The Hot Smell of Manliness (Part 4) by BuzzmeHT

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I leered at Nate, I was sure he was still in shock. I had really gone to town on him. I wasn't sure when he had walked into the shop with all that bravado, but he had submitted nicely to the clippers. My gut was right, in fact, he was surpassed all my expectations. Nate had been a very good boy. I looked at the tight taper that I had inflicted on his sides and back, I loved how the bare nape looked on Nate's strong neck. The top was still a little long for my taste, I regretted not running my trusty Osters all over his head. It would have been nice to obliterate that greasy toupee pushing the clippers down the middle.

I noticed Nate kept rubbing his brush cut, I would love to be doing that too. He looked at me for a second, expectantly. I got the impression he enjoyed his new short haircut, the tightness of his suit pants assured me of that. And he was staring at me, biting his lip, waiting to see what I had in store for Mr. Anderson. I wasn’t about to disappoint my new favorite client.

- OK, Randy, let's take care of this old mop. I don't wanna be late for my appointment with young Nathan. -- Jim abruptly interrupted my thoughts.

- I'm sure Nathan won't mind to give me a couple minutes as a courtesy. -- I replied, sharing a friendly wink with Nate.

- Not at all. Please, I insist. -- Nate commented from the waiting area. I knew he was anticipating the haircut as much as I was.

- OK. A Summer Special coming right up. Do you want some bangs Jim? -- I would be deciding on that, of course, but I always ask the opinion of the client. The client’s always right.

- Yes, please. You know I like my summer bumper. Just make sure it stands up nicely, I don't wanna be worrying about it when I take off my hat.

- Nathan can tell you that won't be a problem. He walked here with his fringe flopping in all directions, down his face, and look at him now. -- I answered. I saw Nate unconsciously going over the top of his head, realizing all the hair he had lost, playing with the short bristles.

- He sure looks good though. And fancy, you don't give me haircuts like that, Randy. -- Jim retorted.

- You can still ask for it, Jim. I haven't started yet. -- I had just lubed up the clippers and had snapped the #0A metal guard on them. I knew old Jim would stick with the classic, in fact, I wanted him to. A Summer Special was much more drastic than Nate's buzzcut.

- You know I'm a simple man, Randy. It's too hot to be walking outside with all that hair on top of my head.

- Sure thing, that won't be a problem for long.

I picked the fine-tooth comb from my pocket and pushed it through Jim's long salt-and-pepper mane. I loved taking care of Jim's full hair for nine months knowing it would all be coming down the cape by my hand by summer. I left it even longer on his last trim so that he would come sooner this year and there would be even more hair to mow down.

I turned on the Osters, enjoying the powerful vibration on my hand and unceremoniously started peeling Jim's head, shearing him with the #0A all the way to the crown, leaving only rough sandpaper behind. I was making sure every little hair was cut to 0.5 mm perfection. I stole a glance at Nate, his jaw was about to hit the floor as I pushed Jim's head down to perfect the nape. That made me smile, it also made me discretely adjust my belt buckle under the tunic. I forged on, clippering the sides and Jim's short sideburns. Soon they would be even shorter and higher.
I was done and ready to attack the top. I didn't like working that fast, but this was a Summer quickie. It was supposed to be quick, simple and functional. I went over to the counter and changed the guard. I heard Jim and Nate making small talk, I was surprised at how polite and slightly submissive Nate sounded. I had imagined he would be a little cockier. He still exuded all that blind ambition, maybe it was the fancy suit.

I didn't hear much of what they were saying, my heart was pumping fast, and I could taste the adrenaline. I flicked the clippers on, then I brushed the very front of Jim's bangs down to his face, making them hang to his lips and inserted the clippers right an inch behind them. I made a quick, furious pass down the middle. The long hairs got tangled with the rest of the mane, refusing to fall to the cape, clinging to the scalp one last second. BZZZZZ! The second past revealed how short the haircut really was.

Jim knew what he was in for, but Nate's eyes almost popped from his head as I continued buzzing Jim's top to a #2, inexorably sending all his long hair to the cape. By now, Jim had a nice furry coat on his lap. I pushed Jim's head around as to make sure I was buzzing all this crown to an even 6mm. I went over the top one last time, I had promised Nate a show and I intended to deliver.

I changed blades and attacked the line around Jim's head with the #1.5, #1A and the #1, making sure there was a smooth transition between the shaved sides and the top. I enjoyed these radical transformations, it turned me on so much how manly and different I could make a guy look in a matter of minutes. What I liked the most was knowing they would be stuck with whatever I gave them for a long time after they stepped out of my shop. It didn’t matter if they were a fancy lawyer or a cowboy. I controlled what they looked like, what they saw when they looked in the mirror. That sent me on a power trip every single time.

