Christine – date night perm

Spring had arrived, and one Thursday I arrived home from work. Mum was in the kitchen in floods of tears. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to see why. “Mum, your new perm looks lovely, it’s all nice and tight, and the back looks really smart.” Wrong thing to say Christine.  “I thought that I was going to be OK. I was really enjoying the perm part. Then she picked up her clippers, and I just lost it. All I could think of was cousin Joyce being sheared, and I dissolved into tears. I cried all the way home.” I suspected that the tears had continued until I had come in. At that moment, Dad got in from work. “Wow Pat, look at my new curly wife. I really love it when you have your hair permed that way. I like the way she cuts the back too.” I noticed the look in Dad’s eye. I thought last time that Mum and Dad had enjoyed her last perm more in the bedroom department, and I think tonight is looking to be the same too.

I offered to make tea while Dad tried to settle Mum down. Partway through, a knock came at the door. Mum, answered it to Gary. “Wow, your new perm looks great Mrs Roberts, did you have it done today? It really suits you the way they style the back.” Mum showed Gary through. “I have booked us a table at a nice restaurant Saturday, perhaps you can dress up a bit, skirt and blouse. What do you think?” Of course I was ok with this. I thought to myself that it was a good job I was having my spring perm on Saturday, so my look would be finished off too. I explained how I was cooking tea, I didn’t explain why Mum was fragile, and arranged to meet Gary at the restaurant in 2 days time.

Saturday morning I arrived at Kaths at 8.30 for my Spring perm. Kath washed my hair and sat me in the chair. “Same as last time I presume” she asked. I nervously looked at the cart containing the curlers. I picked up one of the very small brick red ones. “I don’t suppose I could have it really tight this time please? Could you use these all over?” I noticed Kaths face stiffen. “It’s usually my older customers that have those curlers. They leave an extremely old fashioned style. As they are smaller, I cut the hair slightly shorter all over. I find I get the best results if I curl the back and sides of the hair upwards, and I shave the neck a little higher too. There is only about 2 or 3 of my really old customers that are happy to have that style.” I looked at my face in the mirror, looked down at the curler, and turned my head to address Kath’s face in the mirror. “Yes please Kath.”

She took my hair down to about an inch and three quarters all over, and sectioned my hair off and started putting the curlers in. I was surprised at how tight they were going in. When Kath reached my crown, I felt the curlers being wound the other way, and soon the sides were being wound upwards also. I lost count when I got to 100 curlers. Once all my hair was in the curlers, Kath produced the bottle of perm solution. “This is extremely strong Christine, it needs to be, to produce the tight curls you have asked for. I will also be leaving it on longer than your usual perm solution. The difference was noticeable as soon as she started applying the perm. I was parked up under the dryer for a good twenty minutes, and although I normally really enjoy getting my hair curled, I can honestly say that I was a bit relieved when Kath rinsed the strong perm solution away. Then came the neutraliser. This was left on longer too, and it seemed harsher too. “I need to do this to counteract the harsher perm.” I was then rinsed, smothered in setting lotion, and parked under the dryer. 

While under the dryer, Kath took in 2 other customers and she had managed to get their perms underway before it was time for me to cool down. I glanced in the mirror and noticed that both were eying the curlers in my hair nervously. 

After 15 minutes my hair was carefully unrolled and my hair was formed into the neatest of tight little rolls. I looked again. “Um, my hair seems lighter, like I’ve had it dyed.” Kath looked nervously at me. ” The neutraliser is based on peroxide, so it lifts the hair colour. You wouldn’t necessarily notice it with a normal perm, but because this is a strong one, it’s more pronounced.” Kath turned to pick up her clippers. I felt a shudder in anticipation of the next step. Another involuntary spasm as the clippers kissed my neck, and then shock as Kath ran the clippers up further than she usually did. Almost immediately my body shook in the strongest spasm I had ever had when having my neck hair cut before. Kath apologised. “It’s a very sensitive haircut.” I found out just how sensitive as she cleaned the rest of my neck. Then shock number 2, she was bringing the clippers to the front of my ears. As the little roll was severed from my head, I pushed my hand out and caught it, and the same when Kath clipped the other side. “I thought that Gary might like a souvenir of my new perm”, I explained. Kath bent down and rescued another 10 souvenirs. Then came the part I found most uncomfortable with Kaths perms – the razor shave. I was lathered, including in front of my ears, and then cleaned with a freshly honed razor. Kath looked at me slightly quizzically, still holding her razor. I instinctively knew what she was trying to say. Despite not liking being shaved, I nodded my head, and I was soaped and shaved again.

I was sprayed and Kath produced a mirror to show me how my new perm looked. There was no doubt that my perm was very old fashioned, and although shorter at the back, not as short as it felt that she had shaved it. The short cap of tight curls was absolutely delicious – I just couldn’t stop patting and feeling at them. I glanced back towards the dryers, and the 2 faces were just staring back at the severe perm that I was wearing.

