“Don’t sell yourself short, young lady,” scolded Maddy sternly. “You could out-perform Mr Power here any day.”
The shy teenager had no answer to that and sat quietly, not knowing where to look. Shortly before eleven, Todd lay down the guitar he had borrowed and said that they would have to leave – curfew was looming. Once the young couple had left, Rich and Jake sat playing quietly. The others were scattered around the spacious deck, sprawled on sun loungers and chairs, chatting casually. The perfect relaxed Friday night after a long week in the studio. Watching Jake and the others, Lori smiled quietly to herself. Seeing them all chilling out gave her a happy warm feeling inside.
Rehoboth was busy next afternoon as Jake and Lori walked hand in hand along the boardwalk. Both of them had slept late after the party the night before, but surprisingly, both had wakened feeling refreshed and clear headed. They had arranged to meet Grey and Kola for an early dinner, but had to visit Danny at the tattoo parlour first. When they reached the main avenue, Lori apologised that she needed to rest for a few moments. The walk along the sand and then the boardwalk had taken its toll on her and she could feel her leg beginning to protest. When she asked for a seat, Jake began to fuss.
“I’m fine,” she promised him sincerely. “I just need a minute or two.”
“We should’ve driven in,” muttered Jake, sitting on the bench beside her.
“Nonsense. I’ll be fine in a moment,” assured Lori, taking his hand. “Remember the first time we went to visit Danny?”
“Sure do,” grinned Jake. “It was after my last shift at the pizza place.”
“Yes,” recalled Lori with a smile. “And I had to take a cab into town to meet you. At least this time I’ve made it here under my own steam.”
“True,” acknowledged Jake, hugging her. “I just worry about you. I don’t like to see you in pain, li’l lady.”
“Stop worrying, Jake. I’m fine.”
They sat people watching for a few minutes, then began to head up the street towards Danny’s shop. It was almost closing time when they arrived and the diminutive tattoo artist was finishing up his last client of the day. Taking a seat on the bench, Lori and Jake waited until he was done and had flipped the “open” sign over to “closed”.
“Well, good afternoon,” he greeted them enthusiastically. “My two favourite celebrity clients.”
“Cut the crap, Dan,” laughed Jake, shaking the ink artist’s hand.
“To what do I owe the honour?”
“I come bearing gifts,” giggled Lori, reaching into her bag for the envelope containing the two designs.
“Ah, princess,” sighed Danny, accepting the large envelope. “I thought you’d forgotten.”
“Would I dare?”
“Obviously not.”
“I did two for you,” commented Lori, a bubble of anticipation growing inside her.
Carefully, he opened the envelope and pulled out the two designs. He inspected the tattoo gun Celtic knot design first and nodded approvingly. When he saw the second design, his eyes lit up instantly.
“Naughty, Mz Hyde,” he commented, raising one eyebrow. “And perfect.”
“I wasn’t sure if that was what you had in mind or not when you said quirky,” explained Lori, relieved that he liked the design.
“To be honest, princess,” he announced. “I love them both. I’m just not sure where to get the gun knot done. It’s a wonderful mark for my art.”
“Well, they are both yours to do with as you please,” she said warmly. “Just remember the second part of the deal.”
“Yes, I know,” he laughed, sliding the designs back into the envelope. “You want photos of the finished article. Although why you want a picture of my butt is beyond me. Now, Jake, when are you coming back to sit on my throne?”
“Soon,” promised Jake. “I did want to ask you something.”
“What?”
Standing up, Jake quickly removed his T-shirt and pulled his hair out of the way. With his back to Danny, he asked, “Is there any scope to add a bit onto the pommel of the sword?”
“Kneel down, Jake,” instructed Danny bluntly. “No way can I see that high!”
“Sorry,” apologised Jake, kneeling in front of his friend.
The tattoo artist inspected the large sword tattoo before commenting. “I guess you could add something on, but it might take the design quite far up the back of your neck. If it were me, I wouldn’t mess with it, but it’s your call, Jake.”
“Ok, back to the drawing board,” sighed Jake, getting up from the floor.
