Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
She pushes the drink toward me. “Have at it.”
I take a sip of her martini. I’m not a big fan of olives, but the splash of olive juice does add a little complexity to this normally simple drink. I try to ignore it and focus on the vodka.
I place the martini back down on the bar. “Yeah. It’s rose petals, I think. They’ve infused the vodka with rose petals.” I look up at DeeDee. “Am I right?”
DeeDee nods slowly before turning away and focusing on another patron.
Alissa takes another sip. “Rose and olive.” She chuckles. “That sounds like the name of a pub back home. The Rose and Olive.”
“Do you like it?”
She lifts an eyebrow. “The drink? Or the fictitious pub?”
I chuckle. “The former.”
She nods. “It’s quite tasty. Not a combination you’d think of on your own.”
I grin. “That’s kind of the whole thing here at Aces. They think outside of the box.”
Alissa wrinkles her forehead and looks around. “I’m not even sure if we’re on the same planet as the box here.” She turns back to me. “How did you find this place?”
I press my lips together. “I inherited the membership. From my father.”
“Your father must have been quite an important person to have gotten a membership here.” She takes another sip of her martini.
I scratch the side of my arm. “He was.”
But I don’t want to talk about my father right now. I’ll change the subject.
“So, first impressions of the place?”
She looks around once more. “It’s certainly matchless. I’ve never seen a place like this before.” She looks uneasily at DeeDee and Dudley. “I’m not sure how I feel about the no-speaking thing.”
“It’s a little odd,” I admit, “but you’ll get used to it.”
Alissa removes the olive from her drink and pops it in her mouth. “Oh, so you’re planning on bringing me here a second time? Long enough for me to get used to it?”
I lean in, inches from her gorgeous lips. “Yes, if you’d like that.”
She finishes off her martini and smiles at me.
“I guess we’ll just have to see.”
9
ALISSA
What is it with this place? I’m not usually this much of a brazen flirt this early on a first date.
Of course, I’ve never had a first date quite like this.
I’ve been in the Chicago dating scene for over ten years now. I’ve seen it all. Usually they take me out to a fancy dinner—or to deep-dish pizza at Lou Malnati’s, my guilty pleasure—or occasionally we’ll frequent a bar. One time a guy drove me all the way out to the Medieval Times in Schaumburg, which was actually a lot of fun. Up to this point, that was my most unique first date.
Maddox just shattered that record, and we’re only ten minutes in.
But it’s not just this place, as bizarre as it is. It’s Maddox himself.
He’s not only easy on the eyes. He’s really easy to talk to.
I mean, we chatted quite some time in his haberdashery yesterday when I walked in on a whim. He has a sort of effortless charm about him, along with a slight edge. He changed the subject pretty quickly when I asked about his father. I didn’t pry. I of all people know what it’s like to have a complicated relationship with a parent.
But even beyond that, there’s an almost unhinged element to Maddox. Taking me here on a first date, knowing full well how weird it must look to first-timers, is a bold move for sure. And there’s the way he dresses, the fact that he wears a hat anytime he’s outside. Not to mention his bloody Rolls-Royce and his cozy haberdashery only a few blocks away from where I live.
Maddox is a man who is completely comfortable with embracing his eccentric side. The side that is open to trying new things, to stepping out of his comfort zone.
A side I’ve recently discovered exists in myself as well.
“Another drink?” Maddox asks, eyeing my empty martini glass.
I usually limit myself to one drink. But I’m taking the train home, and I’m sure Maddox will escort me to the station. So what the hell?
“Sure, one more.” I turn to Dudley. “Can I try the elderflower gin and tonic this time?”
Dudley nods and begins preparing the drink.
I turn back to Maddox. “So tell me more about yourself, Maddox. How did you end up with that gorgeous little shop in Uptown?”
Maddox takes a sip of his gin and tonic, frowning slightly as he places the glass back on the bar. “The shop belonged to my great-uncle. When I finished high school, I had a choice. Join the…family business or strike out on my own and pursue my own interests.”
“And you chose the family business? The shop?”
He shakes his head. “The shop had fallen into disrepair at that point. The building belonged to my family, but we hadn’t done anything with it in years. I struck a deal with… I struck a deal to get the shop in my name.”