Water Signs: A Story of Love and Renewal

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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.