Page 85 of His Hungry Wolf

“But we still need to get you into the showcase. And for that, we need to find you an agent.”

“What does that entail?”

“If we can, we should create a reel of your best plays from university. I can compile your stats. I think I already have them. And, I know you don’t like it, but you’re going to have to help me sell you to the agents.”

“What do you mean?” Claude asked, uneasy.

“I mean you’re going to have to charm them. You know, tell them why you think you deserve this. Sell yourself.”

If it wasn’t for Claude’s always cool demeanor, I would have sworn that he was panicking.

“I…” He began. “No.”

“What do you mean, no?”

“No. I’m… No.”

“Claude, you have to do this.”

“I don’t have to do anything.”

He jumped out of bed.

“I didn’t want this. You came and presented this to me like it was a done deal. But things keep changing.”

“I know, I’m sorry. But we can still get it. It’s just one more thing. After this…”

He cut me off.

“What? It’ll be something else?”

Claude turned away and got dressed.

“This is the last thing. I promise.”

“I don’t want this anymore.”

“Want what?” I asked, feeling a knot grow in my stomach.

“Any of this. I don’t want any of it!” He said, as if realizing it for the first time.

“Where are you going?” I asked when I saw him filling his travel bag.

He turned to me.

“I don’t want this, Merri. I never did. You sold me something that wasn’t real. And I don’t want it anymore.”

“So you’re just gonna go?” I asked, watching him collect his stuff. “Go where?”

“Home. Where I should have been. Where I should have never left.”

A cold sweat covered me. This was my nightmare.

“I don’t understand. What did I do?”

“I don’t know, Merri. Why don’t you tell me what you did?”

“I don’t know. Tell me what I did,” I said, rushing to my feet and following him out of the room. “Please tell me what I did.”