Uncle Kla throws a hook punch and I block, moving swiftly to maneuver him into clinching. Our arms lock in a tight tussle, our heads pressed together as I attempt to throw him to the ground and pin him down. I refortify my foot against the ground, a deep groan in my throat as I push against the weight of his muscular body.
It’s a tight fight before I’m able to topple him to the ground, locking him in with my legs. My grip is tight, but my balance is unsettled. From underneath, Uncle Kla maneuvers me, rolling me onto my back and pinning me down. Fuck. My balance is always too damn wobbly, this is where I always lose to him, but today, I have been especially disappointing.
The lightheadedness begins to kick in and I tap out, letting him know I have reached my limit. He releases his hold around my neck, allowing me take deep breaths, my back straightening against the ground.
“Your balance is getting better,” Uncle Kla says with a laugh, rising to his feet.
“My balance is shit,” I say under labored breaths, exhausted.
“Don’t beat yourself up, kiddo.” He offers me a hand, helping me rise to my feet. “You're doing great, but you’ve gotta stop tryin’ to bite more than you can chew.”
“What does that mean?”
“You keep losing because you’re trying to get at me as if we’ve got the same height. You’re small, use it. Play to your strengths. And stop tryin’ to prove you’re some hot shit, you ain’t got nothin’ to nobody.”
“I’m not.”
“You are. But that has more to do with here”—he points at my head— “not here.” He points at my fist. “After all this time, I’d think you’d start gettin’ it.” He tosses me a bottle of water after chugging down his and starts out of the ring so others can train. “Where has your head been all morning?”
“Here,” I say, following him out of the ring.
“You low on energy or somethin’?”
“I’m not twenty-three yet, you know.”
“I heard sometimes it comes early for your kind.”
“Sometimes,” I agree.
“You can’t be in the ring while your head is somewhere else, kiddo.”
“I’m sorry, will do better next week.”
Wrestling every Saturday morning has become part of my routine ever since Uncle Kla joined the gym a year ago. I can’t quite pinpoint the exact moment he decided to take me under his wing, or why, but I’m grateful for it.
Uncle Kla spent twenty years in the military and currently works at one of the top security agencies in the country. He possesses a wealth of knowledge I know will make me better at my dream job, and I appreciate him not going easy on me.
When I first started at the gym, no one would wrestle me once they found out I was an incubus. Everyone was so concerned about hurting me. Humans. So sensitive. Uncle Kla, however, has always treated me like the next guy. Wrestling me with the same ferocity and respect. It sucks that I haven’t improved that much in the last year.
It’s not for the lack of trying, because I do. I try hard. I was certain I’d be able to beat him today and make him proud. But I hardly got any sleep last night, how could I after last night? How could I after meeting him, seeing him, touching him, memorizing what he smells like up close, listening to the silence of his heart, the sound of his laugh, the words he spoke, the way his lips moved, so pretty—
“Luke,” Uncle Kla calls, and I snap my gaze back to him.
“Yes.”
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing,”
“You’re smiling.”
“I am?” I touch the side of my lips and then my cheek, cupping both of them. They’re warm. “I am.”
Maybe I should put more effort into not smiling after my horrible performance in the ring. I press my cheek hard to stop them from puffing up any further but it just reminds me of what it felt like to have Pete’s drowsy head resting on my shoulder as I drove through the cold city. I smile harder, letting out a quiet laugh.
“Luke?”
“Hmm?” I drop my hands and meet the narrowing gaze of Uncle Kla.
Without saying a word, he shakes his head and walks past me and for a moment I remain blinking at his broad back, wondering if he could see my thoughts, as far as I know, humans can’t read minds. I exhale and gulp down more water, and then some more.
My eyes trail back to the wrestling ring and suddenly, everything begins to fade away. I don’t see the men training anymore as the light dims, a spotlight appearing in the center of the ring. A man climbs in, dressed in a red shimmery suit, his hair permed backward to reveal a finely chiseled face. I gulp, slowly lowering my bottle.
“Pete…” I mutter, astounded that he’s here.
