Haircut at the Mall
This was very similar to my thoughts 9 months before when I was thinking about getting my bob. The thoughts are exhilarating and send butterflies through my stomach. I came around the corner and could see the Barber Shop at the end of the mall next to the exit. I slowed my pace as I approached, half wanting to walk straight into that shop, and half wanting to just b-line straight for the car.
This time was no different as I was my usual nerves, only I was finding myself getting tired of this almost daily routine and feelings of frustration. C’mon Tammy, don’t be a wuss, I was thinking to myself.
I slowed my pace even more and turned my direction more towards the barbershop instead of the exit, I could feel my heart pounding and my palms sweaty as I approached. I’ve done this before and bailed at the last moment but this time I was keeping my nerve up as I got closer and closer to the shop. That little voice rang through my head…..just get this over with already
I actually made it to the threshold of the shop and walked over the line, I finally did it.
“Hello” the first barber said as I entered, “Can I help you?”
“Yes, I was wanting to get a haircut.” I said.
“Certainly, take a seat and we will be right with you.” He said motioning towards a waiting bench.
The bench was empty and each barber had a customer in the chair which meant I would be next. I took my jacket off and scarf and hung it on the coat rack. I took a seat and waited, excited in anticipation. I never really thought this far ahead and didn’t know what haircut to ask for, only that I wanted to go short.
The first barber had a young guy about my age in the chair, I recognized him from one of the shops in the mall, and he looked so sexy sitting there all caped with his wet hair, the other barber was just finishing up with an older man, brushing him off and sliding the cape off him.
I watched nervously as the customer paid, took his coat and hat from the coat rack and said goodbye on his way out…..
“Next.” The barber said as he returned to his chair and spun it to face me…
Holy shit, I thought to myself, I am really doing this. I got up and walked slowly over to the chair, my knees feeling like they were about to give and I had wobbly ankles like I was going to fall over on my heels. I turned and slid up into the chair and the barber spun me to face the mirror. I glanced over at the guy sitting next to me and butterflies filled my stomach seeing him, He glanced over and gave me a nod and I gave him a smile back.
“So what are we doing today?” the barber asked me and my mind just drew a blank. I reached up to pull my hair out of my ponytail and my hair fell to my shoulders as I answered him.
“Um….” I said. “I was thinking of going short, like over my ears short.” I told him.
“Over your ears like just past your ears?” he asked pointing to the bottom of my earlobe “or over your ears like around your ears?” he said.
“em,” I said nervously, “like around my ears” I said as I reached up and pulled my hair over my ears to expose them.
“OK,” he said.” You want it short up the sides and back and longer on top?” He asked and I gave him a nod for yes.
“How long you want it on top?” He asked.
“Um, maybe about this long.” I said holding up my fingers to show a couple of inches in length between my index finger and my thumb. My hand was shaking so much and as I showed him about 2” I was finding myself close that gap ever so slowly to about an inch and a half as my hand was shaking.
“No problem.” He said as he reached for a cape and slid it over me. He wrapped a neck strip around my neck and fastened the cape taught around my neck. The cape was a light blue cotton material and so different than anything I’ve seen before.
He reached over for a large black comb and the biggest looking scissors I have ever seen. He came around me standing over me and started combing my hair out with the comb. He sectioned off a lock right at the top of my head and held it up between his fingers at what looked like about 1” above my scalp.
“About here.” He asked as he held the scissors open to my lock of hair. I looked like a petrified deer staring into the headlights of a car at night and I found myself give a weak nod. I watched as the scissors closed into my hair and the realization sunk in right away….no turning back now.
The lock of hair fell gracefully in front of me landing on the cape in my lap. He was swift to comb out another section and more of my hair rained down in front of me straight into my lap. I lost myself in the moment as it felt intoxicating having my past 9 months of frustration swiftly taken away from me right before my very eyes. It was a very liberating moment for me.
I snapped back to reality and took another look at myself as my hair was now roughly cut to a severely short length on top and he was now cutting away over my right ear, and my hair slid down my shoulder into my lap. My left side was still untouched and laying over my shoulder waiting for the scissors to shear it off.
I glanced over at the guy next to me and he seemed mesmerized by what was happening with me. Are eyes made contact for a moment and he sort of shook back to reality and looked away like he thought he was being rude for staring, but I didn’t mind.
