Curlys

Do you have the correct address?" Sami asked Maddy.

"Yes, it is west of Union Square on 18th." The two friends continued to walk up 5th Avenue and made a left on 18th St. About halfway down the block they found their destination, Curly's. Outside the door the line had already formed with the usual mix of twenty to fifty-year old potential employees.

No one minded waiting on this warm July morning, and the mood of the crowd was quite jovial. The girls recognized Hillary and Sasha, two waiters from their last job, as they joined the line. While hanging out they gathered plenty of information about Curly's from Jeff and Max, two other bartenders also looking for a new opportunity. Jeff explained, "the new owners are financially sound. They can take on all the upfront costs without worrying about paying off big debts."

Sami sighed with relief, "great because we got stiffed from the last place. That restaurant closed without any notice and without our final paychecks."

Promptly at 10AM the doors opened and over a hundred prospective bartenders, servers, cooks, and kitchen staff walked inside. After waiting a few minutes for the crowd to settle the owner spoke up, "Hello everyone, I am Alison Walker, and my husband Steve is over there by the bar. As you can see, we have a big place here. It's about 5000 square feet, so we are looking to seat about two hundred at max capacity with another hundred or so in the bar area. And we have room in the courtyard for another hundred patrons."

Ally paused for a moment allowing the crowd to look around and walk out back. She continued, "May I have your attention. We already have our top positions filled, but we need everyone else. Please join us in the dining room for some refreshments."

"What do you think?" Maddy asked Sami.

"I like the place, and it seems pretty cool for a sports bar. Look at all the TVs."

Ally moved to an area in the dining room, where a cloth was draped over something big. "I hope you like the pastries. They are homemade and will be part of our brunch menu." The crowd agreed and Alison continued. "You may be wondering about the name Curly's. Even though Steve does have a mop of hair, you need to think about the Three Stooges." The crowd was perplexed for a moment, until Steve withdrew the cloth to reveal two red leather barber chairs.

Ally listened to the crowds' reaction of shock, intrigue, and confusion. "Steve and I got married six years ago after we shaved our heads not far from here. Since then, we have built relationships with other people, who shared in our experience. We are now all partners in this venture."

Jeff asked loudly, "do you want us to shave our heads?"

Steve responded this time, "not just the staff. We will encourage some patrons through events and contests. And of course, this includes management." With that he and Alison sat down in the chairs. A man and a woman came up behind them and without hesitation ran the clippers through the owners' hair. Steve's curls were toast in a matter of minutes, and Ally's auburn locks garnered the same fate. Once done with the clippers, Ally and Steve further shocked the group by having their heads lathered and shaved with a straight razor.

Ally stood up and rubbed her head. "I had been growing out my hair for a year waiting for this moment to christen the restaurant and initiate our idea. I can see you all think we are nuts, but I assure you we believe this concept will bring in more customers and happier ones at that."

"What do you expect of us, especially the girls?" asked Sasha.

"Just follow my lead," retorted Ally. Amongst the laughter she added, "as a real incentive we will pay you an additional $5000 to shave your head every six months. During the interim you can grow it out to whatever you wish. After six months we will pay you another five grand to shave it again."

Another prospective employee interjected, "do the guys get the same deal? And what kind of commitment do you want?"

Steve answered this time, "yes, guys get the same deal. You can leave at any time with the money in your pocket, even the day after your shave. We are fine with that because we don't think too many of you will want to leave once you have worked here. It is a matter of mutual trust, and we won't fire you right before bonus time either."

After a few more questions about the menu, attire, shift hours, and other procedures, Ally told the group, "all front of house people still interested please line up at the bar by Steve to drop off your resumes. Cooks and kitchen help please come by the table near me." Only a few people decided to leave at that point. Camaraderie had built amongst the potential staff just like Ally thought her head shave would deliver.

Following another hour of introductions and dozens of head rubs both Ally and Steve had a stack of resumes. "We will be contacting a number of you through email to come back for an interview starting tomorrow. We plan to open in September for football season, and we want to have everyone ready to go," said Steve.

