A Close Shave

I'm about to head home from work but before I do, I am going to write into this goofball blog about my Sunday experience, as boring as it may seem to others.

My boyfriend, Terry has had a beard since we first met several months ago. Its color matches his slightly reddish hair except the beard has a little bit of gray at the chin. I don't know anything about beard styles so I just sort of think of it as a "controlled beard"; it has always looked like it is about a week's worth of growth. I like it but I'm not absolutely wild about it either. I would never ask him to shave it but if he wanted to shave it I would not beg him not to.

A few days ago he mentioned something about shaving off his beard. I discreetly told him my feelings; that I liked his beard but if he wanted to shave it, that was okay too. Terry nodded and said he was going to give it some thought. Well, Sunday afternoon he called me to inform me that he had decided to shave his beard that evening. He wanted to warn me, but I think he called mainly because he was a little traumatized by his decision. Apparently he has had the beard for ten years, which I did not know. I guess he considered it as something of an old friend. Believe it or not, I kind of get his thinking. I once decided to go to a different hairstyle that required my hair to be cut by about six inches. Watching my hair getting snipped off was actually an emotional experience.

Anyway, out of the blue I asked Terry if I could shave him. It was a spontaneous request. Terry chuckled. I giggled too but then insisted that I was serious. There was a few second of quiet and then Terry said that if I wanted to, it was okay with him.

I drove over to Terry's place Sunday evening. He was ready for me. He sat on a kitchen chair and gave me instructions, the first being to put a moist, warm towel on his beard to soften it up. I actually re-wet it with warm water and reapplied it a couple of times. I have to admit, I found it kind of exciting, in an odd sort of way. I think Terry was enjoying it too.

I applied the shaving soap, which Terry had purchased only an hour or so beforehand, and sort of rubbed it around his beard. When everything seemed ready, he handed me a safety razor. He told me that the blade was unused, but both the blade and the razor itself were a decade old. For some strange reason I thought I was going to be using a straight razor. I guess those are for real barbers and not for a nervous woman who has never shaved a man in her life.

I am actually familiar with the process of shaving. I do have legs, armpits and a few other areas that need attention from time to time.

I have to admit that I thought shaving Terry was entertaining, maybe even slightly erotic. And he seemed genuinely appreciative. I did nick him just slightly on the right side of his chin. I did not even know until I saw a speck of blood a minute or so later. Terry wanted a close shave, but not that close.