The Barbershop Assistant Part 6: Sidekick

Here’s the next installment of our favorite fugitive’s storyline! In this story, the transformation may not be as significant, but the story should still be exciting if you pay attention. If you like this, be sure to check out my other work! Also, small announcement. In an effort to make my collected works easier to read, I will be reposting stories from my old account onto this one, maybe with a little editing to make them cleaner and easier to read. So if you’re thinking about starting my expanded works, your time is coming!

Just in case you’re new to the storyline:

The Barbershop Assistant: On the Run

And just in case you missed the last installment:

The Barbershop Assistant Part 5: Anchors Away

The Crawl of Time

The clippers hummed to life as my head was pushed down, my chin touching my black barber’s cape covered chest. I sighed and relaxed as I felt the  buzzing machine glide up the back of my head.

”Nothing better than haircut day,” I drawled in my syrupy sweet southern accent, closing my eyes dreamily.

”Agreed. You always look great, of course, but haircut day is always the day you look best. Not even just because I like how you look with a fresh cut. You always seem more confident right after a haircut,” Rick, my handsome, salt-and-pepper-haired boyfriend said with his rumbling deep voice.

”How can a girl not feel confident when I look as good as I do after a fresh cut?” I asked.

”You certainly wouldn’t have said that last year,” Rick said with a gentle laugh.

I peeked up at him in the mirror and squinted at him. “How could I have known until you made me try it. It’s so much better in the Alabama summer with almost no hair.”

”Not really almost no hair. You’ve experienced almost no hair. By those standards, your hair is actually pretty long.” Rick ruffled the two inch long hair on my crown for emphasis, taking a break from buzzing the sides of my head into a high fade. He was giving me my standard trim of a number one on the sides while the top grew in.

”Yeah, you’ve got that right. This is my favorite cut so far though. Even though the others have their appeal,” I said, pursing my lips at him with a soft smile.

“Oh, even the flat top? I could do that for you right now if you’d like,” he offered, holding up the clippers.

I opened my eyes wide. “Nope. I’m good. I’m definitely good.”

Rick laughed at his joke. “Do you even like this look more than what you looked like the first time I met you? Those long red locks were impressive.”

He had stopped my haircut by this point and I smiled at him in the mirror. He was wearing the shirt he had been wearing the first day I met him. The shirt that was one of the few reminders of his service in the Special Forces, the Green Berets. That and of course his network of friends from the special operations community around the country that helped us with our mission of helping women. The same network that had provided him the special concoction that had stained my naturally red hair at the root to the rich brown color it now was. I was still a few months out from needing it redone.

I smiled at him for a moment, just taking him in. He sat in silence as well, his brown eyes twinkling in the light of the setting sun that reflected off of the large mirror in front of us. Leaning forward, he tilted my head back, kissing my forehead.

”Much better. Everything about this is so much better. All thanks to you,” I said, looking up at him as he stepped alongside me.

”Believe it or not, my life is so much better than it was before you walked in that door last summer,” he said, holding my freckled cheek in his open hand.

“I can’t imagine you can say that about anybody else who has pointed a gun at you,” I said, fondly smiling at the memory.

”No, I can’t. But you’re a lot prettier than those people were,” he said.

”And you’re so much better than the only other person I’ve ever pointed a gun at,” I said, shuddering at the thought of the abusive ex that I shot, setting my whole new life into motion.

”I’m glad you actually pulled the trigger on that guy. Shame I hadn’t had a chance to teach you how to shoot well enough to finish the job,” he said with a wink.

”But if I had known you back then, you probably would have just shot the guy for me,” I said.

He stepped behind me and resumed my haircut, now working on the right side of my head with his clippers. “You’ve got that right. Now let’s hurry up, James will be here with that girl from the Razor case.”

I would have nodded if I hadn’t been so still for my haircut. “I can’t believe we’re helping an accomplice. So many poor girls went through so much because of her.”

Rick shrugged. “I know. But James said this girl is just as much of a victim as anybody else. She even was kidnapped and got the same treatment as everybody else at one point.”

”Yeah, I know. You’re right. I shouldn’t judge,” I said.

”Imagine how hard it would have been to discover this fetish under those conditions. And then the only person to guide you was a deranged serial kidnapper. It had to be so confusing,” he said.

”I know. Just another reason I’m so lucky to have found you. Thanks babe,” I said.

”I’m happy to oblige, little mama,” he said with a smile.

”I can’t believe that went on for so long. He gives everybody with a hair fetish a bad name,” I said.

