Stories from my chair: Eirik's makeover by Kingfordian22

---

It was a quiet Wednesday afternoon. It had been 3 weeks since I'd opened "The Mens Grooming Lounge" and It was a roaring success. However this afternoon business was slow. I had an appointment coming in soon, but at the moment I had the only empty chair in the whole shop.

Just after 3 pm my appointment arrived. I heard the door open and I turned around. A man had walked in. He had long dark golden locks that reached just below his shoulder blade which were fluttering in the breeze coming through the open door. Behind him a woman with brown hair also walked in. He put his arm around her. I went to greet them.

He swept his long forelock out of his face. It revealed his sky blue eyes.

"Hi, I'm Matt. Welcome!" I greeted them.

"Hi. I'm Eirik, this is my girlfriend Lauren" he said. He had a thick accent which I couldn't quite place. "Am I too early?" he asked.

"No not at all. Come and take a seat" I said gesturing to my chair. I also brought a chair over for Lauren to sit while I cut Eirik's hair.
Eirik sat down and I caped him up. "It's been over a year since I was underneath one of these... back in Norway. So forgive me if I seem a bit nervous. I'm a little nervous about entrusting my hair with someone new... no offence." he said.

Lauren at that point spoke up. "Eirik is from Norway originally. We've been together for a year long distance but he moved here a month ago to live with me. So I thought I'd give him a new look for a fresh start in a new country. I'm in charge of the makeover by the way" she added.

I never understood the concept of these types of makeovers. Why women often felt the need to give their boyfriend's makeovers when they first get together and why they actually insist on deciding how their boyfriend looks. In my mind a grown man should be able to decide how he looks. And after all shouldn't it be what they're like on the inside that counts? It just happened to be a bonus that Lauren had scored herself a Nordic stud for a boyfriend. And those golden locks... so long and copious. The way the sunlight that shone through the front windows reflected on them. He was obviously very proud of his hair as it was well looked after. I began combing the golden locks which I could see Eirik was finding very enjoyable. The smile on his face said it all. Or maybe he just had a cheerful personality.

"So what are we doing today?" I asked

Eirik spoke up... "Well to be honest I've always wanted to go darker and put highlights in it and maybe you could trim it a little. Just to the...."
Lauren interrupted. "Umm.. I'm supposed to be directing the makeover" she said.

She passed me a piece of paper. "Here's what I want you to do" she told me.
I looked at it. I was shocked. "Are you sure?" I asked her .
"Ah... do whatever it says... I'm game for it" Eirik said.

I paused for a moment and took a look at Eirik's reflection in the mirror. I could see he was admiring the long locks with pride. I think he was catching a final glimpse of his former self.

I went over to my drawer and pulled out a pair of clippers. I attached the number 2 blade and plugged them in. I could see Eirik had noticed them and there was an anxious look on his face. It was understandable, he'd obviously taken years to grow his beautiful golden mane and I doubt he had felt the clippers in years... if at all.

I picked up a comb and combed out the long forelock and grabbed the clippers. I saw the tense look on his face. I told him to relax. I lifted the clippers onto the top of the comb and glided it along. A few seconds later the long forelock fell onto the cape to the shock of a open-mouthed Eirik.

"So Norway huh?... you prefer it there in the cold or you like it here?" I asked.
"I miss it a little. But I have Lauren here so it makes it better for me" he replied.
"I bet the heat here can get a bit hard to handle when you have so much hair" I said.

He chuckled. "It does. But having grown it for so long now, I find it hard to part with it, if you know what I mean...." he replied
"Of course it wasn't as much of a problem in Norway, where the weather was much cooler and my hair provided me with warmth. But of course here it can get rather hot underneath it all. But I've been reluctant to cut it as it is one of the things I take the most pride in. It's a lot of work, but I manage" he continued.

Now I felt rather sorry for Eirik. I realised the next few minutes would likely be very hard for him. After all he'd been shocked when he saw his forelock lying lifeless on the cape. And now he had revealed to me how proud he was of his long golden locks. And he had no idea exactly what I was planning to do with his hair. All he knew was clippers were involved and was likely to mean a lot of his hair would come off. Just how much would come off exactly... he was unaware of. But I could tell he was resigning to the fact he would not be leaving with his long locks.

