Travis found a thick soapstone countertop from an old saloon and used it for the shop. The stone was an olive drab green and looked perfect for its purpose. It was old and with slight undulations on the top from decades of use. It is what made him decide to make the cabinets out of black walnut, to match the chairs. The countertop added a muted green accent. He also made two faux walnut alcoves for the antique hair-washing sinks. He put in laminate walnut flooring with olive-drab baseboards. The walls were painted antique white. The chairs were re-upholstered with wine-colored leather. The trim on the chairs was brass. To match the caps on the chairs’ feet.
Lisa became an online shopping Guru. Searching for and buying antique barber shop accessories. Signs that advertised hot shaves, haircuts, and beard trimming were everywhere. Pictures of the interiors of old barber shops, barbers with arm garters and handlebar mustaches. All were proudly standing in front of the tools of their trade.
When they began the project, Lisa told Travis that she wanted what the English called “understated elegance” to be the look of the shop. That was the first time he heard that term. His expression went from puzzlement to a knowing smile in minutes. Give an artisan a new understanding of his craft and he will repay you many times over. To start with, every joint and miter was perfect. The drawers in the cabinet were half-blind dovetails. The hardest to do, but perfectly executed. The secondary wood was honey maple. Making the contrast of the joints striking. They begged for further inspection as if to say. “Try to find a flaw”. He even made walnut ladderback armchairs. Two walnut coffee tables to hold the magazines and coasters for coffee cups. All the little details were perfectly executed. They added up to an ambiance of elegance.
Loretta brought up the cost and time invested in this project to Travis. He told her it was a matter of now he has the money and skills to pull this off and given the chance he wanted to showcase what he can do. She knew this is what he needed to do and said no more. Over the years, this little barbershop brought him many high-dollar contracts to fulfill. “Understated Elegance” was the direction of all his new jobs. His new clients expected that and gladly paid the price.
Lisa had been preoccupied with the new shop and had not been available to her clients. Now her shaggy customers were showing up in droves. They were tickled to be there. No more eyes peering out from under hair dryers watching their every move. This is the place a man gets a haircut. She was an exceptionally good barber. She studied her craft and was familiar with the latest trends. Being pretty was a big advantage in life. However, she knew that beauty has an expiration date. Being good at your job does not.
What mattered was a hot shave and a haircut. This was the reason for coming. She would seat them in a chair and turn it towards the mirror. Stand behind the customer and talk about what they wanted to be done. Tracing the contours of their heads with her fingers, lifting the hair to talk about the length. Turning their heads with her hands to ask about the sides and how to trim over the ears. All the while maintaining eye contact in the mirror.
The consensus among her customers was, “This is how you start a great fuckin haircut”.
After she wrapped your neck with a tissue. She then pinned a barber’s cape around you. Then the cutting began. Whether it was a razor cut, clippers, or scissors she worked quickly. She knew what you wanted and developed her plan of attack. After that, she would turn you back to the mirror and let you inspect her work. Holding up a mirror so you could see the back of your head. If you liked what you saw, then it was over. She brushed your forehead and neck to remove any clippings. Then the cape and tissue were removed, with more brushing for your neck and clothing.
Now if you were smart, you wanted a hot shave too. If your haircut was to your liking. She would tilt the chair back and cover your face with unguents and potions. Rubbing them in with her hands. The last bit of magic she applied was tingly. Then a steaming hot towel was wrapped around your face like a turban. She knew just how hot the towel should be. It was thick enough to hold the heat long enough for the magic potions to do their work. After the towel was removed, she would pull out a hot mug with soap and a brush. She would apply a warm layer of thick soap suds, making sure every part was thoroughly covered. Then she put a towel on your chest and started to shave you with a straight razor. Wiping away the whiskers and soap on the towel.
The best part was the actual shaving. She had her hands on your face at all times. Moving your head this way and that. Holding your nose to shave the upper lip. Telling you the facial feature that she wanted you to exaggerate to get at all those pesky whiskers (her terminology). After that, she would use a wet towel to wipe away the soap and then fold the towel on your chest so she could use it to dry your face. During this time, you were left to concentrate on her touch. “Was it a lingering touch or just a business-related touch?” There is a lot of room between those two statements for a man to imagine and dream. Was that her breast that grazed your forehead?
