A Little Off the Top (part 1)

Casper

Casper’s fingers stroked absently over his goatee as he stared out the front window of the café, nails pinching at the neat, short hairs on his chin. The sun was bright in the haze of noontide, but he could still see her from across the street, cutting another client’s hair in the salon. She was a vision with her rosy lips and shifting red layers, stunning even from a distance, her hair was a kaleidoscope of fall colors that seemed to only catch the warmest of light. 

“Thank you.” Casper waved to the cashier behind the front counter on his way out. “It was delicious as usual.”

“See you tomorrow!”

The artisanal food here was good, above palatable, and certainly within a doctor’s salary, but it wasn’t his typical style to eat at the same café every day for lunch. He’d eaten here on a whim after a grueling marathon of research when his weary mind took a wrong left walking through his thoughts. And he’d never paid much mind to haircutting beyond the usual people watching, but he’d damn nearly dumped his latte in his lap when he laid eyes on her. Such a striking and adorable figure in her little black apron. His minestrone soup grew cold as he watched her nimble hands at work. It wasn’t surgery or splitting atoms, but her movements had a finesse that had him unconsciously rapt. Coming up on the other side of forty, such a fine young woman was doubtlessly beyond his imaginings, but what harm was there in observing from afar? –or so he reasoned.

Outside, Casper checked his watch. He had a few moments to spare before he had to return to his office. Meetings and more meetings. If only grant proposals wrote themselves. 

He crossed the street and tried to look casual as he strolled past the salon. His timing couldn’t have been better.  His nimble stylist had just finished this client’s haircut, and was sweeping up the mess of bleached blonde from the linoleum floor. She looked up just as Casper caught his own reflection in the big glass windows. Her toothy smile was even more radiant up close. She lifted a hand in greeting.

He’d meant only to steal a glance, but he couldn’t help waving back, the crisp breeze whisking the longer tendrils of his bangs into his eyes.  He swallowed, brushing the dark and silver strands back behind the tips of his ears.

Was there ever going to be a good day to learn her name? Dare he step inside?

As if the universe was answering him, the shrill call of a phone rang inside. Her deep blue eyes turned to the desk, and before he could dissect their fleeting eye contact and shove his heart back into it’s proper cavity, she was scurrying over to the entryway and grabbing the phone from its stand. Before she could turn back to look out the windows, he had left.

Two different variations of avocados, chicken, bacon, and toast later,  Casper had made his decision. With a gush of enthusiasm from submitting his proposal, today felt like the right day. Confidence swelled in his leanly muscled chest, his navy suit jacket was fresh from the cleaners, he’d remembered his lucky bow tie, and his appointments were finished.

After saying goodbye to the usual cashier working the café’s register, he walked outside. Today was the day, for today his ruby haired muse was alone.

“Sir! Sir, you forgot something!”

Casper whipped around  to the panicked voice behind him. The cafe barista was on his heels,  holding his leather briefcase.

“Ahh, good catch,” he groaned, tapping his fingers to his temples. “Don’t know what I would have done if I’d left this behind. Thank you.”
When he looked up, he swore he could see her giggling from across the street.

He took a deep breath and crossed over to where the salon sat between a coffee shop and a dry cleaner’s. Second thoughts were aggregating in the back of his mind, but the universe saw it fit to give him another push. Just as he was about reculuate the merits of entering salon, the sky opened up and buckets of rain began to pour down. Without thinking, Casper pushed open the door and was greeted by a gentle chime.

“Hi.”

She spoke as though she’d been expecting him. Her blue eyes were friendly, and her garnet hair was half pulled back today, with soft waves falling down her back.

“Hi,” he said, breathless for no reason. “It’s raining cats and dogs out there.”
She laughed. “Yes, it is! Seems like it came out of nowhere.”

Casper ran his fingers over his goatee, looking for the words. “I don’t know if I need a haircut or not. What do you think?”

