Page 70 of One Day Like This (Excess All Areas 1)

“Or maybe they’ll all be opened by generous people who want to do the right thing.”

Izabel rolled onto her side and fiddled with her necklace. “I hope so. I don’t want this to be a flop before I even started.”

Matt tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re not this project. If it flops, it’s not a reflection on you as a person. It’s just a project that couldn’t get off the ground. But I think it’s going to take off. And we can definitely help anchor the project because of all of this.” He gestured around the room. “There are really positive signs of this success sticking for us.”

Izabel threw her arms around his neck. “I’m so happy for you. I know how much you doubted it.”

“Thanks. It still feels too good to be true. Sales are steadily increasing. And social media engagement has skyrocketed beyond anything we can keep up with.”

Izabel grinned. “This is such a good day, Matt. I’m glad I get to share it with you.”

Matt glanced at his watch. “As much as I’m glad you’re here to spend it with me, I think we should probably get you dressed and down into the lobby where you can message Luke and tell him you’re here.”

She burrowed closer against him. “Do I have to?”

Matt rubbed his hand along her back. “If you don’t want Luke, or Jase, to walk out on the tour before your gig, or before we all get paid, we’re going to have to.”

She bit back the urge to complain, climbed off the bed, and went to the bathroom to clean up.

When she came back out, Matt had tugged on a T-shirt and trainers, and she began to pull her clothes back on.

“I can’t wait to play for you tonight,” he said, before quickly grabbing a Sharpie on the desk. Without missing a beat, he signed the rise of her breast with his name. “You’re the only girl I’ve ever wanted to do that for.”

Izabel grinned. “That shouldn’t be sexy, yet ...”

“You’d better cover that up with underwear really quick,” Matt said. “Or we might have to squeeze in a quickie.”

She shimmied her jeans up over her butt while Matt grabbed her blouse from the floor and straightened it out. When she was ready, he placed it over her head, helping her slip her arms into the sleeves before smoothing it down over her torso.

“If I’m a bit distant around you later, you know it’s only to avoid suspicion, right?”

Izabel bit back her disappointment. “I know. It just would be ... I don’t know. Pretty damn awesome to stand at the side of the stage as your girlfriend instead of Luke’s sister.”

Matt placed his hands on her shoulders. “It’s going to be hard to keep my distance.”

“Yeah.”

It was going to be impossible.

* * *

The backstage area of the gig was chaotic. Large black boxes on wheels, cables, people in every type of dress from suits to ripped-up T-shirts and microskirts. A roaring noise came from the arena as impatient fans waited for the band to hit the stage.

She straightened her slouchy off-the-shoulder dress and boots, biting back a smile at Matt’s reaction to her outfit earlier. The text message that followed had been explicit.

I’m going to fuck you in those boots.

She couldn’t wait.

But in the minutes since then, he’d withdrawn from her. He’d downed a pint. Then another. He’d taken to pacing, a steady back and forth, until Ben had said something to him and the two of them had disappeared.

“Are you working on Monday before we play with Stryker in Manchester?” Luke asked her as he got ready to head onstage.

“Yeah. I’m supposed to be at the shelter to work on the fundraiser. I need to start approaching bands with the idea of the concert, with a follow-up when the date is confirmed. And there’s the invite list. I’ve started a list of wealthy donors, celebrities, and footballers in Manchester. I’m hopeful we get a venue big enough so we could also do some general admission tickets and—”

“It’s just I’m all out of clean stuff, so I wondered if you could do some laundry for me, and then if I give you some cash, could you do a shop?”

Urgh. She didn’t have time.

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