Those Fiery Highlights! by Shant

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Being a barber in a tourist town like Key West gave me some opportunities to give some really great haircuts. Especially during the summer, my door would open and in would walk a guy with great hair that I hoped had decided to go short.

This happened quite often actually. On really hot days, a guy visiting would sometimes develop a new mind set. Being away from home and feeling bolder, not having to worry about what the reaction would be from his friends, would start him to think about getting his hair cut differently than it now was.

I think guys wore their hair the same way for years because they were secretly afraid of attracting attention to themselves. Being a barber, I thought that if a guy had a really great head of hair he should be cutting it differently all the time. Show it off! If it was one of your best features you should definitely not be hiding it!

An added bonus for me was that I probably would never see these guys again and I could pretty much cut their hair however I wanted. I never did anything really extreme, but I would sometimes take a little liberty and cut their hair a little shorter than we had discussed. No one ever really complained and I got to have some extra fun seeing their reaction after the haircut was finished. Barbers love cutting off long beautiful hair!

I also had a lot of fun if a guy with great hair sat in my chair and I tried to encourage him to go shorter than he had originally planned and succeeded. I had a lot of practice at this because I knew that if a guy walked in with really, thick, long hair, often the likelihood of him cutting it shorter was definitely a strong possibility. I would do my best to encourage him to take the plunge and go for it.

I would close the shop from 1-2 o’clock and take a late lunch. I had a favorite restaurant only a block from the shop and I would go there and sit outside at one of the tables and just people watch. One thing about beach resort towns is that there are definitely a lot of young, good looking men and also several handsome older men as well.

I would watch guys go by and fantasize about what I would do to them if I could get them into my shop. I don’t know why I was so into hair but I can’t ever remember a time when I was not turned on by a guy with great hair.

I closed the shop at 6:00. Many days I would wander down to a bar that was on the beach to enjoy the sunset and people watch. On more than one occasion I met a guy and after hanging out for awhile, would end up with him sitting in my barber chair. These were actually the most fun times because I had orchestrated the entire scenario.

Being the peak of tourist season, the bar was really crowded. I was sitting at a small table just enjoying the time. I realized that practically every table was taken and soon it would be too crowded for my taste and that I would probably leave.

There was an empty chair at my table. I was lost in thought when all of a sudden I heard a deep, masculine voice ask, "Pardon me, is this seat taken?" I turned to tell him to go ahead and take it but when I saw how handsome he was, my mind immediately went into overdrive. "Sure, go ahead. It’s all yours. Have a seat if you’d like. The bar is really crowded tonight and there’s not much room to move around."

"Thanks," the guy responded and sat down. He really was striking. About my age, in good shape, handsome face, but it was the hair! My God, it was beautiful! It was long enough that it just touched his shoulders on the sides and was a few inches longer in the back. It was amazingly thick, one of the thickest that I had ever seen. He parted it perfectly down the middle and it hung in beautiful waves. The way it brushed his shoulders made him look even more sexy.

It was the color of his hair however that was the most beautiful thing about it. It was auburn with the most striking fiery highlights I had ever seen. Standing under a light or outside in the sun, his highlights would shine like a new copper penny. I had never seen a color anything like it before. God, it was glorious!

There were so many highlights that I at first thought they were not real, but as I got to look at them more and more I could tell they were natural. His hair was long enough to tie back in a ponytail but I think he really enjoyed all the attention he got with it just flowing down to his shoulders. He obviously was really into his hair.

My hair was nothing to sneeze at. It was sandy blond with really great highlights too, due to being at the beach so often. My hair was not quite as thick as this guy’s, but I definitely had a full head of hair. Think a square boxy flattop, only longer. I liked the length longer than a flattop but still liked the shape of one, seeing it squared up on the sides and back.

I kept the sides and back tapered short, leaving it a little over two to three inches long above my ears and then brushed it back. The top was probably between three to four inches long and I brushed it up and straight back and blended it into the sides. My hair had enough body that it would stand up and just stay that way all day. It was kind of an edgy haircut, long but boxy, but perfect for a place like Key West. I felt that a guy coming into my shop for the first time might be a little more daring and get a different haircut after seeing my hair, especially if he liked how it looked.

We continued to talk for awhile, just the typical tourist conversation that I have had with so many people. The guy said that his name was Eric. He was from Syracuse and was here on a two week vacation. "I like the atmosphere of this place," he said, "but it seems really hard to meet people. Everyone seems to travel in pairs. Traveling alone gets old fast. That’s why I really appreciated you offering me to have a seat."

"No problem," I said. "I like meeting people from all over the country. Many come back every year and I look forward to seeing them again." We continued talking, realizing that we were both comfortable around each other and having a good time.

As it started getting dark, I finished my drink and asked Eric if he would be interested in going out to eat. "I’d like to take you to a place where the locals go. It"s off the beaten path so you don’t find many tourists and it really represents to me the "real" Key West."

"Sure, that would be great." Eric replied. "I’ve eaten alone every night that I have been here so it will be great to actually have someone to talk with while eating." We paid our tab and started heading out for dinner.

