Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Chapter One – Decisions

By

Cat

Copyright 2000 © Cat

This work is not to be reproduced in any way without the express written Permission of the author.

*****

Jim could not believe it. He absolutely could not believe he was standing in the waiting area of a salon for Blair’s turn with his stylist. To say he had been surprised, when Sandberg came back from filling out the forms for the academy and said he had made an appointment for a haircut was an understatement. A little trim that he was used to and his guide usually needed moral support just to have that done. At first he had laughed thinking it was a joke. But Blair had informed him that he did indeed have an appointment for three o’clock and here they were.

The biggest surprise was how well Blair was taking it. Jim was the one pacing the floor like an expectant father, while Blair sat perfectly calmly on a long couch waiting for his turn. There was none of the nervous babbling or movements that Jim would have expected from his Guide at a time like this. He’d done everything he could think of to talk his friend and partner out of doing this. He had said he would talk to the academy head, to Simon, he had even promised to have Simon talk to the Chief if necessary. But Blair had vetoed every suggestion with a cold bloodedness that stopped Jim’s protests cold.

And now here they were waiting for Blair’s turn with his favorite stylist. The only person he ever allowed to touch his hair even for just a shampoo. Over the last four years Jim had watched his Guide follow the young male stylist from salon to salon all over town. It didn’t matter the distance or the hours the stylist worked Blair would only go to him.

Shock, it had to be shock, Jim thought. That’s why he seems so calm the kid’s in shock. He was just turning to try and talk Blair out of it one more time when a voice said behind him.

“Hey Jim, hiya Blair.”

Jim turned to see Peter, Blair’s stylist standing in the doorway waiting for them. “Hi Peter.” Jim knew why Blair liked Peter as his stylist. The man had hair that made Blair’s look short and Jim look like he was bald. Today Peter had his long, thick, blonde hair pulled back into a braid that fell below his small firm ass.

“Jim you keep looking at me like that and I’m gonna have to charge Blair double today.” The small stylist teased. For about the first six months whenever Jim came with Blair for his trims, the blonde had hit on him every time, and Jim had rebuffed him gently, actually a little flattered that the other man found him attractive. Finally when he realized that Jim truly wasn’t interested they had settled into a sort of teasing friendship.

Ellison blushed and laughed, “Sorry Pete. I was just admiring the braid, honest. Damn that thing is getting long.”

“Only about a quarter of an inch longer than it was when you saw it two weeks ago. Blair...” Peter turned to Jim’s Guide. “I checked my date book after your call this morning. It’s only been two weeks since your last trim and I had to practically beg to get you to let me take off the half inch so I could get all those split ends. What’s up?”

“It’s got to all come off Pete.” Blair told the stylist calmly. “All of it.”

“What??” Peter shrieked. If it hadn’t been such a serious matter to Jim he would have laughed, the little blonde looked so shocked. “Now Blair child you absolutely cannot be serious. You come with me and tell me what has gotten you all upset.”

Jim followed along slowly, dreading the moment that Peter’s scissors touched those beautiful brown locks. The one argument that Jim hadn’t used was how much he loved Blair’s hair. How could he tell his girl-chasing partner that his biggest fantasy revolved around those beautiful curls? Peter waved Jim into the vacant chair beside his station while he led Blair to the sinks to wet down the mass of chaotic curls to make it easier to cut.

“All right Blair honey, what’s going on here?” Peter asked as he settled the young Guide into a chair and leaned him back over the sink. “The studly detective is out of earshot so you can tell me what’s wrong.”

Blair smiled grimly wishing that he could tell his friend that nowhere short of another state was out of Jim’s Sentinel hearing range. “I filled out the paper work to go to the Police Academy today. I start next week.”

“You’re going to be a cop? The badge, the gun, the whole bit? I mean I know I said I really like a man in uniform but you didn’t have to go that far.” Peter said softly trying to turn his shocked response into a bit of light teasing.

“Simon has it all arranged for me to come straight out of the academy and join Major Crimes as Jim’s full time partner.” Blair explained. “It’s going to be hard enough to go through the academy with most everyone knowing that, but if they pull strings for me so that I don’t have to follow some of the other normal rules... well... it’s just going to be hard enough.”

“I know you enjoy working with Jim as an observer and consultant but I never thought you would actually want to be a cop.”

“I don’t, but what else can I do?” Blair whispered unable to keep the wobble out of his voice. “After the press conference, the University kicked me out. And what other reputable college is going to hire someone who lies in their dissertation?” He blinked back tears that were threatening to fall.

Peter massaged Blair’s head gently trying to comfort his friend. “God Blair, why did you do it. Those of us who know you, know the only lie you ever told about that paper was in front of those reporters at that press conference.”

