LOVE IN THE BAKING

LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

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."