”That he does. I’m glad we can be part of taking him down. Even if it’s in a small way like helping a key witness stay in hiding to testify against him,” Rick said.

”Yeah. Me too,” I said.

Rick shrugged again. “And it’ll be good to do a transformation on someone other than you.”

”It’s been too long. And Hazel was the last girl we helped and it’s been months since then,” I said.

Simple But Different

Rick finished my haircut with his skillful, practiced hands.

The familiar black SUV pulled into the parking lot in the late evening, after the shop was normally closed. The orange sun was setting, the building casting a shadow into the parking lot that covered the black Tahoe. Out stepped James, wearing his short-sleeved button-up shirt that was one size too large to conceal the large pistol that the Deputy US Marshal carried on his hip. He removed black Ray Bans from his face and smiled, waving at us.

”You ready for this, little mama?” Rick asked, putting a hand on my back and rubbing it with a loving firmness.

I reached my hand up and scratched the back of my head, rubbing the fresh cut number one buzz that Rick kept my sides and nape trimmed to. My hair that was around two inches long on my crown was worn pushed forward, the textured bangs hanging onto my forehead. Some days I slicked it back, but that day, I had chosen a more feminine look, allowing my straight, soft, brown hair to fall forward. I enjoyed the way I could make the normally hard looking style softer.

”Of course I am. This girl clearly was pretty lost and now she’s probably feeling even more lost now that her life has been uprooted,” I said, fidgeting with the end of my white t-shirt that had the green logo of a local farming company on it.

Rick smiled down at me, his salt and pepper stubbled cheeks breaking into the lines of a face that was accustomed to smiling. “And that’s one of the many reasons why I love you. Even after everything, you can see the good in people.”

I leaned my head into his chest, his arm sliding from the center of my back to wrapping around my small shoulders. “And I love you too,” I said.

James opened the back door of the Tahoe, and our newest client stepped out. She looked at the ground as she was escorted to the glass door of the shop, wearing a simple outfit of a plain, tan t-shirt, black athletic shorts similar to the ones I wore, and she had inexpensive looking black flip flops on her feet. She held her right elbow in her left hand, her right hand dangling down.

As they reached the glass door, James opened the door for her and stepped to the side to allow her to enter. He then followed her through the door and smiled at Rick and me.

”How are my favorite barbers doing?” he asked, smiling at us.

Rick stepped forward and he and James wrapped each other in a tight bear hug, the two former soldiers happily reuniting.

”I’m doing well, brother. It’s good to see you again,” Rick said as they stepped apart.

“Same. It’s been too long. We can’t let work be the only reason we get to see each other,” James said.

He then turned and looked at me, holding his arms out wide, inviting me in for a hug. “And how are you Cara?” the big man asked with a broad smile.

I stepped into the hug and returned it happily, enjoying the opportunity to be greeted like an old friend. It wasn’t something I had gotten to experience much in this new life.

My cheek pressed against his chest, being smothered by a bear hug that was extremely similar to the one that Rick had received, I chuckled. “Pretty good, but I won’t be if you keep trying to crush me,” I said in mock pain.

”Yeah, don’t crush my assistant,” Rick said, thumping him on the shoulder with an open palm.

James gave me a last squeeze and stepped away, cocking his head to the side and raising an eyebrow at his old friend. “Assistant?”

Rick smiled. “She can be my girlfriend and my assistant, can’t she?”

I beamed, stepping next to Rick and putting my arm around him, leaning my head on his strong shoulder. In town, everybody knew we were together, but when we last saw James, Rick and I had not officially become a couple yet. I loved hearing him acknowledge his feelings for me in front of someone who had known him for so long.

James smiled at us, looking as though he was thinking of saying something that both made him sad and happy, before shaking his head.

”So, now that we’ve exchanged pleasantries, it’s time for business. Rick and Cara, here is your next client,” James said, putting a hand in the center of the young woman’s back and nudging her forward.

”And what is our client’s name?” I asked, moving away from Rick and towards the girl.

I offered her my hand, “Hi, I’m Cara.”

She looked up at me, cheeks flushed red. Her skin was golden tan, nearly matching her sandy blonde hair that was long and shaggy. Her bangs were pushed to the side but would have easily hung well over her eyes had they been pushed forward like mine were. Her ears would have been covered completely by hair that seemed to reach down to her jawline on the sides and the back easily reached her collar. It was evident that her hair had grown out long from some short style, perhaps even a shaved head. The shaved head would have made sense considering who she had been involved with.

Her other feature that stood out so starkly to me were her beautiful, piercing blue eyes.

