Maddy stood in front of her bedroom mirror, contemplating which one out of the myriad of summer dresses strewn across her twin
bed made her look the thinnest. One by one, she held them up in front of
her, carefully inspecting the line, cut and comfort of each, along with the
appropriate jewelry, shoes and bag. Should she go with the black halter dress
with the flared skirt, in case they ended up dancing in a casino nightclub, or the cute,
knit mini-dress with the scoop neck and bright blocks of color that showed off her toned
legs?
As she hurriedly tried one ensemble after another, she heard her
mother calling to her from the bottom of the stairs.
"Maddy, it's almost six o'clock, hon! Ken's going to be here any
minute!"
"Don't worry, Mom, I'm almost done!" she called back. "And I'm
sure you and Aunt Maria can keep him entertained even if I'm not ready
when he gets here!" She sighed in frustration as her long hair caught on
the zipper of a blue sundress she'd been desperately trying to wriggle out
of.
Downstairs Monica Rose and her sister Maria talked excitedly of
Maddy's new suitor. They'd all driven down to Ocean City together after
Maddy had finished work the night before, sharing a great meal on the
way at one of New Jersey's celebrated diners. Over tuna melts and chefs
salads, Madeline's favorite aunt had listened with sheer joy and unbridled
excitement as her niece relayed the now-famous story of her and Ken's
unexpected meeting at the Key Largo club.
A romantic at heart, Maria wanted nothing more than to see Maddy
happily settled with the right guy. Like Monica, she'd realized long before
her niece that her ex-boyfriend Jake was a complete loser. He might've
held an MBA, but it certainly hadn't endowed him with any class or
common courtesy. And though neither sister had interfered, both
breathed a sigh of relief when the relationship mercifully ended, though
Jake could've chosen a more dignified method; Maddy deserved so much
better than a gut-wrenching 1 a.m. phone call. Still, she was lucky to be rid
of him, his nice family notwithstanding.
Since Kenny had to work a double-shift in order to have Saturday
evening off to take her out to dinner, Maddy had spent a glorious Indian
summer day on the beach with the two women with whom she'd shared
the closest bonds. And as the ladies sat at the water's edge, feeling the
ocean's tide gently trickle over their feet, Maddy told them about Ken's
wonderful attentiveness, sweetly expressed through daily phone calls-
many from work-in which he would make her laugh with a funny story
from the Navy, or send happy shivers down her spine with talk of her
beauty and how much he missed her smiling face.
He was so warm, so kind and complimentary that it threw her offguard.
Until Jake, Maddy had never even had a boyfriend; after that
experience, she'd come to believe that enduring constant criticism from a
man was normal, in spite of the honorable model set by her own father
and brothers.
And although everyone around her despised Jake's treatment, no one
intervened, allowing Maddy to make her own decisions while they secretly
prayed she'd never end up with him. Ironically, it was Jake himself who
finally saw the light after suffering extreme guilt over yet another lie he'd
told her. Unwilling to keep inflicting pain on an undeserving woman, he
ended the relationship in the only manner he could.
Three months later, along came Ken with his upbeat personality and
shared love for all of the things Maddy treasured-freedom, family,
friends, music, dancing, literature, beaches, football, nice clothes and good
food. Heck, he was even willing to start attending Mass again, if it made
her happy. It was all so miraculous-and so unbelievable.
Aunt Maria advised her niece to just enjoy every moment, while
reminding her that she was a beautiful, vital young woman, one that any
man should be proud to have on his arm.
"Thanks Re Re," Maddy had sighed, eager to believe, yet still haunted
by memories of a not-so-long-ago chubby adolescence, characterized by
nagging insecurities and a dearth of male suitors. It was amazing that, at
age 25, these things still bothered her.
But here she was, stubbornly unable to acknowledge that the insecure
teen had successfully transformed into a lovely, desirable vision of
femininity and charm. Thus, the endless wardrobe changes minutes before
her date's arrival.
