Theo lay on his couch and stared at his laptop, his brows hiking higher and higher. There were recaps available for each Mighty and Mouse episode on MeTube … and it was a good thing he was sitting down. The sight made him more than a bit queasy.
*Bbbbrring Bbbrring!*
His throat tightened as soon as he looked at his phone. Terrible timing. “Lola,” he answered, keeping his voice smooth.
“Good morning!” her throaty voice boomed, practically rattling the speaker. “How is our brave new contestant today?”
“Contestant?”
“Ned told me the good news, and I was most thrilled.”
“Whoa, whoa.” Theo sat up and muted his laptop. “Let’s not jump the gun here. All I said to Ned was, I had a few more questions.”
“Ah.” *chuckle* “Very well. We’ll pretend you’re still undecided, then.”
Pretend?? Did she not see how adamantly he’d said ‘no’ yesterday?!
“What are your questions, dear?”
He fumed; glanced at the ever-more-distressing sights on his screen. Yeesh! He convulsively shut his laptop, suppressing a shudder and—
“Ahem… Sorry to rush you, hon, but the Marketing department isn’t going to run itself.”
Right. It was barely 8 AM, but of course a V.P. would have started work by then. Ned had promised she’d ‘squeeze in a call with him’ when she had a ‘minute to spare’...
“OK.” He cut right to the basics. “When would I—we—whoever—be competing?”
“Episode Six—the last Qualifier. Two weeks from tomorrow.”
“Damn…”
“Yes, very short notice. A team had to withdraw—torn ACL, unfortunately. But very fortunate timing for you.”
Now the even bigger question: “Who would be my teammate?”
“Mmm … who, indeed. Husband and wife teams are the most common. Are you married, hon?”
“A girlfriend. Elaine.” He winced. “But there’s no way she’d do it.” Nor was Theo sure he wanted that either. But he’d already thought of a (slightly) less insufferable option—the biggest, strongest woman he knew, albeit rather brusque and boorish … “Lola, could you team with me?”
She responded to his anxious suggestion with a bellowing laugh. “Sweet of you, hon, but it’s against company rules. Besides, there’s no backstory there. These shows are all about the character drama—you need something compelling. Amusing, or fascinating, or both.”
He sighed reluctantly. “Well, my girlfriend moved in just before EGAD, and she used to be five foot two.”
“To your six foot six? Such a dramatic reversal! That does have potential. Yes, bring her by for dinner tonight.”
“But she won’t agree to it. She’s really not an athlete; she hates sports; ...”
“We’ll just have to spin it the right way then, won’t we? Bring her tonight, six o’clock. Got any kids? Bring ‘em too, if you like. There’ll be plenty of food.”
“OK, but—“
“Great. It’s settled. See you tonight.”
* * *
With everything happening today at work, Elaine had forgotten to bring a lunch. She appreciated her boyfriend swinging by to drop it off. Still, though… the thing he just said…
“It’s called what?” she repeated, trying not to spill her coffee.
Theo shifted in discomfort, standing beside her desk. “Mighty and Mouse.”
“You want to go on a game show … named after a cartoon.”
“It’s more of a play on words, actually.”
She just stared.
Theo grunted. “As it happens, the man does sort of wear a mouse suit. But not you. You’d wear—“
“Me??” Elaine looked at him in disbelief. “You think I’ll go on this show??”
“I need a partner—a woman. … Look, I had the exact same reaction myself. But once you get past the, uh, sillier parts—“
“Like a grown man in a mouse outfit?”
“—then it’s really not all that bad. It’s actually pretty tough and competitive. And the prizes are incredible.”
Who was this soft-lipped man standing before her? Surely not the cocksure, red-blooded stallion who used to swoon her with a single stare. The stud who had so fearlessly hit on her at the bar downtown, right in front of her then-boyfriend Alex. Arrogantly told her where she could find him the next night—and sure enough, there he was. So brash, reckless, self-assured. God, what a man he was.
And today she was stuck with a man who, in full earnest, wanted to dress like a rodent on a show he himself had called ‘silly’. SILLY!
He droned on; something about ‘Apogee’… ‘new formula’… Her mind wandered to her meeting later, mentally rehearsing her presentation again…
“… get my old size back, for a year.”
“What?” She tuned in again.
“Or most of it, anyway. Possibly you too, if you want.”
They can do that? That’s a thing? Elaine pursed her lips pensively.
