I Will Always Bet On You // Benny Watts

5. Jealous

1967

Lacy was worried for Beth, they would talk on the phone every once and a while. Beth would tell her she's fine. But something was always a little off about the whole thing. She said Harry Beltik was with her, helping her. She seemed to be fine then. Lacy tried to stay positive, but something with Beth just always told Lacy something was wrong. Lacy still hadn't told Beth about her and Benny, which also worried her.

Lacy was still deeply in love with Benny, they were having the time of their lives together. It had only been a year since they made it official so they weren't rushing anything, but they always had so much fun together. Lacy couldn't believe how much she cared for the cowboy, she felt the way her grandfather did telling her stories about his epic love. She wanted to stay like that forever.

Both would get busy, but they would would never got more than three days without seeing each other. Lacy was drowning in work. She when she wasn't writing for chess, she had to check other peoples work, make sure they were as good as hers. Her name was on almost every article going to the magazine.

She couldn't wait to get back into travelling. Next was Ohio for the Us Championships. Benny was obviously going, Beth was also going to be there. Lacy was so excited to get to write her own work again.

-----

Benny and Lacy had decided to drive to Ohio, even though it was an 8 hour drive. Lacy had never really been on a long road trip before. The two took turns driving, when the other got tired or just bored of driving. They listened to lots of music and had a few deep conversations. But to say Lacy was happy when they got to Ohio was an understatement. She was tired of sitting and was ready to go for a long walk.

Benny and Lacy walked into a lecture hall building. "This is pathetic. If it were any other sport, this would be huge." Benny rolled his eyes as the two entered another room.

"Yeah, this is not like the other places I'm used to reporting in." She looked at the little stage and the theatre seating. The man at the chalk board wrote who was competing against who. Lacy noticed Beth standing in front of the stages. "I'm going to say hi." She left Benny to mope about their setting.

"Beth, how are you?" Lacy offered a hug. Beth happily excepted.

"I'm great, how are you." Beth smiled, but there was tension in the air.

"Good, excited? Nervous?" Lacy asked trying to keep the conversation going.

"A little bit of both, but I really think I can win." She seemed to relax some.

"I have no doubt you could. He's writing your opponent." The girls looked to see who it was.

"Why, hello Beth." Benny entered the conversation.

"Why, hello Benny." Beths voice held annoyance and a bit of anger.

"I read Lacy's article about your game with Brogov. That must have felt terrible." Lacy watched as he brought up an awful night for the girl.

"I felt like a fool" She watched as Beth kept her eyes forward.

"I know the feeling. Helpless. It all goes, and you just push wood. Who have you got up first?" He looked to toe board.

"Manfredi." Beth nodded her head towards the man so looked to be blessing his pieces.

"That shouldn't take too long. Highest-rated players in the whole fucking country, and yet here we are at some second rate university, playing on cheap plastic boards with cheap plastic pieces. If this were a golf or tennis tournament, we'd be surrounded by reporters, as opposed to..." We looked around at the people in the room, who looked like they didn't want to be there either. "Whoever these people are." He finished.