Music, Ink, and Love

by Jude Ouvrard

  My head.

  I tried opening my eyes once but no, it wasn’t happening.

  My head.

  I floated in and out of a dream world, full of images that made no sense. Visions of last night, the stripper club, the boys and Nix. I hadn’t seen Nix, right? I groaned in pain.

  “Levi, brother, wake up.” Tyler's voice echoed in my skull, sending waves of pain. “Nix will be here in a bit.”

  Nix? Here? “What are you doing in my bed, Tyler?” I groaned.

  “Open your eyes, idiot. You spent the night at the E.R., you never made it home. You tripped on the stairs and passed out.” He chuckled.

  I tried to laugh because I thought it was funny, but it hurt too much. The skin on my forehead felt like it would split wide open. What the hell happened to me?

  “How are you feeling?” He asked in a tired voice, maybe a bit irritated too.

  I tried to ask myself that same question. My mind drifted from the images of my dream to reality. The headache became unbearable.

  “Like shit, like a really bad hangover.” How many drinks did I have? I didn’t even remember drinking that much. I could only remember having fun with Ty, K and Presley.

  I opened my eyes slowly and I really was at the fucking E.R. “Did you spend the night here with me?” I questioned him, embarrassed.

  “Yes.” He said, tired.

  Deep grey circles surrounded his eyes. He looked as exhausted as his voice sounded. I could tell he had a long night. He had dealt with me after all, got me to the hospital, and took care of dealing with the doctors and nurses. Crap! I felt like an idiot.

  “Where is Nix?” I had to see her, talk to her.

  “She spent the night at my place with Bekka. They had a good night too.”

  I imagined so. I remembered seeing a picture.

  “Good.” I sighed. “Why does my head hurt so much? Where is Nix?”

  “You just asked me, man. She’s at my place.” Tyler added.

  Panic started to spread in my body, I didn’t know what was going on. Why was I here? I had to calm down if I wanted to get the hell out of here.

  “Do you have my phone?” I knew for sure that she would have tried to contact me.

  He took it out of his jacket pocket. I had a new message and it made me smile like a fool. I unlocked my phone and went directly to read it.

  Nix: I'll be there in 20 minutes.

  She sent me that message twenty-five minutes ago. So any second now, she would be here. I was anxious to see her, I only wished I didn’t look like this.

  “Angel! Aww, Levi, are you okay?” Her lips found mine as soon as I realized she had arrived.

  I took her in my arms and pulled her onto my bed. “Nix, I missed you.”

  She laughed. “You look like hell, Levi. What have they done to you?”

  “I have no idea, but I really need a shower.” A very long shower.

  “Does your forehead hurt? I think you have stitches.”

  “No, he only got some kind of glue. He'll be fine.” Tyler said. I didn’t even know I had something on my forehead. “He'll be free to go as soon as he sees the doctor. They wanted to check him out, but I think he’s fine.”

  “I tripped on the stairs last night.” I tried to explain, but I really didn’t know much about what had happened.

  “He tripped and passed out. We brought him here.”

  Nix chuckled. “You had a crazy night, I can tell. Mine was epic too.” She rubbed her tired eyes.

  Her hand held mine, her warmth making me feel better. I couldn’t wait to go back home and take a shower to wash away all the glitter and makeup covering me. I wanted to spend the day in bed, in my jogging pants. Relaxing, sleeping, anything that didn’t require me to move. My body hurt.

  Tyler left once he explained everything to Nix about the doctors and nurses. We waited another forty-five minutes before the doctor authorized me to leave. Each step I took resonated in my head and caused me more and more pain. All I wanted was my soft and comfortable bed but first, a shower. Please, a fucking shower.

  All of the glitter from my hair slid down my body while I rinsed under a stream of water. Nix helped me with removing the lipstick and makeup from my face. The E.R. probably had had a good laugh when they saw me come in. They must be used to having weird situations.

  “When did you find out I was at the hospital?”

  “Tyler texted Bekka and said you had a small injury. Nothing to worry about. He asked that I meet him there when I woke up.”