“Just come to dinner tonight. Hear them out.”
The game show still sounded awful.
“The food’ll be great.”
She eventually sighed. “Fine. But you owe me.”
As he left, passing through the cubicles, a woman no taller than Elaine walked by and he visibly shied away from her, swerving to the side. *sigh*… Where was that man she once knew?
* * *
“Ugh… why do I have to go to this?” Jen complained from the passenger’s seat.
“It’s a family outing,” Theo deadpanned. “We’re a family.”
“Then why’s Elaine coming? She’s not family.”
“Jen…”
“What? She’s just your girlfriend.”
“Let’s not start that again,” he huffed, turning to her at a red light. “Try to behave for once. No more antics.”
“I always behave!”
Ha! “Oh, that’s rich. Well, at the very least, don’t sulk.” She was an expert at that—as her sigh and drooping head were already showing!
But in fact the sulking didn’t last long. “Whoa,” she muttered, as they looped around the circle drive and approached the imposing front door. And when that front door opened: “Holy--!!” she hissed, right by Theo’s ear.
He couldn’t actually blame her. Sweet Jesus, Lola was built like a tank. Her short, tight, sleeveless dress showed this in alarming, almost dizzying detail.
“Welcome!” the burly behemoth loudly greeted. “Right on time.”
“How tall are you?!”
Theo jerked his head in scandalized annoyance at Jen’s shrill blurt, but Lola seemed highly amused. “Six foot six,” she replied smoothly. “Six ten, perhaps, in these heels.”
“Wowww!!”
“And I weigh two hundred seventy-three pounds.”
“Holy wow!!”
“You’re Theo’s daughter, I presume?”
“Y-Yes, ma’am!” the frivolous girl squeaked. Gaping rudely, she didn’t seem to noticed Lola’s proffered hand.
She got this way around taller women sometimes, but never this bad. Theo had to jostle her elbow. “C’mon, Jen, shake her hand.”
She yipped in surprise and put her bony hand in Lola’s, as the big woman shook it with obvious care. “Forgive her,” Theo grouched. “I don’t know where she learned to be so rude.”
“Not at all! I get such reactions every day, and I love it. … Ah, it appears your girlfriend is here.”
Elaine’s car pulled up behind his. “She came straight from work,” Theo explained, as his girlfriend stepped out. Oof. She’d had time to change outfits, and her stretchy black top did cling rather nicely to her breasts…
But she had not replaced her high heels. He didn’t like her wearing them at all, but especially not out with him in public! Lola’s heels, he could deal with. But being a full head shorter than his girlfriend? It’s like she was trying to embarrass him on purpose.
But Lola didn’t skip a beat. “You must be Elaine.”
“I must be,” she tepidly replied, firmly but disinterestedly shaking her hand—without even a flicker of pain.
“Lola,” the bulky brunette greeted.
“Mmhmm,” said Elaine dully.
Great… she was in a mood already. She always—
Yohhhhh. As Lola stepped aside, he saw a woman standing behind her in the foyer next to Ned. Hands-down one of the hottest women he'd seen in a long time. Tall, lean, and fit, with fantastic tits nestled in a form-fitting sweater and a deliciously short skirt showcasing spectacular thighs above bold knee-high leather boots. He felt his jaw falling slightly agape and his heart skip a beat as her sultry eyes looked his way.
“Is this him? The man himself?” Her voice was as sexy as the rest of her. It purred with sensual energy as her disarming smile grew.
“Sure is,” confirmed Lola. “Theo, meet Alice Keats, one of the show’s producers. Hint: she’s the one you’ll need to impress.”
“That shouldn’t be too difficult,” the pleasing voice lilted as this foxy dame approached. Her height was merely average for a woman—hardly six feet tall—so her own high heels put her not too far above him at all. Heels, by the way, which were attached to dauntless thigh-high boots, beneath a surprisingly short leather skirt and form-fitting top. Her delicate cheeks dimpled in a smile as her refreshingly slender arm extended toward him. Her skin was remarkably soft, her touch wondrously gentle, as she rested her hand in his. “Pleasure to meet you, Theo.”
Was anyone else noticing the suggestive tone in her voice? The openly pleased stare? The way her hand lingered longer than it ought to have?
“Y-You too...” Uh… “Ms. Keats.” Man he was getting flustered.
“Call me Alice,” she said with an open wink as her hand finally slid away.