The piece de resistance was when she sat you upright and put the vibrator on her hand and gave you a neck and shoulder massage. Even giving the scalp a good rub. If the former was compared to foreplay, the latter was an orgasm. After all, what else could make you say, “Oh God”, with such conviction? The haircut was $16, everyone gave her $20. The shave and haircut were $20. Carr started giving her a fifty-dollar bill. By doing so, he doubled the amount of time she spent on his neck massage. He referred to his haircuts as a spa experience. This was not lost on the other clientele.
Prompting the banker to ask, “Where did all these fifties come from?”
Carr was always saying, “Do you think I need a haircut? Cannot go too often. I don’t want her to think I am a stalker.”
#
The men on the bench at the feedstore were always talking about Lisa and her barbershop. They were in the middle of nowhere and now there was a barbershop that was attracting customers from everywhere. The first assumption was that her beauty was the reason. Over time that changed. It was a great barbershop, and you got an even better haircut and shave. She was never anything but professional about her relationship with the customers. Her study of what makes a great place to get a haircut was manifested in a million little ways. They all agreed it was a place where it was an advantage to be a man. Men brought in their sons for haircuts. The teenage boys were smitten after one look at her. She turned more sixteen-year-old boys into Yuppies than an Ivy League school. They all left starry-eyed and clean-cut. Exactly what the Fathers wanted.
“It reminds me of going to the barber shop with my Dad as a kid. He would be smoking a cigar. The barber would wrap a hot towel around his face with a small hole in the middle so he could puff on that stogie. It was a memory I will always cherish of my Dad. Puffing smoke out of a hot towel like a middle school science project volcano. Luxuriating in the experience of being a man. That is what I miss most about him.” Said, Vic.
The consensus among the men was this was too good of a thing to last. They just knew some guy would sweep her off her feet and take her away.
“I don’t think so”, said Glenn
“Why is that?”
“Well, last month when I was waiting to get a haircut. She had this young man in the chair, and he was flirting his ass off. He was handsome and looked like he had money. He was nice, seemed smart, and sincere. At the end of his haircut, he asked for her phone number. She gave him his change, shook the hair off the cape, and looked our direction and said, ‘Who’s next?’”, Glenn said with a smile.
“Holy shit! Talk about being left with nothing but your dick in your hands,” added Freddy
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he was impotent for six months after that” quipped Vic.
Freddy added, “My wife said someone at the donut shop said Lisa kept a list that was labeled ‘Persona non-Grata’’.
“What the fuck does that mean?” said Glenn.
“It means someone who is not welcomed back” replied Carr.
“Holy shit! That could be a fella’s ruination. Can you imagine What his wife would do?” Vic added.
“A guy could not let his hair grow without putting himself under a cloud of suspicion,” Carr said.
“You know if you think about it. That is one hell of a business model,” he added.
#
The new barbershop did not go unnoticed by the ladies at Poof to Pixie. Loretta’s staff and clients kept themselves informed about all things Lisa did. Dot was the most disturbed by having Lisa move out and start her shop. By not having her in the shop, Dot was missing out on tons of delicious gossip. One of the ladies heard from her husband that Lisa keeps a persona non grata list. They had to Google it to know what it meant. As soon as they knew, everything stopped. The ladies put the hairdryers in the up position, the radio turned off, and then all attention was directed toward Loretta.
Loretta looked at them and said, “Don’t look at me, this is the first I have heard of this. I do not know of any lists.”
Then one of the ladies said, “We need to know all about that list. What if it was one of our husband’s names on that list?”
“Somebody needs to go over there from time to time to check out that list,” said a woman whose time would have been better spent under the hairdryer.
“Good grief, all the time she has been here nothing has happened. That shop has been my husbands’ pride and joy. Now that it is successful and he is getting great attention for his work you want to stir something up over something that is not there,” Loretta said.
As if Loretta hadn’t said a thing. Dot added, “Somebody needs to go over there and look for the list and then check it for names from time to time.”
“Who’ll bell the cat?” asked Loretta.