The Cutter Blade #5 - Will Wins a Bet by Manny

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There was a lot of excitement and apprehension onboard as the training cutter Blade prepared to dock in Port Superior. Commander Jarvis' first priority was to march Michael McChesney down the gang plank and turn him over to his preening father. The brat's naval career was over before it even started.

Of course, Commander Jarvis was open to a bit of a negotiation over the lad remaining aboard, but it would cost the self-absorbed man whose nicely brushed executive coif and fancy threads seemed so important to him....

Meanwhile, Josh was prepping his two lads for what they could expect at the barbershop in Port Superior and how they should act.

"The most important thing is to sit still in the barber's chair. Don't mouth off. Be obedient and responsive to the barber's instructions! I will do the talking," Josh emphasized.

His eye locked onto the vast accumulation of soft brown curls that doubled the size of Caleb's head. It was an impressive head of hair that commanded a lot of attention.

Josh couldn't resist. He grabbed Caleb by his hair and gave it a firm tug.

"I was admiring Eddie's induction cut at breakfast yesterday. Shaved to the bone! That would be one way to deal with this sissy hair," Josh taunted.

"Please, not like that. He looks like a convict or someone getting chemo," Caleb implored.

"What's with all this hair anyways?" Josh asked as he plied his fingers deeper into the mop of hair.

"It makes me stand out and be noticed," the lad replied honestly.

"Well, that's exactly what we do NOT want on this training cutter. We are a CREW! That's why it's called a CREWCUT! And that's what you're getting, Caleb!" Josh said with an air of finality in his voice.

Then he looked at the other lad who would be getting shorn in Port Superior.

Brant was a tall, muscular fellow with a very mature, square jaw and imposing nose. You could tell he'd spent a lot of time in the gym -- a perfect specimen of nature enhanced by regular workouts. He was actually taller than Josh and could easily dominate him by force. He had coarse dark brown hair that hung in a casual, sexy shag. It was much too long for navy standards, but not as overgrown as the other lads' hair.

Josh altered his tone with Brant. "And, what about you, fellow?"

"I thought you made the decisions," Brant replied in a cool, detached tone.

"I could. But, you seem to be a nice guy. What would you prefer?" Josh asked.

"It really doesn't matter. Crewcut, induction cut, high 'n tight, flattop....you seem determined to have us all shorn to some harsh military length. So, I'm not going to give you the pleasure of minding one bit. Caleb there begging not to get an induction cut...that won't be me," Brant said as if he could care less. He exuded sexuality and manliness.

Josh was developing a crush on the buff lad.

"Well, perhaps the barber will have some ideas," Josh replied, somewhat flummoxed at the unexpected reaction.

Then, he blurted out, "You do have such nice hair."

Instantly, Josh's face reddened and he felt embarrassed to have revealed his secret admiration.

"Maybe you'd like to grab it a bit, like you did to Caleb's curls," Brant cooed in an almost mocking way.

Josh didn't know what to do -- he desperately wanted to play with Brant's hair but he knew he was making an ass of himself.

Then, he could no longer resist the invitation and decided to do to Brant exactly as he'd done to Caleb.

"All right then," he said, grasping a shank of Brant's brown hair and tugging it softly.

Brant seemed submissive.

It emboldened Josh to order Caleb, "Go brush those tangled curls one last time! I don't want that rats' nest clogging up the barber's clippers."

After the curly lad left, Josh's fingers continued fondling and stroking Brant's shaggy locks.

Brant asked, "Are you having fun? Maybe, this evening, you'll invite me to your cabin."

Josh shivered with delight at the thought.

"Everyone will know that I'm your pet when I get a very light trim at the barber shop. If you leave it lush and full, you can amuse yourself with it in the evenings, just like you're doing now," Brant said in a suave, soothing voice. "Imagine us in your cozy berth and you playing with my hair."

"We're supposed to have it cut to a military length..." Josh stammered.

"But, you won't be doing that with my hair," Brant said as he suddenly began to manhandle Josh and quickly pinned him to the ground like a professional wrestler. His strong body was no match for Josh who did not even attempt a struggle. He towered over the subdued senior cadet and flexed his muscles.

"Okay, I'll have the barber give you a trim!" Josh agreed.

Brant smile triumphantly. He liked having his superior groveling before him. After lights out, he'd have Josh on his knees entertaining him.

As soon as the boat arrived in port and docked, Commander Jarvis was beside himself. Michael's father was nowhere to be seen. Instead there was a message from the port authority.

"He called and left this message for me, 'Important business will delay my arrival in Port Superior until the late afternoon!' Can you believe that? What could be more important than his son?" Commander Jarvis fumed.

Josh left the Blade with Caleb and Brant in tow, heading to the Port Superior Barber Shop.

The small shop closest to the dock simply said "Barber Shop" on the window. Chipped white paint on its exterior looked as if it had always been there. It wasn’t exactly run down, but it was well worn. The single barber had recently taken over the shop from his father. Will was 35 years old, muscular and masculine. He kept his hair is a very short Ivy League. Nearly skin on the sides, and snipped down to an inch at most on top. Intense dark eyes with thick well-formed eyebrows dominated his handsome face. At only 5’8" he was still imposing with well-formed arms and pecs. Like Brant, clearly this young barber took care of his body.

