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"I thought you'd like it" Judith said, her exasperation growing.

David was silent.

"I just thought I'd do something a little different" she continued. Her cheeks had started to redden slightly. She reached up to touch the ends of her newly lengthened hair, searching for any sort of comfort.

This was not the sort of reaction that she had expected from David. She thought that he might see it as a bit of fun, even like the idea of his wife's professional, collar length hair being ten inches or so longer, a little unkempt, the odd blonde streak creeping in here and there.

"So you don't like the idea of a gypsy for a little while? she asked. She moved closer to him, flicking her head so that her hair brushed his face in a bid to ease the tension. He moved away, heading to the kettle to finish making the tea that he had been making when she came in. He made a cup for Judith, leaving it by the kettle. He motioned to it.

"There's tea if you want it" he said.

"Don't you think you're being a bit childish?" she asked. "Since when did you express an opinion about what I did with my hair? An opinion about anything I wear?"

"I liked that little thing you got from Victoria's Secret last week" he said, almost instantly regretting it.

"That's what it comes down to isn't it, the one thing you express an opinion on is the one thing that has really got you off in the past few months".

"That's about it, you should know by now" he replied, really wishing that he hadn't given her the opening to come back at him with a winner.

"Well, don't expect to be seeing little old Victoria for a while" she retorted, starting to leave the room and then forgetting that she hadn't picked up her tea.

She was thirsty and if the truth be known she wasn't as mad as she had made out. It would not have actually surprised her if Dave hadn't even noticed that she had done something different with her hair. That and she was pleased that her little trip to Victoria's Secret had made the impression that she had hoped. Despite what she said, she probably would be back there all too soon. It was for her benefit as well as for his, after all. She headed slowly upstairs to get changed.

It was several hours before she eventually went downstairs. She had lain on the bed and read for a while and then dozed off. Dave had gone out. Whenever she got up, she peeked a look in the mirror. She thought that it made her look younger than her 35 years. She had worn her chestnut hair in the same way for years, always going to the same stylist, always for a trim and a little helper to keep the colour looking shiny. She looked this way and that, turned her back and looked over her shoulder, smiling as the ends swished and then came to rest, flowing over her shoulders. Perhaps he had a point, she thought. Maybe it wasn't really her. She went to bed, wondering where he had got to.

He was there in the morning when she went downstairs. Getting ready to go out.

"Where did you get to last night?" she asked.

"The spare room," he replied sheepishly.

"I thought you'd gone out" she said.

"That's the beauty of headphones" he said with a wry smile. "Look, I've got to run".

He picked up his car keys and with a quick wave, he left. Judith busied herself for work, grateful that it was Friday.

Work was uneventful in itself. Various comments were made about her new look, but although she accepted the compliments graciously, all she could think about was Dave's reaction. He didn't phone her at lunchtime the way that he normally would and she was dreading going home to another evening of silence.

Dave wasn't there when she got home. Sometimes he did manage to get back before her, but not tonight. She took her coat off and looked in the mirror again. She was still not used to this tousle-haired woman looking back at her. She heard the door open and moved quickly away from the mirror, eager not to be seen staring at herself.

She turned around, expecting to see Dave, but all that she could see was this giant bouquet with legs. Dave didn't buy her flowers. Well he had once, but not for a long time. The flowers moved aside, revealing Dave's face.

"I'm sorry" he said.

"For..?"

"For being such a prick" he finished. He held the flowers out to her. Judith walked across and kissed him. She reached up and took a strand of hair, rubbing it playfully in his face.

"You're forgiven, I suppose" she said, kissing him again.

Dave turned around and went out of the door, returning again in a matter of seconds with a large box. He put it on the worktop in the kitchen, next to where Judith had busied herself putting the flowers into several vases. She looked at him.

"Open it" he said.

"I've got wet hands" she replied.

He held out a towel.

She dried her hands and gently prised the lid off the box.

"My, a box of tissue paper" she exclaimed "just what I always wanted".

Dave swatted at her, impatient for her to see what was inside. Judith folded back the paper. She ran her fingers lightly over the material.

