Sue had been working in the salon for 6 months now and had somehow got away with not having her very wavy, waist-length hair cropped. Leslie had tried but as yet had been unsuccessful. She was not too worried as time was on her side.

Today Sue’s mum was coming in for her usual three-monthly trim. Leslie had, over the two years she’d been using the salon, got her to have her once very long hair cut into a nice gamine look. It really suited her waif-like figure and of course Leslie, who was trying to get her to have it cut even shorter! Her appointment was in ten minutes and Leslie was making sure she had her clippers and guide combs ready, as today was the day, or so she hoped. It was the middle of summer and boy was it hot! Now would be as good a time as any to suggest going shorter.

The door opened and Carren, Sue’s mum, walked in. She was quickly greeted by Leslie, who ushered her to her station. Carren commented on the heat outside and sat down in the padded chair.

"It going to be a real scorcher today, just the type of weather for a nice crop!" Leslie said.

"You’re not wrong, Leslie, it’s a real stinker today and that’s for sure."

"Well why don’t we go for it then. No time like the present," Leslie quipped.

"You must be joking! It’s short already, well compared to twelve months ago!"

"There you are then, it’s not going to make a lot of difference now is it, and besides it would really suit you cropped." Leslie crossed her fingers and prayed.

"I don’t know, it’s a big step." Carren looked at herself in the mirror and ran her fingers through her collar-length locks.

"Come on, be brave. It will be so much cooler without this lot." Leslie mussed her hair on top and smiled into the mirror at Carren.

"Ok, but not too short, alright." She smiled at Leslie back in the mirror.

"Look, you just leave it to me. I know exactly what will suit you, ok."

"But…"

"No buts, just leave it to me. I’m in charge." Leslie took total control as usual.

While Leslie combed her hair she made small chat about this and that and then out of the blue Carren told her that Sue was four weeks pregnant. It dropped like a bombshell. Leslie pretended not to be too surprised but wanted to find out the ins and outs and prodded around as much as she dared.

"Well, she’s going to have to get that hair of hers cut to a more suitable style. She won’t be able to cope with that mop and look after a baby will she?" Leslie offered.

"Yes I’m afraid you’re right Leslie, she won’t have a lot of time for herself."

Leslie picked up the clippers, fitted a no.4 guard and forcefully tilted Carren’s head forward so that her chin touched her chest. Turning the clippers on she ploughed the humming clippers upwards. Hair sprayed down onto the waiting cape. Leslie wasn’t going to take any chances just in case Carren changed her mind. Now it was too late her fate was ensured. Carren’s eyes opened wide and began to wonder if she was doing the right thing. Leslie quickly reassured her and carried on up to the occipital bone. A nice path had now been made. Several passes later and the nape was shaping up nicely. Leaving the no. 4 on she made a pass over the left ear. Carren was now watching as more hair piled into the cape. Pleased with her work Leslie now attacked the right hand side with the same effect. Leslie changed the guard for a no.7, quickly placed the clippers at Carren’s forehead and pulled them back through her hair. Carren sat stock still as if in a trance. Her thick hair was now standing upright. The clippers were dragged three more times back through the remaining hair on the top. Then the sides just below the crown were also clipped using the no. 7 and blended in with the already cropped hair around the ears. Next, Leslie changed the guard for a no. 2 and once again tilted Carren’s head down towards her chest. The clippers made fast work of the nape hair, shooting fine splinters of hair down onto Carren’s shoulders. As Leslie turned off the clippers Carren sighed with relief but this was short lived as Leslie switched on the Stirling clippers and started to tidy the back up even more so that only a shadow of hair was left. Leslie quickly reverted back to the Wahl clippers once again, she fitted a no. 3 guard and blended the hair around both ears leaving hardly any sideburns. Leslie combed through the hair, then picked the no. 4 guard up from her trolley. The hair around the crown started to fall into the already full cape. This was repeated on both sides with Carren looking on in disbelief.

"Right, nearly finished, it’s looking fantastic, Carren."

Carren looked on not so sure.

Leslie then raised the clippers again to Carren’s forehead.

"Hold on, don’t you think it’s…!"

Leslie interrupted her "I know what I’m doing. Don’t worry, it’s going to look great."

With the no. 4 still fitted the clippers were once again pulled back through the hair to the crown and after several passes the top was nicely cropped. The guard was changed for a no. 2 and carefully Leslie took the hair where Carren’s fringe should have been down to length, blending it in to the already cropped hair on top. As she did it she joked with Carren saying that her fringe wouldn’t be getting in her eyes any more. After a bit more titillating, the haircut was finished.

Carren put her hand to the back of her neck and felt the freshly cropped hair. It felt good. Strange, but good. She felt the top and especially the fringe area although there was not a lot of hair left she liked it. It gave her a tingling feeling inside, she loved it.

Leslie sensed this and decided to take full advantage of the situation and turned the clippers back on. Taking the guard off she picked up her comb and blended even more hair off the sides. While she did this she concentrated her efforts into Sue’s imminent haircut.

"I think it would be a good idea to get your Susan into the chair next and get that hair off, don’t you Carren?"

Carren was somewhat transfixed on her image in the mirror and just nodded in agreement. The sides were getting positively shorn and Carren was feeling good.

"I think I’ll just go over the back a little more if that’s OK with you then we’ll get Sue’s haircut underway."

Once again Carren nodded in agreement watching and enjoying every pass the clippers made.

By now Sue, who had been watching what was happening to her mother’s hair, walked over to Leslie’s station to take a closer look at the proceedings. Leslie greeted her and told her that she was nearly finished with her mum and that as she didn’t have another client for an hour she would be able to sort her out in a minute or two. Sue wondered what the hell Leslie was on about but just said yeah, OK, and walked away out of earshot again.

