Everyone Had a Plan by Shant

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Danny Miller had just turned 40. He had started his own advertising business when he was 25, and now was the president and sole owner of a very successful business with around 30 employees.

Danny had always felt confident in himself. He insisted that his employees always maintained a professional look. Image was everything in an advertising business. He had kept his body in great shape and he had all his suits custom made and they fit him to a "T". He felt it was important that he set an example for his employees and look the best he possibly could.

Danny was a handsome man and he knew it. What he was most proud of was his hair. It was a striking auburn color with fiery highlights streaked throughout it. His hair was really thick and had great body and had beautiful waves.

When he combed his hair, it always stayed perfectly in place. He wore his hair in an elegant business man’s style. The sides were long and he brushed them back which showed off how thick his hair was.

The top was what pleased him the most. He combed it into an elaborate pompadour. With it all brushed back, it stood up about four inches high and it really showed off his wonderful waves and highlights. All his life he had received compliments about how wonderful his hair looked. He truly had a lion’s mane and he was really proud of it.

A few months ago, Danny had interviewed a young man by the name of Shawn. He was around 30, and Danny hired him to join the firm. Shawn had the most beautiful ginger color hair which he wore in a long square boxy flattop. Danny could not take his eyes off it. A flattop had always been his favorite haircut and he had always fantasized about getting one, but could never get up the nerve to do it.

One night a small group stayed after work putting the finishing touches on a presentation they were giving the next day. Shawn was heading the project. Eventually, people started leaving, and at the end, only Danny and Shawn were there working.

When they had completed everything, Danny pulled out a bottle of bourbon and they celebrated by having a drink. They continued talking about all different kinds of things and discovered they had a lot in common.

Danny was so comfortable around Shawn, that he said, "When it’s just the two of us together, please just call me Danny. Mr. Miller works at the office, but outside of there, I’m just Danny to my friends." Shawn loved that Danny considered him a friend and not just an employee.

Danny surprised himself when he blurted out, "You know Shawn, you have one of the most fantastic looking flattops I have ever seen. Have you worn a flattop for a long time?"

Shawn laughed, "You should have seen my hair about two weeks before my job interview with you. I had not cut my hair all four years of college and I wore it in a braid that reached the middle of my shoulder blades. I dreaded getting it cut, but I knew that when I started interviewing for jobs that it was going to have to go."

"I found a barbershop that was nearby where I lived, and one day, I decided to just go in and get it over and done with, and get my hair cut. It was a one man shop and the barber was about 60 years old. He still had a nice head of hair for a guy his age, which made me feel a little less frightened about having him cut mine."

"I untied my braid before I went in and brushed my hair out making it look its fullest. You should have seen the look on the barber’s face when I walked in! It was so obvious that he was really hoping I was there for a haircut."

"I sat down in the chair and he wasted no time in caping me up. I think he was trying to make certain that I did not change my mind and leave. He started brushing my hair. I could tell he was really enjoying it."

"You have an amazing head of hair," he said. "What can I do for you today? Do you want me to just even up the ends for you? You really do have fantastic hair. It’s one of the best that I have seen in a long time."

"I told him I was getting ready for some job interviews and that I had decided I needed to have a more professional looking haircut. I told him that I had worn my hair long for so many years that I really wasn’t sure what kind of haircut to get. I asked him if he had any suggestions as to what he thought would look best?"

"Leave it to me," the barber said with a huge smile. "I know the perfect haircut for you. I promise when you walk in for your interviews you will definitely make a fantastic first impression. You just sit back and relax and I’ll give you a really great looking haircut."

"It never entered my mind that he would give me a flattop without first telling me. He gathered all my hair back in a ponytail and took his scissors and chopped it off right above my collar. Over three years of growth gone in just about three seconds."

"He then took his scissors and cut all my hair down to about three inches long. I was really okay with that, but when he took his clippers and tipped my head forward, and ran them almost all the way up the back and sides, I was beginning to freak out a little. I wondered what was he doing to my hair?"

"He then brushed all my hair on top up and back, getting it to stand up as high as it could. The next thing he did was take a wide toothed comb and lifted up my hair on top and cut about half of it off."

"He then turned me away from the mirror. "Now is the time when a barber can do an okay job, or really sculpt your hair into a fantastic look," he said. "You’re lucky that I’m the artistic type when it comes to cutting great hair."

"When he finished, he turned me around and I nearly had a stroke when I saw that he had given me a flattop! I had never had a flattop in my life and I instantly hated it, but after only a few days, I started getting comfortable with my new look, and I ended up really liking it."

"I couldn’t believe how different I looked and how much easier it was to deal with each day. I had spent way too much time dealing with all my hair every day and now it was so simple to take care of. I think it’s a really great look for work. I can tell when I first meet some clients that they immediately check out my hair. I think it makes a great first impression."

