Chapter Nineteen
May 1st 11:00 P.M. EDT
“Your tattoo is badass, Kat.”
“Thanks Tony! Not as badass as yours is gonna be when it’s finished, but I do love it.”
“Alex, you and your work are awesome. Thanks for taking me so late in the day. I really appreciate it.”
“Anything for a friend of Bre’s. I’m just glad you’re happy with it.”
“I’m beyond happy with it. You’re really talented, Alex. I haven’t ever seen tattoos quite like the ones you do. They have a very unique lifelike quality. They’re almost…three dimensional, and so beautiful. I keep expecting Tony’s dragon to start moving on its own. I can’t wait to see it when it’s finished.”
“Thanks for the compliment, Kat. It means a lot coming from another artist.”
“Another artist? Bre drew it, not me.”
“You’re right, Bre is really talented, but I was speaking of you. Just because I’m a tattoo artist doesn’t mean I’m totally uncultured,” he says grinning slyly. “I’ve actually been to the ballet before, although I admit, I was dragged there by a now ex-girlfriend. I’ve seen you dance. I know who you are, Katrina Jameson.”
Choking on the sip of bottled water she is in the middle of drinking, Katrina looks up at Alex in disbelief. And I thought I did such a great job of disappearing.
“The only thing I’m wondering is why a famous ballerina would mark her body with a tattoo. Isn’t there some kind of rule against that or something?”
“Maybe…but it doesn’t really matter, because I don’t dance anymore. I’ve decided to stop living my life for other people and instead I’m doing what I want to for the first time in my life.”
“Good for you, Kat. My motto’s live for today, because you may not be here tomorrow.”
“So Tony, since when do you rip off your shirt to show someone half-done ink? That’s not like you. You usually won’t let anyone see your tats until they’re complete.”
Tony just shrugs and grins while Kat clears her throat, turning an embarrassing shade of red.
A few hours after returning to base and having his wounds treated, Gage boards the Boeing C135-C transport for the long return trip home to the states. Before the plane takes off, he grabs his laptop from his gear, boots it up, logs in, and checks his overseas bank account for the second wire transfer. The balance due, now that the job is complete. The money is there, just as he expected it to be. This particular target came with an eight-figure payday, and obviously someone is happy because there’s an unexpected six-figure bonus sitting in the account as well.
Smiling, he shuts off the computer, stows it away, buckles himself in, closes his eyes and dozes off as the plane becomes airborne.
11:30 P.M. EDT
Kat unlocks the front door and flips on the flat screen while walking to the kitchen. “Thanks for bringing me by the house so I can get Max out and fed, Tony.”
“No problem. We can pick up your car later, if you want.”
“Sounds good. It’s too bad Bre had to cut out early to go to class. She didn’t even get to see the finished product.”
“You can show her later.”
“Thanks for staying with me while I was having it done. I really appreciate you hanging out. It actually took longer than I expected, but it was well worth it. Alex does really great work and it came out better than I could have imagined. I feel like I’m wearing an expensive piece of art.”
“You’re right. Alex is the best in the biz. People wait for months to get in to see him. He’s always booked really far in advance.”
“Wow, then how was I able to get in tonight?”
“He took you after hours. I think he has a thing for Bre. He doesn’t do that for just anyone.”
“Does Bre know? I mean, Alex is gorgeous. What is she waiting for?”
“You know Bre, she’s so into school and art right now I don’t think she’s picking up on the signals. Enough about Bre. It’s too weird talking about my sister’s love life or lack thereof.”
Standing in front of the full length mirror, Kat pulls up the front of her shirt, unbuttons the top of her low rise jeans and slides the zipper part way down, exposing her entire lower abdominal area where the new tattoo is located just left of her hip bone. “So what do you think? Do you really like it? I can’t stop looking at it,” she asks while turning to face Tony,
“Yeah I really like it, but it’s not the tattoo I can’t stop looking at, it’s you! It was torture being in that room with you at Savage Ink, watching Alex with his hands all over you. I wanted it to be my hands on you, sliding down the front of your jeans, caressing you all over.”
“Really, I had no idea it was so difficult for you to watch me having my tattoo done.”
“Yes you did. I could tell each time I caught you looking over at me that you knew exactly what it was doing to me and you seemed to be enjoying it a little too much.”
Grinning Kat confesses, “Alright, I knew. And after last night, I was a little bit glad it seemed to be driving you crazy. Look Tony, I get it. I don’t want you to get hurt and I can’t promise you anything more than casual, and that’s because I don’t know what I want out of life, yet. I don’t want anything to ever ruin our friendship either, so if having a casual relationship with me is too much for you to handle, tell me now and I won’t go there again. But, I’m just so sick of being the good girl; the responsible one who always weighs her options and looks for the consequences around every corner. I know I’m being reckless right now, but I want to be. I’m tired of thinking all the time. All I know is that right here, right now, no matter what that tarot reading says, in this moment, I want you, and if you’re feeling the same way, please let me know.” Fidgeting, she looks down at the floor.
Moving swiftly, Tony closes the distance between them, places her face in his hands and greedily takes her mouth and tongue with his. Releasing a moan from her lips, she instantly becomes wet, feeling his erection straining against her. Not allowing time for either of them to change their mind, he lifts her into his arms, climbing the steps to her bedroom two by two, all while whispering in her ear, “Yes, I want you too, and I can handle whatever happens next.”
11:34 P.M. EDT
Breaking News…The President is to address the Nation from the East Room of the White House in just a few minutes on what we are told is an urgent matter of national security.
11:35 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who’s responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children…