guess I better enjoy this now because I don?t think you?ll want to brush it as much after you have it all cut off on Saturday.? I tell her I?ll always want to brush her hair, no matter the length. I do not let on about my internal conflict.

March 23

We?re off! We head West toward the ocean. I am not going to bring up anything about haircutting during this trip.

March 23-25

We have a great time! Dinners at Chez Panisse in Berkeley and Houston?s in San Francisco. Some good cycling time along the bay. Great lovemaking. No haircutting or talk of it. I?m a little disappointed.

March 25

Back at home Kathy sits on the big pillow, leans back and purrs as I brush her hair. I am so filled with anxious anticipation its difficult to relax. I have had enough of the pressure of what will happen tomorrow and tell Kathy that I am giving the choice back to her. I will still do her crown molding, but I don?t want to decide on this issue. In typical unpredictable Kathy style, she says; ?I don?t think so. A deal is a deal. We?re going to the hairdresser?s tomorrow and we?re both going to sit there and I?m going to tell her our deal and then you?re going to talk to her!? I guess that settles that. (Are you getting an idea of why I love this woman so much?)

After a couple of glasses of wine, I begin to wind down. A short walk down the hall, into bed and I am nestled into my favorite spot against Kathy?s back. After a few kisses to the shoulders and neck we are both asleep.

March 26

How did I manage to sleep until 8:30? Today is the big day and I still don?t know what I?m going to do. Kathy has already been up and is splashing softly in the bathtub. I realize that it?s the sound of water that has finally awakened me. Dragging up out of bed, I wander in to the bathroom to find one of my favorite views in all the world; Kathy in the tub, hair slicked back with water and her bright blue eyes looking out at me. There?s a twinkle in those eyes as she says; ?Good morning sleepyhead! I?ve been wondering when you were going to get up. Take off your clothes and have a seat. I?ll be right with you.?

As I look away from the tub I see the rest of the scene in the bathroom. There by the mirror is one of the tall stools from the breakfast bar and arrayed on the sink counter are all the tools needed by a barber. They look like surgical tools all laid out for an operation. From left to right; 7? Barber shears, 9? Barber shears, 3 different combs, the familiar red Oster 76?s, two neatly folded hand towels with the Oster 000 Blade and #3 Blade resting on top, our white with light red stripes barber drape and the little dispenser of sanitary neck tissues.

As I take off my pajamas, eyeglasses and sit down on the stool, Kathy is out of the tub drying off. I love the scent of her when she?s still a little damp from the bath and all the bath oils and hair conditioners are fresh and fragrant!

Kathy turns me on the seat of the stool to face away from the mirror and gently wraps the tissue around my neck. When I protest mildly that I don?t get to see what?s going on, she says; ?You don?t really need to, do you? You trust me, don?t you?? What else am I going to say but; ?Of course I trust you sweetheart.? ?Then problem solved?, she coos right next to my ear.

The drape is fastened around me and I am filling up with nervous anticipation. (That?s not all I?m filling up with.) As she steps in front of me, she gives me an eyeful of her beautiful breasts and soft shapely stomach. She combs through my hair slowly and moves all around me in a sort of haircutter?s lap dance. ?Tsk, tsk?, she says. ?This really needs some shaping up.?

My hair has gotten to be quite long. Its almost 6 inches on the top and it spills over my collar in back curling up in a most annoying way in the back. The sides reach down over my ears and where my sideburns grow the hair sticks out like curb feelers.

I am standing at attention from the soft caresses of kisses on the ears and neck and intoxicated by the slow rhythmic strokes of the comb through my hair. Kathy reaches for the smaller barber shears, combs the hair down in back, slides the scissors into the waiting brown curtain and then? stops.

?Oops, wrong tool,? she says with a coy smile. She reaches a little further down the counter and picks up the Osters. She fingers each blade and settles for the 000. She combs the hair down again and lifts it with the comb. The Osters whirr to life and she begins to cut away at the little curls at the nape of my neck. I can feel the hair hit the cape and, with my head looking down to give her better access to the back, I can see the 1 ? inch curls sliding down the cape. This is not to be the flattop of my dreams, but rather just a clean-up around the back and sides. Even so, the experience is wonderful! I have my own personal nude barber. I have a barber who kisses and caresses. I have a beautiful barber with a soft touch and a mischievous way. The haircut lasts about 25 minutes and when it?s done my hair is not a lot shorter, but I am pretty revved up.

We both have little pokey hairs all over us which necessitates a prolonged shower together. I am so horny, I just want to jump her right then, but she says no. You need to wait until after my haircut.

Time has passed quickly and it?s now 11:00 AM. It?s time to leave for the hairdresser?s. Although the shop is only about 10 minutes away, Kathy wants to be there early to allow time for me to ?consult? with the stylist.