"Have you ever had a flattop, Danny? You have such great hair. You definitely have the perfect hair for one. If you ever did have one, I bet it looked really awesome. How long have you worn your hair the way it is now?" Shawn asked.

"Oh, I’ve probably worn my hair like this for over ten years now," Danny said. "To be perfectly honest, there have been times when I had thought about getting a flattop, but I could never get up the nerve to do it. I also didn’t know if it would be an appropriate haircut, being president of the company. I have always worried what people might think if I ever went ahead and did anything that drastic."

"I can’t believe I’m hearing you say that! You’re the president of a very successful company and everyone respects you. Why do you care so much about what other people might think?"

"If I were you and I wanted to get a flattop, I wouldn’t let anybody or anything stop me. You deserve to do whatever you want. I think you would look even more handsome with a flattop."

Danny smiled when Shawn said that. "I know you’re probably right, but I have always ended up changing my mind and not doing it. I’ve always been curious about what it would feel like having my hair cut into a flattop and then combing it, especially compared to all this hair that I have now. I love my hair but it takes me quite a bit of time each morning to get it to look the way it does. You said you loved how much easier it was to manage your hair now, and I’m sure you’re right. I doubt if I’ll ever get up the nerve to experience that though."

"You say you would like to see what it feels like to comb a flattop? If you’d like, I’d be glad to let you comb mine. Having had my hair down to my shoulders, I think makes it pretty obvious that I really love my hair, too. I have always enjoyed having someone brush it for me. If you’ve never gotten to comb a flattop, I’d enjoy having you comb mine for me, especially if it is something you have always wanted to do."

"Do you think it’s a little weird for me to want to do that? I really would like to do it though," Danny said. "I don’t feel it’s weird at all," Shawn replied, as he sat down in a chair and pulled out his comb and brush. "Go ahead and have some fun," he said. "I’m warning you though, I think it’s going to make you want to get a flattop even more."

As Danny combed and brushed Shawn’s flattop, he said, "This is really awesome. Maybe someday, I’ll have you take me with you when you get your flattop cut. I’d like to see this barber that gives such awesome looking flattops. Who knows? You may be right, and one day I’ll get up the nerve and get one too. I’ve never had that much hair taken off at one time. It would be wild seeing so much of my hair being cut off!"

A few weeks passed and at the end of a work day, Shawn popped his head into Danny’s office and said, "I’m heading out to get my hair cut. Want to come along with me and meet my barber?"

"Sure, why not?" Danny said. "I spend so much time admiring your flattop that I would like to see him cut your hair. Maybe this is the next step in actually getting up my nerve to one day get a flattop. It’s not going to happen today though. I just want you to know that. Do you really think I’d look good with a flattop like yours? I’m just so afraid that it might not look good and that I actually might look foolish."

"Come along with me and let my barber take a look at your hair and see what he thinks. He’ll give you his honest opinion. With your hair being so thick, I don't think you have anything to worry about. I think it would look awesome."

"You’ve got really wonderful hair, Danny. If you don’t ever get a flattop, I think you should at least try wearing it some different ways. Ten years is way too long to have your hair always look the same, especially seeing that you have such beautiful hair. So many guys would give anything to have hair like yours. You should be having fun with it and trying a lot of different styles. Show off that incredible mane of yours!"

Little did Danny know that Shawn had earlier in the week stopped in and talked with his barber about trying to convince Danny to get a flattop. The old man said that would be a fun time and he had some ideas about how to go about getting to do it. "You just get him in here and leave the rest to me," he said.

Danny and Shawn walked into the barbershop. It was Al’s last appointments of the day so no one else was there. "Al, I want you to meet my boss, Danny Miller. He told me once that he really admired my flattop and one day wanted to meet the barber that cut such great looking ones, so here he is."

Al and Danny shook hands. "It’s a pleasure to meet you, Al. You really do a fantastic job cutting Shawn’s hair. I wish I could have been here to see you cut off all that long hair he had."

"Yes, I remember that well," Al said, all the while looking at Danny’s hair. "So, are you an admirer of flattops?"

"Definitely," Danny said, not realizing that Al was setting him up. "I can’t imagine Shawn not having one now because his hair looks so fantastic cut the way it is."

Al decided to push things a little further. He looked at the chair, and said, "So is this just a social call or am I going to have the pleasure of having you sit in my chair? You’ve got an awesome looking head of hair there yourself. I bet you get a lot of compliments about it."

Danny felt a little uncomfortable. "I really stopped by to just meet you, but I think I’ll take you up on your offer. My hair is getting a little too long and I do need to get it trimmed a bit."