Flirting with him right in front of his girlfriend? What woman was ever that brazen?? He looked to Elaine—but surprisingly she didn’t seem bothered to care. Just rolled her eyes and looked away.
“Impress?” Jen asked. “Why? What show?”
“Did you not tell them?” asked Lola, amused.
Theo’s face reddened slightly. “Only told Elaine.” Hadn’t thought to tell Jen.
But Alice said it right out: “I'm considering the two of them as possible contestants on Mighty and Mouse.”
Jen’s eyes looked about to pop right out of her head. “WHAT!?!?”
***
Theo looked on disparagingly as his daughter pummeled Alice with question after question all the way to the dinner table.
"Do you work with the contestants??"
"Yes—beforehand, and the day of."
"Wow! What's that like?"
"It's fun. I love seeing their progress, throughout training and beyond. Very rewarding."
"Cool! Do they act the same offstage as during the show?"
"Some yes, some no. Quite a range of personalities we’ve had."
“Who’s the biggest badass in real life?”
“Language!” Theo scolded. But the eager girl didn’t seem to hear him.
“Oh, that’d be Bridgette Lindstrom, hands down.”
“The Valkyrie!!” They'd reached the table, and Jen took a seat next to Alice without asking. "Oh my god, she’s my favorite! She’s amazing! She--"
"Enough, Jen!" Theo rebuked even louder. Damn… by now every seat was taken except the one between Lola and Elaine—the two largest women in the room. He had to tuck in his elbows as he sat down; didn’t have room for much else.
Jen gave a sort of whimper as she ruefully held back her remaining questions with considerable effort.
"Your daughter's quite a fan of the show!" Lola commented cheerfully. Even sitting, her head hovered well above his. And the sheer diameter of her arms, compared to his… He tried not to think about it.
"It's news to me," Theo grumped. He turned to Jen. "When have you watched it? Certainly never when I've been around."
"Umm...I didn't think you'd approve," skinny Jen admitted sheepishly, biting her lip. "I watch it in my room when you’re not around."
Alice’s smoldering green eyes fixated on him as she leaned forward. "Why would she think you wouldn't approve?"
He tugged at his collar. "I don't know if we need to get into that," he diplomatically replied.
Grgh!&% … Lola’s elbow drove into his arm, rocking his whole body! “I think she's trying to gauge your feelings toward the show, Theo,” she noted calmly. “Pretty relevant for determining whether you'd make a good contestant, wouldn't you say?"
Theo could do without so many eyes on him. "I mean … the show’s fine," he lied. "Just..."
"Dinner's served!"
The attention switched to Ned as he carried in a full rack of lamb fresh from the oven. "Wow, that looks delicious!" Lola praised.
The table enthusiastically agreed, and the conversation shifted to more frivolous topics. Which suited Theo just fine.
* * *
As they moved to one of the multiple living rooms after dinner, a red-painted fingernail tapped Theo’s shoulder. “Alright—out with it.”
He turned to look up in surprise at who else but the breathtaking Alice. “Excuse me?” he queried, catching a pleasing whiff of warm perfume.
“Tell me how you really feel about the show.”
“I’m fine with it.”
“Theo.” Her eyes glinted with flirtatious reproach as her hand briefly settled on his shoulder. “We’re alone now. You can be honest with me.”
‘Alone now’… The way she said it sent warm tingles down his spine. She was standing close enough that their bodies were practically touching. But they were hardly ‘alone’—the four others were right over there, having a conversation! What would Elaine think, if she just turned her head?
“I have no problem with the show.”
“Riiiight. You know, all our competitors so far have been quite amenable to the show and quite readily embraced it. We’ve never had someone who was outright opposed to it and everything it represents.”
“I never said—”
“It’s alright—I actually think this could be a wonderful new spin on the show. I can’t wait to see how it’ll play out.”
Was he that obvious? Pfft. “I don’t have to like the show to compete on it,” he gruffed. “My personal feelings won’t affect me. I plan on winning that damned prize.”
“Fiery! I like it.” She ran a hand through her hair. “Spoken like a real alpha.”
Huh? “Well… yes, I am.” He felt his pride swelling. “And I used to be six foot six, in fact. And weighed two sixty.” He grunted. “And unlike Lola, my muscles were all natural.”
Her eyes sparkled; her lips parted. “You must show me a photo,” her electric voice hummed.
Should he? Screw it, why not? Besides, the others were venturing into a side room, leaving the two of them very much alone.
