The Change

Tom stood in the lobby, his face naked.

“Oh my God, Tom, what happened to you?”

He looked up from his phone, wondering who was talking to him. He saw the secretary – what was her name again? – and smiled. She’s so pretty, he thought. His eyes glanced down from her face to the low-cut top she wore, then back to her eyes. She reached up and pulled the shirt a little higher on her chest.

“Oh, I just felt like a change is all. Wanted to look a bit younger, so I shaved it all off. Sometimes you need a change, you know?”

“Yeah, but your beard! It was all gruff and…I don’t know, lumberjacky.”

Tom laughed. “Well, I’ll put on a flannel shirt for you tomorrow, how’s that?”

“Better,” she smiled and buzzed him into the office.

Walking through the halls, he heard gasps and shocked whispers. He sat at his desk, pleased with himself to have made such a splash, with so little effort. Best one yet, he thought.

Shaved Head

“Holy crap, what’s happened to your hair?”

“I shaved it all off, obviously,” Marie raised a hand to her hand, rubbing it along the shiny white scalp.

“But…but…your hair! It was so long and beautiful and the envy of everyone. And by everyone, I mean me!”

“It’s okay, Jenn, it’s just hair. It’ll grow back.”

Jennifer stood, her eyes and mouth wide, distraught. She lifted her hands toward Marie’s head, reached a mental cut-off point, and dropped them. She lifted them again, and dropped them. Finally she stopped trying to raise them, and just stood, slack-jawed and slack-armed.

“Don’t worry. It will grow back. I just wanted to try something new.”

“But Marie, I, I, I just can’t even.”

“Don’t worry, Jenn. You will even.”

“But it was so beautiful…”

Marie put her arms around her friend as Jenn descended into tears. Finally, Jenn reached one hand up to her friend’s head, touching it lightly.

“Ooh, your scalp is smooth,” Jenn said.

“I know, right?”

They pulled out of the embrace, and Marie remained still while Jenn ran her hands all over the baldness.

“Okay, if this is the trade-off, I guess I can forgive you.”

“Thanks, Jenn. You can rub my head any time you need to.”

“I will,” Jenn said, continuing to run her hands all over the egg.