"So, no flattop today like Shawn’s?" Al laughed. "Heavens, no! I can’t imagine what people would think at the office if I came in to work sporting a flattop!" Danny said.

Danny sat down and Al immediately caped him up. He felt fairly certain that all Danny needed was a little push and he could convince him to get a flattop. It was obvious how much he wanted one. He began brushing his hair, loving how great it felt. "You’ve got a really thick head of hair here," he said.

"I know," Danny replied. "Sometimes too much of a good thing can become a problem. Once it gets too long it can really become a handful." That was exactly what Al wanted to hear. It made him feel even more confident that Danny was going to experience his first ever flattop. He couldn’t wait to put the clippers to his hair, feeling quite certain that he had not had them used on his hair in a very long time.

"So, what’ll it be today? Cut it off above the collar and take about an inch or two off the top?" Al said. Although that was definitely more than a trim, Al felt certain if Danny agreed to that, that he would soon be feeling the clippers run up the sides of his head. "Yes, it is getting a little too long. I think I do need more than just a slight trim. Go ahead and cut it like you just suggested," Danny replied.

Al had Danny face the mirror. He began the haircut by cutting his hair in the back. He grabbed the longest lock, which was easily over three inches long and chopped it off above his collar. Danny could not see how much hair was coming off and was totally unaware of what Al was doing to his precious mane.

Al kept lifting up each lock of Danny’s beautiful hair and snipped off about three inches, taking down the sides and back and reducing a lot of the bulk. This however, was just the beginning of the haircut.

"You know," Al said, "You’ve got such great hair, it’s so thick and has those awesome waves. I think your hair would look fantastic tapered around your ears and in the back, yet leaving it long on top. It’s a more contemporary look than the way you wear it now. It works really great if a guy has thick hair like you do. Want to try it?"

"Oh, I don’t know. Shawn has been telling me though, that I have worn my hair the same way for far too long. What do you think, Shawn?" Danny said. "I think you should go for it!" Shawn replied. "Why not try something new? I trusted Al, and look where it got me!"

"Okay," Danny said. "Cut it like you just said, but no flattop! That’s way too big a change for me all at one time."

"I bet it’s been a long time since you’ve had clippers used on that mane of yours," Al said, as he placed them at the base of Danny’s sideburn and ran them up the sides, giving him a very short taper."

"Oh, that’s really short!" Danny said. "The clippers do feel funny running up the sides and back of my head though."

"So, you’re enjoying the clippers are you?" Al said. That stoked Al even more to give Danny a flattop. "Tell me, Shawn, does Danny pay a lot of attention to your flattop?"

"Definitely," Shawn said. "He can hardly ever keep his eyes off it. I know he really wants one, but is just too afraid to do it."

"Why is that?" Al said. "Afraid of what people might think? I think you came in here today because you really want to get a flattop just like Shawn’s. You wouldn’t mind if I were to cut you out a flatty of your own, would you? You’ve wanted a flattop for a very long time. I know you really want one, don’t you?"

"Yes," said Danny. "I’m just so afraid of getting one though."

"Nonsense! You've got the perfect hair for a flattop. It will look fantastic! You need to tell me to go ahead and give you a flattop! A barber has a way of knowing what his customer really wants. Shawn tells me that you’ve been building up your nerve to get one. Come on, tell me to do it!" Al said.

"What the hell! You’re right!" Danny said. "Go ahead and give me a long, square, boxy flattop just like Shawn’s! I want you to do it right now before I change my mind!" Shawn couldn’t believe what he was hearing Danny say. He had hoped that getting him in the shop would be the first step down a long road, before he could ever get him to actually shed his long locks, and here he was doing it the very first time he stepped into Al’s barbershop!

That’s all Al needed to hear. He changed the guard on his clippers from the #2 and put on the #1. He buzzed all the short sides and back down even shorter, but still left it longer as he neared the top. He then wet Danny’s hair and vigorously brushed it all up and back. His hair was so thick that Al knew it was going to look awesome cut into a flattop.

He took his wide tooth comb and lifted up Danny’s almost six inch forelock and said, "Are you ready for this? There’s no turning back after I cut the first lock off the front!"

"Do it!" Danny said. Al was really a master when it came to cutting flattops. He was having the greatest time because Danny had such awesome hair and there was so much of it to cut off.

When he finished the haircut, he took a little pomade and ran it through Danny’s hair and then took his blow dryer and went to work on getting it to be perfectly square. When he finished, it really looked awesome. Danny looked like an entirely different person.

"So what do you think of your new look?" Al asked. "I love it!" Danny exclaimed. "It looks better than I ever thought it would. I can’t thank you and Shawn enough for convincing me to go ahead and finally do this!"

