Water Signs: A Story of Love and Renewal

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"Wanna dance?" Carmen asked as she and Madeline tapped their feet

to the music on two barstools. Mary Ellen still hadn't arrived and Carmen

was feeling restless. Besides, it was a shame to waste such good music.

"Sure," Maddy complied, following her out to the floor. They joined

some other assorted single women in freestyle movement as the deejay

kept the upbeat tunes coming. Nearby, Ken's friends offered a dare. He'd

been admiring Carmen from the moment she caught his eye. A little

skinny, perhaps, but quite attractive. And he was drawn to dark, exotic looks

for some reason. Maybe it had something to do with contrast; being a

blue-eyed blond, he wanted something different in a woman.

"Will you just go buy that gorgeous brunette a rose," his friend Tony

insisted. "You gotta get back in the game here, son!"

Lost in the music, Madeline never saw it coming, but suddenly she

looked up to see a hand holding a long-stemmed rose in front of Carmen;

a little red devil was attached to it. Then Maddy caught a glimpse of the

rose's buyer and her heart skipped a beat-too bad he was interested in

her friend. It seemed so unfair since Carmen already had a date for the

evening, unbeknownst to this handsome stranger. But despite her

disappointment, Madeline laughed right along as Carmen accepted the

gesture and began to dance with her new suitor.

Maddy made her way back to the bar and ran straight into Mary Ellen,

a petite blonde who looked like she could use a few good meals. Her face

was heavily made up and in her hair she wore a leopard headband that

matched her micro-mini skirt and tight knit top. She greeted Madeline

with a look of hostility, as if someone had gravely injured her.

"What's she doing with that guy?" Mary Ellen demanded.

"Oh, he just bought her a rose and I guess she feels like she should

talk to him," Maddy replied nonchalantly.

"Did you know we already have dates coming?" she sniped.

"Yes, I am aware of that, although I'm not sure he is," Maddy replied

teasingly, nodding her head towards the dance floor. Mary Ellen in a huff

was quite an amusing sight.

"Come with me!" She grabbed Madeline by the arm and led her into

the ladies room before Ken and Carmen could make their way back to the

bar.

Once inside the safety of the lavatory, Mary Ellen threw a hissy fit.

"You have to get her away from him! Our dates will be here any minute

and I don't want them to catch her with another man!"

"Well, what would you like me to do, throw myself at him?" Maddy

asked sarcastically.

"Whatever it takes!" Mary Ellen threw open the door and stalked

back into the club. With a roll of her eyes, Madeline followed. Both girls

came upon the somewhat entertaining scene of Carmen and Ken fighting

as she explained her pre-arranged plans for the evening. The two Iranian

guys had shown up, and also seemed pleasantly intrigued by the unfolding

dialogue. Mary Ellen quickly slipped her arm into her assigned date and

whispered something in his ear. Maddy watched as the foursome headed

out to the parking lot, with an undeterred Ken close behind.

"If you had a date, you damn well should have told me!" Ken scolded

Carmen.

"Hey, you were the one who took a chance, buying me a rose," she

replied unapologetically. "I didn't want to be rude, so I danced with you.

What's the big deal?"

Tentatively, Maddy interrupted, wondering what was to become of

her evening. "Carmen, you guys go to Atlantic City without me. I don't

want to go."

"Why not, Mads?"

"I told you I wasn't going to be a fifth wheel," Maddy reminded her.

Although she feigned disappointment, she was thrilled that the third guy

was MIA; even if she ended up walking the Ocean City boardwalk alone,

that was a far better alternative than hanging out with long-haired hippie

types.

"Well, it's only ten o'clock. What are you going to do? You're not

gonna go home are you?"

For whatever reason, Ken stood nearby listening to their

conversation. He hadn't realized how cute Carmen's friend was, but his

pride was still smarting too much to care. As Carmen and Madeline went

back and forth, Mary Ellen and the guys honked the horn impatiently,

while Ken opened the trunk of his car and pulled out another top. As they

stared, he unbuttoned and removed his teal shirt, briefly revealing his

masculine upper body before pulling the new white tee-shirt over his

head.

"Wow, that's a great idea; I've never seen anyone do that!" Maddy

complimented.

"Well, I love to dance and it gets hot," Ken explained to her with a

smile and a shrug. Wow, she's really cute. Why is she hanging out with someone like

Carmen?

"Maddy," Carmen asked again, "What are you going to do?"

Feeling strangely emboldened, Madeline announced, "I'm not going

with all of you. I'm staying here and hanging out with Ken!" Then turning

to him, she asked softly, "Is that ok with you?"

"Yes, that's fine with me," he agreed, giving her a high-five. Maybe the

night's not lost after all, he surmised. She's seems truly adorable. It won't hurt to spend

a few hours getting to know her.

"Ok, but you better be nice to her," Carmen warned Ken as she

stepped into the back seat of her entourage's Lincoln Continental.

"Bye, Carmen!" Madeline waved. "You have a key, so don't worry

about what time it is when you get back."

"Bye, girl. Have fun!"