Body Art by Garry Charles

BODY ART
     
    Garry
Charles
    Copyright Garry
Charles 2010
    Smashwords
Edition
    Published by
Garry Charles at Smashwords
    License
Notes
     
    Thank you for downloading this free ebook. You are welcome to
share it with your friends. This book may not be reproduced, copied
without consent from the author. If you enjoyed this book, please
return to Smashwords.com to discover other works by this
author.
    Thank you for your support.
    I would like to thank Jamie McFarlane for allowing me to use a
photo of his body for the cover and also Dan Rooke (Rookstar
Tattoo) for adorning that body with some amazing
artwork.
    Rookstar Tattoo can be found at 225a Hamilton Drive, Acomb,
York or call in for an appointment at 01904 331 372
    Please note that this story first appeared in the online
publication LSD Magazine.
    ***
    BODY ART
    Jeff Reardon
had only ever seen beauty like it once before in his life. The
first time she'd been flesh and blood. A face on the street. A
whiff of perfume on a passing breeze. None of the others could
match what she'd had…
    Never!
    Yes, she'd been
perfection for the briefest of times and Jeff had never thought he
would see her again. But now here she was, staring back at him from
the brick fascia of the warehouse.
    “ You all
right, boss?” Mark asked.
    “ Yeah,
fine.” Jeff had to rip his gaze away from the spray-painted face of
the goddess that towered from the floor to roof of the
structure.
    “ Looks
like you’ve seen a fucking ghost,” Mark joked.
    “ Nah…
don’t talk stupid,” Jeff replied, already walking away.
    “ You want
I give the guys the go ahead?” Mark yelled after him.
    “ Tell ‘em
to be here early in the morning,” Jeff shouted without looking
back. “I want this place levelled before the evening.”
    Jeff continued
walking, wanting to put distance between himself, Mark and the
graffiti adorned wall. His breathing was coming hard and fast by
the time he reached his car, sweat soaking his shirt so that it
clung to his torso uncomfortably.
    Jeff fell into
the driver’s seat and leaned back, pushing his head against the
seat as he attempted to get his breathing under control.
    It couldn’t be
her.
    It had to be a
coincidence.
    Jeff let
himself slump forward, bracing his forehead against the steering
wheel, a wave of nausea rolling up from his gut to his throat.
    Impossible.
    No one else
knew.
    Jeff had been
so careful, everything planned to ensure total secrecy. Not even
Jeff’s wife, Ruth, had suspected what he was doing. She was content
with their life, happy in the ignorant belief that all was
well.
    Pull yourself
together.
    Don’t lose it
now.
    Jeff slipped
the key into the ignition and turned it, the engine purring quietly
under the hood. He took another three deep breathes, turned on the
air conditioning and pushed the gear stick into first.
    By tomorrow
morning it would be gone and he’d never see her image again. Of
that he was sure. The wrecking crew would make sure of that. All
Jeff had to do was forget about her just like he had before. She
was gone and she wasn’t coming back.
    **
    Jeff wasn’t
sure but it may have been guilt that made him suggest a meal out
that night. He rung Ruth on his way home and told her to get ready,
her choice of restaurant. It had been months since they'd ventured
out anywhere and her excitement had been more than evident in her
voice as she’d told Jeff that she loved him.
    The evening
started out well with them making love before leaving, a tender
moment that left Ruth with a satisfied smile and made Jeff almost
believe that everything was fine between them.
    Almost.
    Ruth had chosen
the Italian restaurant they'd visited when they’d first met. It was
under new management but the interior was just as Jeff remembered
it and, if possible, the food was better. They ate and they drank,
talking about work and memories. The usual, pedestrian
conversations of a long term married couple.
    They
walked back to the tube arm in arm, Ruth’s