The sooner I got started... the sooner the suspense would be over for Eirik so I offered him a glass of water, which he gladly accepted and flashed that trademark smile of his. "Thank you" he said. I wondered if he'd still be thanking me after I had administered his makeover or if it would be enough to send him packing his bags and returning home to Norway.

I picked up the clippers and turned them on. They whirred to life. I wondered when was the last time Eirik had heard the sound of this machine near his head or if ever. I placed them against his left temple and pushed back across the left side of his head. A mass of Eirik's golden tresses rained down onto the cape and the floor. The hair on the left side of his head was disappearing fast and the mounds of golden locks continued to grow.

Despite the transformation he was undergoing, the cheerful smile on his face still remained. He looked content with his makeover so far. But at the same time I remember he has only just begun to see the transformation take place and that anything could change. I was clippering his pride and joy after all. I can imagine these locks are a part of his identity and I felt sorry for him that he had no power to speak up if he had a problem with it and Eirik would be used to the liberal ways of his homeland so having no say in something that was a part of him must be hard. But I took his smile as a sign of contentment with the situation and continued to run the clippers along the side of his head. The once long locks on the left side of his head were now cut short to a quarter of an inch. I ran the clippers over it again. Just to even out the hair and I sensed Eirik might even be enjoying the feeling of the clippers.

"It's been years since I've ever felt clippers touch my head" he exclaimed'
"When was the last time?" I asked.
"During my national service. That was 7 years ago. It is also the last time I had short hair" he replied
"I grew it once I completed national service... so for the last 6 years I've had long hair and apart from annual trims I've never cut it. But I would only trim 4 inches at the most. It has never been shorter than just above my shoulders in that time. So this haircut is a bit different for me. I usually like my hair on the longer side you see" he explained.

"Sometimes it's good to try something new" I told him. Trying to settle any doubts he had about the haircut.
He didn't answer.

Now I moved to cutting the hair on the back of Eirik's head. These were the last few seconds in which Eirik would feel the copious long tresses on the back of his head. "Hold it..." he said as he saw me bringing the clippers closer to his nape. "I just want to feel it... one last time" he said quietly. Lifting his hand out from underneath the cape which sent a pile of the hair that had gathered on the cape sliding down onto the floor, he reached for the back of his head, running his hands through the long locks, savoring the feeling as he realised it would be some time before he'd be able to do so again. He stroked them, feeling their length before asking me for a hand mirror so he could see just how long they had gotten. I gave him one and held it up so he could see the reflection of the back of his head in the mirror with a spectacular view of his prized locks. He admired them before giving me the thumbs up to proceed with cutting.

I placed the clippers at the bottom of his nape and pushed up the back of his head, sending the long locks showering down like streamers to the floor. Eirik could see them being stripped away and I could see the transformation was beginning to take its toll on him. Whilst his locks were falling to the floor I'd noticed the cheerful Norwegian smile on his face had disappeared, replaced by a sombre look on his face that showed he was not entirely pleased to saying goodbye to the hair he had been growing and caring for with such love and pride for the last 6 years. I myself was stunned at how dramatic of a transformation this actually was and I wondered why Lauren would do this to Eirik if she knew how proud he was of his beautiful hair. And it was beautiful hair after all... it was a shame to see it lying on the floor.

Once the back was done I proceeded to do the right side of his head. As I placed the clipper against Eirik's right temple and pushed backwards as a mass of hair slid down into Eirik's lap I noticed a tear sliding down his face. I wondered if Lauren had noticed it too. It seemed she had.

"You ok darling?" she asked concerned.
Eirik wiped the tear from his eye and said "yes love, it's just a shock that's all... I wasn't expecting to lose so much of it".
"You said you were game" she reminded him.
"I know I did... and I still am, but still when you had hair as long as this and you suddenly have hair this short without knowing prior to it, than of course it is going to be a shock to me. I've had long hair for so long. It's a big change. But I love you enough to give up my long hair if that's what you want" he replied.

