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I’ve been divorced for almost two years and I don’t think I’m completely over my ex yet. Connie and I were married for 16 years. I don’t really know what happened. We both woke up one morning and didn’t know the person sleeping next to us. I still love her very much but the spark just wasn’t there anymore, so we got divorced. We still keep in touch and remain friends to this day.

My love life since the divorce can best be described as non-existent. I have met a few women but none of them has been what I am looking for. They say you find love when you least expect it and that is exactly what happened to me.

I was in the grocery store doing my weekly shopping. As I approached the seafood counter I noticed a very attractive woman in her late 20’s. She wore a canary yellow sundress and had the most beautiful red hair I had seen in a long time. Her hair fell in gentle layers around her face. Her body was petite with long flowing legs that ended atop white high heel shoes. I couldn’t help myself. I just stared. This lady was nothing like Connie. Connie was shorter at about ‘5 “4 and had straight black hair that fell to the middle of her back. Connie has that girl next-door look. The red head was stunning. The way she presented herself was different, very confident yet friendly.

I watched her as she requested a couple of fish filets and had them wrapped separately. She looked at me. What a face! I just stared back. I couldn’t do anything else; the words just weren’t there. I felt pretty stupid. A 35-year-old man and I still get a case of the jitters when I see a beautiful woman.

The guy behind the counter handed her the packages of fish and she headed off down the next isle. Her walk was just as exciting as her looks. She walked with a grace you don’t see very often. She almost floated out of sight. I was hooked. I forgot all about the seafood counter and headed down the isle past hers so I could meet up with her when she rounded the end and started back up my isle.

I frantically tried to think of some way to meet her. Anything! Bump into her cart. Drop something in the isle. Say hello. Compliment her. I stopped halfway down the isle and waited. And waited. And waited. No redhead. Where was she? I started to jog my cart down to the end of the isle to see where she was. As I reached the end and began to turn to the left, Bang!!! I ran my cart head on into Miss Sundress’s cart. This was not going according to any feeble plan I had thought up. Now I was tongue tied and embarrassed. I managed to say I was sorry and asked if I had damaged any of her groceries. She answered in the sweetest voice I have ever heard. Mockingbirds don’t sing as sweetly as her voice. She said it didn’t appear I broke anything. Her face asked the question why I had been going so fast in the store. I stumbled for words for a second and then decided to be honest.

Without sounding like a kid with a crush I explained how attractive she was and I was trying to meet her, obviously not in the way that it happened. She was very kind, she understood where I was coming from and introduced herself as Anne. I said, “My name is Dave” and I apologized again for running into her cart. She said she thought it was one of her students playing around in the store. She said she was a high school teacher and had stopped by on her way home to pick up a few things for dinner. I explained I was doing the same thing. I could tell she was beginning to relax around me. I was no longer a nut case out to get her. She asked what I was shopping for and I told her I was buying some fish and shrimp for my favorite dish. I suggested I get back to my shopping so she could get back to hers. I told Anne it was a pleasure meeting her and perhaps we would run into each other again sometime. She thanked me, said goodbye and disappeared up the isle.

I finished my shopping and was waiting in the checkout line when I heard “Hello Dave”. I turned to see Anne in line behind me. “Hello Anne, are you following me?” She chuckled and said she did think about running her cart into me. Now I laughed. I had that coming to me. We talked while waiting in line. By the time I checked out I had a date for Friday night. Life is good again.

Anne and I started dating the first part of May. It felt like magic. We hit it off at once. Anne only had three weeks left in school and we began planning a weekend trip together for the weekend after school let out. I put in for vacation days for Thursday and Friday so I could get ready for the trip. We were going to a nice resort in Southern Missouri that had private cabins to stay in.

We spent a lot of time together after our first date. Things were going very well. On Wednesday night before our trip Anne told me about a tradition she had after the end of each school year. She told me she was not asking for my permission but letting me know what was going to happen. The first week after school let out Anne goes and gets a summer haircut. She told me that it would be very short. Her hair was currently 4 to 5 inches long cut in one of those trendy layer cuts. I had all kinds of questions. How short? How long had she been doing this? Why did she do it? She said she would answer all my questions tomorrow after she went and had her haircut. I asked if it was a private thing. Anne said no and said I could come with her if I wanted.

The next morning we got up at 8:00 and began getting ready. I got in the shower and Anne quickly joined me. She asked me to wash her hair while she washed mine. That was fun!!! We made love in the shower and then took turns drying each other off. Anne put on her yellow sundress again. WOW!!! She looked stunning! Am I a lucky guy or what? At 9:00 we headed out in Anne’s Explorer.

