Fear: The Aphrodisiac

Ken paid for the outfit; I never had a chance to reach for my wallet. The sales guy escorted us to the door. Before we walked out, I traced his cheek with one fingernail. He shivered; whether it was desire or something else, I didn’t stay long enough to find out. We got back into the truck and pulled out of the parking lot.

“Are we going home yet? I didn’t take anything out for dinner; I figured we could eat out or something,” I said as we pulled out into traffic.

“Not yet…we can eat something when we are done. What do you know about a goddess named Ishtar?” he asked as he changed lanes.

“Well, I know she is from the Sumerian culture. Umm…she was also known as Inanna and I think she was the goddess of fertility. Uh…she was pretty popular in Egypt as well.”

“Actually, she was the goddess of sexuality, fertility, the harvest, and war. Some texts even have her depicted as the Whore of Babylon. It’s also said she rules the menstrual and ovarian cycles.”

I snickered, “A goddess of war ruling over periods? And here, I always thought that men were the cause of PMS.”

“Well, at least it’s better than: Why do they call it PMS? Because Mad Cow Disease was taken. Anywho, as I was reading about Ishtar, I kept thinking you are exactly like her; especially the war part.”

“What does this have to do with what we are doing right this second?” I demanded.

“Well, what if you’re the Goddess Ishtar incarnate?” he asked, sneaking a quick peek at my profile. “I think that there is some similarity…”

“Oh shut up! There is no way that I could possibly be a re-incarnated goddess! Your brain is fried from all the sex and nnougnough sleep. Where the hell are we going????”

He pulled into a parking lot. He stopped the truck in front of a tattoo place. He turned the engine off and turned sideways to look at me. He reached for my hands and held them loosely. “Please…hear me out. There is something about our relationship that touched a part of me…deep in my soul. I feel like we have shared several lifetimes together. I believe in reincarnation and all the stuff about past lives.”

My eyes opened wide as I stared back at him. “Past lives? You’re touched all right…touched in the head.”

“Look, humor the crazy bi-guy. Look at this pattern that I want you to have done on your skin. This tattoo guy is the best in the city…plus, he’s a good friend of mine. He believes in past lives and re-incarnation. They say he’s sensitive to cosmological vibrations.”

“Greatl hal have my palms read and a tattoo done all at one place. Fine, I’ll get the tattoo. I was thinking about having one done anyway; I just had trouble trying to decide on the design.” I opened my door and got out of the truck. Ken quickly got out f the truck and went to hold the door open for me. We stepped inside and looked around.

The walls were covered with all kinds of drawings: unicorns, dragons, spiders and other creatures. There were tribal tattoo patterns and Celtic designs as well. The shop was clean and there was a sharp smell of disinfectant. Well, it looked like a clean place and I figured that I would still have my tattoo done; even if the guy seemed like a nut job about reincarnation. Ken called out, “Jules…it’s me! We’re here!” A slender man came from behind a beaded curtain. He reached for my hand and held it.

“Hi…I’m Jules. I have been wanting to meet you for a long time. Ken has told me a lot about you.” I stared at Jules. He wore a leather vest without a shirt. His jeans hung low on his slender hips an was was wearing flip-flops. I had expected him to be his best customer but he only had one tattoo. It was a pair of entwined dragons: one crimson and gold and the other one was sapphire and green. They were locked together in a position that could only mean mating…kinda cool actually. His shoulder length, gray hair was pulled back into a neat braid. I could smell sandalwood and I felt a measure of comfort. He turned my left hand over and stared at it.

“You were right, Ken. She bears the markings of a reincarnated soul,” he said aloud as he traced the lines on my palms. I felt my palm curl as he dragged his fingernail from the bottom of my middle finger to the top of my wrist. “Can you please bare your right shoulder for me?”

“Whoa…time out. You mind telling me why I have to strip for you? We just met and I hardly know you from Joe Blow off the street.” I said as I pulled my hand free and backed into Ken. He put his hands on my shoulders and whispered softly, “Hon, Jules just wants to see your birthmark. I told him about it.”

I turned and glared at Ken; “You did what?”

Jules spoke up, “Ken told me that you bear a crescent moon birthmark on your right shoulder. I need to see the way it is positioned before I begin.” He pulled a piece of paper out of his vest pocket. The drawing was simple: a bow crossed by a quiver of arrows and a sword upright betweeem. em. But, there was something wrong about the design; I wasn’t sure how I knew, I just did.

“Shouldn’t the tip of the sword be pointing up? And, the sheaf of wheat is missing.” I spoke softly as I handed the drawing back to Jules. Ken gasped as Jules took the drawing from my hand. “How did she know you drew it wrong?” Ken asked.

“As the Goddess incarnate, she would recognize her own symbol. If what I’m feeling is correct, the sheaf of wheat will be under the moon crescent. The crescent itself will beitioitioned to give the impression of cupping.” Jules slowly turned me around and carefully bared my right shoulder. He positioned me so that I was standing between two mirrors: one in front and one in back. I was able to see my shoulder and watched as Jules traced my birthmark with his finger. It was just like he said: cupped moon crescent with a sheaf of wheat underneath. “Now, I will trace the outlines of your birthmark and complete the design, as I have drawn, with the tip oe swe sword pointing up.”

I shook my head and pulled my shirt back into place. I slowly moved away from the mirrors and tried to find someplace to sit. There were no chairs, so I slid to the floor. I covered my face with my hands. “How do you know this?” I said, my voice muffled by my hands. Ken slid down next to me and took me in his arms.

“Honey, if you don’t want to do this, we can stop. I didn’t realize how you would have reacted and I’m sorry. I just carried away with the whole ‘gos’ ts’ thing but I did feel something like recognition,” he whispered softly into my hair.

Jules reached down and pulled me to my feet. “You bear the mark of Ishtar but you are still you. Certain personality traits associated with the Goddess will show in you but the soul you possess was meant for you to grow and nurture. Come…let’s get started.”

He led us behind the beaded curtain to his work area. He handed me a towel and instructed me to remove my shirt and bra. After doing what I was told, Jules led me to a chair kinda like the ones massage therapists used. I leaned into the chair and rested my face on the back. He cleaned the area with alcohol and iodine solution. I felt as he took a felt tip pen and started to draw on my skin. He turned on some soft music and started to work on my shoulder.

After a few hours of intense p the the tattoo was done. My birthmark was outlined and the rest of the design was completed. Jules told Ken what needed to be done for the next couple of days while the skin healed from the needles. We paid and left the store. I promised to come by and see Jules often. We got back into the truck and left the parking lot. “Are you still hungry, babe?” Ken asked. I nodded.

“Let’s get some Chinese take-out and go home. I’m beat and I want you to show me everything you have on the Goddess Ishtar.”
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Lady Fluffy-I\'m glad you enjoyed yourself and the story. Be careful with the copy tho...you wouldn\'t want a papercut!!

For those of you following this story, bear with me. It picks up and then some. Col will be punished because the Goddess isn\'t very pleased with him at the moment.

The history of Ishtar is true...I did do my research. The mark of Ishtar is my own creation.

LUVS TO ALL!!!!