Hair

Hello, Friends!

"If you want visitors," I said "you gotta keep the house clean. Otherwise, you're never gonna have guests. Ever."

"Really," Robin concurred. "Really, really, really."

Robin is with Paul Gerrard and is responsible for the style of the boys of Mr Gay Hong Kong.

The subject of hair is "often fraught," as playwright Eve Ensler pointed out in her Obie Award-winning piece, The Vagina Monologues.

A good, regular hair cut didn't use to rank high above my monthly maintenance priorities. I grew used to just eating and drinking out as a means of maintaining an image. As I get older, though, I'm quickly realizing that visibility and image are two different things. People may see me all the time; so what? It only really matters if I've left a good impression.

"What were you up to last night?" Robin asked.

"I slept," I replied.

"Your eyes look tired."

"I slept too much. I'm still half-asleep."

"Coffee?" Robin offerred. "We serve the best coffee in Hong Kong. Paul actually took a barista course in Australia so we all learned from him how to make good coffee."

"Cappuccino, please," I gave in after a moment's hesitation. "One sugar." I usually have my coffee black but thought I'd benefit from a caffeine-sugar double jolt.

"Funny that they gave you lad mags to read," Robin observed as he cut my hair.

"I know," I giggled. "It's cute."

"I'll make sure the staff knows who you are so that next time..."

"They could give me Vogue or Harper's, instead," I finished off with a chuckle.

My cappuccino was indeed divine. The foam was satisfyingly thick and smooth and chocolatey.

"Wash," Robin said, snapping me out of my coffee euphoria.

A beautiful young man with a cloud of curly, blonde hair appeared by my side.

"James, meet Josh," Robin introduced. "Josh just started with us, so be nice to him."

"Hi, Josh!" I greeted, perhaps a tad too cheerfully. I have a weakness for twinks.

"Would you like me to turn on the massage chair?" Josh asked softly.

I've never been on a massage chair in my life. I always thought it absurd to give them a try in department stores, where everybody can see. I prefer not knowing - much less let other people see - what I look like when I'm in my most relaxed, vegetative state.

"It's really gentle," Josh promised.

"Sure..." I agreed, again, after a moment's hesitation. My foot rest started to rise gradually. Then, I felt a soft, circular pressure travel down the length of my back and up again.

"Let me know when your feet are at a comfortable level," Josh whispered.

(Josh is the HGB whisperer.)

He started to wash my hair.

It felt like heaven.



With Affection,
James



Paul Gerrard
(A) 1&2/F Wah Hing House, 35 Pottinger Street, Central Hong Kong
(T) +852 2869 4408
(E) info@paulgerrard.com