By the time she heard the doorbell ring, Maddy had settled on the
color-blocked knit mini-dress and gold hoop earrings. She'd vigorously
brushed her auburn tresses upside down and they now spilled seductively
past her shoulders and nearly midway down her back. The early autumn
sun had been strong enough to add a natural blush to her cheeks, so she
simply added a bit of eye shadow and mascara to enhance her features,
with a shiny rose lip gloss providing the finishing touch.
She laughed as she recalled her and Lori's standing joke about their
mom: "Where's your lipstick!" she'd demand whenever either of them
attempted to leave home without the one accessory Monica Rose deemed
absolutely essential. Maddy wouldn't have to worry about that tonight;
this new shade was perfect, and definitely noticeable-in an understated
sort of way.
"Hi Ken!" she heard her mother say, before the sounds of his
baritone response released a wave of excitement that washed over her
from head to toe. She took a deep breath, grabbed her black quilted
evening bag and ran downstairs. Before she even reached the landing, she
caught a glimpse of Kenny in the mirror that hung on the first floor,
directly in front of the staircase.
Her breathing stopped for a second as she saw him sitting in the
family room easy chair, dressed to the nines in a teal suit and chatting
effortlessly with her mom and aunt. She'd almost forgotten how
handsome he was, how unmistakably virile and masculine. Had it actually
been two weeks since she'd seen him? They'd spoken so much during that time,
it hardly seemed possible, yet how could she have forgotten how
incredibly attractive he was?
"Oh Maddy, there you are!" Monica said brightly after catching sight
of her daughter. With that, Kenny immediately stood up and turned to
face her, his smile as radiant as ever. Maddy tried to conceal her
nervousness even as she silently noted the way in which his suit
intensified the hue of his effervescent eyes.
"Hi Kenny," she smiled. "It's so great to see you again."
"You look beautiful," he replied, placing a soft kiss on her cheek,
while Monica and Maria exchanged hopeful glances.
"She certainly does," Aunt Maria agreed.
Please don't overdo it. Please don't embarrass me!
"We were just telling Ken how much we love his suit. Isn't it a
beautiful color?" Mom asked.
"Yes, it really is," she concurred, softly. "It looks so nice with your
blue eyes."
"Thank you." He smiled at her in that easygoing way she'd come to
recognize and love already. As he took in the magnificent sight of her-
the cascading auburn hair, the warm, amber eyes, the shapely legs-he
thought he might actually fall over. He couldn't stop staring as time stood
still in that exquisite space.
"Well, I guess you guys had better get going," her mom piped up,
temporarily breaking the spell. "Aunt Maria and I are headed to the
casinos tonight."
"Oh, maybe we'll see you there," Ken offered, "We're having dinner
in town at Frisanco's."
"Nah, you two kids just go out and have good time. Don't worry
about us." Then, looking at her daughter, Monica asked, "You're not
wearing your heels, hon?"
"No, because if we walk on the boardwalk I don't want to get stuck in
the grooves," Maddy explained. She kissed them goodbye, then led him
back out through the front door. As they made their way outside, they
heard Aunt Maria call, "Drive nicely, Ken. You're carrying precious
cargo!"
Although a little embarrassed, Maddy figured it was best to simply let
Aunt Re Re's comment go, rather than make a lame joke about it. Besides,
it couldn't hurt for Ken to know how her family felt about her. She
carefully slid into the passenger seat as he held open the door, then leaned
over to unlock his side just as she'd done that fateful evening in the Key
Largo lot.
Kenny smiled at her appreciatively as he started the car and switched
on the radio. As they drove off, he impatiently changed stations, in search
of a good song. He was about to pop in an Earth, Wind and Fire Greatest
Hits cassette when Maddy suddenly stopped him.
"You don't like them? It's great dance music!" he pleaded playfully.
"No, I do, it's just that I love this new song that just came on-can
we please listen to it?"
"You like this, too?" he asked, brightening.
"Yeah, it has a great beat. Sort of reminds me of the sand and the
shells and the ocean whenever I hear it," she explained.
So as the soulful sounds of Jon Secada's Just Another Day emanated
rhythmically through the speakers, Ken and Maddy cruised down Wesley
Avenue and over the causeways that would lead them into Atlantic City,
site of their first official date.