Page 45 of His Hungry Wolf

“How did your people ever end up stealing all that land?” Claude had once asked me. “Everything you think is written on your face,” he teased, having watched me turn shades of red. “No, seriously, how?”

“We can’t all have a perfect complexion like you,” I had replied, hinting at my true feelings for him.

“I wouldn’t say perfect,” he said, feigning cockiness.

Although I knew Claude had just been giving me a hard time, he had hit a sore spot. I envied Claude’s beautifully brown skin. If I could cut it off him and wear it, I would. I mean, I wouldn’t. But the man’s complexion was just so smooth and beautiful, while I was like a mood ring I was so pale. It was fuckin’ unfair!

“Rest up and do the sprints again,” I ordered, before heading to the bleachers.

Doing as I said, Claude collected his breath for another few minutes, and then ran again. It never took much to get Claude to work hard. He had always been ready to run until he collapsed.

Watching his strong body sprint from one yard line to another, I wondered if I was doing the right thing by having him workout for the team. He had yet to say whether he wanted this. I wasn’t even sure if he still liked playing football, or if he ever had. Was it just the practices he enjoyed?

He had to like some parts of the game. No one got to be as good as he was without putting in hours that no one else saw. But why was he letting me put him through this now?

“What’s next?” Claude asked when he walked over, fighting for breath.

“Next is that you tell me that you want to workout for the Cougars,” I said stoically.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I want you to tell me that it’s something you want to do.”

“I’m here, doing these wind sprints, aren’t I?”

“Yeah, but do you want to be?”

He looked at me annoyed. “If we’re done, then let me know. I’ll head home.”

“If we’re done? No. What do you mean?” I asked, confused.

“I mean, you came here, made me some grand offer, told me how much you had been in love with me, and now you’re asking me if I wanna be here?”

I squinted and shook my head, trying to understand what was happening.

“I don’t know what to say to that. Yes, that’s what happened.”

He looked at me, frustrated. “Then I’m done.”

“Whoa! Where did that come from?”

“I kissed you!” he shouted, charging towards me.

“Oh! Yeah,” I said, looking away.

“Yeah!”

Cringing, I asked, “Can we pretend like you didn’t?”

Claude stared at me with his mouth hanging open before resigning.

“Yeah. Fuck it. Whatever.”

Seeing how upset he was, I tried to explain.

“I’m actually trying to be good. I’m trying to do the right thing here.”

“By pretending it didn’t happen?”