“Thanks Pete, but you saw what the reporters were doing to Jim. It was destroying his life, shit...” Blair broke off realizing what he had said and looked over at Jim praying he really wasn’t listening in, the Sentinel smiled at him and he breathed a sigh of relief. “Please don’t tell anyone what I just said... please.”

“What did you just say, love?” Peter replied with a smile. “Anyway I knew there was something about the man the first time I met him. He spotted split- ends better than I did and that’s what I’m trained for.”

“God Peter, what am I going to do?” Blair whispered covering his face with his hands. “I don’t want to be a Detective. Damn it the thought of carrying a loaded gun terrifies me, but I can’t be Jim’s partner if I don’t and I need the money. I have got all those school loans to pay off. The bills for them have all ready started coming in.”

“You could go to Salon School like I did,” Pete replied with a smile. “With your hair, you’d have clientele lined up on the sidewalk. But I think we had better move this party over to my station, Studly is starting to get suspicious I think.”

“Seriously Pete, what am I going to do?” Blair whispered as they walked over to the blonde’s station.

“Blair I am being serious. You have always been good at anything you put your mind to. How long have we known each other?”

“I don’t know, eight... nine years I guess. Since I got my first Masters and decided I couldn’t go around hair to my waist anymore.”

Peter sighed as he fastened the big plastic shawl around Blair’s neck. “God I remember that day,” he said looking pointedly at Jim. “I felt like a hair assassin cutting all that off. You know I still have the fall I made out of it even though I could never wear it. I just couldn’t bear to see it go on the floor and into the trash.”

“Your hair used to be longer than this Chief?” Ellison asked wide-eyed.

Blair smiled wanly, “It was just after I turned 20. I had just gotten my first Masters degree in Anthropology. I had never had my hair cut, ever. But I was thinking hey you’re a grownup now you should start looking like one.” Peter picked up a wide toothed comb and began to pull it through Blair’s damp hair. “It was the first time I met him. He came walking into the shop I was working at. I had only been working as a stylist about 3 months and I had never... never in my life seen hair as gorgeous as his. But when I finally get him in my chair what does he tell me...”

“Take it off... take it all off.” Blair whispered sadly.

“Yep, just like today...” Peter said looking into Blair’s eyes in the mirror. “I asked him three times if he was absolutely certain. Told him that once it was off I couldn’t glue it back on.”

“And I said yes every time.”

“So I just took a hold of his hair with one hand and started cutting it right about the middle of the neck. The minute it was off...”

“I started crying,” Blair finished for him, head hanging and cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “I felt like I had just lost my best friend.”

“I took him in the backroom of the shop and he cried for an hour.” Peter said reaching reluctantly for the scissors. “I felt like a murder.” Peter took a hold of Blair’s hair just as he had the first time, scissors poised to start cutting. “Blair honey it’s now or never....”

Blair sat silent and unmoving, so Peter took it as a sign to go ahead. Then, just as he was about to close the scissors on the first lock of hair, Blair grabbed his wrist in a gentle grip pulling the scissors away.

“I can’t!” he gasped raggedly. “I’m sorry Jim I just can’t.” Jumping out of the chair he pulled off the plastic shawl throwing it in the chair and bolted out of the salon.

“Thank God!” Peter exclaimed throwing his scissors down as if they burned him.

“How much do we owe you Pete?” Jim asked, hurriedly digging his wallet out of his back pocket. He was tuned into the accelerated heartbeat and respiration of his Guide on the sidewalk outside. “Nothing honestly. I’m just glad he changed his mind before I started cutting. But Jim, do something for me, talk to him, or you’re going to lose him, we could all lose him.”

“I will I promise.” Jim replied pushing a ten-dollar bill into Peter’s reluctant hand.

With a hasty goodbye to the little stylist Jim ran outside to find his guide. Blair was leaning against the truck visibly shaking. He was facing the truck, shoulders hunched, hands flat on the hood, breathing in harsh shallow gasps. The Sentinel could hear the younger man’s heart racing like a jack hammer.

“Easy Chief, your having a panic attack.” Jim told his Guide. He knew it was unnecessary, Blair had been having them off and on for years. But it seemed sometimes that Jim could ease the young Anthropologist out of them with his voice and touch the way Blair pulled him back from a zone out.

“I… I’m sorry Jim,” Blair whispered. “I tried I really did. I just can’t do it.”

“I know Chief, it’s ok. Let’s get you home where we can talk.” The big Detective eased his Guide over to the passenger door and helped him into the truck. He fastened the seat belt across Blair’s hips and chest when the younger man made no move to do it himself. Closing the door gently but firmly he walked around the truck and got in behind the wheel.

End Chapter One