"So, I was thinking," Sandy said. "You really could use a tattoo."
I swiveled back across the table and tipped my Cervesa. "Oh, shit." I managed to grab the bottle before it emptied on the rattan table top. A little to mop up, I swabbed what I could and asked, "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"I would like you to get a tattoo," she replied. Her eyes were like shiny, root beer marbles watching my face for reaction. "For me," she added.
Not really sure where this was coming from or where it was going, I stalled a little and asked her what she had in mind.
"Well," she said. "Your body is beautiful. I don't think you need me to say anything more about that." She paused to grin. "And, I really truly enjoy our time together- the trips, the adventures. We have some incredible times, and we have photos- but photos fade. Electronic images get lost. I want something permanent to remind us both."
"You want to get matching tattoos?" I said. "I've always thought that could be kinda fun, but couldn't think of anything meaningful..."
"No, not matching." she interrupted me.
I stopped and canted my head and raised an eyebrow. She went on to explain how my body was a perfect canvas for what she envisioned- and getting matching tattoos was pretty trite, akin to getting matching jogging suits. No, she wanted something uniquely for me, something she designed; Something to wear of hers.
A breeze from the BahΓΒa de Banderas lifted her chestnut hair, and she paused to sweep it back from her face as I sipped a little of my beer. When she looked back I was squinting at her, perhaps because of the setting sun, but she read it as a bad judgment of her request, so her face turned down to the table.
There are many things I don't know, but I was fairly sure that I was lucky to have this woman in my life and wanted to always be so. It was clear she had shared a fantasy that involved me, that required me. I had felt no compelling need in my life for body art. (Who wants to see a guy with tattoos anyway?) But this was her fantasy, one that I could fulfill for her, and THAT was an opportunity to good to waste.
"O'k, babe," I started. "As long as it's tasteful, I would love to wear a tatt..."
She squealed and leaped from her chair. "You are so, wonderful! This is going to be so great!" A flash of white bikini, a blur of colorful beach wrap- and in a moment she was covering me in kisses. She danced off as I stooped to pick up my fallen sunglasses. The waiter was grinning at me and with a thumbs up, said, "Hermosa mujer, hombre afortunado!"
"Si, Paco." I said. "I am a lucky man."
-
The barber chair in the tattoo shop was intended for comfort, but my hip was angled up to best present my thigh for the artist, so it felt a little awkward. But it was o'k. Sandy was hovering around the head of the chair distracting me, clearly excited about the process. It had been two weeks since we returned from our trip, and she had been immersed in planning my tattoo. I won't say obsessive, but her favorite place had become sitting cross-ways in the big armchair with a drawing pad. She would sketch furiously and sometimes stop, prop her pencil in her mouth and gaze at my torso. From time to time, the pad would drop to the carpet and she would pull me into the bedroom.
Having a beautiful woman lusting for you is a powerful thing. Knowing her fantasy brought even greater intensity. I watched her mentally applying patterns to my body. With her fingers, she traced my muscles and contours for fit with her designs. She infected me with her excitement. Her fantasy was becoming mine.
There were phone calls to shops and recommendations made. After all the on-line research and initial consult with the artist, we picked a design. I was to wear a stylized Mayan calendar to commemorate our most recent adventure. Sandy, took it to another level with a bio-mechanical surround, a bit like a Terminator prop. Seemed good to me, although larger than I had expected. So, this is what put me in the chair at Aces and Eights Tattoo.
Sandy's breasts were pressed against the back of my head and she overlooked the artist shaving my hip and thigh. She kissed my ear with a little giggle as the stencil was applied. I heard a little gasp and felt her palm flatten on my chest as the artist test triggered the tattoo gun and dipped the needle in a small cup of black ink. Sandy's breath on my cheek stopped as the artist's needle bit into my skin and the first line was engraved on my body.
The artist continued to work on my skin very efficiently and the pain was surprisingly light. Sandy was breathing again, short breaths. We were both watching her design materialize on my leg, injected bit by bit under my skin. I was fascinated by the process and the artistry. Sandy snugged in close to my ear and whispered. "You are marked for me now, a design you can never take off. It will be with you for the rest of your life."
I like that idea.
-
The shower head threw little needles of cold water at my face and after a moment warmed to the temperature I preferred. I rubbed my eyes with my palms and tousled my hair while the strong stream washed away the thick-headed funk from a day at the office. My regular routine at the gym in the morning gets me going for the day and a quick shower after work always does wonders to get some energy back.
The shower curtain slid open a little and there was Sandy appraising me. "Do you mind if I join you?" she asked.
"Not at all. Hop in." I grinned.
Fifteen seconds later, Sandy slid in behind me completely naked. She grabbed a bar of soap and started rubbing across my back. She seemed pretty intent on my neck and upper back. I have been working lately on my lats and traps- and I think the results are starting to show- Her soapy hands sure felt great right at that moment. Gradually, her focus dropped to my lower back, then my side and then my tattooed flank. I shifted a little to let the water rinse the soap from my tattoo and it stood out vibrant on my skin. The inflammation was gone. The scabbing had cleared. Only the indelible design, Sandy's work, was there to see. She traced the Mexican-mechanical work with her finger like she couldn't believe it was still there. I turned the shower off and turned and pulled her into me. I could feel her heart beating rapidly, so I grabbed a towel from the bar; we dried quickly and headed for the bedroom.