Body, Ink, and Soul

by Jude Ouvrard

  She rolled her eyes at me and laughed. "You are so cute when you’re in love." She opened the door to the hair salon and I stepped in after here, glancing around in amazement. This was a high class Hollywood-type salon. It was all white and there wasn’t a single hair on the floor. Unbelievable. “Happy birthday, Phoenix!" Val announced.

  "My birthday isn’t for another two weeks," I protested.

  "I know, but you’re with me now and I want to help you celebrate early. So, you’re getting a makeover."

  "What? No! I mean... I like my hair... why?"

  Val sighed and rolled her eyes. "I’m not suggesting you shave half of your hair off and dye it pink, just get a nice haircut and some highlights."

  The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. "You’re the craziest friend ever!"

  "But first, before hair styles, we deserve a little massage."

  What? I was astonished. I didn't know what to say. I was thankful for my trip to Boston to visit Val. I missed Levi and I wished the reasons behind my trip were different, but I was having a good time despite everything.

  I found myself lying flat on my stomach on a massage table, wearing only my panties and with a towel thrown across my lower half. I was nervous and felt terribly self-conscious. And it only got worse, when a black guy came in and announced he was my masseuse. I’d never been massaged by a man before, and to make it worse, he was utterly gorgeous.

  He turned on some relaxation music. It was ocean sounds, and it made me feel like I was by the beach with the waves crashing in and the birds singing overhead. My body relaxed for an instant, but only until I felt his hands settle on my bare back. Every muscle tensed, and I didn't like it much.

  "First time?" he asked in a soft voice.

  "Yeah." I answered uncomfortably, with my face pressed against the towel.

  "Relax, concentrate on the music." He began to rub in a circular motion near my shoulder blade. "Don’t let your mind trick you. You’ll feel better afterwards."

  Yeah, right! I closed my eyes and let my mind wander to the music. I got used to it, the pain he was creating in my back was draining me of all energy but it felt good at the same time. It was nothing like the little neck massages my mom would give me when I was a teenager. My body seemed to lighten as my muscles started to stretch out. My eyes grew tired and God, it began to feel so good.

  "Nix, come on... wake up!" Val laughed. "You crashed, you totally passed out. You’re funny."

  "What?" I was at lost, trying to figure out where I was. What happened to me?

  "Come on, sleepyhead, it's time to get our hair done."

  "You’re such a girl," I grumbled, slipping off the table and wrapping the towel around my chest.

  "You’re such a tomboy," Val retorted.

  I got dressed and followed Val to the hair stylist assigned to work with me. She was beautiful, the Marilyn Monroe type of beauty. Was it some sort of job requirement, did everyone have to look this good to work here? I’d never had any doubts about myself, my own self-confidence, but here, I wasn't certain anymore. Every person who worked in this place had their hair and makeup done, as if they were about to walk the runway at a Gucci or Chanel show.

  "I’m Sandra, I’ll be taking care of you today." The statuesque blonde ran her fingers through my hair delicately, studying the strands carefully. "Do you have something in particular in mind?"

  I shrugged, uncertain about what to do. "I’m a simple girl, I don't want anything too outrageous. Maybe some highlights?"

  "Yeah, and we could add some layers to your hair." She was brushing her fingers through my hair, again, and it was so relaxing. "I think I know what I'm going to do with your hair. I’ll be right back."

  Val was sitting in the chair next to mine, talking to her own stylist about what she wanted. She was the complete opposite of me, knowing exactly what she wanted. The stylist listened to her blabbering for at least five minutes before he could get a single word in. I thought it was hilarious.

  Sandra returned with some dye and the papers she would use to create the highlights. She was really nice and inflicted no pain. I relaxed in the white leather chair and enjoying the attention. Sandra divided my hair into sections and started applying the new colour. I was glad Val had insisted on me coming here, I was having a great time and it was boosting my self-esteem. Between the massage and the new hairstyle, I was feeling pretty good about myself.

  After three hours and Val parting with a few hundred dollars, my hair looked better than it had on the night of my prom. I had defined curls and the highlights doubled the volume of my hair. Professionally applied make-up had given me a Hollywood star look and I adored it.

