Mad for madison, p.1
Mad For Madison, page 1
Mad For Madison
THE BOYS OF HUDSON BURROW
BOOK FOUR
HAYDEN HALL
Copyright © 2025 by Hayden Hall
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
Edited by OneLoveEditing
Cover by Angela Haddon
Photo by Cadwallader Photography
Written by Hayden Hall
www.haydenhallwrites.com
ISBN: 979-8-3032-4336-1
Created with Vellum
Contents
Let’s Stay In Touch
1. Nights at the Burrow
2. A Decent Proposition
3. Into the Unknown
4. All My Heart Desires
5. The Morning After
6. Not Normal Enough
7. Ice Cream and Cookies
8. Madison’s Canvas
9. All Mine
10. A Family Night
11. Not Meant to Be
12. Without You
Epilogue
Faking Ever After
Also by Hayden Hall
About the Author
Let’s Stay In Touch
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About the Book
Madison Masters is everything I want to be.
He’s confident, good-looking, and beyond popular. Wherever he appears, he’s the center of attention. It’s his natural charisma that pulls every gaze to him. Mine especially.
I have been in love with Madison since the moment I met him. The only trouble is he has no clue that I exist. Sure, he shoots me a smile when I pour him a drink, winks at me like we’re in on a joke when he flirts with guys right in front of me and does unspeakable things to me when I am all alone with nothing but imagination and free time. But he doesn’t know me.
And even if he knew me, it would never work.
I’m the father of a little troublemaker, the happiest accident of my life, and Madison is…not family material. I know his secret. I know where his popularity and money come from. I know what he does in hotel rooms when cameras are on and when the show begins.
We can never be together. We are worlds apart. We’re like two pieces of vastly different puzzles.
But when Madison Masters urgently needs a nice, anonymous boyfriend for an evening, there’s no better choice than the invisible old me. And as the night of work turns into the most magical date of my life, I soon forget we’re only pretending to dance, smile, and flirt.
If only my stupid heart wouldn’t beat so fast. If only Madison weren’t so convincing. If only we didn’t follow this fantasy all the way to his hotel room.
If only he didn’t ruin everyone else for me in a single night of unrestrained passion…
CHAPTER 1
Nights at the Burrow
Bradley
Parties at Neon Nights were a big thing, even if they were common. There was a sort of rhythm we all fell into when each Friday came around. The sense of expectations that mixed with the flurry of activity filled us all with the energy that was needed to push through the day.
I unlocked Neon Nights just after six in the morning and flicked the warm interior lights on. The city that never slept was still fast asleep, at least in our little corner of it. Across the street, where Roman and Tristan lived with their three other roommates, the lights were off. In truth, it was unlikely that Tristan was even there, and it wouldn’t have surprised me to find Roman descending the stairs from Mama Viv’s place above the bar. And if I were being completely honest, it only ever was one window I looked at whenever I arrived at work.
The place was neat and warm. Mama Viv automated the heating system downstairs so that the first ones to arrive each morning didn’t have to wait for the warmth to kick in. It was only one example of the quiet, deliberate care she provided to those around her.
We didn’t open for another hour, but a bar like Neon Nights always required maintenance and couldn’t open its doors to guests without a great deal of preparation, especially on a day when a lineup of drag queens was set to perform in front of a big crowd.
I went around the place to make sure everything was the way it should be. After checking that all the tables were clean, I ran through the inventory. The aroma of coffee I was making for myself filled the space as it always did. That first brew on a cold morning added something magical to my routine. I could have had a mug Gran made this morning, but they were never as good as a shot of espresso at Neon Nights.
It was just a few minutes later that deliveries began to arrive. Burger buns from a local baker, fresh produce from Amir around the corner, and several separate deliveries of beer from small brewers came in rapid succession. I checked them, signed for them, and exchanged a few polite words with each delivery person.
Before I could turn around, the time of quiet was over. Tristan arrived in a rush, but he always had a ready smile when he greeted you in the morning. “How’s it going?”
“Couldn’t be better,” I would say, regardless of whether it could. I made a cup of coffee for him while he set up the kitchen. There was a clear territorial division there. I led the bar, and Tris led the kitchen. We didn’t meddle in each other’s business.
“It’s freezing out there,” Tristan complained after joining me at the bar, putting both hands around the mug of hot coffee.
“I’m guessing you didn’t just cross the street, then,” I said.
He gave me a cheeky smile. “You’re guessing correctly.”
Cedric Phillipe Valois Montclair had an apartment just off the neighborhood’s edge in one of the big, fancy buildings. Tristan had practically moved in with him months ago. Despite that, he still paid his portion of the rent across the street and kept his room intact.
