Vanessa
Felix had dragged Beatrice and I to the stadium. No, technically, I followed him here because I knew he'd be mad if I didn't come with him and Beatrice knew she had to come because she had to be here when Felix starts being a dick. To wipe my tears and lend me her shoulder as I cry.
She never questions me. I can see the questions in her eyes, and also the understanding in them. The understanding women had for a fellow woman going back to their cheating partner. It never makes sense but it's understood even when a billion questions are left unasked and unanswered.
Felix and I have been in this on and off relationship for 2 years. Many ask, what dragged me to him. And it's easy. He was dangerous. But also superhot. Like drool-worthy hot. We've had our ups and downs, probably many downs than ups. But he was mine and I was his, in fact our relationship had been mostly on than it has been off.
My boyfriend didn't treat me like the boyfriends did in movies or novels. He didn't particularly treat me wrong. Well, only most times he made me really angry and left me really hurt, but we always find our way back. Or I do. Call it a toxic relationship for all I care, it is a relationship. It has seen better days. Coffee dates at Coffee House, picnics at the park, road trips in his off roader, a lot of sleep overs too where much sleeping wasn't done if you ask. There were times he waits for me outside my class, with a flower he picked, literally, on his way. He'd hand it to me, a kiss on the lip, hold my hand and take me to lunch or his place. Sometimes he'd even give me a piggy back ride like we were still kids. Other times, like now, when he had to, he didn't bother holding my hand, or slowing his pace. But he gave me his leather jacket when he thought I was freezing. I was used to this way of him loving me, and me loving him that I thought it entirely normal to bring Beatrice with me to dry my eyes because I knew that at the end of the day, I'd be a bawling mess.
We were just getting into our seats, I was sitting beside Felix and Beatrice beside me, when I heard a voice so unfamiliar yet not new to my ears. They called, "vegetable girl!" Not as an insult but because they didn't know what else to call.
Beatrice and I snapped our heads in the direction of the voice and saw two men standing two steps above us. One of them was really tall, too light skinned all his veins were showing with stylish curly hair on top of his head. He was good looking but mostly, rich. I had come to learn to tell the rich from the less in a matter of seconds by observing people at the bar. The other, equally rich, or even more, sunglasses shielding the eyes from the sun, dressed casually but elegantly, I thought I knew him.
Beatrice pointed at herself in question.
The man in sunglasses was already walking down the steps, he took his glasses off and I was met with the same beautiful chocolate brown eyes I'd been staring deep into not long ago as we engaged in casual conversation. The guy with the mansion and a wife that looked like a runaway model and drove a convertible. He's at the stadium? At the open stands? The odds!
He was wearing a perfect smile as he approached us_ me. Too broad but that only made it too pretty. He had shiny white teeth, perfectly arranged.
"Hi! It's so nice to see you again." And he was hugging me. It was a half hug, just a pleased to see me hug but enough happened, his stubble grazed my cheeks, tickling me and sending this pleasant sensation down my core. My breasts somehow pressed into his manly chest, I've never came to contact with such a hard chest. My nipples were slightly hard from the cool air and he felt it through the thin garment... Maybe I should've worn a bra. When I breathed in his cologne, they only got harder, sending a pleasurable shiver down my spine. And though I attempted to keep space between myself and his torso by throwing my ass as further as I could, his fingers found my butt, it was accidental but I felt it. So much my breath hitched.
We pulled out of the 2 seconds hug and I thanked god no one was awkward about all that went down. "So you're a fan of Big Bullets?" He raised an eyebrow.
I could tell he was so excited to see me, like he's been counting the hours down to this moment and that caused me to smile widely. I had no idea our small talk had made him feel so close to me that we were hugging at our next encounter. "I am a Silver Strikers fan." I said with a grimace. I kept my hands in the back of my jean pockets.
He had an amused smile, "who is a Silver Strikers fan?" He laughed, "of all the teams in the country, you pick Silver?" He laughed some more.
I laughed right back, "there was some convincing done." I glanced behind at Felix who was watching us with a scowl. "This is my roommate, Beatrice. And this is my boyfriend, Felix." Felix was beside me then, gripping my waist so firm like he was afraid I'd run. Like I'd elope with this beautiful stranger. I almost rolled my eyes.
"Nice to meet you." Beautiful stranger said to both Beatrice and Felix. He didn't pay mind to Felix being territorial or to his death glares. I guess he was slightly older and matured for such bullshit. He focused his warm eyes on me, "it's so unfair that I know your friends' names but I don't know yours." He pointed out.
My lips curved into a sly smile, "it's Vanessa Dunda." I introduced myself.
He smiled still, that beautiful smile that looked and feel like trouble, "Vanessa." My name rolled off his tongue with such sweetness I almost melted. "I am Ian Collins."
I just smiled, I could not not smile if I wanted, it was as if my facial muscles just loosened and smiling was the only thing I knew in the presence of this stranger that wasn't a stranger.
The whistle blown from the middle of the pitch broke us out of our spell. "I better go, the game's starting." He nodded at the pitch, "hope I'll see you again." His words sounded heavy as he confessed what he felt looking lost like someone who had travelled in time, then he flashed me those heart flipping smiles only he possessed, "it was really nice seeing you again." He said and I knew he meant it. A few seconds more of just staring at my face like he wanted to say something more but didn't want to, he left.
