Loving Link

by T. D. Hassett

Madison

  Madison got up extra early and spent an embarrassing amount of time getting ready for her first day. After all, this is what she’d dreamed about doing for years.

  Lori G’s All About Ink tattoo shop was located in the heart of Times Square. The shop opened around lunchtime and closed any time between eight p.m. and whenever the work was done. There were twelve tattoo artists that worked there, but it could still take someone months to get an appointment. And if you wanted Lori to do the work personally, you’d better be at least an A-lister.

  Madison spent her afternoon being introduced to artists, filling out paperwork, and being grilled about sanitation, licensing, and shop procedures. Lori had a reputation to maintain, and there was no way she was going to risk it on a new artist she hadn't fully vetted.

  Lori was a no-nonsense woman who just happened to look like she just stepped off of some sort of S and M catwalk. She had platinum blonde hair worn in an elaborate up-do with braids wrapped around it and a few strands hanging loose. Her eyes were a vivid green, and she stood close to six feet tall. She had the required eyebrow loop, nose ring, and lip piercings that were popular among tattoo artists, as well as some pretty impressive ink: full sleeves, a collar, and some initials artfully scrolled behind her ear.

  "Before we even discuss your preferred needles and equipment I want to make sure I get something completely straight with you. Knowing Thomas Morgan got your name across my desk, but your portfolio and your obvious talent is what got you the apprenticeship offer. I liked the idea that you know how to be around celebrities without running your mouth to the media, but more than that I need artists that are reliable, responsible, and have talent coming out their ass. Am I clear on all this?" Lori looked down on her harshly, eyes narrowed and arms crossed, waiting for her to answer. She was like a drill sergeant querying a new recruit.

  "Yes, absolutely. I understand confidentiality, I understand professionalism, and I want nothing more than to be the absolute best at my craft," Maddie assured her new boss without blinking. And she meant every word. She would prove herself. After all, she'd been planning, drawing, and studying art most of her twenty-two years. Sketching and designing had been her escape whenever her mother got them into another calamitous situation or her next stepdaddy tried to get too close to her. Her art had been her way of escaping.

  * * * *

  By early evening Madison was ready to call it a day. Her head was so full of new names and procedures she had to give it a shake to clear her brain enough to enter her sister’s apartment building. To make things worse she’d managed to catch pictures of Link hanging out at a table filled with partiers. Guess he moved fast. The picture had been taken at Club Hell on Earth and posted in the City Advocate one of her clients had been reading.

  Madison thanked the doorman for calling the elevator and sending her up to her sister’s apartment. Now that she was back in New York, Isabel was calling her once a day to chat. She’d forgotten how much of a mother hen her sister could be. But today's call was a welcome one. Isabel had had an ultrasound appointment this morning and was excited to show off the first baby-looking pictures of her coming daughter. Izzy’s excitement and relief over a healthy ultrasound appointment was infectious. Of course Madison would stop by the apartment after work to look at them.

  Maddie had barely knocked on the door before Isabel waved her in and immediately set her up in the family room. She wanted to show her the DVD of the ultrasound on the big screen TV.

  "Well, there she is. Isn’t she beautiful? That's going to be your niece," Isabel gushed, wiping a tear from her eye.

  "My God, she is beautiful! She looks like a little baby and not a blob," Maddie said with some surprise. Then again this was the first ultrasound DVD she'd ever seen. But it was amazing how much like a little baby the eighteen-week-old fetus appeared. Although if Isabel hadn’t told her the baby’s sex she wasn’t sure she would have been able to discern girl versus boy in the moving black-and-white images flickering across the screen.

  "So, how excited is Thomas that he's going to have a little girl?" Maddie asked.

  "Oh, he was so sweet, he cried when he saw her on the ultrasound. We plan to tell Christopher over dinner tonight that he's going to be a big brother to a little sister. I can't wait to start shopping; there's going to be a pink explosion in this house. You have to shop with me.” Isabel paused for a needed breath. “Thomas had to go to a meeting at Canterbury Records, but we’ll call his mom and dad in Newcastle tonight. They’ll be so excited."

