A new character, one who is especially well-connected in the Village is someone that Christine feels that Andy should meet.

Chapter 7 — Through the looking glass

“I just forgot, even last night, there’s another service business that Astrid might like to visit! The little hairdressers that I’ve been to before.” Christine said. “Little Heidi in there is a superb hairdresser and you’ve never ever had your hair set professionally, have you my darling? I’m sure that Heidi could do you a cool job if you just let her”.

Andy’s eyes flashed at the thought. Could he carry off the pretence of being a woman in the intimate environment that involves one woman getting so close to him as to lay her hands on the very hair that grows from his head? How much more intimate could it be possible to be? He had a surge of desire to find out.

“You really do know how to show a girl a good time, don’t you!” Astrid exclaimed as they crossed the sleepy little lane that was the village’s High Street.

They approached the small courtyard that faced the street. It had been a working farm with stables in years long ago. The hairdresser’s salon occupied the middle two tiny cottages which had been stable stalls. There was very little room for anything but a one-to-one business like Heidi’s.

The white painted walls were contrasted with bright orange door and window frames. It was the most modern frontage of any in the whole village. Some attraction to clients, young and old alike. The door was an original stable door, split in half, the top half being open to the bright sunny morning.

Andy was unusually breathless at the sight of the door being open — no turning back, Heidi was inside and could see the couple approaching.

“What will you ask her to do? It’s your choice, my lover.” asked Christine of her husband.

Nearing the door, Andy asked “What do you suggest? I mean, you’ve just had the idea….”

They paused before entering. Heidi had turned back to attending to the client whose hair she was setting in rollers.

“It really depends… On how long we are staying here as Astrid and Christopher. If it’s just the weekend, I’d suggest a really nice tight set with big rollers to make for volume and height. If it’s to be for a longer period. In other words, if we’re playing these roles for a week or two, you could go mad and have the colour livened up and a perm maybe.” Christine was letting him choose — something that would determine the course of their immediate future.

“I might just wait and see what she suggests….” said Astrid. “It could all depend on her….. “ And he put his hand on the door handle, pushing the old door forward into the cosy little salon.

The walls were white, the place a little like a bathroom with mirrors all around and three chairs facing individual stations where clients were sitting. Heidi was the only stylist and clearly had no staff of her own. One young woman, dressed in jeans and a tight top, was sitting up from a back-wash basin with hair wrapped in a towel, Another, a woman in her 30s, her body swathed in a pink salon wrap, was facing her mirror with a forest of aluminium foil strips all over her head, clearly having highlights. - Andy fancied having highlights - The next mirror was empty and the final one, where Heidi was styling, saw a mid-40s woman, her pink salon wrap was parted so Andy saw she was quite well dressed and clearly someone who had “money”.

Heidi was an average sized woman, with a nice tight bum and quite attractive breasts — Andy fancied a fondle of those - she was perhaps aged 40, with a tumble of dark brown curls pinned back in a loose and untidy chignon. Her dress was a country-style calf-length one and her shoes were the ultimately comfortable, slip-ons. All-in-all, though she was very attractive, Astrid thought that Heidi should do a little more to present herself to her clients as the successful (small) business woman that she was. She clearly was enjoying her work. Talking “nineteen to the dozen”, she was evidently at ease with all and any client who would come in for service.

“Come in my dears, I’ll be with you in a minute…. Have a seat behind the door… There’s a magazines if you want…….. We haven’t got you down for an appointment, have we?.... Never mind…. Now, let’s get these last few rollers in and you can be under the dryer…. What a lovely day it is out there… Wish we could all be out there….. “

(chat, chat, chat…. Heidi went on…..)

Andy looked at Christine… or rather Christopher, and whispered…… “You could have a ’number two’ cut and look really cool…..” A number two in England is short for close-cropped hair, al one length and very butch.

“Shut up and look in that book of styles there beside you….. You had better have something in mind before you talk with her….” Christopher retorted.