Danny was so pumped up as he was leaving the barbershop. He could not believe that he had actually gotten the flattop he had always fantasized about getting and that he absolutely loved it. He thought it really looked great, and instead of dreading going to work on Monday, he was now looking forward to showing off his new look.

Friday evening he tried on practically all the clothes he owned. He had to pick out the perfect outfit for his grand entrance on Monday. He decided on Saturday to go shopping and maybe get a new suit to go along with his new haircut. He ended up buying not just one outfit, but several. He loved ties and found several that he liked and bought them. He had always believed that you can never have too many ties!

The remainder of the weekend he spent standing in front of a mirror trying on all his new clothes and looking at his hair. He knew he was being vain, but he just loved the way he now looked.

He couldn’t keep himself from running his hands through his flattop over and over again. He loved seeing how tall and straight he could get it to stand up. He loved running his hands through the top, and messing it up a little. He thought the flattop actually made him look younger and more masculine. Why had he always kept all that long prissy hair that he thought had looked so beautiful?

When Danny walked into work Monday morning he was definitely the talk of the office. Everyone was amazed by how different he looked and that he had actually cut off almost all of his beautiful hair. Several of the younger guys told him they thought he really looked hot with his new haircut.

At lunch time, Shawn came into his office and said, "Man, Danny, you are really the talk of the office today! It’s all everyone is talking about. Everyone is saying how great you look. I haven’t heard a single person say they didn’t like your new haircut. I’ve heard more than one person say that they thought the flattop made you look years younger!"

The day ended and Danny grabbed Shawn as he was on his way out the door. "Do you have anything you have to do?" he asked. "Not a thing," Shawn said. "Let’s go out and celebrate what a great day this has turned out to be!"

They went out to dinner and then back to Danny’s house to celebrate a little more. "I’m so glad that I went with you to your barber. I really had no intention of getting a flattop, but I’ve always wanted one, and I just got caught up in the moment and did it, and am I ever glad that I did."

"I did feel a little scared when he lifted up my forelock and buzzed off over five inches of my hair, but I knew there was no turning back. I just kept looking at you, and hoping that my hair was going to look as good as yours."

"I appreciate that you kind of nudged me into doing this. I probably would never have done it if it hadn’t been for you. I really can’t believe how different I look. I feel like an entirely different person. I wish I had done this years ago."

They were sitting on the sofa and Shawn, without saying anything, reached over and carefully put a lock of Danny’s hair that had fallen out of place back where it belonged. "With the front slightly longer, you just need to use some pomade and make certain it stays up and in place. We have to keep your flattop looking perfect. Really, Danny, I think your flattop is incredible!" Shawn said.

"So do I, and I owe it all to you," Danny said, and he suddenly leaned over and kissed Shawn on the lips! It was a sweet, tender kiss. They had never talked about their sexuality before, but both felt fairly certain that the other was gay. Neither had ever mentioned dating any women, and Danny was 40, after all, and had never been married.

"I’ve been hoping you would do that for a long time," Shawn said. "From the first moment of my interview I had a crush on you. I was afraid to make the first move with you being the president of the company, and to be honest, I wasn’t quite sure if you were interested in me that way."

"I’ve had a crush on you for quite awhile too," Danny said. "We’ll obviously have to keep a low profile at work, but I know that I’d like to spend a lot more time with you."

They moved in closer to each other on the sofa and it seemed like the most natural thing in the world. They kissed again, starting out like the first kiss, but it quickly became hot, passionate and intense. The next thing they knew, clothes were flying everywhere and they were on the bed embraced together. What a day this had turned out to be, and it had all happened because Danny finally got a flattop!

After, as they were snuggling, Danny said, "Just between you and me, there are a handful of guys at work that I would love to see get flattops. There are three guys in particular that have really awesome hair, and I’d love to see them get taken down, but I don’t have any idea how to go about trying to get them to do it."

"I bet I can guess who they are," Shawn said. "Obviously, Dominic, and then I’d guess Glen and Marcus."

Dominic was Italian and had the dark, swarthy looks that so many Italian men had. He was a handsome guy, six feet tall, athletic build, piercing blue eyes and long, thick, black, wavy hair. He kept it on the long side and brushed it back above his ears.

The top, which was probably over five inches long, he brushed all straight back and let his waves fall wherever they did. He used some kind of pomade so that his hair really shined. I don’t think there is anything more striking than thick, long, shiny black hair. His hair always looked perfect and it was obvious that he must really love it.

Glen’s family were Scottish and his hair was a beautiful shade of blonde, with even blonder highlights. His hair was about the same length as Dominic’s, only his hair was perfectly straight.

He also brushed the sides back, but he brushed the top up and to the right. His hair was so thick that it easily stood up over three inches high. The front fell forward across his forehead and he brushed it up and back into the rest of his hair and it had such great body that it stayed suspended like that over his forehead.

