All I Want is to Be Beautiful and Desired By Everyone

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Shawn got his head shaved at Chop Shop on South Street while I sat in a chair near the front, trying to write in my journal, but it was too interesting in there to concentrate on anything but staring at everyone and eavesdropping on conversations. This one black guy was giving another black guy the same exact hair cut as he had--short and shaped into jagged angular lines in the front. He used some kind of small tool to take off individual hairs and then a razor blade to finish it up. He took great care while doing it. One guy over was a man getting a crew cut and his hairdresser also spent a lot of time with him. The guy had his eyes closed sometimes (the client, not the hairdresser) I guess because it's somewhat pleasant and hypnotic to have someone lavishing attention on your head. Shawn was in and out of the chair in less time than these other guys because he gets the straight on buzz, not frills, no neck shaving. I didn't get my hair cut then, but later, after we parted, I went back.

The guy was named Stephen. He was freckly and cute and wore a cowboy hat and a belt buckelt with a bull's head on it. He also had on a white wife beater and beaded necklaces. And as far as I could tell, he was straight. I tried to explain to him what I wanted, but since I had no idea and what I always want when I get my haircut is to emerge with a haircut that brings out the best features on my face, makes me look younger and hipper, and requires absolutely no maintenance but will always look as stylish as it does when I'm walking out of the salon. Instead, I said, My layers look bad. That was about the extent of the suggestions I had for him. He said, Well, what do you like best about your hair now? I told him the length, which is really what Shawn likes best about my hair now. He said, Well, we can blend in the layers better but I'll have to blow it out though. I didn't know what he meant, but said okay. He washed my hair and then proceeded to blow it dry (why didn't he just say that) using a gigantic fat brush. He made my hair totally straight and gorgeous. He spent at least half an hour. I understand now how celebs get gorgeous--if I had someone to do my hair like that every day, I'd be a dreamboat. He then cut it and took a long time with that too--the whole cut lasted an hour and even though I looked slightly like David Cassidy at the end, I really liked it.

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