For the hundredth time at least that day she pushed back a long strand of hair that had fallen across her face and gave a sigh.  Oh it was so hot and her hair was really annoying her.  She would have to have a shower and shampoo her hair when she got home and but the length of time it would take her to dry her long hair would make her late for her date.  Jane was very particular about her hair as she realised it was one of her best features.  She visited the same salon regularly every 6 weeks or so to have her long hair trimmed and the rest of the time she shampooed and conditioned it herself.  She kept the length of her rich chestnut hair to about the middle of her back, although the stylist who looked after her hair often tried to persuade her to have it a lot shorter, she always firmly resisted.   Her usual salon however was the other side of town and she knew she did not have time to go there this evening. Then she realised she was passing a hairdressing salon and on impulse she pushed open the door and went in.  If they could do her hair straight away she would have her hair shampooed and blow-dried.

The salon was very modern looking and the hairstyle of the young girl at the reception desk was stunning.  It was bleached almost white and cut ultra short, nowhere was her hair longer than half an inch and at the back and sides it was cropped almost skin tight.  The extreme haircut was beautifully shaped and made a pretty girl look sensational.  A few minutes later to her delight she was caped, sitting in front of her mirror and a personable young man was skilfully brushing her long hair.  “Thank you for fitting me in at such short notice,” she said.  “It is so hot today and my hair has just been getting on my nerves.”  She paused, her hair was due for its regular trim and in this weather it would be much lighter and cooler it she had a couple of inches off the length.  “Do you have time to cut my hair a bit shorter? “  She realised she was being a little impulsive and probably could have waited until she could go to her regular stylist but the salon was an upmarket one and the young man looked to be a capable stylist.  He smiled at her and said, “Of course, I can see you have a few split ends that need trimming and as you say it will be much cooler if it is shorter.”

He put down the brush and picked up his scissors and comb and said, “Right, just bend your head forward please,” and Jane meekly complied.  She felt just a little nervous, as she always did whenever scissors were brought near her precious long hair. She then felt him sectioning off the underneath hair and a few moments later came the distinctive sharp shearing sound which only scissors severing silken hair could create and she felt the gentle tug as the blades cut into her hair. With her head right forward it was difficult for her to tell exactly how much length he was removing but as she felt another lock of her hair sectioned and then felt it being cut she was almost sure that he was cutting off far more than her usual trim.  He moved slightly to the side now, sectioned off a thick lock and then from the corner of her eye she could see the scissors cutting into a lock of hair just below her shoulder.  Her stomach gave a sickening lurch.   Oh no!  He was cutting off at least 6 inches from her long hair!

She gave a horrified gasp and said desperately, “Oh no!  You are cutting off far too much, I told you I only wanted a trim.” He released the silken lock of hair he had just severed and it tumbled down over her shoulder into her lap.  It would take her at least a year to replace that length and she felt like bursting into tears.  The stylist looked a little concerned at her obvious distress and said, “You did say you wanted your hair shorter for this hot weather and it will still be shoulder length.”  She gave a groan and said “I hate shoulder length hair, it is something and nothing” She realised to be fair, that perhaps she had not made it absolutely clear how little she wanted trimmed from her hair but of course now it was too late.  She fingered the severed locks that lay in her lap and said, “I suppose you will have to level it off now but please don’t cut a fraction more from the length than you need to.”

He positioned her head now and Jane watched miserably as he sent more and more of her precious hair tumbling down from his shearing blades.  Oh she hated her appearance already without her long hair and then a frightening yet exciting thought came to her.  Why not now go the whole way and have her hair cut really short!  She had occasionally thought, of course, as most longhaired girls did about parting with her long hair but had never really seriously considered it.  

She watched another six-inch lock of her hair being severed and then said, “Please stop a moment.”  He paused in his shearing and looked enquiringly, probably expecting another protestation from her.  She took a deep breath and said, “Look I know I am going to hate my hair this length so I will have it cut short, really short.”  She recalled the stunning style the girl at the reception had and she looked across at her and said, “Like hers!”   The stylist looked very surprised but also quite pleased and said,  “Are you sure, it certainly will suit you really short but it is quite a dramatic change.”  She gave a little shrug and said; “Now I haven’t got my hair long anymore I may as well have it really short.”  Then another thought came to her and she said, ” What about changing my colour as well?”  Again he looked at her with some surprise but then said slowly, “Well I am not sure about going blonde like Kate’s but a short cut like that needs a dramatic colour.  It would look stunning if you have your hair tinted a really vibrant red.”

Impulsively Jane said, “That sounds great.  Lets go for it.”  The young man needed no further encouragement and swiftly moved to the other side of her where her hair still reached halfway down her back.  He tilted up her chin and said softly, “Are you sure?”  Jane took a deep breath and nodded her head and then watched transfixed as he sectioned off a thick lock of her long gleaming hair just above her ear. He lifted it away from her head, pulled it taut and brought his scissors up to it and then swiftly and ruthlessly he forced them deep into the lock of hair almost at the roots.  For 5 minutes she sat and watched almost unbelievingly as he cut off all her long hair to within about an inch of her scalp and she could hardly recognise the shocked image with angry tufts of hair standing up from the head, as her own. Her head felt so bare and light and she prayed that she was not going to look a freak when she left the salon.

After all her long hair had been cut of she was ushered away to another part of the salon where the new colour was applied to her hair.  As she stood up to leave the chair she was stunned at the great carpet of her gleaming hair which now lay all around the chair and once again wished she had not been so impulsive.  An hour or so later she was returned to the stylist with her short hair now a bright red and she stared at her reflection unbelievingly. Now another shock awaited her as he moved behind her and pushed her head forward.  She heard a soft buzzing hum, which deepened slightly as she felt the touch of cold steel at the nape of her neck and she realised that he was now using clippers on her hair to cut it even shorter.  It had not occurred to her that the final shaping of her hair would be done with clippers but strangely the feel of the clippers being run over her head was soothing and even slightly erotic and she sat
with her eyes closed enjoying the experience.

Fifteen minutes later she emerged from the salon feeling and looking a new woman!  She absolutely loved her new striking appearance and couldn’t wait to see the reaction of her friends.  She smiled to herself as she wondered if Joe, her date for the evening, would even recognise her and perhaps he may even refuse to take her out as he often admired her long hair.  So what!  She was extremely pleased now that it had been a hot day and that she had followed her impulse.

THE END