  I chuckled. “What kind of people do we have as friends to let us endure such a night?”

  “They are a bunch of crazies.” She laughed. “I had a good time, though. An over-the-top girls’ night out.”

  “Come on, let’s get to bed.” I could barely keep my eyes open.

  She followed me to the bed. As we climbed in, I rolled to my side as she wrapped her arms around me. Sweet dreams were to come. My Rock Star made my day all better. I knew she would always be the best part of my life. The one to make everything better, in any given situation.

  The hangover from the bachelor party stayed with me until Monday. I had a hard time catching up.

  University meant a lot to her and it did to me as well, but I couldn't wait for it to be over. With her time in rehab, the last few weeks had been hectic and this semester seemed endless with the extra classes she took. I supported her choice, but I missed her and couldn't wait to reunite with her every night, without a pile of books separating us.

  “Babe, I think I'm done packing. We're just going to have to pack the food and dishes on the day of the move.”

  “Thank you, I'm sorry I didn't help you more.” I could tell by the look on her face that she really did feel bad.

  “Don't worry about it. I ordered pizza, since I didn’t feel like cooking or eating out.” I paused. “Come here, Nix.”

  She did, and I draped my arms around her shoulders, enjoyed the feel of her against me.

  “The only thing I will miss about this place is the vision I have of you standing there, right at the entrance to the kitchen. Your clothes barely hid your body; it didn’t leave much to the imagination. You looked so angry to see me in your apartment. You were fuming and I thought it was extremely hot.” I snickered. “You hated me so much.”

  “I didn’t really hate you, I just couldn’t understand what it was about you that had me attracted. I tried really hard to deny everything when it came to you.”

  “But then, you tried to push me away.”

  “And I lost the battle.”

  “Did you really think I would let you win? You touched me and you lost. You felt the connection.”

  “I did.” Her eyes locked with mine. “You’re a good kisser. It helped.”

  My hand slowly trailed from her shoulder to her neck. A small sigh escaped her lips. My fingers were just below her jaw and my mouth barely an inch away from hers. I was holding back just for a couple of seconds. I let the need to kiss her grow in me and in her. Her breath on my skin, her hands gripped my t-shirt, pulling me closer to her. When the desire began to kill me, I slowly placed my lips over hers and I let our instincts kick in.

  She sucked on my bottom lip and next thing I knew, her tongue was caressing mine, her fingers leaving marks on my skin. Fuck.

  Her intensity took me by surprise. I wanted her, I responded to her advances. I kissed her hard, wanting back the control. I deepened our kiss until both of us gasped for air. My heartbeat echoed in my whole body. I couldn’t recall if we had ever kissed like this before.

  “Levi... that... that was intense.” She managed to say.

  I took me a few seconds before I could even think of something to say. The night had only just begun, and I thought I had the perfect plan for us. “I was thinking that maybe tonight you would be up for your new ink?” Tattooing her thrilled me with a rush of adrenaline. Of course, she had to make the decision, I would never force her, but I really was in the mood.

 
“Tonight? Here or at the shop?” Her cheeks still glowed a pale shade of red.

  “I have everything here but if you prefer the shop it's up to you.” I hoped she decided to stay here. Tattooing her felt so personal to me, almost like making love. I wanted privacy.

  The excitement showed in her face, and her tired eyes became alive. She wanted to do this, I believed. I fucking wanted this.

  “I'm still debating if I'm getting it on my ankle and calf or my upper arm.”

  In the years I had been tattooing people I had learned not to give too much of an opinion because I wouldn’t be the one wearing it, but she was my fiancée. “I personally prefer the upper arm but you're the boss.”

  She hesitated, and I could see the struggle in her eyes.

  “You still have time, we don't have to do it now. I only suggested it.”

  She ran her hands mid-way through her hair and then shook it. Something she did often, I noticed. “I have been so busy lately that I pushed it aside in my mind. I love the design.”

  “But?”

  “There is no but...” She struggled with her inner thoughts for a few more seconds. All of her fingers pressed against her temple. “Okay, the upper arm but can we make it a little bit smaller?”

