It has always amused me that people look at male hairdressers and either think that they are gay or that they are trying to live out their own Warren Beatty 'Shampoo' fantasy. As far as I am aware, not one of the salons where I have worked has realised that there is just as much likelihood of their clients being hit on by a female hairdresser as a male. I'm not even sure that many of them have realised that I am gay, choosing instead to go with whatever hard luck story I have given them. There has been the odd one or two where I had a relationship with a female colleague, but I was always careful to keep it low key and not flaunt it in anyone's face.
I've often thought that by the age of forty that I should have my own salon, but that would mean putting down more roots than I want at this point in my life. It will no doubt happen, but for the time being I am happy as I am, able to move at the drop of a hat if the notion takes me.
I have worked at 'Dome' for a couple of months now and have settled in really well. They are pleased that I am more than willing to work the late shifts and even close up on my own if the need arises. It suits me as I tend to be happier without too much hustle and bustle around. I think it's great when I can turn off the pop station on the radio and put on some soothing classical or jazz cd. It has actually become a bit of an in-joke with the other stylists that I appear to be cultivating a more discerning, more sophisticated clientele. The owner certainly doesn't mind if I fill the salon up with more mature ladies with the cash to pay for extras.
It was one of these late evenings that I first got to know Elizabeth. She runs her own business and found it hard to get into a salon during normal hours. She was walking to her car one evening when she saw that I was with a client and she popped in to see what time the salon closed. It was already after 7 and I was just blow-drying what I thought was my last client of the day. She had a conference to go to the following day and wanted to smarten up before she went, something that she just had not had time for given everything else that she had to do.
She sat in reception while I finished off and then as I showed my previous client to the door, she noticed me lock it.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realise that it was so close to closing time" she said.
"Don't worry about it" I said "Now what can I do for you?"
It turned out that she only really wanted her ends trimmed and her hair blow-dried. I could see from her body language that she had relaxed since coming in, but was clearly still stressed out. I poured us both a glass of wine from the wine box in the staff room and when I went back she was sitting with her eyes closed. She opened them when she heard the glass placed on the table next to her.
"I could just drift away with this music" she said.
"It's great, isn't it? Just what I need at the end of the day," I said.
I took my time washing her hair, massaging her scalp slowly, applying just the right amount of pressure in all the right places. She lay back with her eyes closed which gave me the opportunity to look at her a little more. She was well-dressed, nice suit, great shoes. Her nails were perfectly manicured, just the right amount of jewellery, nothing too flashy, but what she wore made the right sort of statement. The cursory glance that I had been able to grab when she first came in was enough to tell me that she looked after herself and that was more than confirmed by the shapely pair of legs that stretched out from under the gown, crossed at the ankles. I kept up the movement on her scalp, wishing that I knew somebody who could do the same for me!
After ten minutes of this I rinsed the conditioner out of her hair and gently urged her into an upright position. As she got up she smiled at me "You've no idea how much I needed that" she said.
We chatted about everything and nothing as I trimmed her hair, comfortable in each other's company. We talked about her work, her daughter at university, her husband, even her husband's mistress. In a way, it was a shame that I couldn't make our chat last longer. Her sleek, collar length bob was dry and I was holding the mirror behind her to show her what I had done.
She smiled. "That's great, thanks Katie" she said.
"You must come back when you've got a bit more time and we'll experiment a little" I said.
"I'd like that" she said and got up.
When we got to reception I helped her on with her jacket and used a small clothes brush on her shoulders to remove any stray bits of hair. I carried on brushing further down her back and since she hadn't objected, I flicked the brush quickly over the curve of her hips.
"My, you do provide the complete service, don't you?" she said. I wasn't sure from the tone whether she was irritated or just tired, so I thought it best just to smile. As she put the change in her purse, I handed her one of the salon's cards with the phone number on.
"Give me a ring when things quieten down, Elizabeth. I'll work around you as much as possible."
"That's very kind, thank you," she said.
Nearly two weeks later one of the juniors came up to me and said that she had a lady on the phone asking to book an appointment with me very early one morning. The girl had initially said 'No', but the woman had asked her to check with me. So it was that I was in the salon just after 6:30 the following day. I was just making coffee when I heard the knock at the door. I hurried to open it.
