The Shopkeeper
I was two months in to my Sophomore year in college, and looking forward to a weekend off from my studies. The only thing I had on my schedule was taking care of the giant pile of laundry I had made before my roommate got mad at me for the mess. Heather and I got along great our first year and so no reason to change. We came from slightly different backgrounds, her from an upper middle class suburb and me from a smaller town a little farther away from the city. We both like to dress very casual, but Heather’s outfits always seemed like they were still stylish compared to my jeans and t-shirts. Heather’s hair was down to her bra strap while mine never made it to my collar. Since the time I had started puberty my mother had always made sure I was at her hairdresser every month, so the boys don’t get any ideas that might keep me from my studies.
I was spending a quiet Friday in my dorm room enjoying some time watching You Tube and TicTok clips when Heather came in the door. She was excited to tell me that we were invited to a house party the next night before the evening football game. I was hesitant at first to go, but Heather begged me to go so I could be her designated driver if she had too much to drink. I always looked out for her, so I told her I would go.
I woke up Saturday morning, knowing that I needed to get some laundry done because anything decent I had to wear was in the pile on the floor. I was down to the granny panties and purple unicorn t-shirt my mother had sent with me. As I finished up my morning bathroom routine I knocked my glasses onto the floor. Picking them up I saw that I now a crack thru the middle of one of the lenses. Everything else was going to have to wait as I can’t see much without them.
I checked the time when the eyewear store in the local mall opened, and woke Heather to take me to get a replacement. Heather was always fine driving me the few times I needed to go somewhere as long as I paid for the meal we were sure to get. When she saw me digging thru my dirty clothes for an outfit to wear, she stopped me right there “Sarah, your kidding me! Let me give you something to wear.” After a quick search of her closet she gave me a pair of high-waisted jeans and a tank top to put on. As I started to say it was a little cool outside she tossed a flannel shirt my way.
Twenty minutes later we were walking into the mall to the 1 hour eyewear store. I explained to the clerk that I had a waranty, and just wanted the lense replaced, but after a minute she came back and told me they no longer carried the same frame and lense, but the warranty allowed for a full replacement pair. In the 12 years that I have worn glasses, I have never picked the frames out myself. My mother always said as long as she was paying for them that she would pick them. I started looking at gold wire frame glasses similar to what I had been wearing when Heather put a stop to it “Come on Sarah, time to get out from your mom’s shadow” “But Heather, I wouldn’t know what to pick.”
Heather wasted no time in becoming my stylist, and about 12 pairs later, she talked me into a pair of black and silver half horn rim glasses. I always thought these were what nerdy guys wore, but Heather just kept telling me how great I looked in them. Sixty minutes later Heather and the new me were out the door, and off to the food court for lunch and the required pass thru our favorite stores. By the time we finished off the mall Heather was more than ready to head to the party.
It was your normal college party. A keg of beer on the back porch and about 40 or so half drunk college students doing what they do best. After about 2 hours in I found Heather holding her own in a game of beer pong, but I was already bored with the whole scene. I decided to head outside for some fresh air, and as I was sitting on the front porch, just kind of daydreaming, I was brought out of my trance by another girl. “I like your outfit” she said, as tried to figure out if I remembered her from someplace. She introduced herself as Andrea, and I knew that I did not know her. I didn’t want to explain that they weren’t my clothes and just gave her a polite “Thanks” Her next comment confused me somewhat “It’s nice to see another short-haired girl” as the girl had hair to her shoulders. It was then that the girl explained, stroking her hair “Oh ya, not so short now. I promised to grow it out for my sisters wedding, but I’ll have it short again in a few days.” With that confusion over we continued to talk, mostly about how neither one of us we really into parties, but came for our friends.
I enjoyed the rest of the night talking with Andrea, and found out she was from a couple towns away from my hometown. It was also the same town that Heather came from. She asked me where I go to get my haircut, which was last cut before classes started, and now starting to cover my ears, looking a little shabby. I was a little embarassed to say my mother takes me to the cheap chain salon and always decides how it will be cut, so I just told her I go to a place back home. The night was starting to wind down and I decided it was time to find Heather and take her home before she gets in some kind of trouble. As I started to tell Andrea I was heading out, she said something, seemingly out of the blue, that surprised me “Hey Sarah, do you want to come with me on Monday for a coffee and to get my haircut? I go to a small shop owned by a married couple.” I hadn’t made a lot of friends other than Heather, so I gladly accepted her offer. She was really happy that I agreed to go, and after we exchanged numbers, she gave me a big hug and said “We’re going to have so much fun.”
