Ken opened the passenger door for his unexpected, but welcome date. Still a bit tortured as to whether she was making the right
decision, Maddy hesitated for a moment.
"Ken, let me take my own car," she pleaded, "I promise, I-" she
began, before he shushed her by gently placing two fingers on her soft
lips.
"Madeline, I promise you, I am a perfect gentleman. I just want to
drive you around the traffic circle to the diner, where all we will do is
drink coffee and talk," he said in a hushed, sincere tone. She looked up
into his electric blue eyes. "Please?" he whispered.
"Alright, I'm sorry for being so suspicious. Maybe I'm just not used
to being treated like a lady."
"Well, that's too bad, because I was just thinking how unbelievably
lucky I was to have run into a nice girl at last, one who deserves to always
be treated with respect, even if she did refuse my hospitality three times."
He grinned at her as he spoke, but the sentiment was genuine. He
couldn't remember the last time a woman rejected the idea of going back
to his place. Whoever Madeline Rose was, it was clear to him she
possessed the qualities that were sorely lacking in most of today's modern
women. And that made her even more irresistible.
"Oh, ok!" Maddy laughed as she slipped into the comfortable leather
bucket seat. After quickly clicking her seatbelt into place, she leaned over
to unlock Ken's door, a simple gesture that truly impressed him.
"Wow," he laughed.
"What now?" she asked, somewhat defensively.
"Nothing. You're unbelievable, that's all."
"Why because I know how to unlock a car door?"
"Because you actually thought of doing it," he replied, planting
another smooch on her forehead.
A few minutes later, Ken and Maddy stepped out into the salty sea
air. As a pleasant breeze blew in off of the bay, in the distance, the muted
lights of Ocean City mingled with the illuminations of a thousand stars
overhead. It was a magical, late-summer scene, one that would soon fade
into the memory of another bygone season, once the biting winds of
winter came along to sweep the area into a seemingly endless hibernation.
Maddy had dutifully waited for Ken to open the door for her, lest she
trample unintentionally upon his feelings. Jake had always accused her of
acting like a princess for expecting such traditional courtesies; as a result,
she'd long ago become accustomed to stepping out of a vehicle the
moment he'd placed the car in park, so as not to invite unwarranted
criticism and accusations of snobbery. And while Ken's old-fashioned
mannerisms rated high marks in her book, it was difficult to break old, if
unfairly imposed, habits.
He kissed her hand as she got out, holding it until they entered the
surprisingly half-empty diner. After all, it was well past 2 a.m., the bars
were now closed and hordes of partiers should've been indulging in the
customary post-club-scene breakfast. Yet inexplicably, the only booth and
counter occupants were a few older couples and a smattering of off-duty
cops. Lack of patrons notwithstanding, it seemed hours before a harried
waitress even acknowledged their presence.
"Maybe we don't look hungry enough?" Maddy teased.
"Hello!" Ken called out when she passed them by for about the fifth
time, prompting Maddy to break out into gales of laughter. Whether as a
result of being overworked or just plain rude, the woman-who appeared
slightly beyond middle-age, displayed about zero interest in serving them.
When Ken called out again, she finally scowled, "Sit anywhere you like!"
"Sheesh, Kenny, I don't think she likes us too much!" Maddy giddily
exclaimed. In spite of herself, she had to admit she was having a great
time.
"Nah, I don't think so!" he laughingly agreed. "But since you won't
go back to my place, this is our only hope for coffee." Ken winked at her
as she playfully nudged him into a booth.
"Where are you going?" he asked incredulously as Maddy slid into a
cushioned red seat directly across the table.
"What? I'm sitting across from you!"
"Please, I just wanna be near you!" he begged.
"Ken, please, I'm right here!"
"Please, let me sit next to you!"
"Oh alright," she relented. "But keep your hands to yourself!"
He grinned as he slid in beside her, slipping an arm around her
shoulder. The waitress slapped two menus on the table as she scurried
past them.
"Hungry?" he asked playfully, opening one of them up to the
breakfast page.
"A little," she admitted. "But I think we'll be lucky if we even get
coffee at this point, Ken. It could be a long wait for eggs."
He laughed as he pulled her close to him and kissed her forehead
again. "Ken please, I don't even know you!" she scolded, pushing him
away. That only seemed to give him more encouragement, as he kissed
her hand again.
"We'll get to know each other, sweetheart, don't you worry," he
assured her with another wink.
"You're impossible!" she sighed, even as she felt her heart begin to
flutter.