Axel
“ W e’re here.” stopped, and Phoebe nearly walked into the back of him.
“I don’t think this place is open. Are you sure she gave you the right address?” Phoebe frowned, looking up and down the cobbled street and its quaint, brightly coloured shops. He understood her confusion since they had walked past other, more welcoming studios after their pasta feast for lunch—he wanted her well-fed before her first tattoo, and the restaurant down the street from Claudia’s studio had the best lasagne in Amalfi.
“Claudia likes to keep her pop-up studios discreet,” pointed out. “She never stays in one place for long.” He stood by the painted black door. “You can find her studios by the all-seeing eye symbol drawn in gold pen along the doorframe.”
The small shopfront with blacked-out front windows and no name didn’t look all that inviting. It would be easy to pass the studio without even knowing what was inside, assuming it was abandoned and waiting to be rented out.
Sensing her nerves, took Phoebe’s hand, and knocked on the door.
She peered over her shoulder. “All the other shops have flowers by the door and brightly coloured awnings—a blacked-out shop is the opposite of discreet.”
“I like this woman; she says what’s on her mind.” A woman with a pink buzz cut, many piercings and a mischievous smile opened the door. Unique, striking with a hint of terrifying—from Phoebe’s wide eyes, she loved it. had known they would get along.
“Claudia, I didn’t expect you to be awake this early,” said, giving her a quick hug.
Despite the late hour of the afternoon, Claudia looked like she had just rolled out of bed. Another woman in a purple dress and blushed cheeks joined Claudia in the doorway and kissed her tattooed cheek. winked at Phoebe as the two women said a quick goodbye.
“I wasn’t, I haven’t been to bed yet.” Claudia watched the woman walk down the street with no shame. “I’m being terribly rude—you must be Phoebe. I’ve heard many things about you.”
“From the band?” Phoebe asked.
knew Claudia was trying to make him nervous. He didn’t want Phoebe to know how much he talked about her artwork.
“Who else? They’re among my favourite clients.” Claudia smiled, glancing at , who focused on the new artwork on Claudia’s wall. Phoebe stared at the many prints hanging over the old fireplace. This homage to so many artists must have been heaven to her.
“I thought you’d be best to do Phoebe’s first,” said, following them both into the studio, “since you’ve done all our tattoos.”
“Except for August, who refuses to let me anywhere near him.” Claudia pouted.
“Don’t take it personally. He hates being touched, let alone by needles,” Phoebe assured her, taking a seat on the pink chaise by a giant tank containing a multitude of exotic fish.
“Since we were in the area, I thought we would stop in and inconvenience you,” said, sitting on the stool by the tattoo bench.
“No inconvenience at all. How long have you been in Amalfi?” Claudia asked.
“Only a few days, we had some things to sort out,” Phoebe said. sensed she didn’t want to give away too much information since everything they did at the minute had a habit of turning up in the press.
“Well, I’m honoured to make your list. It can’t be that long since I’ve seen you—London? You got a snail on your ankle after the show?” Claudia’s bleached brows pulled together as she tried to recall. rolled his eyes, not all too fond of the memory.
“A snail?” Phoebe asked, glancing at his ankles, which were luckily covered by his socks. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen his tattoos when he was naked, but he preferred to keep her focus elsewhere in those moments. Even thinking about her by the pool yesterday made him want to jump into the ocean to cool down.
“Because he’s always the last one on stage,” Claudia answered for him, distracting him from his fond memories.
“It was a bet,” sighed, not elaborating.
“I got to fly first class, free champagne. I nearly messed up the fine lines.” Claudia walked through the open-plan studio to a small kitchen area and got some ice out of the freezer. She cleared her throat, and knew what she was about to say but wished she wouldn’t.
“I was sorry to hear about Cillian, poor idiot. You never know when your time’s up.” Claudia’s condolences came out with a puff of smoke from her vape.
“You missed the funeral. Nick said he called you.” had been surprised she didn’t attend, but she had sent a beautiful flower arrangement to the house.
“I had a show that couldn’t be moved, and I have to pay rent here and for the London studio, and with the divorce eating into my assets, I can’t turn away any job.”
“I thought you and Martha were amicable?” asked, trying to change the subject when he noticed how Phoebe shuffled uncomfortably at the mention of Cillian’s funeral.
“We were, until she decided to ask for my vinyl collection.”
chuckled as Claudia made them a round of iced teas.
“Anyhow, on to brighter topics. I hear you’re a virgin.” Claudia handed them their iced teas with slices of lemon.
“A tattoo virgin,” clarified, loving how Phoebe blushed and stammered through an incoherent response.
Phoebe glared at him. “Right.”
“A perfect canvas! And you’re an artist yourself. I’ve seen your stuff, but I was so sorry to see what that arsehole did to your studio. I can’t imagine dealing with that shit.” Claudia picked up her tablet.
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. 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 ’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.”
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 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,” 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.