If you have been to Key West, you know that you can walk just about anywhere. Many people rented bicycles rather than a car because it just wasn’t needed. We had to pass my barbershop on the way to the restaurant and that’s when I decided to try my luck at getting Eric one step closer to getting the haircut I wanted to give him.

"My barbershop is just ahead. Would you mind if I stepped inside and changed my shirt? I really don’t like wearing a tanktop out to dinner. We could also have another drink before we go to dinner, that’s if you’re not in a hurry."

"No rush. I’m having a great time." Eric said.

I opened the door to the shop and turned on the lights. I had spent a great deal of time getting this place to look exactly the way I wanted, an old time barbershop, but with an upgraded, modern look to it.

I was really proud of how it had turned out. I had changed the floors to Spanish tile and had replaced all the counters with granite. The walls were a tan color and there were mirrors on three walls so the customer could watch his haircut from all sides. I had track lighting installed so I could control how bright I wanted the lights to be.

My pride and joy however were the two barber chairs that I had. I had been extremely lucky to find a barber that was retiring and bought the chairs from him. Man, were they ever plush. The chairs were not identical. Both had thick, plush leather, however, one in deep red and one in deep blue. The chairs themselves were beautifully hand tooled with engravings around almost the entire chair. They were probably over a hundred years old and were in beautiful condition. "Wow, these are really something," Eric replied when he saw them.

"Come on in back and I’ll make us a drink and just grab another shirt." I said. Eric proceeded to follow me into the back. After making drinks I looked for a shirt to wear. As I pulled my shirt off over my head, I thought I caught an admiring look from Eric. I have to admit that was a quick rush. I thought that there was an attraction between us. Who knew how this evening could turn out, but it certainly looked promising!

We went back to the front of the shop. I turned on the sound system I had installed and we both sat in one of the barber chairs facing each other. Mirrors were surrounding us on three sides. It was a turn on being able to look at him and seeing his beautiful hair from many different angles. I had to be careful and not be too obvious about what I was doing.

"So, when was the last time you’ve been in a barbershop like this?" I asked him. "It doesn’t look like you go to one very often," I laughed.

"Oh, it has to be at least over two years since I’ve been in an actual barbershop," Eric said. "I ended a long term relationship around that time. I just never felt like getting my haircut after that. Before I knew it, it was pretty long and I really liked the way it looked so I’ve continued letting it grow out longer."

"Being a barber, you can probably tell that I’m really into my hair. I don’t think I’ll let it grow much longer because I don’t think I want to deal with having to tie it back into a ponytail all the time. I mean, why have long hair if you brush it all back and no one can see it?"

I felt that this was the time to make my move. "Have you always worn your hair with it parted down the middle?" I asked. "You said you were really into your hair and that’s understandable because it is so great. I can’t imagine any guy not being envious of your hair, no matter how good their’s looks. If I were you, I would be changing my hairstyle all the time."

"You are also totally right, a barber is certainly into hair, especially great hair like yours. I’d really like to brush your hair and see what it looks like being brushed back instead of parted. I think having the top standing up more and brushing back the sides will make your hair look fuller and really show off your highlights more. They are so beautiful and I think combing it like that will make them look even more striking. Would it be okay for me to do that or would that make you feel uncomfortable?"

"We’re both having a great time here so sure, go ahead." he said. "I’ve always had a love affair with my hair, especially the highlights and felt too vain to say anything about them to anyone, but with you being a barber, I don’t feel vain talking about them at all. I love my highlights more than anything. If they can stand out even more that would be totally awesome! If you think you can do that, then go for it. I love having my hair brushed too and its been a long time since anyone has done that. Being able to watch in the mirror is an added plus. How about if you dim the lights just a little and then let’s see what you can do?"

When he said to dim the lights a little that caused me to hope that this could really be an incredible evening. "If you’re up for it, I’d like to first start by washing your hair, getting rid of the sweat from the heat and the salt from the air, and then use my blowdryer and brush it all back and show you how different you will look."

"You’re totally in charge so just go ahead and do whatever you want to do."

I took Eric to the back room again where I had a barber chair that I leaned back over the sink to wash hair. I placed all his long beautiful locks into the bowl. I ran my hands through his hair a little before I wet it down. It felt glorious running my hands through it, grabbing little handfuls and giving them a playful pull. From the sounds coming from Eric, I could tell that he was enjoying this too.

After finishing washing his hair, I sat him up, towelled it off, and then taking a wide tooth comb, combed any tangles out. His hair was so wonderful that I did not want this to end and by this time I had determined that the sexual vibe going on between us was getting stronger so I thought I’d be a little more aggressive and see where it went. I so desperately wanted to rip the clothes off this man, but knew I had to behave because I just had to cut his hair!

I finished using the blowdryer, brushing all his hair straight up and back. I couldn’t believe how high it stood on top and I had not even used any type of product. Being almost dry, I then took some product and ran it through all his hair causing it to stand up even more. It really looked hot! I then finished drying it and once I had it combed perfectly in place, I asked him what he thought."

