Cody moved to volunteer, but I stepped in front of him, “Me. I’ll go.”
Delores finally appeared, coming out of the bathroom and drying her hands with a paper towel. “Well, Howdy,” she exclaimed. Then she turned to Maddie, “Did they introduce themselves? These are the Morgan brothers.”
Maddie forced a smile, “I’m pretty sure they were getting around to it.”
Nodding toward Maddie, Delores said, “This is Madison, but she goes by Maddie. She’s my new partner and a damn good stylist.”
I offered Maddie my hand, “I’m Luke.”
She rebuked the offer of my hand, turning towards the shampoo station, “Follow me.”
Cody shouted across the room, “I thought you weren’t getting a haircut?”
Without looking back, I flipped him the bird and kept walking.
When we got behind the screen, Maddie threw a smock at me and commanded me to, “Sit.”
I did what I was told. She tucked a towel behind my head without touching me or saying a word. I could hear her fooling around with the water when she said, “Lean back.”
The anticipation of her hands running through my hair had me at half-mast.
Lulled by my own thoughts, I relaxed into the rush of water. It was fucking freezing. I jumped two feet in the air, “What the f—”
Standing there with her arms crossed over her spectacular bosom, Maddie snickered, “Oops, my bad.”
I think she expected me to walk away. Instead, I took a deep breath and sat back down. Once my head fell backward, she hit me with a second arctic shot across my brow. I didn’t move a muscle. Dismayed by my persistence, she harrumphed and opened the hot water valve so that the temperature warmed up.
Sweet baby Jesus, when her fingers made contact with my scalp, it took every manly bone in my body not to audibly moan. Her hands rubbing circles on my skull was one of the most intense pleasures of my life. Hard as nails, it was all I could do not to bust my nut. In an attempt to resume hostilities, Maddie tugged roughly at the ends of my long blond locks. Her efforts totally backfired. It was like she sprinkled Miracle Grow across my crotch. My dick, which I would have sworn was as big as it could possibly get, swelled. It was like a third person entered the room, made known by the very visible rise in my Wranglers.
“Should I turn the cold water back on?” Maddie asked.
It was a joke, which I guess was better than her anger, but I was pretty sure she was still pissed. There was no way I could explain myself. Cody and Wyatt could definitely hear us. I didn’t really even want them to know I was sporting King Kong, but I certainly wasn’t ashamed of how Maddie affected me. It was glorious.
With a wink, I said the only thing I could, “I’m good, thanks.”
She rolled her eyes, leaving me to wrap up my own hair and adjust my situation, while she moved on to her chair.
Once I was seated, she combed out my hair and asked, “What are we doing? Buzzcut?”
I’m not sure about all long-haired men, but my hair was insanely important to me. There was one time when I was a teenager that Wyatt put Nair in my shampoo. It was bad. I looked like one of those hairless cats. So, threatening my tresses helped convince my one-eyed monster that retreating back into his cave was a viable option.
I pleaded with my eyes while trying to maintain my masculinity, “Just a trim, please.”
Recognizing my fear, she bit out, “Don’t worry. I’m a professional.”
After that, she didn’t talk much, just directions to turn this way and that so that she could do her job. I watched her in the mirror. Just like in class, I couldn’t take my eyes off her, mesmerized by her beauty. But it was also fun to watch her work. I could tell by her focus that cutting hair wasn’t perfunctory for Maddie. It was her art. She had a vision, and each snip was a step toward the image in her mind.
Both Wyatt and Cody were done before Maddie let me out of her chair. They were lingering, stalking around like hungry vultures.
Standing at the register, Delores asked, “One bill or three, boys?”
Cody poked the bear, “Oh, I’m pretty sure Luke is paying for me and Wyatt, considering he kept us from talking to Maddie, the blue-haired beauty.”
“I know someone who could write that song.” Wyatt was referencing Bill’s rockstar ex-girlfriend's first hit, Blue Eyed Beau. “You interested in being serenaded, Maddie?”
I was generally a gentle guy, but in this case, I didn’t want either of these idiots thinking they had even a glimmer of a chance with my girl. I pulled out my wallet, handed Delores eighty bucks, and addressing my brothers, said, “Not now. Not ever.” Then, I turned to Maddie. Again, I tried to convey my apology with my eyes, “It was lovely to meet you. I truly hope to see you again soon.” I pulled a ten out of my wallet and tried to give it to her.
She threw a towel over her shoulder and said, “I’ll pass.”
And then she spun on her heels and I watched her sweet ass walk away.
Shit.
4
Maddie
I threw the broom and dustpan in the supply closet with a little too much force and it clattered noisily. Damn it. It was four o’clock on Tuesday night and Delores and I were cleaning up the salon. I was modeling in the art class in a couple of hours and I wasn’t happy about it.
From behind me, Delores questioned, “What is up with you today?”
“Nothing,” I growled.
“Yeah sure, and the Pope’s bar mitzvah is next weekend.”
“It’s really nothing. You know that thing I am doing at the college?”
Delores giggled like a school boy who just heard someone say boobies. “Your risqué empowerment project?” she joked.
“Yes,” I rolled my eyes. “My art modeling. Thing is, Luke Morgan is in the class.”
“Luke Morgan, Luke Morgan?”
I nodded confirmation.
Delores cackled. Her whole body shook and she rocked forward, her hair falling over her face. I took a deep breath and tried not to be annoyed that she was laughing at my life. Once she regained her composure, she said, “Well, the whole it’s-far-enough-from-my-backyard plan backfired.” She paused for a minute and I could see the wheels turning in her head. “Wait a minute, then you already knew him when the Morgan brothers came in over the weekend?”
I nodded again, letting her work it out for herself.
“Did he pretend he didn’t know you?” It was a rhetorical question. “That’s weird.”
A couple of days ago, when he first walked into the shop, my heart leapt. It was just instinctual, I was so happy to see him. Happier than I would have expected. And then when he caged up, I felt terrible. Obviously, he thought that taking my clothes off and modeling for an art class was not respectable. He was either embarrassed for me that I was an art model or he didn’t want his brothers to think I was a whore. And even worse, he didn’t want his brothers to flirt with or date me because he thought of me as dirty. Then, he was so turned on by me touching him, and for a second, that felt exciting, but when the thought of it settled in, I was horrified. I was like porn for him, a sex object. I was modeling in this class because I wanted to feel people honoring my body as a thing of beauty, so that I could feel that beauty as my own empowerment, not to be fodder for some jerk’s spank bank.