A visit with Pate and Jack Part II by P.J.

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Jack had finished conditioning and rinsing Charlies plush mane. He wrapped his head in a towel and escorted him back out front. He gestured for Charlie to sit in the other barber chair. "I’ll get you partially dried, and combed out" he said smiling.

Charlie was going to get an up close and personal look at Pete cutting Patricks’ hair too.

Pete was just getting started. Patricks’ hair was damp, combed out, and center parted. Charlie watched, shocked, as Pete snipped Patricks’ almost collarbone length fringe back to just under the bottom of his eyes in the center of his face. Only in the center though. Pete proceeded to angle the rest of the fringe down as he cut toward the side, then kept angling all the way around to the back. The snipped length in back was probably 2 or 3 inches below his nape.

Charlies’ expression changed from shock to cringe as he saw all the long thick locks falling into Patrick’s lap. He couldn’t tear his eyes away. God that was a lot of hair coming off. Granted he wasn’t being scalped but, wow. Charlie glanced fearfully at Jack as Jack was combing his mane out.

"Ah, not an induction cut this time eh Pete?" jack chirped.

"Finally, no," Pete replied. Starting down the other side, long thick locks raining down into Patrick’s lap again.

Patrick smiled grimly and added" thankfully no, not an induction cut, but still a huge change for me none the less."

"Man, wow, you got that right" Charlie murmured. "Did you ask for it to be cut that short?"

Patrick said" well, this is part me needing a shorter cut to keep it out of my eyes, and Part me going blindly on Pete’s recommendation. I’m kinda wondering at the moment, given the huge amount of hair in my lap, and the light feeling my head is getting."

Pete’s brows furrowed. "What, you doubt my ability to give you a shorter cut without being scalped? I can get the clippers out and show you what those induction cuts feel like it you want."

Patrick gulped audibly. "Uh, no, that’s O.K. Pete. Leave those clippers right where they are on their hook please. This will be quite short enough thank you!"

Pete proceeded to layer Patricks’ shorter locks all around. That took away the bob like look. He expertly shaved Patricks’ nape with the peanut clippers, and squared off his sideburns. "Now, Patrick, watch closely." He was rubbing a small amount of pomade between his hands." This is the secret to having this style look great" He started working the pomade through Patrick’s over long fringe, then the sides, and finally the back. "Now, you can just brush it back if its damp dry like this, or you could blow dry it too if you wanted. I’m going to hit it with the blow dryer just to show you what it looks like fully dry. Once dried, Pete brushed the top and sides toward the back. The fringe lay perfectly to the sides, out of Patricks’ eyes. The sides still pretty much covered his ears too.

Patricks’ face lit up with a big smile. As he watched Pete work in the big mirror. "Pete, this looks fantastic. Much shorter, but fantastic. OMG." He was turning his head from side to side. Pete held the big hand mirror behind him to show him how long the back still was.

"Now, shake your head from side to side, look down, then look up for me "Pete ordered.

Patrick did as ordered. When he looked in the mirror, he didn’t have any hair in his eyes or mouth. He just saw his plush well-cut locks perfectly in place again.

Pete unsnapped the cape, letting the huge mound of chestnut-colored locks slid off to the side onto the floor. Partick stood up and went closer to the mirror, running his hands over the fresh cut locks.

Pete, stood, waiting for Patrick to say something. "Well," he prompted. "Will that work for you?"

Patrick beamed, "Oh yeah Pete, this feels great. Thank you so much. I never thought I’d be thanking you and happy for cutting my long hair off but…This looks and feels great."

Patrick smiled warmly at Charlie and Jack and made his way to the cash register to pay Pete.

Charlie quietly said to Jack "wow. That’s so short. I’m not sure I want Pete to have free reign cutting my hair. I’d die if he cut it that short. I’m thinking of just having him do a maintenance trim and leaving it long now."

Jack chuckled. He’d just finished combing/brushing Charlie’s damp mane out. He’d deliberately gone nice and slow so he could prolong the touch time with those plush locks. "Charlie, I’m sure Pete told Patrick how he was going to cut his hair, before he started actually cutting. Just relax. Remember, I’m here too. I won’t let Pete scalp you."

Pete walked back, smiling. "O.K. Guys, last cut of the day. What are we thinking? I know you and Jack have been in heavy discussion while I took care of Patrick."

Jack looked at Charlie, silently urging him to speak. Charlie gulped. "UM, well, Pete, I er, I would like to do something different than just having long one length hair. I don’t want short hair though. Patricks’ cut was too short for me, let me just get that out there. I’m graduating, and starting a new job in a few weeks. They hired me with this mane and said I didn’t need to cut it for my job. I want a change to start life after school though. Do you have any suggestions for something different but long?"