  Maddie and Isabel sat watching the ultrasound image with the labels that had been drawn on the screen for a few more minutes. The phone rang and Isabel hopped up as if to answer. She changed her direction and said, "Maddie, I got to pee, can you get the phone in case it's important?" Without waiting for her answer Isabel headed down the hallway toward the bathroom. Maddie quickly went into the kitchen to grab the closest phone extension and picked up the handset with a quick "Hello."

  "Hey Isabel, is that you?" a man's voice asked.

  "Ahh no, this is Madison, her sister. May I ask who’s calling?" Maddie responded. There was a pause at the other end of the phone.

  "Madison? Madison as in Madison from the Mission the other night?” the man hesitantly asked. His voice was now sounding incredibly familiar to a stunned Madison.

  "Yeah…um, is this Link?" Please let it be someone else, please let it be someone else. Visions of American Gothic flashed before her eyes.

  "Holy fuck. I'd worry about rotting in prison for statutory rape, but Tommy is going to kill me first. You are the Wee Moppet, and I'm a dead man. Fuck me and my fucking dick," Link answered before muttering a few more incoherent curse words.

  "Huh? What are you talking about? Who's a moppet? What’s this about jail?" Madison was quite confused.

  "You’re Isabel's baby sister, aren’t you?” He barely paused. “And you’re like seventeen. Tommy calls you the Wee Moppet. When he finds out what we did he's going to kill me and he should. I’d fucking kill me. Shit, shit, shit." Link carried on some more.

  "I think you’re confused.” Maddie laughed at his distress. “Look, I am Isabel's younger sister, but I'm twenty-two and I certainly made my own decision about what we did the other night. As for Isabel and Thomas, as far as I'm concerned neither of them ever needs to know anything happened between us, so relax."

  "Damn. Yeah. That may be best, under the circumstances. But, fuck, I mean damn. I actually…I was calling to try and get your phone number, thinking you were just a friend of Isabel’s. Like someone that she'd worked with or something. You know, you left in such a hurry last night, I…I dunno," Link said, at a loss for words.

  "Look, it was really great last night, but I'm not sure you calling me would be such a great idea. I really can't talk right now. I have to go. I’m supposed to be helping Izzy.” Maddie rushed her words out, not sure if she even meant them. The whole call had taken her off guard.

  “Well, wait, why don’t you get my number then, you know, in case you get time to call me later?” Link offered.

  “I’ve really got to go. Thanks for your interest but it’s probably not a good idea. So, bye now.” Maddie clicked the phone down with something between relief and sadness. She barely had a second to pull her thoughts together before Isabel returned and casually asked, "Was that anyone I need to call back?"

  "No, no, just a telemarketer. I got rid of them," Madison smoothly lied. "Hey, I’m really excited about having a niece. I can't wait, but I must go and meet up with Darling. She’ll want to hear about my first day, and you know how bad the midtown traffic can be."

  "All About Ink. Is that the name of the shop?” Maddie nodded in answer. “That's awesome. In fact Thomas and most of the guys have all gotten work from there. Lori is the best I hear. I actually want to get something tattooed in honor of the baby after she's born, but I want to surprise Thomas with it," Isabel responded with a dreamy look settling over her eyes.

  Great, now
she wondered if her apprenticeship at Lori G’s was really all on her own merit and how long it would be before some Becket members or their entourage bumped into her there.

  Maddie grabbed her bag and let herself out of the apartment. She'd talk to Darling and get her view on the whole thing. If nothing else Darling would probably laugh her ass off at the idea of her brother-in-law calling her a “Wee Moppet.” Oh well, what did she expect? Her brother-in-law was English with a Scottish grandmother and had some odd expressions.

  Chapter 19

  Madison

  The next few days flew by for Madison. She couldn't believe how busy she was at the tattoo shop. Lori ran a tight ship; everyone was expected to pull his or her own weight. That included flash design, troubleshooting jammed guns, and holding the nervous customer’s hand when needed. It was late May and things were extra busy. Lots of people came wanting to get new ink to flash in the warmer seasons.

