Loving Link

by T. D. Hassett

  "Baby, I could wake up like this every Tuesday morning and be a very happy man. What would you think about moving in, getting a dog, a puppy or something?"

  "What did you say?" Madison asked in alarm.

  "About getting a dog? It's okay if you’re more of a cat person, I just—"

  Madison cut him off midsentence and rolled out from underneath him. She reached over to her bag that sat on an old wooden crate acting as a makeshift nightstand. She pawed through her purse muttering, "It should be Tuesday, but that's impossible." She finally seemed to find what she was looking for, pulling her pack of birth control pills out of the bag. She flipped it open and frowned.

  "Everything okay Madison? Don't tell me you're pregnant. One more crazy paternity suit will send my manager over the edge," Link asked with a chuckle, the thought not terrifying him at all. He was becoming certifiable.

  "No, no, I'm just off a couple of days with my pills. Probably from flying back from London a few weeks ago and the time change. It’s okay." She popped a tablet into her mouth and swallowed, making no move to curl back up with him.

  So much for love in the morning.

  Madison threw her oversized T-shirt discarded from last night back on and started searching her backpack for clean clothes. It was a gorgeous morning view.

  "I don't know about you but I'm pretty much out of clean clothes. What would you say we go hideout somewhere else for a few?" Link asked, propping himself up on his elbow.

  Madison looked in his direction, squinting her eyes at him. "Huh, what d’you mean?" she asked before resuming her hunt.

  "I mean it. We should head out of the country and hide from the press for a bit. Why don't we hop a plane and go to North Caicos for a trip? Although, I am supposed to play at the Agora for Becket’s children’s charity on Friday night, but we could leave right after."

  "You mean the Caribbean? I can't go to the Caribbean; I need to get a job. I’ve got eight hundred dollars left in the bank. As it is, I’m either going to have to borrow some money from Isabel to pay my rent or jack up my credit card. Not everybody makes the super bucks like you and Thomas." She tugged her shorts up roughly.

  "Yeah Maddie, I get the money thing. It's okay though. I've got a house there so it won’t cost you anything. Besides, it wouldn’t be for long. Christ, I think I can swing the fucking plane fare.” Link spoke with more hostility than he meant. But this was silly. He didn’t want to be apart or make her feel defensive. Her rejecting what he had to offer made him feel like she was rejecting him. He reeled in his tone. “I'll put out a more polished version of that story about the tape really being part of a video shoot. We’ll hide out on the beach for a couple of days while the press chews it over. By then, we’re back in New York, and the parasites are on to fresh meat." Link let the sheet fall down, exposing his smooth chest. "Come back to bed for a while and then we can pack." He curled his fingers toward her and gave her a wink.

  "Stop trying to seduce me. I’m onto your tricks.” She smiled, taking the harshness out of her rebuff. “I really can't go play on the beach though. I need to try and get my life back. I don't want to keep being supported by other people. I want to do it on my own, and right now that means finding another fourteen-dollar-an-hour job tattooing someplace."

  "What if you just worked on tattoos for me? I mean, I could keep you busy with my body for a while.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. He paused before adding, “I can’t believe Lori was only paying you fourteen dollars an hour." He laughed out loud. "Ha, she was charging me six hundred an hour." Madison frowned and narrowed her eyes. He knew right then he shouldn’t have bragged about what he’d paid Lori, but he wanted her to know the money was meaningless to him. He could afford to help her out.

  "I can't be your personal tattoo artist, not that I don't mind finishing up the last little bit of your dragon, but I need to make a name for myself. And yes, apprentices are paid very little compared to what the shop charges customers. Although I'm surprised Lori charged you her rate and had me doing the work." Maddie sat on the end of the bed chewing her lip.

  "That was the deal. I get your hands on me and she gets her usual fee…and it was worth every penny." Link tossed the rest of the blanket off of him and leaped out of bed to grab Maddie around the waist and pull her to him. "So can we go down to my house in Caicos?" He nuzzled her neck.