"Hi Elizabeth, fancy seeing you at this time" I said.
"It was really good of you to see me so early. Once this session is over I'll have a bit more time. it's just one of those things that I have to go all out for, but if I pull it off I can sit back for a bit and put my feet up."
The session was similar to her last visit, nothing remarkable by any means, but it was clear that she hadn't been irritated with me last time, it was just fatigue. There was no question of that this time, she was full of energy and ready to go. In a way I was disappointed as I had no plausible excuse for the scalp massage.
I followed her to reception, checking my handiwork as she walked. Perfect, I thought.
I helped her on with her jacket, conscious of her sense of urgency. I made a couple of quick passes of her shoulders with the clothes brush in my right hand, and, stooping a little awkwardly, used my left hand to smooth her jacket over her hips.
"Anyone other than my husband would normally have got a slap for that" she said with a smile.
I blushed slightly. I had been trying to help, but I could see how it could have been misinterpreted.
"We aim to please" I said.
"That was probably the most effort anyone's put into pleasing me for a while" she replied. I laughed a polite laugh, not quite sure if that was the response she was looking for. She had certainly told me enough about her husband's roving eye (and more) during our two sessions, but I was still not sure that we had the sort of relationship at this point where I could laugh at her personal circumstances.
"I've got to run. Thanks ever so much for coming in so early Katie. I'll have more time next time, I promise."
"Make sure you do, I'm getting the bleach out next time." I called after her. She didn't turn around to acknowledge the remark.
I didn't expect to hear from her for a month or so, but a couple of days later she was on the phone again, apologising for making me work overtime. She was obviously a powerful woman, but didn't appear to have anyone close that she could confide in or even really share her success with. She even used the phrase 'Home alone' which amused me, her husband was off on one of his business trips again. I didn't really know her well enough to know why she was ringing, I just decided to chance my arm.
"Pop in after 7 tonight if you feel like it. We can crack open that bleach and bring out a whole new you." I said, cringing at how corny it sounded.
"I like the sound of a new me, I'm not sure about the bleach though" she said.
"I'll be here if you decide there's nothing on TV" I said.
The rest of the day was quite busy and I thought no more about the conversation. I had finished my last client and had got as far as putting my coat on when I heard a knocking at the door. It always makes me jump when I'm in the salon on my own, but a quick glance showed that it was Elizabeth clutching a bottle of wine. I opened the door and locked it again as I shut it behind her.
"So you'd given up on me then?" she said.
"No, I'm sorry Elizabeth, I just wasn't thinking straight. I didn't put you in the book and well, you know how it is." I said. I slipped off my coat. "Anyway, come on, you know the way by now" I said.
She held the bottle a little higher. I detoured into the kitchen to get a corkscrew and a couple of glasses and then sensed her in the room behind me. I motioned to her to sit down on one of the sofas.
I offered her a glass and sat on the armchair next to her. She reclined slightly.
"That's the most relaxed I've seen you, if you don't mind me saying" I said.
"I've taken a few days off, for me, just to do anything I please".
"Hubby still away then?" I ventured.
"Still having it away, more like it" she countered.
"I'm sorry" I said.
"Don't be, it's up to me to get my own back" she said.
"And how do you propose to do that, if I may ask?" I said.
"Well, I was wondering if you fancied hitting the town later on, seeing what sort of trouble we can get ourselves into, my treat,"she said.
I had told her that I wasn't married and wasn't currently seeing anyone, but I hadn't gone as far as telling her what sort of person I would be seeing. She sensed my hesitation.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...." she said.
"No, no, it's not that, it's just, well.......there's a reason why I'm not married." I said coyly.
"Ah, I see now" she said, looking somewhere in the middle distance. She stood up abruptly.
"I can't sit here all night.........where do you want me?" she said.
That wasn't what I had expected her to say at all. "Anywhere you like" I said.
She walked over to one of the styling stations and picked a gown off the rack. She held it out to me using her finger and thumb. I took it and opened it up and as she manouevred into it she placed a hand on my arm.