He smiles and my stomach lurches and twists, the water in my throat almost choking me. Dear Heavens. The beaming stage light falls across his face and his bronze skin glows, dark eyes staring down at me with a soulful warmth. He waves me over, encouraging me to climb into the ring, and without wasting another minute, I do.
With unsteady breaths, my steps toward him are slow until I’m standing under his gaze, mesmerized by his beauty. I bite down my lower lip hard. The way he looks at me is exciting and almost inviting. Fuck Pete, why do you have to be so beautiful.
“Hei,” he says quietly and leans in just enough to allow me feel his cold breath on my cheek. “I miss you already.”
“You do?” I whisper.
“I can’t stop thinking about you,” he says and I blink, swallowing.
“Really?”
“You’re difficult to forget.” His left palm wraps around mine and I feel his touch travel up my spine. “Have you thought about me since last night? Even for a moment?”
“You’re all I think about, Pete.” We both share a quiet laugh and he leans in even more, making my breath hitches. I’m nowhere near ready to be kissed, but this… this I can’t resist, and I’m not even sure I want to.
“Luke,” he whispers my name like it’s the sweetest thing he has ever heard.
“Yes.”
“Get out of the way,” he says, his voice sultry.
“What?”
“Get out of the fucking away,” he whispers, his lips so close.
That cannot possibly be what he wants, everything about his body tells me otherwise. The way he’s looking down at me, his lips calling out to me. He does not want me out of the way, so why—
“Luke.” His voice is deeper. “Hei! LUKE!”
A hard blow lands across my cheek, sending me flying to the ground and I groan and wince, struggling to open my eyes. When I do, the eyes of the men who were training in the ring before they all faded away are staring down at me. Heavens. None of it was real. I roll myself around to lie on my back as they check to see if I’m okay. This is a whole new low, even for you Luke. I exhale, a bit ashamed. When I look up, I catch Timi’s eyes staring at me upside down. He waves and I laugh.
***
I slam the locker shut and pull out Pete's jacket. “Do you know what this is!”
Making a face, Timi answers, “A… black jacket?”
“Not just any black jacket! Pete’s black jacket!” I squirm, squeezing the leather as I twirl.
“What are you talking about?”
“Smell it… smell it!” I shove it in his face. “What does it smell like? Hmm?”
“I don’t know, Luke, perfume? Leather?”
“Money. That's what it smells like! Money and the sweat of the most a man so beautiful that’d make your heart stop!”
“What?”
I begin to psych out, explaining the whole night to Timi in great detail as he looks on in confusion, sometimes blinking or times nodding. I’m not certain anything I say is sinking but I don’t stop, I can’t stop. Not when I am talking about Pete.
“Did that punch to the head affect your medulla oblongata?”
I let out a muffled scream into Pete's jacket, drawing a deep breath with a shiver. I understand how he'd think I’m lying, even to my own ears, the night sounds unbelievable. “It all happened, okay, just pretend to believe me!”
“I guess you'll see him again at the fan meet then.”
"What! Fuck no! Are you insane? Then he'd know I knew who he was last night, he'd know I’m a fan! Do you know how embarrassing that is? He’d think I’m some stalkery, creepy delusional fanboy who daydreams about his lips and obsesses over the smell of his sweat!”
“I thought you weren't embarrassed about being a fanboy?”
“I’m not! I mean… it’s not that… I just… I ca-I can’t go okay, just believe I met him.”
Timi laughs with a shrug. “I’m not doubting you, but you’ve dreamed about the fan meet for years, and now you’ll just give it up?”
“I won’t be able to keep it together if I ever lay my eyes on him again. Do you know how hard it was for me to pretend like I didn’t know? I wanted to take pictures and hug him and… ugh! Just forget it!”
Uncle Kla walks into the locker room and Timi and I gather ourselves. “Naiguso,” Timi greets.
“Good to see you, Timi. Good job today kiddo,” he taps my shoulder with a warm smile and I smile back. “We'll work on your balance next Saturday… and that reminds me, are you still looking to work as a bodyguard?”
My eyes pop out of their socket when I answer, “Yes, Uncle!”
“Got a call from a friend's agency today, apparently they are putting together a new security deal for some fancy celebrity. I don’t have all the details yet, how about you call me tomorrow and I’ll let you know if you can go in for an interview.”
