Chapter 11 - Tattoo
Even after an hour or two of not drinking any alcohol, three bottles of water, and a long shower, I still felt somewhat buzzed. I could practically feel Kala's body pulling on me like a magnet, but I didn't budge. I remembered feeling that pull before, but I didn't resist it that time. I stood in the dim illumination of the Christmas lights, and admired the glow on Kala's dusky skin.
My heart was incessant, and the warmth I felt started focussing itself in uncomfortable parts of my body. I silently begged Kala not to do this. It would be so hard to say no to her. I couldn't even remember why I should want to.
"Relax," she said with a little laugh. "You look like a frightened kitten! I think we're both mature enough to share a bed without anything happening."
"You don't want anything to happen?" I wondered how I misread her so badly. Kala gave me a smile that seemed to have some regret in it.
"Well, I did, until I realized I wasn't the girl on your mind all night."
I made my way over to her bed and slowly got under the covers. I mimicked her posture, propped up on an elbow.
"What do you mean?"
"You don't remember sitting in the sun room, do you?"
"Yes, sort of. The greenhouse looking room? You left Tara and me there for a little while."
"That's right. When I came back, you were holding your glass of scotch up to the light telling a passed out Tara that it was the same color as some Kelly girl's eyes, and how pretty she was, and how you wanted to ask her out."
I flopped my head down on the pillow and covered my face with my hands. I felt Kala run a finger through my hair, and I uncovered my face to look at her.
"I'm sorry, Kala. She shouldn't even be on my mind, especially not when I'm with a girl like you."
"You can't control your heart, Analee. So, why aren't you with this girl? Is she the mistake you made?"
I realized that she actually knew Kelly from coaching, but I thought it best if she didn't know that.
"Yes. We just made out, so it wasn't, like, a huge mistake. She's friends with someone close to me, and it was just...a mistake."
"Did she think it was a mistake?"
"No. She wants us to start seeing each other."
"Does the friend you're close to think it was a mistake?"
"No," I laughed. "She thinks Kelly and I would be perfect for each other."
"So, why do you think it was a mistake?"
I tried to remember. I was so tired. Trying to think was like riding a bike through sand. Oh, right! "Because if it didn't work out, it might make things hard for my...our mutual friend and Kelly to stay friends."
"And yet, they're both willing to take that chance?"
"Umm...I guess, yeah. They are." Kala waited patiently for me while I tried out excuses one by one inside my head, failing to make each one work. "Am I being stupid?"
Kala laughed softly and started playing with my hair again.
"That's not for me to decide. I'm actually kind of glad we hit the pause button, though. I could see myself latching on to you as a way to forget about my ex once and for all. That wouldn't have been fair to either one of us."
We lay there quietly for a little while. Kala kept running her fingers through my hair, relaxing me.
"Kala?" I finally broke the silence.
"Yes?"
"I hope we get along this well when we're sober. I think you'd be an amazing friend."
"Me too," she smiled.
"Kala?"
"Yes?"
"I have to warn you, if we're going to sleep in the same bed, you should know that I'm a very aggressive cuddler."
Kala treated me to one last snorting laugh. She covered her mouth quickly.
"I'll be prepared to defend myself," she said.
"Hey, Kala?"
"Yes?" she sighed, as if she was losing patience, but her smile let me know she was enjoying this sleepy conversation.
"Can I see your tattoo again? I want to hear about it."
She got a mischievous look in her eyes and reached below the blankets. I went wide-eyed and my heart jumped when I realized she was removing her bottoms. She tossed them over the side of the bed, then removed her top, all while keeping her breasts hidden under the blanket. She reached across me and pulled the blankets towards her, snaking her right leg out from underneath, then tucked the covers between her legs so that her left leg and groin area were still covered, but her whole right side was exposed, her leg on top of the blanket. She held the blanket to her chest, then rolled onto her left side while sweeping her hair above her head to expose the rest of her tattoo. I could see her entire back from head to toe.
She began by explaining the process her ex-girlfriend had used to do the tattoo, then went on to explain the symbolism of the elements like wind and water, the various animals and flowers, the geometric patterns. They told the story of Kala through her former lover's eyes. After I got over the fact that I was staring at her naked body, I could appreciate how beautiful that was. I found myself touching parts as she would describe them to me, imagining her partner marking her forever with images of power, of life and death, of histories, virtues, family, and love. My fingers traced the swirls, points, and frozen life forms down her back, across her right buttock, and around her thigh. The artistry of the tattoo and the art that was Kala's body merged to become a single, awe-inspiring piece. The whole situation felt very intimate, but not in a titillating way.
By the time she finished, I was near tears.
"Kala, that's so beautiful. It's like having a poem written about you by someone who loves you, letting you see yourself like they see you, and then spending hour upon hour making it a permanent part of you, so you can never lose it, never forget how special, how awe-inspiring, someone thinks you are."
