Page 57 of Not Another Rockstar
Axel choked on his iced tea, interrupting her.
“You okay?” Claudia asked, patting him on the back.
“Swallowed the wrong way,” he lied, but he didn’t want Phoebe to think about all that had happened back home right now.
“I’m taking a break, and I can always redo what was ruined.” Phoebe brushed over the topic. Axel raised his eyebrows—she had left out her revenge plot.
“I like your style. Rise above it, it’ll be tomorrow’s news soon enough,” Claudia said, sitting down beside them.
It was a relief to think that all the hate being directed at Phoebe would soon be forgotten, but the thought that the world would move on just as fast from Cillian’s death, his loss to the band, left a pit in his stomach.
The thought of seeing his friend on one of those ‘Ten celebrities who died before their time’ lists made him wince.
“Sorry about her,” he said to Phoebe. “She has the subtlety of a hammer meeting a nail.”
Claudia frowned, like she didn’t understand what she had said wrong.
“Right, are you ready to get started? I got the sketches you sent me, and I think something like this should work?” She turned the tablet to show them the sketch of a blank canvas resting on a fine-line easel with florals and leaves wrapped around the wooden legs. Two tins sat at the base, leaking paint. “I know you said you liked Axel’s drumsticks in the email, so I wrapped the legs of the easel with some flowers, but if it’s too matchy-matchy, I can rework it.”
“Don’t you dare change a thing, it’s perfect.”
Axel turned to Phoebe, who was beaming from ear to ear. He was taken aback by how willing she was to have such a similar tattoo to his own. He didn’t care—if anything, it triggered a possessive streak in him he didn’t know he had. He was half tempted to tattoo ‘mine’ on her upper thigh and make it official, but this was subtle, like a secret between the two of them.
“It’s so delicate, I love it!” Phoebe zoomed in on the image with the biggest smile he’d seen on her since before that night in Munich.
“Where do you want it?” Claudia asked, printing out the stencil.
“My ribs,” Phoebe said, pointing to the same spot where Axel had his drumsticks. He tried to conceal his joy but failed miserably.
“It’s a bit more sensitive than places with more fat,” Claudia warned.
“I can take it.” Phoebe flexed her hand, and he hated how much pain her injury caused her. He wished he could take her pain away, or even share it so he could understand its weight.
“That’s what I like to hear.” Claudia interrupted his thoughts, preparing everything required on a silver tray. “This design is about the size of my palm, so it should be about three to four hours, given the fine details. We can take a break whenever you want.”
“She can hold my hand if it gets tough,” Axel offered as Phoebe removed her t-shirt to reveal a pink bikini top that made him want to forget about the tattoo and bring her home. Phoebe scrunched her nose at him, like she knew what he was thinking. He winked, and she shook her head.
Once the stencil was placed, and Phoebe finished squealing about how much she loved it, Claudia got to work while he watched anxiously from the side. Phoebe took the sit like a champion. It was only after the third hour that she took his hand.
“You’re all finished!”
Claudia added the second skin to protect the tattoo for the first couple of days. Axel helped Phoebe hop off the bed, and she hurried to the long mirror in the corner.
Thankfully, she didn’t seem fazed at all after her first sit. He had never cared so much about another person’s welfare before. He constantly wanted to check how she was, if she was in pain or in need of a hug. He wasn’t sure how long they would have before Anita caught on and tracked them down, so he wanted to make every minute count.
“I love it! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this,” Phoebe said, wrapping her arms around Claudia. Seeing her so happy made his day.
“My pleasure. It’s not often I get to do such delicate work, since these tough guys like their bold lines and darker themes.” Claudia nudged Axel.
“You have to let us treat you to dinner,” Axel offered, wanting to thank her for squeezing them in. She was always booked outyears in advance, and she had done this as a favour. He didn’t want her to think he was taking advantage of their friendship.
“Please join us?” Phoebe pleaded while Claudia tidied up her station.
“I would love to, but I’ve got a date. When I get home, we can all go out together. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Nick,” Claudia said, with a small smile that spoke of her not-so-secret crush. He’d known she’d bring up Nick; she always brought up Nick.
“I’m sure August and Nick would love to have you round to the house,” Axel said.
“How much do I owe you?” Phoebe asked, putting on her T-shirt.
