Thiane was right. Playing games showed one's personality. Cole was competitive, and he didn't seem like a sore loser. Thandie noted he loved to hear compliments when he won, but above all, he craved for attention. Thus, he didn't take a shot unless he was sure Thandie and others watched his exploits.

No matter the game, Cole scored high until Thandie took the lead in suggesting activities.

What do the Zipper, the Tower Drop, and the Star Flyer have in common?

All rides have one attached without means to escape and wanting to pee themselves with fright. Thandie discovered Cole's other face, which played it all manly while his stare displayed absolute fear he didn't wish to admit.

Cole couldn't believe Thandie could laugh while shaken like a Bahama Mama on crushed ice. The face he saw contrasted with the impassible one she showed. The mother of four was precisely how he imagined her: cold like a marble floor on the outside and fun like hell in a bikini on the inside.

"Are you okay, Cole?"

"I'm good. How about we sit down for a few minutes?"

"Alright."

The couple found a bench to sit on, and Cole regained his composure. The time out was the perfect moment to learn more about each other.

"Wow, I think I almost flatlined," Cole finally admitted. "You seem to be taking it well."

"I have four kids, remember? Once you bring kids into the world, everything else is as easy as apple pie."

"Ah, yeah, so nothing scares you?" Cole asked, bumping a shoulder into hers.

Thandie reflected for a second.

"Wait a minute, hold the thought. Do you want something to drink?" Cole asked.

"Yeah, a Coca-Cola zero."

"Okay, I'll be back," Cole left. He hurried to find toilets to pee. His bladder wanted to break free. The rides Thandie suggested trimmed his lifeline. The woman had energy; she didn't complain or ask for anything, which was a good point. Thandie went with the flow. At the same time, Cole didn't play it, Don Juan.

"Here," Cole said five minutes later, handing her a can of Coca-Cola Zero and a hot dog. "Don't worry, it's vegan if you don't eat meat."

"Thank you," Thandie said. She guessed it was Cole's cheat meal day as she watched him sit down and take a bite of his hot dog that reduced it by half.

"So what scares you?" Cole asked after another bite.

Cole had not forgotten his question. Thanks to their online conversations, he already knew a lot about her. He knew she stayed up late and did a lot of chores when the children slept. Thandie loved stand-up comedies and horror. Her favorite color was chocolate and all its shades. Cole avoided asking anything profound online. He preferred a face-to-face interaction where he could see her expression, like the one she harbored then.

Thandie replied, "I don't want anything to happen to my kids. "

Makes sense, thought the man.

Cole took a sip of his Dr pepper. "I didn't ask online, but why did you divorce?"

Thandie's blinking eyes attested she didn't expect the question, at least not then.

"I had no choice." She wondered whether she should say he left her for another woman. She remembered how she used to believe that if a man abandoned his wife, it meant they failed to satisfy him somehow. "Let's say he went out to get milk and never returned."

"I bet you still love him," Cole said.

"A marriage isn't easy to forget."

Cole nodded and turned to face her, "Your trust is hard to gain."

The volume of the carnival seemed muted. All Thandie could hear was the deafening sound of her heartbeat.

"My heartㅡ."

"ㅡIsn't probably ready for a relationship."

"I wouldn't say that." Thandie reflected a second, "I have kids. It's not just about me. I can't just let anyone into my life."

"It's a good thing I already know them," Cole said with a smile.

Cole was too confident. There was something about him that reminded her of Moses. Like Moses, he already seemed to know the answers one would give, but still, he stirred questions to hear them. He also had this thing of looking about and trying to grab people's attention. Oh, and there was the walk. The confident baller-type walk that said look at me now.

It was odd to feel attracted and unattracted at the same time.

"So you live close to the off-license?"

"I live with my mom down Nickel Street."

Thandie blinked once as she tried to seize the information. Her plans of maybe seeing him at his place broke like glass as she imagined herself sneaking in and going up the stairs like she once did when she was sixteen.

"I had an apartment with my Ex. I moved out when we broke up."

"Why did you break up?"

"We no longer had the same vision. I wanted marriage and kids, and she wasn't ready. She wasn't the family type, and family is important to me."

Thandie nodded. She understood, but something told her to dig deeper.