As he pulled out his phone and flipped to old photos, the gorgeous blonde moved in behind him. "Oh my gosh," she teased, her head now leaning over his shoulder and her breast ever-so-lightly brushing his upper back. "You still have these on Outstagram? So cute."
"Why’s that ‘cute’?"
"It just is.” Her hand squeezed his arm. She was becoming more familiar by the second. “Ooooh, look at that one..."
Her hand snaked around his left side and snatched the phone from his hand. “Hey!” he protested. But then he saw how her eyes lit up she swiped along. "Niiiice ... oh, very nice ... Oh, wow …" She meant it, too. Behind her playful mirth was a glint of breathless excitement. “You are certainly not the typical male contestant,” she lavishly praised.
Yowser. “So, uh…” *cough* “… does that mean I made it on the show?” he bantered smoothly enough.
“If only it were that easy, hot stuff. We still have to secure you a partner.”
Damn. “So, about that…”
Theo explained that his girlfriend wasn’t keen to compete. But Alice, unfazed, insisted on talking to her. As Theo returned to the group, Alice shot a wink and thumbs up to Lola then called Elaine aside.
“You passed the audition,” Lola hummed as Theo approached. “It appears she likes you.”
That was an understatement. The gutsiness of that woman, so forthright, so confident…
“That’s awesome, man!” cheered Ned—but almost immediately his expression clouded with worry, his teeth biting his lip as his gaze flitted over to Alice and Elaine.
“Really, husband, you needn’t fret,” Lola griped with a long-suffering sigh, drawing Ned in with one hand while sipping wine in the other. “She’ll convince her. Or at least, worrying your little head over it won’t make any difference.”
Theo probably shouldn’t ask, but … “Why so worked up? You’re not competing.”
“I sure wish I could!” Ned blurted, waving his hands anxiously. “I’m so friggin’ jealous!!”
Huh. “Didn’t know you wanted the prize that bad.”
“The prize? No, dude, it’d just be such a blast!”
“Wait… you’d actually do it for fun?!” Not just a last resort??
Ned nodded enthusiastically, and Lola chuckled. “There are many who would enjoy the experience. … Jen, for instance, if I may say so.”
Oh—cripes. Jen was good at blending into the scenery, even when she wasn’t partially concealed by Lola’s hulking frame. The girl was standing right there. But she seemed frozen, gaping up at Lola with wide eyes, like she had been for most of the evening. Just because she’d never seen a woman that size, didn’t mean she should stare like that.
“Jen?” he prompted impatiently.
“Huh?” She looked around. “I … sorry, what?” Her cheeks turned red.
Frivolous girl…
“Suppose we brought you on the show?” Lola joked.
Her screech could be heard a mile away. “Me!?!”
“Cripes, Jen” Theo chided, exasperated. “You need to not be so gullible.”
“Oh…”
Lola shook with laughter. “I couldn’t resist, dear. Didn’t mean to startle you.”
*gulp* “I-I see.”
Theo scowled. Lola and her crass sense of humor…
* * *
Elaine finally gave in, nodding with a sigh. This skinny-waisted bimbo had a point: Elaine should at least watch a clip or two from the show before making a decision. Alice, Theo, Lola—they’d all talked up the show so much, that she at least owed them that.
She approached the TV screen with Alice, the others all around. Taking a sip of her wine, Elaine watched with an open mind as the first images appeared on-screen …
And the glass nearly fell out of her hand.
* * *
“Captain Freedom surges into the lead, with the Toxic Maiden closing ground!”
“Here they come, Mice! Whatever you do, don’t let go!!”
Alice clapped her hands together with a delighted smile. The final seconds of Episode Two always got her, every time. The mad scramble through the Pillars of Peril, the reckless swing over the Shrinker’s Drink … The four exhausted contestants in a final neck-and-neck dash …
“They’ve done it, folks! Freedom reigns!!”
As this riveting recap drew to a close, Alice studied the faces gathered around her. Theo affected an air of disinterest, although his eyes had never left the screen for an instant. Jen, of course, watched with breathless, giddy excitement despite probably having already watched the full episode a half dozen times.
But Elaine: Uh oh. She had already stormed halfway across the room.
Alice chased after her, waving the others off. “Elaine!”
The wide-hipped woman didn’t slow as she made a beeline across the foyer.
“Elaine, hold up!”
