Just a Trim - 4. Chapter 4: Old Blue Eyes...

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 deeply 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 he 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, 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.