“What did you want to add?” asked Danny.
“A circular Celtic knot. The design Lori did for our first album cover. It’s kind of grown to symbolise the band,” he explained, reaching for his discarded T-shirt.
“You could put it on your chest,” suggested Danny. “Over your heart.”
“I could,” mused Jake, glancing down at his bare chest. “Not sure how it would look there.”
“Here’s a thought,” began Danny. “Send me the design. I’ll prepare a transfer for it. We can draw it on in detail. If you don’t like it, I’ll wash it off. If you do, we ink it in. No charge to you for the trial run.”
Glancing over at Lori as if seeking her approval, Jake replied, “Sounds like a plan to me. How long do you need?”
“How about coming in on Friday afternoon?”
“Thursday might be better for me. We’re rehearsing Friday out at JJL. I can slip away easier on Thursday.”
“I’ll stay late for you. Be here no later than five thirty. Get the design to me by Monday night.”
“Perfect. Thanks, Dan.”
“Pleasure as always,” he replied. “Maybe I’ll get a picture of this one.”
“Unlikely,” laughed Jake, pulling on his T-shirt. “I meant to say, that’s a beautiful job you did on Lori’s ankle. I’m impressed.”
“I was pleased with that one myself,” Danny admitted. “Fine work’s a challenge, but a reward too when it turns out as well as that did.”
“I love it,” added Lori. “We’d better make a move if we’re going to be on time for dinner, Jake.”
“Yeah,” he agreed, as he draped his arm around her shoulder. “I’ll email that design over, Dan, and I’ll see you on Thursday.”
“Looking forward to it.”
When they entered the restaurant a short while later, Grey and Kola were already seated at a table waiting for them. There was no sign of Becky, which surprised Lori slightly.
“Sorry we’re late,” apologised Jake, taking a seat.
“Wouldn’t expect anything less of you, Mr Power,” joked Grey.
“Ok. Ok,” laughed Jake. “I know, I’m always late.”
“We were at Danny’s,” explained Lori. “He kept us chatting.”
“More ink?” asked the bass player.
“Not for me,” answered Lori with a smile. “Well, not yet. I was dropping off two designs he’d asked me to do.”
Quickly she explained about the deal she had done with the tattoo artist and about the designs she had presented him with. Jake then added that he was planning the next addition to his “ink library”.
“Do you have any, Kola?” asked Jake, in an attempt to get the shy sound engineer to join in the conversation.
“A few,” she confessed coyly. “I like angels.”
“She has a stunning set of wings,” added Grey, much to her embarrassment.
Sensing it was time to change the subject, Lori asked where Becky was.
“My mom’s got her again tonight,” replied Grey. “I’ll pick her up tomorrow after lunch.”
“He doesn’t think she’s ready to meet me,” stated Kola calmly. “He doesn’t want me to confuse her.”
“That’s part of it,” confessed the bass player. “It’s still early days, angel.”
Fortunately, the waitress approached at that moment to take their order, saving Grey from having to defend himself further. O
nce they had ordered, Lori asked Kola what had brought her to the east coast.
“I needed my own space,” replied the younger woman. “LA is great, but I wanted to step out of the shadow of my family. Plus my brother was already here.”
“Is there something you’re not confessing here?” asked Jake, intrigued by her answer.
“My dad’s in the music business. I wanted to be recognised for my own efforts and not for being his daughter.”
“So who’s daddy?”
“Jake,” growled Grey softly. “Leave it.”
“It’s ok,” interrupted Kola, touching his arm. “My dad, Nick, plays guitar for the metal band Black Ashes.”
Both Jake and Lori exchanged glances. Black Ashes had been a huge “big hair” metal act in the 1980’s.
“I’ve done some work for them,” admitted Lori. “Interesting guys.”
“When did you do stuff for them?” asked Grey, keen to take the spotlight off his date.
“Just after college,” Lori began, then went on to explain which album cover she had done for them. “They liked their angels too, as I remember.”
“Dad still does,” laughed Kola, finally relaxing. “He’s got a full set of burnt wings tattooed on his back. My mom hated it.”