Elaine only stopped when Alice slipped past her and stood in her way on the front porch. “What?” demanded Elaine, with brusque impatience.
“I know it’s not quite what you expected.”
“You can say that again.” Elaine tossed her hair indignantly. “God… he told me the show ‘wasn’t that bad’. I should have known better!”
“But the prize—“
“I know about the friggin’ prize, and it’s not worth it. Not even close.”
“Is there anything that could change your mind?”
“Ha! Nothing in the world could get me on that show. I have principles. Apparently Theo does not. Not anymore. Turns out I overestimated him, yet again. I’ll see him at home.”
If Elaine’s words weren’t enough, her expression certainly was. Alice could see it was a lost cause.
“What’d she say?” Theo accosted, as Alice strode across the foyer.
“She won’t do it.”
“I’ll talk to h—“
“She’s already gone. But trust me: she’s a hard no.”
Theo cursed under his breath. He believed her. Once Elaine made up her mind about something, good luck changing it.
“Hmph.” Not that he particularly wanted to team with her anyway. “So who else?” he resolutely went on. “What’s Plan B?”
* * *
How can there not be a Plan B!?
Theo shifted impatiently on the couch, fuming. If there were so many women who supposedly wanted to be on this show, couldn’t they just pick one? No, said Alice. That’s not good enough. Again with the ‘backstory’ thing. Ugh… well, he didn’t have any sisters. Hardly any cousins. No coworkers. And he wasn’t about to call up one of his exes.
Alice and Lola had their heads together across the room, conferring. Maybe they’d pair him with a stranger after all. Or—
“Dang it, Jen--for the umpteenth time!” Her pointy elbow jabbed into him yet again.
“I didn’t mean to!”
There had been enough room on the couch, until Jen let Ned scoot in next to her. “Just keep still, would ya?” he griped, jostling her back.
The girl pouted and turned up the TV volume. Pfff. He snatched the remote from her hand.
“Hey!”
“It’s plenty loud as it is.” He turned it back down.
As if getting made fun of at school wasn’t bad enough, Dad had been a total boob to her the rest of the day. All she wanted to do right now was talk to Alice about her all-time favorite show; but since she couldn’t even do that, at least she could sit and chat about it with Ned while they watched it together. She never got to watch it with anyone! So when Dad turned the volume down to unhearable levels … she basically lost it.
“I guess Kendra could be alright,” Alice mused. “It’s sure not ideal, but …“
“Turn it back up!” From the couch, skinny Jen lunged for the remote. Theo, with a perplexed scoff, held onto it easily, his arm barely moving amidst Jen’s two-handed heave.
“… but I don’t see …”
Theo gave a low warning, cocked his brow, then calmly boxed her out with his shoulder. The featherweight girl flailed and flew helplessly sideways, bumping harmlessly into a surprised Ned.
“… any other …”
“Oh, come on, you brought that on yourself, Jen.”
“… choice.”
The bickering continued, Theo smirking as much as he scowled, clearly finding Jen’s attempt amusing. As Alice watched, Lola leaned in. “Or maybe the answer’s right in front of us.”
Alice blinked. It hadn’t even occurred to her. “A father-daughter team? No, no, we couldn’t.”
“Why not? There’s no rule against it.”
The resilient Jen didn’t give up—she tried again! And Theo barked a laugh.
“Put them together on the show? That could be a train wreck!”
“Yes, and what a hilarious, delightful, spectacular train wreck it would be.”
Gosh… she might be right. Good teamwork and coordination was essential to get through the show. But these two? They’d bumble along like stubborn Zaxes teaming up in a three-legged race. Elbowing, jockeying, quibbling, belly-flopping into the water. Would they win? Probably not. But the show was as much about comedy as competition; and here was some comedic potential that everyone in the audience could relate to these days, probably all too well!
“Yes,” Alice bubbled, her enthusiasm building as she watched Theo and Jen continue to squabble on the couch. “Yes! That could be quite a show. Unlike anything we’ve brought on before! … But will Theo say yes?”
“The man’s desperate.”
“But that desperate?”
“Hmph.” Lola gazed thoughtfully across the room. “Give me a crack at ‘im.”
Theo would have normally put an end to his daughter’s misbehavior by now … but seriously, though? She’d thought she could just pry the remote from his hand? He wasn’t even mad at this point. Both attempts so far were laughable. Like a minnow tugging on a fishing line. As he lectured her about proper behavior in the presence of company, he made no attempt to hold the remote farther away. Part of him almost hoped she’d try it again, so that—
Whaaa--? His shoulders yielded to an oppressive force, like some sort of robotic death-claws or …
Or just Lola’s hands.