”Hi, I’m Dani,” she said, meekly meeting my handshake.

”It’s nice to meet you, Dani. And I look forward to meeting the new you soon enough,” I said, pulling her in for a welcoming hug.

“Thanks,” Dani said, looking down at her feet again.

”So what’s the plan with her?” Rick asked.

”You remember that guy, Evan? From that op that went sideways in a certain country that used to be communist,” James asked.

Rick nodded. “Of course I do. What’s he been up to?”

”He’s been doing a lot of what you’ve been doing. Except higher end stuff, mostly for women. He’s got out of the game after that one op,” James said.

”Oh, I don’t know if I can handle high end salon. And are you sure that’s a good idea, considering her background?” Rick asked, trying not to explicitly mention why Dani was there.

”We don’t need high end salon. We need blending in while I move her around, at least until the Razor is caught. Evan will take care of the rest. As for her background, that won’t be a problem, right, Dani?” James said, patting Dani on the shoulder after his question.

Dani nodded. “Right.”

”So maybe a bob and dye it brown? Nothing too flashy,” Rick said, looking over his new client.

”Works for me. Does it work for you?” James asked Dani.

”Yes sir,” she said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

”Don’t worry, Dani. Rick will do a good job. He cuts my hair,” I said, patting her arm.

Dani looked up at me and smiled. “Your hair is really cute so that makes me feel better.”

”Come grab a seat then,” Rick said.

As Dani took her seat and Rick wrapped a black cape over her, James stood to the side with me.

”How’s it going with my old buddy?” James asked, nodding towards Rick.

”Good. Really good. Better than anything I’ve ever had,” I said.

”Good. He has a simple life here. But it’s a good one. I can tell he’s happy. At least he is now that you’re here,” James said.

I smiled at James. “I’m pretty lucky to be part of this.”

He put an arm around my shoulder and squeezed me. James had been the only one of Rick’s old friends I had met yet, but he gave me the feeling that, by making Rick happy, I had gained a community of older brothers. Older brothers that also happened to be fiercely protective and highly lethal killers. It was good that I was on their good side.

James released me from his gentle and respectful hug and we both took seats in the chairs to watch. Rick had sprayed Dani’s hair wet and it hung damp as he prepared his scissors and comb.

”This isn’t a normal haircut I do around here, but I can get it done. And if Evan is really doing high end stuff, maybe he can dress this up once you’re with him,” Rick said, running the comb the Dani’s hair, pushing it straight down from a part that ran down the middle of her head.

”Whatever you can do is fine. I’ve probably had worse,” Dani said, eyes totally covered by her damp hair.

Taking his scissors and the comb he carefully snipped a straight line into Dani’s hair, starting about two inches below her chin on the left side of her face. He snipped back, using his comb as a guiding line, going around the back, and then around the other side, finishing about two inches below her chin on the right side of her face. The line was perfect and crisp.

The job was quick and efficient for a very plain looking haircut. Next, in a similar fashion, Rick cut Dani’s bangs. He cut a straight line, just below her eyebrows, knowing that when dry they would just slightly cover her eyebrows. The hair would almost function as a mask, the sides cover her cheeks and the bangs covering a decent portion of her face.

He then used some thinning shears on the bobbed hair, taking some of the dense bulk of Dani’s healthy virgin hair. Some vertical snips into the bangs to help them look a little less blunt, and the quick, efficient, plain looking haircut was done.

”What do you think?” Rick asked.

A small smile formed on the former assistant’s face as she looked at herself in the mirror. “I like it. I’ve never had my hair like this before. It’s cute.”

”Yes, it’s very cute,” I said. “And it’ll be cute dyed brown as well.”

”That’s next,” Rick said, turning to find some basic, medium brown hair dye.

”I’ve never dyed my hair before,” Dani said.

”It’ll probably be something you’ll get used to. Since you can’t really go back to your old life,” James said.

”Right,” Dani said. Rick began to apply the brown dye, a section at a time with a small brush.

”Why can’t she go back?” I whispered to James.

”Because people won’t take kindly to the fact that she helped the Razor. Even if she was manipulated. It’s part of her plea deal. She knew she wouldn’t want to go back,” James answered at a whisper.

”That doesn’t make it any easier,” I whispered back.

James just nodded his head in reply. I watched as Dani’s natural blonde locks were coated by the dark dye, being slicked back to stay off her skin. Soon the job was done and Rick escorted James off into the office to show him some new gun he had gotten. Boys and their toys, I thought to myself.

”Do you want to know something?” I asked Dani, breaking the awkward silence.

