Page 73 of The Situation Ship
“Sorry, I had my headphones on full blast, and I didn’t want to let the paint set on the stones,” the woman said, pouring water from her bottle over the cobbles to wash away the remaining stain. Poppy stood the easel back up, and the woman placed her canvas on the stand.
“I’m so sorry. I smudged your landscape,” Poppy exclaimed, admiring the market scene. The only difference from reality was that the people had been turned into caricatures. Poppy was sure she recognised the style, but she couldn’t place the artist. “Please let me compensate you.”
“Please, don’t worry about it! I was just having some fun. Using oil paints is always a gamble,” the woman reassured her, handing Poppy the bags she had dropped.Poppy moved her purchases to one bag to use the other as a makeshift bin for the paint-covered paper towels.
“Especially when you’re mowed down by a stranger on the street,” she said, embarrassed that her fear had caused her to hurt another person. With everything back in place and the incident erased except for the smudge, she could focus on the artist properly. The lilac hair, the nose piercing, the art on the canvas she’d knocked to the floor – she pieced it together.
“Phoebe! Phoebe Fletcher,” she exclaimed.
Phoebe laughed. “I don’t think they heard you the next street over.”
“Sorry!” Poppy clamped her hands over her mouth. “I recognised your work, and then it hit me. I’m—”
“I didn’t know painting the cobblestones was on the agenda.”
Both women looked up to see Isaiah and a striking man carrying a tray of coffee. Poppy let out a sigh when she saw they were iced; the heat had started to make her skin prickle.
“You could have helped us instead of watching,” Phoebe said, flicking some paint from her hands onto the man, who wore a white T-shirt and had a spider tattoo on the side of his head.
“I only went to get coffee. How’d you manage to cause trouble in less than five minutes?” Isaiah asked, taking the makeshift bin and throwing it out. Poppy noticed how the man checked on Phoebe, and she smiled at him reassuringly. Definitely a couple.
“You were supposed to wait for me outside the boutique. This time, you were the one who wandered off,” Poppy argued, to the amusement of the other couple.
“I didn’t wander off,” Isaiah said, “I ran into Axel when I was in the queue outside the café. I didn’t think you’d be so quick. But I see you’ve already met Phoebe.”
“Axel?”
“I think we’ve met.” Axel offered her his hand. “Last year’s music video awards?”
Instantly, Poppy recalled that terrible night. She’d lost in her category, and the cameras had caught her aunt giving her a good scolding. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t placed Axel instantly; not many people had giant spider tattoos on the side of their head, or such exquisite cheekbones.
“Right! Brothers of Anarchy. You won…” Poppy couldn’t remember what, but she knew they’d won. It had been an emotional speech, because they’d lost their lead singer in an accident earlier that same year.
“Phoebe and Axel, this is Poppy.”
“Poppy Roe!” Phoebe said. “Sorry I didn’t recognise you, and I’ve covered us in paint. What a great first impression. Isaiah mentioned taking some time off, but we didn’t realise he’d snatched up such a gem.”
Poppy loved her spirit instantly.
“We wouldn’t be covered in paint if I hadn’t run into you,” she pointed out. “And I think I snatchedhimup. A mutual friend recommended him, and since he was already taking a holiday, I hired him to be my bodyguard for mine.” She suspected he didn’t want people to know about his secret investigation into her.
Isaiah locked eyes with her, and a silentthank youtold her she had made the right decision.
“Don’t worry, she’s always covered in paint,” Axel teased.
Phoebe looked like she wanted to argue, only to look down at her paint-covered overalls. “He has a point.”
“Are you staying close by? We’ve got a villa that we’re renovating, and you’re more than welcome to stay with us,” Phoebe said enthusiastically.“The place is a bit messy, but I’d love to have you.”
“That’s so kind of you, but we’re only making a pit stop. We have to be back on theMidasby midnight,” Poppy said, though she would’ve much preferred to stay.
Phoebe’s eyes widened. “TheMidas? I’m jealous; I’ve heard the gallery on board is out of this world.”
She wouldn’t be jealous if she knew about the ship’s current death toll.
“If you want to go, I can book it next year,” Axel said, like it was nothing. Poppy and Isaiah exchanged a look. They couldn’t exactly recommend it, considering the murderous voyage they’d had so far.
“Don’t you dare; I get so seasick! But it would be incredible to have my work featured there,” Phoebe said,her eyes brightening.