Kath advised me where to buy some of the red curlers to set my hair on, and jumping into Mum’s car, which I had borrowed, I had another good look at my hair before driving down the road. I reached a small block of shops, and headed towards the chemist shop in the middle of the block. I was taken aback that almost everyone was staring at my hair. I walked in, and the blonde haired teenage assistant blatantly stared at my hair as I told her what I needed. Touching the ends of her long hair nervously, she said that she probably needed her Mum to help me. She called her Mum from behind the counter, a middle aged woman who wore her own hair in the perm same as mine had been before Kath had permed it today. “I think I know where you have been today. I have only seen Kath do red rod perms twice before, and both times to more mature women. Much more mature.” She disappeared again, and returned with several packs of plastic curlers. “There are 120 there, that should be enough.” I paid and went home.

I walked into the kitchen, and had differing receptions. Mum dissolved into tears ” she’s shaved you even shorter, I don’t like your hair cut so short Chrissie.” Dad, on the other hand, was much more complimentary. “Wow Chrissy, your hair looks beautiful like this, a nice cap of short, tight curls, and a very neat neckline. 

I got ready just after Mum and Dad had eaten their tea, and they both said I looked really smart. Dad was driving me to my date, and he insisted that I ride in the back, opening and closing the doors for me, like he was my personal chauffeur. I walked in, and introduced myself to the maitre de, who couldn’t stop staring at my new perm. As he walked me towards our table, I glanced across at the old lady with the youthful face walking down the next aisle. Then I realised that I was looking at a mirror. As we neared the table, I called “Hello Gary.” I noticed that he had a suit on, and had had his hair cut today too. He turned and gasped. “Your hair. It’s so short and tightly curled.” I touched the soft curls at the back defensively. “I had a shorter tighter perm today, and she clipped the back higher. Don’t you like it?” I needn’t have worried as he absolutely loved it. His hand shot round the back of my hair for a good feel, and he had a deep smell of the residual perm odour in my hair. We sat and ordered a drink and our food, and I said I have a little present. I pulled out a box that contained 6 small freshly permed rolls of hair. “I thought you might like a keepsake from your freshly permed girlfriend. These were cut off today when she clipped my neck and sides.” He looked quizzically at me and then noticed that the sideburns of my hair had been clipped and shaved too, and also that I had been permed upwards.” I heard a noise behind me, it was the waiter approaching with drinks. When I turned back, I thought Gary had dropped something, as he was on his knees. “Christine Roberts, would you do me the honour of being my wife.”

I looked at the little box in his hand. My hands flew up to my cheeks, which had turned bright pink. “Oh Gary, yes please.” I laughed, the mischievous me adding” what you even want me now I have been granny permed?”

His turn to laugh. “Especially since you’ve been granny permed.” His voice dropped to a whisper “that’s what I call ‘come to bed curls’.”

I blushed, and looked to my drink. The dinner soon came and by 9, we were heading back to his house first, so we could speak to his parents.

We went in slightly sheepish. Gary’s Mum picked up on my new perm. “My goodness that’s a tight one. I only saw Kath perm someone’s hair once like that before. Your hair looks very light.” I smiled and asked if she liked it, explaining the lighter tone due to the peroxide used to neutralise it. “Well I don’t think I would want my hair that severe.” Gary’s Dad stood up for me, he thought it looked very nice. His son obviously did, it had been like travelling home with an octopus in the car.

Gary then took over the conversation. “Mum, Dad, I asked Christine to marry me tonight.” I butted in. “I hope you don’t mind, I did say yes.” This was followed by a viewing of the ring that Gary had bought, a simple gold band with a single diamond. Gary’s parents seemed happy.

Shortly after, Gary took me home. Mum was put out as she had already put her hair in curlers, ready for bed. Gary explained that he had seen his Mum wearing curlers regularly, and he had seen me wearing curlers while we were on holiday ( and by calling over unexpectedly early to try to catch me with my hair in curlers on occasion too). 

Gary then announced that he had asked for my hand tonight, followed by another ring viewing. Both sets of parents seemed pleased. 

I took Gary to the kitchen so that I could say goodnight to him properly, and I let him inspect his fiancé’s new perm more closely. Much more closely.

I called over to Gary’s the next day, so we could talk through our plans for the immediate future. As a reward for yesterday’s nice surprise, I had kept my curlers in my hair under my hat. Mum and I had spent ages the night before struggling with the new smaller curlers, but eventually I went to bed with a hundred red curlers in my hair. When we went through to the kitchen, I took my hat off so Gary could see the new red curlers. His hands were all over them as he hungrily kissed me.

Monday morning came, and when I got in, I found Mrs Johnson waiting at my desk. “Change of plans Christine, how do you fancy a six month secondment with the managers team? Your hair looks nice, by the way, have you changed it?”

“Thanks Mrs Johnson, while I enjoy working here, I loved being with the managers last year. My hair, um, yes. I had a special date with Gary, and as I was booked for my regular perm, I got them to do it tighter, and they did it shorter too.”

“I think Mr Johnson would like me to have my hair like that, you must give me the number of your hairdresser.”

Soon I was setting up a desk in the management team. I was initially set on to cover as required, but after a few weeks, Brian, the manager I had worked with previously, seemed to be using me more than the others.

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