"So that's why you didn't call me at lunchtime, you were out buying hooker's clothes" she said, a large smile forming on her face.

She had taken the lingerie out of the box and held it up against her.

"And you think that I'm going to wear this?" she said, secretly pleased that he had gone to the trouble of actually choosing something himself rather than just telling her to get something for herself.

"You said that I don't show any interest in what you wear - well, I'd show interest in you if you wore that" he said, struggling to keep control of his own smile.

"And you think that you deserve it?"

"After what I had to go through in that shop, I think that you should wear it into work".

She leant forward and kissed him.

"Thank you, but I need to get these flowers into water before they die. Now go and sit down." she said.

Dave was sitting on the sofa watching the news when Judith reached from behind him with a glass of red wine in her hand. He took it from her as she continued around to where he could see her. In black. Shiny. Curvy. Better than he dared hope. Suddenly the news wasn't very interesting.

The next day, breakfast was a subdued affair.

"You still don't like it do you?" she asked.

"What?"

"My hair."

"I think that it's great that you've tried something different" he said.

"Thanks for the compliment" she said.

"After what you made me do for two hours last night, you're lucky that I can still speak" he said, rubbing his jaw in mock discomfort.

"Let that be a lesson to you - when your lady tries something different, tell her how good it looks."

"I'll remember that," he replied.

They were quiet for a while. Judith collected the empty plates and went to get up.

"So how long are you keeping it like that?" Dave asked.

Judith turned to him.

"What, like what?" she asked.

"Your hair" he clarified.

"As long as I like" she replied. She paused and then held her hand up to her chest."Don't tell me you're going to express an opinion on me when I'm wearing something that isn't exposing my most private bits to the world."

"I have opinions, I might just not express them very often," he said in his defence.

"Hold that thought, while I get some coffee" she said.

It was a couple of minutes before they say down on the sofa.

"So, what was this opinion that you were about to share with me?" she asked.

"It doesn't matter. I can't remember" he said. She slapped his thigh.

"Ouch" he exclaimed.

"I just think that you look better with short hair" he said.

"Well that's a start," she replied.

"You don't have to be so sarcastic" he said.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it to sound like that. Come on, now you've started, you may as well finish. You want me to get rid of these?" she asked, reaching up and running her fingers the length of one of the tresses.

"I like the fact that you've tried something different."

"And?"

"And, when you're ready, I hope that you'll try something else."

"Something else that's not extensions?"

"Something else."

"Thanks for clarifying that for me" she said, taking a sip of coffee.

"So what is this 'something else' that you'd like me to try?" she asked, putting her cup down on the table.

"I don't know" he replied.

"Come on Dave, I'm your wife, you just spent two hours last night pleasuring me with your tongue, now isn't the time to be bashful" she said.

It was David's turn to pick up his coffee and drink while he pondered what to say.

"I just thought that I might like to try a blonde or a redhead or a raven-haired beauty." he replied.

"Try?" she asked, impressed at how indignant she sounded. "Have you any idea what the politically correct crowd would think about that?"

"You did ask" he replied.

"There's ways to express what you want and ways not to" she said, continuing her lecturing tone. She took another sip of coffee.

"So, you want to 'try' a blonde or something, is that all?"

David was silent.

"This might be your only chance to express an opinion, so you had better make the most of it" she badgered playfully.

"You've tried longer, how about shorter?" he said.

"Shorter? Shorter than this?" she asked.

"Shorter than usual" he replied.

"This is like pulling teeth" she said, getting up. She went out into the kitchen and came back with the Yellow Pages.

"Here you go" she said, reaching the book and the phone to him. "Think of it like being in the underwear shop. You can have it if you've got the nuts to ask for it."

"Jude" he said.

"Go on, if you want it enough, let your fingers do the walking. No, wait, that was last night."

David put the book on the arm of the chair and laid the phone on top of it. Judith turned and went into the kitchen to tidy up.

She didn't hear David walk up behind her and squealed as he put his arms around her waist.

"One" he whispered in her ear.

"One what?" she asked.

"We need to be there at one" he clarified.

"David? You haven't...?"

"You told me to" he replied in self-defence.