Anne was in a really good mood. She looked at me and said ask away. First, I asked why she would want to cut off such beautiful red hair. Anne told me that when she was 23 she and her mother had been out shopping in a mall when they passed a salon and looked in the window. What they saw made them both stop. There was a woman sitting in the chair closest to the window with blonde hair that touched the back of the chair. The reason they stopped was that the stylist standing behind the woman was holding a pair of electric clippers and a large comb. The stylist was talking to the woman, she nodded her head and then a lot of hair began falling to the floor. The stylist used the comb to pick up the blonde’s hair and then run the clippers over the comb. Next, the stylist ran the clippers up the back and sides of the blonde’s head until the back and sides were cut very short. The top was cut to about 2 inches long. My mom and I looked at each other and smiled. Mom told me she had been thinking of getting her hair cut short for some time but wanted to make sure it was the right thing to do. We actually stood there and watched the entire haircut; it was fun seeing the makeover taking place.

When the stylist was done the blonde woman had what I later learned was a little boys cut. The sides and back were tapered from the crown down to the base of the hairline and there was a couple of inches of hair left on top. Mom and I were both very surprised at how good she looked with her hair cut so short. When we first walked up the woman was obviously attractive with her shoulder length hair, but with all of her hair cut off your attention was drawn to her facial features even more. She was really a very beautiful woman. Mom and I agreed that the haircut looked fantastic on her.

We stood and watched as the stylist finished the haircut and led her customer up to the counter so she could check out. Mom grabbed my hand and led me into the salon. We walked up to the counter right behind the blonde woman. Her hair was short, the sides and back had been tapered down to nothing at her hairline. I actually wanted to reach out and touch it, it looked so soft. Mom asked her about the cut and she told us she just wanted a big change and that Sylvia, the stylist, had suggested the cut. She said that ultra short hair was coming back and Sylvia was very good at short haircuts. We complimented her again on her hair as she walked out of the salon.

Mom asked the receptionist if Sylvia had any openings and was told she could take her right then. Mom told Sylvia that she really like the blonde’s haircut and wanted to get her hair cut short as well. Sylvia suggested that mom would look fantastic with a short pixie style instead of the cut she had given the blonde. Mom had auburn hair cut in a blunt bob that fell to just above her shoulders. It was great to watch. In no time Sylvia had cut mom’s hair down to a couple of inches long all over. Mom ended up with a pixie cut that was an inch to an inch and a half long with wispy sideburns.

I swear it took ten years off her looks. She has kept her hair cut short ever since. Every time she gets it cut shorter the better she looked. Right now her hair is longer than it has been in several years.

That day, seven years ago, was the start of my interest in wearing my hair short. At the time, I guess you could describe my hairstyle as an outdated Farrah Fawcett cut. You know, one of those feathered big hair styles. Over the next few weeks I decided I would also get a short haircut but I didn’t want to do it while school was still in session. I didn’t want to answer all the kids questions about why I cut all my hair off. There were still about three weeks left when I made my decision. I made an appointment with Sylvia for the week after school ended. I had fun during that time thinking about what kind of haircut I was going to get.

When the day finally arrived Sylvia recommended a short pixie cut similar to what mom got. She quickly cut off the bulk of my hair with scissors. It was scary sitting there watching all of my hair being cut off. I had never had short hair before and Sylvia was quickly ridding me of my long tresses. She cut very fast. I almost had the impression my hair was flying past my eyes as it landed on the cape and floor. When she had finished cutting, I had a pixie just like mom got the first time. I loved it! I was free from the hassles of long hair. Every day after my haircut I would run my hands through my hair and wonder why I waited so long to cut it all off. Short hair was so easy to take care of.

I kept it short for the next year and then began letting it grow out a bit. When I went to get it cut next my hair had grown out to about 3 to 4 inches long. It really felt shaggy at that point. I waited until school was over and then had the stylist (Sylvia had moved on) make up for lost time. I told her that it had been about 4 months since my last haircut and I wanted her to cut all the length off. That was my first ultra short haircut. When she was through the longest hair on my head was only half an inch long. It was then I realized how much I enjoyed the actual haircut itself. Sitting there watching all of my hair being cut off excited me. I love the anticipation of how I will look after the cut.

I get one touchup haircut halfway through the summer and then let my hair grow out over the school year so I can get a big haircut right after school is out. I’ve been doing that for the last few years and that brings us to today and why I am getting a haircut. I really look forward to my haircuts and now you get to share in my experience. I’m a little nervous about how you will react but if you and I are going to be together I need you to understand my little ritual.