Pete stepped in next to Jack. He ran his hands through Charlie’s hair, while watching in the big mirror. He played with finger combing it back, then tucking it behind Charlies ears. Jack could tell Pete was deep in thought. He didn’t get requests like this very often. Charlie, do you mind if I ask Jacks opinion too?"

Charlie smiled at Jack. "I’d really like to hear ideas from both of you so, sure, ask away."

Pete focused his sparkling eyes on Jacks eyes. Pete said. "How short is too short for you Charlie? Let’s start there. Do you still want enough length to tie it back? Or shorter than that but stay tucked behind your ears when you want it to?

Charlie thought for a couple of minutes. "Well, I’m not the biggest fan of man buns. I think at least to start, I’d like to be able to have a nice low classy pony tail. You know… I don’t want it gathered at my nape and just have this stub of hair below the tie. I’m not sure what a respectable length would be though. I haven’t been able to tuck it behind my ears for a while now. There’s just too much hair" he said. Giving Pete and Jack a wan smile.

Pete nodded and replied "well, let’s gather it at your nape, and see what a respectable length might be. We’ll start with that. Jack, how does that sound?

"Um, O.K. Uh, Charlie, which one of us do you want cutting it for you?" Jack said.

All eyes turned back to Charlie, giving him an inquisitive stare.

"Charlie looked at Pete." Pete, would you mind terribly if Jack cut it while you supervised?"

Pete’s brows shot up in surprise. "Ah, you told him you’ve been cutting hair then, eh Jack?"

Jack smiled demurely" well, yeah, it might have come up in conversation."

Pete replied, sure, "I’d love to watch Jack in action for a change. Give my digits a well-earned rest after today." Pete flexed his fingers and sighed.

Jack disappeared in the back for a minute, then emerged with a fresh smock on, looking all official like. Jack reporting for duty sir! He said finishing with a Cheshire cat grin.
Pete chuckled. "O.K. funny man, let’s see what we’re doing here."

Jack proceeded to gather Charlie’s mane at his nape with a clasp. He held the big hand mirror up so Charlie could see exactly what things looked like back there. "Hmm, Jack gathered the thick locks below the clasp and slid his hand down about 4 inches. I’m thinking here, Charlie, but you tell me, what do you think?" He also looked at Pete for confirmation.

Pete’s only comment was "Well, I guess there’ll be no drastic transformation cut here now huh" he snickered at both of them. "That’s not much of a change Charlie."

Charlie ignored the comment, moving his head a bit right, then left. "Well, I guess that would be O.K. Geeze, that’s shorter than I’ve had it since high school. You’re still going to cut better than 8 inches off it looks like. "He sighed, looking at Jack.

"OH, yeah, at least that" Jack confirmed. "I’d also suggest that we do some careful layering, so that when you wear it down, it isn’t just a blunt cut across. I might also vary the length from front to back too. That’ll give it a more masculine appearance.

Before Charlie could protest any more, Jack had shears in hand and was severing the thick bulk where they’d indicated. Jack held up the thick hank triumphantly. He put a band around the severed end and laid it on the counter ceremoniously. He ran his fingers into the newly shortened mane and fluffed it gently." well, how does that feel?"

Charlie gulped again. "Um, oh, God, it feels weird Jack. But, when I look at myself in the mirror, it looks the same as it did before."

Jack flipped the now shortened locks back over each shoulder, so they were still tucked behind Charlies’ ears, but now lay on his chest. "Hmm, does that look any different?"

Charlie sighed again. "Well, yeah, but it’s still my same long hair, just less of it. I guess I was just expecting to see more of a change is all."

Jack said" Ah, now I get where you’re going. Yes, it’s still just long hair. There’s not really any way to style it, you just wear it down, half tailed, pony tailed, or in a bun. Oh, and it’s still probably long enough to French braid" Jack chuckled.

Charlie sat and stared at himself. Jack was getting ready to brush it all back and finish the trim.

"Pete, you commented that it really wasn’t a change. What would you recommend I try?" Charlie said, looking inquisitively at Pete. "Keeping in mind that I don’t mind looking androgenous, and don’t want it cut short."

Pete stood next to Jack, both standing behind Charlie. He tugged and played with the plush locks for a minute. "You said you couldn’t wear it tucked behind your ears anymore because there was basically just too much hair to do that and have it stay, right? Would you like to wear it that way though?"

