Page 26 of One Day Like This (Excess All Areas 1)

“Welcome to the Belsfield Hotel, I love your music, Mr. Palmer.”

“Please, call me Matt.”

“Hotel policy, Mr. Palmer. One second, I’d just like to check on something ... yes ... I’m able to secure a complimentary upgrade for you and your guest to something much larger than the Classic Twin room. This is a suite with a stunning view over Lake Windermere.”

The suite was double the price of the room he’d booked, because Lord knows he’d looked. The idea of treating Izabel to a weekend of luxury had been front and centre in his mind. But when he’d seen the prices of the suites at nearly six hundred quid a night, his wallet had taken charge over his heart.

“Perfect. Thank you.”

“If you leave your bags, I can make sure they get brought up to you.”

He felt Izabel’s hand slip into the back pocket of his jeans and followed her gaze. Harry had just walked into the hotel with Sophia and was heading in their direction. He slid his hand around her shoulder and tugged her close as he accepted the keys. “That would be great. Which way is it to our suite?” he asked, loud enough for Harry to overhear.

Naomi gave them instructions, and he pressed a kiss to the top of Izabel’s head. “Come on, babe. A drink can wait. I’ve got plans for you.”

He turned around and deliberately body checked Harry who stumbled back two paces. The guy wasn’t much shorter than his own six-foot-three, but he lacked mass. “God, sorry, mate. Didn’t see you there.” He made a show of brushing down Harry’s rumpled suit jacket.

“Fuck off, Matt.”

Matt grinned. “Great to see you too, Harry. Sophia.”

He reached for Izabel’s hand. “Come on. Bed, then bar.”

Izabel waited until they were beyond the first flight of stairs before she started to laugh. “Matt,” she chastised, even though he could tell from her tone she didn’t mean it.

“What?”

“You don’t need to be so ...”

“So, what?”

Izabel gestured in the air. “You know. Macho.”

“Macho?”

“Yes, macho.”

“The eighties just called. They want their word back.”

“You know what I mean.”

“I do. And what kind of fake boyfriend would I be if I didn’t feel the need to get one over on your ex. He was a dick to you, Iz. Back thenandnow. The right thing to do would have been to leave Sophia at home. Not rub her under your nose at a wedding where everyone knows each other and is so tightly woven together. Plus, messing with him will give me something to do this weekend whenever you’re busy.”

Izabel sighed. “Fine. You’re right.”

Matt placed his finger under her chin so she could look up at him. “Iamright. Let me have a little fun with Harry. It’ll make up for not castrating the fucker when Luke punched him.”

Izabel glanced over her shoulder to check there was no one around them. “Okay.”

Matt nodded. “Good.”

Izabel wrapped her arms around his elbow. “We got a suite, huh? I guess it pays to know a rock star.”

“Not so much a rock star, Iz. I think you must have a certain level of success we haven’t achieved yet to claim that title. But yes, we scored an upgrade.”

“What do you think of yourself if not a rock star?”

Matt thought about the question as he scanned the direction signs on the wall. “Left,” he said, spotting their room. “I don’t know. Singer-songwriter, maybe? A musician. A guitar player.”

---