I was happy for him. He had always been a kind guy. Even before Mama Viv had employed him to manage the kitchen and expand the offerings Neon Nights had for our hungry guests, Tristan had been the first in line to do any odd job that was necessary. He never shied away from hard work. Even after he got together with a prince from a small, faraway kingdom, Tristan never let that go into his head. He could have dropped Neon Nights in a heartbeat. He probably could have opened a restaurant in the city and made a business out of it, but he remained loyal to Mama Viv, who needed a talented chef in her lineup.
I held back a dreamy sigh as my thoughts went far from the bar and into the realm of pure fantasy. It was hard not to entertain daydreams about being with the perfect guy when everyone around me seemed to have their dreams come true.
Roman, who had often worked the bar alongside me, found love in the unlikeliest of places, just like Tris. Roman’s stand against the crooked real estate mogul brought him straight to the mogul’s son, Everett, and they joined forces to stop Mr. Langley from forcing the sale of Neon Nights a few months ago.
Even our favorite delivery guy, Zain, no longer delivered fresh produce from his father’s store. He worked in research for one of the companies owned by Dominic Blackthorne, once upon a time called the Baron of Manhattan for the fact that he had a hand in half of Manhattan-based businesses.
Each and every one of my friends from the Burrow had fallen in love and found someone they could call their own in the last six months. And each story seemed more impossible than the one before it.
It was impossible not to hope for a similarly happy ending, even though I knew I was not destined to have one.
“Who’s coming tonight?” I asked Tristan.
“The usual suspects,” he replied, sighing after taking a sip of coffee. “I think Zain’s bringing Dominic again. Roman’s coming for sure, and so is Everett. Luke and Rafael won’t miss it.”
“Nobody else from across the street?” I asked, hoping I sounded casual.
“I don’t think so,” Tristan replied. “I don’t think Oakley’s ever been to a party.”
For the other two roommates, the excuses were already well-known. Lane came from time to time, but he was probably working out whenever he didn’t come, and Madison…well, who the hell knew what Madison was up to?
“And who the hell knows what Madison is up to,” Tristan said.
I suppressed a laugh. Madison’s name was rarely spoken without the rest of the adage.
Sometimes, if the work wasn’t busy, I found myself standing nearer to the window, looking out, and I would spot him leaving the building. Not that I was stalking or anything like that. His schedule was way too irregular for anyone to stalk him with any success.
“Maybe he’ll surprise us,” I offered, focusing on polishing the glasses behind the bar. My tone was neutral, but Tristan’s knowing grin told me he wasn’t fooled.
“Surprise us? Madison wouldn’t show up here if we paid him,” Tristan said, leaning his elbows on the counter. “I’ve known him long enough to know he’s allergic to fun.”
“Or maybe he’s just busy.” I tried to sound indifferent, but Tristan’s raised eyebrows almost made me regret speaking.
“Busy doing what, exactly?” he shot back, chuckling. “It’s not like he’s told any of us what he actually does. He could be a spy for all I know.”
“A spy?” I smirked, shaking my head. “You’ve been watching too much Netflix.”
“Hey, if the guy wants to keep his life a mystery, I’m allowed to speculate,” Tristan said, grinning. “Though I gotta admit, you seem pretty invested in the enigma that is Madison Masters.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m just making conversation, Tris.”
“Right,” he said, drawing the word out like he didn’t believe me. “Anyway, don’t let me distract you too much. I’ve got prep work to do, and you’ve got all those people to charm later.”
As Tristan headed toward the kitchen, I turned my attention back to setting up the bar. The usual rhythm of the day started to take hold—checking glassware, restocking the shelves, and running through tonight’s cocktail specials in my head. Still, my thoughts drifted.
Madison really was a mystery, even to someone like me who saw him almost every day. He wasn’t rude or standoffish, but there was a wall there, a quiet kind of detachment that made him hard to approach. And yet, I couldn’t help but be drawn to him, like trying to solve a puzzle I knew I shouldn’t touch.
The door chimed as a new delivery arrived, pulling me from my thoughts. I greeted the driver with a smile, signing off on yet another box of supplies. As I turned back to the bar, I caught a glimpse of movement outside.
Madison, stepping out of his building.
He looked hurried, bundled in a dark coat, a beanie pulled low over his ears. Before he could see me, he turned and walked away, his strides quick and purposeful.
Yet I knew the secret he didn’t want anyone else to know. I half suspected everyone knew it in the same way as me. I suspected that we all knew what Madison did when he was away but that we all respected Madison’s privacy enough not to talk about it. I did, at least. If he didn’t want people to know, I wasn’t going to tell them.
My heartbeat returned to normal after a few minutes. The bar was officially open, but it was too early for most customers to come around. So I kept myself busy with all the little tasks that I never got around to taking care of. And as I went around the bar doing these little things, I tried my best not to think too much about the way life had turned out.