We watched the first half of the game in complete utter silence, Felix was mad, it didn't take a genius to figure out. But that was Felix, he's always mad when I talk to guys he's threatened by. And I wished that I'd put his heart at ease, make him see that he was the one I choose despite his shit but it was almost as impossible as travelling to the sun.
During half time, people shuffled by, most going to restrooms. Beate and I decided to join the hundreds going to restrooms and did that. On the line, Beate had time to talk, "bitch you're fucked!" She told me.
I let myself chuckle, but I didn't say anything.
"Seriously though, who was that guy?" I could hear the dreaminess in her tone, I knew she was entertaining the idea of me ever being with Ian so I had to burst her little bubble of hope.
"He's a customer. And he's married." I explained.
I literally felt all the energy ooze out of her as disappointment seeped in. "Sucks." She admitted and shooed me into the restroom. After doing my business, I walked back to the stand alone, Beate was going to get us hotdogs. I was hella nervous, I deliberately slowed my pace to delay meeting Felix's wrath. You could only delay it but never avoid it.
I took my seat next to him and shrunk in the green chair.
He glanced at me and I felt all the air leave my lungs. For a second there I forgot how to breathe, all caught up in my fears. To my surprise, he flashed me a tiny smile and took my hand in his. I didn't trust this. I felt like someone who was being lifted up higher just to be pushed to a harder fall. I snatched my hand from his grasp. "Talk. You didn't like me talking to that man." I wanted to get this over with as soon as I could so I could breathe.
"I didn't." He admitted, his jaw tight. "And I have the right to. I earned it, I'm your boyfriend"
"I'm surprised you even remember that." I muttered under my breath. I wasn't trying to provoke him; I was just being real.
"Is that why you're flirting with random men?" He narrowed his eyes at me.
"I wasn't flirting with him." I denied the accusation.
"Yeah and the sun doesn't set in the West." He said sarcastically, "everybody with eyes saw it, even the blind could tell." Then without warning he gripped a handful of my hair behind my head and pulled so hard that I felt my scalp come off, he did it so secretly that no one could tell what was going on. I knew better than to let my whimpers be heard.
He brought his face close to mine, and through clenched teeth he said, "You won't talk to men in my presence or absence you, understand me?" I didn't say a word. "Do you understand me?" He pulled at my hair harder and I nodded. He let go and I could breathe again.
With shaky hands I grabbed my saddle bag and left the stadium.
Ian
When Vanessa introduced that Felix guy as her boyfriend, I felt a feeling of jealousy spread in my veins like poison, I embraced it, and I hated Felix at that moment. I hated that he was holding her possessively as he glared me down, that he was younger and probably much better looking_ with a face like his you could get away with anything for being pretty. It was a good thing I was so sure of myself. I was raised that way. There was nothing that I wanted and didn't take. And there was nothing that I didn't want and I ended up having. But it was also a good thing that I was descent, or half descent if you consider the fact that I couldn't watch the game but stare at the girl that would never be mine sit comfortably next to her boyfriend she obviously loves; look at how her body was leaning towards him!
I knew for a fact, our bodies speak truths our lips couldn't spill, our hearts couldn't admit and our brains attempted to forget. Like my body was speaking to me. It told me, "touch her!" And I had to fight the urge like a person quitting cigars. It was just as hard.
The first time I saw Vanessa, I thought of how exploring parts of her body would be, how they'd feel. But now, I wanted to hold her. Forget about exploring her sexy body, forget about the satisfaction of her clothes laying in a heap on my or her or any bedroom floor, forget about all that. All I wanted was to hold her in my arms, her head on my chest as she listened to my racing heart. That was enough.
I couldn't concentrate on the game if I wanted to, my eyes kept finding their way to her, and him. As he touched the back of her head and brought his face close to hers, just a breath away, I wondered; are they going to kiss? My breath hitched in my throat but my brain was telling me I needed to see this, to get my mind sane, I needed to see another man do what I couldn't but dreamt of doing every passing second of the day.
They didn't kiss.
I thought I made out a relieved look wash over Vanessa's face as the two parted, she let out a few shaky breaths then she grabbed her bag and bolted out of the place. I impulsively stood up to go check up on her then I saw that she met her friend. They embraced, I could see her back shake_ was she crying? I glared at the Felix guy, the anger in me unexplainable. I wanted to punch a hole through his head for making her cry, and I was damn right sure I would. But I didn't. They were probably fighting about me. There's nothing as transparent to a guy like another guy. I made it clear with my body language, my eyes, my tone.
"What's on your mind?" Wellington asked from beside me, nudging me in the rib.
"Nothing man." I lied. Wells knew my nothing man that I accompanied with a sigh weren't nothing but a way of me saying I don't wanna talk. Not that he let it go.
"It's that girl, right?" He raised an eyebrow. I tried to deny it though I knew it was of no use, if I deny it enough, lied enough about what I felt, my lies would become my truth. Right? Wellington laughed, like he knew this was coming. "My advice? I'd say you should loosen up a bit my man. Irene's the only chic you've known, literally. How'll you know she's the right one for you?" He finished his words of wisdom with a shrug. More like words of bullshit.
"I already know that she's the right one for me." I gritted, hoping it'd get through my thick skull and I'd get unconfused.
Wellington looked ahead, "let me have her then." He teased.
I went into full defensive mode, "she has a boyfriend." And that was the best or first thing I could think of.
He laughed, "you know too well that that doesn't stop any guy, right?" He raised an eyebrow and the game presumed.