Page 4 of Half Notes and Highlights
“You’re not leaving me with many other options, Mr. Difficult.”
“I thought you were going to work your magic on me.”
“I can work magic. With scissors. I can give you an edgy, asymmetrical cut.” Tyler ran his hand over the right side of Ethan’s head, and his eyes brightened as he spoke. “I can shave this part all the way to the back, and give you choppy—”
“Forget it!” Ethan let out a genuine laugh. “You’re not shaving my head!”
“OK. Calm down. I didn’t mean to set your panties on fire. I don’t have to shave anything.” He winked and presented that sexy little smile. “Unless you want me to.”
Ethan held his breath for a second, unsure how this guy managed to make him laugh when he’d been in such a bad mood.
“I knew exactly what to do from the beginning,” Tyler began, taking on a professional demeanor. “I just wanted to offer other options because I know you’re not going to like what I’m about to say. But trust me.” He looked at Ethan through the mirror for a few beats. “Do you trust me?”
Ethan hesitated, then nodded once.
“Good. Thank you. I appreciate that. Now, hear me out before you shoot me down again.” Tyler pulled Ethan’s hair back and ran it through his hands. “You lost a significant amount of length on one side. There’s really only one thing to do.”
Ethan opened his mouth to protest, but Tyler cut him off.
“We need to even out the left side, but I can keep it a little longer in the back and add layers, so it’ll be fuller and appear as if you have more hair. Trust me. I know what I’m doing. I’ve been in this business for a very long time. There’s a reason why I was called here to help. I’m one of the best.” Tyler cuppedEthan’s face in his hands from behind. “Look at that jawline. Your hair will still come down to your shoulders, but it’ll be out of your face. It’ll highlight that perfect bone structure.”
Cutting his hair short was the last thing Ethan wanted to do, but he realized he didn’t have any other choice. Even though Tyler evoked confidence and reassurance, Ethan wasn’t ready to agree, and he didn’t answer.
“Let’s get you washed and back in the chair and we can discuss it further.” Tyler patted Ethan’s shoulders lightly before a towel was clipped around Ethan’s neck and a black silky cape was draped over him. As he walked to the sink and leaned back in the chair, resignation and acceptance finally settled in. His hair was fucked. There was no fixing it. Cutting it was the only option.
The warm water on his scalp had a calming effect, and Tyler’s fingers gently massaged away the remaining tension as he lathered Ethan’s hair. He didn’t realize how much frustration and anxiety he’d been carrying around in his shoulders. By the time he was back in the chair facing the mirror, he was more open to the idea of cutting his hair short.
Unexpectedly, Tyler swiveled the chair around, so Ethan was no longer facing the mirror.
“What are you doing?” Ethan asked, surprised.
“I don’t want to spoil the big reveal.”
“But—”
“No buts. It’ll be better this way. You’ll see.” Tyler paused and presented a small smile. “Don’t worry. No one ever left my chair without looking infinitely better than before they sat down. In your case . . .” Tyler’s eyes washed over Ethan. “You’re gonna be fire.”
The small hairs on the back of Ethan’s neck prickled, and goosebumps ran down his back. Then he spotted the entourage of bodyguards on the other side of the salon, along with Pauland the store manager. They’d been so quiet, he forgot they were there, and none of them were paying any attention to him, as if they wanted no part of what was about to happen.
The metallic snip of the scissors made Ethan flinch as he realized that Tyler had just started chopping off his hair. A long lock of hair was tossed over Ethan’s head and into his lap. Followed by another. Then another, this time on the floor to his right, and then another to his left. Ethan’s heartrate started to spike as more strands of long hair flew in every direction, preceded by the sharp clipping of the blades. He clenched every muscle in his body, but he forced himself to remain silent.
Tyler, on the other hand, was enjoying himself. He hummed and danced in place while he kept tossing Ethan’s hair around where it collected on the floor for Ethan to see.
It was heartbreaking. It had taken Ethan years to grow out his hair, and he’d had it for so long. He didn’t know what he looked like with short hair anymore, and nerves ran circles inside his belly.
Tyler moved in front of Ethan and leaned over and checked both sides of Ethan’s hair. He made a few more snips, then he stood up straight, looked at Ethan with his mouth open and muttered, “Oh my God.”
“What?” Startled and worried, Ethan jumped a little.
Tyler patted Ethan’s knee. “You look amazing, and I’m not done yet.”
It was easy for Ethan to forget the worry about his impending short hair with Tyler parading around in those tight leather pants. Maybe if they didn’t dip so low in the back that they exposed the cleavage of his butt crack he wouldn’t have been so obsessed. Even with a belt, they shimmied down Tyler’s slender hips and revealed the slight curve of his magnificent ass—an ass Ethan wanted to sink his teeth into—and he couldn’t focus his eyes on anything else.
A few more snips, some texturizing with a special pair of shears, then hair product, and a blow out, and Tyler was done. He stood in front of Ethan with a huge smile on his face. “Are you ready for your transformation?”
“Yeah!” Ethan could barely sit still wondering what he looked like with short hair. “Can I turn around now?”
Tyler spun the chair around to face the mirror, and Ethan focused on his reflection. It was startling, and he almost didn’t recognize himself. His hair barely touched his shoulders, and it had layered waves that kinda curled in different directions.
