Perm Cropped
For years my wife had kept her hair long and although she knew my preference for short hair it was never a major issue between us, she would often tease me when she caught me looking a short-haired women “Do you want my hair like that?” but I knew she was never serious. However two years ago she told me she was 100% going to change her style, but would give no more details other than I was to meet her at her hairdressers and to be prepared for a major change. I turned up at the allotted time and my mind was racing as I sat in the reception waiting for her and as I was given a coffee the girl said “You’re a lucky man!” ten minutes later my wife appeared and she looked stunning her poker straight hair was now just brushing her shoulders and was a mass of cascading curls “You like it?” “Stunning” I muttered “I never thought of a perm but you look beautiful” “Well as we are away for a full month on holiday I thought that this would be easy to look after, I’m glad you approve! “ and at that we were gone.
A couple of weeks later things were not going well with her new ‘do’ I had no problem with it but after years of poker straight hair she was becoming increasingly frustrated with it and, despite everyone telling her how well it suited her, she was having none of it. About two weeks before we were due to leave for holiday I was going for a haircut and my wife accompanied me, this didn’t happen all the time but she insisted I go to Mario’s barbershop as he always cut my hair well. As we entered the shop Mario and the other barber Sandra greeted us with a smile and as there were a few waiting we took a seat and read the papers. After about 20 minutes my wife leaned over and asked, “Are you going to wait on Mario?” I shrugged I don’t mind but she insisted that I do as “He clippers you ultra short!” This was a little surprising as normally she complains that my hair is cut too short, however I let someone go before me when Sandra shouted “Next” and waited on Mario.
As Mario had my head bent forward and was finishing my haircut by shaving the back of my neck with his razor while talking about football and racing I heard Sandra call out for her next customer and then a little sense of surprise in her voice as she remarked ‘I thought you were just waiting’
I looked in the mirror but could only see the reflected image of the middle part of the cape of the customer now sitting next to me “Ok what are we doing?” enquired Sandra, and then I heard my wife’s voice “I absolutely hate this perm it’s the worst decision I ever made can you cut ALL the curls out please” I indicated to Mario to stop and half turned to face my wife “What are you doing?” “Same as you getting a haircut” I looked at Sandra “Can you please tell her how short it will be” My wife spoke up “Sandra don’t tell me, show me, please cut a bit off the top removing the permed hair and I mean all of it” “It’s your call “said Sandra and combed out a lock of hair towards the crown of her head pulled it straight up to show the length and then snipped above her comb and handed over about 10 inches of severed curly hair “There you go, that’s an awful lot of hair to lose” “How short will it be , I mean in inches” Sandra laughed “Not so much inches as 1, probably about an inch ” “And that’s all the perm gone ?” “Well not exactly that’s as short as I can take it with the scissors it’ll still need trimming again in about 2 weeks to remove the last of the ends” “We’re abroad in 2 weeks how much shorter to get rid of it all today?” “To guarantee that all the perm is gone I’ll have to use the clippers, we should get away with a number 3 but it might be down to a no2 in places, you’ll be a skinhead!” My wife smiled at me, “Your wishes have come true, do it Sandra, please, clipper it, but one thing, can you please do it as quickly as possible” “If your 100% sure I’ll have all those curls on the floor in less than 5 minutes” She bit her lip “I’m sure crop me”
Mario had dusted me off as this took place and now I was standing next to her “Listen, the perm suits you this is a drastic step your taking, think about it and if you still want it done we’ll come back on Monday”
I saw the steely determination look in her eyes “I have thought about it for about 3 weeks now, that’s why I came here with you today. I want rid of it, I don’t complain when you get shorn even though I prefer your hair longer. Just think of it us as a matching pair 2 number 2’s”
If I could have taken back my next statement I would have “Actually this is a no1″
“Oh is it now? Sandra forget the number 2 I want it the same as his a no 1 all over please”
Sandra looked at me and I shrugged “Do as she asks” and watched as she fitted the No1 guard to the clippers and brought them level with the front of her forehead. “Last Chance?”
She bit her lip “Do it”
Click.Buzz.Brrrrrr. The clippers entered her hairline and Sandra drove them straight down the middle, the mound of curly hair soon built up in their wake and then Sandra flicked her wrist and the shorn hair cascaded over my wife’s shoulder. She let out a loud gasp as for the first time she saw her scalp covered by a short brown pelt “Wow, look at that, it’s amazing she shrieked” and a broad smile spread across her face, keep going please” I watched amazed as Sandra as good as her word continued round my wife’s head mercilessly shearing the curls and letting them tumble to the floor. As my wife’s head was bent forward and the clippers touched her nape I saw her close her eyes and let out a little gasp as it was obvious that she was being turned on my both the emotion of the haircut and the physical sensation of the clippers doing their work.
In just over her scheduled 5 minutes Sandra was completing the finishing touches to my wife’s shearing and as she loosened the cape I saw her grab a handful of the curls lying in her lap and as she rose from the seat and looked at me she held them playfully against her head, smiled and said “Why didn’t you tell me it felt that good I would have done this years ago” She turned and hugged Sandra “Thank-you, I really appreciate how skilled you are now I have one more favour to ask, we go on holiday in 10 days can I come back for a tidy up on the morning we fly out?” and at that we all burst out laughing.