  “I’d feel like a whore with that arrangement. Damn it though, you are persuasive sometimes…I tell you what, let me stop in New York and put out a few applications, then maybe. Even though I know this is craziness." Maddie rained a few kisses down his neck and onto his shoulder.

  "Jesus, you won't even let me buy you pizza. Trust me when I say an airline ticket and a bikini is really not going to put me out. Besides, a whore would be charging thousands by the night. You should see what I pay keeping my dad in his swanky retirement digs. Having you in my house for a few days of pleasure, now that would be priceless."

  Maddie pushed away from him. "That's what I don't want to be, a burden, an expense, something someone has to take care of."

  Christ, she was stubborn. Link climbed down the loft ladder to the main cabin. He didn’t want to fight with her, but she was being ridiculous. It’s not like he was offering to buy her a SoHo condo and make her a kept woman; he was talking about a fucking trip. Although, he could picture her in his house. He’d add an art studio and put in a giant Jacuzzi tub.

  Link shook his head. What was happening to him? He felt real around her, not like an actor playing a role. He could talk about any kind of music or art or just play video games and not have to put on a show. With almost everyone else he was forced to pretend to be someone else—the guitarist whose only interests were groupies and parties. He was sick of putting in appearances at parties just to be seen. Sick as fuck of his reputation being so jaded. He’d changed, maybe not on the outside, but on the inside. He wasn’t that same guy who was in love with fame and all its trappings. That had ended years ago. He pumped the handle of the sink to get some water and began to wash up. Being in the small bathroom reminded him of what made him change. In truth, Tommy’s brother, Chris, was the one that brought it home for him.

  He let the memories of the past flow again.

  They were partying together, doing coke. There were girls and hangers-on all over the place, but Chris pulled him into an empty bathroom. He was shaky and pale, checking under all the stalls to make sure no one was there.

  “What’s up with the visit to the john together, are we gossiping like chicks?” Link joked, wondering at Chris’ odd behavior.

  “Link, I don’t know what to do,” Chris mumbled, his normally clipped British accent slurred.

  “Dude, it’s a party. You drink up, powder your nose, and fuck beautiful girls, several at once if you want.” Link smacked him on the back, about to leave. Chris grabbed for his arm, stopping him.

  “I mean, I’m in trouble. I’m broke. This shit,” he waved toward the straw and last grains of white powder on the counter, “is killing me. I don’t care about the money, but I don’t know if she loves me for me or because of this shit, and I’m lost and…fucking Sasha.” His voice cut out. He ran some water and splashed it on his face. Link watched, uncertain what to say or do. Chris wiped his face dry and tossed the towel in the trash. “Never mind, it’s cool. I’m just a little too buzzed; forget my bullshit. Party on, right bro?” He grabbed the restroom door and held it open for Link.

  Chris was dead two days later, overdosed on coke and heroin, leaving Tommy and the rest of his family devastated. Link never did drugs again, not even a hit off a joint. He kicked himself for a couple years over the whole thing. Chris was asking for help and he hadn’t stepped up. He was too busy being seduced by easy drugs and easier girls. Oh, he’d told himself that he was young and dumb back then, that he was just a goofy kid getting the attention of girls and everything for the first time. But Link knew better; he knew that all the partying and women were leading them all to a bad
place. It could have been him overdosing and leaving his parents with both of their kids dead. The second hardest thing he’d ever done in his life was go tell his best friend what he suspected about Sasha and Chris. The hardest thing had been wondering if there was something he could have done to prevent it all from going down the way it did.

  With a long sigh, he left the small bathroom ready to go pack up.

  Chapter 37

  Madison

  Madison threw supplies into her backpack with more force than necessary. Link was already walking one load of stuff up the trail to the cars. Her eyes watered and she swiped her T-shirt across her wet cheeks before tossing it into the bag. Oh hell. She sat on the empty platform bed and let the tears fall. Link wasn’t a bad guy, but she knew she was already in too deep. She couldn’t risk becoming like the girl in Watt’s “Found Drowned” painting. The woman in it portrayed a broken shell of her former self. That sort of sad desperation had been her mother’s fate too many times.