I told her I didn’t have a problem with what she was doing and would support her anyway I could. She smiled and while keeping an eye on the road leaned over and gave me a quick peck on the lips. Two minutes later we were there. Not where I had expected, which was a salon, but instead we had parked in front of a barbershop. Anne saw the surprised look on my face and explained that ever since she saw the blonde woman get that little boys cut she had wanted to get the same haircut and she had decided this was the year.

We entered the shop and there were three barber chairs and two barbers working on customers. Both customers were almost through and no one else was in the shop. We sat down in front of the first chair. Shortly I heard “Next” and Anne got up and walked to the chair. When she was seated the barber put a white tissue around her neck and then the cape.

“What’ll it be miss?” he said.

“I want what you call a little boys cut. Taper the sides and back short and leave the top about an inch long.” Anne told him.

“You got it.” He said.

The barber didn’t waist any time. He picked up a comb and the clippers and began removing the length from her hair. He started on the left side and methodically worked his way around to the right side. Anne just sat there smiling at me. He put the clippers down and grabbed his scissors. He started cutting the hair on top down to an inch or less. Hair was everywhere, on Anne’s shoulders, lap and there was a lot on the floor. All of that red hair really stood out against the black and white tiled floor and white cape.

When he had finished the top Anne’s hair laid down close to hear head and had a lot of texture in it. There was a part on the left side and her bangs hung high on her forehead. Before I knew it the barber had the clippers back in his hand. He walked to the left side of Anne’s head and starting at her temple ran the clippers up the side of her head. He was cutting the hair on the side of her head freehanded. This guy was good. After the first pass he had removed almost all of Anne’s hair at her temple. He had tapered it from a ¼ of an inch at the hairline to about an inch at the top.

His next pass was behind her left ear and had the same result. Her hair looked very short and lay tight to her head. He finished the left side and began moving around the back. I couldn’t see everything he was doing but there was no mistaking the long sweeping passes he was making. After every pass a pile of hair would fall from the clippers and tumble to Anne’s shoulders and floor.

No doubt about it, this was going to be a very short haircut. I could already tell from the top and left side that Anne was going to look good with this haircut. After 5 passes on the right side her haircut was almost done. The barber went back over the entire haircut with the clippers and a comb to touchup a few stray hairs.

Anne looked great. I saw what she meant about having short hair and how it suited her. The barber turned her around to look in the mirror and see her haircut for the first time. He held up a mirror at the back so she could see what it looked like. Anne ran her hands over the cut feeling the short hair on the back and sides. She was beaming.

She looked at me in the mirror and asked what I thought. “Wow, you were right you really do look fantastic with short hair”. I said.

She blew me a kiss and turned her head from side to side looking at every angle. She looked at the barber in the mirror and said she liked the top but wanted the sides and back cut shorter. She explained that she wanted a true boys cut with the sides fully tapered.

The barber went back to the counter and picked up the black clippers again. This time he started at the back. He paused momentarily at her nape and then made the first pass up the back. Anne was still facing the mirror so I had a great view when the barber stepped back. Man! This was going to be a short haircut. Freehanded he had removed all of the hair at her nape and gradually increased the length until it was only about half an inch long at her crown. Her hair was so thick and lay so tight to her head that her scalp was quickly out of sight as the taper gradually increased in length.

Before making his second pass he went to the counter and got the mirror and returned to the back of the chair. He showed Anne what he had done and asked if that was okay. In the mirror I could see a huge smile on her face as she nodded yes. He returned with the clippers and made several more passes up the back. After each pass a clump of clipped hair would be flicked from the end of the clippers and float to the floor.

The back was finished and he moved to the left side. The back had been shorn. The taper was very tight and accentuated Anne’s long neck. I was going to have fun kissing this new found flesh.

Anne was now able to watch him cut the sides. He started at her temple again. The first pass removed the rest of the hair that had been on her temple. I could see he was cutting the side shorter than he had cut the back. This was going to be a tight taper. The hair at her sideburn was completely gone and only increased to about a quarter inch at the top. I could see that Anne was a little surprised at the site of her scalp. Four more passes and the left side had been clipped away. Anne’s scalp was clearly visible about halfway up the side.

The right side was next. Each pass resulted in more and more scalp showing. After free handing the back and sides the barber again used the clippers and comb to touchup the haircut. He then blended the shorter sides with the top using the comb and clippers. On the left side the hair just below the part was only a quarter inch long. On the right side he had to remove almost half an inch of hair from the top to get it to blend into the shorter side length.

The next part was interesting to watch. He spread hot lather around Anne’s hairline and used the straight razor to define her hairline. She had a natural “V” shape to her nape and when the barber had finished you could clearly see the “V” shape. He wiped the excess shaving cream off and then brushed all of the loose hairs from her neck.