“Are they still playing?” asked Jake. “I’ve not come across them for a while.”
“Occasionally,” answered Kola quietly. “Keeping them clean and sober long enough is the challenge there.”
“I hear you,” sympathised Jake. “Did you never fancy being in a band?”
“No,” she said instantly. “Never.”
“Ah, raw nerve. Sorry,” apologised Jake, feeling a little guilty for putting her back on her guard again.
“No need to apologise. I prefer the technical side to the performing.”
It was still early when their meal was over, but sensing that Grey and Kola wanted to spend time alone, Lori suggested that they get a cab home. Both the bass player and the sound engineer invited them to join them for a few drinks, but, before Jake could accept, Lori said she really needed to get home. When the cab arrived, they said their goodbyes, promising to meet up the following weekend after the Philadelphia gig. Once in the car, Jake asked if she was ok, his voice full of concern.
“I’m fine,” said Lori softly. “They just needed time on their own.”
“Oh!” said Jake, the penny suddenly crashing down. “I guess.”
“Grey must really care about that girl if he’s prepared to leave Becky two nights running,” observed Lori.
“I hadn’t thought, but when you put it like that, li’l lady,” admitted Jake with a smile. “She’s a sweet girl. Really shy.”
“Well, let’s see how they get on,” said Lori quietly. “Grey looks happier than I think I’ve ever seen him.”
“I won’t disagree there.”
♫
Recording moved on swiftly at the start of the week out at JJL. More and more boxes were filled in on the white board. By the time they called it a day on 4th of July, they had fully completed ten out of the fifteen tracks and the remaining five were more or less there. Silver Lake had made a conscious decision to focus on the guitar tracking, to allow Jake to rest his voice for the short set planned for Saturday. None of them had made plans for the holiday. Jake and Rich worked late on into the night, rewriting two of the guitar solos at Dr Marrs’ request. Eventually, they had the newly written parts recorded and headed home for a few hours rest before they were due back at the studio for rehearsals. Jason had emailed through the final details for the weekend’s event. The venue had been changed and they were now lined up to play on the roof terrace at the record company’s office block. The band had already decided on what to play during their short set and spent a few hours on Thursday running through the three numbers. Late afternoon, Jake laid down his guitar and declared he was leaving for the day.
“Once more on Out Of The Shadows,” said Rich as he watched Jake lift his bag to depart.
“Sorry, guys,” he called back over his shoulder. “I’ve an appointment in town. I’ll be in first thing though.”
Before any of them could stop him, he made good his escape. Despite the late afternoon traffic, he made it to Danny’s just after five. The tattoo artist was waiting for him and, as Jake entered the shop, he instructed him to flip over the “open” sign.
The sun was setting by the time Jake pulled into the driveway. His chest was throbbing under the white dressing. Killing the engine, he lifted his bag and the envelope that Danny had given him and climbed out of the truck. As he came round the side of the house, he found Lori lying on one of the sun loungers. At first glance he thought she was asleep, but he noticed the ear buds and realised she was listening to her iPod. When she heard his feet on the decking, she sat up.
“You’re late, rock star.”
“Sorry. Danny took longer than I expected. What’s for dinner? I’m starving,” replied Jake, kissing her on the forehead.
“There’s some cold roast chicken and salad,” said Lori starting to get up.
“Stay where you are, li’l lady. Have you eaten?”
“Hours ago,” answered Lori, subconsciously rubbing her thigh.
“I’ll fix myself a plate and be right back.”
A few minutes later, Jake returned with a plate piled high with chicken salad and two bottles of beer.
“What were you listening to?” he asked as he sat down at the table.
“A few advance tracks for my next commission,” she replied, rolling up her earphones around her iPod. “Trying to listen out for some inspiration. How was your day?”
“Fine. We were playing through the tracks for Saturday,” answered Jake, through a mouthful of chicken. “Oh, I’ve got something for you.”
“What?”
“Danny gave me an envelope for you. I left it on your desk.”
“Is it what I think it is?” asked Lori, getting slowly and deliberately to her feet.