You had to admire his bravado. I don't think I could do the same if it were me in his position. To give up that beautiful hair, Eirik must really have something special with her. And it was the symbol of Eirik starting a new life over here. I must admit, Eirik seemed to suit short hair just as much as he suited his long golden locks. His chiseled Nordic features were beginning to become more noticable too and slowly that smile of his was creeping back.

As the final locks from the side of his head tumbled onto the floor with a thud Eirik got his first glance of the amounts of hair that had already been cut off his head. "I can't believe how much of it has gone!" he exclaimed. He picked up a shorn lock from the cape and held it up in the air in front of him. The look of disbelief that this long lock was now lifeless was evident.

Now came the final bit, and most likely... the part of the haircut which would shock Eirik the most. I placed my clippers at the top of Eirik's forehead directly on the hairline. I saw Eirik flash an uneasy look at Lauren. "Relax Eirik... you'll look great" she said.

I began to push the clipper directly backwards through the centre of Eirik's head. A horrified Eirik stared in disbelief as a mound of his golden locks tumbled onto the floor leaving a strip of quarter-inch long hair in its wake. Eirik realised he was losing it all. I noticed another tear come down his cheek. But he didn't look entirely miserable either... more shocked at the drastic new look than anything else. But still he was smiling.

I gave another swipe with the clippers. More hair tumbled to the floor and the cape. As did more with the third swipe. I continued this until I'd cut the top of his head. After evening in out, I outlined the edges before switching off my clippers. I then brushed the stray hairs off Eirik who was rather appreciative, before removing the cape. sending the piles of hair collected on the cape raining down onto the floor below. A massive pile of golden hair littered the floor underneath the chair. It was an incredible amount.

Now the makeover was complete. Eirik had been transformed for a new life in a new country. The long golden locks, his pride and joy which were 6 years worth of growth now lay on the floor of the shop. Eirik had a short number 2 buzz cut all over and I must say he looked great! The short hair really suited him!

"Well what do you think Eirik?" I asked him.

"It's gone...." he whispered.
"Aww... darling do you hate it?" Lauren asked. She sensed him pining for the long locks that he was so proud of. "Your hair grows fast anyway so you can grow it back eventually if you like. I just think it looks good on you. Are you mad at me? Do I need to book you on the next flight to Oslo?" she said.

He laughed, flashing that smile of his. "Not at all" he said.
"I loved my long hair, but I really like this haircut! It feels so different, but I'll get used to it. I could always grow it back but the question is do I want to!.." he said, rubbing his buzzed head.

"That feels amazing! I can't believe this!" he grinned.

"Thank you so much Matt" Eirik said to me.
"You're welcome Eirik.... I hope to see you again" I told him.
"I'm sure you will.... I am in need of a place to get my haircut here... I can't go to my regular hairstylist in Norway anymore so I needed to find someone new over here. You'll definately be seeing me again! I don't know when though.... depends on how I feel about this" he said pointing to the new haircut.

Lauren rubbed his buzz as they walked out of the shop together. I immediately began sweeping up the long locks that were once Eirik's golden mane. I hoped I would see Eirik again as he was an interesting client to work on....

SIX WEEKS LATER:
The door to the shop opened and who walked in.... none other than Eirik himself. In the six weeks since I'd cut his hair it had grown into a long fauxhawk. Eirik hadn't been kidding when he said his hair grew quickly.

"EIRIK!" I greeted him warmly.... like an old friend.
"You got time to tend to this?" he asked whilst running his hand through his hair.
"Sure! I have time. You weren't kidding about your hair growing fast you know! Of course I can fit you in" I told him.
"Thank you so much... you know I may have felt a little sad at first after the haircut last time.... but now I have decided I like it. It is perfect for me at the moment. And Lauren loves it" he said.

"Well come and sit in my chair then" I said, caping him up.
"Go shorter this time... I want to go shorter... I got such a good feeling from the last one, I want to give it a try"
I put the #1 attachment on my clippers and raised it to his hairline... I pushed back.

---