Jim was mostly scalped, a little fringe away from having a complete marine haircut. I had gotten the transition as smooth as butter, I was proud. I stood in front of Jim, blocking his view of the mirror and proceeded to comb down the long bangs, hacking away at them. I attacked them right on the top, leaving less than two fingers to start with. I kept trimming, cutting them severely short, scissor over comb. I went over them, blending them back to the #2. I usually would have left a finger, maybe angling the bangs if I was feeling fancy, but I wanted to keep going. I felt Nate's gaze and looked up. He was looking at me almost defiantly, like he was challenging me. He eyes were full of excitement, he rubbed his head from front to back, enticing me. He kept looking at me naughtily. I kept cutting.

- Now this is what I call a short cut. -- I proclaimed. I think I saw Nate nodding slightly, but I couldn’t say for sure. I was too focused on trimming Jim's bangs as short and neat as I could. I had gotten them to almost a #3. By now it was generous to call them a bumper, I brushed them down with the bristle brush and cut a little more off across Jim's forehead. That was a trick of mine, most men tough they would get a longer haircut if they asked for the scissors. I just kept impassively snipping, each time a tad shorter, so that they couldn’t tell how much I was really cutting. Jim’s bangs were now a mere fraction of an inch below his hairline. I liked how brutal it was, even shorter that a regular Summer Special. But I knew Jim wouldn't complain, and I felt this was my private show for Nate.

Usually clients didn’t stick around after their cut, so I didn’t give my work a second though. Nate’s case was different, a wave of regret was coming over me. Yes, I should have gone shorter.

I stepped away from the mirror and turned on the latter machine to give Jim a high, clean outline. My personal trademark.

- Randy old pal, you're getting slower! You're either rusty or trying to make an impression. -- Jim made me blush. I tried to hide it, but I'm sure Nate had noticed. -- And I can see you've gotten a little carried away, I hadn't had a crewcut this short in years. But I think I like it, now I can compete with this clean cut guy.

- I think you might actually win, sir. It's an excellent haircut. -- Nathan offered as a compliment, I wasn't sure if it was meant for Jim or for me. But I was ecstatic he liked it. I thought how Nate would look with a severe Summer Special for a split second. I would even get the foil shaver out for him.

- So, Nathan, let's talk business. -- Jim continued, as I lathered his hairline all around his back and sides.

- Sure, Mr. Anderson.

- That little prick didn't want to pay me what my ranch is worth, so I proposed him another exploitation deal. Anderson & Sons will merge with your company, becoming shareholders and managing all the Southern division.

- I'm happy to hear that Mr. Anderson.

- Of course, we'll need to go over all the contracts carefully. I like to keep my house in order.

- I'm sure you do, sir. - Nate replied to Jim.

I shaved Jim's sideburns to the top of his ears. I loved how clean extremely short, square sideburns looked on older men.

- Anyhow, that jerk assured me that since you are already here, you will be the one handling the merger for the next month. Now that I know you I couldn’t be happier with that arrangement.

Nate got pale, his face now matching the amazing virgin white walls I had just given him. I decided to go with the theme and shave Jim's nape extra high, scraping another good inch up his pink neck.

- Are you sure? I was supposed to go back to New York next week at the latest.

- I'm sure, son. He was very clear about it.

I could see Nate reeling, but he quickly got back on his feet.

- I'll be my pleasure. I don't get a promotion like this every day. -- Nate put on his best smile.

I was also smiling, thinking Nate might need a touch up or two if he was staying that long. I happily gave Jim some massive arches around his ears, merging them with his perfect, high, square blocked nape.

Nate looked down to his sweaty shirt and his slightly wrinkled suit, lost in thought:

- Would you mind recommending me any good dry cleaners, gentlemen?

I decided to get back into the conversation, giving Jim's head a nice final rubdown.

- Son, if you're staying for a month you better go shopping. There's no way you've packed enough fancy suits for a full month of meetings. We also have trendy business suits down here. -- I was having fun teasing him, I knew the kind of suits he would find in this town would be much different than what he was wearing. I wondered how he would look in his new clean-cut haircut in a nice Texan suit.

- Yeah, and you're gonna to need a cowboy hat, boy. I'm buying. â€" Jim added with a perfect Southern grin.

- OK. Jim, all done. -- I announced, cheerfully.

I showed him his scalped, white back. The wide arches and the high nape. It looked great, it was a tad more military than usual, but it made Jim look more commanding and macho. I might even convince him to keep it all year long, after all now he was an important businessman. And I could be very persuasive, or just keep cutting away until I wanted to. Once a man was in my chair, I was in control. I ran my hand up Jim’s back against the grain, it was the second shaved nape I had conquered that afternoon. Oh, boy, it had been a good day.

- Great as always, Randy, I'll see you in two weeks. Maybe young Nathan and I can come back together again.

Nate almost fainted. I realized how much of his identity had changed since he had walked into my shop. I had changed him, and I wasn't done yet. As I dusted Jim's summer crewcut, I realized something.

- I think I'd be seeing him before that. I had promised Nathan a touch up if he stayed around next week and I’m a man of my word. -- I stared at Nate purposefully. -- Looks like you'll be around for that free trim after all, son.

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