Once everyone left Ally called out from the back of the restaurant, "Steve, come here. I have to show you something in the bathroom." He opened the door to find his wife propped up on the sink with her skirt hiked up to her waist and her panties around her wrist. "I shaved down here this morning, too."

Without hesitation Steve grabbed both of Ally's ass cheeks for stability, then he dove in face first. His tongue darted all over her slit, while his chin drilled as far up inside of her as possible. Ally squeezed Steve's shaved head between her thighs letting her contracted quads hold back the force of her oncoming orgasm.

After six years of marriage Steve knew a few tricks to break Ally's resistance, and to have the small ripples of delight transform in a tidal wave of pleasure. He pulled away his chin and stuck two fingers into her. Steve probed for the spot under her pubic bone. He knew massaging that sensitive flesh and continuing to dart on her clitoris, would break her last resistance.

Ally submitted to her orgasm. She grabbed Steve's head lightly digging in her nails. At first, she pulled his face in deeper, then she shoved him away. Her thigh muscles relaxed, and her torso convulsed before going limp. Steve stood up and grabbed her to makes sure she did not slip off the sink. He held Ally for a few minutes as she regained her sensibilities.

She looked at Steve with her green eyes, "Just like six years ago in the bathroom at NYU, when we made love for the first time."

"That was more of a horny fuck than real love making," Steve kidded her.

Ally chuckled, "But we did confess our love that day, and this time is a great way to start our new restaurant."

Steve blurted, "So, let's finish up. You got to play with my head. Now I get to play with yours. I haven't had the pleasure of rubbing your smooth scalp for a year." With that Steve rubbed Ally's temples and her nape. He felt the smooth firmness of her crown.

Ally looked down at Steve's growing erection. She dropped from the sink and turned around facing the big mirror. Steve came from behind her and with a couple of small thrusts his dick slipped all the way inside of her. He smiled at his bald beauty's reflection, and just like their first time it did not take very long for both of them to come this time.

Over the next month the Walkers finished construction, hired the staff, and completed the promotion for the opening of Curly's on Thursday, September 5

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, 2019. With their experience and willingness to help Curly's develop into one of the best bars in New York, Sami, Maddy, Jeff, and Max became the core bartenders. Each of them got four nightshifts and the Sunday Brunch.

"Wow, it's 90 degrees out already," complained Jeff.

"It must be August in New York," quipped Sami.

"I was supposed to run ten miles this morning, but I turned around earlier than planned. I barely covered six miles to get back home. And I had puddles in my running shoes from all the sweat," complained Max.

Ally walked up to the group. "Thanks for coming in early today. As we discussed we are getting all the deliveries for the glassware and the alcohol today." You know where everything should be for our opening next week.

"Ally, I see you shaved your head again this morning. I would have thought you would have grown it out a little bit. When it's my turn to go cue ball, I will let it grow back for six months," Sami explained.

"You'll be surprised how good it feels, and you will want to keep it that way," Ally retorted.

The staff worked diligently for the next five hours to have the bar ready for opening night the following week. After they finished, they went to a local pizza place for a couple of slices.

"Ally surely likes her bald head," noted Sami. "And she thinks everyone will feel the same. As I said to her, that is not for me."

"You will probably look great." interjected Jeff. You have a cute nose, a long neck, little ears, and those blue eyes."

Ally responded, "Thanks. I guess we'll see next week when it's my turn. We better get to Central Park for the King Gizzard concert. I listened to a few songs on YouTube. I liked them."

The four coworkers secured a decent spot in the general admission area. They even managed to move towards the stage, as the crowd jostled for position. During one of the songs Sami took Jeff's hand and started to dance with him. Their dancing became more flirtatious over the next song. "That was a lot of fun," he said as they rejoined Maddy and Max.

After two hours the show ended, they walked east towards third avenue. "Max, great call with the King," said Maddy. "I had never even heard of them before today. They rocked."

"I heard them on WFUV a few years ago, and last year they played at the Bowery Ballroom. That was a little cozier place, so I really could hear every note and lyric. This was not as intimate, but I sure enjoyed the company with all of you."

They entered a restaurant on 71

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and third. Max found an opening at the bar and ordered a round of tequila shots for the group. He handed one to each Max and the girls. "To Curly's," they toasted.

