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Just came off from working a long day at the wind tunnel lab at Avitron Tech Aerospace. I'm really looking forward to getting off from work and seeing Camille again. I can't believe that we've been together for about 8 months now. Years ago, I would have thought that this was only a fantasy. Like I said before, the longest relationship was about a few days -- maybe even one week! Besides that, we get along really great! We really don't argue -- if we do, we're only doing it in the spirit of fun and we have an understanding to that. Camille really keeps "her" smile, style, and grace, even when the women engineers and the other female aerospace workers start getting fussy and bitchy. In fact, every time I see Camille, it seems that "she" is almost always in a good mood and does not have bad word to say about anybody. But you don't have to remind me what "she" is -- I know. Anyway, I really looking forward for the weekend being with that georgeous "girl"! Just then, five female engineers burst into the room and started up a "storm" about out current project. They told that the calculations for the new plane we're building were correct but I was just too proud to admit it. The truth was -- they weren't! (Click here!)

I even went over the math and tried to work it into the design, but incorporating the new dimensions would mean a bigger plane with too many avionics and other potentially fail-prone features. Our design parameters were to keep this design as simple as possible with many fail safe systems. You see after a string of crashes and other aviation fatalities last year, we at Avitron Tech (However fortunate that there were no accidents involving our planes) wanted to make sure that our products were still airworthy and up to standards. I wasn't going to sacrifice safety for the feminist movement. That, by the way was the real reason those five women engineers were in my office arguing at me. However, since it was Christmas and I was still in a good mood, I really wasn't going to let them get to me. I still was looking forward to spending Saturday with Camille and not be bothered by women who husbands/boyfriends left them, or their PMS was out of control, or whatever.

I then got my bookbag and left my office as they still were yelling at me. I then lost them as they tried to chase after me as I went into the computer server room. As I checked my e-mail, I read a really disheartening letter from a good friend of mine from high school named Joe. He said he had just been let go by Boeing and that he was still battling cancer, despite the fact that he was sxpected to live no more than 3 or 4 more months. Joe wanted me to come to Oklahoma and get his latest designs and submitted them to Avitron. He was afraid that Boeing was going to take his designs and try to build his plane without giving him credit. Joe then said that he was hoping that I would come out to not only visit him but see if I would be interested in going to our class reunion. The funny was -- it was right around Christmas! "How weird!" I thought as so did Joe, but he did say that the reunion was supposed to be in the middle of July but was postponed till now. As I logged off of my e-mail account, I thought to myself that I was about to lose a good friend of mine and that his aeronautical work was in jeopardy unless I went there and retrieved his designs and notes. However, I wasn't too thrilled to join him in attending the high school class reunion. Ever since May 29, 1991, I told myself that I didn't ever want to see those ungreatful 1991 senior class bastards again. That was when I really felt bummed out -- deciding whether or not I wanted to come see him -- possibly for the last time -- or just have Joe mail me his work. After I drove past the causeway I then got to the beachside coffeehouse I heard someone playing some music on thepiano and telling some jokes. Yep, it was Open Mike Night again. As I went inside, I spotted "her". Camille was sitting in one of the booths right next to the wall. I then sat next to "her" as Camille gave me a kiss and a hug.

"Hey, Cliffie, baby! I've missed you so much."

"Yeah, and I missed you too!" I exclaimed happily. We only get to see each other on weekends since Camille started working at the main office dwontown. But, you know what they say -- absence makes the heart grow fonder. :-)

"So, how was your week, Camille?" I asked.

"It was fine, even though they kept me very busy at the office. How was yours?"

"Mine was pretty stressful. Had fought those women engineers over our lastest designs again."

"What? I wish those stupid bitches would just leave you alone.

"Yeah, and also I heard from my friend in Oklahoma. He told me that his cancer is getting worse and wants me to go there to get his aircraft designs.

"Oh, I'm sorry, and I wish I could come with you -- that is if you would want me to," Camille said.

"Well, I don't know if I want to go there or not. But, I'm not worried about them now. It's Christmas, and I want to spend it with you."

"Oh, Cliffie!" Camille squealed as "she" kissed me again.

"Hey, I'm going to read some of my poetry after this guy is finished, okay?

"Okay, I can't wait to hear your new poems!"

After the guy was done, Camille got up and instantly, "she" got a big applause from the audience. As I listened to Camille read her poems, I contemplated on flight planning for the best air route in my seaplane to Key West so that I could then take a business jet to Oklahoma. As soon as Camille was done with "her" poetry, "she" got another round of applause. "She" then came over to our table and I gave her a big kiss.

"So, what did you think?"

"I really loved it!"

"Oooooh, Cliffie!" Camille smiled.

"Hey, I alomst forgot to tell you -- there's going to be a parade over in Little Havana where mi mama' lives. I want you to come with me, okay?

"Sure, baby. Let's take my car."

"Uh, let's not."

"Why not?"

"Remember what happened last year in Little Havana?"

"Oh, yeah. There was a riot and a lot of cars were trashed."

"That's right -- even my car was trashed."

"Oh," I said in remorse. "I'm sorry to hear about that."

"It's okay."

"So, how are we getting there?"

"I was thinkng about taking the train and the bus there."

"Sounds good to me."

And that's what we did.

When we got to the airport, we got on another train and then at a suburb called Hialeah (aka "Little Havana"), we took a bus and got off in front of Camille's mother's house. I noticed that there were some boys hanging around a car. One of the boys was familiar to Camille and I

"Hey, camille, what chu and your nerdy boyfriend doing here?" Arsenio asked.

"We're here to see mama and the christmas parade. What chu doing here and not at work?"

"I got the day off," Arsenio said."

"Yeah, right,"Camille said.

"It's true, man!

"I hope it is! And, by the way, leave my 'nerdy' boyfriend alone. I don't appreciate you making fun of people I care about."

Arsenio turned up his nose, "Sorry, man!"

Camille then confronts Arsenio in his face, "And I AM NOT A MAN, okay?"

Camille then pinches Arsenio.

"Okay, I'm sorry!"

I tried to hide my laughter and managed to somehow succeed.

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This interactive story has been visited by interested readers since December 22, 1999.