"Where?"

"In town."

"That narrows it down a bit, thanks" she said. She looked at her watch.

"It's nearly ten now," she said.

"You'd better hurry up then and we can have lunch in town before you go in" he urged.

"I like you when you're so forceful" she said playfully and went to get ready.

David drove them into town and surprised himself by actually getting a parking spot without too much trouble.

"I can't believe I'm doing this" Judith said as she got out of the car.

"You don't have to" David replied.

"That's not what I mean, I'll do anything for you, you know that."

"Anything?"

"If you're thinking about jumping in the backseat you can forget it" she said playfully.

"No, you're ok, we can save that until the way home."

They began walking into town, window shopping as they walked. Judith slowed down as they passed her favourite dress shop, just in case they had got some new stock in the window, but Dave tugged at her arm, well aware of what would happen if she got into the shop.

"One minute, that's all" she pleaded.

She went inside, not waiting for David to answer. He continued to saunter up the street, hoping that the time would pass more quickly that way. He stopped as he got to a small side street, suddenly realising where he was. He turned and started walking and then turned again and went in the narrow doorway. He took the steps two at a time, conscious that time was short.

He opened the glass door at the top of the steps and went in.

"Hi Dave, it's a bit soon to be seeing you back isn't it" the woman said.

"Hi Wendy, have you got a minute?" he asked.

"Sure, take a seat" she said.

"No, I'm fine. I mean, it's not me. I mean..Let me start again." he said, more than a little flustered. "It's Judith, she's had these extensions put in and I don't like them.."

"And..?"

"Have you got time to sort them out?"

"Because you don't like them? What about her?" Wendy asked.

"Let's just say that it's started something and we're having a bit of fun."

"And what do you want me to do?"

"Cut her hair."

"Why can't she come in and ask me herself?"

"She's just nipped in to some dress shop and I just popped in here on the off-chance."

"So what does she want?"

"That's just it. She's said that I can arrange for her to get her hair cut and coloured the way that I want. I've made her an appointment at one o'clock at some fancy salon, but I don't think that they'll cut it as short as I want."

"And how short is that?"

David was quiet for a moment. Did he really want to be telling Wendy what he wanted. His own barber of four years?

"Short..." he said "..with clippers."

"Wow."Wendy exclaimed. "And you're just going to spring this on her?"

"I want it to be a surprise. But she'll be out of the shop soon and she won't know where I am".

"Ok, let's get this straight. You want me to cut your wife's hair off and not tell her what I'm going to do, is that it?"

"Not a good idea?"

"Not a good idea" she repeated.

"Not going to do it?"

"Only if she wants me to."

"Ok, look I need to run. How about if she gives you a free hand?"

"That could work. BUt then what?"

"Number four?"

"For your wife?"

He nodded.

"You want her to do something that you won't?"

"I hadn't thought of it like that."

"I bet you hadn't" she replied.

David looked at his watch nervously.

"Look here's the deal" Wendy said. "I'll cut your wife's hair, but you're next in the chair, how does that sound?"

"I need to go and get her, but you're a star" he said, not too sure whether he meant it or not.

He decided that he had to go and get Judith before she went into another store and then he wouldn't find her for hours. He could think about what Wendy had said as he walked.He made it to the street just in time to catch sight of her as she went inside a shop on the opposite side of the road. He was out of breath by the time he made it to her side.

"I didn't know where you'd gone" she said.

"I just popped in somewhere" he replied.

David watched for a moment as she browsed through a rack of skirts, all the while mulling over what Wendy had said to him. He took her arm lightly.

"Come on, let's get you a haircut" he said.

"I though you said it was one o'clock" she questioned.

"It is..er was" he said, still not sure about what he was going to do.

He applied gentle pressure to her arm, urging her towards the door.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"You'll see" he replied.

They walked down the main street and down the side-street again. He turned into the doorway again but felt Judith pull on his arm as she stopped in her tracks.

"I thought we were going to Salon One?" she said.

"Change of plan - I managed to get something a bit sooner."

"But isn't this where you go?"

"Yea, Wendy's able to fit you in - we're very lucky."