“Good idea, let me see….” said Astrid, reaching for the copy of ‘Hairdressers Journal Spring collection’ with its colourful front page. A bright redhead stared forth at Andy. Her hair was, curiously enough, quite close to his in length but was gloriously thick in its volume. How Andy wished that he could have hair as lustrous and manageable as this model’s. He went on, thumbing through the pages of the magazine, finding style after style that he would absolutely love to have as Astrid’s crowning glory. Some were long, some were up-dos, some were wild curly frizzes — which Astrid hated with a vengeance — and some were perfect creations of both set and colour.

Astrid was looking sideways into one of the mirrors as she combed the pages for something ideal. If she were to stay this ordinary mousey-brown that she had been born, then a highly-styled set would be very enjoyable…. It wouldn’t stop me coming back in a day or two for a re-style, thought Andy. As he had that thought, he caught a glimpse of Heidi in her reflection.

She was studying him. Andy was sure. Natural professional interest probably. Looking at the next client so that she could have a suggestion for a style before they even began her “consultation”. But the look lasted just a fraction of a second longer, before Heidi smiled. Astrid returned the smile, having been noticed as noticing Heidi’s gaze. All over in a moment.

When the client with the rollers was settled under her dryer, and the Highlights client had been checked, Heidi went to the shampoo-ed lady and explained,

“I’ll be with you in a moment, after I have dealt with these kind people who have waited…”

The last client smiled and moved to the chair where the rollered woman had been styled.

“It’s kind of you to come in today. How can I help?” Heidi said in a helpful voice. She was used to meeting strangers and there was nothing new in this encounter. Although, later, she would confess already to just a sneaking feeling that all was not quite what it seemed. As expected, the woman in the couple spoke first.

Remembering that she had to drop into her girly voice immediately, Astrid said “We’re staying over for a few days and wondered if you might have an appointment free for me. Oh, and one for my husband if that was possible….” Andy thought, in triumph, that if he was to have a make-over, then Christine would get the same too.

Heidi studied Astrid for a moment before she asked “Would that be for a cut, or a styling, or something more? It makes a big difference on the time we’d need”.

“Of course, “ said Andy, “… well, it rather depends on what you might suggest. I mean, we do have plenty of time so it rather depends on your appointment book.”

“Let me have a quick look, …come over to the mirror here.” Heidi indicated the mirror beside her little desk where stood her cash box and some hair products for sale. Heidi stood behind Andy and looked over Astrid’s shoulder and directly into Andy’s eyes. “I think you could be ready for a change, don’t you?”

“ A change, in what way?” asked Astrid.

“Well, the length needs to be tidied up and the layers put back in to help your style, but I was thinking more about the colour. How would you think highlights would suit you… I think they would look lovely……. We can do a good price for those, depending on how many, and how many shades you would choose….”

Andy’s heart skipped a beat before he reacted, without looking at Christine, as he said “You have a customer! I think I would love to have you take care of that - you can tell me how many and what shades would suit me best……… when we have more time. Thank you……. When could you do that, and when could you do my husband’s hair? Perhaps at the same time or just to arrive when you have finished with my needs?”

Heidi looked at Christopher and responded with ease. “That’s a nice boy’s style you have there, but I’d suggest that you have something of an under-cut, to give more movement. It’s a little too slicked for summer, if you ask me….. Will tomorrow be alright with you? Tomorrow afternoon. Perhaps later……?” Christine felt that Christopher's hair wasn't entirely unknown to Heidi.

“That would be fine with us,” said Andy. “Maybe 3.30 for me and what time for him?....”

He looked at Christine for the first time since opening the door, finding that she was glaring over the unexpected inclusion of her own hair in Andy’s plans for a double make-over.

Heidi thought for a moment and said “Maybe a little later, perhaps 4.30 for you and 6 o’ clock for him….” Her voice paused and the tone changed before she said the word “him”.

“Won’t that make it a late finish for you?” asked Astrid, for no particular reason.

“Not at all. I like to do my clients who have different needs a little late in the day. And it seems to me that you would fit into that. We can take our time, can’t we. You said you have lots of time….”

Astrid looked at Christopher. Christopher looked at Astrid.

Chapter 8 will reveal Heidi’s own special interests and her knowledge of the Village’s network