The barber was standing behind me and tilted my head down slightly and he began cutting off my hair at the back of my head. I could feel with each snip my head get lighter and lighter and the coolness in the air on my newly exposed neck. He came around my left side and I watched as the scissors cut the last of my hair and is slid down my shoulder into my lap.
He reached over for a water bottle and sprayed my hair down so it was wet. He came back behind me again holding up sections on top and neatening the length on top to maybe just past one inch long on top. I was smiling with satisfaction seeing how short he was cutting it with a sense of accomplishment….I finally did it I said to myself, watching my transformation before me.
He neatened up the sides and back cutting it short with his scissors over the comb, he would comb my hair straight up and the scissors rapidly open and closed as he cut away at my hair. I was transfixed watching this process as I had never experienced it before, only seen it as I walked past looking into the barbershop.
The hairdryer was going at the chair next to me and I looked over to see his hair nice and neat, around his ears, short sides and back and long on top still with a longish fringe. He looked so cute sitting there with his haircut that I wanted to say something to him but that felt out of place.
I just watched as his barber took the cape off him, dusted him off, and showed him the back of his hair with the mirror. “Perfect” he said and he got up to pay and left.
The other barber took a seat on the bench as there were no other customers and started up some small talk.
“You work in the mall?” he asked.
“I work upstairs at the dentist office.” I said.
“You a dentist?” he asked.
“I’m the receptionist.” I said.
“Oh, receptionist,” He said, “Yea I see you when you come to work every day.” I gave him a smile.
I took another look at how my hair was progressing and he was nearly finished. It looked so different short but kind of the same because I wear a ponytail all the time, only now I won’t have to deal with that anymore. I loved the way it was looking on me, a lot shorter then I imagined it but I loved that for some reason.
He took a hairdryer and dried it off for me ruffling the top with his fingers. When he dried it he took some gel and ran it through the top.
“This is easy to take care of now” he said as he applied the gel. “Just put a little gel and mess it up a little.” I smiled acknowledging him.
He unfastened my cape and slid it off me, I watched as my long locks of hair slid off the cape and onto the floor in front of me. He picked up the hand mirror and showed me the back.
“Wow” I said looking at my reflection.
“New you.” He said.
“Definitely.” I said with a huge smile. I reached up to feel it for the first time and got goose bumps feeling how short it was. It felt so amazing. I got up and paid, put my jacket back on and my scarf, and made my way out of the shop saying “having a nice weekend.” To the barbers and they said the same back.
This time was no different as I was my usual nerves, only I was finding myself getting tired of this almost daily routine and feelings of frustration. C’mon Tammy, don’t be a wuss, I was thinking to myself.
I slowed my pace even more and turned my direction more towards the barbershop instead of the exit, I could feel my heart pounding and my palms sweaty as I approached. I’ve done this before and bailed at the last moment but this time I was keeping my nerve up as I got closer and closer to the shop. That little voice rang through my head…..just get this over with already
I actually made it to the threshold of the shop and walked over the line, I finally did it.
“Hello” the first barber said as I entered, “Can I help you?”
“Yes, I was wanting to get a haircut.” I said.
“Certainly, take a seat and we will be right with you.” He said motioning towards a waiting bench.
The bench was empty and each barber had a customer in the chair which meant I would be next. I took my jacket off and scarf and hung it on the coat rack. I took a seat and waited, excited in anticipation. I never really thought this far ahead and didn’t know what haircut to ask for, only that I wanted to go short.
The first barber had a young guy about my age in the chair, I recognized him from one of the shops in the mall, and he looked so sexy sitting there all caped with his wet hair, the other barber was just finishing up with an older man, brushing him off and sliding the cape off him.
I watched nervously as the customer paid, took his coat and hat from the coat rack and said goodbye on his way out…..
“Next.” The barber said as he returned to his chair and spun it to face me…
Holy shit, I thought to myself, I am really doing this. I got up and walked slowly over to the chair, my knees feeling like they were about to give and I had wobbly ankles like I was going to fall over on my heels. I turned and slid up into the chair and the barber spun me to face the mirror. I glanced over at the guy sitting next to me and butterflies filled my stomach seeing him, He glanced over and gave me a nod and I gave him a smile back.
“So what are we doing today?” the barber asked me and my mind just drew a blank. I reached up to pull my hair out of my ponytail and my hair fell to my shoulders as I answered him.
“Um….” I said. “I was thinking of going short, like over my ears short.” I told him.
“Over your ears like just past your ears?” he asked pointing to the bottom of my earlobe “or over your ears like around your ears?” he said.