He started to go up the stairs, but turned when he realsied that she wasn't following him.

"Come on, she's very nice and she's very good" he urged.

"But she's a barber" Judith protested.

"My choice?"

"Your choice" she sighed, accepting his outstretched hand.

David opened the door at the top of the stairs and stood to one side to let Judith go in first.

"Hi, you must be Dave's wife" Wendy said as she spotted him lurking just behind Judith.

"Hi, I'm Judith"

"Pleased to meet you" Wendy said. It went suddenly quiet.

"So.." Wendy said. "Dave here tells me that you're getting adventurous."

"Really?" Judith replied, turning to look at him.

"I told her what a trusting person you are" he replied.

"Foolish more like" she said.

"So what are we doing here?" Wendy asked. She waited for an answer. None came. "Dave said that you were happy to let him decide how I cut your hair. Sure?"

Judith looked at David again.

"I must be mad" she said and then turned to Wendy. "Where do you want me?" she asked.

Wendy motioned to a styling chair and Judith sat down. In seconds, the big blue cape that David was used to having swirled around him was being fastened around Judith's neck.

"So, everybody happy?" Wendy asked.

"Happy about what?" Judith asked.

"Happy that I do what David wants."

"If you must" Judith replied.

"I'm not doing anything unless you're happy" she said.

"Give him what he wants" was Judith's reply.

Wendy reached over to the mobile cart where she kept various implements and equipment and picked up a set of clippers. She checked the guard on them, blew across the blades quickly and switched them on. She looked at Judith in the mirror and could see that she had no idea what her husband had planned for her.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Yes" she said quietly.

"No" she said a bit more forcefully. Wendy pulled the clippers away.

The salon was silent. David could feel Wendy looking at him intently. Disapprovingly. He reached forward and put his hand on Judith's shoulder.

"Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea after all" he said meekly.

"Perhaps not" Wendy agreed as she undid the velcro fastener on the cape and pulled it away from Judith's neck.

"I'm sorry" Judith said as she stood up. "I'm not ready".

"You've got nothing to apologise for" Wendy said, fixing David with another of her looks.

"I'm sorry Wendy, we didn't really talk this through. I'm really sorry." David said.

"It's not me you should be apologising to" she replied.

"No you're right. I'm sorry love" he said touching Judith's arm lightly.

Judith smiled meekly at Wendy and walked to the door leaving David to face Wendy's barely concealed anger. She shook her head.

"Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but I can't believe that you did that to your wife, I really can't."

"I'm sorry Wendy, I misjudged it, I thought she was ok with it. She did say..."

Wendy didn't give him time to finish.

"You'd better go and make sure she's ok. And next time I see you..." She didn't finish the sentence, but the raised clippers were enough for David to know what she meant. He turned and left hoping that it wasn't too late to catch Judith up.

It actually took several weeks before things between them got back to normal. Judith was determined to extract maximum advantage out of the situation. She had been really upset about what had happened, but nowhere near as upset as she made out. During this time she had kept her extensions and her hair was now looking quite long, at least for her. She knew how much this must have been annoying David, more so probably than her refusal of wifely duties since that day. She wasn't actually sure how much longer she could hold out herself by this time. It would be at least another couple of days though as David had had to go way on business.

Judith twirled a length of hair around her finger as she sat and thought. She needed her hair cut. The extensions had been great despite the trouble that they had caused, but she needed to get back to being her and she wasn't quite sure where the real her ended and where the extensions began anymore. The question for her was what to do. Should she wait for David to come back, should she just get it cut anyway?

She sat back in the chair trying to decide what she should do and decided eventually that she should just go shopping and forget about her hair until David came home.

Town was surprisingly pleasant when she got there; she actually manage to park the car without the usual tour of the various car parks and for the next hour or so she really enjoyed wandering round, looking in shops when she wanted without having David standing just inches behind her as she looked.

Walking around the town took her past various hair salons and she could not help but look in the windows as she went past. She thought again and again about going in on the spur of the moment. She decided instead to go for a coffee.