I have collected several favorite style pictures from the internet and a few actual photos of Kathy with her hair at various lengths. The pictures run the gamut from Kathy?s messy shag from October to a style clippered on the sides with a very short texturized top. I?m going to share these with the stylist, start a dialogue and see what happens.

Although only ten minutes away, the trip takes forever. There is mostly silence in the car because I don?t want to keep babbling on about anything other than haircuts.

There it is, ?The Mane Corner?, sitting on the corner of a very small center with a nail shop and interior designer as neighbors. It?s an unassuming building that appears to date from the late ?50?s or early ?60?s. The outside is a medium tan with blinds drawn over the windows obscuring the view of the shop?s interior.

Kathy parks the car and after a short hug and kiss, we open the doors and walk to the shop?s entrance. I am actually shaking during that walk of 20 paces and my heart is beating in a way that I?m sure everyone around me can hear it.

As we step into the shop, it is very quiet. The shop is actually tastefully decorated with some nice deco style wall paintings and a mix of fixtures, old and modern. There are ?50?s style streamlined cabinets with the original pulls and handles. Folding countertops conceal vintage pink shampoo sinks.

Just then a small not unattractive woman in her early 40?s steps in from the small kitchen/utility room and says; ?Kathy? Hi, I?m Kathy too. Nice to meet you. Are you ready??

At this point my Kathy says; ?Yes, but we need to tell you something first.? I can feel the blush of embarrassment begin to rise in my face. I am instantly filled with the humiliating thought that my ?haircut thing? is about to be laid open to view by a perfect stranger. With only split seconds to react, I push the blush back down inside and get prepared to communicate with this new ?Kathy.?

Kathy the stylist is about 5?4? with a curvy (not fat) figure. Her hair is cut relatively short and appears to be a nape hugging bob with the sides tucked behind the ears. Her tone so far has been very pleasant.

So my Kathy tells her the story? ?This is my boyfriend Michael and we made an agreement that he would install crown molding in my bedroom if I let him choose my haircut.? With a little trepidation in her voice Kathy the stylist says, ?OK? Are you sure?? My Kathy says; ?Yes, he has very good taste when it comes to my appearance. But we?re also doing color. I want something lighter for the Spring and Summer.? Kathy, the stylist suggests a foil weave with bright blonde and blend it into the graying roots. That way, she says, you can actually begin to grow out your natural color and maintain the blonde highlights. I?ve never seen Kathy with blonde in her hair and wonder how that will look. My Kathy looks at me and says; ?Well, what do you say?? I say; ?Go for it. You can always color it back if you don?t like it.? ?And the cut?;? Kathy the stylist asks.

In response to the question, I unfold the carefully printed computer sheets and begin by saying; ?Kathy?s hair has been long and curly, short and spikey, and everything in between. These are some pictures of various styles that I think look good on her. What do you think?? Kathy the stylist scans the pictures, moves over behind Kathy and begins running her hands through Kathy?s hair. Her hands go to the back of her head where she ruffles through the curls that have once again begun to sprout. She pulls the hair up on top and tousles it with her finger tips. The hair on top falls back flat to Kathy?s head in a quite unflattering way. After a short time of consideration, Kathy the stylist gives her opinion.

?Summer?s coming and it will be nice for you to have something shorter, cooler and easier to maintain. So I say we go much shorter. We?ll bring this back in close and leave some wispies at the very bottom for softness and we?ll shorten up this top and the bangs and give everything some nice light texture to give you lift on top. What do you think?? This time she looked at me. I nodded an affirmative. I guess the decision is made. No more sprouting curls for Kathy.

In the minutes that followed, Kathy was caped and turned to face away from the mirror. Her hair was brushed out and Kathy the stylist prepared the paste that would blonde Kathy?s hair. She carefully laid out necessary tools for the foil weave and began to section Kathy?s hair for the application of color.

I know there are some of you who really like to hear about the fine details of the hair coloring process, but, to me that is the most unexciting task in all of the hair processes. So, at this time I asked the question; ?Are you going to be doing any part of the cut until the color is done?? Kathy the stylist responded; ?No.? I then offered to take a run to Starbucks for the ladies just to get out of the shop and break the tension a bit.

Twenty minutes later I was back in the shop and Kathy was under the dryer waiting for her color to develop. I gave Kathy the stylist her iced latte and my Kathy her iced tea while I worked on mine. I had just gotten comfortable in the chair when timer bell went off signaling the necessity to rinse the chemicals out of Kathy?s hair and see how the color had developed.

Kathy followed the stylist back to her station, where the countertop was flipped up to reveal the vintage shampoo sink underneath. As Kathy the stylist began carefully removing the foils from her hair and you could tell by the look on her face that my Kathy was surprised at how much her hair had bleached under the influence of the chemicals. Kathy the stylist said; ?Wow, that?s nice and light now! Great! Let?s get you rinsed.?

