Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 20:35:18 EST
From: Seaview99@aol.com
Subject: Just a Trim...: Chapter 4, Old Blue Eyes

                              Old Blue Eyes...

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the property of the author.  The author is in no way associated with the
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infringement is intended.


The program wasn't coming.

Jim had been working on it all day.  He thought he had the logic, and he
knew he was close, but the log showed there were still bugs.  Dang!  It
always came to him, but he realized, he needed a breather...

He sat back in his chair, and stretched his legs out.  After loosening his
tie a bit more, he ran some fingers deep through his hair, as he closed his
eyes.  Visions of blue skies out west, polka-dotted by big clumps of fluffy
clouds, over a vast sandy landscape with majestic mountains in the
background.  What he would give to be out there right now, just basking in
sunlight.  Still, just the thought of it took his mind away, which is what
he needed right now.  As his mind drifted, a section of the polka-dotted
blue sky gradually developed a pair of oval borders, which then became
eyes.  Sky blue eyes!  Old blue eyes himself?  No, not Frank Sinatra...

Jim had thought about Ken a few times over the last few days, and again
remembered those blue eyes.  At least had hadn't had any more wet dreams
about him.  That was a relief.  But he had to admit it, Ken was a
good-looking guy.  Just something about him.  And there was the chemistry.
During the haircuts Jim had had with him, they had bonded quite a bit.
Surprising for such a short time period.

Jim had said he would call, to set up a time to get together for coffee.
It was almost a week, so he thought he should be calling around now.  He
didn't want Ken to think his invitation had been insincere, so he should
call around now.  Still, he wasn't sure.  Did he want to start something
(he couldn't finish)?  He began to feel the same vague uneasiness he had
felt during the week after the first haircut.  After the second haircut,
with the wet dream, unfortunately, he was able to put a name on it.
Attraction.  Still, you can be friends, and just that, right?  Right!
(Besides, he was sure Ken wasn't gay, anyway...)  Jim pulled out his
wallet, and looked for Ken's card.  He found it without much difficulty,
picked up the phone receiver, and dialed.

After a few rings, someone picked up, one of the other guys in the shop.
Jim asked for Ken.  A lengthy pause.

"Hello?  This is Ken."  He sounded a bit tired.

"Ken, this is Jim.  I've been in for haircuts a couple times.  I don't know
if you remember...  We've gotten into some wild discussions..."  He paused,
beginning to feel a bit awkward, hoping that Ken would remember who he was.

"Jim!  Of course I remember!  How's it going?"  Ken's voice seemed to have
picked up instantly, when he remembered who it was.  Of course, this was a
welcome greeting to Jim.

"Not too bad!  How about yourself?"

"Pretty good.  Just been putting in too many hours lately.  Kind of tiring.
One of the guys is on vacation for these two weeks, so the rest of us have
to take in some of the slack for him, and put in some extra time..."  He
tried to stifle a yawn.  "Sorry..."

"That's OK.  I feel like I'm burning it at both ends here, too.  I've been
working on this project nonstop forever, it seems."  Jim changed his tone,
to make it just a bit suggestive.  "Anyway, feel like some coffee?"

"Yeah, that would be great, if only to wake me up.  Just kidding.  When did
you have in mind?"

"When do you get off today?"

Ken cracked up.  Jim immediately realized his choice of wording, and
blushed, which fortunately, Ken was unable to see.

"Wait, let me rephrase that.  Work, I meant..."

"I know," said Ken as he finished laughing.  "That shows you where my mind
is.  It's just been so busy around here; I really needed that, just to get
rid of some of the stress."  He paused, collecting himself.  "Anyway," he
said, quite calmly now, "I get off at around 6:00 pm today.  You?"

"Around then.  Want to meet then at the coffee shop around the corner from
your shop?"

"Sounds great.  See you then."  A pause, then "Thanks for calling."

"Sure.  See you then."

Jim hung up the phone, and again ran some fingers through his hair with his
right hand, as he checked his watch with the other.  Four o'clock.  About
an hour and a half before he'd have to leave.  He'd start in fresh the next
morning.  Program wasn't due for a week anyway.

At about 5:15 pm, Jim woke with a start.  Must have been napping...  He
looked at his watch, and then remembered he was supposed to meet Jim for
coffee at 6:00 pm.  Perfect timing.  He went to the men's room, where he
splashed some water on his face, to wake up.  Glancing in the mirror, he
saw the hint of a five o'clock shadow.  Oh, well...  Then he ran his comb
deeply through his hair.  A week after getting a trim, it was full, and
kind of long, falling nicely over his ears and collar.  When he finished
combing, he was about to tighten his tie when he thought, nah, it's hot
out, a nice summer day, leave it loose...

Jim approached the coffee shop a few minutes after 6:00 pm, and saw Ken
waiting just outside the door.
 "Sorry I'm late," said Jim, looking at his watch.  "Waiting long?"

"Nah, just a few," returned Ken, with a grin.  "Good to see you."

"You, too," returned Jim, with a similar grin.  He opened the door with
this left hand, and put his right hand gently on Ken's shoulder, indicating
he would follow him in.  When they entered the shop, they each scoured the
room, in search of an empty table.  Jim noticed one first, looking past
Ken.

"There's one," said Jim, his hand on Ken's shoulder.  On locating the
table, Jim just brushed up, softly and obliviously, against Ken.

