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Another thing that made for happy hotel guests was decent coffee in the morning. Unfortunately, one of two heavy-duty coffee machines in the breakfast kitchen had gone on strike. Since there wasno union to negotiate with and the earliest Matteo could drop by was lunchtime tomorrow, Adrian was fiddling with it himself.
“I’m tempted to make a ‘too hot to handle’ joke.” Perched on the counter, Eric was supervising to the tune of unhelpful commentary. “And I don’t mean the coffee.”
Over the last week, he’d taken to dropping lines like that—just cheesy enough to make Adrian smile, brief glimmers of distraction that brightened his mood a little. He assumed that was Eric’s intention.
Together with Martin and Kojo, they’d spread the work of treating the dry rot over several days, going room by room. It was a bitch of a job—clear the space, put on gloves, masks, and goggles, and then spray the mixture onto affected areas. Adrian had told the others that he didn’t expect them to help, it sure wasn’t part of their job descriptions. They’d threatened to gag him if he didn’t voluntarily shut his trap.‘And not in the fun way,’Martin had added. Because of course.
“Well,” Adrian told Eric now. “It’s all just down to applying the right kind of pressure, isn’t it?”
Eric hummed, heels bumping against the kitchen cabinet. “Yep. Better not be afraid to get your hands dirty.”
Adrian was about to reply when someone rang the bell on the reception desk, the sound only just travelling to where they were. It was a slow time of day—old guests out, new ones not in yet, and the rest on the slopes—so he’d left the reception unattended.
“Hold that thought,” Adrian said as he went to wash his hands.
To his surprise, Eric hopped down from the counter and followed Adrian out of the kitchen, trailing him through the breakfast area with its polished wood floors and sunflower-patterned wallpaper. It seemed to be several people that had taken over the reception area. A compact, broad-backed guy blocked the doorway along with Adrian’s ability to welcome the newcomers.
“Hi!” Adrian said loudly. “How can I help you?”
The broad-backed guy turned and gave Adrian a quick once-over before he nodded at Eric. “Hey there, lad. It’s been a while.”
Huh?
“Rajen.” Eric put one hand on Adrian’s shoulder and offered the other to—apparently—Rajen. “How’ve you been?”
“Eh. This one’s keeping me busy.” The statement came with Rajen pointing a thumb over his shoulder, the humour in his tone suggesting he didn’t truly mind.
“This one,” someone said easily, “is also paying you for the privilege.”
A shutter clicked just as Rajen stepped aside, Eric’s hand still warm on Adrian’s shoulder. And, uh. That... Thatwas...
“Max,” Eric said, nudging Adrian forward by a step. Softer, Eric added, “Lucas. Thank you both for coming.”
Max, right. As in Max Fina—the British guy. And ... the guy he was dating, presumably. Lucas?
Eric knew them?
‘I may know someone who knows someone.’
Adrian’s brain stuttered back into gear as a photographer circled around to capture the scene from a different angle, her full attention on Max and Lucas. They looked the part too—Max with his messy blond hair and a leather jacket lined with faux fur, a contrast to Lucas’s dark hair and blue eyes, clad in a well-fitting coat. He moved as though gravity was a friendly suggestion, and something about the way he grasped Eric’s hand, his smile oddly careful, put Adrian on instant alert.
“Eric.” Lucas’s voice was low and smooth. “It’s really good to see you.”
“You too,” Eric said. He sounded like he meant it, but Adrian was close enough to sense the tension radiating from him. While Max Fina hung back just slightly, eyes sharp and observant, Lucas turned a blinding smile on Adrian.
“And you’re Adrian? Eric said great things about you.”
Funny—he didn’t mention you at all.
Okay, stop. Adrian was meant to be charming, wasn’t he? He loosened his shoulders and reached for a smile that matched Lucas’s inbrightness. “Lies and exaggerations, most likely. But nice to meet you, Lucas.” He turned his attention to Max. “Both of you.”
Max’s watchful stance eased slightly. “It’s the least we could do. We kind of owed Eric a favour, and he said your hotel’s in a bit of a rough spot. Neat place, by the way. Amazing location and history.”
A favour? Adrian didn’t ask.
“Thank you,” he said instead, and something about Max’s quick, assessing glance suggested he was familiar with what Adrian looked like naked. Had Eric told him, or did Max Fina indulge in internet escapades? If it was the latter, well, the boss would have been tickled to know they’d attracted the attention of someone this rich and famous.
“Our pleasure,” Lucas jumped in. His focus slid from Adrian back to Eric. “So, how do you want to do this? I guess outside would be more recognisable. Is there a hotel sign? I forgot to check when we came in.”