“Walk with me, would you?” her voice rumbled from above.
“Why—?“
“Thought I’d break out some of my bourbon reserves. You like bourbon, I assume?”
“Well, sure, but—“
“Then come give me a hand.”
Had Jen noticed the surprise in his eyes? Or how the remote had suddenly dropped from his hand? He didn’t like Lola suddenly being bossy again – especially not with Jen around!
He followed after Lola, incensed. Ready to give her a little piece of his mind. He walked fast to catch up with her …
But as he rounded the second corner, she was facing him. He nearly smacked into her boobs. "Mind a brief demonstration?” she cryptically asked.
“Huh? I guess, but—"
Holy--!! Her hands shot under his armpits—and suddenly gravity reversed as his body vaulted a foot off the ground! She held him at her eye level, almost as effortlessly as Ned the day before! He let out a strangled yelp as his hands instinctively heaved and pried on her thumbs… to surprisingly little effect.
*Whoosh!* She practically dropped him to the floor, leaving him staggering. “Sorry, hon,” she brusquely declared, “but you needed some perspective.”
It took him several moments to recover; but when he did… “O… On what?” he brayed, balling his hands into useless fists. “On how to be a rude, arrogant, offensive—“
“Exactly. Like your teammate could be.”
His fists lowered a smidge. “What?”
“Arrogant, aggressive … that’s precisely the type of woman who tends to try out for this show. You think a random teammate like that would listen to you? Would care what you have to say?”
“Um…”
“What if she was like me? You think you could keep me in line?”
Ack! Lola took an aggressive step forward. Suddenly all he could think about was those arms; how effortlessly they’d lifted him…
“See?” she asked, when he all-too-predictably lurched away. “It’s a lot harder to put your foot down on someone when she can simply carry you away.”
“I… I can hold my own,” he braved, after inching another step backward.
“Oh, sure,” she scoffed. “But why risk teaming up with some bull-headed, self-aggrandizing stranger, when there’s a better option? Someone far more meek-willed, subservient, easy to coerce. Someone you’ve never had any trouble keeping in line.”
“Who? Who is this mythical perfect candidate?”
“Your daughter, Jen.”
“Jen?!”
* * *
Theo’s protests kept blustering on and on as they reached the garage. Expected, but hardly productive. Clearly a bit more coaxing was in order.
“Hey! … Wait, no! … Darn it, put me down!!”
“Not until you grab that bottle, hon. … No, the one to the left … That’s it.”
Boy, what a ruckus he made. All that kicking and cursing. He was quite a lot heavier than Ned. Not a bad workout, holding him above her head and keeping him steady.
*Whoom!* Back to the ground he went. As the red-faced man stumbled, Lola snatched the bottle from his hand. She couldn’t risk her finest double-oaked bourbon hitting the floor.
“What the--?!” he blustered, his voice wavering notably. “Y-You can’t treat people that way! You—“
“Sure I can. That’s just how I am, dear. You agreed to join me here, and now you’re stuck putting up with it.”
Theo swayed in place. A man shouldn’t be picked up by a woman! It was messing with his mind to an embarrassing degree. It colored his every thought and set his heart racing oddly fast and … and … “OK,” he admitted, perhaps more easily than he should. “You made your point.” He was surprised how well it was working. Dealing with a woman like her on the big stage would be awful. Confusing. “I need…”
“Someone more malleable. Of course you do. And so what if she’s weaker right now? An expert trainer like yourself could get her exactly where she needs to be -- and in the right frame of mind.”
He still felt dizzy. “I … I need a minute,” he confessed.
“Take your time. Or I can carry you out, if you need.” She laughed at his startled reaction as she took off down the hall.
“Hey, wait!” he protested, but the heavy thumping of her heels continued until she was out of sight.
“He’s taking a minute to think,” Lola announced to everyone in the room.
His cheeks reddened. That damnable woman! Twice she’d picked him up; and twice he’d failed to do a darned thing about it. Strange thoughts kept running through his head. Thoughts about her, thoughts about the show …
He heard the TV playing and he moved to the doorway. An episode he hadn’t seen yet: a broad-shouldered young woman in a tight-fitting bodysuit. Attractive, he had to admit, despite her size and domineering mien. She stamped her foot at her Mouse companion and pointed to a hole in the ground. As the Mouse shook his head, the Mighty flashed a crooked grin, snatched him up, and tossed him flailing and floundering into the chute regardless. The crowd cheered, while Theo’s stomach churned. The behaviors that these women seem allowed, even encouraged to get away with!
