* * *
Ken wrapped his arms around her tightly as they snuggled up on a
blanket beneath the boardwalk. They'd taken a quiet stroll after dinner,
during which she'd told him about a rumba dance routine she'd once
performed to a remake of the old Drifters classic, Under the Boardwalk.
That had prompted an observation that, while she always loved the song,
she couldn't really relate to it, having never actually spent time with
anyone special in such a romantic setting. So of course, when they arrived
back at the car, he'd opened his trunk, pulled out a big beach blanket and
extended an irresistible invitation.
And though there was a noticeable crispness in the air, neither one of
them cared as they held each other close and gazed out a rolling, majestic
sea.
"Are you warm enough sweetheart?"
"Mmm-hmm," she sighed, resting her head back against his chest.
He was leaning against a wooden support beam, with Maddy situated in
front of him, wearing his black Taj sweatshirt. "This is so nice," she
purred.
"Maddy?"
"Yes?"
"Do you think you might ever invite me to your house in
Pennsylvania?"
She lifted her head and turned to face him. "Kenny, of course! I'd
love for you to come up for a weekend-I'm sorry, it's not that I didn't
want you to, just that I guess I was trying to squeeze out as much of the
summer as I could. We had such a rainy one this year, I feel like I hardly
went to the beach. And coming down here on the weekends is such a nice
change of scenery."
"Well, for you it is. For me, it's home. Don't get me wrong; I love
spending time with you here. It's just that I want to know more about
you, see where you grew up, what your neighborhood is like, you know,
experience something different. And I haven't really spent that much time
in Philly."
"Oh my gosh, there are so many things I want to share with you! If
you want, we could go to this great dinner theater in Valley Forge, maybe
do some sightseeing downtown, visit Longwood Gardens and of course,
watch the Eagles game." Her enthusiasm increased with each new idea.
"Hey! How 'bout next weekend? Do you think you can get off from
work?"
"For you, I will beg for the time-or just work extra shifts during the
week," he replied, thrilled by her reaction.
"Damn!" she cried suddenly.
"What?"
"The Eagles play away next week, I think. Otherwise I could've taken
you to a game at the Vet. We only have three season tickets, but my
parents don't really like to go anymore. Remember how my mom was
telling you about that? They prefer to watch in the comfort of the family
room-can't say I blame them the way some of those fans are. Normally
it's Greg, Lori and me, since Louis isn't into football and Damian lives far
away."
"Well, there will be other games sweetheart; we can watch this one on
TV, don't worry," he laughed and gave her a kiss on the lips. "Just
watching them with you is an experience, live or on television!" He
cracked up remembering the Eagles-Giants battle the week before and his
utter astonishment at Maddy's passion and intelligence for the game. It
was yet another area in which she stood head and shoulders above every
other female he'd ever dated.
"Yeah well, you'll get to see me in action again on Sunday," she joked.
"I think they play at 1 p.m. And you know what? I believe they're up
against your second-favorite team, the Vikings, this year!"
"December 6!" He confirmed.
"Ooh, he already knows! Well, if you go with me, you have to
promise to cheer for the Eagles, or I might have to do something crazy,
like paint your face green!"
She giggled at the thought before an amorous Ken suddenly pulled
her close to him and drew her into another tender kiss as the cool breeze
gently rustled their hair.