Extreme Bull

himself. “I think we need to get drunk.”
    “Yeah, that’ll clear things up,” Clay said sarcastically.
    “It couldn’t hurt,” Jeff pointed out.
    Clay drained his beer and crushed the can flat with one hand. “Bring it on.”

    WHEN Clay woke up, he was grinding against the warm body in his arms, wondering why he was still in his clothes. They felt tight and sticky. He nuzzled the girl’s neck. The person in his arms turned to face him and kissed him, surprising Clay when she turned out not to be a girl after all.
    “Jesus!” He jerked backward, nearly falling off the edge of the bed.
    His sudden movement made Jeff open his eyes, and he reared back as well. “What the—”
    “Uh, I need a shower,” Clay mumbled, and he rolled off the bed, realizing he was wearing his boots and was, in fact, Extreme Bull | Catt Ford
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    still fully dressed. The headache hit him as soon as he was upright, and he staggered to the door. “Later.” Jeff stared after him as the door slammed shut. Fuck, why the hell did we do this? Nothing but trouble.
    He rubbed his hands over his face. Then he got up to take a shower.

    AT the dining hall Clay stared into the black pool of a cup of coffee, hoping the aspirin would make his headache go away but also dreading it because then he might have to think about what happened the night before.
    A shadow fell over him, and he looked up. Jeff stood there, a cup of his own in his hand, looking scared and mad and hopeful all in one.
    “Look—” he started.
    Clay gestured at the bench on the opposite side of the table. “Sit down.”
    Somewhat mollified, Jeff did so. “Last night was not my fault.”
    “I didn’t say it was.” Clay rubbed his eyes. Jeff looked just as desirable to him when he opened them again.

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    “It was a one-time thing.”
    There was a desperate note in Jeff’s voice, but Clay couldn’t figure out if it was because he wanted him to agree or to argue.
    “Maybe it doesn’t have to be.”
    “Maybe it does.”
    “Maybe we should talk about it later.” Clay tilted his head toward BJ, who was heading to their table with a tray of food.
    “Is that the hangover diet I see?” BJ boomed, smirking when both men winced. “When did you two start hanging out?”
    “We’re not,” Jeff said tersely and stood up. “I don’t even like him that much.”
    Clay watched him stride away and sighed.
    “Did I interrupt a budding bromance?” BJ teased.
    “Oh, just shut the fuck up!” The bench clattered to the floor as Clay stood up and charged off in the opposite direction.
    Terrence snickered while setting his tray on the table.
    “Are they getting it on, like Doug Morgan and Jamie Denson?
    The newest fag cowboys?”

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    “If you want to keep that fagbashing up, you can eat my fist for breakfast,” BJ said calmly. “And I’m sure Sam’ll be glad to take care of lunch and dinner for you. He’s a friend of Doug and Jamie’s.”
    “When did the rodeo become fairy heaven?” Terrence complained. He shut up at the menacing look on BJ’s face.
    “Maybe you better eat at another table,” BJ said.
    A little scared, Terrence picked up his tray and moved to an empty table.
    “What the fuck?” BJ muttered.

    SO did he even like girls anymore? Jeff was starting to wonder, as he also wondered just what had possessed him to put a lip lock on Clay in the stable that day when he’d totally meant to sock him one when he charged in there.
    And then BJ coming up to them and acting like they’d never even spoken to each other civilly before, like it was somehow amazing to see them drinking coffee at the same table.
    “A guy makes one fucking mistake—” Jeff realized he was talking to himself out loud and shut his mouth. This is what came of long lonely days on the road. And it was early Extreme Bull | Catt Ford
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    in the season! They were only five stops into the tour; if he kept messing around like this, it could mean the end of his career.
    He remembered Sam telling him if he was looking for trouble to find it in the ring. “That’s what I’m going to do,” Jeff told himself. “Ride it out in the ring. Go to town, get drunk, find a girl, and that’s that!” He managed to banish all thoughts of Clay from his head by concentrating on visualizing his ride and staying away from the arena. And it worked except for when a sudden flash from last night would sneak up on him, and he’d find