  Madison appreciated being this busy. It meant she didn't have time to dwell on the way things transpired with Link.

  That night would always be both a special memory and a painful reminder for her. She knew enough not to try and let it be more than that. Link was a player with a capital P. And she knew to stay away from the type that attracted women like bees to honey. Hell, she’d seen enough tabloid gossip about him hanging out at places like Hell on Earth and the Empire Sin Club. Always surrounded by a bevy of women, groupies and celebrity stalkers Life with her mother had taught her to stay away from men that were too good looking, too smooth talking, and too much trouble. Eventually, Madison would find another guy like Robert, the man she'd broken up with before leaving London. He’d been older, stable, and divorced. He'd wanted to get more serious with her, and it had sent her running. But he was just the kind of guy she should be looking for. No drama, no groupies, and no way he could hurt her the way she saw her mother get hurt by men so many times before.

  Maddie was just finishing the last section of shading on her current client, a young private on leave. It was a large piece done in American traditional style that went around his ribs and onto his back. The work had a lot of elements of traditionalism: eagles, flags, and the names of some of his fallen comrades from Afghanistan listed at the bottom. It was a challenging piece both artistically and emotionally. The client would sometimes get choked up talking about portions of the tattoo as she was inking him. He told her the stories behind some of the names, and she found herself getting teary eyed over his losses. The size of the tattoo had meant he’d come in twice already for two-hour sessions, and this was his final appointment. She wiped the finished tattoo down and slathered some gel over the angry skin before covering it all with a thick bandage. She handed the private a care sheet of instructions and went over them verbatim to make sure he understood. Lori took the health and safety part of her business very seriously and wanted each client to know proper aftercare and what to do if anything started to look suspicious.

  She thanked him for trusting her to do such an involved and powerful tattoo.

  "No, thank you Madison. You’ve no idea how much this means to me. It's absolutely beautiful," the young private explained quietly. He then surprised her by wrapping her in a big hug and kissing the side of her head.

  It seemed to be an impulsive gesture, and it took her off guard. For perhaps the first time she understood how important body art could be to somebody; how it truly was more than just something inked. She broke free of the embrace as her boss came into the room. Madison froze in place seeing Link Jacks standing behind her new boss and scowling. The private slipped her his card and was forced to squeeze by Link, who stood with his arms crossed, practically blocking the door.

  Lori interrupted the awkward silence. "Madison, you might know Link Jacks through your brother-in-law. He's been having a dragon done over the last couple of months, and I'm thinking you're the perfect person to do some of the scale work. I’ve seen you do some mythological pieces where the coloring is almost luminescent. That would be perfect for this piece. I've done all the lines and a good chunk of the fill but think if you wrapped up the scales it would be American Tats Magazine worthy," Lori stated in her no-nonsense way.

  Crap, there's really no way to just say no, especially if Lori was thinking of putting the work on display. She had one more customer left for the day and was looking forward to a quiet night back at the apartment. She and Darling would probably just order pizza and watch a movie.

  Maddie's befuddled brain flashed back to the spiel Lori had given her about no drama, and she braced herself for whatever this could mean. I just need to keep my focus on the work.

  "Sure, as long as Link is comfortable with me doing the work. I’ve got one more customer tonight, but I'd be happy to make him an appointment," replied Madison.

  Link’s icy expression slipped. He smiled at her and gave her a little wink, suggesting her stall tactic wasn't going to work.

  "No need. I've switched your last appointment to someone else so that you could have time to work on this piece now," Lori smoothly added.

  So much for putting this off until a later day. Lori walked away, leaving Link and Madison alone. Great, this would be a nightmare after what had transpired between them last week. She was already anxious around him, and now she’d be spending hours touching his half-naked body. How did Monet ever paint those incredible nudes with such beauty just within reach?