Rambling in my sleepy, tipsy state, I didn't even know if I was making any sense. I surely wasn't expressing myself well. My finger kept skimming the parts of her tattoo that most fascinated me.
Kala had fallen silent, and I thought she was asleep. I was going to try to cover her up, when I heard a soft sniffle.
"Oh Kala! I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking. I-" She cut me off by reaching up and pulling my head towards hers, pressing my cheek to hers in a sort of hug.
"It's okay. It's true."
We readjusted the covers and I wrapped my arm around her, hugging her to me.
* * *
When I woke up, it was full daylight. It looked like it might be early afternoon. I had that disorienting experience one gets when they wake up in a new place for the first time, but I was so comfortable, I didn't freak out. My face was pressed up against the back of Kala's head, and I could smell her hair. My right arm was around her, going across her chest, and my hand was holding her left forearm. Her right hand was on top of mine, and my right leg was tangled between Kala's long legs. Her bottom pressed into me.
I felt pretty good, despite the late night and alcohol, probably because Kala had cut Tara and me off and forced us to drink quite a bit of water. I lay there thinking about the night before, letting memories resurface at their own pace as I enjoyed the feeling of cuddling with Kala. The library, helping Tara get dressed after the hot tub, singing, my conversation with Kala afterwords about Kelly, and having Kala tell me about her tattoo.
That's when I remembered that Kala was naked.
I started desperately trying to think about how I could disengage from her without waking her. She must have sensed me tense up, because she started to stir just then. To make matters worse, I heard the toilet flush and the bathroom door open. Tara emerged, and a huge grin erupted on her face when she saw we were waking.
She threw her arms wide as if she were ending a performance and sang, "You're welcome!" at the top of her lungs.
Kala looked at Tara, then looked at me as I slowly untangled myself from her. She closed her eyes and smiled.
"Boy, you know how to flatter a girl. You look horrified!"
I laughed and covered my face to try and hide the fact that I was blushing.
"You weren't kidding about being aggressive," Kala continued. "I think I have bruises."
Tara's mouth fell open and her eyes nearly jumped out of her skull at that. She stared at me wordlessly. Kala sat up and stretched, letting the covers fall, exposing her upper half. She showed no embarrassment, but instead simply swung her legs off the bed, stood up, and walked to the bathroom.
"Morning Tara," Kala said as she passed her gaping friend, giving her a swat on the bum. She went into the bathroom and shut the door.
Tara jumped on the bed next to me.
"Oh. MY. GOD!" she exclaimed, escalating her volume with each word. "Spill!"
"There's nothing to spill." She gave me a look. "Honest! Nothing happened. Just some good old fashioned cuddling. I've gone as far with Kala as I have with you."
She looked so disappointed. "Oh Ani. Well, are you at least going to start dating or something?" She motioned to the bathroom door. "I mean, you got a sneak peek. How can you not want that? Besides, I saw the way you two had fun last night. You just have to be a couple! Right?"
"I don't think so, but it's still a great thing. I feel like you introduced me to a long-lost sister. It's like I fell in love, but not the romantic kind."
"Ugh! High school girls!" Tara whined, getting off the bed and stomping back downstairs.
The cook Kala's uncle had hired and a cleaning crew were active before we finally emerged. We ate like pigs, seeing as how it was already two in the afternoon and we had missed breakfast. Tara kept eyeing us as we ate, looking for any romantic indications, but kept getting disappointed. I meant what I said. Kala felt like she had become my new best friend in less than twenty-four hours.
All three of us held hands, with me in the middle like a little kid, as we walked to the vehicle lot. I gave Tara a massive hug before she got in her car.
"Thank you so much for thinking of me when you met Kala," I said in her ear. She huffed, but didn't say anything else. I pulled away just enough to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Keep in touch. It's not as much fun here when you aren't around."
"Of course not," she said.
After she drove away, I gave Kala an enormous hug.
"You gonna go after this Kelly chick?" she asked.
"I'm definitely thinking about it. I guess I'll just try talking to her and see how it goes. If sparks are still there, maybe I'll try fanning the flames."
"I can't wait to meet her."
"I'm sorry I brought up...that I made you cry last night. Are you okay?"
"Yes. You were right. Puanani will always be a part of me, just like her artwork." Kala absently stroked her right upper arm with her left hand as she spoke. "In fact, I was thinking about calling her."
"Really?"
"After you said what you did about her, it made me think about how strong our bond used to be. I've been away for almost a year, and have at least another year to go. I don't think either one of us had realistic expectations of what that time apart would do to us. Maybe...I mean, if she still has feelings for me, maybe we could talk about what could happen a year from now. Maybe we just weren't ready for the strain of being apart. Maybe...I don't know."
I smiled at my friend. "Let me know how it goes, okay? You deserve someone who thinks you're this special." I ran my thumb across the tattoo on her shoulder.
She smiled at me like she knew something I didn't, and pulled me into another hug before swatting my butt and saying, "Get out of here and talk to your girl, would you?"
I hated to say goodbye, but it was time to get back to my life.