Dani looked at me, cocking her dye covered head to the side. “What’s that?”

”I have a hair fetish too. I’ve got it bad. That’s why my hair is like this,” I said, running my fingers through my short hair.

”Really? I’ve never met anybody but her that had it,” Dani said.

”Her?” I asked.

”The Razor. I only just learned that she’s a woman,” Dani said. “They told me after I said I’d help lure her out.”

”I had no idea. I always figured it was a man,” I said.

”She wanted to look like one. Not all the time, just when she was doing what she did,” Dani said.

”Well, you aren’t alone in this. That’s all I’m saying. Rick has it too. I know things are hard and confusing right now, but it’ll get better. And when it does, maybe you can find a healthy way to experience this fetish. Like Rick and I have,” I said, reaching out a hand and taking Dani’s.

”I think I need to take a little cleanse first. See haircuts for what they are for a little while. Then I can find a safe way to enjoy it,” Dani said, looking down at my hand.

I lifted her chin with one hand, keeping her’s clasped in my other. “Through all of that, I’m here. I’ll give you my number. Text or call whenever.”

Dani smiled. “Thanks. It’ll be good to have a friend. One that actually knows me.”

”And I can’t wait to get to know you,” I said, brushing her cheek with my thumb.

Just then the door to the office opened.

”Yeah, I’m going to get my guy on that. I need one of those,” James said, pointing with a thumb into the office.

”What’ll the missus say?” Rick asked, jabbing his friend in the ribs with his elbow.

”Hey, it’s a business expense,” James said.

”Business expense?” Rick asked.

”Yeah, I’m in the business of carrying a gun. That means every time I buy a new one, it’s a business expense,” James said with a laugh.

”I’m sure Denise sees it that way too,” Rick said, laughing as well.

“Cara, you need to get your man in line,” James said.

“I don’t know, I kind of like when he isn’t in line. It makes him feel more dangerous,” I said, standing and wrapping my arms around him with a content smile. “Maybe you should get a motorcycle.”

Rick nodded. “That doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”

”With your balance? It’s a terrible idea,” James said.

”And because it would make you jealous because you know Denise would say no?” Rick asked.

James held his hands up in mock surrender. “Hey, the job is dangerous enough. I don’t need one of those flaming metal death traps to add any more danger in my life.”

Rick laughed and turned to Dani. “Alright, kiddo. You ready to rinse this out and see the new you?”

Dani nodded. She seemed more hopeful after our brief chat. She smiled easier, made more eye contact.

Rick guided Dani to the sink and leaned her head back in the chair. Running cool water in her hair, he began to rinse the dye out. It didn’t take long as her hair was fairly short and soon, she was seated in her chair, Rick using a blow dryer and brush to get her hair straight and dry.

The brown bob was cute and muted, exactly the goal. It wasn’t like the high fashion, sharply angled bobs I had seen, it was just short hair in an extremely common color. The same as mine which had been carefully chosen by Rick to blend into a crowd.

”Here’s the new Dani,” I said, hugging her as she stood for the seat.

”Not Dani anymore,” James reminded me.

As I slipped her the scrap of paper with my number on it, I asked her, “So who is this new girl then?”

The girl once known as Dani smiled. “Lacey. I’m Lacey.”

Lacey’s Start of Something New

Lacey loved her new job. It was routine, it was normal, and it was new. New enough to help her forget what she was running from. Every day, she got to see the master-level skills of her new boss at work. Clients would come in for upkeep and they would leave looking spectacular. New clients would come in for transformations and each time Evan worked his magic.

He had even worked some lesser magic on her. Upon her arrival, Evan had said her look wouldn’t do for his salon. She needed something edgier. He understood her background and wisely kept any buzzing or shaving off the table. But he didn’t need that to give her a unique look.

Evan had cut her bangs shorter, once covering her eyebrows, they now reached halfway down her forehead. He had changed the color too, dying it half green, half black. Lacey loved the look. She had also intentionally let her golden tan fade, which when aided by makeup, made her look like a completely different person than she had been.

On a seemingly normal day, someone completely abnormal walked in and approached her at the desk where she worked at keeping Evan and the other stylists’ schedules.

”Hi, I’m Katie, I have an appointment with Evan,” she said with the fakest smile Lacey had ever seen.

The girl was obviously a cheerleader, long blonde hair, preppy clothes, and a dark blue fleece jacket with a cheer logo on it

Lacey smirked, fighting down a laugh. “Of course you do, just have a seat. He’s finishing up his previous appointment.”