“Are you ok?” asked Jake, noticing the grimace of pain she was trying to hide.
“More or less,” confessed Lori, rubbing her thigh. “I slipped in the bathroom this morning. Got a bruise to prove it and I’ve pulled something.”
“Did you get yourself checked out?”
“I’m fine, Jake,” she promised firmly. “I’m just a bit stiff from sitting. Trust me, I can tell when I’ve done some damage.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” she insisted as she limped into the house.
A few seconds later, Jake heard the wonderful musical sound of her laughter. When she stepped back out onto the deck, Lori had two photographs in her hand and was still giggling. Unable to speak, she handed the photos to Jake.
“Dear Lord!” he exclaimed before starting to laugh.
The first photograph was a picture of the fairy princess that had been expertly inked onto Danny’s butt cheek. Whoever had tattooed it had truly done a beautiful job. They had managed to capture the fragility of her gossamer wings and the detail of her dress. The second photograph was the tattoo gun Celtic knot. It too had been expertly inked and was adorning the back of Danny’s left hand.
“The knot looks great,” said Jake, handing the photos back to her. “I’m glad to say, Dan didn’t offer to show me the other one.”
“And how did you get on with him?” asked Lori with a smile. “Did you add to your ink gallery?”
“What do you think?” teased Jake with a mischievous grin.
“I can see the outline of the dressing through your shirt,” Lori observed. “Reveal all, rock star.”
“Later,” said Jake softly. “Let me finish dinner first and relax for a while.”
Midnight had come and gone before Lori announced that she was going to bed. They had sat out on the deck chatting before moving indoors to watch a movie. It hadn’t escaped Jake’s notice that Lori swallowed two painkillers with the second bottle of beer that he had brought her. As she undressed in th
e soft light of the bedroom, he saw the huge bruise on her thigh.
“That’s one hell of a bruise, li’l lady.”
“Quite impressive, isn’t it?” she commented as she slipped into bed. “Now come here, rock star, and let me remove that dressing.”
Deciding to oblige and not to tease her any longer, Jake knelt on the bed beside her and allowed her to peel away the paper tape that held the dressing in place. Underneath, the skin was still red and puffy, but Danny had done an expert job at reproducing the Celtic dragon knot design. He had added some extra shading, creating more of a 3D effect. The fresh tattoo had begun to crust over and there were spots of blood on the discarded dressing.
“Nice,” said Lori, running her index finger over it gently. She paused for a moment before adding, “Will your guitar strap catch it?”
“Probably,” he agreed. “I can always put a dressing over it if it does.”
“Are you pleased with it?”
“Sure am,” smiled Jake, getting off the bed to finish getting undressed. “Needs something on the other side to balance it though.”
Laughing, Lori lay back on the pillows. “You’re addicted!”
“Perhaps. Now, let me take a closer look at that bruise of yours, li’l lady.”
Carefully Lori rolled onto her right side and let Jake inspect the purple bruise. He ran his warm hand ran gently over it, then ran his finger down the fading lines of her scars. Despite her best efforts, Lori still flinched when he touched the scarred skin.
“Relax, beautiful,” he whispered as he began to kiss her gently at first, but his hunger for her quickly becoming obvious.
Responding to his touch, Lori rolled over onto her back and ran her fingernail down his well-muscled stomach, pausing as she reached the edge of his fair pubic hair. Jake moved to sit across her and began to kiss her breasts, teasingly biting her nipples hard, causing her to take a sharp intake of breath. Under his touch, her skin was smooth as silk, her gentle feminine musk only serving to arouse him further. Unable to resist her any longer, he entered her slowly, trying to avoid causing her any discomfort. Beneath him, she moaned softly and raised her hips, encouraging him to thrust deeper inside her. Rhythmically, they moved as one as Jake stroked her to the precipice of orgasm. Feeling her moist and ready for him, he moved faster and harder, penetrating deep into her womanly darkness. Both of them were lost in the pleasure of their mutual orgasm as Lori gasped then called out his name.
Impossible Depths (Silver Lake series Book 2) Page 15