  The only downside, was that I hated the fact that I looked so wonderful and I couldn't show Bekka or Levi. I made Val take a photo before we left for the club, and I sent it through to my far-away friend and boyfriend. The new dress hugged my curves and enhanced my figure amazingly. I was used to dressing sexy for my shifts at the club, and I was usually showing more skin than I did with this dress, but somehow, it felt more revealing. It had a deep cleavage line and was cut low in the back. I wore a pair of Val’s heels. I normally hated wearing heels, but in this dress, it was the only way to go.

  The music blared in my ears. The club was packed with guys and girls in their twenties, drinking, dancing and generally having a good time. The ambiance differed a lot from the club in Seattle. I could hardly hear anything Val was saying over the noise of the crowd and music but I recognized what she meant when she pointed the bar, a drink! I worked my way across to the bar and ordered cranberry vodka for myself and a double Jack Daniels on ice for Val. I drained the glass in about three minutes. The outside temperature hovered around ninety degrees and the bar itself was hot and humid. Still thirsty, I ordered a second drink and it was gone almost as quickly as the first.

  The DJ was amazing, the music loud with a distinct beat and it vibrated to my core. I wanted to dance with Val and enjoy what was presumably my last night in Boston. Presumably, because Val had insisted she was sending me home the next day. We hadn't really gone over the details yet, but I knew it was time to go home. I’d enjoyed the couple of days with my friend, but I wanted to go home to my angel.

  Squeezing our way amongst the crowds milling around the bar, we reached the dance floor. It was amazing, with tiny lights in pink, green and blue decorating the ceiling and the DJ’s sound system positioned in the centre of the floor. Val and I started to dance together and it was just like the old days at the club back home. We weren't dirty dancing or anything particularly outrageous, but not even five minutes later, some guys were trying their best to get our attention. John showed up after a few minutes, kissed Val and they left the dance floor with a smile and a wave, heading back towards the bar. Unfortunately, the guys who’d been hanging around soon realized I was alone and shortly afterwards, I had numerous hands, fingers and arms touching me from all directions. I found the whole situation irritating and it was about to ruin my night. Leaving the dance floor, I located Val and John sitting near the bar and John ordered a round of shots. It was a reminder of the good old days in Seattle. Even though it hadn’t been that long, I missed those days when Bekka, Val and I were together.

  I was feeling a little tired and I was still upset with the way those guys had been trying to get my attention on the dance floor. Being groped by complete strangers wasn’t my idea of fun and it certainly wasn’t flattering. Val noticed the signs of my increasing agitation and she grabbed my hand and drew me back to the dance floor again, despite my protests. Not even two minutes after we’d gotten out there, some guy came up from behind me and circled my waist with his arms. It was one grope too much. I was done. I grabbed the man’s hand, intent on giving him a piece of my mind inhaled sharply. Dear God, I knew those hands. A tingle of electricity spread through my hands, warmth spreading across my skin. I turned around, excruciatingly slowly, hardly able to breathe.

  "Angel." I whispered, deligh
ted to discover I wasn’t dreaming and my angel was truly here. I jumped into his welcoming arms and crushed my lips against his in one swift movement, kissing him with the pent-up passion which had built during our separation. Being reunited with Levi was the most amazing thing, and I knew I would never willingly leave him again. "I missed you so much.'' I kissed the tip of his nose. ''I’ve missed you so much, Levi." I kissed his lips once more. "I love you." I looked into his eyes, seeing a multitude of emotions reflected back at me.

  "I’ll say those words, even though they don't mean nearly enough, I love you Rock Star, so fucking much, I can’t express it in words. Never leave me again, or I swear, I’ll go crazy. I need you. I need us. I need us to be together." He kissed me softly. "I worship you, Nix. You’re my world."

  I had my man, here with me, exactly how it should be. My heart literally trembled with joy as I ran my hands across his chest, brushed my fingers across his cheek. The butterflies were back in my stomach again and fluttering around, stronger than ever before. It felt so right to be in Levi’s arms. He was stunning, perfect and mine.