Anne was grinning from ear to ear. As soon as the barber had removed the cape she climbed out of the chair and began rubbing her entire head. She would slowly run her hand up the back enjoying the soft stubble feeling of her boys cut. I tried to pay the barber for her haircut but Anne would have none of that. She said this was her haircut and she was going to pay for it. This transformation had only cost her $12 plus a $5 tip.

Anne was excited as we walked out of the barbershop. I got to rub her haircut after we got out the door. Wow! I couldn’t believe how soft it felt. Even the fade on the side felt soft to the touch. I was going to have problems keeping my hands off of her head. Anne was going to have the same problem. When we got in the car she just kept staring at herself in the rear view mirror and running her hands up the back and sides.

I did have one question I hadn’t asked her before we went in, so I asked. “Why a barbershop?

Anne explained that she had always had her hair cut in a salon up until today. After her stylist (Sylvia) left she hadn’t found anyone she like as much so she started using different salons. The most frequent problem she ran into was that the stylists didn’t want to cut her hair as short as she wanted it. Ever since she had seen the blonde woman get her little boys cut she had wanted to get one. This was the summer she had decided to take the plunge and get the haircut. She had wondered where to go when the thought of a barbershop occurred to her. She told me she had driven by a couple of shops and even sat in her car outside checking them out. She found that the thought of getting her haircut in a barbershop added to the drama of the haircut. After watching a couple of times she chose the shop we had just left.

“Well now that you have done it how do you feel?” I asked.

“I feel fantastic! I have been waiting to get this haircut for a long time. I was a little nervous when I saw how much hair the barber cut off the sides after I asked him to go shorter. I was expecting it to look like the back. When he made that first pass at my temple for a second I thought he was going to shave my sides all the way to the top. After he finished the side I saw I still had some hair left and that it looked good that short. This haircut is definitely shorter that the blond woman’s cut was.

“Be honest. What do you think?” she asked.

“Well, I wasn’t sure at first when you started telling me your story and I was really nervous when I saw that barber run those clippers up the side of your head like that, but as I watched him cut more and more hair off I saw how your hair hid your face. You are gorgeous!!! This haircut draws attention to all of your beautiful facial features. I thought you were a 10 when I met you but now I have to say you are a 12. I love this haircut on you and I’m going to enjoy rubbing my hands on that delicious nape of yours.”

Anne was beaming now. She leaned over and gave me a long wet passionate kiss and said we had time to go to her place and play before we met her mom for lunch.

“When did we have plans to meet your mom for lunch?” I asked.

“I have to show mom my new haircut. I hope she will like it as much as you do.”

We drove home, played around in the bedroom for a couple of hours, took a shower together and headed off to the restaurant to meet her mom.

We arrive a few minutes late and Anne’s mom was waiting for us at the table. The look on her face when she saw Anne was worth the price of lunch. She immediately stood up and met Anne, gave her a hug and rubbed her new haircut. She just kept staring at Anne’s head. She made Anne turn completely around and closely examined the close taper.

“Anne you really did it. You look stunning!!! Your haircut is perfect for you. I want that haircut.” Her mom said.

“Well mom, I know where you can get one and it will only cost you $12. Anne said.

“You’re kidding!” Mom said.

“Nope, I’ll tell you where to go when you are ready. Mom, this is Dave my new boyfriend.

“Hello Dave, I’m Grace. I’m glad to meet you. Anne has told me all about you. What do you think of her haircut?”

“I was unsure at first but now I love it! The two of you could be sisters. If you decide to get Anne’s cut you would look as good as she does.”

“Anne, I like him already. Don’t let this one get away.”

“I don’t plan on it mom. Let’s have lunch, shall we.”

We had lunch and talked about everything from Anne and me to politics. When we walked out to our cars Anne told her mother that she got her haircut in a barbershop and that when she was ready to give her a call and she would take her there.

Her mom walked up to Anne and ran her hand over the back of her daughters head and smiled. “Anne if you have the time I would like to go right now.”

“Mom, are you serious? Don’t you want to think about it some?”

“Honey, I have thought about it all through lunch. I can’t get over how good that haircut looks on you and I don’t want to wait to try it.”

Anne looked at me and I said I didn’t have any plans so off we went back to the barbershop. When we walked in there weren’t any customers in the shop and Anne’s barber was the only barber there. He looked surprised to see us. He climbed out of the barber chair and grabbed his cape. He first looked at Anne, them me and finally at Anne’s mom. He didn’t know who was getting a haircut. He said. “Which one of you is going to take a seat?”