She crossed her arms over her chest and stepped closer to him. She looked so thoughtful, her lips pursed as she examined his rain sprinkled hair.

“I’ve always liked your hair, but we could do a little off the top.”

“You’ve always liked it?” His eyes scanned hers.

She rolled her eyes, but a playful smirk was curling at the corners of her lips. “Yeah, I mean. . . I might have noticed you before. Leather briefcase guy. Silver streaks guy. I guess I’m saying that you’ve got really luscious, healthy hair. But I’d be happy to trim it for you.”

His ego inflated slightly at hearing this. To think that someone like her, a beautiful woman like her, would notice him, especially when they had never spoken before. The thought of her standing next to the salon chair, catching glimpses of him as he walked to and from the café was enough to make him feel like a million bucks. The morning jogs certainly hadn’t hurt.

“Alright, miss…” he trailed off hoping she’d fill in the blank.

“Jesse.” She leaned closer letting the loose ruby strands dust the constellation  freckles on her cheek.

“Jesse.” He couldn’t take his eyes off her. “You won’t take too much off though?”

Jesse was already pulling out a fresh nylon cape and patting the leather chair for him, indicating he should sit. “What, don’cha  trust me?”

Casper set his briefcase down next to the teal planter, and sat in her chair. He hadn’t been expecting to get a trim at all today, although he probably was due for one. He didn’t wear it long, not what he considered long, not anything that would make for a decent ponytail, but his soft dark layers tickled his shoulders in a way one might have considered roguish, nothing near how he wore it in his college days. He’d always liked it over his ears. Maintenance trims had their time, and his former hairdresser had moved away to care for his aunt, so maybe his hair felt slightly wild at the moment.

The weather had somehow taken a turn for the worse outside. Thick sheets of rain pounded against the glass. The sky had darkened, and it felt like they were inside a cozy, shampoo-scented cocoon.

“Do you live close to here?” He asked, peering over the curved rims of his glasses while Jesse drew out a few tools from her set of drawers. The way her jeans fit her like second skin against her glutes, her sleek legs.

“Kind of,” she said. “I would have liked to work closer to home, but it’s hard to find good retail space in this town. I had to take what I could get.”

“I see. Well, I think you’ve got a great salon, from the looks of it. Plus, you’ve got the best lunch specials across the street.”

Jesse laughed. She stood behind him, her knowing eyes finding his gaze in the mirror. “You love that place.”

“Ahh, is it that obvious?”

“You’re only there all the time.”

He smiled to himself. Jesse didn’t seem to be put off by his not-so-sneaky routine. In fact, she seemed almost amused, flattered even.

The rings of charm bracelets clinked near his ears as Jesse ran her fingers through the curtains of Casper’s dark brown hair, boldly staring at his reflection. The middle parted in lush symmetrical waves to rest at the edge of his smile. She turned her head to the side as though observing how to best tackle this haircut.

“You really do have great hair. I’ll trim any split ends and leave it looking good.”

Darling watched as Jesse pulled out her silver scissors and got to work. There was the lightest of  pink flush to her cheeks, he noticed, and he wondered why. Was she embarrassed? Was she flustered?

After only a minute or so, Jesse began to hum. Probably wasn’t consciously aware she was doing it, and that too he found for lack of a beater term: cute. He was a hummer himself. The corners of her deep blue eyes creased with focus as she skimmed his silver-streaked hair, the scissors slicing through the tips of glossy strands to fall across his neck then the padded ground. He let his eyes close to the gentle scent of cherry blossoms and the gentler caress of her hands over his scalp.

“What do you think?” She prompted him after another few minutes. “I didn’t take too much off, did I?”

She spun the chair around so Casper could judge his reflection. He reached for glasses, and the blur of grays and blues sharpened into a handsome view. Maybe an inch or two at most was lost, but he wasn’t sure his hair had ever looked this good. “Sensational.” He glanced up to her. “Thank you so much. I’m a whole new guy!”

