*Part 1*

“Wow! Great setup you’ve got here, Hank. It reminds me of my dad’s workshop growing up.”, Tonya said as she looked around the workshop. The workbench had a clean formica top, with a pegboard. Outlines were drawn around the various tools hanging from it. The shelves above the pegboard contained cleanly labeled plastic tool cases. She kept looking around, admiring the layout. Across from the bench was a large mechanic’s tool chest, adorned with greasy fingerprints and random stickers. Various movie, music, and car posters covered the walls.

“Thanks, Tonya. It was a disaster just a few days ago. I’m glad you came to pick up your car on a day when it’s actually presentable. I hope I did him proud.” The mechanic stood about 6 feet, clad in coveralls. He’s 47 and tanned, with a shaved head and neat salt-and-pepper beard. His bespectacled eyes dark, but kind.

“Oh please, I saw dad make lots of messes. You’re a welder?”, she said, gesturing to the welding equipment next to the bench.”

“Definitely not a welder. I wouldn’t exactly call it welding, but I get by. Light fabrication and patch work.”, he said and chuckled.

Tonya looked around L-shaped room, then turned attention to her left. She paused and turned toward Hank, pointing back.

“Ummm, why is there a barber chair back here?”

“Reading, relaxing, brainstorming.”, he said gesturing to the black leather and chrome antique chair.

“Why not just a recliner, then? And another tool chest?”, she asked, nervously stroking her wavy red hair, nearly reaching the small of her back.

“Oh come on, this is way cooler than a recliner. Sit down and maybe you’ll see what I’m talking about.”

The petite and youthful looking woman, fit, pale-skinned, at nearly 60, gingerly eased into the chair. Tonya sat back and exhaled, and reaching for the armrests, then crossed her slender legs, pulling her tight shorts down. She tossed her mid-back length wavy red hair about.

“Oh this IS comfy, but what about this way too clean tool chest?. “

“It’s where I keep my clippers, shears, combs…things like that.”

“You’re doing hair now, too?”, she giggled, showing off her high cheekbones. “So I can get a trim to go with the brake job?”

“I guess it looks like that way since you’re probably the first to come back here.”, he shrugged. “Actually, I don’t see why not. I did learn out of necessity, but I liked it. You know, friends and family. Money was kinda tight back then. It kind of became a hobby. It’s a nice break from turning wrenches. Something creative.”

“Your, um, hobby couldn’t be more different than your occupation.”

“Maybe so.”, he said, his hands moving to her slim shoulders. “Both require being good with your hands and attention to detail, among other things.”

“I see.”

Hank lightly patted her shoulders, feeling her tense up.

“Don’t worry. I washed my hands before you came to pick up the “, he said as he gently draped the blue and white pinstriped barber cape over her.

“Umm, what are you doing?”

“Letting you enjoy my setup.”, he said as he begins brushing her hair out.

“I was joking about the haircut, Hank.”

“I always heard that when someone’s joking, they kind of half mean it.”, he said as continue brushing her hair. He thought he heard her moan.

“Keep doing that and I might fall asleep in this comfy chair.”

He smirked as her eyelids grew heavy. Hank gently twisted her hair and pinned it up, wrapped a paper neck strip around her neck before snapping the button on the cape. He removed the pin, letting the hair fall back down. He gave the chair a few pumps, then gently tossed her hair about. She shuddered.

“What are you doing, Hank?”

He grabbed a spray bottle filled with water.

“Giving you a complimentary trim to go with that brake job. Relax. I’m only taking a tiny bit off. We’re not getting scissor happy here.”

“Well, I did have an appointment in a few weeks for a trim. Hopefully it won’t be to fix your work.

Hank began misting her red locks with spray bottle and running a comb through it.

“I think you might end up cancelling and save that money. Never know. Head down, please.”

She complied.

With a comb and shears, he took off half an inch along the bottom, carefully snipping the ragged ends. The shears making a *frrrsk* sound as they sliced through. Tiny red clumps littered the floor and the cape.

Hank tilted her head back up and then stepped to her left side. Combing down and slicing across, sending wet clumps of red down the side of the cape.

*FRRSK FRRSK*

Stepping to her right side, shears, he snipped the left side to match the freshly trimmed back section, then did the same for the right side.

He glanced at her several times during the cut, noticing her eyes stayed closed, as if in a trance. Was that a sigh? He tilted her head back up and went over the cut, ensuring it was even before combing it out, making minor adjustments. Tonya burst awake when Hank switched on the hair dryer. He started running the round brush through her still damp hair, following the dryer.

“Good morning!”

“Was I asleep? Is that a hair dryer?”

“Yep, you nodded off. You’re all done.”, Hank said as he unsnapped the cape. She slowly rose, running her hands through his work. She picked up her ends, glancing over them, then examined the hair on the floor.

“Wow. You barely took off anything. An actual trim.”

“Shorter next time?”

She shook her head and carefully examined his work and smiled.

“Who knows? You could turn this into a side hustle. You have no idea.”

Tonya handed Hank an envelope.

“Hopefully this covers the repairs and unscheduled trim.”

“The repairs for sure, but the trim was my pleasure. I’ll keep that in mind, though. It was nice to do that again instead of just buzzing off what’s left of my hair and keeping the beard in check.” he smiled and extended his hand to shake hers. She bypassed it and came in for a hug. She was warm. Her curves pressed against him. His nose caught the faint scent of her perfume. He felt a surge of heat just as she eased away.

“Bye Hank. Thank you!”

*Stay tuned for part 2, does Tonya go shorter?*

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