The Day I Met Travis by burrlypup

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I woke up this morning and tapped on the bathroom door.

"Just give me ten minutes, Shane!” Sean shouts.

I steel my resolve to move into my own place as soon as I can. I'm almost 30, but having a roommate allows me to finish my PhD and work part time. Sean fills that position; and the bathroom each morning for at least 45 minutes.

"Any hot water left?” I ask sarcastically. Sean looks at me sheepishly, smiles and announces he's got a modeling gig so he can finally quit his coffee job he's complained about since day 1.

"How do I look?” Sean asks, as I sum up his fresh pedicure, firm toned body, slightly freckled face with a weeks worth of stubble, and walnut brown locks with a tinge of red, his forelock falling into his eyes after drying a bit.

"Handsome as ever. Just remember rent is due tomorrow, so have it on my desk by tonight.” I say as I close the bathroom door behind me and take in the mess Sean has left for me to clean up. I wipe off the counters, put all his hair product in his drawer and unclog the shower drain. Before tossing the clump I think of something mean, something downright evil. What if I…. did something to Seans shampoo? I'm not a mean spirited person, or the kind to "teach people lessons”, but Seans' attitude and sense of entitlement often pushed me into some dark place, mentally.

I tossed the clump of hair and hopped in the shower, and waited for the water to get hot. It didn't. Just barely getting warm before reverting back to ice cold. I growled and rinsed off, dried off and got dressed. I brushed my teeth and grabbed my hair pomade, only to find it was nearly gone. I just bought it 2 weeks earlier and with my crewcut it lasts almost a year. I wet my hair forward and toss the tub of used up pomade in the trash.

My thoughts were tainted by the events of the morning until I got out of the office and got some fresh air. I love driving with the sunroof down. I looked in my rearview mirror and noticed without pomade, my hair looked out of control, so I figured I would get a fresh haircut and a new tub of pomade before heading home.

I pulled into Fred's Barbershop, now run by his son, Mike, a retired Marine. Fred would cut my hair with scissors, but Mike was very convincing with his clippers. Very. He's a hell of a nice guy and good looking with his blue eyes, chin dimple, and strong jaw line. All topped off with his thick pelt of grey hair, almost white, carved into a perfect high and tight.

I walk in and since it's 7:59pm, I flip over the closed sign and shutter the blinds, Mike winks at me as he finishes his current client, a handsome man, head lathered up. Mike looks a bit different but I can't figure out what it is. His hair is cut a bit differently, the sides are shaved smooth, and he's also grown out a goatee. As Mike leans over the sink, I see the top of his head reflected in the mirror - and there's a strip shaved down over the crown of his head to just an inch before his forehead. It's a very manly cut, I think to myself, running my hand over my crown, imagining if I could pull off such a butch haircut.

Mike pulls off the cape, and the client gets up and stretches, hands rubbing his fresh headshave. His head gleams under the fluorescent lighting. I glance at the floor behind the chair, realizing this was a transformation of sorts, as the huge mounds of long blond tresses would indicate. He smiles at me and I notice he's a bit excited, our eye contact lasting a bit longer and he takes my seat as I sit in the barbers chair. Mike capes me up and my excitement is growing, wondering who this lingering gentleman is.

"Shane, meet Travis. Travis, meet Shane.” Mike breaks the ice and begins clipping away at my back and sides, clipping higher on the crown than usual. His firm grip feels amazing.

"Mike, what do you call your new cut?”

"It's a horseshoe flattop. You dig it?”

"It looks great, you think I could pull it off?”

"Only one way to find out,” Mike smiled into our mirrored expressions, mine soon turning to shock as Mike ran the bare clippers over my crown and down the middle. An inch long clump fell to my cape. Mike and Travis smiled at my utter shock as I looked into the mirror. Mike placed a comb through my hair, and ran the clippers over them, leveling the top with the clipper shaved strip.

I enjoyed the outline shaves of my previous haircuts, but this time Mike lathered my head up to the crown and even dabbed some over the strip. It felt so great, especially after being left with a cold shower that morning. Mike placed hot towels over my face and head, while massaging my shoulders, neck, face and scalp.

Mike withdrew the towels and placed hot lather on the strip, shaving it clean once, and then re-lathering and shaving it against the grain. He grinned as he rubbed the palm of his hand over the smooth "landing strip” as he referred to it. Mike leaned in close, I could feel his body heat emanating through the cape and his tunic. This haircut had gotten very intimate, I was red in the face and hoping for some kind of afterplay. Mike repeated the shaving on my back and sides and finished by shaving my face. Then wiped my head with a hot towel, followed by a cold towel.

I was in heaven. Mike's thick, rough, construction worker hands felt amazing massaging my head and neck. I could not keep my hands off my new haircut, it felt amazing and I looked more manly than I ever imagined.

Mike pulled off the cape and acknowledged my state of arousal, smiled and told me, "No charge. Just be back next week, same time, same cut.”

"Yes, Sir.” I responded. Travis and I exchanged prolonged glances as we exited the shop and waited for Mike. I reached my hand out and rubbed his smooth scalp, and he rubbed my fresh landing strip. There was something engaging about Travis. A bit of a spark.

"Why don't you join us, Shane.” Mike offered, as he locked up and wiped the sweat from his brow. He placed his thick arms around both of us.
I smiled and nodded.

We arrived at Mike's house and as soon as we shut the door behind us, Mike pulled out his huge collection of board games. We had a blast and ended the evening with Twister. Travis gave me his number and we planned a date.

I woke up the next morning feeling exhilarated. I hopped into a hot shower at 6am, long before Sean woke up, dried off, went for a run, collected rent from a barely awake Sean and drove to work early so I could get out early to meet up with Travis. I ran a hand over my fresh flattop while glancing into my rearview mirror, and felt in control of my life. I had some changes to make.

(*Part 2 will rely on feedback. I do have plans for Sean that will leave him quite lightheaded.)

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