For What It's Worth

Chapter Seven : What Goes Around

"You ready?" I ask and he cocks his head over his shoulder, noticing my presence.

He jumps up, coming over. A smile plays on his lips, as does on mine but neither of us acknowledge them. I assess the clippers he's given me as he settles in the stool. 

"Do you want to keep your shirt on?" I ask, addressing him in the mirror. "I can get a towel instead."

"I suppose that would be fair." He smirks. I shake my head at him, rolling my eyes.

"And I thought you said you didn't see anything." I leave him, grabbing a towel and a few clips. I place the towel around his bare, broad shoulders and then run my fingers through his thick, brown locks. "What would you like sir?" I put on a professional voice.

"Can you do fades?" I nod. I've done them probably over a hundred time. "I'd like one of those on the sides please but leave some hair on the top, not too long though." I clip the rest of his hair out of the way.

Every so often, I catch him staring at me in the mirror. He doesn't stop looking at me, his eyes eating me alive. It makes my palms clammy, nervous.

"How's your hand?" He questions over the buzzing of the clippers as I carefully work around the back of his head.

"It's healing up." I pause and hold it out over his shoulder so he can see it. He takes it upon himself to observe it, turning it to an angle where he can look at it. He lets it go so I can continue.

"So." He says after a slight pause in conversation. Oh god. What is he going to say? "You can cut hair, dance, cook and bake. Are there any other skills you have that I should know about?" I chuckle at the question. I didn't think that's what he was going to say.

"I don't think so."

"What about secret talents?" He raises an eyebrow.

"They wouldn't be a secret if I told you, would they?" He laughs lightly but then I take a step back, frowning. "Hold on. Dance? What does that mean?"

"I've seen you dance." He answers casually. I rack my brain trying to find the possible scenario could've been in for him to see that. "At the club." Oh. "It was... hard to miss - actually."

I bite the inside of my cheek to stop a smile. I don't want him to give him the satisfaction that he thinks he can talk me up.

"So why did you want your hair done?" I change the subject. "Getting too long or is there an occasion...?"

"There's a funfair in town. Me and few friends are planning on going tonight." He explains. "You should come. Bring some friends, it's good fun." I smile politely but inside I'm unsure. I don't really have any other people I could bring.

"Maybe." I shrug. I continue cutting his hair for him and he continues to observe me. "Do you like funfairs then?"

"Oh yeah. I used to love going as a kid. It's still just as fun for me now really."

"I've never been to a fair ground before."

"What?!" He turns around, shocked.

"Thomas! You can't move your head." I place my hands on either side of his face, adjusting his head back to where I need it to be. "What's your favourite ride?"

"Even though everyone says it's boring – I love the Ferris Wheel. I like being able to see everything else when you get to the top." Unconsciously, I smile. I couldn't have predicted that answer from him, not in a million years. "If you want to come, I'll meet you there at the end of the night. We can go on it and then come home. If- if you want?"