“em,” I said nervously, “like around my ears” I said as I reached up and pulled my hair over my ears to expose them.
“OK,” he said.” You want it short up the sides and back and longer on top?” He asked and I gave him a nod for yes.
“How long you want it on top?” He asked.
“Um, maybe about this long.” I said holding up my fingers to show a couple of inches in length between my index finger and my thumb. My hand was shaking so much and as I showed him about 2” I was finding myself close that gap ever so slowly to about an inch and a half as my hand was shaking.
“No problem.” He said as he reached for a cape and slid it over me. He wrapped a neck strip around my neck and fastened the cape taught around my neck. The cape was a light blue cotton material and so different than anything I’ve seen before.
He reached over for a large black comb and the biggest looking scissors I have ever seen. He came around me standing over me and started combing my hair out with the comb. He sectioned off a lock right at the top of my head and held it up between his fingers at what looked like about 1” above my scalp.
“About here.” He asked as he held the scissors open to my lock of hair. I looked like a petrified deer staring into the headlights of a car at night and I found myself give a weak nod. I watched as the scissors closed into my hair and the realization sunk in right away….no turning back now.
The lock of hair fell gracefully in front of me landing on the cape in my lap. He was swift to comb out another section and more of my hair rained down in front of me straight into my lap. I lost myself in the moment as it felt intoxicating having my past 9 months of frustration swiftly taken away from me right before my very eyes. It was a very liberating moment for me.
I snapped back to reality and took another look at myself as my hair was now roughly cut to a severely short length on top and he was now cutting away over my right ear, and my hair slid down my shoulder into my lap. My left side was still untouched and laying over my shoulder waiting for the scissors to shear it off.
I glanced over at the guy next to me and he seemed mesmerized by what was happening with me. Are eyes made contact for a moment and he sort of shook back to reality and looked away like he thought he was being rude for staring, but I didn’t mind.
The barber was standing behind me and tilted my head down slightly and he began cutting off my hair at the back of my head. I could feel with each snip my head get lighter and lighter and the coolness in the air on my newly exposed neck. He came around my left side and I watched as the scissors cut the last of my hair and is slid down my shoulder into my lap.
He reached over for a water bottle and sprayed my hair down so it was wet. He came back behind me again holding up sections on top and neatening the length on top to maybe just past one inch long on top. I was smiling with satisfaction seeing how short he was cutting it with a sense of accomplishment….I finally did it I said to myself, watching my transformation before me.
He neatened up the sides and back cutting it short with his scissors over the comb, he would comb my hair straight up and the scissors rapidly open and closed as he cut away at my hair. I was transfixed watching this process as I had never experienced it before, only seen it as I walked past looking into the barbershop.
The hairdryer was going at the chair next to me and I looked over to see his hair nice and neat, around his ears, short sides and back and long on top still with a longish fringe. He looked so cute sitting there with his haircut that I wanted to say something to him but that felt out of place.
I just watched as his barber took the cape off him, dusted him off, and showed him the back of his hair with the mirror. “Perfect” he said and he got up to pay and left.
The other barber took a seat on the bench as there were no other customers and started up some small talk.
“You work in the mall?” he asked.
“I work upstairs at the dentist office.” I said.
“You a dentist?” he asked.
“I’m the receptionist.” I said.
“Oh, receptionist,” He said, “Yea I see you when you come to work every day.” I gave him a smile.
I took another look at how my hair was progressing and he was nearly finished. It looked so different short but kind of the same because I wear a ponytail all the time, only now I won’t have to deal with that anymore. I loved the way it was looking on me, a lot shorter then I imagined it but I loved that for some reason.
He took a hairdryer and dried it off for me ruffling the top with his fingers. When he dried it he took some gel and ran it through the top.
“This is easy to take care of now” he said as he applied the gel. “Just put a little gel and mess it up a little.” I smiled acknowledging him.
He unfastened my cape and slid it off me, I watched as my long locks of hair slid off the cape and onto the floor in front of me. He picked up the hand mirror and showed me the back.
“Wow” I said looking at my reflection.
“New you.” He said.
“Definitely.” I said with a huge smile. I reached up to feel it for the first time and got goose bumps feeling how short it was. It felt so amazing. I got up and paid, put my jacket back on and my scarf, and made my way out of the shop saying “having a nice weekend.” To the barbers and they said the same back.
18-21, F
