Page 73 of Not Another Rockstar
“There’s no way someone would be able to do all that and remain unseen,” Lena said, looking unsure. “Unless the person who left the money worked for the company. They’d be able to get into the office and leave anything on someone’s desk with little notice. They’d be caught on camera, though, which would be one hell of a risk.
“If you want, I could try and bribe someone in security?” Lena offered, sounding rather excited. “Getting you what you need would only take a little grease. Find out once and for all whether he’s lying or not. I’d only need a copy of the footage from that week.”
Phoebe wasn’t sure. “Getting involved could get you in trouble, and LouderTech was an account you worked so hard to get. With Isaiah looking into things, he might not appreciate you messing with the investigation.”
“I could send Isaiah a copy of the footage, then I wouldn’t be withholding evidence,” Lena argued.
“I can’t ask you to do that,” Phoebe said, though she got the impression that even if she warned Lena off, she was still going to investigate.
“Don’t ask. Consider it done.” Lena was up and tapping on her phone. “I have to love you and leave you, because your paintings have arrived at the Reid Gallery for your show this weekend. This space is perfect for a smaller collection, and the gallerist is very excited to work with you. We are going to get everything organised today, and then if you want to stop by tomorrow, we can make sure you’re happy.”
“I can come by in the morning to help with the hanging arrangement, and I can grab one of the guys to help me bring over some boxes of prints and stickers for the front desk,” Phoebe offered.
“Last time, are you sure you want to go ahead with this? I can still cancel, and the gallerist would completely understand.”
“Olivier is going to help with security and only those invited or with a ticket can come in, so I think we’re safe enough,” Phoebe said. She wouldn’t let the trolls win. This was her dream, and she wasn’t going to see it go up in smoke.
“Okay, I just wanted to triple check. If you’re happy, so am I. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
After a quick hug, Lena was out the door. Phoebe wanted to run after her and tell her not to mess with LouderTech, but with all the foils in her hair, she couldn’t. She wished she had kept her big mouth shut, but also counted her blessings to have Lena on her team. She almost felt sorry for whoever was behind this—Lena could be merciless.
“Ready to rinse?” the hairdresser asked, standing behind her in the mirror with a cheery smile.
Phoebe never should have dyed her hair in the first place. No one could force her into a corner. If they wanted to come for her then let them.
“Ready.”
Phoebe took a deep breath, feeling as though she was readying herself for battle. The first step: no more hiding.
Arriving homewith her lavender hair restored, Phoebe left Axel’s favourite pecan and white chocolate cookies on his bedside table as a thank you for all his support. She chuckled as she heard him singing in the bathroom, as he struggled to recall the lyrics of the songs she had written.
Phoebe tiptoed to the en-suite door. She had never heard him sing before, not without the others. She opened the door a crack to hear him better. The door creaked; she winced, and he stopped.
“Care to join me?” he asked, unashamedly peering his head around the shower curtain.
She resisted temptation. “You can sing?” she asked, stepping into the bathroom and closing the door in case someone came down to the basement.
“And your hair is purple again!” he exclaimed.
“I decided I’m not going to hide anymore. It took a team to get the box dye out of my hair, but I feel like myself again.” She swished her hair from side to side.
“I love it.” Axel leaned out of the steamy shower and kissed her.
“No distracting me with those lips.” She backed away, leaning against the sink. “Why didn’t you put yourself forward for vocals? You never said a word when we discussed Nick taking over lead vocals.”
“Because I’m happy on drums, and I keep my solos for the shower. I don’t mind giving you a private show though.” He reached for her, but she dodged him.
“You’re going to get me all wet,” she groaned.
He stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist.
“I don’t care, come here.”
He followed her out into the bedroom. As tempting as he was, she didn’t want to have to wash her hair again.
“I care, and you’re soaking wet,” she said, trying to hide how much she loved that he was as obsessed with her as she was with him.
“Funny, it’s usually the other way round,” he said with a wink, as he backed her up against the bed.
