Nothing on Top?! - part three by Barbershop Thrill

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Nothing On Top?! -Part Three
(Getting inspired and making a decision)
Terry sat back down in a waiting chair and watched as the barbers washed and conditioned the student’s hair. He heard them both comment how good if felt and could smell the melon shampoo and conditioner he sold to the barbershops. The sales slogan, Melon wash for your Melon! popped into his head.

After wrapping their heads in clean white towels and sitting them back up Ned asked, "So now that it’s the end of Movember are we keeping the moustaches?" Chad looked surprised and said, "I’m definitely keeping it. I still like it and I think it fits my face." Cory spoke up," Same here. I like how it looks and without it my face would just look… bald! "He blurted out. "Ok then, we’ll just trim those up so they look sharp." Said Bob.
While they began trimming Chad and Cory’s moustaches Bob turned to Ned and Terry. "I do think we will have some young customers and perhaps a professor who will want your hairpieces. What do you say Ned, how about we give you Chad’s pompadour today." "Really! I never thought I could have hair again," said Ned... Chad would you be willing to stick around and show me how you styled your hair?" "Sure! That would be fun."

Bob then asked Terry, "Hey, Terry, would there be any way to give a bald guy a long hockey hairstyle like Cory showed you on his phone?" "Sure, that would be a full cap." Usually they are custom made to fit perfectly but I do have an example one. ""Why," asked Cory. "Did you think I changed my mind about looking like you?" "No," said Bob. "But I always wondered what it would be like to have hair like you had. My father was a barber so I never got to grow out my hair even in the 80’s. Would you mind if I give your old hairstyle a try? "Go for it!" said Cory. "I can stick around and show you how I styled it too!"

Terry sat back in the matching waiting chairs and watched the next steps Bob and Ned took. First the barbers combed the student’s hair on the sides and holding the dark locks away from their head in their fingers they expertly snipped the ends of the damp hair. Only a few small dark bits ended up falling to the shoulder of the white barber cape. The barbers ran their fingers into the hair on the sides and held it straight out to make sure it was even. Then they combed the sides to see how they looked.
Terry liked how the sweeping "fenders" looked like shiny black feathered bird wings on the sides of Chads and Cory’s heads. He reached up and touched his hair above his ears and checked how long it was in the mirror. He figured that his hair was a little longer on the sides because he had recently let it grow a couple of months into a forward shag style that covered his ears and forehead. One of the salons he sold products to suggested it to make his thinning hair look fuller and cover his receding hairline. He liked it. but going from shop to shop on sales proved a problem with the windy weather they were having lately. It was constantly getting messed up and gust of wind threaten to reveal the truth about his hairline.

As the barbers moved around to the back and combed Chad and Cory’s hair downward Terry was surprised to see how it was long enough to hang down a few inches below their ear lobes when it wasn’t styled. He fingered his hair behind his ears and found his own hair was at least that long.
He watched in interest as the barbers carefully trimmed sections from the middle outward and crafted nice ducktails like the two barbers had on their two customers. He turned his head and looked at the mirror across from his chair. He tried to see where his hair hung in the back and what it would look like flipped up into a wide tow hook curls like the other men had.

"Don’t forget to polish us up real shiny with the Chrome Dome Polish!" said Chad. The other guys really thought that was cool when they first saw us." Since it was a new product and Terry had just started selling it he had not seen it used by on an actual customer. He watched with curiosity as the two bald barbers spent a minute massaging the shiny gel into the two younger versions of themselves sitting in their chairs. They looked just like you said Terry. "Handsome?" laughed Bob. "Of course," said Terry smiling. Cory and Chad appeared to be really enjoying the sensation. Their eyes were closed and big smiles were on their faces.
Terry reached up and felt his scalp through his hair. His fingers reached the crown and he froze. He was surprised to find that he was feeling skin. "Is this a bald spot now?!" his inner voice screamed in panic. He turned red and put his hand down and decided to have Ned verify if his discovery were true.

