I had just finished my sophomore year of college. I needed to find a summer job and quick. I needed to earn money for my next year at college. To save money, I had not gotten a haircut the entire year. It was long and sort of shaggy looking. I thought I could have someone to trim the ends for me and it wouldn’t look so bad. My folks were gone and they left me some money in trust and I would get a portion of that money towards my college education. Unfortunately, the amount did not cover the entire year. I would work on campus in the library to help pay my way through school. I didn’t mind my working either during the summer months or on campus during the school year. I found that I could do take a full load and work in the library if I used my time wisely. Oh! Sure! There were times when I would love to have gone to the Student Union with my friends for a burger and coke, but I didn’t have the funds to do that. I’m not complaining. I am thankful that the folks made it possible for me to attend college.

I had talked with my advisor at college about having to drop out of school for a year or two if I couldn’t find a summer job. He didn’t want me to do that. One day I received a note from him asking me to drop by his office. Dr. Ward was a wonderful person. He was a true scholar. When I arrived, he told me of a summer job near the campus. He told me that he had spoken to a friend of his who owned this exclusive restaurant in an area that drew wealthy patrons. Dr. Ward gave me the man’s name and address and said I should contact him as soon as possible if I was interested in the job. Dr. Ward told me that if I ‘played my cards right’ I could make a sizable amount of money from not only my salary, but also from tips. I thanked Dr. Ward and after my last class for the day, I called the owner of the restaurant.

Mr. Phelps sounded really nice over the phone. He asked me if I was interested in the job after we talked for a few minutes. He told me what the job paid and I instantly accepted. The salary alone would more than pay the difference I would need to complete my junior year at school. I made arrangements to meet with Mr. Phelps the following Monday. Right away I went to Dr. Ward’s office and told him I had spoken with Mr. Phelps and I went to work the following week. I thanked him again for his assistance.

I was so thrilled about the job that I completely forgot to have someone trim the ends of my hair so I would look better. On Monday I presented myself to Mr. Phelps. The place where he had his restaurant was really beautiful. The resort was in a mountainous region of Pennsylvania along side of a lake. The grounds were really fantastic. When I first met Mr. Phelps, he put me at ease right away. He told me what my duties would be. He told me that I would be in constant contact with his clientele and that his guests responded generously when they were made to feel special, as they were.

Mr. Phelps was gracious to show me around the resort. I found out that he not only owned and ran the restaurant, but he actually was the owner of the resort itself. As we were walking along he mention my hair. He told me that I would have to see a barber in the resort and get it cut. I apologized for not getting it cut, but I told him that I had to save every penny I could in order to go to school. Mr. Phelps understood and asked me if I objected to short haircuts. I told him not at all. He said, “Good. After we finish our tour, I would like for you to go and see Toney. I will call and tell him you are coming. I want you to have a real short haircut. The clientele here like men with short hair, the shorter the better.” I hadn’t noticed Mr. Phelps’ haircut until then. He had a short buzz cut. You could tell he had MPB so the cut suited him well.

After our tour and Mr. Phelps showed me where I would be staying, I headed to my car to get my suite cases. As I was returning from my room, I ran into Mr. Phelps. He wanted to know if everything was satisfactory. I told him the room was quite adequate. Well! It wasn’t a room but a small suite. The living room had a small balcony overlooking the entire resort and the lake. I was surprised that he would put me such splendor rather than keeping it for a patron. I wasn’t about to argue with him on that score.

Off I went to find Toney. He wasn’t difficult to find. He was located in the shopping area of the main building. I introduced myself to Toney and he asked me have a seat. He was a super gentleman. He put the cape on me and said, “Mr. Phelps likes his men to look sharp. I take it you don’t mind that I am going to cut your hair much shorter than what you are now wearing.” I smiled and told him I didn’t mind even if he shaved it all off. Toney smiled and picked up a pair of scissors and a comb. He parted my hair and began to lop off the long hair. I loved watching the hair pile up on the cape. Toney said, “Are you with me, son?” I told him I was and that I liked what I saw. I smiled and said, “Keep cutting, the more the better.”