"How long were you together?"

"Four years. You really only know someone once you live with them. She got irritated when my family visited. She hated family gatherings. My faith is also important, and it was also a matter."

Thandie couldn't deny that what Cole evoked could be an issue, but they could find a resolution. Cole's Ex sounded like a selfish person from his perspective. Thandie tried to see it from his ex's pov. She asked herself at what frequency Cole's family visited or how many times Cole went to see them. She remembered how she was sometimes too tired for the third christening or wedding of the month. The full-time representation of the perfect wife was too much.

Thandie suffered from Moses' family criticism. She became a bad wife just because she refused once or twice to help cook for parties. Painful memories Thandie thought she had forgotten surfaced as Cole spoke. Thandie recalled how her sister-in-law spoke of her when she couldn't help because Meia's pregnancy made her nauseous.

"You're spoiling her. You spend all your money on your wife, but look how she disrespects your family. Being pretty isn't everything, Moses. She brings nothing to the table apart from babies and more bills. What benefits do you reap from this marriage?"

Benefits.

Thandie discovered then that her marriage worked like an LP Limited Partnership. Moses was the general partner who bore unlimited personal responsibility, and she contributed to the business, which was their family. Her liability was restricted to the amount of her investment. For Moses' family, she was worthless.

Moses' new wife was young and also the docile type that said yes and Amen to every errand asked.

Not again was all Thandie thought while Cole spoke. She didn't see herself having to justify her actions to an exacting family. The fact that Cole lived with his mom hinted at two things—one, the strong bond they had, and two, the control his mom probably had over his life.

"Aren't you looking for somewhere else to live?"

"Rents are expensive. I'm thinking of buying; I'm saving up for the moment."

Of course, he was saving; the guy lived with his mom.

"Does your family know you're out on a date with an older divorced woman with four kids?"

"Yes, I was surprised, but my mother was almost thrilled. She says it's better to be with someone mature for growth."

Thandie couldn't explain it, but Coles's comment about growth tapped into her head until it ticked her off. She could almost imagine Cole's mother swiping her forehead and saying, "Phew, I've almost got myself a replacement."

From that point, Cole's smile or sweet babyface annoyed her. The man went from a potential mate to the neighborhood youngster who had a crush on Ms. Robinson.

Thandie didn't want the role, and the last take of their date sealed the thought.

"We better get back before my mom realizes the car is gone."

Thandie's ideal shattered, and Cole got sucked into a wormhole of her mind.

"Oh, eh, yeah, let's go. You better step on it. We don't want Mom to get mad," Thandie said in a tone she attempted to make non-sarcastic.

Luckily for her, Cole was too absorbed in getting the car back to notice.

"How did it go?" Thiane asked as soon as she passed the door.

Thandie sighed and looked about to see if her kids were around before saying, "Can you do your pep talk about good men again because I think I've lost faith?"

"Ouch, was it that bad?"

"No, it's just, he's a kid who wants a stepmom. Do you know what? We had to hurry back because he feared his mom would notice he had taken her car."

"No way, Tha."

"Yes, way, Thi, T-Boz sang about it in Scrubs, and it happened. I met a scrub-halfling guy."

"Like the man bought the legend into the IRL," Thiane chuckled. She couldn't stop.

Thandie fell back on the couch, covering her eyes," it's a nightmare."

"It's a first date; the next one could be better," Thiane said as she fell beside her.

"No, I won't date him again."

"I meant a date with someone else. You have your other matches. Pick someone your age with a little stability."

"Listen, I don't want to hear about dating or men for the moment. I want to sleep," Thandie said.

While Thiane removed her sister's makeup, Cole dropped the car keys in the tray at the entrance, put his shoes on the right shoe shelf, and tiptoed to his room. He then began to analyze his date. Thandie was fun, but she gave off that older sister vibe. Also, he didn't know if he had the patience and the energy to wait for her heart to heal. Even sleeping with her looked like a challenge. She seemed like the type of woman who needed a lot of prep time before one got in her panties. Thus, Cole decided to keep her on the side and converse with her occasionally. It was a limited investment that could get him somewhere.

Cole answered his questionnaire with that in mind while Thandie swiped him out in her Oppo selection.