Soft curl
Those 2 weeks dragged by as I counted down the days until my next indulgence. Friday morning Jen said “I’ve put your plastic rain hood in your coat pocket. You might need it tonight”.
I arrived 20 mins early and immediately smelt that lovely distinctive fragrance of perming solution. In the chair was a client, her head covered with a plastic cap and I felt a twinge of excitement. Sharon said, I’m sorry but I’m running very late, slip on a gown and take a seat. I selected the same peach coloured gown and sat next to perm lady, a woman in her 50’s.
Sharon removed the cap and I saw the head full of perm rods. They moved to the basin and I knew this was the part where the perming solution was rinsed out. She returned to her chair with a towel wrapped around the rods. Sharon then turned to me and said let’s get you washed. This time it was a fast functional wash and I was soon back in the chair. Sharon removed Perm Lady towel and blotted her hair and rods for a few minutes then applied the neutraliser.
Back to me to comb through the setting lotion. As she started winding in my first roller, I could see in the mirror that perm lady was giving me a bemused look. Feeling rather self-conscious I remained silent but Sharon jumped in. “he’s thinking about a perm so I’m giving him a set to show how it might look”. Perm lady nodded and said “does your wife approve of this” and I smiled.
Most of my rollers were in place when I heard the timer ring and Sharon excused herself and took Perm Lady to the basin. It felt nice to be sitting there with a head of rollers while watching a woman undergo the perming process. She returned to her seat; hair wrapped in a towel again. Sharon wound in the last of my rollers then a hairnet before I was cocooned under the dryer.
I was enjoying my dryer time while watching Sharon cut in the final touches to Perm lady’s’ hairstyle. She then wound in her rollers. I could sort of hear Perm Lady talking to Sharon and at one point thought she said “I wouldn’t let my husband get a perm”.
My dryer pinged off and Sharon lifted it up and swung it over to Perm lady. Sharon untied my hair net, pulled the pins and unwound the rollers. The comb out style was the same as last time, small defined curls followed by lots of hairspray, sheer bliss for me. I was being watched intently by Perm Lady as Sharon showed me the sides and back. I stood up, walked to the counter hung up my gown and pulled on my coat.
Sharon again apologised for running so late. At least you got to see someone having a perm and now you know what’s involved. I’m booked up next Friday but can set you the week after next. Jen’s birthday was on that Saturday and I knew there would be no chance for me to hide at home with my curls. I said I’ll make a booking some other time. Sharon said that’s fine. I hope Jenny has not been waiting too long?
It was now raining outside so I reached into my coat pocket and unwrapped the rain hood. It looks a bit wet out there I said as I lifted it over my freshly set hairdo and tied it under my chin. I did not look back to see if Perm Lady had noticed and was quickly out the door into the street.
In the early evening gloom, I could see Jens’ car parked a short distance along the street. I got in saying sorry for the wait. She put down her book and said “When I first arrived, I was going to come in but could see you through the window under the dryer and knew you would be a while. Untying the plastic hood, my new “Do” got the seal of approval. I told Jen that I watched a lady being permed and she asked if I had now decided on my own perm. I blushed and said no.
Jen then said, my Dad’s away at a conference this weekend and Mum is home on her own, she asked if we would come over for dinner. I mumbled that it would be too embarrassing to go there like this. Jen said don’t worry I told her you were at the hairdressers and trying out a new style, she will be fine.
Jen started driving as if there was no choice in the matter and I accepted my fate and awaited the negative comments from her Mum. Karen was not one of the shampoo and set club, she had medium length straight hair that she almost always wore in a bun.
As we walked in the front door Karen said “I see what you mean, that is quite a change, turn around young man, let’s see all of it. Jennifer is right it does suit you; I assume it’s just a set” and I nodded somewhat sheepishly. Over dinner no one mentioned hair and I felt she seemed to accept my less than masculine appearance. As we were leaving, she asked if I was going to get a perm and I mumbled I was not sure. Jen teasingly commented “After 5 sets, he’s still not sure”.
Karen added, I had a perm soon after I was married, it was a horrid experience and my hair looked dreadful afterwards. It put me off them forever but Jennifer has had several now. Driving home Jen said “see even Mum thinks that a curly style suits you”.
Saturday morning we woke early and I removed my scarf and went to the shower. I returned to the bedroom wearing my cap and wrapped in a towel. Would you like me to do your hair, Jen asked and I nodded. Sitting down at the mirror she removed my cap and spent several minutes brushing my curls back into place. After a long blast of spray she said, I think eye brows are rather bushy and need a trim. Jen retrieved her scissors, small comb and with a few snips they were trimmed.