“Thank you so much.” I gape.
Uncle Kla retrieves his gym bag from his locker and makes his way out the door. I jump on Timi, hugging him. Could this week get any better? First Pete and now this?
“Luke, go bath, you smell,” Timi grumbles.
Leaning away from him, I smack him across the head and he hassles me, our soft laughs filling the locker room.
For the rest of the afternoon, I fill Timi’s ear with more bickering and as always, he listened, knitting as I ate the egg rolls he brought me for lunch. I’m my most talkative self when I’m with Timi.
After lunch, I drop Timi back home to help Pa with moving his vegetables. Minnie practices basketball all Saturday, so I have to help Pa, not that I mind, I love spending time with him, his jokes are endless and warm. It’s 4:30 p.m. when I arrive at Fox Deliveries, thirty minutes before my shift starts because I’m yet to explain to my boss why the POS is missing.
She’ll most likely take it out of my paycheck. This will sting, but I’ve made peace with it. Every second I spent with Pete last night is worth a little pay cut. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I will cherish forever. Besides I have enough to buy Minnie new shoes, and even that favorite ice cream of hers she never asks for. It’s a good day, and I am choosing to look on the bright side of things.
I enter the office with a fake sad face, bracing myself for a scolding, it wouldn’t be the first time, and I am certain it will not be the last. Aunty Fai searches for any reason to scold people.
“Ah! If it isn’t my favorite employee! You’re early!” she cheers, her eyes sparkling with happiness. I glance around to see who she is referring to because there is no way it is me.
“Me?”
She laughs, “What do you mean? Of course, I’m referring to you, Luke.”
“Where is Aunty Fai, and what did you do with her?” I ask, resting my elbow against the counter.
Another round of unnerving pours from her and I blink, disturbed. Perhaps she has not noticed the missing POS yet. Shit, now I have to be the one to tell her.
“Don’t be silly,” she says, waving a hand, “since you’re here, why not start early, I'll pay you for the extra hour.”
“Right… so umm… about the missing POS.”
“Oh that! Don’t you worry your pretty little head about it?”
“Eh?”
“Your boyfriend took care of it!” She cheers and then claps as if I won an award, and now, I’m even more confused than when this weird evening began.
“B–boyfriend?”
“You should have told me you were dating a vampire,” she giggles, leaning in over the counter, “I knew you were the type to be audacious, but a vampire? A rich vampire? You and I are about to become best friends, Luke. I want my daughters to snag a vampire too. There must be some trick to it, eh? Because there is no way a vampire would ever consider your race over mine, besides—”
“Whoa! First of all, fuck you, second of all, what the fuck are you talking about?”
“Hei Luke, don’t be like that! I know you have a rich boyfriend now, but that is no way to talk to your boss!” she barks.
“Then stop bringing up my race every chance you get, eh, it’s racist. If there was an award for the worst boss of the year, it would go to you.” She spanks me across the head and I groan. “Aunty Fai!”
“Go greet your boyfriend and ask him if he has any single friends.” She laughs.
“Stop saying that, why would you even think that?”
She points behind me, and I turn. Through the window, there is a black Zentley with tinted windows I hadn’t noticed when I first arrived, parked across the street.
“He paid for everything and insisted on waiting for you when I told him your shift had not started yet. A fine gentleman. He kind of looks familiar, though I can’t quite place where I know him from.”
Without replying, I storm out of the office and up to where the car is parked. With just two knocks on the window, the door opens and a clean-shaven man in a black suit alights. My brows furrow.
“Who the hell are you?”
“Sorry Sir, you must be Luke.” He offers a handshake and I eye it.
“Do I know you?”
“No, Sir. I’m Klaus, I work for—”
“Shortie!” A familiar voice calls out from the distance and my eyes widen in absolute shock.
There is no way… this isn’t possible.
The cold air in my lungs turns my chest to ice as my gaze travels slowly in the direction of his voice, still calling out to me. Pete. Fucking Pete! How the hell did he find me? I gasp. Is this another ridiculous daydream? There is no way the man running toward me with two cups of ice cream and damp curly hair like a cat sprinkled with water is who I think it is.
Heavens fuck. I’m turning into a delusional fan.
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