sister wrote better, I’d be all over it. Otherwise, you’re off my radar.”
Not to mention that she’d been working to support herself all through college and grad school. A full course load along with shifts at the library mixed with Saturday nights waitressing at a bar for the mega-tips didn’t leave her time to peruse the Internet. But she didn’t want to bring all that up. Madison didn’t need pity for her hard work. It got her to her dream job in an amazing city. She had no regrets.
“Since you asked, yeah, the blog’s a big deal. If you’d asked ten random people in the POV Bar last week, eight of them would’ve said they’d heard of it, and probably five would be followers. Not that I’m bragging. It’s just fact. Or so the marketing people at SER tell us.”
“So they turned your blog into a podcast?”
“
Added
the podcast,” he corrected, with a sharp squeeze to her ass for emphasis. “We keep the blog going separately. We believe in it, in exposing all the shit guys are scared to talk about. We have fun with it. The podcast is an extension. Just us sitting around shooting the breeze on a topic. Which is honestly how we’d spend every Sunday afternoon anyway.”
“And people who don’t know you listen to this?”
“Yeah. A lot.”
“That
is
odd.” Why not hang out with your own friends, instead of eavesdropping on others? It went against all of Madison’s instincts. She believed in finding your own close, special circle and hunkering down with them. On the other hand, geez, how lonely did you have to be to live vicariously through someone else’s friendship? Maybe
Naked Men
did help people. She’d have to tune in and assess for herself.
Knox shook his head. Laughed and threw his arms out to the sides. “So my celebrity and my money don’t impress you. What’s left?”
Thinking about the inner strength it took to turn his life around, his loyalty and tenderness to his mother, Madison answered, “There’s quite a bit left to impress me, Knox. If you’ll let me in enough to discover it.”
She turned away to figure out just how much more to say, when the view made her gasp. Across the lawn, at the top of a rise, stood a rectangle comprised of enormous and ornate marble columns. “What are those?” Without waiting for the answer, Madison grabbed Knox’s hand and tugged him toward them.
“Those are the original columns of the U.S. Capitol building from 1828. Once the dome got added, those magnificent Corinthian columns just didn’t look right, so less than forty years later they removed all twenty-four.”
The sheer majesty and history overwhelmed her. “They are magnificent.”
“Glad you like the view. That’s where we’re picnicking.”
Having worked at the Library of Congress for only a week, the thrill had yet to wear off. Madison, in fact, made her back ramrod straight and almost tiptoed when she walked past the Supreme Court on her way in to work every day. And the view of the Capitol dome out of her office window still took her breath away. So the thought of sitting among the columns made her more nervous than excited.
“No. We can’t. We’re allowed that close?”
“Yep.” Knox held a finger to her lips. “Before you fly off the handle, it has nothing to do with me throwing money around this time. They’re just part of the Arboretum. Totally accessible for everyone to enjoy.”
Madison tried to stop at the edge of the stone platform to wallow in the moment, but Knox urged her to keep going by pulling on her arm. The dusk was turning into velvety darkness now, but the nearly full moon made the columns glow. Cicadas kept up a steady buzz.
At the far side of the columns, Madison gasped. Again. Because steps lined with round paper lanterns led down to a reflecting pool, rimmed with candles. At its edge was a low table covered with a white cloth. A traditional wicker picnic basket sat on top. Blankets and pillows surrounded it, along with about a
Not to mention that she’d been working to support herself all through college and grad school. A full course load along with shifts at the library mixed with Saturday nights waitressing at a bar for the mega-tips didn’t leave her time to peruse the Internet. But she didn’t want to bring all that up. Madison didn’t need pity for her hard work. It got her to her dream job in an amazing city. She had no regrets.
“Since you asked, yeah, the blog’s a big deal. If you’d asked ten random people in the POV Bar last week, eight of them would’ve said they’d heard of it, and probably five would be followers. Not that I’m bragging. It’s just fact. Or so the marketing people at SER tell us.”
“So they turned your blog into a podcast?”
“
Added
the podcast,” he corrected, with a sharp squeeze to her ass for emphasis. “We keep the blog going separately. We believe in it, in exposing all the shit guys are scared to talk about. We have fun with it. The podcast is an extension. Just us sitting around shooting the breeze on a topic. Which is honestly how we’d spend every Sunday afternoon anyway.”
“And people who don’t know you listen to this?”
“Yeah. A lot.”
“That
is
odd.” Why not hang out with your own friends, instead of eavesdropping on others? It went against all of Madison’s instincts. She believed in finding your own close, special circle and hunkering down with them. On the other hand, geez, how lonely did you have to be to live vicariously through someone else’s friendship? Maybe
Naked Men
did help people. She’d have to tune in and assess for herself.
Knox shook his head. Laughed and threw his arms out to the sides. “So my celebrity and my money don’t impress you. What’s left?”
Thinking about the inner strength it took to turn his life around, his loyalty and tenderness to his mother, Madison answered, “There’s quite a bit left to impress me, Knox. If you’ll let me in enough to discover it.”
She turned away to figure out just how much more to say, when the view made her gasp. Across the lawn, at the top of a rise, stood a rectangle comprised of enormous and ornate marble columns. “What are those?” Without waiting for the answer, Madison grabbed Knox’s hand and tugged him toward them.
“Those are the original columns of the U.S. Capitol building from 1828. Once the dome got added, those magnificent Corinthian columns just didn’t look right, so less than forty years later they removed all twenty-four.”
The sheer majesty and history overwhelmed her. “They are magnificent.”
“Glad you like the view. That’s where we’re picnicking.”
Having worked at the Library of Congress for only a week, the thrill had yet to wear off. Madison, in fact, made her back ramrod straight and almost tiptoed when she walked past the Supreme Court on her way in to work every day. And the view of the Capitol dome out of her office window still took her breath away. So the thought of sitting among the columns made her more nervous than excited.
“No. We can’t. We’re allowed that close?”
“Yep.” Knox held a finger to her lips. “Before you fly off the handle, it has nothing to do with me throwing money around this time. They’re just part of the Arboretum. Totally accessible for everyone to enjoy.”
Madison tried to stop at the edge of the stone platform to wallow in the moment, but Knox urged her to keep going by pulling on her arm. The dusk was turning into velvety darkness now, but the nearly full moon made the columns glow. Cicadas kept up a steady buzz.
At the far side of the columns, Madison gasped. Again. Because steps lined with round paper lanterns led down to a reflecting pool, rimmed with candles. At its edge was a low table covered with a white cloth. A traditional wicker picnic basket sat on top. Blankets and pillows surrounded it, along with about a
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