As she waited for her drink to cool she thought back to the events at David's barbers. She had rarely seen him so eager for anything. Well, not for several years anyway. He wanted her to cut her hair. He wanted her to have short hair. Drastically short hair. What she didn't know was why.

She got up without finishing her coffee and walked around the corner. The door was open. Judith went up the stairs and smiled when she saw Wendy.

"You must think that I don't have any customers" she said with a smile "and I certainly didn't think that I would see you again." Wendy said.

"I just wanted to ask you something, if that's ok"

"Sure, have a seat" she said as she motioned towards a chair at reception.

"I was just trying to work out why David wanted me to have my hair cut that day and I thought that he might have told you, that's all."

Wendy thought for a moment. "he's never said anything to me. Some guys have just got a short hair thing, the shorter the better and perhaps Dave's just one of them."

"But so short, it's not very feminine is it?" Judith said.

"You'd be surprised. For some women, it's the best thing that they could do, it's just that no-one ever suggests it to them."

"I wonder why" Judith exclaimed.

"See, that's what I mean?" Wendy said. She paused. "Would you like a coffee?"

"Yes please, I didn't finish the last one I had."

Wendy moved to the other side of the salon to fetch the coffee.

"You know that I wouldn't have done it if I didn't think that you could pull it off" she called across from the other side of the salon.

"Done what?" Judith asked. She had been looking around her, taking the chance to be nosey while Wendy wasn't there.

"Clippered you" she replied.

"Really? You think it would have suited me?"

"Most certainly. It would do so much more for you than those extensions, if you don't mind me saying."

"So you're defending him?"

"No definitely not. He should never have done what he did, he should have talked to you about it first. That way I think you would have done it."

"Well, we'll never know, will we?" Judith said.

Wendy came back over to the main part of the salon with two cups of coffee and put them down on the desk.

"What?" Judith said, noticing Wendy looking at her intently.

"I was just making sure that I was right, that's all" she replied.

"About?"

"About your hair."

"And are you?"

"Certainly am" Wendy replied.

"That's sorted that out then" Judith said as she reached for her coffee.

"It'll be too hot yet" Wendy told her. "You know, by the time it's ready to drink, we could have a whole new you".

"Do you think it's wise after what happened last time?"

"Last time was different. This time it's just you and me. No pressure. You can do whatever you want to do. You can sit there and drink coffee or you can do what people normally do in a barber shop and have your hair cut."

"But I don't normally have my hair cut in a barber shop." Judith said.

"Don't think of it as a barber shop then. Do you see any men about?"

"No, not a one. I wouldn't have come in if there had been any."

"So, just think of it as an ordinary hair salon that you would go to. I prefer to use the chair on the left there" Wendy said pointing to a styling chair. Judith looked to her left to see where Wendy was pointing.

"We can use a different one if you prefer" she said.

"No that one's fine" Judith found herself saying.

"So, that's that decided then, what are we waiting for?" Wendy asked.

Judith looked at Wendy.

"You really think I should?"

"I think you're curiosity has been pricked. You want to know what it will do to that hubby of yours. So, shall we find out?"

Judith stayed seated.

"It's up to you. I'm just as happy sitting here drinking coffee than standing on my feet again.

"What are you going to do?" Judith asked.

"Sit over there and you'll find out" she smiled.

"You won't.."

"Don't worry, I'll tell you what I'm going to do before you go over there. We don't want a repeat performance of last time do we?" she sad smiling.

"No we don't" Judith said emphatically.

"So, how about if I told you that I was going to shave your head?" Wendy asked.

"I'd say never in a million years."

"And what if I told you that you would look stunning?"

"But I'd be bald!" Judith exclaimed.

"That usually happens when you shave your head" Wendy replied.

"No, you know what I mean. What's sexy about a bald head?"

"Have you ever tried it?" Wendy retorted.

"Have you?"

"Once or twice" she replied. There was silence. "There that's surprised you hasn't it?"

"Recently?"

"Not for a while. I do it every now and again. It comes with working in here. Most of the clients have short hair and I just get a bit jealous every now and again. You know, out of the shower and out of the door, no messing around."

Judith didn't know what to say.

