Chapter 6: Ink Inc - October

JOE REFLECTS ON THE EXPLORER'S RETURN

Jenny is back after her first week. She seems very happy and relaxed and - fulfilled. She was really keen to talk about her week. That surprised me, but I am glad that she feels she can. Actually, I am relieved that she feels she can share this with me. She was full of how much she learned and how the data was really what she hoped for and how well, what she had recorded this time corresponded to her own experience, last time. Her enthusiasm for the project was infectious - and she was really keen to make love when she got back, too! She'd barely got through the door before she had her arms around my neck and was leading me upstairs. I guess watching people in an erotic situation for a week gets your juices flowing, no matter how good an academic you are!

The down side is that the Inward Bound experiences seem to cast a very long shadow over us and that disturbs me. After all she's been through, I'd have thought she'd have had enough of them, apart from collecting the data for her research. I can't tell if it is the people there or the experiences which have become addictive.

She received an email this morning. Now she's thinking about nothing else again.

Apparently, she says, her tattoo isn't finished. I know she said that when she came back first of all but — jeez — there's hardly a part of her back that isn't covered with ink. Sure, it looks good — actually better than I thought was possible — and she's really proud of it — but more? Sometimes, I just wish she could get over the whole experience and the two of us could get back to normal.

Anyway she had this email from, what's his name? — Jonathan - saying it's time for some more work. I can't say I'm happy about it, especially since most of the places I've seen doing tattoos seem pretty sleazy. And, like I said, it just seems as though Inward Bound are trying to keep their hands on to her.

But one thing's for sure. If she's going down to see him, I'm going too.

A STUDY IN BLACK & SCARLET

Ink Inc is a surprise. It's the studio where Jonathan works; between Regent's Park and Camden Town. I'd expected a sort of shop, I suppose, maybe under a railway arch somewhere, pictures in the window of bare backs with blue red and black designs across them but this is as different from my expectations as it could possibly be.

I'm ready to tell Jenny that this isn't a good idea; that I'm not letting her go in. (I'm not sure what she'll say to that. I mean, she says she's a submissive but she still seems to have a mind of her own.)

The studio looks more like the offices of an advertising agency than a tattoo parlour. It's in a 1930's style building that wouldn't be out of place in an episode of "Poirot". The waiting room is clean and bright, lots of Art Deco style and a friendly receptionist who offers us tea while we wait - a bit like going to see a private doctor or dentist.

Jonathan appears after about fifteen minutes — we'd been early anyway, Jenny had been so keen to get there that she'd insisted on us leaving plenty of time spare at every step of the journey. Jonathan turns out to be Chinese, from London (as far as I can tell): very sparky and self assured.

"Hi," he says, "Jonathan Tan. You must be Joseph?"

Jenny looks surprised. I wonder why. It's only later that I find out she never knew his surname. He'd just been 'Jonathan'.

There's something very likeable about him. He seems to have a very open, pleasant personality that makes it easy to be comfortable with him. He's definitely not what I was expecting, when I think about how Jenny fell into his hands.

I tell him how much I like the work he's done on Jenny's back.

"Mmm," he says. "She is a good canvas."

Now that sounds a bit strange to me. As if she is an object rather than a person. But Jenny doesn't seem bothered. She just blushes and lowers her eyes. Somehow, I feel like I'm intruding.

Jonathan senses my discomfort. "Look, you're welcome to watch while I do this," he says. "It will take a bit of time, but you're welcome to come into the studio, really."

I'm about to say, "I'm coming in to look after Jenny, no matter how long it takes" when a stunning looking girl appears.

"Hi, Ros," Jonathan says. "This is Joseph and Jenny." Ros nods and grins, friendly. "Ros and I set this up together when we decided that we wanted to make our lives in London."

I'm a bit surprised. I assumed Jonathan wasn't in a relationship, for some reason

"Hi," she says. "I hope you like the studio." Her accent is American. She sounds a bit like a Californian girl I used to know. She's tall, taller than Jonathan, with pronounced Chinese features apart from her black hair which is really curly. Jenny doesn't say anything. Perhaps I stared too hard at her, trying to work her out.

"Well," I say, "it's not what I expected." Maybe I sound a bit sharp. I'm still not completely happy about the whole enterprise. No one says anything about Inward Bound but I'm wondering if Jonathan emailed on his own initiative?

"I guess I'd have to say that it's what our sort of clients look for." She turns to Jonathan. "I'm taking a break for a while," she says. "My next appointment isn't for another half hour. Are you starting with Jenny now?"

Jonathan nods.

Ros turns to me. "Well why don't you and I share a coffee. It's hard work waiting around in the studio while one of us is working."

All right. I know. One minute, I'm one hundred percent protective and consumed with worry on Jenny's behalf and the next moment, my tongue's hanging out thanks to a stunning looking woman who wants to take me away, to have coffee with me. I am going to have to confess to inconsistency — and to being a man!