Her beauty was eloquent. I needed to introduce myself to her, but would she give me a positive response? My hands clamped up on the thought of going over there. I wanted to speak to her, but those two were next to her.

Donavan and that Driver Boy, ever since they came here, the Driver Boy never left her side. I swelled with irritation at his relaxed, ‘hands in pocket demeanor’. He was probably making moves on her. The little man was shorter than me. Hell, he was shorter than Vanessa with his curve cut, low wavy hair, and big chin. Even his ears were big, such big features on a small man were a sad affair.

I was not ugly, so I definitely had a chance.

Donavan gestured at her and she smiled at his words. Even Donavan was making a move on her. Her smile as she turned her head was so enlightening. I needed to speak to her. It was now or never. I breathed in and straightened up.

My shaky feet carried me over there and I saw the Driver Boy looking at me with those beady eyes like he was watching me. I stepped beside Donavan, who looked up at me with a shocked face. “Hey, Irwin, what’s up? You need something?”

“Ah, no, no, hm,” I said. I turned to Vanessa. Her eyes were on me. My chest felt like it was about to burst. I parted my lips.

“Hey, Vanessa, right?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said.

“Right, ah how are you doing today?”

Vanessa shrugged. “I am good.”

“That’s great. It is good. Ah—“

“Donavan! Sup!”

Vanessa and the Driver Boy turned their heads instantly to the new person stepping into this circle. This young-looking man was darker than a nightshade, but the smile shinned brighter than a supernova. His black jacket swung over his broad shoulders while the gray long-sleeve shirt barely held the extent of his chest. Black pants fitted around his legs hungrily.

He must have been from another team, for I did not recognize him. All of them looked like something out of a model show. Looking down at my skinny arms and basic dress clothes made me feel like a peasant to these kings.

Donavan nodded. “Sup Alwayne?”

Alwayne smirked. “Life’s good. Looking to cap off a good season and win this year. What about you guys?”

“The usual grind,” Donavan said.

“Hey, still, congratulations on making it this far. You guys are the best non-league team. I was telling Oxler you are the guys to look out for.”

Donavan averted his eyes and gave him a sly grin. “He probably would think otherwise.”

“Don’t give me that. I expect you guys to win today.”

Donavan laughed. “Don’t say that aloud. The other players might scandalize you.”

Alwayne exchanged nods of acknowledgment with the Driver Boy. Then he turned to Vanessa, placed his hand out, and smiled at her. Vanessa lit up like the fourth of July and giggled with a seductive smile.

“Good day miss! Ah, pray tell what is your name?” Alwayne asked.

“Vanessa,” she said.

My chest burned.

“Vanessa, such a beautiful name. Hold up, you are beautiful now that I look at you, I must say.”

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“Oh, thanks!” She was beaming and I was shaking with rage. “I always heard of the sport, but I never watched it.”

The Driver Boy slyly said, “Most people wouldn’t.”

Alwayne sent a glare at the Driver Boy, but smiled. “Everything takes time to grow on people. This sport just started in Jamaica.”

Vanessa said, “Wonder why it came here though?”

Alwayne said, “INFL have been funding most of the Caribbean countries that have a hand in it. Guess they want to build up the thing and see where it goes. The main expansion began after the failure of the XFL expansion, that was how South America got in on it. But those South Americans are funding their own thing.”

“Oh Cool. Nice to have it here then.”

Alwayne asked, “You work for the team, this is a good team. You with the Assassins you know?”

Vanessa snickered then drew her head back. “Assassins?”

“Yeah, Berry Hill assassins. Whe' you say Donavan, you murder the competition?” Alwayne nudged Donavan with his elbow.

Donavan proudly smirked. “Effortlessly.”

Vanessa bit back her bottom lip. I looked at her like she was losing it. She said, “Actually, I am with the tour, the Arden Brothers Tour service.” She pointed at the driver.

The Driver Boy's eyes widened.

Alwayne turned to him. “You carried the team? Hey, you offer it islandwide?”

Arden grinned. “Yeah man.”

Alwayne replied, “Hey, that’s good. Because my family was thinking of going on a trip to a water park. We are not fully sure what we doing yet, but we thinking about it.”

Arden waved his arms. “Me'll gi' you a number and we ca' discuss that.”

I shifted around eager to jump in on this discussion that left me completely invisible.

Vanessa approached him, with her finger on her chin. “Where is that?”

“That water park with the fifty foot slide up in St. Ann. You been there?”

Vanessa sighed. “No, but I would want to go.”

Arden replied, “It’s a nice place. The activities are great. I hear they have an off road track you can race buggies on.”

“Yeah, yo my little brother, him love act like him going to be a big-time driver,” Alwayne said.

“Him can drive?” Donavan asked.

“No, just tru' him beat me on a video game, him think him a big driver.”

The men laughed and Vanessa stared at Alwayne with such untouched revere. I was stewing with disdain as I shifted uncomfortably outside their circle.

Alwayne continued, “Trust me, me not taking that lying down. Me affi beat him in real life. Me soon beat him in the game too. I just need to get good with the controls.”

“Ah.” Alwayne turned around and looked back at her. “You ate?”

Vanessa shook her head. “No.”

“Hey, come on let me get you something to eat.”

Vannessa said, “Sure.”

She left and followed him. Leaving Arden, Donavan, and me, I looked over and saw Alwayne beside her. She was all smiles and touching him lightly on his shoulder. A vitriol of rage swelled in me.

This was not right. She should not have gone over there. I meant she barely knew him. Why had that fool come here?

Arden was on his flip phone. Donavan was looking around randomly. And those idiots in front of me allowed her to leave like it was no big deal. The hell was wrong with them?

“Hey,” I said.

I caught Arden and Donavan’s attention. “Why you let her leave with that youth? We nuh know him,” I said.

They stared blankly at me.

Donavan said flatly, “I know him. He is the star player of the Port Antonio Tainos. Pretty much the best player in the league on the best team in the league.”

My mind was clouded, but my breathing got shallow. I brokered a rebuttal, “Yeah, but we nuh know him like that. You guys just allowed her to run off.”

Donavan tilted his head at me with a curious look.

“You also allowed her to leave as well. What are you going to do about it?” Arden said, while he wavered his open palm toward me.

I squinted my eyes at him. My body tensed. She turned towards him and smiled with full white teeth. They were close. My eyelids twitched. The cheeks fluctuated as my lips curled and my teeth bite down on my rampant ire.

I turned and put my foot forward. Arden pushed me back almost causing me to tumble, but his fingers grabbed my shirt holding me up.

He sent me a still and dire glare. “That was a rhetorical question idiot. She has her own legs and hands, she can go wherever she likes.”

I pushed his arm off my chest and backed away by the time Donavan stepped in between us. Arden gave me a hard stare, while I scowled at him.

“Yo, you okay?” Leon’s voice entered my head. I looked at Leon. He grabbed my shoulder.

I grunted and flexed his hand off my shoulder. “I am fine.” Turning, I walked out of the room.