  "Dance with me?" I asked quietly, placing my hands on each side of his waist. He stepped closer, pressing his body against mine, his gaze focused on mine. His love was a tangible entity in that perfect moment. Everything he was feeling, was mirrored in my own body. It was a powerful reaction to one another and I pressed my hips against his, aware of the hardness of him, his desire evident.

  "I love that dress on you, but I can't wait to see it on the floor of my hotel room," he murmured suggestively in my ear in between kisses.

  I practically melted in a puddle of desire at his feet. I wanted him, so badly, I was ready to leave the club, right this minute, in fact, right this second.

  I whispered in his ear. "I think we should go now."

  He winked at me. "Val made me promise I wouldn't take you away from her."

  How dare she? She knew I’d been missing him like crazy and I pouted. "I don't care. I want to..."

  "I know, I know," he chuckled, his voice low and husky. "Let’s just enjoy our night here... we’ll give Val an hour and then we’ll go."

  "You are such a tease."

  "I keep my promises, Rock Star," he said, offering me a beautiful smile. "Do you want a drink?"

  "No, actually, I want to remember my night with you." I giggled. "I’ve had plenty of drinks already."

  He placed his hand at the small of my back and we walked over to Valerie and John who had both discretely disappeared from the dance floor. We located them sitting by the DJ, talking to another guy. John introduced him as one of his friends, his name was Thomas and he had very short blue hair, and he was wearing a pink Marilyn Monroe t-shirt. He was interesting, to say the least.

  I did the introductions between John and Levi, after Thomas slipped away. They were polar opposites, but I was pleased when they got along straight away. After Mom’s terrible reaction, I expected to face off against judgemental people, with regards to Levi’s tattoos. He had a lot of them, and besides being impossible to hide them all, Levi wasn't the type of man who would feel a need to hide them anyway. He was perfectly at peace with who he was, and it only made me love him even more. I was very pleased when John didn't let Levi’s ink worry him. Levi started talking about University and his experiences when he was studying law, and John had a lot to add to the conversation. All I wanted was for the hour to fly as quickly as possible, but it was dragging.

  The one bright part of the next hour, was that Levi never let me go. He held me hostage against his side and it made me gloriously happy. He alternated between his hand dancing across the skin on my back or he would say "Hold my hand", in a low voice against my ear so that nobody else could hear. It was intensely erotic and so personal to the both of us. I knew the intense meaning it had for him, his way of protecting me.

  "I love you," I whispered against his ear, more than once. I wanted to repeat those words again and again. They were the most powerful gift I had to offer him and yet, I loved him so much more than could be expressed in those three little words.

  Because he was engaged in a conversation, he didn't say the words back, but each time I said it, his arms tightened around me. The voices and music surrounding us faded away. My senses were completely concentrated on Levi; my Angel. He drew me around so my back was resting against his chest, his heartbeat matching mine. I remembered the mornings and nights I’d spent listening to his heartbeat. He had awakened something in me, a depth of emotion I’d never known before and I felt so much more alive because of him. It suddenly occurred to me, we were both in Boston with one of my best friends. Twenty four hours ago, I’d never have believed this was going to happen.

  Ending my daydreaming session, Valerie pulled me out of Levi’s arms and dragged me back to the dance floor. "Let the men have their boring talk and let the girls have their fun. Come on Nix, let’s get wild."

  I went along with her, figuring it would speed up the dragging time if I did something constructive. The DJ was mixing all the best songs, some of my favorites. I glanced back and saw Levi watching me and I flushed, enjoying his attention. Val and I danced together, like we used to do in Seattle - hot and provocative. We were playing, it was all in fun, and we didn’t take ourselves seriously. Val held her hands against my hips and we matched our moves to one another. I could feel the perspiration rolling down my back and blisters were forming on my feet. No doubt, I would regret wearing heels and dancing all night tomorrow morning, but for now, I was having the time of my life.

  His arms wrapped around my waist again and Levi pressed his chest against my back before I’d noticed his absence from beside the DJ booth with John.

