"Thank you, sir!" Ken said politely to the worker in the Ocean Dirve toll booth, when the man gave him back some change. They were
headed north over the Longport Causeway, to some unknown-to Maddy
at least-destination. Despite her many playful inquiries, he still wouldn't
'fess up to where they were going.
"You'll just have to find out when we get there, little lady!" he teased
her, keeping one hand on her thigh and the other on the steering wheel.
His favorite cassette, for the moment anyway-Earth, Wind and Fire's
Greatest Hits, blasted out soulful rhythms through the speakers.
Unbelievably, it was another clear, star-studded evening. As they
made their way towards the city of Longport, they passed through
Maddy's favorite stretch of road, completely surrounded by water.
"I love this part of the ride!" she enthused, placing her hand on his,
prompting him to lift it to his lips for an affectionate kiss.
"Me, too, sweetheart," he agreed.
"Ken?"
"Yes?"
"Aren't you even going to give me a little hint?" He broke out into
gales of laughter. "You're a persistent one, aren't you, little girl? Don't
worry sweetheart, we're almost there. The suspense will be over soon."
"You are such a tease!" Her tone was playful as they crossed into
Ventnor City.
A few moments later, the black Acura pulled into one of many
available spaces on the block alongside the beach. Had they attempted
this just a few weeks prior, they'd have been circling around for hours,
waiting for such a prime location. But with the summer season in the
rearview mirror and Labor Day weekend a recent memory, the Shore
once again belonged exclusively to its year-round residents, its native sons
like Ken, who were thrilled to have it back to themselves. He only wished
that the privilege also came with 365 days of annual sunshine and
summertime temperatures; winters in South Jersey could be downright
depressing, not to mention, endless.
Maddy was willingly obedient when he motioned for her to wait until
he came around to open the door and help her out of the car. Having
heard a few off-putting things about her ex-boyfriend Jake, Ken was
determined to treat her with the respect she deserved, even if she still had
difficulty adjusting to such simple gestures. It was the least he could do,
although he looked forward to the day when he could financially afford to
spoil her with more tangible tokens of love like expensive jewelry and
exotic vacations. But only after he'd vowed his eternal commitment to her
in front of God and witnesses, of course.
"Is this where you went to beach growing up?" Maddy asked.
"One of the places," he answered, popping the trunk and pulling out
a large, red Coleman cooler and a black duffle bag that looked as if it were
bursting at the seams.
"What's all this teddy bear?" she addressed him playfully by his newly
minted nickname, her excitement welling.
"Here, take my hand sweetheart and you'll find out," he responded
sweetly, simultaneously slinging the bag over his shoulder and lifting the
cooler off the ground, before reaching out for her with his free hand.
"Ken! Let me carry something!" she protested, to deaf ears.
"Madeline Rose, will you let me treat you like a lady?" he answered
sternly.
"Yes, sir!" she replied, as they made their way up the wooden steps
leading to the sand. The moonlight cast a string of sparkling diamonds on
an otherwise darkened sea as Kenny spread out an enormous, fluffy
blanket; Maddy knelt down on one end of it, cognizant of the increasing
strength of the early autumn breeze. He sat down on the other side and
proceeded to remove the contents of the cooler. She watched in
appreciation as he set up a romantic picnic of some of her favorite foods
including homemade tomato pie, provolone cheese from South Philly and
even some freshly baked Italian wedding cookies.
"Oh my gosh! When did you find the time go to South Philly?"
Maddy asked in amazement.
"You forget, sweetheart that my roommate Kathy is from there. She
drove up on her day off yesterday and I asked her to pick up some
provolone for me on 9th Street. There's this place there she always goes
to. I think the owner is a family friend. Anyway, it's the good stuff."
"It sure is," Maddy noted, breathing in the unmistakable aroma. "My
Mom drives down there every so often to get cheese, mostly for special
occasions like Christmas. It's the best. Can't find anything like it in the
supermarket."
"Nah, this is the real deal," he laughed, "although the tomato pie
comes from some new bakery that opened up here in Ventnor. I hope it's
good."
"It sure looks good," she noted. "Mr. Lockheart, I do believe you are
going to make me fat!" Maddy chuckled.
"Hey," he warned seriously, "No starvation tactics tonight. You and I
are both going to enjoy this good food-no apologies. Oh, and you have
to have some wedding cookies. Kathy made those especially for you."
"She did? How'd she know they're my favorite?"
"Cause I told her," he shrugged. "After that, I asked for her advice
about how to go about winning the heart of the most beautiful Italian girl
I've ever met-a girl I almost blew it with that night at Key Largo when I
was incredibly stupid and bought a rose for her friend instead of her."
Maddy laughed at the memory.
"And she suggested wedding cookies?" she teased, raising an eyebrow.
She gazed at him with her mesmerizing brown eyes, and he felt as if he
would shatter into a million pieces.
"She said it was a good place to start, considering they were on your
Top-10 list," he smiled. "And she makes the best, believe me."
"Hmmm, well I think my Aunt Maria might take issue with that,"
Maddy stated. "Still, those do look pretty good," she admitted, eying the
full plate of the familiar twisted knots covered with white icing and multicolored
sprinkles.
"Well, no dessert for you until you've eaten your dinner," he teased,
setting the cookies aside. Then he removed two plastic stemmed glasses,
along with a bottle of one of Maddy's favorite beverages.
"Asti!" she exclaimed. "Boy, you are full of surprises. What are we
celebrating?"
"You," he said softly, pouring the effervescent golden liquid into their
beach-appropriate holders. He handed her one as he settled in next to her
on the blanket. "We're celebrating you," he repeated, as they clinked
champagne flutes. All a choked-up Maddy could do was smile back at him
as he beamed at her in the night.