Marcus was Irish. Instead of the dark black hair so many Irish men had, his hair was an awesome shade of dark red. It wasn’t orange at all, no one would ever call him "Carrot Top."

His hair was the longest of the three guys. It was probably over six inches on top and he parted it straight down the middle and swept the top and the sides up and back. His hair covered more than half of his ears and hung a couple inches below his collar. Like Dominic and Glen, he also had really thick hair.

"You’re right on all three," Danny said. "I see we totally agree who has the best hair at the firm. You did such a great job convincing me to go for the big cut. Do you have any ideas how we might be able to get them to cut their hair too? I know it’s only wishful thinking, but it would be fantastic seeing the three of them follow each other in Al’s chair and watch him give them flattops. Just think how much hair there would be on the floor!"

"I think I’ve created a monster!" Shawn laughed. "I can’t believe you’ve kept all these thoughts to yourself for so many years! I actually do have an idea of how we might possibly get this to happen. All three of these guys, at one time or another, have mentioned to me how great they think my flattop looks."

"The first day you came into work with your flattop, I overheard them talking about how hot you looked. They all said they thought you looked better with shorter hair. Maybe they sometimes wonder how they would look with a flattop considering they like ours so much? They might need just a little push, just like you did."

"Give me the rest of the weekend and I’ll see what kind of plan I can come up with. If you’d like we could get together Sunday and go over how we might be able to pull this off," Shawn said. "I hope that we’re going to see each other before Sunday, but you’ve definitely got a date," Danny said with a big smile. "If anyone can do this, it will be you."

Sunday evening came and they went out for dinner. After they finished eating, Shawn laid out his detailed plan as to how he would go about getting these three guys to lose their beautiful hair and all get flattops. He wanted to get Danny’s approval of his ideas and see if he had any suggestions. "I think what you’ve come up with here is pure genius!" Danny said. "Go ahead and put your plan into action!"

The very next day, Shawn spoke to all three guys telling them that he would like to have the four of them go to lunch together because he wanted to discuss some things with them that he wouldn’t want anyone else to overhear.

Once they were seated at the restaurant, he said, "Mr. Miller has confided in me that in the very near future he is going to expand his business and will be promoting four employees into upper management. He said the person promoted would be in charge of a group of employees who would then work as a team under his supervision. He also said that the job would include a hefty pay raise and your own private office."

"Mr. Miller told me that I was one of the four that he knew he was definitely going to promote. He asked me for my opinion on which employees I thought should also be promoted. I told him I thought the three of you would be excellent choices."

"He agreed, and told me I could confide in the three of you about what is going to be happening. You can definitely not breathe a word of this to anyone, though, and if Mr. Miller hears any talk about his future plans, then the chance of any of you getting promoted would not even be considered."

"Mr. Miller is going to be observing everyone closely the next few months before he makes his final decisions. I’ve already put in a good word for you guys, but you need to do whatever you can to impress him at work and come up with some ways you can convince him you are the three who should be promoted."

"That’s why I wanted to give you guys a heads up as to what is going to be happening. I obviously can’t promise you anything, but I wanted you to be on the inside track so you can figure out ways to impress Mr. Miller."

"Man, Shawn! Thanks so much for helping us! We promise we won’t say a word to anyone. If you have any ideas about how we can impress Mr. Miller, we’d be glad to hear them. How did you guys become such good friends?" Glen asked.

"It’s funny how it happened. It all began one day when he told me how fantastic he thought my flattop looked. He said that he had always wanted to get a flattop but wasn’t sure if he had the nerve to ever get one."

"It took me awhile, but over time I convinced him that if he really wanted a flattop, he should just go for it and get one. You remember when he first got his flattop all the compliments he received from everyone."

"A few days after he got his first flattop, he told me that he didn’t miss all that long hair he used to think was so wonderful and wished he had gotten a flattop years ago. He’s worn one ever since that day."

"I had introduced him to my barber and he and I started going together every few weeks to get our flattops trimmed up in order to keep them looking sharp. After that, it became a routine, and we’d go out for dinner or drinks after getting our hair cut, and that’s when we really started to get to know each other a lot better."

"I know this is going to sound a little strange, but I think you might really score some points with him, if you decided to get a flattop too. You would certainly stand out from all the other employees. If he thought you had gotten a flattop because you respected him and wanted to impress him, you would definitely be making a positive statement and showing him how much you value working at his firm."

"I’m sure he would invite you to join us when we go to get our hair cut, and after we leave the barbershop, go out with us for dinner or drinks. That would give you an excellent chance to spend some quality time with him and you would get to know each other better. That’s how it happened for me, and it was really easy."