  He pressed a kiss against my cheek. "You’ve been a very good girl, Rock Star." He smiled.

  "What are you talking about?"

  "I asked for an hour. You’ve waited three hours." He kissed my bared shoulder with his soft lips. "You’ve been more than patient. Come on, let’s go now."

  "Okay," I answered quietly. I was suddenly anxious, as much as I’d been waiting for this moment, somehow it seemed daunting to be going with Levi. It seemed awkward, almost uncomfortable after our massive fight, to be alone together.

  "Hold my hand, baby, I’ll get us out of here. My hotel is only a block away."

  "Don't walk too fast,” I warned him. “I can't feel my legs."

  Levi raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious?" Seeing my little nod, he grinned. “Guess I'll have to give you a ride, then." He bent down and threw me over his shoulder. I screamed, laughed and begged to be put down, but he wouldn't listen. I could hear him laughing, knew he was enjoying this. But he wasn't the one wearing a short dress with a plunging neckline. I was afraid one or the other of my attributes were going to pop out of the dress at any moment.

  Despite my protests, Levi only put me back on my feet when we got into the lobby of the hotel. The very nice hotel, I might add, a quick glance encompassed marble everywhere and stunning artwork decorating the walls. That was about all I had a chance to see thought, as Levi grabbed my hand and walked me towards the elevator. The tension was rising between us and Levi was clearly a man on a mission and determined to get me up to his room.

  Chapter Fifteen

  When I traced my fingertips down the front of Levi’s shirt, he frowned at me. "Don't tempt me here, Rock Star. The room is only on the third floor, there’s not enough time for this in the elevator." He crooked an eyebrow at me in warning. He knew me well.

  I giggled until we reached his hotel room. He unlocked the door with the magnetic card and as soon as the door opened, I could smell the perfume of freshly picked lilies. The lights in the room were dim and there was a Jeff Buckley song playing softly. It was so amazing, I wanted to cry. He’d done all this for me. The lilies, the music, flying all the way from Seattle for me. I couldn't speak, every single word in my vocabulary had somehow disappeared from my brain. I stopped in the centre of the room, inhaling the delicate scent of the lilie
s which were in a crystal vase on the dresser. Levi stood behind me, not touching, but the tension between us was tangible and I could feel the vibrations humming between us. He pushed my hair to one side and kissed my bare back, pressing his lips against my shoulder blades. Every kiss sent waves of delight rippling through my body. Angel grasped the zipper of my dress and unzipped it painstakingly slowly, drawing out the tension until it vibrated between us like a violin string.

  The dress fell from my shoulders and slid slowly down my body to my ankles. I stepped out of it and turned around to face Levi, who was watching me with a heated gaze. He was fully dressed and yet, so utterly irresistible. My fingers were trembling as I pulled his shirt over his head. To my surprise, when I dropped my eyes to his tattooed skin, there was something new, something which wasn’t there the last time I’d seen him shirtless. A purple star with a thick black outline was inked on his sternum. Below the star, in small and delicate writing were the words, ’Rock Star’. He’d gotten it for me. He’d marked his own body as an expression of his love for me. I’d expected that one day, he might get a tattoo which depicted our relationship, or we might get matching tattoos, but the fact that he’d done it during the few days we were apart touched my heart. He’d got the tattoo because he loved and missed me, I was certain of it. I was flattered and deeply touched that he’d discovered a way to keep me close to his heart.

  Now more than ever, I knew we were going to be together forever. It sounded cheesy, but I couldn't imagine life without him. School was going to start again soon and we would spend our days apart, I didn't want to think about it but it was the sad reality. I had to finish my studies and get my diploma. After that, the world would be mine.

  With an internal shrug, I figured out I was practically naked in front of the man I adored, and I was thinking about school. I smiled at my idiocy. "I love your new tattoo, Levi. I think it's my new favorite."

  He glanced down at his chest. "It's you. It's how much I love you. I had it done on the morning you left me, I couldn’t wait to show you, but then, everything changed so fast. I never want to be away from you, Phoenix," He unclipped my bra, sliding the straps off my shoulders and let the scrap of fabric slip to the floor.