Monday rolled around and after my classes I went back to the dorm to change. When Heather saw the outfit I was planning to wear, she was having none of it. “Come on Sarah, you can do better than that.” Heather then went into her closet, and came up an outfit much like what I wore to the party. A few minutes later my phone pinged, it was Andrea waiting out front for me.
I stepped out the front door and Andrea was there. She gave me a quick hug and said “Lets go have some fun.” We had a short ride across town, and parked on a side street. We started walking down the main road, and came upon a store front that was nicely appointed I noticed the sign, and thought it was a little strange
The sign read:
NEW DYNAMIC BARBERSHOP
Women Welcome
Men Tolerated
I found it odd for a girl to be going to a barbershop, especially when her hair was to her shoulders. We walked thru the door, and Andea was immediately greated as an old friend by the two barbers “Andi, we knew you would show up today. How was the wedding?” Andrea went on to tell them about the ceremony, but mostly how happy she was that it was finally over. “So Andi, are you going to introduce your new girlfriend?” I just kind of chuckled at the comment, but Andrea played along “Oh sorry, Sam, George, this is Sarah. She wants to watch me get my haircut.” I wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but then she introduced them to me ” Sarah, this Samantha and Georgiana. They own the shop.” It was then when the first light went off in my head, Samantha and Georgiana were the married couple. As my brain processed the situation a little farther it dawned on me that from what the sign read that this was a shop for lesbians. This is defineitely not something you would find back in my home town, so I just took in the surroundings. George was wrapping up with the girl in her chair (a short cut, but still longer than mine), and Andrea was more than happy to get up for her turn. After she was caped and ready to go all George said was “Do I have to ask?”
Andrea just smiled and shook her head. George took a much bigger pair of clippers than she had used to clean the neck of the last girl, and started to run them along Andreas head following her natual hairline. My thought was ‘so much for shoulder length’, but Andrea couldn’t be happier “Finally rid of this damn hair” George to Andi to “settle down, we have a long way to go.” George then took the clippers, and to my surprise, ran them half way up the side of Andreas head. My eyes popped out when I saw the bare white skin appear. I have seen girls with shorter hair than mine, but mine was going to seem long compared to what was happening to Andrea. Within a few minutes, the entire bottom half of her head was laid bare, just a shadow remained. George then proceeded to change the blade on the clipper. I didn’t see much of a change, but as she went a little higher up her head there was now a slight bit more hair. This continued up the sides until George was leaving 1/4″ of hair. While George turned to put the clipper back in the drawer.
Andrea looked at me “Oh Sarah, I’ve been waiting for this day for 6 months.” George then used a different tool on the bottom of Andreas head. I recognised it as a shaver, similar to what my father would use on his face. The dark stubble waas now replaced with smoooth white skin. Andrea just sat with her eyes closed, her smile growing bigger. I was starting to wonder if the top would be treated the same way, but George switched to a pair of scissors, wasting little time in removing all but about 3″ of hair. George then squeezed some product into her hand, and finished Andi off with a slightly messy look on top.
I sat forward on my seat as George pulled the cape off of Andi, expecting to be on our way for coffee. As Andi stood up, she gave George a big hug, and kiss on the cheek. I started to stand up when George looked to me and said “Okay sweety, your up next”. I went into a small panic. I knew that when I went home for break in 2 weeks, my mother would be expecting to take me for my haircut, plus I have never in my life made my own decision on how it would be cut.
Andi then took my arm and led me over to the chair. I sat down, still trying to figure how to tell George I want my hair cut. I was soon caped, and George started combing thru my hair. She turned and grabbed her giant clipper out of the drawer, then asked the question, but not what I expected “Same as Andi, or are we going full buzzcut?” I couldn’t even form an answer to her question. I wasn’t expecting to have my haircut let alone having all my hair buzzed off. Andi saw the state of shock I was in, but she had no plans of letting me off the hook “Be nice Georgie, she still lets her mom pick her haircuts” How did she know this? I had only mentioned it once to Heather last year, and nobody else. It was then that Andrea made the decisson for me “Georgie, I think it’s time that I had a twin.”