Charlie stared and thought. "You know, the other thing I miss is being able to run my hands through it and kind of play with it, while I think, then tuck it. I haven’t been able to do that for a couple of years at least."

Pete took a section of the hair that was tucked behind Charlies ears, on either side of Charlies face, He indicated a length. "I’d cut the front about here, so it will still tuck nicely behind your ears. Then I’d take weight out of the sides, and cut them shorter, maybe jawbone length, and drop down to a couple of inches longer in back, leaving a nice thick shank in the back, but with some careful layers. It’ll still be long hair, but it’ll have some style. You can play with the fringe when you think, tuck behind your ears, part it anywhere, and slick it back when you need to be more ah, put together if you will. It’s also not so short that if you don’t really like it, it’ll grow out in a reasonable amount of time. That’s what I’d do." Pete finished, smiling at Charlie.

" Wow, that’d be a real change Pete" Charlie replied. "Jack, do you think it would look O.K.? I don’t want it to look all thin and wispy after its layered. I really do like it nice and thick."

Jack ran his fingers through the thick locks." I think it’ll look fine. That’s quite a change though. Do you really want to try it?"

Charlie pondered for a minute or so." Well, my intent was to change it up a little, so far, we haven’t really changed it much. So…um, yeah, let’s do it. It’ll still be long enough to make my dad complain too." Charlie smiled at that thought.
Jack untucked the thick mane from behind his hear in the left side, he Brushed it all down, then sectioned a thick lock, right at the center parting, and at Charlies forehead. After tucking the rest back behind his ear again, Jack took the thick lock, giving it a nice drape along the side, and ticked it behind Charlie’s ear. He slid his fingers down to just where the hair touched Charlie’s shoulder. Pulling the lock back out, he snipped off what hung below his fingers and let it fall in Charlie’s lap. Charlie exhaled loudly as he watched 6 inches of blonde hair fall. "Ungh, God Jack, that’s a lot of length, what are you doing?"

Jack let the thick lock hang in front of Charlie’s face. He made sure Charlie was sitting straight up, looking straight ahead. He untucked the rest of the mane on the left side again, then doing a vertical parting from the top part, all the way down the side, just in front of Charlies ear. "Shhh, Shhh, this needs to be perfect, just be patient." Jack almost whispered to Charlie.

Jack snipped the lush locks from the long tip lock in the center of Charlies face, back to a point just below the bottom of Charlie’s ear. A continuous cascade of long locks was sliding down the cape into Charlie’s lap.

He made another vertical parting just behind Charlie’s ear this time. This section got cut straight at the bottom of Charlies ear. Then Jack did a little layering so it wasn’t all blunt cut. Jack cut the remaining portion of Charlies mane, from that last parting, all the way around to the center of the back of his head, starting at the bottom of his ear, and rounding down to about 3 inches below his nape. More thick locks falling. Jack tried to get as much a possible into Charlie’s lap. As he went around to repeat this process on the other side, Charlie Barked, "Jack, what the hell did you just do? There's SOOO much hair in my lap! Is there any left on my head? I still wanted to have long hair when you were done. Did you forget?"

Jack laughed and massaged Charlie’s shoulder gently. "Just relax, O.K.? This is still going to be long, no need to worry." He proceeded to repeat the process on Charlies right side.

Pete had a quizzical expression on his face, studying Charlies now somewhat unconventional cut. "Um, Jack… you aren’t going top leave it like that are you?"

"NO, of course not, it needs to be layered to get rid of the bluntness." He proceeded to layer the ends of the front and back sections, just a little. He wanted to keep the thick heavy look and feel.

Charlie’s fringe, while still quite long, was cut in a deep v shape that was longest in the front, center, still hanging well over his chin, angling back to the bottom of his ears. He exhaled loudly, fluffing the fringe a bit.

Jack took a brush and brushed the fringe straight back, it self-parted, pretty much in the center, and started to slide forward. Jack took the part that was sliding forward and tucked it behind Charlies ears. It stayed nicely. "This is the look I was going for. The way I cut it, there’s enough bulk removed at your ears for it to stay and not just slide forward anymore. It still looks full and thick, like it’s all shoulder length. You can untuck it and play around with it if you want to play with the fringe locks now also. You mentioned missing being able to do that, right? It’s still nice and long, full and thick in back too." Jack tugged at the thick shank hanging in the back.

Charlie was staring critically at himself in the mirror now.

Jack watched Charlies’ reaction. He said "Let me show you another way to wear it when you need to be more, er, formal, or professional, I guess."

