* * *
The night sky was clear and dotted with stars as Ken and Maddy
strolled hand in hand on the bustling, high-rise hotel and casinopopulated
Atlantic City boardwalk. While they passed by the endless
strings of pizza parlors, custard stands and sundry shops interspersed
between the taller buildings, Ken regaled her with tales of growing up in
the neighboring town of Ventnor. It seemed funny to her to actually
know someone who'd been born and raised down here. Before meeting
Ken, she'd mainly thought of the area as a popular vacation spot. A
narrow view to be sure, but one widely held by the people of her home
state of Pennsylvania.
Suddenly, a thickly accented voice rudely interrupted their flow of
conversation. "Excuse me-how can you make this lovely lady walk so
far?" a man who appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent demanded of
Ken.
He was dressed in jeans and a tee-shirt, and standing next to a rolling
chair, a ubiquitous presence for which the seaside resort was well known.
Ken glanced at Maddy and her eyes quickly conveyed her feelings.
"Look, buddy," he joked, "She's the one making me walk!"
"That's right, I love to walk," Maddy chimed in as she gave Ken's hand
a squeeze. She never did like rolling chairs; they made her think of all of
the people who, by circumstance of birth, accident or illness, had no
choice but to ride in wheelchairs. If she was fortunate enough to be able
to walk, then that was exactly what she was going to do.
"No thanks, then. You heard the lady," Ken repeated, prompting the
man to stride away in a huff, much to their amusement. It was one of the
evening's many unscripted-and lighthearted-moments.
* * *
After the rolling chair incident, they headed into the lobby of the Taj
Majal, where Ken had briefly worked as a parking valet upon his return
from the Navy. The tallest and most ornate edifice on the entire
boardwalk, it greeted them with a dazzling montage of neon lights and
purple and gold décor, from the loud carpet patterns to the infinite parade
of gaudy chandeliers that hung from cut-out ceilings.
Ken spoke to her over the ringing clamor of slot machines. "So what
would you like to do sweetheart?"
"Do you think we can go to the top? I bet the view is great from up
there!"
"Sure, let's go see if I can find one of my old buddies who still work
here."
He held her hand as they set off in search of the friend who could
sneak them onto the special elevator that would transport them to an
exclusive club. Upon finding him, Ken had to do a little negotiating
before he and Maddy finally found themselves riding a golden car to the
special place reserved for high-rollers. When the doors opened, they
stepped into a breathtaking world of panoramic picture windows, Indianinspired
tapestries and crystal light fixtures. Two enormous, shining doors
marked the entrance into the lounge.
As Ken began to lead her in that direction, Maddy suddenly stopped
him.
"Oh look, Kenny! Can we just stay here for a minute?" she requested,
running over to one of the windows that showcased a magical view of the
ocean, lights and boardwalk below; its wide ledge was topped with a
plush, purple cushion. Madeline stood transfixed as she soaked in the
scene.
"That's pretty nice, huh?" he remarked softly, as he came up closely
behind her, enfolding his arms around her waist and silently breathing in
the enticing fragrance of her silky hair. His heart pounded in his chest; she
felt so warm and perfect in his embrace, just as he'd imagined she would
every night since meeting her-only somehow the real thing exceeded
even the most detailed visualizations of his love-struck heart and soul.
Madeline felt a shiver of excitement as she leaned her head back
against him and covered his hands with hers. Such a simple gesture, yet
one that instantly created strange and wonderful sensations within her,
longings she'd never experienced during her two-year relationship with
Jake. It was all so exhilarating-and frightening.
"I'd be happy to just stay here awhile Kenny," she whispered, barely
able to speak.
"Me, too," he mumbled hoarsely, as he kissed her on the temple. He
moved around her then and, turning to face her, sat down on the cushion.
Taking her arms in his, he gently drew her near to him. Their eyes met in
a misty gaze, temporarily frozen in time. Maddy placed her petite hands
on his broad, strong shoulders, trying to etch the sight of him-in all of
his bold masculinity-forever in her mind.
He caressed her sweet face as he studied her, searching for signs. As
much as he desperately wanted to give in to the overwhelming desire to
kiss her, the last thing he wanted was to mess things up with the first girl
for whom he felt so much more than just an intense physical attraction.
"So, why don't we just stay here?" he finally said, softly. Unable to
fight it any longer, Ken closed his eyes and, leaning in close, placed his
lips on hers. Their first kiss began as a gentle, somewhat tentative
experiment, gradually increasing in passion and fervor as pent-up emotion
mingled with real affection. He ran his hands through her auburn waves,
tracing the curve of her back down to her waist and back up to her
shoulders.
Swept away in a tide of unprecedented feeling, Madeline lost herself
in the scent of his aftershave and the warmth of his body, blown away by
her inability to wrap her arms entirely around him, try as she might. In his
strong embrace she felt completely safe and secure. It was as if all of the
pain of the last few months had finally dissolved into nothingness as this
new and wonderful man shattered every misconception she'd held about
herself since childhood. Not even those who loved her most had been
able to accomplish that feat; now here was this handsome ex-sailor,
effortlessly knocking down the walls she'd so carefully constructed around
her heart.
"You feel so good," he murmured finally, nuzzling her neck.
"You, too," she whispered, "Like a big teddy bear," as he then
carefully situated her on his lap. She was now sitting on his leg, still
holding one arm around his shoulder while he intertwined the fingers of
her other hand with his.
"You're amazing, Madeline Rose, do you know that?" He stared
deeply into her brown eyes as he spoke. Maddy was speechless; all she
could do was lose herself in the pools of aquamarine and the seductive
feel of the toned muscles that protruded from beneath the fabric of his
suit jacket. He smiled at her adoringly, and she actually felt faint for one
fleeting, ephemeral moment.
Then, like a splash of cold water, a cacophony of loud voices and
shrill laughter punctuated the air as in the near distance, the elevator doors
opened to reveal a formally attired group of high-rolling men and women,
the former clad in black tuxedos and the latter in skin-tight gowns
featuring plunging necklines and garish sequins. Ken and Maddy watched
as they made their way into the club; for a brief second, the harmonious
sounds of a live jazz band emanated into the room, only to be silenced
once again when the golden doors gracefully closed behind them.
"Want to go in, sweetheart?" he asked. As much as he'd have
preferred to continue their romantic interlude, he'd been abruptly
awakened by this dose of reality, a harsh reminder that he and Maddy
weren't truly alone.
"Sure," she whispered, sharing the same sentiment. Maddy stood up
then, and adjusted the hem of her dress. Glancing at his face, she
prevented him from rising to his feet.
"Wait!" she cautioned him, and then reached out to wipe the stain of
her lipstick from his mouth, gently but firmly removing every trace of it
with her fingers. "I don't think it's your color," she laughed. And while
she wasn't consciously trying to turn him on, the end result was the same
as he struggled to keep his composure.
"You know, my old boyfriend would get so mad when my lipstick
rubbed off on him," she matter-of-factly explained. With that, he
assertively took her hands in his and looked at her directly.
"Madeline, I would be proud to wear your lipstick," he declared.
Although he appeared quite serious, she was unsure of what to make of
that statement, though it did present another striking contrast to Jake. She
smiled as he leaned forward to kiss her forehead before taking her hand
and leading her into the smoky club.