After some shiny pomade was put on Chad and Cory’s hair and some careful combing their chairs were spun towards the mirrors. The barbers held up hand mirrors and the two men checked out their haircuts in the mirror. The overhead lights created a blinding shine on their now polished domes. "Wow," I’m glad to see it works so well said Terry.
Terry suddenly found himself noticing that the two young men were still really were handsome even with male pattern baldness. They looked like younger clones of Bob and Ned but he observed that the two barbers were actually still handsome as well. Their white tunics looked professional and contrasted perfectly with the dark shiny sweeps of hair on their sides. Their pink bald tops were round clean. The full moustaches on their faces gave them a masculine but friendly appearance that would be missing if they were shaved.

"There you are, just like us," said Bob rubbing the top of Cory’s shiny dome in a small circular motion with his fingertips. Cory smiled and said, "Not for long Bob. With his hairpieces you and Ned will be switching places with Chad and me."
Off came the capes and the two young men got out of the chairs. As the two got up to pay Ned, noticed how strong and confident looking they appeared. One had a Redwings Jersey and the other had a dark blue flannel shirt. Both shirts contrasted nicely with their dark hair and moustaches.

Terry looked back at his own hair in the mirror behind the chair and started pushing his hair around on top. "Would you like a trim Terry?" said Ned when he noticed. "I…..
I think I do." Said Terry. "Do you guy’s mind waiting to help us out with Ned and Bob’s new hair," he asked? "No problem."
"Hey, Cory we could go get some lunch down the street and then come back." "Sure, ok. We’ll be back in an hour Ned. Since you to got to give us your haircuts, I’m excited to help you two get ours. This is going to be cool."

"Ok Terry. Have a seat. I think this will the first time I’ve cut your hair. Don’t worry I can do this style. Would you like just a trim?" Said Ned. "Well, I need you to tell me something." Said Terry. He reached up and touched his crown where he thought he discovered bare skin. "Do I have a bald spot back here?" "Yup," said Ned. "But it’s not too bad yet. We can comb some of this hair from the side and top back to cover it." Terry grimaced, "Oh damn… How big is it?" "About the size of a quarter where it’s completely bare and where it’s thin about the size of my palm, "Ned explained. "Oh my gosh," said Terry turning red with panic. "I didn’t know it was that bad."

Holding he comb over Terry’s head Ned began to suggest options, "Well maybe we can change your hairstyle to comb this top back and make it look fuller back here." Terry’s hands flew up to put his hands on the top of his hair. "No we can’t do that! " he said, his voice showing nervous anxiety. He checked to make sure his hair was still combed forward and onto his forehead."
Ned pressed, "Are you sure? A lot of men get a few more years.." Terry was turning red and staring to breathe quickly. He gushed out in response, "Well my hairline has been moving back a lot and this has sort of been covering it up. Now I don’t know what to do. How can I sell hair care products to salons if I’m going bald.." said Terry visibly upset.
Ned had seen this before in many men. He patted him on his shoulder said you can trust me. He put his comb under Terry’s bangs and said, "Let’s see how bad it is.. Maybe we can come up with something.." As he began to lift the forward combed hair off Terry’s forehead his eyes grew big as he discovered that Terry’s hairline had retreated to halfway back on the top of his head. He carefully laid Terry’s hair back down and said, "Ok. Now I see what you’re working with. That’s hiding quite a bit up there..." Terry said, "I know… It looks ok from the front but now if I’m getting a bald spot too… also the wind has been a constant problem. The other day I was at the bus stop and a gust of wind flipped my hair backwards just as the bus door opened. I could see the shocked look the bus drivers face when he saw how bald I’m getting."
Ned responded, "Well, we can just trim this some and you can keep it brushed forward until it gets worse." "How long do you think I have,’" asked Terry nervously. "Oh, about a year, I’d say." "Only a year? Until…?" asked Terry. Ned leaned down so his head was reflected in the mirror next to Terry’s. Rubbing the smooth top of his head he said with a smile, "You become one of us!"

