August does bring many new things into Abbie and Tim’s life. They would have never imagined that five weeks could hold so much. It started out as told, with a new license for Abbie, a car for Tim, and what got to be part of their regular weekday schedule.
It starts with Abbie, seeing that Tim’s hair is getting a bit long and messy, taking things into her own hands. Since meeting Abbie that fateful night after stopping at his barber on the way home, Tim has only had one haircut in June, which Abbie cringed over but said nothing.
Now, though, it is time for Tim to look the role of his position. She calls her unisex hair salon and book appointments for both her and Tim. While now being a two-car household, Abbie and Tim, for the most part, still drive to work and home together. So when Abbie announces their appointments as she climbs into the car on Tuesday evening, Tim is a bit taken back.
Tim questions what she means about both of them, and in between giving Tim directions to the salon, Abbie calmly explains, “Tim, your hair is getting long, which I love, but it so needs some styling. And I need to get a trim at the least, as it has been a few months now.
So Tim resigns himself to the ordeal ahead.
At the salon, Abbie is greeted as a regular customer, and the hair tech scheduled for Tim’s metamorphosis looks at him, runs her hands through his locks, and smiles, “Oh, I can see how this could be much more stylish.”
Tim blushes at the attention but allows himself to be led to a chair. Abbie is right beside him in the next chair and smiling encouragingly at him. Both are tipped back over the sinks for their hair to be washed. This is something Tim never experienced at the barber.
Even though Abbie is used to being shampooed now, it still does something each time her hair is washed like this. Tim makes the same magic happen when he shampoos her hair but in a different way.
As said, it is new to Tim, along with the feelings he experiences. Feeling the warm water being sprayed over his head as he leans back in the chair is such a fantastic start for what is to come. Tim closes his eyes as he feels shampoo applied and then the fingers scrubbing the soap in and massaging his head.
Tim’s mind wanders as he realizes that though it is just his head being cleaned and rubbed, he feels the sensation through his whole body. It is as though different parts of his skull are sending out messages to various nerves in his body. It is like someone turned on a full-body vibrator.
He doesn’t want it to stop. And the beautician is taking her time with him. She sees him shudder a few times and know the attention she is giving him is being fully appreciated. The heated water from the spray is running around Tim’s head, washing all the soap away. It is like a soothing stream calming him some.
Then the beautician again is rubbing his head, working in the conditioner. Again Tim’s body is trembling, feeling the sparks going off all over his body. When she gives the final rinse, Tim manages to come down from the lofty heights he just was taken to. She dries his hair, rubbing it with a warm towel.
Turning to lead Tim to her station, as he stands, Tim is unsure if he will be able to walk after that. But he can make it to the chair. Though used to it as said, Abbie goes through much the same as Tim getting her hair washed. It is just something about leaning back, giving control to someone else to care for your needs, which can feel so erotic.
Abbie is unsure if the beauticians know this feeling from experiencing it or unaware of their power to arouse customers for a few minutes. It doesn’t matter. While it can seem like it goes on for a half-hour or so, in reality, the whole process is closer to five minutes at best. The wicked smile and wink to each other that Abbie sees as they walk to their stations seem to suggest perhaps they do.
Tim, so relaxed now, accepts having his hair cut and styled. Abbie is giving instructions from the next chair as her hair is being trimmed and fashioned. The beautician understands and agrees with Abbie’s vision for Tim and gets to work. As she is finishing, she asks both Tim and Abbie about his mustache and beard.
Abbie looks at Tim, and seeing his new hair look, asks him, “Tim, do you want to keep your beard and mustache? It could just be trimmed, but I think you would look great with it shaved off.”
Tim had been so proud of himself years ago when he could grow facial hair like this. But viewing himself in the mirror, he can see with his new ‘do,’ which he does like, perhaps clean-shaven would look better. He tells the beautician to yes, shave it all off.
His immediate acceptance of such a suggestion surprises Abbie some, but she just smiles at him.
A warm towel is wrapped around Tim’s face, and he realizes that in part, he is agreeing to shed his beard so as to receive more personal attention. After a few minutes, the towel is removed, and the beautician begins to shave him with long, careful strokes.
With his eyes half-closed enjoying this, it is added to as the beautician, who is well-endowed, bends over to shave him, her boobs peeping out of her dress as she concentrates on her job. Tim enjoys the view as she does.
Another warm towel is wrapped around his face for a few minutes until it was time for the unveiling of Tim’s new look. As his chair is straightened back up and the towel removed, they all look at Tim to see. Tim in the mirror, Abbie and the beautician looking at him.
Tim looks terrific, so much better. But Abbie and the beautician begin to laugh a little. An aspect of shaving Tim’s face in the summer is apparent. Tim looks at them both and then back at the mirror, and he begins to chuckle also.