"I worked here in 2017. It was a lot of fun, and I made good tips," said Jeff.

"How long did you last?" asked Sami.

"Until last year, then things got a little messy," his voice trailed off.

"Well, what happened?" both girls asked simultaneously.

As Jeff hesitated, Max answered for him, "he slept with Susan one too many times."

The girls turned to Jeff with surprised expressions. "I wanted to her to move in with me, but she was not ready for that commitment. It got awkward seeing each other at work after that. I was going to quit, but she wound up in Florida. Her mom has early dementia, and she moved to take care of her."

"Why did we come here tonight? That must have really hurt. Do you keep in touch with Susan?" asked Sami.

"I guess I needed to get over it. And just a text every so often. She works at a bar in Fort Lauderdale and is finishing her nursing degree at FAU."

"I urged him to come here. He definitely needs to get over it. Oh, and tell her your new golden rule," Max directed Jeff.

"I don't get intimate with coworkers anymore. It does not end well."

"Not even with Max," quipped Maddy. No chuckles this time, so Maddy took the hint. "My turn to buy a round," she said, while getting the bartender's attention.

After their third drink Maddy and Sammy called for an Uber to pick them up. The guys walked out with them as the car arrived. Max opened the door for the girls to enter. "See you in a few days for Curly's big night," said Maddy as she closed the door.

"Dude, you better be careful or you're going to get involved with her," Max said to Jeff. "I saw the two of you at the concert. There is something between you."

"No way man. We will be fine as coworkers and friends. Let's get a cab." They instructed the driver to drop Max on East 39th, then to take Jeff to West 24

th

. After Max got out Jeff shouted to him, "I'll be fine with her at work."

On Thursday Sami and Maddy entered the restaurant around 2PM. They both wore short black skirts and tight white tee-shirts. They figured looking a little sexy would go a long way to better tips. Max and Jeff were behind the bar cutting up the lemons and limes. While neither showed off his knees, they did look pretty good in their black pants and black shirts.

Maddy noticed a group of couples near the stage set up for the shaving. "Those people must be the other partners," she said to Sami. "And they are about to be bald."

Ally stopped by the bar. "Are you guys all set? Max, do you have enough garnish?

"All set," he responded.

"Are those your partners?" asked Maddy. "I saw them looking at the barber chairs."

Ally answered, "Yes, those are my partners. Please gather up the staff. My life sisters will give up their hair once again."

Maddy asked Sasha to have the waitstaff come over barber chairs. Maddy then had the kitchen staff join the festivities. Ally spoke to the group. "Not only will some of you shave tonight, but the partners will also become hairless. Six years ago, the Six Sisters went bald to elicit the karma to help Wendy beat her cancer. She has been in remission since then, and she is looking forward to joining her other sisters in another grand shaving event."

It took about two hours for Helen to repeat shaving the Six Sisters much like she did six years ago. One by one, Ally, Jane, Jen, Beth, Connie, and Wendy lost their locks not only to promote good will amongst the staff at Curly's, but to reunite their own spirit. Ally was the only one to have had a shaved head at any time in the past five years, so this was once again a very engaging act for the other women. No orgasms in the chair like last time, but all of them felt the rush of the liberation from the blade.

Ally planned to start the staff shaving once the bar had filled with the first wave of patrons. "Now that management has gotten into the spirit of Curly's, we need four men and four women to get shaved tonight to motivate the customers. We will repeat this every Thursday night for the next few months until all of you look like us. Moreover, we will write eight $5000 checks for those of you getting shaved tonight. Any volunteers?" Ally asked waiving the checks in the air.

Immediately, all the workers hands shot up. "I figured 5K in your hand was a nice incentive, so I will write checks for the eight bartenders. Next week we will move onto the waitstaff and the kitchen workers."

The doors opened at 5:00 and by 8:00 Curly's was hopping. The dinner tables had already turned over, and both indoor bars had guests three deep. Even the outdoor bar needed two bartenders to handle all the orders. Sami had been serving drinks non-stop for three hours and was raking in the tips. Maddy came up to her, "I am here to cover for you. Ally said you are in the lead-off spot, so off you go."