"If any one of you is interested, I bet all you would have to do say is something like, "Mr. Miller, I hope you don’t mind me asking, but where do you get your hair cut? Ever since you got your flattop I thought that it looked really awesome. I’ve never had a flattop, but it got me wondering if I would look good with one like yours? Do you think I have the right kind of hair to get one?"

"All three of you have great hair, and I guarantee he would say something like, "Thanks for the compliment. You have really fantastic hair yourself, and I think you’d look great with a flattop. You should try one sometime and see how you like it. It’s the best thing I ever did. If you should ever decide to get one, you are welcome to come with Shawn and me when we go to get our hair cut. Shawn found this barber and he cuts fantastic flattops."

"That might be all you need to do to get his attention and stand out from the other employees. He’s really into flattops. I’ve heard him say how he wished some of his other employees would get a flattop too, because he thinks they look so awesome."

"It’s really all about making the right move at the right time. I think it would certainly get you noticed and that you should do whatever you can to have the best chance of being promoted. Mr. Miller would certainly be flattered if he thought you got a flattop because you thought his looked so great."

"I’ll do it!" Glen said. "I really like Mr. Miller’s haircut and if he thought I did it to impress him, all the better. I’ve always wanted to try a flattop anyway."

Marcus wasted no time in saying that he would get one too. He and Glen were best friends and they would love it if they both got promoted together.

I knew Dominic would be the hardest one to convince to go along with my plan. It didn’t surprise me when he said, "I don’t know. I really love my hair, but I’d hate myself if the two of you got promoted and I didn’t. I’d always wonder if the reason might be just because I didn’t get a flattop too. I’m going to have to think about this."

"We’ll be going to get our hair cut in the next two or three weeks so that will give you plenty of time to think about what you want to do," I told him.

We went back to work and Shawn stopped in at Danny’s office. "Free for drinks after work?" he said. "I can’t wait to tell you how lunch went, but I will tell you now that Glen and Marcus have already agreed to get a flattop. Dominic needs a little more time to think about it, but I’m pretty sure he’s going to get one too."

When they arrived at their favorite bar and had ordered their drinks, Shawn then told Danny all that had happened at lunch. "Remember, you need to act surprised when they bring up the idea about getting a flattop. All you have to do is invite them to go with us when we go to get our hair cut."

"I told them that it would probably be two or three weeks before we went to see Al. All we have to do is sit back and wait until the three of them approach you and then we’ll let Al in on our plan."

"Shawn, you really are a genius! I can’t wait for all this to happen!"

About a week went by and no one had yet spoken to Danny about getting a flattop. Maybe the guys thought about it and decided to not do it and just hope they would still get promoted. Then one day, Marcus stopped by at Shawn’s desk and said he wanted to talk to him about something.

"We think we’ve come up with an even bigger surprise for Mr. Miller. Rather than just us all telling him we’re going to get a flattop and then the five of us go to the barbershop together, I’m going to do like you suggested, and ask him where he gets his hair cut, and then say that maybe I would get a flattop sometime. Glen and Dominic aren’t going to say anything about getting their hair cut."

"We want you to tell us when you are next going to get your hair cut. Can you set it up with your barber that you and Mr. Miller are his last two appointments that day? We were hoping he would be willing to stay open later in order to cut our hair when he hears the big surprise we have for Mr. Miller."

"We’re then going to walk into the barbershop while you’re getting your hair cut, and tell Mr. Miller that we are all here to get flattops because we think his looks so great, and we want him to know how much we appreciate working for him. We figure this would be a much bigger surprise than telling him in advance about what we are going to do. What do you think?"

"I think that’s a great idea! You guys are really going to blow him away and I’m sure he’ll be really impressed. I’ll talk to Al. I’m sure he’ll be glad to stay open later. He loves cutting flattops and when I tell him about what great hair you all have, I’m sure he’ll be glad to do it."

Shawn, of course, told Danny all about what the guys were going to do. "Even though I know all about their plan, we’re both going to have to act really surprised when they come in."

A few days later, Danny stopped in at the barbershop because he wanted to fill Al in on what was going to be happening. "I know you’re going to love what I’m about to tell you. Shawn and I have a really great surprise for you. When we make our next appointments to get our hair cut, would you give us your last two openings of the day, and then be willing to work later past closing time? I know you’ll really agree that it will be worth doing when I show you what we have planned."

"We’ve convinced three guys at work to get flattops. They think they are going to be surprising us when they come in and tell us they are going to get their hair cut just like ours, but we’ve planned this entire scenario from the very beginning, and it looks like it’s going to happen exactly like we hoped it would."