A feather light brush swept any remaining loose hairs from the back of his neck, which had him breaking out in goosebumps. When Jesse went to unfasten the cape, her fingers grazed his skin.

The goosebumps made their way down his back, quivering lower.

He swallowed nervously waiting for her to look away first in the mirror. She didn’t say anything further in that moment, neither did he, but the fluttering of her thick eyelashes said enough.

Casper followed her up to the cash register. He picked up one of her teal business cards and studied the looping text under the pair of delicate shears.  “Jesse Faden,” he breathed. He had learned her first name but not her last, and it was only fair to introduce himself. He bowed his head to her with what he hoped was a charming expression. “I’m Casper Darling.”

Jesse smiled sliding Casper’s Amex through the machine. “It’s really nice to meet you.”

“The pleasure has been mine, really.”

“Hey, don’t forget this!” She pointed at his briefcase.

He hung his head. “That’s the second time today! Thank you.”

The sky had cleared as Casper stepped outside into the damp air. Striding down the glistening sidewalk, briefcase firmly in hand,  he wondered how he was supposed to get any work done the rest of the day.

A week later, Casper left work early. He had called in advance to make sure Jesse was available to cut his hair though he had a hunch she would answer. His hair was as fine as she had left it, he didn’t really need a trim yet, no, but he couldn’t wait any longer to see her.

Jesse was the sole occupant of her shop once more, and she turned around when Darling walked in. Her fair face broke into an elated smile. On this occasion a well-loved black leather jacket graced her shoulders. He guessed the graphic t-shirt that hugged her midriff was in support of a rock band of some sort, if the guitars and roses were any indication. The warm waterfall of color swept around her face in that perfect, casual way she wore her hair. Casper raked his fingers through his own.

“It’s getting out of control,” he said gravely as if his hair might bring about the end of the known universe. “What do you recommend?”

Jesse laughed as her leather boots sauntered over to him. She reached up and pushed her hands through his hair, making a humming sound as she did. “This is out of control to you?”

He stifled the moan— barely. His cheeks grew warm so close to hers. She had the faintest of laugh lines. “Yes…? You’re the expert.”

Jesse wrapped a cape around him, and if didn’t know better it seemed she was taking her time. Her fingers grazed slowly over his neck brushing the dark strands, except they lingered there now. Her skin dragged across the littlest of hairs, and he could hardly stand how intimate the touch was. Jesse slid her hands through Casper’s hair, shaking it out.

“I am the expert,” she said, reaching into the apron around her waist for her scissors and her spray bottle of water. She spritzed his hair, dragging her comb through it over and over as his eyes followed her, pupils blown wide to take in every detail. Then she withdrew to walk around to the front of the salon chair,  her strong jaw clenched in focus as she examined the silver streaks at his temples.

“What is it?” He said quietly, his gaze holding Jesse’s, bracing for a let down.

Had she finally come to her senses?

Faces only inches apart, he could make out a small jagged scar intersecting her upper lip under the light makeup. Another long healed at the smooth cleft of her chin. They only added to her natural beauty.

A thick silence lingered between them before Jesse leaned in and pressed her lips to his. So soft and curiously gentle. He sighed when Jesse pulled away, her eyes were heavy-lidded, and her cheeks had darkened with a deep pink flush.

“Is that typically included in your salon services?” He said blinking slowly at her, still a touch lightheaded.

Jesse straightened her shoulders with a bright laugh, and she was back to business, running her fingers through his hair again. “Nope.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder tongue in cheek. “You’re a lucky one.”
And Darling did feel lucky. How could he not feel lucky after sharing a kiss with this beautiful woman?

“Not too much, right?”

“Hmmm,” he shrugged into a smirk, “you are the expert.”

He watched as Jesse snipped at his hair. She was so focused as she worked, slicing deftly and quickly, but not without the utmost care. He listened as she began to hum again. A sweet comfortable alto, that had his insides in knots. Oh, there was something spectacularly special about this woman.

And hair was hair; it would always grow back.