When Toney finished the rough cut, I could tell I was with a master. The rough cut looked better than any haircut I had seen. Toney picked up a pair of clippers and began going up the sides. I could tell he was going really close. As he cut, I loved the feel of the cut. Toney saw me touching my head and he said, “Is there something wrong?” I said, “Absolutely not. I love the feel of the side. You can take it all off if you want.” Toney stopped the clippers and turned me around to face him and said, “You aren’t joking with me are you?” I said, “About what?” “Me taking it all off.” I said, “Heavens no. If you want to shave my head, I am perfectly happy to let you.” Toney said, “Great. I’ll just do that.” When he said that I felt like I was floating on a cloud. I had never had my head shaved before but always wondered how it would feel and how I would look with a bald head.

Then I suddenly thought about Mr. Phelps. I said to Toney, “Wait! Will Mr. Phelps approve? I don’t want to lose this job. It is extremely important to me.” Toney assured me it would be OK. Just then Mr. Phelps walked in. ‘Oh! Boy! What is he going to say,’ I thought. Mr. Phelps said hello to Toney and to me. Mr. Phelps looked on the cape and said, “That is a lot of hair there, David. I hope you don’t mind that Toney is cutting it so short.” I said, “Not at all, Mr. Phelps.” Toney then said, “I am going to shave it all off for David.” Mr. Phelps looked at me and said, “Great. That should be a good look for you David. Make sure you get plenty of sun these next few weeks so you have a good tan on the head. Our guests will love that. I had forgotten that I had several weeks before the actual work would begin.

Toney continue to cut my hair and before I knew it he had made the first pass over the top of my head. The sensation was electrifying. The next pass was even better. Before long Toney was finishing up the second shave. When he finished, he turned me around to face the mirror. I couldn’t believe how good I looked. I really liked it. I thought, ‘WOW! This is great. When I get back to school, I won’t need a haircut for the entire year.’

I thanked Toney for his work. I told him I would pay him as soon as I got my first pay. Toney told me that Mr. Phelps pays him for any and all haircuts of the staff. I thanked him again and left. As I walked out into the bright sunlight, I noticed the warmth of the sun on my head. And whom do you think I ran into first? Mr. Phelps, of course. I didn’t know what he would say. I said hello to him and he said, “A great improvement. Get a tan on it.”

As the two weeks went by, I assisted in making sure the rooms were in proper order, and I learned my way around the resort. I read up on the history of the resort so if any patron asked me a question I would try to answer it for them. The two weeks flew by rapidly and I developed a deep tan. The tan against the white shirt and white dinner jacket really looked sharp. I received my first pay and headed directly to Toney. I gave him a good tip and thanked him again for his help. Toney told me he wasn’t allowed to accept a tip from the staff. Mr. Phelps took care of that. It made me uncomfortable. Toney then said, “Where have you been keeping yourself? I thought sure you would be in for a touch up now and then.” I told Toney that I had been shaving the head myself. I told him that I didn’t want to bother him even though I enjoyed him shaving me.

Toney looked at me and said, “Hop up into the chair and let me practice. You have a great tan.” Feeling my head, Toney said, “Yes sir. This is one great look for you. It needs some smoothing up. David! Have you thought about keeping this look? It really is you. You are one handsome young man and the bald head is right for you.” As Toney was shaving my head, I found that I was completely relaxed. I did enjoy the shave. When Toney finished, he put some baby oil on my head and gave me a great massage. Then he wiped away the excess oil and then applied some clear aloe gel. I was amazed how much more brilliantly the head shone afterwards. I was about to get up and Toney said, “We have to do one more thing. You know the men are good tippers but the ladies are exceptionally good tippers, especially to a good-looking young fellow like you. I want to make you as attractive to the women as I can.

With that statement, he tipped the chair back and began working on my eyebrows. I felt quite uncomfortable at this point. I thought, ‘women pluck their eyebrows, not men. Not any real man that is.’ Toney was finished in no time and he put me in the upright position and turned me to the mirror. He explained that all he did was remove the hairs in the middle that gave me that one-eyebrow look and plucked several stray hairs. I had to agree that it made a really big difference in my appearance. I thanked Toney for his time, skill, and knowledge. As I was about to leave, he said, “Good things are going to happen to you this summer. Mark my word.” I shook his hand and thanked him.