Jack worked some mousse into the top and fringe of Charlies hair. Then he took a brush, and brushed the fringe straight back, over the top. He tucked the sides back behind Charlies ears. It all stayed in place, looking very similar to when his long mane had been tied back at his nape.

Charlie stared at his reflection in the big mirror. Brows raised in surprise. He turned his head from side to side. His mane stayed slicked. He could just see lush thick tips laying on his shoulders behind his ears.

Jack had gotten the big hand mirror out and was holding it behind Charlie’s head. "See, this is still nice and long and thick back here." He tugged gently on the thick shank hanging below Charlie’s nape again. "It’s probably shorter than you’ve had it in years, but it’s still longer than mine is." (Jack gave Pete a stern look, Pete had chopped Jacks thick locks on the back of his head shorter than they’d been in a long time. This had resulted in their first argument.)

Jack went on to explain. "When its brushed back, slicked like this, it still looks like you have long hair tied back don’t you think?" As Charlie could see in the hand mirror, the back was nice and neat looking now, a gentle sweeping arc from side to side. Very tailored and well groomed, but not short either.

Pete had been observing all this styling silently so far. Finally he piped up "Jack, wow, I’m impressed. This looks great. I never would have thought to cut it that way. Nice job. That is, of course, providing Charlie likes it. Charlie, you haven’t said a word. What do you think, hmm?"

Charlie glanced at the huge pile of hair in his lap, then back at Jack. "I have to admit Jack, I had to talk myself down from having a full-blown panic attack when I started to see all this hair sliding into my lap." Charlie brought his hands out from under the cape and fingered the forlorn looking severed locks in his lap. He gently ran his hands over the slicked back locks and down the back of his head, sighing and starting to smile. "I admit I was a bit shocked at first when you brushed it back and I saw myself in the mirror. I think I like it though. It’s certainly going to take some getting used to but, yeah, it’s a huge change in length, but a pleasantly subtle one in style. Thank you, Jack, it looks great." He gave Jack a full on 1000-watt smile.

Jack blushed slightly. He’d been holding his breath, waiting for Charlie to say something. "Thanks Charlie I’m glad you like it. You’re the first guy I’ve tried it on. I wanted a way to keep the tucked look for you without having to thin out your plush mane. I’d seen this style on a guy in a porn…, I mean a movie I’d watched recently." Jack was blushing a bit more now.

Pete raised his brows at Jacks last statement.

Jack said, "sit still for one more minute and let me remove the neck fuzzies and clean up your side burns, then we’re done." He proceeded to do this quickly and efficiently. Then he removed the cape.

Charlie stood and approached the mirror. Looking at himself critically again.

"Oh, and if you wanted to wear it slicked during the workday, but loose at night, just run your hands, or a brush through it." Jack said.

Charlie picked up the brush off of the shelf. A few deft strokes through the top, and the top was loose and sliding to the sides.

"Let it all fall forward, look down slightly Charlie. Now take your hand up under the fringe, raise your head and flip the fringe back. Now tuck it behind your ears. Yeah, just like that. How’s that feel?" Jack asked.
Charlie sighed contentedly. "It feels amazing Jack, wow."

Jack had begun sweeping up.

"Jack, how much do I owe you? Charlie asked.

"You don’t owe me a dime Charlie. It was my pleasure, I can assure you. There is something you can do though, if you’re O.K. with it that is. Could I take some pics of you? Since this was my first time cutting this style, I’d like to document it for future reference." (Jack gave Pete a stern look)

Um, sure, take as many as you like." Charlie replied smiling. "I can’t wait to see my old mans face at graduation. Ha, Ha."

Jack snapped several pics, brushing Charlie’s mane out so the various lengths were shown, then styled again.

Charlie shook hands with Pete and Jack. As he made his way to the door he said, "Jack, thank you, sincerely, for making my first experience in a Barber shop so pleasant and memorable. I may have to travel back here to get it cut when I need it again too. You aren’t that awfully far from where I’ll be in Canada."

"We’ll be here" jack said, smiling at Pete. "Stop back and let us know your dad’s reaction after graduation if you can, I’d love to hear about it."
"If I can, I will, Charlie said, as he stepped out the door.

Pete locked it again behind him. He strolled back to help straighten up. As he passed Jack, he gave him a playful whack on his behind. "Since when do you need to watch porn movies baby? The live shows we have aren’t enough for you? Do I need to take you upstairs and show you the real thing again?"

Jack batted his eyes bashfully. "Why sir, whatever do you mean." Pete took his hand and they headed up the stairs to the loft.

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