"These guys all have really fantastic hair. Wait till you see it! Here are their pictures so you can have an idea of what you’re going to be working with. None of them have ever had a flattop in their entire life. We know how much you love giving a guy a first time flattop, especially if he has awesome hair, and all three of these guys definitely do. We just want to make certain that we’re the only customers here because this is really going to be awesome to watch."

"Sure!" Al said with a huge smile. "It will be fantastic getting all three of them to sit in my chair, one right after the other, and cut most of their pretty hair off, and then give them their first ever flattop. It’s a barber’s fantasy!"

"I want you to cut Shawn’s hair first," Danny said. We have it timed out that they should be coming in while he’s still in the chair. Once they make their big, surprise announcement, you can then give all three of them flattops and finish up by cutting mine last. Have you ever cut five flattops in a row? It’s going to be unreal to watch!"

"I also have a little surprise planned for Shawn," Danny said with a wicked smile. "When he sits down for his flattop, I want you to take it down a little shorter than usual. I think it’s time for him to change it up a little. Maybe cut the front so that it’s not all being brushed back like he has it, but have it stand up perfectly straight like the rest of his hair on top. Maybe you should even shoe him! Oh yeah, also use the #1 guard instead of the #2."

"I know he’ll be okay with it. He’s gotten so used to having short hair now and taking that much more off will be no big deal. It will only take about four weeks to grow back to the length he now has it."

"This is going to be one of the best times I’ve ever had as a barber," Al said. "I can’t wait!"

The big day came. When Danny and Shawn got to Al’s shop, Shawn sat down in the chair, ready for his haircut. Al caped him up and brushed his hair and then started the haircut. He put the #1 guard on the clippers like Danny had told him to. He started in the back and ran them up to where he usually did when he used the #2 guard, so Shawn wasn’t aware that he was getting a shorter haircut until Al started working on the sides.

"You’re going a little shorter today, aren’t you?" Shawn said. "I figured that since these three guys were going to be getting such dramatic changes with their hair, that you should get something a little different too. Don’t worry, it’s going to look great," Al said. Shawn wasn’t really all that worried about it. Having had his hair short for a long time now, he knew the difference between a #1 and a #2 guard wasn’t all that much and he trusted Al.

When Al finished the sides and back, he then brushed Shawn’s hair on top. The flattop part was going to be a little shorter too, but the biggest change was going to be that the front was no longer going to be long enough to be brushed back. Al was cutting it so that the front was now going to be the same length as all the rest of Shawn’s hair on top and be standing up perfectly straight like the rest of the flattop. As Al took his clippers to cut the front, Shawn saw about an inch of hair falling into his lap. "Whoa!" he said. "I didn’t expect you to cut the front down that short!"

"I think it really looks fantastic!" Al said. "I figured it was time for you to change how you wore your hair too. You’ve kept it the same way for quite awhile now. I only have one thing left to do, and I’ll be finished." Al then took his clippers with no guard on them at all and shoed Shawn!

"There, all done!" Al said, as he turned Shawn around to face the mirror. "I really think it looks awesome!" Al said. "What do you think? I hope you like it, but you know, if you really don’t it, it won't take all that time to grow back out like it is now. I’m betting that just like the first flattop you got, you’ll really end up liking it once you get used to it." Shawn was stunned, but just like Danny had thought, he really didn’t mind it being shorter.

As Al was finishing up Shawn’s haircut, the door to the shop opened, and in walked Dominic, Glen and Marcus. "This is a surprise. What are you guys doing here?" Danny asked.

"We thought we’d surprise you and come down and get our hair cut while you were here," Marcus said. "We’ve all admired your flattop ever since you first got it. You had such an awesome looking pompadour. We figured if you were brave enough to cut all your fantastic hair off and get a flattop, that we were going to do the same thing. We wanted to show you how much we respect you and how much we value working at your firm."

"This really is a great surprise! Are you guys really serious?" Danny said. "All three of you have such fantastic hair. You guys probably have the best looking hair of anyone else in the firm. I’m really pleased and impressed that you would be willing to do this for me as a way of showing me how serious you are about your future with the company. If it helps any, I was petrified about getting all my hair cut off the first time, but I have never regretted it."

"I know that Shawn has told you about my plans to expand the firm and that I’m going to promote four people into upper management. Shawn suggested the three of you should be promoted, and you guys just convinced me that Shawn is right. Along with Shawn, the three of you have done the most to show me how dedicated you really are, and the promotions are yours! Congratulations!"

"I think it’s fantastic that you are all willing to get flattops! We’re going to make quite a picture with the five of us in upper management all standing together and all sporting flattops. We’re going to have to figure out a way to use this as a way of advertising the firm. We’re certainly going to be noticed when we all show up together!"

The guys were thrilled that they were getting promoted, and they knew that Shawn had played a big part in it happening. They knew how lucky they were, and just like Shawn had predicted, all it took was getting a flattop to close the deal!