That Friday, the entire staff met with Mr. Phelps and he discussed what we could expect the following week. Several old-time patrons had already arrived. My main job was that of a waiter. I knew I would be on duty all day in one capacity or another except for the afternoons. They were mine. I was grateful for that time off. I could keep working on my tan. I was allowed to use the facilities just like I as a guest. On several occasions while I was outside in the sun, patrons came up to me and wanted me to assist them in one way or another. I was happy to do so. I made my way to Mr. Phelps office. I needed to ask him about what I had just done. He didn ’t look surprised at all. He said, “David! The hours from 1 until four are yours. I certainly have no objections if you take care of a guest’s requests at that time. I said, “My concern is that I am not in my usual attire during those hours. “That’s quite alright David,” said Mr. Phelps. They certainly have not right to take up your free time, but I certainly appreciate you taking care of little things for them if they should ask.

I felt much better. Come 4:30 each afternoon, I was in my proper attire and began getting the dining room ready for that evening’s meal. I really enjoyed this work. The guests were really nice and they made you feel at ease. I found that I really liked taking care of the guest in any way I could. As the summer rolled along, I began to feel right at home there, like I had worked there all my life. One day, Mr. Phelps asked if he could speak with me in private. We went to his office and he said, “David! I wanted to let you know how happy I am with your work. You have taken to this job like a duck takes to water. Many of my guests have told me how much you have made their stay here something special. I usually give this to my help at the end of the season, but I wanted you to know how much you are appreciated. He handed me a large envelope. He said, “Don’t open it now. Do it in the privacy of your room.” Of course I thanked him and left. When I got to my room, I laid the envelope on the table and didn’t take time to open it at that moment since I had duties to attend to.

That evening, as I was finishing up work, a Mrs. Krayer took my hand at the table and said, “David! You are one handsome young man. You make my heart sing like my late husband.” I thought ‘Oh! Boy! What is this leading up to? I could only guess.’ Mrs. Krayer continued, “Have you thought about going into modeling? You would make a smashing model.” I thanked her for her gracious comments. She jerked on my arm a little and said, “David! I’m serious. I know of a Model Agent. She is tops in the business. I am going to call her and ask her to be my guest here and have you meet her. I know you two are going to hit it off and she will want to sign you to a long contract. Is that all right with you?” I told her I was flattered, but I had my education to finish and that was the most important to me. I again thanked her for her kind words.

I didn’t think about what Mrs. Krayer had said that evening. I continued my work and enjoyed it a lot. I did serve Mrs. Krayer several more times during that week and she didn’t make mention of the modeling job. I had gone to Toney for a shave one afternoon after I had gone out to get some sun and fresh air. I didn’t feel like shaving my head. Toney commented on how great the tan looked and he was positive that I was ‘Born To Be Bald.’ I laughed as he shaved my head. When he finished, I looked better than ever. Just then he said, “Oops! Someone hasn’t been taking care of his brows, have they?” In about 3 minutes, Toney had returned me to my perfect brows.

That evening I met up with Mrs. Krayer. She was a gracious as ever. She had the usual guests with her. As I was passing by her table, she grabbed hold of my hand and said, “David. There is someone I want you to meet. She motioned to the lady standing at the entrance of the dining room. The lady was dressed simply but elegantly. She sure stood out in the crowd. She walked over and I helped Mrs. Krayer to her feet. She introduced me to Mrs. Stunson. I seated both of the ladies and Mrs. Krayer said, “David! This is the lady I told you about. If you have a few minutes tomorrow during your break, I would like for you to have a talk with Mrs. Stunson. I was as gracious as I could be and told her I would be honored to speak with her.

The following day after I had finished my noon lunch duties, I returned to my room to change and go outside for some fresh air, sun, and some trail climbing. I loved the out of doors. As I opened the door, there was a note. It was from Mrs. Stunson. She asked me to meet her in the courtyard next to the pool at 1:30 PM. If it wasn’t convenient, she would understand and maybe we could meet at another time. I wrote her a note thanking for the kind invitation and I would be there. I thought, ‘What should I wear?’ Then I told myself, nothing is going to come of this so I would wear my usual afternoon attire. At exactly 1:30, I was at the appointed spot and Mrs. Stunson had just sat down. She got up when I approached. She thanked me for allowing her to take some of my valuable time. I helped her get seated and she invited me to sit.

