Metty sat in the middle seat of Darius's van the night she and her friends went to the Coastal Carolina Fair. Aidan sat next to her, but after they were introduced, he ignored her and made conversation with Darius and his fiancée, Valerie, as Darius drove. Valerie sat in the front passenger seat and Angie and Chet cuddled in the back seat. Valerie tried to include Metty in the conversation, but Aidan glossed over any comments involving her. He talked about cooking and restaurants where he had worked, including the famous Italian restaurant where he met Darius.

Not soon enough for Metty, they pulled into the parking area at the Fairgrounds. They walked to the entrance. Aidan walked with Darius and Valerie. Angie and Chet caught up to Metty and they entered the Fair.

Dusk was falling as Marco drove with Madison beside him and two bodyguards in the back of his Mercedes. Alexei drove his convertible behind Marco's Mercedes to the Fair. Jessica rode shotgun with him, Dolores and her current boyfriend, Chris, snuggled in the back. Luis Harrison had arranged VIP parking for them.

Marco drove through the Fair parking lot, followed by Alexei, and stopped by an attendant. He showed their pass and was directed to VIP parking. The attendant looked after them curiously as they walked to the entrance.

They walked into the fairgrounds, smells of frying food and hot dogs and popcorn coaxing them to eat. Marco led the way to a ticket booth. He paid for all day passes for rides and handed them out. They walked down the Midway, through families, groups of teens, couples strolling hand in hand. Rides hummed and rattled, attracting lines of ticket holders. Barkers called attention to the magnificent prizes to be won for a bit of skill and a hint of daring for only a few dollars.

"It's just getting dark," Dolores said. "What do you want to do first? Rides?" She looked at Marco hopefully.

"Which ones? Rides that fling you up and down? Whirl you around till you're so dizzy you fall?" he said.

"Yes!" She hopped up and down.

"We'd better go on those before we eat, or we'll vomit," said Alexei, laughing. Madison and Marco nodded.

"I'm game," Chris said.

"Let's ride," said Dolores.

"Which one first?" Marco asked.

"The roller coaster," Dolores said, pointing. She walked to the line waiting to board the ride.

Metty watched Aidan shoot at moving ducks. He blasted enough to win a small stuffed cow and offered it to Angie. "For your little sister," he said. She, half smiled, half grimaced, and stuffed it in her bag.

The group walked on. Aidan walked with Chet. Chet looked back to Angie, but she signaled him to stay with Aidan as she walked with Metty.

"I'm sorry Aidan is so standoffish," she said, whispering.

"He's not your problem. Or mine."

"I set you two up."

"Let's just have a good time tonight. I love the Fair. I can enjoy it without Aidan. I don't want to keep you from spending time with Chet, though."

"Chet sees plenty of me, I guarantee. He's a good guy. They're getting in the line for the roller coaster."

Metty and Angie stood behind the others, chatting quietly. When the attendant loaded them into the car, Chet pulled Angie with him, leaving Aidan with Metty. Aidan didn't say a word as the car creaked up and up the rise, hesitated on the top, then fell down, gaining speed. Aidan waved his arms, yelling, as the train hurtled around the tracks. Metty clung to the bar, thrilled by the rush of air and the pull of gravity.

The cars slowed down and stopped. Aidan hopped out and headed down the exit stairs without helping her out.

Aidan turned to Darius. "Anyone hungry? Let's get something to eat."

They walked down the fairway. The night sky was clear and star filled, and the fairway was brightly lit, sparkling and flashing. They stopped at a hamburger booth. The guys got in line. Aidan ordered for himself. Darius ordered for Valerie and himself.

Chet asked Angie, Valerie and Metty what they wanted and placed their orders.

"We'll bring all the orders, ladies," said Chet. The girls sat at a table. The men joined them with the food.

"Who's got ketchup?" Darius asked. Angie handed him some packets. He squirted ketchup on his fries and began to eat. "Fair food. Greasy, hot, overcooked, wonderful," Darius said happily.

"Mmm-hmmm," said Valerie, through a mouthful of fried mushrooms. "Once a year, nothing like it."

Metty ate a cheeseburger. "Did you enter the food contest this year, Darius?"

"Not eligible. Professional."

"That would be fun to win," she said. "I'm such a poor cook."

"Stick around PizzaFeast. We'll teach you," said Darius.

"If there's anything Darius likes more than cooking, it's teaching people to cook," said Valerie. She laughed. "You may get more than you bargained for."

"Didn't your mom or grandmother teach you to cook?" said Darius, around a mouthful of burger. "You said your grandma's a good cook."

"She is, but she didn't like have too many people in the kitchen. My older sister helped out, but I was too young. Now they're tired of cooking. So..." Metty ate the last of her fries.

"There's a great band at nine," said Chet. "We're going to the concert, right?"

"Right," said Angie. She checked the time on her cell. "It's 8:00. We'd better go now so we can get good seats. It's not reserved seating."

They got at the end of a short line waiting for the concert by Carolina Waveriders, a new Country band which boasted two number one hits. People lined up behind them.

"Got here just in time," Chet said. "Line's getting long."