"Well that’s settled then. Looks like Sue’s hair problem is going to be sorted," Leslie said, smiling. "She hasn’t any more appointments for an hour so that will give us enough time to sort it, won’t it Carren."

Carren smiled and said that would be fine. Leslie had now finished the blending of the sides and fitted the no 3. guard, and without asking just raised the clippers to Carren’s forehead again and gently pulled them back through the top hair to the crown. Carren squirmed in ecstasy: god this was good. A few more passes and the cut was completed. Leslie gently brushed the hair off from around Carren’s face and neck. Slowly and deliberately Leslie ran her fingers through the freshly cropped hair.

"That’s a lot better don’t you think?"

Carren now ran her own hand through what was left of her hair. "Yes much better," she agreed.

Slowly the cape was removed, making sure that the contents slid to the floor and not onto the client. With that done Leslie proceeded to call Sue over to her station.

"Right were ready for you now Sue, in you get, that’s the way." Leslie gently but forcefully pushed Sue back into the leather chair.

"Your mum said that it’s probably best for you to get your hair cut what with the baby on the way and all, so I told her I’d do it for you as we’ve both got an hour free." Leslie was enjoying herself.

Dumbfounded, Sue sat back in the chair. Leslie quickly caped her and Carren came to her side.

"I think it’s a good idea, love, something nice and easy to care for would be so much better, don’t you think?"

Her mother stroked her daughter’s hair then stroked the back of her own neck.

"I don’t know mum, maybe I should give it a bit of thought."

"Don’t be daft Leslie kindly offered so you can take full advantage of it." Carren smiled at Leslie.

By now Vicky had come over to see what was going on.

"Be a dear Vicky, brush Sue’s hair out for me will you while I just clean the clipper blades." Leslie smiled and continued the job in hand.

"Sure, how short are you going to have it Sue?" Vicky asked as she brushed the thick hair.

"Well maybe a bob," Sue answered.

"No your hair’s too thick and wavy for a bob. We’re going to have to go short I’m afraid. Still it really suits your mum and as you’re very similar in build and have got the same face shape I think it’s going to look just fine, don’t you Carren?"

Carren was still fingering her newly cut hair and nodded, saying indeed it would.

"Look at mine. Leslie’s done a beautiful job and I love it." Carren paraded in front of her daughter.

"It’s taken years off me. Don’t worry by the time Leslie’s finished with you you’re not going to recognize yourself." She smiled at Sue and again ran her fingers through her hair.

Sue knew it was too late to argue: she was having a haircut whether she wanted one or not. Leslie came over and moved behind the chair with the clippers in her hand.

"Vicky can you go and get the Osters for me. These things have given up the ghost, I’m afraid. Anyway with Sue’s hair being so thick I don’t think they’ll cope."

Vicky returned with them and Leslie quickly plugged them in and turned them on. They hummed loudly.

"Right Sue, let’s get started shall we?" Leslie looked into the mirror, waiting for a sign from her victim. Sue just forced a smile and Leslie took that as a yes.

"That’s it dear. Leslie will soon sort it out for you, won’t you Leslie."

Leslie just smiled at Carren and held out a length of Sue’s hair at the side. The clippers were placed underneath the hair and slowly forced upwards. Leslie held the hair firmly and the clippers did the rest. The hair peeled away and downwards. Leslie chucked the cut hair into Sue’s lap. There was so much of it. Carren helped Leslie and held the next clump and commented on its thickness. Pile after pile was laid into Sue’s lap leaving the remaining hair sticking out everywhere. After the bulk was removed the hair left on Sue’s head was left in a rough bob.

"OK, now we can get down to work. Just tilt your head forwards, Sue and I’ll get started on the back." Leslie fitted the no. 4 blades.

Sue obeyed and looked down to see her waist-length hair piled in her lap. The clippers hummed loudly as they made their way upwards. Hair fell into her lap and down to the floor. More passes were made upwards until a wide path was formed. Leslie now worked on the sides and over the ears. She thought it best to remove all of the hair with the no. 4 then go over shorter and taper it nicely into the sides and nape after the worst was off. Next, the clippers were placed at Sue’s forehead and slowly pulled back all the way. Hair rained down all over the place and quickly filled the floor. The twelve-inch lengths fell continuously over Sue’s face. She couldn’t look – her eyes were shut tight. The buzzing stopped and Sue looked up at herself in the mirror. Her mother was right: she didn’t recognize herself. Her head felt so light, so different.

"That’s a lot better, don’t you think darling? You’re going to look just like me, really great. What a transformation." Carren felt her daughter’s hair. "You’ll certainly have no problems looking after it now. It’s super, isn’t it."

Sue just stared into the mirror not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Leslie returned with the Wahl clippers and fitted the no. 3 guard. Slowly she tilted Sue’s head again and proceeded to run them up through the nape and this time onwards past the crown. This was repeated six times and then the sides were reduced all the way to the top. The fine sprays of hair littered Sue’s shoulders and covered the cape. Next they were ploughed from her forehead back through to the crown to meet the already cropped hair at the back. Sue’s hair was now a mere 3/8 of an inch all over. All that remained was to taper the hair neatly up at the sides and the back. Leslie was pleased with her work and happy to at last kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. The sides were now complete and Leslie was well pleased, she gently brushed Sue off as she had done to her mother only thirty minutes before. The cape was removed carefully and the hair fell to the floor where it belonged. Sue’s mother ran her fingers through her daughter’s hair and thanked Leslie and praised her work

"You look beautiful, my darling. I just can’t get over it!" She then asked Leslie if it would be possible for her to trim it regularly for Sue.

"No problem. Every two weeks, OK?"