"I can’t believe how great it looks and how much different I look and you didn’t even cut it. You are certainly right. The highlights shine even more than they did before! I absolutely love it!"

"One great thing about brushing your hair back is that when you do decide to cut it, just pull it back like this and then see how much you want to take off. I’d recommend keeping the top longer because it is so beautiful. I think once you actually do go ahead and start cutting it shorter, you’ll really like that with the sides and top standing up even more, those highlights you love will stand out even more. Just keep that in mind whenever you do decide to cut it." I said.

"I want to do it and I want you to do it now!" Eric exclaimed. That was definitely not the response I had expected. It was what I had fantasized about, but never thought would actually happen. This guy had such tremendous hair that I couldn’t believe he would cut it in the heat of the moment.

"Man, you know I would love to cut your hair more than anything but are you sure this is really something you want to do? I don’t want it to be the alcohol talking or you doing something so drastic on the spur of the moment that you will regret it tomorrow." As much as I wanted to cut his hair, Eric was a nice guy and I didn’t want him to do something that he would regret. "How short are you thinking about having me cut it?" I asked.

"I really like the way your hair is cut. Actually I’ve been thinking for the past few months now that I was ready for a change with the hair. I like all the different ways it can look while growing it out, but once it is long, it basically doesn’t look much different from then on. Could you cut my hair like yours?"

I thought that I was going to drop dead right on the spot! "Definitely! I can’t wait to do it and I honestly think it is going to look extremely hot! Do you really want me to go ahead and do it because you have no idea how badly I would like to cut it."

"I’m ready," Eric said. "Give me a haircut just like yours!" Eric was already facing the mirror and his hair was perfectly in place and ready to be cut, so I wasted no time in caping him up.

"I’m going to take my time doing this because I’m really going to enjoy it. I get to cut some great hair quite often, but I don’t think many compare to yours. I also think you’re going to enjoy watching this. You aren’t going to believe how different you are going to look."

I started with my scissors and began on his left side, sectioning off a strand with my comb and then cutting off at least five inches of hair. I kept sectioning off strands on the back and sides, removing over five inches with each chop. It was just wonderful watching all his precious locks come off!

I decided to leave the top and front alone for now and tackle them separately later. "How are you doing so far? Any regrets?" I asked Eric.

"Oh man, this is a total rush, but I’m really enjoying it. I’ve never done anything like this before and I’m ready for it! I’m really excited to see how it’s going to end up because it already looks so good!" Eric said.

"Great ready for the next step then," as I reached for my clippers to begin to taper up the sides and back. "When was the last time you had clippers used on your head? I’ll bet it’s been awhile."

"I can’t remember the last time, but I remembered dreading it, but now I can’t wait to see how it’s going to look!"

I placed the #2 guard on the clippers and starting at the back of his neck ran them up about halfway to the crown. I continued cutting his hair short up to the top of his ears, leaving it about three inches long above the ears, giving me plenty of hair for me to work with when I was ready to blend it into the top.

I then brushed the top of his hair all straight back again. I combed the front straight up and held the precious locks between my fingers. It was probably close to 10 inches long! I took my scissors and leaving about five inches on top, cut off about five inches. Seeing all that thick hair falling into his lap at one time made me think that both of us were going to explode! Nothing sexual had been even mentioned between us, but there was no doubt that both of us were definitely feeling really charged up.

I continued combing his hair back, taking off about five inches the entire time. I then proceeded to blend the entire top into the sides. It ended up having the square, boxy look like I had, only I had left his hair on top slightly longer. Due to its slight curl and thickness, I wanted to show off his highlights as much as I could. The highlights looked amazing! I hated to admit it but I liked his hair even more than mine and I loved my hair. One part of me wished that I could play with his hair every day and another part was glad that I was not going to have to be envious of his hair every time I saw him.

"Well, what do you think of the finished result?" I asked him.

"I love it! I can't believe how it looks! I told you that I had been thinking about cutting my hair, but I can’t believe that I actually went ahead and did it! And you were right, the highlights stand out even more when brushed up, instead of just laying flat on my head! This is definitely going to be a vacation that I will never forget!"

"I hope that while you’re here for the rest of your vacation that you will sit in my chair again and let me play with that hair of yours. It is still long enough to comb into different styles and it would be fun to see how different it can look. We should take pictures!"

"That would be great! You have really made my vacation something that I'm always going to remember. I'm really psyched about how my hair looks! It's definitely something that I needed doing!" I'm so glad I asked you if that empty seat at your table was taken."

"I'm really not all that hungry after what we just did. My hotel is just a few blocks from here. How would you like to come back with me and brush my hair some more? It’s too early for the evening to end and I’d love to have you do that. I’d also enjoy brushing your hair too because it really is beautiful. Do you like having someone brush your hair? I think you probably do, because I think you’re into hair as much as I am."

"I’d like that very much. Let me just turn off the lights and let’s get out of here!"

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