What she said next caused me to blush. She said, “Mrs. Krayer had a sharp eye. She is correct about you. You are one fine looking young man with the qualities one seldom sees in a young man your age. Your parents must be very proud of you. I told her that my parents were no longer living. She apologized and I told her she had nothing to apologize about. She had no way of knowing. Mrs. Stunson said, “I won’t take up much of your time. I am prepared to offer you a modeling contract. She mentioned the amount of money I would receive for each modeling job. She told me that as my jobs mounted, I would expect to get even more. I looked at her and said, “I don’ t mean any disrespect, but are you serious.” She looked straight in the eye and said, “I am dead serious. I have a Photographer friend I would like to call to come up here and do a portfolio of you so I can show you around. There will be no cost to you. You have complete control of the pictures. If there are any photos you wouldn’t want included, I would respect that. I can’t for the life of me imagine any photo of you that wouldn’t be acceptable. Think about it and let me know tomorrow. I don’t want to take up any more of you time. I tank you for stopping by.”

I left thinking, ‘I can’t give up my education for something that might not work out. This isn’t something I had ever thought about. But then the money she said I would make is mind boggling.’

The following day during the evening meal, Mrs. Stunson was sitting with Mrs. Krayer. Mrs. Krayer is a very sweet lady. She stopped me and said, “Jill here, Mrs. Stunson told me all about your meeting. Thank you for meeting with her. I told Mrs. Krayer that it was an honor to meet with Mrs. Stunson. Mrs. Stunson said, “Could we talk for a minute or so after you get off work this evening?” I told her I would be delighted. We set a time and place.

When I met with Mrs. Stunson, I told her I had given it a lot of thought. I told her I would love to try it, but that I couldn’t do it since I couldn’t let anything interfere with my education. She said, “I quite understand. I am sure we could work things out so you would have ‘shoots’ when you have a break in your schedule. You are a natural. The ‘shoots’ will be less time consuming that most others because of your natural ability to relax and always look natural. Oh! Yes! There is one thing I must insist on.” “What is that,” I asked. “It’s your head.” I ‘thought, here it comes. I will have to get rid of the bald look and then it will be different hair styles and colors, etc.’ I said, “What about my head?” She said, “I will write into the contract that you keep the shaved head and keep a great tan and shine on it. You will knock them dead.” All of this was coming at me so fast. I then said, “Mrs. Stunson, I would love to try this if it doesn’t take me away from my studies. I do need the time to spend on them. It is important to me. And one more thing, I don’t want to sound like someone who isn’t grateful, but I want it in the contract that I wouldn’t, under any circumstances, be photographed in any compromising situations, including NO nude photos.” Mrs. Stunson, stood up and said, “Thank you. I knew I had the right person when you made that last statement. Of course your education comes first as it should. I will call my photography friend and have him come up by the end of the week. It won’t take long to take some shots. I will have my lawyer to draw up the contract and when he does, I would insist that you have your lawyer look it over carefully and explain any questions you might have.”

Mrs. Stunson checked out the following morning after breakfast. I told Mr. Phelps what had transpired and he said, “Congratulations. Mrs. Stunson is one fine lady and she is tops in her business. She didn’t get there by being underhanded. She is as honest as the day is long. Good luck my boy! I will be pulling for you.” I told him that a photographer would be coming up for some photo shoots. I asked him if it would all right to use the resort as a background if that is what he wants. Mr. Phelps said, “I don’t mind at all as long as it doesn’t interfere with the guests.