It wasn’t a bad life. I loved and was loved in return, which was more than I would have hoped for ten years ago. The fact that my life consisted of home and work was simply how most people lived. Comparing myself to Tristan, who dated a prince, or Madison, who had everything I could possibly want, was an exercise in torment. It was also pointless.
Tristan said he needed to run an errand real quick and disappeared from the bar, leaving me alone.
I returned to my thoughts with a sort of melancholy you kept close to your heart. I wasn’t a melancholic type, but sometimes, these wintry feelings took hold of me, and I was reluctant to let them go too soon. I’d made my choices over the years, and things turned out better than anyone would have expected.
“Anyone working here?” the voice came from behind while I was on my knees near the stage on the far side of the bar, trying to untangle a cluster of cables that had knotted seemingly decades ago and wouldn’t let go of each other.
“Be right there,” I blurted as I got up, turning around to find Madison Masters standing by the bar. My heart lurched, but I kept my features neutral. I was pretty sure everyone reacted the same way around Madison. It was impossible not to flush when his dark brown eyes undressed you where you stood. Or did I just hope that was what he was doing? Not that there was much for him to see, even if he did. I worked out, but I was no model.
As I crossed the space between us, navigating between the tables and chairs, Madison leaned against the bar with his signature swagger and observed. The weight of his gaze was impossible to ignore. He was a few inches taller than me, which wasn’t so common given I was six foot two. And it was just enough that I was always aware of the height difference and had to look up when speaking to him. It was a refreshing feeling, exhilarating at times.
“I thought you’d gone somewhere,” I said, hating myself as soon as I heard the words that had come out of my mouth.
Madison’s black eyebrows wiggled playfully. “Good to know I have a guardian angel watching over me.”
Heat rose into my face in an instant. Even my voice was raspy, like it had dried out. “I wasn’t watching… I…”
“I’m teasing you,” Madison said.
I wiped my hands on my black apron and walked behind the bar. With the boards under my feet, I was taller now. Even so, Madison had a way of looking at you from somewhere far above. And when he did that, you felt special for being noticed.
“I forgot my keys,” he said. “And Oakley’s either dead asleep or out already.” He made circles on the counter with his finger as he spoke. “Tris went to Cedric’s to bring his keys and let me in.”
“Too bad,” I said. “Won’t you be late for something?”
He sucked his teeth in reply. “Nobody’s gonna be angry with me for that.”
I asked him what he was having and geared up to brew him a mean cup of coffee when he ordered.
“There’s a party tonight,” I said as thick brown liquid dripped into the small cup. “Mama Viv has a bunch of queens lined up.”
“Sounds like you’re gonna be a busy guy,” Madison replied. He had a habit of looking right into your eyes when he spoke. It felt like being caught by a lasso and pulled in. I didn’t mind it a bit.
“I enjoy it,” I said, struggling for air. He still hadn’t taken his eyes off me. “Mama Viv’s throws the best parties.”
“She does,” he agreed, his voice low, his face satisfied.
I didn’t know what lightning bolt of stupidity had struck me then. I would tell myself later that I only wanted him to have a good time or that I wanted more people to spend money at Neon Nights so that Mama Viv would continue to be successful. I would come up with a million excuses, but recalling this moment never failed to make my cheeks heat up. “You should come,” I said, letting the words tumble out.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, Madison casting his gaze down was the last nail in my coffin. “Ah, I don’t know. I expect I’ll be tired.”
“Of course,” I said, hiding my disappointment as best as I could. In fact, his words were just another reminder of the different worlds we lived in. Inviting him to sit at the bar while I served countless thirsty people was nobody’s idea of a fun date, even if I were a hot catch—which I was not—but Madison was more than just a cute guy who was about to have a busy day.
Madison was off-limits. He was as off-limits as a guy could be. Because he wasn’t just going to have a long, hard day that would leave him tired by the time the party rolled around.
He was on his way to work. I imagined a well-lit studio somewhere downtown, a small crew of guys who knew how to operate it all, fresh towels and plenty of hot water in the shower, camera lenses pointed toward the bed, the armchair, the dining table, or whatever else the scene required. And a guy whose job it was to give Madison the kind of pleasure I couldn’t dream of.
Because he was a porn star.
He was one of those people who strode with such unbending confidence in his own success, and I could only sit back in awe of what he had achieved. And under the awe, there was a never-changing layer of sadness. He was the guy I saw leaving the building on most mornings, and for a heartbeat or two, I would have him in my thoughts as fully and completely as if we stood right in front of one another. Then, he would be gone, and I would know that he had the most exciting things lined up for the day and that he wouldn’t notice if I disappeared off the face of the earth by the time he returned.
Tristan strolled into the bar, keys hanging from his index finger. “I won’t need them today. You can leave them here in the morning.”