Anne’s mom walked over and climbed into the chair. I guessed her age at around 48. She really looked good. Grace’s hair looked like it had been growing out for awhile. It looked like a long version of the pixie Anne had described with the top about 4 inches long and the sides and back 3 inches long. She had wispy sideburns that curled towards her face and a fringe at the nape of her neck.

“What are we going to do today?” the barber asked.

“I want it cut just like my daughters.”

“You got it.”

I was ready this time. I was going to enjoy this one. I looked at Anne and saw she was anxious to see her mother’s transformation as well.

The barber didn’t waste anytime. He started at the back. He pushed her head down and then effortlessly made the first pass. He flicked a pile of clipped hair off the clippers and onto the floor. There was no turning back now. Anne’s mom was being shorn. She wasn’t going to have to ask the barber to take it shorter because he was doing it right the first time. I wasn’t sure but he might have taken the back even shorter that Anne’s. His second pass was next to the first and another clump of clipped auburn hair fell to the floor. Three more passes and her nape was fully exposed. The taper was very short. A true fade for the first inch and then it gradually lengthened to 3/8 of an inch at her crown.

I reached over and began to play with Anne’s nape as her mom was being clipped. I felt her haircut while watching her mom being clipped. I found this very exciting. I could tell it was exciting for Anne as well and I knew we were going to be playing in the bedroom again this afternoon.

The left side and then the right side were clipped. Anne’s mom watched intently as the barber buzzed off her hair. The sideburns disappeared effortlessly as the clippers did their work. The sides were cut as short as Anne’s had been. Around her ears the hair was taken to her scalp and gradually increased in length to barely a quarter of an inch long. He cleaned up the sides and back with the comb and clippers.

As he put the clippers down and was picking up the scissors to cut the top Anne’s mom said. “What are my options with the hair on top?”

“Well, we can cut it down like your daughters or I can use the clippers to cut it all one length, say half an inch or a quarter inch or I can give you a flattop. With your looks and the texture of your hair any of those choices will look very good on you.”

“I understand the first two options but what would a flattop look like?”

“That would depend on what type of flattop you wanted.”

“There are different types of flattops?” she said.

“Absolutely, first there is a feminine flattop which is the longest version. The front would be about an inch and a half long and cut straight back to the crown where it would be about an inch to an inch and a quarter long. Next, there is the gentleman’s version which is about a half inch shorter than the feminine version. They go shorter from there all the way down to a flattop with a landing strip. The hair on the very top of you head is actually cut to your scalp leaving a landing strip so to speak on top of your head. The front is only about a quarter of an inch long and the hair at the crown is shorter than that.”

“I never knew there would be so many choices. Anne, what do you think? Cut it like yours or go shorter on top?”

“Mom, it’s your hair, you are the one that is going to have to live with it. You are beautiful and you will look incredible with whatever you do.”

“Well, I don’t think I want a landing strip on top of my head and I don’t want to look like an exact twin of you. I’ve gone this far and I want to try something different. Let’s go for a shorter look on top. I still want it to lie down on top but I don’t want any extra length up there, okay?”

“Are you sure?” Asked the barber.

“Yes.”

The barber picked up his clippers and attached a number 4 guard onto the blade and walked behind Anne’s mom. With quick long strokes moving from Grace’s forehead to her crown the barber removed all but a half inch of hair. Grace’s auburn hair lay close to her head when he was through.

To my surprise she asked if it could be cut any shorter and still lay down like it did at its current length. The barber told her he wasn’t sure but that he could cut the hair at her crown shorter and they could see.

She looked at herself in the mirror and then told him to try it. He replaced the #4 guard with a #3 and walked back behind her. Starting at the base of her crown he made short strokes up to the top of her crown and stepped back. He nodded at Grace in the mirror and she leaned forward in the chair to check it out. The length was going to work. Her hair just did lie down. Grace nodded at the barber and he brought the clippers back to her forehead and made 5 passes to her crown reducing everything to 3/8 of an inch.

When he had finished Grace’s hand was quickly out from under the cape and rubbing her new haircut.

“Well, what do you think?” She asked us.

I was stunned. I thought she carried this look off with style. Anne walked over and started to rub her mom’s head. “Mom, I think you have found my next haircut.”

“Dear, thank you for bringing me here. I wouldn’t have had the courage to go this short without you here.”

“Anytime mom.”

We paid and left the barbershop. After admiring their new looks we left Grace and went home. I am really going to enjoy this summer ritual. I can’t wait until Anne goes to get her touchup this summer.

I hope I will be able to tell you about this and future haircuts as they happen.

THE END

 

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