I've always had shoulder-length hair. For my face, round, and figure, zaftig, it has always been the most flattering. I was born with medium-dark mousy brown, naturally wavy hair. It did have blond and red highlights, depending on the light. My skin is ruddy, so turning blond was out of the question, so I colored my hair a reddish brown for many years. When I retired, I stopped coloring and let my hair go to its natural dark/silver strands. I hated trying to keep up with the roots. I was never one for fads and fashions, be it clothes or hair. I wore what looked good on me. None of my boyfriends or my ex-husband ever complained about my hair. Until now.
My new boyfriend likes shorter hair. We had quite a discussion about it. A lot of men like short hair, a lot of women do to. Eric, my boyfriend, likes it really, really short. A pixie, or severe bob, and the like. I argue that if you want to fuck a guy, go ahead, just don't expect me to be one.
We dropped the subject, agreeing to disagree, and haven't talked about it for many months. He still plays with my hair when being affectionate, and I am happy to let him.
This night, we are on our way to have drinks with one of his friends, whom I had never met. We don't see him in the lot of the bar when we drive in, so we go into the bar to wait. We order a couple drinks and chat, expecting him to come along shortly. After 15 minutes of waiting, Eric gives him a call.
"Hey, Andy, where are you? Oh. Well, do you want us to stay here and wait? No, I think that's a great idea. We'll head over there now. See you shortly."
Eric hangs up and tells me that Andy had a last minute commitment and was now free and at home. Did we want to head to his place.
"Is he close?"
"About 20 minutes."
"Okay."
We get back in the car and Eric goes a back way to avoid traffic. I have never ventured into this part of town and enjoy looking out the window at the stores and pretty houses. I'm not paying attention to where Eric was driving, so soon I didn't know where we were.
Eric pulls into the driveway of a big Victorian house, perfect for a scary movie. We go up the steps and Eric rings the doorbell. You could hear the chiming from the outside. Andy opens the door and greets us. He's tall, decent looking, perhaps mid-40s. We have a light dinner in the dining room while Andy tells us about the house and how he's restored it over the years.
"I swear I have a ghost living with me. I hear the strangest noises coming from the basement."
"Have you looked into the history of the house?"
"I've got a genealogist looking into it but so far, no murders or deaths."
We finish our dinner and take our wine into the living room. It's not long before Andy gives us a tour of the house. I'm excited to see it. We go upstairs and he shows us large, gorgeous bedrooms, a sitting room, and of course, bathrooms, three to be exact. Back downstairs to show us the kitchen, big enough to create a banquet, and the sunroom.
"Can we see the basement where the ghost is?"
I ask. I didn't see the look that passes between Eric and Andy.
"Sure, follow me. Be careful, the stairs are uneven. There are several rooms down here, mostly storage."
We reach the bottom and he directs us to a carved wooden door.
"This is my pride and joy."
He opens the door and we walk in. There are no lights in here until Andy turns them on. When my eyes adjust, I'm standing in a Victorian barbershop.
"There are nights I swear I hear laughter and buzzing sounds down here, but when I come down, no one is here. Sometimes I hear sounds in the storage room next to this room, but still, no one."
"Animals maybe?
"I suppose a mouse or two could be roaming around, but no, these are man-made sounds."
There are two waiting chairs against the wall, and the men sit before I can reach one. I'm left with the barber chair.
"Go ahead, sit in it, check it out, it's real leather. I love the metal scroll work. I had the chair refurbished to its original state."
I smooth my hand over the leather seat before sitting. I lean forward to look at the scroll work on the footrest and don't notice that the guys are now standing beside me.