I looked like a reject from the '70s. Not a hippy, more like a glam rocker with long, wild, black and grey hair. Down to the shoulders long, and it desperately needed fixing. Toni was sure she could cut it neatly, but I've watched my wife hack away at her beloved roses. I was terrified I'd lose an ear. When the Government announced the latest COVID lockdown had eased, well, everyone hit the phones trying to get into their hairdressers or barbers for a cut. Four months is way too long for me between trims.
I called up for an appointment with Emma. She's a bubbly 3rd-year apprentice who's been cutting my hair since she started her apprenticeship at 18. Toni had come home one day and asked if I would let Em cut my hair as the salon didn't have many male customers. Even less that were happy to let a novice attack their perfectly coiffed do. Yeah, that sort of customer... Vain beyond belief. I wasn't fussed. As long as it was short and neat, all good. And I was happy to be a student's guinea pig for a discount.
I gave the salon a call and Emma answered. "Hi Johnno, how are you? I was hoping you'd call."
I didn't have to give her my name, she just knew who I was by my voice. I was surprised she was hoping I'd call though. I have to admit, that made me feel good. "Hi Em. I'm good, apart from looking like an Old English Sheepdog. What're the chances of fitting me in for a cut soon?
"You'd only be looking at the normal short back and sides? Not getting rid of that grey?"
I laughed. Emma was itching to try her hair colouring skills on me. "Just a cut thanks. Anytime will be fine. I'll work my work around it."
"Hmm, well there's nothing for a fortnight but what about Thursday night? We normally finish at eight, but I'm sure Sandi would be happy to let me work a bit longer just for you."
"Sounds good. Just send me a text one way or the other." About an hour later I received the official salon confirmation of my night appointment.
On Thursday I drove off and parked outside. The lights were on, but I couldn't see Emma. Figuring she was out the back I slipped on my mask and knocked on the door. Emma poked her head around the back door and seeing it wasn't a random stranger, smiled and waved at me. She put a mask on and unlocked the front door.
"My God, you're a mess!" she exclaimed, running her fingers through my long hair. "You are never to get this bad again. It's going to take me an hour to tidy it up!"
She walked around me, sliding her fingers along my scalp and pulling my hair up to check its length. "I'll send you a text from my phone. This is crazy long, and lockdown or not, give me a call and I'll fix it. Grab a seat over there, and I'd better start."
I sat down in the salon chair and looked in the mirror. I looked awful. The bright salon lights made me look positively ancient, not just creepy old. I sighed deeply and looked over at Emma's butt as she was tidying up her tray of equipment. It looked nice, wrapped tightly in stretch denim jeans. She was also wearing a tight white vee necked t-shirt, which was part of the salon's uniform. Normally they all wore aprons, but not tonight. I guess she didn't need it for a straight cut.
Emma finished and turned around. "Sorry about that. The joys of being the apprentice. I get to tidy up everyone's mess." She flicked a cape around my neck and clipped it up. Em leaned over my shoulder to straighten the cape, her left breast lightly brushing past my head.
"Too tight?" she asked. I shook my head and felt it rub against the shirt material. I glanced up at the mirror at our reflections. I could just see the outline of Em's white lace bra under her tee and just a hint of a hard nipple poking up near my ear. She turned towards me and her tit rubbed harder across my head. Emma liked working close to her clients - well, that was what she told me at my first cut. She did ask if being so close made me uncomfortable, but she was slightly long-sighted and didn't like wearing glasses for close up work. She thought they got in the way.
I replied that it was fine. Having a reasonably attractive young woman press herself against me was pretty nice, even if it was for purely business purposes. I had never seriously thought of Emma sexually. I was happily married, she had a steady boyfriend, and cutting my hair was about the only thing we had in common. Of course, I fantasized about her. I wasn't dead. But it was the idle fantasy guys have when they see a cute girl on the street or in a movie.
This was different. Having a tit in my ear was a level above what she normally did. She started combing and cutting, tut-tutting about how I should have called her earlier. We started our normal customer/cutter banter - how was working from home, any good movies we'd watched, what we were doing to keep up our skills in our respective sports. When I asked about her boyfriend, Tyson, she hesitated slightly before answering.
