One Game | Benny Watts

018

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Jennifer's Home ; 06:37pm
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"Hello gorgeous," Jennifer smiled as she walked into the living room. Seeing him curled up on the couch. "How about some breakfast?" She said as she entered the kitchen pulling open the cupboard. He jumped up from the couch, heading towards her quickly... barking frantically. "Yeah, yeah, it's coming," she said to Merlin as she poured out some dog food and left it on the floor for him. "Where Zelda?" She asked rhetorically before the phone rang. She groaned loudly before picking it up.

"How are you?" He asked, she smiled immediately.

"What the- why are you awake?" She asked back,

"Would you rather me not talk to you for a month straight?"

"No," she laughed, "But you should be asleep,"

"Yeah... your probably right,"

"Well why are you calling?"

"...good question,"

"Look I need to go okay? I've lost Zelda,"

"Again?"

"Again," she sighed

"You mean you have to go and talk to your little boyfriend?"

"No I- I've genuinely lost Zelda,"

"Bet you have," Stanly finished before hanging up the phone. Jennifer smiled at the black cat sat on the windowsill.

"I do have to go and talk to someone..." she smiled as she walked through the familliar street. Knocking on the door and waiting.

"Hello?" A man asked opening the door, he had a weary face until he met Jennifer. He quickly ran a hand through his hair and brightened his eyes as he let her in.

"We need to talk," she said quickly as she sat down, he walked over nervously. The tension in the air building...

"What about, Jen?" He asked slowly sitting down opposing her.

"What is this?" She asked as she pulled a white piece of paper from her pocket. Benny's face drew pale. "I'll ask again... what. Is. This?" She said harshly,

"Uh- you weren't- how did you find that?"

"You left it in the jacket you left at my house. I thought to give it a wash..." he went quiet, "We had a deal Benny..." she sighed standing up before he was quick in front of her.

"Now wait, I know we had a deal or whatever. But... it's not for that," he explained, she raised her eyebrows. "I have tournaments, in Russia. I wanted you to come with me. For your birthday,"

"Without asking me? Are you stupid?"

"It was meant to be a surprise, I've spoken to your worker, Alice can cover for you while your gone," he explained as Jennifer smile only grew wider.

"You so stupid," she laughed,

"Your coming to Russia with me, wether you like it or not,"

"Shut up," the tension had now faded "Still this does not count as a present,"

"Present? For Jennifer?" He scoffed "I would never," he joked

"Good, I hate presents,"

"Same, despise them!"

"When are we leaving?"

"Tomorrow," he answer casually.

"Tomorrow!" She repeated.

———
New York Airlines ; 09:46pm
———

"Still mad?" He asked,

"Yes I am. When we're you going to tell me? The day of?" She said rhetorically.

"Well would you have wanted me to go to Russia alone? And leave you in New York with no explanation,"

"Wouldn't be the first,"

"Hey, you said we weren't to bring that up and if I'm honest you were a lot worse than me,"

"You could've left a letter or something,"

"You could've done a lot of things," he said back feeling her sharp eyes spear through him. "Sorry," he mumbled,

"Mhm," she nodded looking out at the window before pulling out her small black camera and snapping a photo.

"See presents aren't that bad. You still use the one I got you last year,"

"Benny," she warned.

"Okay," he sighed. She rested her back onto Benny's side, letting her head fall behind onto his shoulder looking up at him,

"I really strongly dislike you sometimes,"

"That's a lie," he replied,

"Is it?"

"Yep, because at any point of the day you would kiss me... that doesn't show strong dislike... does it?"

"Cocky shit," she mumbled making him smile, before she slowly shut her eyes. She dozed of reasonably quickly, her head still on Benny's shoulder. He thought for a second before very slowly and cautiously removing the camera from her hand.

"Sorry," he whispered even though she was asleep as he began to flick through the photos...

Most of them were her pets, Zelda and Merlin. Occasionally some pictures of New York and nestled into all that would be her friends. Mostly Benny to be exact. He looked through the photos, some when they were at the pub and Benny's had a beer. Some when they were outside smoking. Some when he was asleep... "Creep," he whispered with a smile before turning down to her. "See how you like it," he began to adjusted the camera before snapping a photo of her and smiling at it.

He thought about how earlier they spoke about when he ran off to Paris without saying anything to her. He wondered about this quiet a lot, what if he hadn't of forgiven her? What if she hadn't of turned up? Would they've been together now? If he didn't have that tournament in Paris would she still have said sorry? To him it was like viewing a chess game.

The Rook had the King in check and Benny had no idea how the Rook did it so easily. He wondered if he had moved one different piece it could've saved his King from check. Or maybe his King was doomed to be checked. Maybe.

Jennifer reminded Benny a lot like a chess game in the way everything she does and says is strategic. The way she was so observant too, never misses a detail. Never missed a check or a threat. She was good at this weird mental game the two played in their heads. Knowingly or not, she was good at it.

But no chess game goes on forever? Unless, they could. Unless the two could find a way to defy all chess rules and make their game continue forever....