Legacy | Benny watts

Two

It's too fucking early. The tournament started at the ungodly hour of 6 AM, so most people arrived the night before to get some sleep and avoid the icy morning roads. Kelly had gotten there first, in an attempt to avoid the suspicion of her father.

Kelly's hand shook slightly as she tried to put on eyeliner. Good enough. She worked her hair in front of the mirror, the hotel towel wrapped around her, and went still as soon as the blow drier turned off. Someone was pacing outside the door. Kelly pictured a whole Norman Bates of a man waiting for the right time to barge in.

Short of better options, she unplugged the hair drier and wielded it as a weapon of sorts, slowly reaching for the bathroom door until her hand was on the doorknob. She decided against looking through the keyhole, simply because she didn't want to risk giving the man the opportunity to strike first.

Kelly finally gathered the courage to blast open the door, and barely managed to stop herself in time to avoid hitting Benny over the head with her very heavy, metal weapon.

"What the hell?!" Benny backed off and looked at Kelly as though she was crazy.

"What are you doing in here? I thought someone broke in!"

"I could ask you the same thing! You're showering in a room with no lock, I was trying to make sure people didn't come in!"

At this point, Kelly lowered her weapon. He was right. She'd been so groggy before she didn't even think about it, and using Benny's shower instead or her own didn't come to mind. Everything she needed to get ready was in her room, including a fresh change of clothes.

Benny seemed to finally realize her state of undress. His cheeks turned slightly red and he took his eyes off her in a second, making Kelly become aware of it herself.

"I'll just wait outside." He blurted out as he was already leaving, so Kelly didn't even have enough time to feel embarrassed. It wasn't the first time Benny ever watched her, and he had most likely seen more of her before- swimming in some hotel pool, maybe- but Kelly was still glad he walked out.

She looked over the outfit laid out on the bed. It was a tube skirt and sleeveless turtleneck, the kind of thing Kelly usually wore. Tight enough to suggest curves men might stare at without getting her in trouble. Once she was ready, she pushed open the door to see Benny hunched over with his back against the wall, his head at about the height of her knees.

"Are you ready?" He asked, looking up to see her nod, "I could've died of old age out here." Benny's sheepish smile kept the comment from being offensive.

"But do I look good?" Not even a question. Kelly was almost as confident in her looks as Benny himself.

"I'm not sure, maybe you should do a little twirl and show me."

Kelly did just that. People on the floor below could probably hear the sound of her kitten heels as she spun. After a slow turn where Benny's eyes were certainly on her body, she did a few quick ones just for the fun of it. She held onto Benny's side once it was over, so as not to lose her balance, and he guided her into the elevator.

"There's still an hour before play, we should eat something" Benny told her once they were in the lobby.

"Just admit I look good and we can go have breakfast."

"Maybe I will, if you admit I look hot too." What have I done? Kelly hadn't been trying to flirt. Well, maybe she was just a little bit, but how could she not? The image of Benny's bare chest from the night before had stayed in her head.

She looked away without realizing, trying to hide her embarrassing red cheeks. "I don't know if I want to feed your ego when we're so close to a game for first place."

Kelly didn't even think about how cocky that statement sounded until it had already been said. She, a player with no rating, was so sure of herself to not even question whether or not she'd be in the final. She knew Benny was her only serious competition and, luckily, didn't need to beat him this time around.

It still bothered her, though, that he was probably making fun of her confidence in his head. Or maybe not. Benny didn't seem like the type to shy away from the idea of a female chess player, he'd helped Beth Harmon, for God's sake. He didn't seem that skeptical. If anything, he was amused.

In the end, it turned out Kelly had been right in her thinking. Her last dummy opponent struggled to stay in the game, but ultimately resigned and joined the guy Benny had destroyed just minutes before. The two would face each other, bitterly, and play for a third place standing that wouldn't get them the invitation they sought.

First place and Second Place, Benny and Kelly, or Kelly and Benny, they had qualified for a spot in the tournament next week. In fact, they had taken the last two, last minute slots available.

They sat opposite to each other, with a perfectly aligned chess set between them, and Benny had the white pieces. He had the usual murderous look in his eyes before making the first move. Throughout the game, Kelly refused to look up and see those eyes. Instead, she concentrated on the board and visualized possible moves in her mind, without even one verbal thought. That is, until the last second, when she realized she needed to concede.

Kelly half-smiled at Benny as she turned her King on its side. Second place, this really wasn't bad for her first time. "Congratulations, Watts." She told him, already used to the proud expression on his face. Though last year she would've considered it smug, and maybe she would've been right, he now appeared more mature.

Benny's hand was stuck out in front of him for a handshake, but Kelly's upbringing didn't allow her to take it as it was. She was the kind of lady to sit with her legs crossed at the ankles and present her hand for men to kiss, or rather had to seem that way. So that's what she did, since there would be photographs of this moment, she gave him her hand, and the camera flashes blinded her just as he did his part.

Kelly was glad the event was over. Benny Watts made it hard to keep up the good girl charade.