My Halloween Weekend

With everything going on these days, I had no big plans for Halloween. I envisioned another mostly boring weekend at home, perhaps running a few errands.

Christie dropped by on Thursday evening. We had both worked from home that day, so I met her at the door in a pair of denim shorts and a t-shirt. We opened a bottle of wine and sat in my back yard to chat.

“How would you feel about getting your hair colored?” Christie asked. I hadn’t ventured out since March, when the initial “Safer at Home” orders came out. I had thought about getting my hair color freshened up when salons reopened in June or July, whichever it was, but my regular stylist no longer worked at the local salon I had been going to. I really did need to do something. My hair had grown out to an unflattering dull brown, with a bit of gray that I was shocked to see. We spent a few minutes online, and found a nearby salon that I’d been to years ago.

I filled out their online registration, and the salon’s “bot” texted me right away. I told it I was looking for women’s color and blow dry/style. Within a few minutes, the “bot” offered me a choice of two stylists on Friday night, and two on Saturday morning. I picked one of the Saturday appointments.

Having made the appointment, Christie and I decided I should get my brows waxed as well. Back on line we went, and found that my regular waxing studio and esthetician were both available on Saturday afternoon. I could get both things done in one day. Christie and I finished our wine in the backyard, and moved inside for some more personal interaction.

The next day was one of the rare days that I had to go into the office. I was pretty sure I’d have the place to myself, so I put on some light makeup, a pair of skinny stretch jeans and a white t-shirt. My white bra showed through just enough to be noticed, so I brought along a sweatshirt, in case I needed it. I didn’t – I was the only one in the office. After an hour or so, my phone rang. I recognized the number of the hair salon, so I answered with a plain “hello?” in as feminine a voice as I could muster.

“Hi, Greg, this is Kimberley from the Lux Salon. I was calling about your appointment.” I was shocked that she used that name. I realized that was the name I used a few years ago, when I went to get my hair colored and trimmed. I had gone in “guy” mode. Kimberly confirmed that I wanted an all-over color. Then she explained that she had to check with one of the styling directors, because only two of the stylists were certified to give male haircuts. I blushed, even though I was on the phone. With some hesitation and what must have been obvious nervousness, I told Kimberly that I was definitely not looking for a male haircut. I went on to tell her that I wore my hair in a ponytail at work, and that I was looking for a way to wear my down and needed some help with styling. “Oh, fantastic. I’ll book you with Jasmine. She LOVES to work with guys with long hair.” She seemed excited. She moved my appointment to later that night – tonight – at 6:30.

I finished up at work and went home. I had a few hours until my hair appointment, so I had some time to get ready. I freshened up my makeup, concentrating on my eyes, since I’d be wearing a mask. I touched up my nails, and chose a pair of stretchy skinny black jeans, the distressed kind with the ripped look. I put on a black bra and cotton camisole (which made me look like I had some real cleavage) and a yellow plaid cotton shirt.

I left in time to arrive at the salon about 10 minutes early. Kimberly greeted me and asked if I had an appointment. I told her I did, with Jasmine at 5:45. “Greg?” she asked. I smiled and nodded. She showed me to the waiting area, and offered me a cup of tea while I waited.

Jasmine came out to the waiting area and found me.   “Greg?” she asked.   I nodded and smiled.  “Come on back,” she said, and led me back to her chair.  We discussed the color I was looking for, and the style.   Jasmine asked if I had a picture.  I showed her one I had found on the internet.  She didn’t seem at all surprised that I had shown her a photo of a woman with auburn hair and some bold cranberry highlights, styled in shoulder-length waves.

Over the next few hours, we chatted as she colored my hair, rinsed it, blow-dried and styled it. It was quite a bit deeper shade than I expected, but I loved it.  “Too bad you don’t have plans for tonight.  I really like how this came out,” she added.

She took me out to Kimberly to pay and schedule my next appointment.

“Let’s see…Greg?” she inquired.   I said yes, and mentioned that I had used that name a few years ago, the last time I was there. I added that I don’t really go by that name any more. Kimberly offered to merge the old account with the one I had just created to make this appointment, as “Gee.” As she did, she noticed my address. “I know where that is.   I used to work near there.”   She explained that she had worked at a café down the street from my house. I had been there often.

I handed her my card, and she complimented my nails.   I wished her a good weekend, and left for home.   Jasmine was right – I wished I had somewhere to go.

Saturday was warm, so I chose a pair of denim shorts to wear for my waxing appointment. I was wearing a beige thong and bra, and I picked out a bright orange patterned top to wear. I kept my makeup light, since Claudia would remove some of it to wax my brows.

I got to my appointment a little early, to sign in, fill out some forms and get my temperature taken. I had to wait outside, but it was a really nice day, and there wasn’t a lot of foot traffic on the sidewalk in front. Claudia came out and brought me back to her treatment room. We had a nice chat about how long it had been since we last saw each other. I couldn’t help notice that as she worked, she leaned against the table and in doing so, pressed her thigh firmly against my elbow as I lay on the table. I’m not sure if she did that consciously, but it was kind of exciting. She did a wonderful job on my brows, and filled them back in with a brow pencil when she finished. “Is there anything else I can do for you today, Gee?” she offered.

I asked her if she wouldn’t mind waxing the back of my neck. I had noticed at the hair salon that I had a few random hairs back there. She had me hold my hair up, so that she could apply the wax. “Why don’t you take your shirt off and lie down, so I can really clean these up,” she said. I took my top off. I realized that even though she had waxed my back and shoulders in the past, I had always removed my bra in the car. Here I was wearing one in front of her for the first time. Claudia didn’t mention it, and waxed the back of my neck and upper back. “Perfect,” she announced, and had me get dressed.

Late that afternoon, I started thinking about going out for Halloween. I was skeptical – I hadn’t really been out since the shutdowns began. But I had a new hair color, a new hair style, freshly waxed brows, and a I felt a kind of desperation to go out. Christie had gone out of town for work, so if I went, I’d be on my own.

For some reason, I was feeling bold. It was Halloween, after all. I haven’t used that as an excuse to go out dressed, except for the occasional party I’d gone to with Christie, but this year felt different. I picked out some of the things I’d gotten but never had the daring to wear. I did my makeup a little bold, with a lot of emphasis on my eyes. I even added false eyelashes. I settled on a kind of “biker chick” look. I wore my black thong and bra, fishnet tights, a sheer black bodysuit, a pair of black bikini bottoms, black ankle boots and a leather vest I’d inherited from Christie. I added a black leather beret, and a leather choker.

I decided to go to a local tiki bar that I knew had outdoor seating. It wasn’t crowded, and it was thrilling to be sitting streetside wearing as little as I was. There were a few other people in costumes, and most people stayed for a drink or two and moved on. I decided to do the same.

I went to a second place that had a huge outdoor patio. I had to show my ID, but the security guy didn’t seem to care that I looked not at all like my driver’s license photo. I found a tall table for two, sat down, and ordered a drink. The patio grew more and more crowded as the night went on. One woman complimented me on my outfit, and a couple of guys came over and chatted with me for a bit, but as the crowd grew, I got more uncomfortable, and left. Still, as I drove home, I though about what a thrill it was to be dressed as I was, out on my own, even if it was Halloween.

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