Wendy raised her eyebrows at her inquistively. She motioned with her left hand, inviting Judith to the chair.

Judith bit her lip.

"I only came in here to ask you a question" she said, inching her backside closer to the edge of the chair. Wendy nodded at her in encouragement. Judith stood up and went over to the chair. She looked back at Wendy before slowly sitting down. Wendy took a quick slurp from her coffee before getting up.

She walked over to Judith's seat, picking up a cape as she went. With a fluid motion she swirled the cape around Judith and fastened it at the neck, just as she had that first time.

"Now, my dear, don't be nervous. You won't feel a thing"

Judith closed her eyes as Wendy picked up the clippers. Judith recognised them from last time and thought how she might not be here now if she had gone through with what David had wanted then. She didn't know if David even liked bald women. He had wanted her to go short and blonde. She asked him what he wanted. Short and blonde. At a salon. But he brought her here. He told Wendy what to do. That wasn't blonde. That was just short. With clippers. How far could that be from what was happening now?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the clippers being switched on. Not loud, like she had thought. Not brutal. Just insistent. Wendy ran her hand over Judith's scalp from the forehead. Judith felt the gentle caress. Felt the warmth. The softness. Then she felt the hardness of the blade. She couldn't believe that she was doing this. The hand came back again. The same motion. Gentle followed by hardness. She opened her eyes.

"Welcome back" Wendy said to her with a smile in the mirror. "Thought you'd gone to sleep on me there."

"I was just trying to see whether it was all a bad dream."

"Nope, you're really doing it and you're going to look so hot" Wendy said.

Judith said nothing, intent on watching what remained of her hair fall to the clippers. BY now Wendy was going over the parts that she had already done, alternating the palm of her hand with the clippers as she checked Judith's scalp for strays. She turned the clippers off and Judith braced herself on the arms of the chair to get up.

"Hang on a minute, We're not finished yet" Wendy said.

"But..." Judith started to say and then her eyes travelled to where Wendy was reaching in to a cupboard.

"...you're not going to..?"

"That's what I do" Wendy replied.

She squirted some foam into her hand and spread it slowly over Judith's scalp. Judith's eyes closed again.

"With a touch like that I'm sure that you can get away with most things" Judith said.

Wendy smiled as she started to scrape away the foam on Judith's head. In a matter of minutes she had finished, but then repeated the whole process again.

"There, what do you think?" she said, placing a hand gently on Judith's shoulder.

"I look like an alien" she said.

"No you don't, you look beautiful" Wendy countered. She eased the gown off Judith and checked her for stray hairs around her collar. Wendy turned the chair around to face her.

"You'll knock him out" she said.

Judith stood up, turning to look at herself in the mirror, rubbing her hand over her scalp.

"I don't know what to say" she said.

"Don't say anything. Just enjoy it. Go home have a shower and just feel the water on your head.That's what I do." Wendy said.

"Looks like it's been a while since you felt it yourself though."

Wendy reached up and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Yea, I'm a bit overdue I suppose."

Wendy looked up as she became aware of somebody else in the room.

"Hi, take a seat, I'll be right with you" she said to the startled-looking young man. He did as he was told and sat down in one of the chairs, not knowing whether to look at what was going on or whether he should rummage around in the pile of magazines on the table.

"Well, looks like we'll have to leave it there for now, Judith"

"I...er..I'll call you" Judith said, not knowing what the etiquette was in a barber shop.

"Make sure that husband of yours comes in to see me before too long. I think he owes you something."

"So that'll be all three of us then" Judith said.

Wendy looked at her a little puzzled.

"You know.." Judith said, pointing to her freshly shorn scalp.

Wendy smiled.

"You never know" she replied coyly. Seeing that Judith was reaching for her purse, Wendy placed her hand on Judith's forearm.

"First one's free" Wendy said with a smile. "Now sir, if you'd like to take a seat, I'll be right with you" she directed at the young man, who was looking no less stunned than when he first came in.

"Thanks, Wendy" Judith said and turned to go down the stairs, already wondering at David's reaction when he saw what she had done. She smiled to herself and walked out in to the afternoon sunshine.

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