The photographer arrived with Mrs. Stunson. She told me what kind of photos she wanted and I had the cloths for such shots. I found it most interesting to see how fast the photographer and Mrs. Stunson worked. They took up most of my time off in the afternoon for the shoot and they were gone. A few days later a package arrived from Mrs. Stunson. In the package, were the photographs that had been taken a few days earlier. I must say I was a little embarrassed when I saw the photos. I admit they were good. I put them away and got to my duties. That evening Mrs. Krayer stopped me and said, “You received the photographs today, didn’t you? Mrs. Stunson, called and told me that they would arrive today.” I told Mrs. Krayer the pictures indeed had arrived. She asked if she could meet with me after I got off work. “I wonder if you would let me see them?” asked Mrs. Krayer. I told her I would be delighted to show them to you and said, “I would honor hearing your honest opinion.” We set the time and place and I met here there. She looked at the pictures and said, “We have a winner here. You are going to knock the modeling world dead. Mark my word on it.” I thanked her for looking and she said, “No! Thank you for allowing me to see them and for allowing me to take up some of your time. I do appreciate both.”

After my family lawyer looked over the contract, he told me that I was on safe ground to sign it. I signed it and never thought anything more about it. I finished the summer job. Mr. Phelps told me that he would love for me to come back and work weekends any time I had the time. He told me that he had a group of people who come for the winter sports and he would love for me to come up during my winter break and work. I was pleased he liked my work and he would offer me employment whenever I wanted to work. The fall term was about to begin and the resort was going to continue to operate, but the regulars had been there and gone. When I was about to leave, he handed me one very large envelope. I knew what was inside. I had opened the other one he had given me and found all kinds of kind complements and several hundred dollars in tips. When I opened up the ‘fat one’ it also contained more compliments and more tip money. I couldn’t believe the amount I had before me. It was in the thousands. Mr. Phelps’ patrons are indeed very generous. I would love to have thanked each of them personally, but I knew it was impossible.

I found one business enveloped addressed to me inside the large envelope. When I opened it, I found a message from Mr. Phelps, himself. He told me he was extremely pleased with my work and the way I went way beyond my duties to make the guests feel at home. He had included a check that did not represent my salary. He said he appreciated what I had done and wanted to make my life a little easier the coming academic year. I did write him a thank you note. He had been most gracious.

As for the modeling job, I did indeed do some work for Mrs. Stunson and as she said, I made good money. During the academic year, I had earned enough money to pay for my senior year and my graduate school. Yes! I kept my head shaved. I really enjoy it. I kept the tan going. It was difficult during the winter months, but I was successful.

By the time spring arrived, I received a nice letter from Mr. Phelps. He wanted to know if I would consider coming back that summer to work. I wrote back and told him I was looking forward to it. The first day of my return, I had to stop by to see Toney. I had let my hair grow for about a week so he would have something to shave off. It sure was good to see him again. In a short time, he had me looking like I had never left.

Yes! Mrs. Krayer and others were back. It was so good to see them again. They had begun to be like a family to me. I truly enjoyed the years I spent at the resort working. When I finished my graduate work, I began to look for a full-time job. I found myself working at the resort in the summer. I had hoped that I could find a job in the meantime. I still had the bald head. I decided that I wouldn’t change that. I loved it. I became a CPA.

Mr. Phelps wanted me to take over that aspect of the resort. I told him I would sure love to but I was looking for full-time work. He told me that he understood that and that he would love for me to take on his account on the side. Of course I was glad to get the work. I found myself doing his books but still longing to be out with the guests. One evening, I put on my white dinner jacket and began working at my old job. It was like coming home. Who do you think grabbed me by the hand and stopped me? Yes! It was Mrs. Krayer. She told me she wanted to have a talk with me after I had finished for the evening. As per usual, she had my best interest in mind. She introduced an old friend of the family. It seems she knows most all the important people in the Northeastern part of the US. He was looking for a CPA for his company. The company was a well-known company. There she did it again. She had put me in contact with my new job. I continue to come up to the resort on weekends and take care of Mr. Phelps’ books. He had everything in such good order that it was a breeze keeping his books in order.

Each weekend I come and have Toney give me a good shave. He still will not take money either to pay for the cut or the tip. He said, “You work for Mr. Phelps and……” Nothing has changed. Oh! Yes! About the modeling job, it is going good. Mr. Anderson insisted that I not give up that aspect of my life. I appreciated that since I did enjoy the jobs that Mrs. Stunson found for me. I enjoyed that aspect of my life as well.

Several of my subordinates at Mr. Anderson’s company are now sporting the shave head look. I am glad to see other young men enjoy what I have been enjoying these past few years. Every time I see them or meet with them, I give them the “Thumbs Up.”