The sleepy town kept his chair full, but not overwhelmed. He usually had a slow but steady stream of shaggy heads needing to be shorn. And he was happy to oblige. The chair was old and throne-like, but had recently been reupholstered in a deep maroon vinyl. It was set squarely in front of the large plate glass window so the caped client could watch the busy harbor dock activity.

As one entered the shop, an old church pew was pushed up against the wall. It could seat eight comfortably, but it was never full. Across from the pew was the cutting station. When the chair was unoccupied, the worn cotton cape was neatly folded over the arm of the barber chair. The linoleum floor had a semi-circle worn where the barber and his father had shuffled their feet for years. The counter was littered with various tonsorial tools that glistened in the sunlight spilling through the window. A jar of candy for the well-behaved boys who sat nicely for their haircuts. A stack of worn but clean towels, and a few extra haircut capes folded neatly to be used when needed. Below, a handful of powerful clippers hung from mix matched hooks in the counter. Three different pairs of Oster clippers and two different kinds of edgers. A tangle of cords met at the old power outlet near the floor.

Any given day would result in a small mountain of hair swept over to the side under the window. Large clumps signifying a major transformation were piled around smaller "maintenance" clippings. This shop saw it all. Short tidy parted cuts, practical clipper cuts, and some more extreme military cuts. It appeared that none of the men in town wore their hair any longer than two inches on top, either their actual preference, or the result of a barber who wasn’t timid with his clippers. Anyone new to town or just passing through would invariably walk out looking like a well barbered local. Barber Will clearly thought long hair belonged on the floor, and all men looked better tightly clipped. He always looked forward to the arrival of the training cutter Blade.

The door swung open and Josh followed the lads in.

"Morning, Will. I have two heads for you to shear this morning. Curly Sue is first under the cape," Josh said, taking control.

Will's eyes blazed with delight -- first at the huge mop of curls ripe for the harvest and then at the buff, muscular cadet who looked a lot like himself at a younger age.

"Same haircut for both?" the barber asked as he motioned for Caleb to take a seat in the big barber chair.

"Should they?" Josh asked. "I was thinking perhaps we might let Brant off lightly. He's a very decent, respectful fellow, and I appreciate that."

"A bit of eye candy too," the barber added with a twinkle. "I mean for the ladies! He should be considering a career in the movies, not the navy."

Brant flicked his coarse brown hair to the side in a cool cat manner and shot a glance at Josh.

Josh felt very torn -- knowing his duty to see Brant shorn but wanting to win favor with him.

Will pulled the cape tightly around Caleb's neck and fastened it with a large metal clip.

"Let's take these off," he said, pulling the boy's trendy glasses from his face and setting them on the counter. "Glasses come off first, then the curls come off. All of them!"

"Give him a basic crewcut," Josh instructed the barber.

"You know, I don't know what's gotten into parents these days!" Will said, observing the bush in front of him. "How could anyone allow such a mass of hair to grow unchecked."

He grabbed a set of shears and started whacking away at the curls. Having fun. Chopping and tossing them about.

Brant was cracking up in the waiting area. He felt so sure his own glossy mane would be spared the ravishes of Barber Will.

"Remember, for your pet cadet, just a light trim," he whispered in Josh's ear.

"The barber there is a demon with the clippers. He doesn't let anyone out of his chair with much length," Josh said trying to prepare Brant for any sort of outcome.

"I think I can work on him the way I did with you," Brant replied, oozing confidence.

After the haphazard chopping ended and Caleb had been thoroughly humiliated by the farce haircut, Will snapped on the Osters.

"One short crewcut, coming up!" he announced.

Will handled the cadet's head like a sternest marine barber, snapping it this way and that as shave off the remnants of the bushy curls. The amount of hair falling to the cape and the floor was astonishing.

Caleb remembered the instructions to sit still and submissive. He hoped it would earn him a little favor and that he might retain a little length.

"Do you want any length left in front on him?" the barber asked Josh. "Perhaps a sassy little bumper?"

Caleb's eyes light up, "Oh, that would be...."

"I wasn't asking you, kid!" the barber smirked.

"No, buzz it off," Josh laughed.

Instantly, the bangs were gone. Caleb was left with the shortest of crew cuts.

When the cape came off, the curls collected on the floor in mounds.

"It's time for my break now," the barber said with a sly grin on his face. "Josh, you take Baldy Sue back to the boat. This other fellow can stay here and keep me company."

"But, I need to...." Josh stammered.

"I'm closing the shop for 15 minutes and I suggest you do as I say, or your second cadet won't get any haircut. How will you explain that to your grumpy Commander?" Will snapped.

Josh left the shop reluctantly with Caleb in tow feeling his new stubble.

Brant smirked as the barber closed the door. He knew he was reeling in a second admirer with his hot looks.

The barber rifled through his drawer and found the pack of cigarettes he was looking for.

"Should I lower the blinds so you can have your privacy during the break?" Brant asked.

"Sure," Will replied. "I normally just relax in the big chair -- recline it and take a bit of a catnap. Do you smoke?"