  She recalled the night stepfather number three left many years ago.

  Deep sobs came from the small bathroom. Madison crept from her room clutching her stuffed bunny. Floppy would keep her safe walking the dark hall. She stopped at the open bathroom door. Mommy was in there crying. She had all the grown-up medicine bottles scattered about the sink. “Mommy, are you sick?”

  “Yes, I’m sick of living. I’m sick of men. Your good-for-nothing daddy left. He found someone else and he left us for her. I don’t know what to do, we can’t afford to stay here, I don’t, don’t…” Susan sobbed and scooped up a handful of the pills, chasing them down with water from Madison’s Big Bird plastic cup. “Go back to bed, Maddie. Mommy needs to be alone. Mommy always winds up alone.” She collapsed onto the towel-strewn bathroom floor.

  Madison tried to pull her mother up but she was too heavy. She looked for Daddy in the dark apartment but he was gone. It was just her and Floppy and her mother asleep on the floor. She started to cry, but stopped when no one came. She cradled Floppy tightly to her chest and watched her mother sleep.

  She awoke on the floor to a terrible sound. Her mom really was sick; she was vomiting all over the towels. Her mom cried for days after that. She was sent to live with her grandmother for a while. It was okay though because Izzy was staying there too.

  Madison blew her nose. She had to pull herself together. She threw her hair up into a messy ponytail and went back to packing up. She was being silly; there was no way she could be pregnant just from being off by a couple of pills. Her period would come next Sunday night right on schedule. Besides, that wasn’t what was bothering her. She was wound up because Link had gotten back under her skin. She knew how loving a man like him could hurt her. She’d seen what it was like when they left. She'd always been so responsible with her heart, but there was something about Link Jacks that just made her lose her head.

  Damn it, she did need to get back to New York and get some job applications out. She couldn't hide forever. By now her sister was probably getting worried. She really had expected to be back by Sunday night, but Link had proven to be a very diverting companion. He was just so easy to talk to, and, let's face it, he was pretty easy to love. She couldn’t stop touching him or listening to him. She had it bad, but she’d settle back into her life and work it out. Once he got back to the city and started going out again amongst his own beautiful people, he’d move on and stop calling her. She’d let herself have a good cry and pull it together. She’d always counted on herself. She wasn't her mother; she didn't need a man to take care of her, to make her feel important.

  By the time Link got back from his first trip she had the rest of their stuff all lined up waiting on the porch. "You need a break or some water before we grab this stuff and head out to the cars?" Maddie asked as she motioned to the duffel bags and backpack spread out.

  "No. I'm new to this camping thing, but the exercise part is familiar territory." Link assured her and made some muscle poses before laughing at his own antics and grabbing the bags. They set off to their cars at an even pace, Link excitedly talking about how wonderful the Caribbean was and Maddie lost in her own worries.

  Chapter 38

  Madison

  Being back home in her East Village apartment was fun for exactly five minutes—about the time it took for Madison to realize that Darling had company of the male persuasion and was probably best left undisturbed. Darling and the singer from Zombie Punch had gotten awfully cozy over the last few weeks. It was shocking. Madison had missed most of it, being busy with her own life drama, but through various text messages she finally caught up with stuff and was able to piece together the events. Darling and the singer had been having a series of sweet coffee-house dates. The dates had since moved into the girls’ apartment since Zack shared a place with five other guys and had the dirty dishes and laundry clutter to prove it. The two lovebirds sat curled up on the couch laughing uproariously as they watched an old movie and took turns tossing popcorn into each other's mouths. In Madison's current mood, it was so cute it was disgusting.

  She gave them a quick hello and headed straight for her room to put away her stuff.

  She’d dropped her mother's car off at Thomas and Izzy’s parking bay and even popped by their apartment to assure them both she was alive and well. Okay, that and to do a load of laundry from her trip. Link had gone to his own apartment, probably to do much the same, although she couldn't picture him doing laundry.

