Page 26 of Hashtag Holidate
The way he looks at you when you’re not looking at him… I CANT
Is this scripted? Because if not… get married immediately
#Maddrian #MountainManHottie #HolidayLoveStory
Ichoked on my own spit.
Maddrian? Seriously?
I continued scrolling, my cheeks heating inexplicably when I got to an actual frame-by-frame breakdown of our “intimate moments”—everything from when I’d wiped whipped cream off his nose to our heated debate about lavender hot chocolate.
They weren’t falling for Nordique, or Legacy, or even my cute dating idea. They were falling for the idea of a romance between me and Maddox. A romance that didn’t exist.
And if I didn’t already have the feeling that was a problem, I definitely did when I slid into a booth at the Pinecone for a late breakfast.
“Morning, handsome!” Sadie called cheerfully. “Coffee’s already brewing. Your usual?”
“Uh. I don’t know what that is, but sure.” I smiled, shrugging off my coat and draping it carefully over the back of the chair.
She set a coffee and a tiny pitcher in front of me. “Oat milk creamer,” she said proudly.
“Oh. Wow. Thank you,” I said, inexplicably touched.
“No trouble. Anything for a friend of Maddox’s. You two looked mighty fine over at the Marian place yesterday,” she tossed out at full volume before disappearing to the kitchen.
Her words seemed to be a signal all the other diners in the place were waiting for. My breakfast quickly became a whirlwind of whispered comments from people sitting nearby, pointed glances from others, and actual conversations with the people brave enough to walk up and speak to me.
“It’s so nice to see Maddox smile again,” an older woman said wistfully. “You know he lost a little of his sparkle when he lost his parents, may they rest in peace.”
Another guy narrowed his eyes at me. “Don’t you go distracting Maddox from his job now, you hear? Sullivan Hardware’s been our local go-to longer than you’ve been alive.”
It was small-town trial by fire, and by the time I finished my waffles—apparently, they were my “usual” now—I felt like I’d been run through a gauntlet.
It only got worse when I got back to the cabin and answered Vic’s call.
“Adrian! My sweet moneymaking angel!” His voice was so loud I had to hold the phone away from my ear. “Have you seen the numbers?Have you seen the numbers?”
“You messaged me about them before dawn.” I switched to speaker so I could open my laptop on the coffee table. The numbers had only multiplied since breakfast. They were too big to fully wrap my head around. “They’re… impressive.”
“Impressive? Darling, they’re fucking spectacular. I’ve never seen engagement like this on your account. Ever. Not even that time you ‘accidentally’ fell in the pool at the Santorini shoot.”
I winced at the memory. That “accidental” fall had been meticulously planned, right down to the specific white linen shirt that would become perfectly translucent when wet.
“The comments are giving melife,” Vic continued. “Everyone’s shipping you and Mountain Man. You’ve created a monster, baby, and everyone loves a monster, especially a hot, grumpy one.”
“I didn’t create anything,” I protested, ignoring the twinge of annoyance at Vic’s reference to Maddox. “Maddox is a photographer and videographer. A talented one. And a good guy. When my original date got sick, he stepped in as an emergency solution?—”
“Well, that emergency solution is now your golden ticket! Nordique is thrilled. Just got a call from their marketing director—thedirector, babe—raving about you. This is exactly what they were hoping for.”
I sucked in a breath. “They said that?”
“Yes, with the small caveat that you need to ‘stay luxe,’ whatever the fuck that means. I’m assuming they want you to keepfeaturing their fancy shit while exchanging smoldering glances with Lumberjack Ken?—”
“His name is Maddox,” I corrected automatically, then immediately regretted it when Vic made a knowing “mmhmm” sound.
“Listen,” he said, suddenly serious. “This is a gift. The algorithm gods have smiled upon you. Lean into it.”
“Lean into what, exactly?” I asked, already pretty sure I knew.