"Oh, he's ok I guess. He went to Melbourne to work for a builder just before this lockdown so I haven't seen him in person for about three months. We call each other on Zoom, but it's not the same." She stretched up, thrusting her good-sized breasts out. "Geez, it's been a long day. Yeah, anyway. Zoom's just not satisfying. And you see things you're not supposed to see." And she went back to tidying my mop.
"Huh. Well, you really can't beat face to face contact, can you?" I answered diplomatically. I was pretty sure she wasn't talking about a girlfriend - boyfriend chat, but I played safe. "I've had so many virtual meetings but you can't beat sitting around a table discussing things."
She laughed, a bit sadly. "True. How much off your fringe?" Emma gently pulled my head back so it was nestled between her breasts. "Same as usual? And would you like a coffee? This is taking way longer than usual, and I need a boost."
"That'll be good Em. Coffee and the length."
"No worries. Be right back." She patted my shoulder and bounced off to the rear of the shop. "White and none, wasn't it?"
"Yes please," I called back, looking up from sending a text to Toni. "I'm surprised you remembered."
She came back with two mugs and maskless. "I think we're safe to ditch these for the moment. And your coffee is the same as mine. To be honest, you're my favourite client so I remember these things."
I looked up at her and smiled, then noticed there was a slight difference in her outfit. Things under her shirt were rocking and rolling a bit freer than they were a few minutes ago. Nobody removes their bra on a whim, and I started to wonder what she was thinking. We both took a sip of our drinks and she returned to cutting back the top. This time her jeans clad crotch was pushed hard into my shoulder, and I swear she was deliberately rubbing herself while working. This was getting blatantly sexual, especially with her softly sighing.
I shifted uncomfortably in the chair as she went to her tray and picked up the clippers. I was hard and leaking, and my head was starting to spin. I took another sip of coffee and watched her shapely arse. This was not what I was expecting. I was at least thirty years older than Emma. We had a good relationship, but wow! I wasn't sure what to do. I'd never been on the receiving end of such blatant flirting. On one hand, I wanted to gently put a stop to it. On the other, I wanted to throw her to the floor and fuck her brains out.
In the true spirit of indecision, I decided to let her go on with it. She was obviously enjoying herself, and I was enjoying the attention. I figured this was probably what was normal flirting nowadays. Way different to when I was her age, but a lot of things were. I suddenly felt old again.
"Number two at the back?" she asked, bending down beside me so she could trim my sideburns.
"Yep, that'll be great. Get things ready for summer." I had to look forward, but out of the corner of my eye, I could see straight down her shirt at her boobs. Emma must have sensed me looking as she shrugged her shoulders. God, I nearly came there and then as they swayed back and forth. I drew in a sharp breath as I caught a glimpse of her pink, puffy nipples.
"You ok, John? Did I nick you?" She knew what I'd seen. There was no concern in her voice, just a bit of amusement.
"All good Em. No problems at all."
"Good. I really missed work. You know, you're the first guy I've spoken face to face to in months. Apart from my dad." She moved around to my other side and pushed the zip of her jeans into my shoulder. There was no mistaking what she was doing now. She slowly moved her body so her mound rubbed against me, and I caught a whiff of her excited musky scent. I bit my bottom lip and reached for my coffee.
"Nearly done here," she said professionally and ran a comb through my hair looking for uneven strands. "That's looking much better. Just have to fix the fringe. You're looking like Daniel Craig now."
I smiled at the compliment, "Thanks, but I don't think so. I'm not a suave 007 by any means."
Em turned the chair 90 degrees and leaned down to examine my fringe. There were her magnificent boobs again, just hanging. She stayed there for what seemed like hours but was probably only a couple of minutes. Me - staring down her naked cleavage, Emma - snipping stray bits of hair off my face. Her breathing seemed to have become slightly quicker, and shallower.
Emma wasn't alone. This was now way beyond flirting. If it wasn't for the cape I would have reached up and squeezed one of those wonderful orbs of soft womanhood. Em must have read my mind. Her left hand reached up to her chest, pinched her puffy, and dropped to my thigh to balance herself.
"Sorry, I felt myself overbalancing. You don't mind, do you?" she asked coyly.
"Not at all Em, it's fine. You can do that again if you want." I breathed back.
