187 187

Nolan looked at Henry with renewed appreciation.  He had never considered that Henry could be kind. He had always seen his brother-in-law as a stone gargoyle who only served to look frightening to guard the spoils of his ancestors.  Henry felt a little giddy thinking that Nolan could slowly be changing his options towards him, but he didn't want his guest to feel too comfortable and bade Michael over.

The butler approached immediately with practiced grace.  Although in his declining years the older man was still well built from his youth in the military.  His shoulders were much broader than Henry's. His suit was an older one of Henry's that he had tailored to suit his frame.  It did have an echo of military splendor that made him look quite distinguished and with the regal tast of his mother interior design looked quite handsome.

"Michael we have a mission today to turn our project into a man.  Nolan needs to have some discipline in his life."

Michael's indifferent smiled quickly melted into a frown.  He raised his eyebrows at Nolan. "You're asking me to do the impossible sir.  Look at his gut. Look at his posture. What do you need all this hair for are you getting ready for hibernation."

Nolan touched his hair with a confused expression.  "I like my hair."

Henry shrugged and pointed at one of the waiting footmen in the hallway who stood to attention as Henry pointed at him lazily.  "I think we should have a hairstylist up from downstairs. I know there's a parlour or two in the megamall on floor seventeen. We should have the best from there.  Only the best for my brother." Then he turned back to Michael and gestured around his closet. "Now we need to give this poor little boy something that will make a lady look at him like a husband.  Not only what looks good, but what looks like a sensible monied man who has got game."

Michael shook his head.  "I have no idea what you mean sir.  I am not of this era. In England, we all have our charms.  Only in America do you have your awkward lack of manners. Many men could use a course or two in decorum and how to treat a lady proper.  I could teach you Mr. Chen, but I have a house to run."

"He takes care of Ellie, you know." Henry interjected. "He's done a very valiant job so far."

Nolan felt the need to respond, but shut his mouth as Michael used a lever to raise a small platform in the middle of the room.  Henry let him on top of it and Nolan effectively wondered if this was what a child in a pageant felt like with a pair of fussy women before the big show.  Michael had a pair of giggling maids spray a whole bottle of dry shampoo in his hair, which when it proved ineffective had forced him into Henry's giant four person bathtub.  The only satisfaction was after several washings the white towel that his hair was being dried with had not smelled artificial. Then he had been shoved into fresh Calvin Klein boxers before being dragged back to the podium.

Henry looked at him critically like he was assessing if he wanted to buy a painting.  He had a hair cutting catalog in his hand as the hairstylist had begun to dry and style Nolan's hair.  The stylist was on a little raised platform. She was purely professional and she snipped and alternatively gelled her hair.  Henry came closer. "What is the condition of his hair? Does it need deep conditioning?"

The stylist measured with her comb as she completed a cut of his bangs.  "Fair. It is damaged from all that gelling. I'm surprised he's not a biker.  But, I'll make it work. What did you want to go for today, Mr. Wong?"

His brother-in-law used his hands as he considered.  "I think undercut sides and a textured top would look really well on his face."

The stylist looked at Henry with a goofy smile as her eyes gre huge.  "That would really bring out the hollows of his cheeks and his moody eyes."

Nolan rolled his eyes as the haircutter did her job quickly.  She showed Nolan in a small mirror how to work the product in his hair.  The service was different than what he was used to as the woman made sure that he understood what she was talking about.  The resulting hairstyle was actually of his own preference, rather than what she had initially thought. The end was a blunt cut textured cut that had shaved sides.  It would not look out of place on his college campus. The look was also genius in the sense that it didn't make him appear older than he was, it just gave him an effortless edge of maturity and culture.  In truth, it looked a bit like Henry was rubbing off on Nolan.