  “I'm the artist, you're the client, and I’ll do whatever the hell you want me to do.” I give her my best smile. “First, I want to make sure that you really want this.”

  “I do.” She cupped my face in her hands.

  “Okay.” I hugged her.

  “Well, then, kiss me.”

  How could I refuse her that? I hovered over her while she still sat on a chair at the kitchen table. Her breathing hitched, her cheeks flushed and her eyes never left mine. We both felt the tension returning between us and all she had asked for was another kiss. A simple kiss. Nothing was ever simple with a kiss.

  “Are you sure you want me to kiss you?” I trailed kisses and words from her earlobe to her chin. She nodded. “Oh babe, you'll be the death of me.”

  My lips gently met hers, without kissing, I swept my mouth from right to left letting the small friction of our lips tickle. She sighed impatiently until I finally gave in and kissed her with all the tenderness that I possessed. The kiss intensified, she grabbed hold of my hair and held on tightly.

  The doorbell rang and our moment was broken.

  I pulled away with my heart pounding in my chest.

  “Just go get the damn pizza and get your ass back over here.” She ordered me.

  “Yes, Ma’am.”

  I had never gotten rid of a delivery guy so fast. Someone much more important waited for me in the kitchen. I literally threw the pizza like a Frisbee onto the counter before I went back to my girl. A brazen look told me she wanted more. I knew what I had to do.

  Reheated pizza tasted better, anyway.

  Every two or three kisses, a piece of clothing was thrown to the floor or on the pile of boxes. The emotion I felt in our kisses made me weak in the knees. Every time our lips connected for an additional kiss, I felt her body claiming mine. How her hands clenched around my biceps or hair... I would never refuse her anything.

  Our body connected, our skin touched, everything became unplanned and uncontrollable. We let our hunger control our bodies. Together, all we wanted was to please one another.

  The needle traced the first line of her tattoo. Black ink permanently marked her skin in the lovely shape of a flower. Minute after minute, she took the pain and kept her eyes glued on her arm. I blew air on her skin each time I removed the extra ink. Something I wouldn’t do to any other client.

  “It’s funny how it hurts at the beginning and becomes numb after a while. It doesn’t hurt anymore. You could go on and on.”

  “Let’s keep it to your arm for tonight.” I smiled. “Though, I wouldn’t mind doing this all night.”

  Tattooing her always felt as intense, as erotic as the first time I marked her. Her little star had only given me the itch to tattoo her more. It drew the beginning of something much more powerful than I thought possible. Touching her soft skin... her reaction to my touch and the needle. Marking her with my design made me the proudest tattoo artist in Seattle. It provoked different emotions in me. It turned me on, it motivated me to do more, and it made me happy. I loved this moment with all my heart and soul.

  I added numerous colors, all of them forming the colorful sense I treasured about this design. It brought the flowers and the hummingbirds alive. It reflected exactly what she wanted. It had the old school flare and covered her upper arm perfectly. She yawned a few times but never said anything. She could take the pain easily

  Three hours after the first line, I was done. She looked hot as hell. I wanted her. Now.

  “Time for you to look at your arm, Rock Star, because I’m done. I personally fucking love it. But my opinion might be a bit biased.”

  She got up from the chair and went directly to the bathroom to take a look in the mirror. Before I had the time to remove the gloves and meet her there, she returned with tears in her eyes and a striking smile traced her lips. Thank god, she loved it.

  “It’s beautiful, absolutely perfect.”

  “It turned out great, one of my favorites.” I had really outdone myself. I was proud.

  The following morning was rough. My dad was waiting for me at the new house. He had managed to take the day off with Colleen to help us around the house. We had a few walls to paint; Nix insisted on adding a touch of color to the rooms without being too flashy. At first, I wasn't sure, but she had good arguments and Colleen agreed with all of them. Buying the house ended up being a family thing. Dad helped a lot and Colleen too. So we worked on the house while Nix sat in her classes peacefully... Well, maybe not that peacefully because I inked her arm for three hours straight after our passionate love making session so her arm was probably itchy or stiff.