Andrea smiled at me “You’re gonna look so hot Sarah.” Before I could even respond George was firing up her clippers, and they were just in front of my ear. I have had clippers used to clean up my haircuts before, but this was a whole new experience. I sat with my mouth slightly open as George was quickly rendering the lower half of my head completely hairless. Andrea was sitting on the edge of her seat, watching as I was getting the haircut of her choice. George then began working up the sides just as she had done on Andrea, but I had noticed that she skipped using the shaver on the bottom. Soon the sides of my head were as short as Andreas, and George made her pitch to Andrea one more time “Andi, she has a perfect head for a crewcut.”, but Andrea told her to keep the same length as she had. Several passes with the scissors and I could now be Andreas twin sister. I expected George to take the cape off, but instead I heard an unfamiiar sound behind me. Next thing she was putting some really warm shaving cream on the bottom of my head, follwed by shaving the entire bottom half of my head Now this was something I had certainly never felt before, but I could definitely get used to. George wiped of the excess and declared me finished, As soon as the cape was pulled off of me Andrea was at my side. She then gave me a giant hug and as she released the hug she leaned in and gave me the biggest kiss I had ever received in my life.
Andrea gave George and Sam hugs and we headed for the door. George told me she was happy I came and as we opened the door her last words were “see you two in a couple weeks”. Andrea gave her a quick reply “Count on it.” As we hit the street Andrea held my hand “Sarah, you look beautiful” I was still trying to figure out what had happened so my only response was a short “Thanks” As we walked down the street towards the coffee shop my mind was racing with thoughts. What was I going to tell my mother when I went home? Why did Andrea want my hair cut like this? Wait a minute…she just kissed me and I let her do it.
I stayed quiet most of the time at the coffee shop, still trying to fathom what was happening. Andrea was making plans for us for the week, and I just agreed with everything that she was saying. In the short time itt took to finish our drinks it seemed as if I was now in a realationship, even though I never said anything about having a girlfriend. Want it or not Andrea was deciding that instead of just being a friend that was a girl, she was now my girlfriend. I had never had any kind of realationship with anyone before, but all of a sudden it was decided that I was a lesbian in a committed realationship with Andi.
We made our back to the car, and before we got in Andi started to kiss me again, but this time it wasn’t just a friendly kiss, it was something I had never experienced before. The only dates I really went on in high school was prom and homecoming, and both times my mother was watching as my date kissed me goodnight. I certainly didn’t think my mother would approve of the way Andi and I just kissed, but I didn’t care. I was having feelings that I had never felt before, both in my mind and in my panties.
Andi had a lecture to attend that afternoon, so she drove me home, followed by another make out session. This time I was a full participant. As I got out of her car Andi told me “I’ll pick you up at 8. Tell Heather you won’t be home tonight.” I, of course was in no position to refuse so all I could say was “Okay.” My mind started to wonder about Heather, then Andi’s last words were “Make sure to tell Heather I said a big Thank You”.
As I walked in to my dorm room Heather looked up at me. Before I could ask what she had to do with Andi and me getting together Heather got a huge smile on her face “I’m really surprised she left you any hair. It looks beautiful Sarah”. It was then that Heather came clean. Andrea and her once dated in high school, but it was just a few dates, but they always remained friends. Now in the little over a year we have been roomates Heather I’ve never seen anything that would suggest that Heather liked girls, like me she rarely if ever went out on a date. Heather told me that Andi had seen us together the week before and she told Andi she would help get us together. The wardrobe and glasses were all planned out, just as the house party was. Andi always wants her girlfriends to look and dress like her, and Heather couldn’t commit to the butch look, but knew I she would have no problems taking me as short as she wanted.
Heather gave me a big hug then she grabbed her keys and said “Lets go down to the thrift store. Your mom doen’t pick your haircuts anymore, so picking out your clothes isn’t going to cut it either.