Terry’s face turned whiter than usual from his shock as he stared at his future on the top of Ned’s head. He found he couldn’t take his eyes off the clean and healthy skin and nice round shape. It looked looked solid like when you see a strong flexed bicep and for some reason he wanted to touch it.
Then he started thinking about how the two young men found they liked being bald like Bob and Ned. They all did look handsome without their hair. It was just different. Suddenly he felt a positive feeling and he became sure of what he had to do. He looked at Ned in the mirror and said, "Ned, give me the same haircut that you did to those students. Make me look like you and Bob!"

Ned stepped back and turned the chair around so he was sure about what he was hearing. He put his hand on top of Terry’s head and looked him in the eyes and asked, "Are you sure? You want to have Nothing on the Top? Like Bob and I and now all the others?"
"Yes! I don’t want to have to agonize over the next year as my hair disappears. You guys look good and the young guys convinced me that it can be a good thing." said Terry with more of a confident voice.
He turned to look in the mirror again and touched his red hair on top, "I just hope l’ll look good bald." He said quietly with little worry. Bob had been listening and looked at him and smiled, "Terry you’re going to look great! You’ve got nothing to worry about. "

Ned turned the chair towards the mirror and looking at Terry in the reflection asked, "Since we now know its permanent, do you want me to use the Clear Cutt cream or do you want me to just shave it?" Terry pondered the idea of permanently losing his hair. Was he ready for that? Just this morning he was combing a shaggy red mop. Did he really want to see it disappear forever? Facing the truth however he then spoke, "Since, I don’t really have the hair like Chad and Cory had and it’s only going to get worse, I think we should just get rid of it. I should probably know firsthand how the product works right? You know, I could even make more hairpiece sales if I decide to wear one too."

"And the sides and back," asked Ned as he began combed through Terry’s red hair. "I want the sides and back cut like yours also. I like that cool retro look and I can use it to sell the Mr. Slick pomade. Can you cut my sides so they feather back into full wings or fenders like you called them?" "Of course. With your red hair you’ll be a true Detroit hockey fan. "What do you mean?" asked Terry. "When were done your dome will sport a cool pair of feathered RED Wings on the sides." Bob joked. "Ha, ha. I like that.

"You’ll have to show me how to comb the back so it ducktails and flips up in the back like that too," Said Terry looking at the hair on the back of Ned and Bob’s heads. "No problem. You’ve got enough length back here for a tow hook," said Ned smiling as he tugged on the locks of Terry’s hair at the neckline.
And make sure you finish with the Chrome Dome polish. If I’m going to be bald then I want it super shiny on top just like you got it for those young guys!"
Ned looked at Terry’s face and notice he had not shaved in a while. He had been very busy all week and had not shaved so the start of a beard was clear to see. Despite it being thin on the cheek area the stubble above his lip was dense. "Can I make one more suggestion? "You can do whatever you want. I give you full control," said Terry. "Ok then! Let’s turn you into Clone number 201!" said Ned.

"Terry, I think you made a good decision said Bob." I’m going to step out the back door and get some lunch too but I’m sure when I get back Ned will have you looking sharp like one of us."

Ned spun Terry’s chair toward the front window and floated his white barber cape down over Terry’s body. "First we get rid of this thin stuff on top with my clippers and put on the Clear Cutt . Then while it’s doing its job we’ll treat you to a nice shave."
Just then a young man came in wearing a baseball hat. He appeared to have dark brown hair curling out from under his hat over his ears and some longer curling hair that covered the collar of his jacket. "Ned greeted him, "Hello, my other barber just stepped out for a little while. You can take a seat if you are willing to wait." The young man nodded and sat down. He picked up a magazine but from the moment he came in his eyes were watching Terry.

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