  Isabel had been pretty gentle with the questions and let her get away with some very vague answers. It was appreciated since she really didn't know what was going on between the two of them anyway. Link acted like he wanted more, and she knew in her heart she wanted more, but she just didn't trust either one of them to be able to do “more”. It was like trying to figure out the meaning behind a Kandinsky abstract. All kinds of color and shape but no clear picture. Maybe it would make sense Friday night when she watched Becket play the Agora Ballroom for the children’s charity. She’d see Link back in his natural environment and be able to put it all in perspective.

  Madison spent the remainder of the evening coming up with her employment game plan. There really was no way she could go flying off to the Caribbean with Link when she didn't have enough money saved up to even cover another month's rent. She needed a full-time job and fast. She was listing the names of tattoo shops that were a reasonable commute from her apartment when a gentle knock sounded on her door. "Come on in!" she called.

  Darling entered her room looking a bit too flushed for having been laughing at a comedy. "Hey Maddie, I’m really glad about the news."

  "What news? Don't tell me it's about me," Maddie asked tightly, already prepping her temples in anticipation of another headache.

  "It's good news. Canterbury Records came out explaining that that scene was part of a to-be-released music video. They had some stills set between some concert footage of Becket, and if I didn't know better I'd believe it." Darling smiled.

  Madison flipped open her laptop and started typing away looking for news stories to verify what Darling was telling her. Instantly she had a story summary through Bing. It all looked pretty solid and believable, although the original broadcasters, Hollywood Wire, had put out a statement standing by their previous story. It looked like Link and Thomas had gotten some pretty good legal work done over the last few days and put the screws to some of the news outlets. Not everyone would believe the new spin, but it might make enough people doubt the truth of the story to salvage her reputation.

  "This is a relief. Now I might even have a shot at getting a job." She beamed at her roommate and shut the laptop’s cover.

  "I know you'll get a job soon; you are too talented not to. And don't worry about the rent, I've already called my dad and sorted it out with him. You've got yourself a little break," Darling offered, turning to leave her room.

  "I don't want to owe anybody. I’ll get the money on time. I'm sure someplace will hire me," Madison said with more con
fidence that she felt.

  Darling shrugged, leaving the room quietly.

  Chapter 39

  Sasha

  Francisco plucked the lit cigarette out of her hand and tossed it in the sink. “Fuck you, Sasha. You fucked me over, you and that Jimmy Snow guy. I’m the one who set up the camera and got you your footage, and you cut me out of the deal. How much did you get paid?” Francisco spat the last words into her passive face.

  “Don’t be ridiculous Frankie, I didn’t cut you out of anything. I told Mr. Snow who handled the camera and editing of the tape, and he said he’d be in touch with you. You’re being paranoid,” Sasha smoothly replied, stepping back from Francisco’s blotchy red face and cold eyes.

  He grabbed her arm and hauled her face close to his. She could smell the pizza he’d eaten on his breath. He searched her eyes and licked his plump lips, keeping her inches from him. “If I find out you cut me out of a cash deal, I’ll kill you. Nobody fucks with Francisco Campelli, not even a fine piece of ass like you.” He spun her around and slammed her back against the kitchen wall.

  Sasha let out a whoosh of breath. Fear settled into her belly. It wouldn’t pay to get on Francisco’s bad side. He was, at heart, a nobody, small-time bully, but he did have some dubious connections to organized crime. “Baby, you know how much I love you; you know I just want us to be together. You promised to help me get custody of my son back so we could be a family. You’re the guy who’s going to make me a big star in those erotic movies your friends make. Why would I cut you out of anything?” Sasha licked her lip seductively before continuing. “I just gave the tape to Mr. Snow, and he promised to consider us for a reality show. Now why are you getting all cranky? I’m the one that should be upset—you still haven’t gotten your divorce from that bitch.” Sasha pouted and let her eyes water up a bit. She blinked back a tear and batted her lashes at him. Francisco loosened his hold on her arm and looked up at the stained ceiling of the efficiency rental. She had to distract him since she’d kept the money to herself. Mr. Snow and she had quite the arrangement, and Francisco wouldn’t be any part of it.