Miss Opportunity - Ch. 24.2

The introductions didn’t officially begin until Millsap joined the group. That’s when Tonja called everybody over to the rest area. Then each mother introduced her own child/children to their bosses.

When it was Cami’s turn, she made sure to mention that her son was a huge NASCAR fan, which was something that she knew Millsap and Little Man had in common.

One of Millsap’s brows lifted with suspicion. Was Cami trying to pull a fast one? Was she using her son to do it?

“Who’s your favorite driver, lil’ homie?” Millsap asked Little Man in order to put his suspicions to rest. “I’m kinda partial to Dale Earnhardt Jr. myself, because I liked his dad so much.”

Little Man grinned at that impromptu nickname and at the man’s interest in his favorite pastime. “Earnhardt Jr. is cool, but I like Carl Edwards better,” he replied in a confident tone.

“Why is that?” Millsap asked, looking impressed by his knowledge of NASCAR drivers.

“For one thing, Edwards is not riding off of his daddy’s reputation. For another, Edwards ranked higher than Earnhardt at the Dover Speedway. His best finish was first and his worst was only eighteen. Earnhardt’s worse was at thirty-seven.” Little Man chuckled. “I’d rather come in eighteenth place any day than thirty-seventh.”

Millsap smiled, revealing an instant rapport. “Me, too, lil’ homie,” he replied, inwardly pleased that Cami hadn’t been up to her old tricks again. That her son really was a racing fan and knew his stuff.

While Millsap and Little Man continued to talk about NASCAR, everyone else either went back to playing or walked over to the rest area to sit down, talk, and eat snacks. Cami was one of the sit-talk-and-snackers. It was easier to monitor how well Millsap and her son were getting along that way.

Things soon developed better than Cami could have ever imagined between the two males. Millsap and Little Man were like two peas in a pod. They even enjoyed a friendly challenge to see which one of them was the best driver around the S-shaped outdoor track.

Little Man and Millsap raced not once, but twice. Both times Little Man won. Millsap claimed that was only because the go-cart wasn’t built for a man his size. That Little Man had an advantage because he was smaller.

Tears actually pricked Cami’s eyes to see them laughing together and enjoying each other’s company so well. It was very important to her that they get along. Especially since she had already laid claim on Millsap as the perfect man for her. Which meant he had to be the perfect stepfather for her son.

Cami didn’t want to go through what her cousin did when Delia’s oldest son opposed her union with Royal. She didn’t want to have to secretly elope and then pretend that they were still just dating until her child came around.

Fortunately, Royal was eventually able to win Junior completely over. Now they had one of the best father/son relationships around. In fact, Cami hoped that Millsap and Little Man would one day mirror that solid relationship.

While Cami was watching the interaction between her child and the man she wanted, Tonja was doing the same thing a few feet away.

Presently, Mike-Mike was wooing Tonja’s little girl and a few other kids by behaving like a human beat box. He topped that off by performing several funny impressions. Some of those impressions were from the children’s favorite cartoon characters. Mike-Mike did SpongeBob, several characters from the Jimmy Neutron show, and a few from the PBS show Arthur.

“Oh, Mommie, I love him so much!” Rena exclaimed after Mike-Mike impersonated D.W., her favorite character from Arthur to a tee.

I do, too, baby, Tonja mused, meeting her lover’s gaze and suddenly realizing that Mike-Mike loved her, too.

Would either of them ever confess their love?

Not while they were still involved with other people.

© 2008 by Suprina Frazier

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To hear the amazing human beat box:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLN63bRcY5I