  She kept texting me every thirty minutes to know where we were at. At least I could send her pictures of the newly painted walls.

  “Hey, Levi, I think you have a delivery truck outside.” Dad announced.

  I hurried to the door. We weren’t expecting anything before tomorrow. The truck was backing into our driveway and I tried to think, not wanting to bother Nix to double check. I mentally ran down all the things we had bought and nothing was expected today. The couch, the dining table, it all had delivery dates for tomorrow. What the hell was going on? We hadn’t even shopped at the store mentioned on the side of the truck.

  “Calm down, son. It's new furniture for your bedroom. It’s a gift.”

  “Dad, you gave us enough already. You paid for...”

  “Levi, I only have one son. It’s just the two of us now. I can buy you things if I want to.”

  The tone of his voice warned me, in a nice way. He always had been a man who would follow his ideas, this being one of them. Giving me as much stuff as possible was a way of showing me his love while helping me in a way I couldn’t refuse.

  “Thank you.” Words failed me. We could have afforded a new bedroom set, but we had decided to wait a few months. I couldn’t wait to tell Nix. I texted her to meet me here after her classes.

  The truck driver came up to us while his helper opened up the back of the truck. He installed the ramp for them to move the furniture safely. I tried to get a glimpse of what they looked like, but all I saw was the plastic wrap over a shell of cartons. My dad told them where to put the furniture. I had all my fingers crossed that they wouldn’t leave any scratches on the fresh paint. These guys were professionals, I guessed.

  I finished up with the wall in the living room and I went into the bedroom. “Seriously, Dad. You didn’t have to do this.”

  “These are made to last a lifetime, Levi. Trust me, you’ll need these.”

  “Yeah, it’s definitely better than what we had. Thanks again.”

  Of course, Dad had to pick a queen size bed, a darkish almost black shade of wood with a contemporary touch. It looked young, and the same style as
Nix had been looking at in the magazines.

  “Nix is going to flip when she sees this.” I knew because I was, I didn’t expect this and it was beyond perfect.

  “I’m glad you have her. It’s very humbling to see you two stepping together into a beautiful life. I can’t wait to have grandkids, too.” My heart skipped a beat hearing him talking about grandkids. It freaked me out.

  “Wow, wow, Dad. Give us a break!” I laughed. “You will, but definitely not now.” Now wouldn’t be good. Nix has so many things to do before we could ever consider having a child. She needed to graduate and find a job. She told me numerous times how much it meant to her to have a few years of work experience before settling down with kids and I agreed.

  A kid... The words kept echoing into my mind. A kid... I would keep my word and be patient, but I couldn’t wait to have a little peanut in her belly. I sighed.

  “Everything in its time and place, son.”

  I nodded, trying to put my thoughts aside. “I can’t wait to share that with her.”

  “Who’s her?” Nix appeared behind us.

  “Hey, Rock Star. Aren’t you supposed to be at school?” I asked, surprised.

  “I had to come here. I hated that you were doing everything without me. I want to help too.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I am. I had a test right after lunch and afterward, I felt like coming here and being with you.” She said, shyly.

  I reached for her hand, entwining my fingers together with hers. “Thank you. Dad and I have something to show you?”

  “Why is there a truck in the driveway, I thought they were all scheduled for tomorrow?” She wondered the same thing as me when she saw the truck.

  We entered our bedroom, she followed us, clueless, and stopped in her tracks when she saw all the massive and new furniture. Her jaw dropped to the floor, her eyes got teary, and I could see her struggle to find the words.

  “It’s a gift from me, Nix.” Dad said, leaning against the door frame.

  “Wow... I... I don’t know what to say other than... it’s... beautiful. Wow! You didn’t have to do that, Austin.”

  “It’s my pleasure.”

  “Thank you, thank you, and thank you.” She kissed both of Dad’s cheeks and returned to my side and, taking my hand into hers, she held me tight. We walked to the bed, her free hand touching the furniture and then, she proceeded in looking inside the drawers of her dresser. “Now, this is quality. Look at this, Levi.”