Page 23 of Spades

He snags the seat opposite of me, taking another sip of his drink. “Anyway, Rouge is the granddaughter of the original owner, Ruskin Montrose. She took over around fifteen years ago when her father, Robinson Montrose, died. She really revamped the place. It always had the playing-card theming, but she took it to the next level, hired all new staff. She even brought her sister, Bianca, from Broadway to be the singer.”

I look over toward the Hearts section, where the beautiful blonde singer is still crooning away. “The singer is the sister of the owner?”

Maddox shrugs. “Guess it helps to be well connected.”

I clear my throat. “So…the haberdashery.”

He leans in. “Yes, to answer your question… I’ve always loved men’s fashion. Ever since I first got my hands on a copy ofGQ.I thought about designing, but I’m about as creative as a box of rocks. So selling was the logical choice. I got the haberdashery in my name and, with the help of a bunch of small business loans, managed to get it up and running.”

I press my lips together. That isn’t the question I asked. I asked what his family business was. But he clearly doesn’t want to talk about it, so I’ll let him steer the conversation.

“I learned everything I needed to know from those magazines. When it came time to buy inventory for the store, I knew which brands were the best, which ones I could get a good deal on wholesale, which ones were the bestsellers.”

I look him up and down. “Though, clearly, you kept some of the best clothes for yourself.”

Maddox fiddles with the lapel of his jacket, grinning. “Like I said, it helps to be well connected.”

“I had no idea there was so much to know about men’s fashion.”

“Oh, there is.” He stretches out his right arm. “For example, you see here how the cuff of my shirt peeks out just a little bit from under the cuff of my suit jacket?”

I nod.

“When my arm is straightened out, about a half inch of the shirt cuff should be visible. That way, when I bend my elbow”—he does so—“I expose a little bit more, including the cuff link.”

I take a closer look at his cufflink. It’s a gorgeous blue gemstone laid in gold.

“Is that a real sapphire?” I ask.

He nods. “Like I said, wholesale.”

“Even wholesale, those must have been terribly expensive.”

I shut my mouth. Look at me, talking about money on the first date. Good heavens, could I be more bloody gauche?

Maddox clearly does all right for himself. His car is evidence enough of that.

He adjusts his cuff link. “The shop has done well the last couple of years. I’m very fortunate. Besides the building, I started with basically nothing.”

“Very impressive.” I take another sip of my drink. “I must say, I’ve never met a man who takes such care of his appearance.”

Maddox frowns. “I sort of grew up in the spotlight. Every so often I would catch a photo of myself in a newspaper. And the photos were not always flattering. So I sat down with thoseGQmagazines and learned everything I could about how to present myself to the rest of the world. It shouldn’t matter, of course, but it does, and I wanted to put out a good impression. I learned all the rules—cuff length, for example, as you now know. Which patterns and colors go together. How to match a pocket square with a tie. The correct fit for a shirt collar. And there was personal grooming as well.” He runs his hands up and down his stubble. “A well-maintained neckline and jawline can mark the difference between scruffy and smart.”

I smile at Maddox. He just nerded out a bit on me, and I love it.

He mentioned growing up in the public eye. That’s interesting. So his “family business” must have been something in local politics, or maybe sports. He certainly has the build to be a good athlete. Broad shoulders, toned muscles. Not to mention his diamond-cutting jaw, highlighted by his meticulously groomed scruff.

Maddox continues talking, but I can’t help staring at him. How gorgeous he is, how perfectly presented every aspect of his appearance is.

And… Oh no.

Someone else in my life was like that. So into appearances.

I’m thinking back to my mother.

The day shereallywent off the rails.

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