"Lets first take a picture of the three of you before your haircuts, and then after you’ve gotten your flattops. Then, I’ll get my hair cut and we’ll take pictures with the five of us together," Danny said. "I think it will be awesome!"

"Do you guys all want the same flattop or do you each want different looking ones?" Al asked. "Take a look at the pictures on the wall and tell me which flattop you want. All three of you have such great hair, just like Mr. Miller and Shawn, that you can easily all wear different looking flattops."

They agreed they should all try different looking flattops and not all look the same. That meant that they could not get their hair cut like either Mr. Miller or Shawn already had. "Seeing that Al is the expert at giving flattops, why don’t you let him select which one would look best for each of you?" Danny said. They agreed that made perfect sense, seeing that none of them had ever had a flattop before.

"Okay," said Al. "Who’s going first?" Dominic walked right up and sat in the chair and said, "I am." Everyone was really surprised because he was the last person willing to commit to the idea of getting a flattop. He was so happy that he was going to be promoted that he didn’t care how Al cut his hair!

Al couldn’t believe what was about to happen. He was going to have the time of his life! Getting to cut all these guys beautiful hair down and getting to decide how to cut it was a barber’s fantasy! In all the 40 years he had been a barber, he had never done anything like this before. He was really stoked and couldn’t wait to begin.

"Black hair shows up better shorter than any other color," Al said. "With that great body you have, I’m going to make you look like a marine!" he told Dominic. Al put the #1 guard on the clippers and aggressively ran them up the sides and back of Dominic’s head. All his long beautiful, black, wavy hair was being stripped from his head in a matter of minutes.

Al decided to take the guard off and run the clippers about half way up Dominic’s head so that a little skin was showing. Al then tackled the top, taking it down to less than an inch. Seeing more than four thick black inches of his beautiful hair fall to the cape was outstanding. Dominic’s hair stood straight up. He really did look like a marine! It was hard to believe how different he looked without all his wonderful hair.

Al decided that Glen, being so blonde, needed a longer version of a flattop. He used the #2 guard on the sides and back and then cut the top so that it was just long enough to all brush back. He blended the top into the sides and back and made it all perfectly square. It was a slightly edgy looking flattop and Glen loved it. "This looks so awesome!" Glen said. "I never thought that I’d look good with a flattop, but I think this looks terrific!"

Al decided that Marcus would get a flattop that would be somewhere in between the first two. His dark red hair would really look striking cut into a flattop. His haircut was the most similar to Danny’s flattop, but a little longer. His hair was such a beautiful color that Al wanted to leave it just long enough to really show it off.

Marcus’ hair ended up being about 1 1/2 inches on top and Al brushed it all straight up and back. Marcus could then have the option of combing his hair so that it was perfectly squared up with every hair in place, or if he liked, he could just run his hands threw it so that it looked a little messy. It was an edgy version of a more spikey looking flattop.

"They took several pictures of the three guys and then Al said, "Okay, Boss, you’re next, and then we’ll take a lot more pictures of the group." Danny then sat down in the chair and when Al caped him up, he did not notice that Al winked at Shawn.

Danny and Shawn really were a lot alike, even more so than they realized. Shawn had also gone to see Al and told him that he wanted him to give Danny a shorter flattop too! Al had always used a #2 guard when he cut Danny’s hair, but this time he used a #1, just like he had with Shawn. And just like Shawn, Danny did not realize he was getting a shorter haircut than usual, until Al started buzzing down the sides.

What Al loved doing most though, was taking the front of Danny’s flattop and cutting off about an inch. He would be able to just barely brush it back. It was the shortest he had ever cut it. When Danny realized what was happening, he knew he couldn’t make a fuss, and just had to go along with it. He had a sneaking suspicion that Shawn had something to do with this new haircut. "That little devil," he thought. "He did the same thing to me that I did to him! Just wait until we get home!"

After Danny stepped out of the chair they took dozens of pictures. All five of these guys were handsome men and with each of them having different color hair and wearing a different looking flattop, they really did stand out. Just wait until Monday and everyone at the firm saw the five of them walk in together!

Danny also made certain to take a picture of all the hair that was on the floor. Al had not swept any of the hair up after each haircut, and there was just so much beautiful hair surrounding the chair. It was hard to believe that just a short time ago all this gorgeous hair on the floor had been on the heads of these guys. It was really striking seeing the four to six inch long strands of black, blonde and dark red hair mixed together and then seeing the short locks of auburn and ginger hair blended in with them. The colors combined all together were really awesome looking. There was just so much beautiful hair everywhere!

"I think we should go out and celebrate our new haircuts and your new promotions!" Danny said. "Here’s to the start of a great beginning! All drinks are on me!"

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