BarbersChoice
The chill of the morning air bit at Cheri’s cheeks as she walked toward the barbershop. The neon “OPEN” sign flickered in the window, its glow casting an eerie light onto the otherwise quiet street. She was always the first one there, as her husband demanded. By now and after 15 years of marriage, Jack’s obsession with his gal’s short hair was duly noted, and her buzzed styles were always the talk of the town.
“Sharp and clean,” he’d say, his words a command she no longer questioned.
Cheri, a stunning lady, 62, small in stature, full of class. Always dressed to kill. makeup on point, smooth skin and a killer smile. Standing under five feet tall, heels were a must most days, she really was a dime!
Cheri pushed open the door, the faint jingle of the bell above signaling her arrival. The smell of talc and disinfectant hit her nose, mingling with the hum of old black and white TV in the corner. She immediately noticed a young boy leaving the chair in tears, sporting a crewcut – mounds of his hair on the floor.
“Morning,” Chong greeted her, already pulling out her Oster 76 clippers.
These clippers as Chong had mentioned had cut “heads of hair” for over 25 years, the cord taped together at spots, really showing it’s age. Loud, clangy – just the way Jack liked it. Watching Cheri squirm in that chair each week was an incredible sensation he felt deep inside… Each week he so looked forward to the initial sound of the loud machine coming to life – knowing his bride would be skinned to the bone at the hands of Chong!
“Morning,” Cheri mumbled, sliding into the chair as she always did.
“Careful young lady, lots of hair on the floor – I’ll sweep it up after we get you tidy – I understand there’s a lot of hiar coming off this morning.
Chong, the town’s only real Korean ex Military barber had grown to enjoy Cheri as her first customer each week. There was something about starting her day with a blank slate, a canvas to work her craft. The shop was always cold this early, the heaters struggling to catch up to the winter mornings. The chill seeped into the clippers, making the first few moments of each haircut a shock to her customers.
Cheri winced as the barber draped the cape over her shoulders and snapped it tight at the collar. She braced herself as the clippers roared to life. The cold steel blades touched her scalp, and she sucked in a sharp breath. The sensation was always jarring—an icy bite against her skin—but she had learned not to flinch.
“Your husband called earlier,” Chong said casually. “Said you should try a flattop today. Real sharp—with whitewalls and a landing strip.”
Cheri’s stomach turned, but she forced a nod.
Jack casually walked in a sat in one of the 2 old chairs directly across from Chong’s rickety old, classic barber chair. To add insult to injury, Cheri always needed the “board” to help her sit taller in the large chair. Her 4’11” frame warranted the extra height. Jack loved seeing her sit like a small school boy waiting for a shearing.
Chong always worked methodically, tilting her head to ensure each pass of the loud clippers was precise. The cold blades glided over her scalp, removing every chard of hair with each pass. As the clippers warmed up, the discomfort shifted. The once-cold steel now burned against her skin, the heat building with every stroke until her scalp flushed red. Chong knew Jack well. He insisted she cut, re-cut and cut again, going over the her scalp until the blades began to scorch her skin. As always, Jack paid her handsomely for her precise cuts and extra attention to detail. For a Korean barber, Chong was taller than most – and always pressed down hard on the crown of her head. Jack loved watching her move Cheri’s head left, right, every position with an agressive grip. And as always, slamming her head forward, her chin resting each time securely in her breast – perfect for the triple 000 blade to glide up her nape rendering it smooth bald. The angle of the head combined with the positioning of the clipper blade made for a smoother cut she would always say…
“Almost done,” stepping back to inspect her work. She sprayed her head with a combination of gel and water, combing the flat top until it was perfectly even. And ending with a heavy coating of hair spray, rendering the top stiff as a board. The clippers roared back to full power and pass after pass, the sound of the sheared hair fell heavily on the cape. With one last pass of the clippers, she declared, “There. Now, feel that.”
Cheri hesitated, but the barber grabbed her hand and guided it to her head. The landing strip was smooth, the short hair on the flat top stiff under her fingertips.
“A horsehoe with a perfect runway, huh?” the barber joked. “A plane could land on this thing, flat as a pancake and just look at your shiny crown – tight and square.”
Cheri glanced at her reflection, her scalp a stark contrast of pale skin and sharp lines under the fluorescent lights. The red flush from the heated clippers made the cut look even more severe. A blast from the air hose was all that was needed to remove the remaining chards of hair from the cape and from the stiff, flat style. The only sign of an actual female sitting in the chair was the large loop earrings.
Chong reached for the hot lather and evenly spread the warm cream around and over the ear and down the nape. Greeting a gentleman at the door, she walked over and moved away from the chair.
“Let me get a shot” Jack said moving his mobile up for a q ucik photo. “Come on babe, a little smile” he quietly uttered as Cheri managed a slight half grin. The shot of his 62 year old wife, scalped, in an old fashioned barbershop, larger leather chair – all with a coating of warm lather waiting for the last scene. Chong’s skill with a straight razor made Jack melt, Cheri’s nape now baby smooth. Finishing with the cut with the “Gentleman’s Tonic” the Korean butcher re-positioned Cheri’s long turtle neck sweater. Though the tube styled garment went high on the neck – it still left an exposed, scalped neckline now ready for the world to see.
She forced a smile, stepped from the chair gently as her 6 inch heels landed on the shop floor. A quick passing of the $20 bill Jack had given her earlier, she gave one last glance in the mirror.
“Now that’s a flattop babe, no fru-fru – that’s the real deal for sure, nothing better than an old school flattop” Jack said handing his gal her coat.
As she and Jack pushed open the door, the crisp air hit her face and scalp, sending a shiver through her body. A woman was walking in with her two kids in tow, her long, flowing hair cascading over her shoulders like a curtain of silk. The woman took one look at Cheri, her eyes widening before a smirk spread across her face. “Wow—somebody got scalped!” she exclaimed, with a shit eating grin.
Cheri froze, her cheeks burning with a mix of embarrassment and anger. She didn’t say a word, her forced smile faltering as she stepped aside to let the woman in.
The laughter echoed behind her as she walked away, the wind biting at her exposed scalp. Each step felt heavier than the last, the humiliation sinking deeper. This was her reality.
“Some people can be so darn mean sweetheart” as Jack escoted her to the car rubbing her bald nape along the way. Jack slowed to let her walk slowly in front of him, he loved watching her from behind, especially with her newly shorn nape. The sun glaring down popped on her bald crown.
Thay sat, he pointed and like clock work, Cheri had his Dick inside her mouth sucking it with a vigor. A quick 10 minute oral sensation – releasing everything he had down her throat. Another successful trip to the barber.
As they left the parking lot – her FB post read:
“Thanks babe for always keeping me skin tight! Nothing better than my weekly visits to see Chong! Love you babe! #headdown #skintight #flattoplady #happywife #lovetheoster76 #happyending
Attached was Jack’s earlier shot of his gal in the chair, lathered up looking quite like a military recruit.
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