"So what are we doing?" I asked. She thought for a moment.
"What do I get if I give you a free hand?" she asked.
"Well, that depends how free 'free' is" I replied, not sure where this was going. It was then that she surprised me. She half-turned the styling chair round so that she was facing me.
"How about we just say that anything goes" she said. As she spoke I felt a hand on the outside of my thigh, just above the knee. "It's about time I tried something, or someone, new."
I took a step backwards, breaking contact with her. I looked at her for a moment.
"You're serious?" I asked.
"Never more so" she said.
I paused and then moved around behind her, undoing the cape before taking it off her. She looked up at me, puzzled.
"If you've never had your hair cut topless, you don't know what you're missing" I said. I thought that this was the best way to see whether she was serious or not and also gave her the opportunity to storm out if that's what she wanted to do. She could leave, no harm done, no hair cut.
She reached up to the top button on her blouse and undid it slowly, looking at me intently. She held my gaze as she moved down to the remaining buttons and then pulled the shirt tail out of her skirt. I reached out to take the blouse from her and watched intently as she freed her breasts from her bra. I reached forward to cup her left breast in my hand, rolling it lightly in the palm of my hand. I let my finger linger on her nipple for a second or two and then went back into hairdresser mode.
"Right, Mrs Blake" I said as I swung the chair back round to face the mirror. I ran my fingers through her bob, supporting the ends with one hand either side of her head. "Your husband likes your hair like this, does he?"
"Yes, he does, he says he likes the way it swings when I turn" she replied, trying to enter into the spirit of things.
"And where is your husband tonight?"
"With his ladyfriend" she replied slowly. I let go of the ends of her hair and moved my hands down the curve of her neck. Reaching forward, I cupped her breasts and kissed her ear lightly.
"Let's cut it off then" I said quietly.
"Not too short, Katie" she said. I stood up and moved around to her side. I reached for the neighbouring styling chair and sat in it.
I reached to one side and picked up a pair of clippers, holding them out towards her.
"Whose bed is he in now?" I asked. More to the point, whose bed are you going to be in later? I continued with my wickedest smile.
"Just because I'm sitting in a hairdressing salon topless doesn't mean I'm easy, you know" she said, returning my wicked smile.
I leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips. I pulled back and held the clippers a little closer to her.
"Do it my way and we'll be out of here in five minutes" I said. She held a finger to her right nipple and movd it around in tiny circles. Her eyes closed.
"I'm going to hate you in the morning" she said. I stood up, flicking the clippers on as I moved.
I could see in the mirror that her eyes stayed closed. I glanced down at the guard. A number two. She tensed slightly as I touched the guard to her forehead.
"I'm going to start on a long setting, just in case" I said. She exhaled. I drew the clippers back along the line of her parting. I could see in the mirror how she pinched her nipple between her thumb and forefinger as the clippers started their journey. Her eyes opened briefly and she smiled before closing them again. She had seen what I had done and smiled. I lifted the clippers away from her head and slipped the guard off. I went over the path that I had just cut, reducing the pelt to next to nothing. This was for me, not for her, I thought. I worked quickly, eager to get finished as soon as I could. The effect that the last half hour or so was having on me was almost indescribable. I wanted to get finished before the increasing tremors in my hand started to become a safety issue! She tilted her head obediently as I moved around to the back. Every movement told, every stroke counted. I revealed more and more of her scalp, checking in the mirror as I went.
"You're going to pay for this" she said.
"It'll be worth every penny" I said.
I had worked my way around her head and was removing the last tresses of hair from the left-hand side when she opened her eyes. Although I was still cutting, she lifted a hand up to feel the side of her head. She shuddered again. I flicked the clippers off and with my free hand, turned the chair so that she faced me.
"It's been a long time since I've seen anything so beautiful" I said. She stood up, leaning in towards the mirror for a closer look.
"I'll shave it smooth for you, but I wouldn't trust myself at the moment" I said, putting out my hand to show an exaggerated shake.
"You've got some work to do first" she replied. Her hand was at the back of her skirt, fiddling with the zip. Her skirt fell to the floor.
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