"Excuse me," said Jim, mildly embarrassed.

"No problem," said Ken, with a mild glance at him.

"You want to stake claim, and I'll pick up the coffees?" asked Jim.

"Good idea."

"Any special type of coffee?" asked Jim.

"No, small regular, just cream."

"Coming up," said Jim with a smile.


Several minutes later, Jim came up to the table with the coffees.  He sat
down, and they both took of the lids, and waited for them to cool down a
bit.  A moment of awkwardness, as each waited for the other to speak, not
knowing who would first.

"So," said Jim, breaking the silence, "come here often?"

Ken chuckled at that.  Jim immediately realized his faux pas.  "I didn't
mean for that to come out as the line it did," he said, blushing slightly.

"I know," said Ken reassuringly.  "I was just amused at it."  A pause.
"Actually, I don't come here often, as close as it is to the shop.  Nice
place, though," he said, looking around.

They began to continue along some of the current event conversation lines
they had had, during Jim's recent visit to the shop.  As they began to get
into conversing, each became more relaxed with the other.  Jim sprawled a
bit in his chair, raising a hand to run some fingers deeply through his
hair.  As usual, a shiny lock fell into his eyes.  He didn't bother trying
to remove it, and Ken, who was getting into a topic they were talking
about, seemed mildly, almost imperceptibly, distracted.  Jim picked up on
this, and wondered...  After a minute or so, that conversation topic came
to a conclusion.  Another pause.

"You seemed a bit distracted a minute ago," said Jim.

"No, I was just noticing your nice haircut," said Ken, a bit hesitantly.
"Must have a good barber," he said, with a wink.

Jim glanced at Ken, with a laugh, but began to wonder.  Kind of a strange
bit of a reaction and conversation for a `straight' guy, he thought.  He
began to think, maybe, he should pursue this, just a bit further.

"So," said Jim, "Are you married, or dating someone special?"  He had
noticed Ken wasn't wearing a wedding ring.  "Sorry about the change in
topic...  And if that's too personal, feel free to pass.  Sometimes I can
be a bit forward."

"No, that's ok," returned Ken.  He hesitated again, and seemed more unsure
now.  Finally, after a long pause, "Jim, I don't know exactly how to say
this, but you asked, and so I'll just come right out with it.  I'm gay."
Another pause, with Ken searching Jim's face for some hint of what he might
be thinking or feeling.  "I hope we can still be friends."

Jim paused, as he measured his words.  He looked at Ken, with a smile.
"First, Ken, we don't really know each other well, but from the start,
you've seemed like a really nice guy.  That's why we're here now."  He
indicated the coffee shop around them.  "Second, apparently in some way,
you're not that comfortable with your sexuality, or you're concerned with
my reaction, so I'm flattered you would trust me enough to say it.
Apparently, you took a big personal risk just now, and I admire you for
that.  Third, can we still be friends?  I hope so.  The reason I say, I
hope so, is that I have some of my own `issues'."  He paused.

"As you know, I'm married.  Happily.  But after our second haircut..."  At
this Jim gave a lengthy pause, during which he couldn't help but notice
Ken's deep blue eyes again.  He wasn't sure if he could go further with
this, without betraying his wife, Chris.  He had probably said too much
already.  "Let's just leave it at that," Jim concluded his thought.

"So," said Jim, with another smile, composing himself.  "Do you have a
`partner' or boyfriend?"

Ken chuckled.  "No, not right now.  I've been in one relationship, but
that's long gone.  For the last few years, I guess I've been `playing the
field.'  Some nibbles, but nothing serious.  Just never seems to go both
ways.  The guys I'm interested in never seem to want to give me the time of
day," he said, with a sigh.

Jim seemed a bit disbelieving at that.  "Good-looking guy like yourself?
I'm surprised," he said, before he could catch himself.  He tried to go
onto a bit of a different course.  "Do your fellow barbers know?"

"Not a chance," returned Ken.  Jim didn't seem surprised at that.  "From
what I can tell," continued Ken, "they are all `straight' and married.
And, just naturally, they've found out I'm single, so they occasionally try
to `set' me up.  It gets annoying and frustrating, trying to come up with
excuses.  But, I like the work, and in general, it's a friendly
environment, so for now, I'm just hanging in there."

For the next several minutes, after a pause in which what each had said
slowly registered with the other, they got back into some topics of current
events.  Ken couldn't help but wonder now about Jim, based on what he had
said, and probably more importantly, what he hadn't.  Still, he knew he
would have to give Jim plenty of time, if any kind of friendship was going
to develop.  Time would tell...

"Well," said Jim, as he began shuffling, and collecting their empty coffee
cups, "I'd probably better be heading on.  Chris will probably be getting
home soon."  He went to throw out the cups.  On returning to the table, Ken
had also risen, in preparation for leaving.

"Thanks again for calling, and coffee," said Ken, extending his hand to
Jim.  Jim readily shook it, offering Ken a warm smile.  "If you'd like to
get together again, give me a call.  I'll give you my home number," he
said, taking out another business card, on that back of which, he wrote his
home number.  "Not that they ever would, but I don't want the guys to
suspect anything."  Jim chuckled at that, taking the card.

"It was nice seeing you," returned Jim, smiling, but looking down a bit.
Ken could tell he was a bit troubled, and he shouldn't push anything.  With
that, they left the coffee shop, and parted, each in separate directions.


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