The barber offered a cigarette to the cadet who was eager to accept. Will leaned in very close -- much closer than necessary -- as he lit it for Brant.

Then he tussled the lad's shaggy locks a bit.

"I've never had any of the senior cadets tell me to go easy on the scrubs," Will said, referring to what Josh had said earlier.

"Maybe because there's never been a cadet like me before," Brant purred.

"I can see that," Will replied, feeling his groin surge. "How old are you? You seem more mature than the little frightened things they normally drag in here."

"Nineteen, going on twenty. After high school I trained for the Olympics. But, an injury kept me from making the team, and that was that," Brant said as he casually flicked his long hair back.

Will reached over and pushed Brant's forelock back, carefully tucking it behind his ear, in a caring way.

"Hmmmm, just a trim. Long and full. That's not my normal way of doing things. I haven't given a scissors cut since barber college," Will said.

Then he asked, "You don't like the length of my hair? You don't find me manly?"

It was Brant's turn to get handsy with Will's tight ivy. Brant enjoyed exploring the skinned sides and grasping the scant inch on top.

"It's a perfect look for you. It could work for me too. It's just that I rather liked the idea of all the other cadets getting shorn and me still tossing my locks about after visiting the barber," Brant explained.

Then the barber asked, "Do you like to gamble?"

"How did you guess?" Brant replied, his eyes lighting up as he took a big drag on the cigarette.

"Let's put these locks on the line. I'm going to flip a coin. Heads you win. You get a gentle trim and then you give me a blow job. Tails you lose. Your hair is cut to my length, and I give you a blow job. That way there's something for you, either way, win or lose," Will suggested.

Brant smiled. He was certainly game for a little sexual fun.

"You're my kind of guy. But, I want to win big! Let's do it like this. Heads, I win -- gentle trim and you give me a blow job. Tails, I lose - shorn to your length and I give you a blow job."

"You're on!" Will exclaimed, grasping the lad's hand and shaking it vigorously. "Let me put the 'closed' sign on the door. I'm taking the rest of the morning off!"

Will extinguished his cigarette and took out a coin. "Ready? Catch!"

The coin flew high, and Brant caught it. He turned it over.

"TAILS!" the barber laughed. "You lose! And you lose BIG"

Brant's face blanched momentarily. Then a surge of excitement filled him. He ran his fingers through his long mane. He was looking forward to both activities!

"I may end up liking it," he laughed. "Short haircut...and the after-action! They will both be new experiences for me. I've always been on the receiving end of haircuts, but...."

Both men chuckled, both hot with anticipation.

"Okay, fellow! Hop up in the chair! I wasn't wild about giving you a trim. The tight ivy is going to suit you much better, I am sure!" Will exclaimed.

Brant was a bundle of excitement as Will fastened the cape around him. Every touch of the barber's hand added to his pleasure.

Will took his time brushing and smoothing the lustrous shag. "Let's enjoy and admire this nice hair one last time."

Then he combed the fringe straight down. It hung just below Brant's eyes.

Brant could hear the barber shears getting primed. Then, he felt a cold blade slip beneath the veil of hair. It was high on his forehead.

"This is my favorite part of dramatic makeovers," Will announced before the blades clamped shut on the dense fringe.

SNIP, SNIP, SNIP.

The forelock fell to the cape. Brant smiled awkwardly as Will teased him about the very short bangs.

"Let's go even shorter!" he laughed.

SNIP, SNIP, SNIP.

Now there was virtually no fringe at all.

Beneath the cape, a tall tent pole was being erected. Brant imagined himself thanking the barber, kneeling on a padding of cut hair. He couldn't wait to please the stud barber. He would leave no doubt about how grateful he was for the makeover.

The clippers whirled to life. Will pushed Brant's head forward into a submissive position.

"Off with his shag!" the barber announced as the #1 blade hit the lush mass of hair at Brant's nape.

The barber's hand was firm and authoritative as he clipped off the shanks of dark, coarse hair. It fell away in heavy sheaves to the barber's feet, leaving a swath of stubble in its wake.

Brant groaned with delight, "I could sit here all day."

"But you have your own services to perform in a few minutes," Will reminded him.

Will decided to make Brant's ivy tight. He thought how fun it would be to stroke the freshly shorn head as he enjoyed his reward post-haircut.

"How short are you cutting it?" Brant asked.

Will let him sit up straight to see.

"Yikes!" the cadet yelped. "Is anything going to be left?"

"Not much," Will laughed. "Without all the hair, people can concentrate more fully on your handsome face."

With a clipper-over-comb, Will took down the remaining length on top to a very short length. The only bit longer than half inch was a tiny clump in front, in Brant's pronounced widow's peak.

Will took the duster to him and tickled him all over his face, ears, and neck.

"Well?" the barber asked, showing off his handiwork.

"Looks like I'm headed for a military career," Brant laughed.

The cape was removed very slowly.

"But, before you enroll in Annapolis, there's the rest of your lost wager to settle..." Will reminded the shorn cadet.

Brant emerged from the chair eager to excel in the task and fell to his knees amid the carpet of cut hair.

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