Page 66 of One Day Like This (Excess All Areas 1)

Luke nodded. “Alright. I’m gonna ask her. She shouldn’t have to miss out on this just because your brother was a dick.”

The excitement he’d felt at seeing Izabel was drowned by the cold water of Luke’s words. Mention of Jase and Izabel still made his stomach curdle, and the frustration in Luke’s voice, even after all this time had passed, made him think Luke wouldnevertake the news of their relationship well.

“Yeah. It would be a shame for her to not experience this.” Matt turned and looked back at the stage. “I still can’t believe we get to do this, to be honest.”

“You think this is going to last?”

Matt watched Alex and Jase talking to three girls backstage. His brother glanced in his direction and flipped him the bird, but the grin on his face reminded Matt of when their nan had given them a PlayStation for Christmas the year Matt turned thirteen. They’d played each other for ten hours straight, breaking for turkey and the Queen’s speech Nan had insisted on watching.

“I don’t know. I hope so. I know everyone is hoping for a big payday at the end of the month, but I think we should be cautious. Thought it might be good to hire someone to take over our social media. Hire a better producer. Invest to level up rather than pay out.”

“We need a band meeting then, to sort shit out, but I’m too pissed to talk business right now. Do you see the redhead I was talking to before the gig?”

“Talking to?” Matt laughed and shook his head. “Not since you removed your tongue from down her throat to go onstage.”

Luke grinned. “Hoping I’ll have something else down her throat later.”

Matt rolled his eyes. “For fuck’s sake. That’s too much info.”

“Says the guy who’s suddenly taken on the role of monk. What’s up with that?”

Well, Luke, I’m fucking your sister and her pussy is so tight and warm that the idea of fucking any of the groupies hanging around just pales into insignificance.

“I’m not a monk. Just not feeling banging some chick for the sake of it.”

“Wait. Forgot about that dinner thing I walked in on Monday. Looked damn domestic. Candle girl. Screamed high romance expectations. Who was she?”

“Just some girl,” he said. “Wanted to cook me dinner and I didn’t feel like saying no. Anyway, someone has to take care of all our shit while you guys shove your dicks into anything warm.”

Luke shrugged. “Not everything warm. I mean, I have standards.”

“Standards that seem to change with the more pints you’ve had.”

“Whatever. Oh, shit. There she is. Gotta go.”

“I’ll be in the bus.” Matt watched Luke as he jogged over to the woman who threw her arms around his neck. He was pretty sure Luke didn’t hear him or give a shit either way.

Once on board, he made his way to his bunk. The tour bus they’d hired was the most basic and most affordable on offer. Jase had been pissed off when he’d seen it, having envisioned they’d go from Luke’s van to something plush and luxurious. The bunks were narrow. There was no fancy bedroom at the back. And there was a toilet and sink but no shower, not that he’d ever want to take one while travelling down the motorway. You’d be one crash away from the world seeing your naked, soaped-up goods on the M6.

He climbed on his bunk, glad he’d made the decision to bring his own pillow from home, the one Izabel slept on when they’d been able to steal a moment or night in his bed. He tugged the privacy curtain shut before he pulled out his phone.

Izabel answered after the second ring. “How did you know I was thinking about you?”

“Cosmic all-knowingness. How was your day, sweetheart? And tell me why you were thinking about me.”

“I think I’m going to do it.”

“If it involves anything remotely sexual, I’m in.”

“Matt,” she teased. “Don’t say stuff like that when you’re too far away to do anything about it.”

“Hey, you want to get naked with me over video, I’m game.”

“Stop. I need to talk to you about something else.”

“What are you going to do, babe?”

“The gig. I researched all the venues in the city big enough for an event like this and fired off an email to all their booking people. I outright said it would need to be a donation. They are all going to say no, I know it. But at least I did it.”

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