"Wow, I have been so busy I almost forgot. Do you know who else will follow me?" she asked running up to where Ally was waiting with a microphone.

"May I have your attention, please?" Ally projected into the microphone. After one more pleading from Ally the crowd quitted. "Thank you. As most of you know from our promotional material and from looking at my bald head, we are proud to promote various events involving hair cutting and shaving. Not only will we hold a St. Baldricks event in March and a few other organized fund raisers throughout the year, but we will have some of our staff shave their heads on Thursday nights. While we will pay them bonuses for doing so, any money raised from other participants will go to charity. Leading the way is Sami, one of our lovely bartenders. "Are you ready to lose all that gorgeous blond hair and to commit to being part of our Curly's staff?"

Sami nodded anxiously and sat down. Helen fastened the cape around her neck and brushed out her locks. She bound and snipped off eight portions for donations, then Helen took a clipper and ran it straight through Sami's remaining chopped hair. After a dozen more passes a huge pile of golden chards collected in Sami's lap. Helen then took a smaller clipper and cleaned up around the ears and neck leaving Sami with the faintest blond fuzz. Ally then placed a warm towel on the bartender's head. Helen removed the towel and spread the lather onto the girl's scalp. Sami just smiled with an almost blank gaze in her blue eyes. Helen then used a razor to remove the last traces of Sami's hair. Once finished she rubbed in some oil to reduce the irritation. This also brought Sami's scalp to a brilliant shine reflecting the lights above. She sat up and returned to the bar allowing many rubs and cheers from the crowd.

Jeff followed by having his own ponytail cut off and his head shaved clean. Then it was Maddy's turn to lose her raven locks. Before she sat down, she spoke with Ally, with Helen, and then to the crowd. "I have not had even a trim in two years, and I am a little nervous. We agreed to have a little fun with my shave. I always liked the genie look, so Helen will create that for me to wear for a little while.

Once Maddy sat down, Helen brushed out and braided one big band of hair from the top of the bartender's head. After using a scissor to sever suitable donations, she meticulously clipped Maddy's black hair around the top knot. The shaving cream followed, as did the scented oil.

Maddy stood up twisting her neck to spin her braid around. Whether she really had some magic in that braid, or if was just her enthusiasm, the crowd went wild.

Max and the three other bartenders surrendered their hair without any fanfare, but the crowd remained eager to participate in the event. Several patrons paid to participate in buzzing the employees. However, Helen always handled the razor blade. She even shaved some of the guests.

After a couple of dozen shaves and lots of drinking, Ally called a halt to the proceedings. "Thank all of you for making tonight so special. We have raised thousands, and we look forward to many more Thursday night shavathons. We hope to continue to have Curly's be one of your destinations for great food and drink, and for a really good time."

At two AM Steve put Semisonic's "Closing Time" on the sound system. After allowing the lyrics to sink into the mindset of the remaining patrons and the staff, he turned down the music and picked up the microphone. "I've been wanting to play this song, since we decided to open Curly's. But I still don't get Dan Wilson's explanation this song is about childbirth. It's about time to close the bar and for everyone to go home. Which is where we are. Thanks to all of guests for supporting us tonight. And thanks to our wonderful staff for making this the best opening night. And thanks to Ally for making all of this happen." With that he kissed his wife and gave her a thorough head rub. The crowd erupted with cheers and applause.

Maddy, Jeff, Sami, and Max sat around the bar downing a final Don Julio complement of their new bosses. "Wow, what a night!" exclaimed Sami. "I made over $1000 in tips and with that $5000 check, I have rent money for about two weeks."

Her three fellow bartenders laughed at her joke about New York rents. Jeff added, "not to mention how little you will spend fixing your new hairstyle." This time they just chuckled, but all four put a hand on their own scalp realizing how bald they really were. "Do I have any weird moles or bumps on my head?" Jeff asked.

Sammy got up and walked behind his chair, "I will inspect your scalp, if you inspect mine in return," she said.

"Max, I will make you the same deal, but let's take a few pictures first." said Maddy. The girls posed with their hands on each other's head. The guys remained serious for their picture, but in the selfie of the group they all stuck out their tongues.