Kathy was turned around and lowered gently into the shampoo bowl where shampoo and conditioner were massaged through her newly blonded highlights. She was lifted back to a sitting position and you could see that there was nothing subtle about the color. There were large chunky areas of bright platinum blonde hair all through the front and top of Kathy?s head. It was quite shocking. Kathy the stylist said; ?Don?t worry it will blend in better when we get some of this bulk cut off.? With that, she combed all of Kathy?s hair straight back, parted it in the middle and reached for her scissors.

She sectioned off Kathy?s hair in the back and began to pull the 4 ? 5? nape hair out away from Kathy?s scalp. Holding the hair at a 90 degree angle from her head and starting just above the napeline, she sliced off all the hair (the most about 3?, the least about 2?) that was above her fingers. Some fell to the back of the cape with that wet click that comes right after the schnicckkk of the scissors. Kathy the stylist picked up speed and continued to reduce my girl?s curls to about ? of an inch at the shortest and about 2 inches at the longest. Kathy?s hair is thick and even though it hadn?t been really long before, it was building up quickly on the floor. The cut locks were drying quickly and making little fluffy bundles that Kathy the stylist moved and fluffed inadvertently as she moved around the floor.

Hair was flying; blonde hair from the color job, gray hair from Kathy?s natural color roots and the dark brown she had used to color her hair previously. Her hair is being neatly scissor-tapered close at the back from just about the occipital bone down. Snip, snip, snip, shorter and shorter her hair goes. I am getting hard in my jeans and have to shift a little to help minimize the appearance.

After she has removed most of the bulk from the back, Kathy begins working on the refinements to the shape. She slides her scissors point down through Kathy?s nape hair, thinning it and shortening it more and more to achieve the wispy look she wants create at the bottom. Not a hint of curl is left and in its place is a neatly tailored nape that looks sleek, cool and beautiful. She continues to work on the ?wispies? until they are tightly hugging Kathy?s neckline. What a difference already! OK, OK so short hair is waaayyy better on my beautiful girlfriend!

Kathy the stylist moves around to the side and asks; ?Off the ear with a few wisps in front or enough to tuck behind?? Kathy and I both hesitate and the stylist says; ?OK, how about a bit of both?? Combing the hair on the right side of Kathy?s head back, she sections the bottom down and starts snipping again around the delicate curve of Kathy?s ear. She takes just the bottom of the hair and using an undercut technique blends it with the longer hair above. She uses a razor to complete the wispy sideburns in front of Kathy?s ear and then proceeds to show her that she can have her ear uncovered and still have a little bulk to push back if she wants. That?s going to be hard now though since the longest hairs only cover the top third of Kathy?s ear. (I also predict that the next haircut after this one will see this hair be clipped in short tapers and Kathy?s ears fully exposed. No pushing behind the ears will be required.)

Kathy nods her approval and the right side is thinned a bit more to satisfy an apparently fastidious stylist.

Kathy makes quick work of the other side, carefully matching it to the right side. The floor is now covered all around with the remnants of Kathy?s longer hair and in the chair the Phoenix of her natural beauty is revealed more with each snip.

The top is reduced in length by approximately 2 inches and heavily texturized. Very long pieces of hair are falling during the texturizing process and Kathy?s hair is beginning to spring up with relief as the weight is lifted. Kathy?s bangs are combed down and reveal that they still reach down beyond the tip of her nose. Not for long? Pulled down between her fingers Kathy the stylist deftly slices them off right near the middle of my Kathy?s eyes allowing for the shrinkage that occurs when the hair dries. Even now the hair is drying and as it does the bangs spring up to their new length just grazing the eyebrows. Kathy?s beautiful blue eyes pop in their new blonde frame of shorter hair. The sight of her eyes framed this way takes my breath away. Wow!

Its time now for some gel and gentle finger styling with the blow dryer. Kathy?s hair fluffs as its styled and the lift accentuates the strong angles of her beautiful features. All too soon, its done and my beautiful babe of a girlfriend is even more beautiful. Her smile when the mirror is angled so she can see all around tells me the decision was right.

Later that day I am cupping Kathy?s newly shorn head in my hands as we make love. I run my fingers up through the short, soft hair of her nape and continue my journey to Nirvana. I can?t keep my hands off her hair and I can?t keep my eyes from drinking her in every moment.

My hair fantasies are spent. For now?

Epilogue ? April 9

Kathy and I were at our favorite breakfast restaurant today when a woman with big wild hair like Kathy used to have came in the door. It was exceptionally unbecoming and Kathy remarked quietly to me; ?Now that?s big hair!? I responded by saying; ?Yours looked like that not too long ago, sweetie.? She said; ?I know and I sure am glad its all gone now. I?m looking forward to keeping it short for a long time.? Then she leaned over, kissed me and said; ?Thank you?? (I predict it?s going yet shorter next haircut. I?ll let you know.)

And yes, I do still love brushing it.