  Madison busied herself getting out sterile gloves and new needles. She focused her head on how best to color in the scales that she recalled so clearly from running her hands up his chest and arms. His low voice startled her when he asked what to do.

  "Should I take my shirt off now and lie down, or just stand here feeling stupid?” Link questioned.

  "Sorry, go ahead and lie down, and you know, take off your clothes. I mean shirt," Maddie blurted out awkwardly. She finished assembling her things on the tray and turned around in time to see him pull his tight black shirt up over his head, exposing a broad, well-muscled chest that her fingers ached to touch. It was going to be torture to put needle to skin, to have her hands running over his washboard abs and strong arms, yet the full sensation would be blocked by the latex of her gloves. She studied the work already done on the tattoo. It was a masterpiece in the making. She’d never seen such a large, detailed mythological piece and couldn’t stop herself from tracing the line of the dragon's tail from the waistband of his jeans up and across his chest and over his shoulder to where it ended on his back. The dragon's head looked across his shoulders, its eyes done so realistically you felt like the beast was watching you. She could see the mix of colors and shading she’d need to complete the work. The artist in her was clamoring to get started, but the woman was afraid to keep touching him lest she lose her head again. She looked up from his skin to notice his eyes had been watching her with an expression of longing. His hand was clenched tightly against the arm of the chair, and she noticed the telltale bulge in his pants. Memories of him pulsing in her sent a wave of moisture to her core.

  She needed to put aside the tantalizing images flashing through her head. He was just a man who could only hurt her if she let him. Isabel had shared stories about Link’s escapades with women while on tour. It seemed everyone in the band but Link had settled down, so they all laughed at his adventures. Now that Madison had been one of his conquests, she hated every other woman who had ever looked at him, and she hated herself even more for feeling that way.

  "Okay, I’ll get started, but as you probably know, work around the ribs and other bony areas can get pretty painful, so let me know when you need a break. Any questions?" Maddie was proud of how calm her voice was despite the rolling pit of emotions swirling around her belly.

  “No questions. Baby, I'm ready for whatever you want to do to my body; bring it on," Link answered with a cocky smile.

  Damn him, he had to make this extra difficult. She'd made a mistake in what she did with him; she’d just been too curious a cat and she'd gotten her
heart involved. But there was no way she would put that tail out there again for him to play with. Maddie had seen what heartbreak did to her mother, and she knew better than to get involved with anyone who could do that kind of damage to her. Besides, if Isabel ever found out what she’d been up to with Link, she'd probably lecture her to death. And Thomas would probably kill Link; after all he had become quite the protective big brother to her after he and Isabel met.

  Madison needed to focus on the task at hand and stop ogling him like…well, like some kind of groupie. She prepped a gun and tested the foot pedal, and then dipped her color, steadied her hand, and pressed needle to skin. The gentle vibration of the gun hummed to her as she worked a lower portion of the design over his right ribcage. She peaked across his chest, noticed another tattoo under his heart, and jabbed the needle in too hard.

  "Fuck, Maddie!" Link exclaimed.

  "Whoops, sorry." Maddie unscrewed the gun’s needle cylinder, cursing herself for her clumsiness. She glanced again across his chest to the neatly scrolled script just under his heart that had caused her to so angrily work the gun. In beautiful calligraphy the words “Caroline Forever” were tattooed. In that moment she hated herself. She’d been a fool a thousand times over for ever crushing on a man like Link.

  "Must've been a defective needle. I’ll switch it out with a replacement and we’ll continue," Maddie responded, changing out her needle and hoping he'd fall for it. She worked quickly, trying to focus only on the shading at hand. He hummed a quiet tune as she worked, something that must be all his own since she couldn't place it. The melody was eerie and pretty at the same time.

  "So who's Caroline?" Maddie groaned inwardly at herself. Why are you asking? You don't really want to know. Link adjusted his left arm and used it to prop his head up a bit and tilted toward her.

  "Madison, are you wondering about my other lady loves? The girl who practically ran away from me the other night?” Link asked with a leer.