The whole bottom half of his face is somewhat pale, compared to his cheeks and forehead, which are tan from the summer sun for the last couple of months. While the three enjoy its humor, they all also know that such a look until it can get tanned is not a new executive's look.
The beautician comes to the rescue. She puts some cream on the bottom half of Tim’s face and then leads him to one of the tanning rooms the salon has. It is a smaller room and geared for just a facial tan. She wraps a towel around the top of Tim’s face now and tells him to lean into the face guide to start.
Not even a half-hour later, Tim is finished and comes back out. His ‘new look’ is complete. The facial tanning does darken his lower face enough, so it is not too noticeable. By the end of next weekend, being out is the sun working, it will even out for sure.
Abbie’s hair looks nice also. It always does, but with a couple of inches trimmed off and shaped, she looks so lovely. Leaving the shop together, Tim puts his arm around Abbie’s shoulder and says, “Thank you, my love, this does look much better than spending a few bobs on a barber’s cut. It will just mean getting used to shaving my full face again rather than just around the cheeks and neck.”
Abbie laughs and tells him that she could try to learn to shave him. But Tim declines the suggestion considering the ‘she would try to learn’ part.
oOo
Later that same week, Abbie receives a call from the Chairman’s wife. “Hi Abbie, this is Ruth Clarke. We met and chatted at the dinner for Tim at Microga a couple of weeks ago.”
Abbie collects herself, remembering meeting and chatting with Ruth at the dinner. It is interesting to Abbie that Ruth does not mention anything about who her husband is, Phillip Clarke, the Chairman of Microga. “Hi Ruth, how nice to hear from you. How have you been?”
Ruth answers to get to the point, “Oh, we are both doing fine. Why I called, were you serious about giving me a tour of Pathways? I would so like to see and learn more about your organization. As long as it is convenient for you, I do not want to interfere with your work.”
Abbie is processing what Ruth is saying. She had invited Ruth when she expressed interest, but Abbie thought it was more Ruth being polite. But now so soon requesting it. Abbie responds, “Oh, Ruth, I would love to show you around. How about Friday afternoon this week?” Abbie’s suggestion is based on the fact that she knows Les will be there that day and thought the two women should meet if Ruth is seriously interested.
Ruth readily agrees, and it is decided she would come on Friday at one o’clock. Abbie's mind, still whirling from the call, spends about an hour outlining the areas and people Ruth should see. Abbie emails the different individuals, including the director, requesting them to be available that afternoon. That finished, along with the rest of her tasks for the day, Abbie heads out to wait for Tim to pick her up.
The director stopped her as she goes by and congratulates her for encouraging Ruth Clarke to visit. Abbie is a bit confused by his excitement and knowing who Ruth Clark is. “Getting someone of her standing in the community to consider perhaps donating and sponsoring Pathways would be a real plume in our cap,” he says.
Abbie, saying good night, as she goes out to get in the car with Tim, wonders, ‘I didn’t think of Ruth’s visit like that, I hope they don’t push that agenda too much at Ruth.’
In the car, as they drive home, Abbie tells Tim about her call, invitation, and the director’s comments. Tim agrees with her. It is interesting that Ruth Clarke has such interest in Pathways, and it is kind of Abbie to do so for her. As for the director’s second agenda, he too hopes it is not something pushed on Ruth.
Abbie tells him she picked Friday as Les will be at the Pathways that day and hope she can help buffer such attempts. Tim suggests they stop at the Wilde Peacock for a drink and to talk about it with Les. Abbie quickly agrees, both for the opportunity to explain to Les and go to the Peacock on a weeknight, which she doesn’t often do anymore.
The stop is well worth it. They have a great talk with Les, who is all onboard to offer defense if needed. They all laugh at this analogy. It is lovely to spend time with friends and the people they have come to know at the bar. They stay for a couple of hours, catching up on all the different people's current activities.
Heading home with some to-go food for the evening, Tim and Abbie are confident Friday’s tour will go well.
oOo
Friday afternoon arrives, as does Ruth Clarke. Abbie greets her and begins the tour showing her their facilities while explaining their help to the LBGTQ community without judgment or pressure. Assisting them with legal issues, including discrimination hearings and settlements. Counseling, from how to cope with family reaction to how to accept your leanings for yourself. Abbie touches on helping with sex reassignment surgery but does not make it a key focal point.
Early in the tour, Abbie introduces Ruth to Les, who accompanies them on the tour and adds side points and clarification as they go. They spend over two hours seeing, but mainly talking about the functions of Pathways.
Towards the end, Ruth is introduced to the director, and while she is kind to him, she semi-brushed him aside from continuing with them. Back at Abbie’s office, the three women relax over cups of tea. Ruth then explains her interest.