Lola was right. He couldn’t stand a partner like that. No chance in heck. He looked at Jen, sitting on the edge of the couch, hands on her bony knees, eyes riveted to the screen. She’d struggle to keep up with the competition; but if anyone could get her ready enough, it was him. And at least he’d be in charge of things. Unlike with these other bull-headed, confusing women.
After a long pause, he walked into the room. Drew a deep breath and declared his decision with authority. “Jen will be my teammate.”
His daughter’s mouth dropped to the floor. She almost fell off the couch. It took them a minute to convince her that he wasn’t joking; that it was really happening. And when they accomplished this, the girl closed her eyes and screamed!
* * *
Theo should have brought ear plugs. Man, her voice was shrill. She was still squeaking twenty minutes later as they got in the car and he drove them home. Still shaking in random bouts of exuberance.
“Easy, Jen.” He rolled his eyes. “Breathe.”
“I’m trying! I’ll… I’ll keep it down.”
“No need. You’ve already woken up the whole street.”
“I’m just so … Eeeek! I can’t believe--! Thank you!!!”
“You’re welcome.” His daughter’s excitement was infectious. It was nice to see. But still… “Lotta work ahead of us,” he reminded gruffly.
“I know.” Her head bobbed rapidly. “I know. Oh boy!”
Jen dashed across the house and set up a Vvroom call immediately. Soon her best friend’s ecstatic, bright-eyed face appeared onscreen. “Oh my god, how did you get on Mighty and Mouse?!?”
Jen cheerfully explained it to him. Inevitably, her face drooped when she revealed who she was teamed with.
"Ugh!!" Amir commiserated. "Your dad? Captain Jerk-face?!"
Jen snorted in laughter. "Keep it down!" she chided, putting in headphones as Amir continued.
“Stink-butt, stupid-head, dumb oaf, mean brute ..."
"God, you have the lamest insults," Jen teased. "And he’s not mean always…”
“Just ninety-nine point nine percent of the time. You sure you gotta partner with him?"
"Why? You know someone else?” she joked.
Her friend's mouth tightened. "Yeah, like ... me."
Jen saw the hopefulness in his eyes and she covered her mouth. "Oh! Well, yeah, of course! I-I hadn't thought of that! But-"
"It's okayyy..." he said, sounding really hurt - more than she would have expected.
"No, no - you don't understand! My dad's the one who had the connection; he set it up all for him. He just picked me as a second choice; my stepmom wouldn't do it. God, I would totally pick you if I could, Amir - you'd be perfect! Seriously, you'd be a star! And it'd be so much fun. I just didn't think of it 'cuz the spot's already taken."
Her best friend's mood improved. "Aww... thanks. I think I'd be good at it, too."
Jen broke out into giggles.
"What?"
"Oh man... I just pictured you in a mouse suit!"
His face lit up. "You're right! Oh, geez." He grinned. "You know I'd wear it well!"
"Bwahahaha!! Yeah, dude, you're already, like, the perfect size for it!"
"Uh huh! Scurrying and scampering faster than you've ever seen -- Amir, the mouse!!"
Jen almost died laughing. Amir was so comfortable with his size. He found the good in everything.
Once she caught her breath, she sighed. "I'm supposed to fit in that Wonder Woman outfit, though. Gosh..." She frowned down at her wiry body.
"You will!" Amir assured. "I betcha!"
"Ha... thanks. Yeah, they're gonna give me a size booster thingy before the show."
She saw her friend's breath catch in his throat. "Really? When?"
"Starting tomorrow, I think."
His eyes definitely widened. "Whoa..." he said softly, paused, then shook it off. "Um... that's cool!" he said lightly.
Jen didn't think much of it. They chatted for a while longer, then of course Dad barged in and told her to go to bed. With the screen facing away from the door, Amir puffed out his cheeks and wagged his finger at Jen in almost a perfect imitation. Jen barely held in a laugh!
“Bye, Amir! I’ll call you tomorrow after my first day of training!”
“You’d better!”
She waved and hung up with a big smile. Amir always made everything better.