One Game | Benny Watts

026

Jennifer appeared, a tight smile on her face. "Martinez?" A man asked from beside her.

"Yes," She replied.

"Just there, please," He pointed to a table and a couple of chairs. With a black and white glossy chess board in between. She sat down, while men and the occasional reported gathered around. She clicked the clock, leaning her head onto her hand expecting Benny to appear at any moment. Moments turned into minutes, as time dragged on. No show.

If he didn't turn up soon the match would be postponed and she would automatically go through into the next rounds. She secretly hoped he wouldn't turn up as this meant he was disqualified, meaning she wouldn't have to play against him. Now, there were a few reasons why he wasn't here.

Number 1, revenge. Simply because she didn't turn up last night so he only sees that he should do that in return. Number 2, he didn't want to play her and would rather lose his US Chess Champion title than have to do it. This was highly unlikely. Number 3, he was still asleep, possible but doubtable. Number 4, He was lost.

After thinking for a while tuning out the consistent clicking she decided that number one was probably what was happening and she could be here for a while. She waited for a long time and began to shut her eyes counting the clicks so when she opened her eyes she knew exactly one minute had passed.

She shut her eyes. One, two, three, four-

"Forty minutes late," A man mumbled making her open her eyes. She looked at the board, seeing a Queens Pawn opening. She looked up, he was staring at the board carefully. She moved her pawn, copying his moves.

The game started with Jennifer, having her mind split between the weird appearance of Benny and the game. Benny only ever had his eyes on the paper, clock or the board never looking at Jennifer. As the game went on, however, he began to grow frustrated by her. Every single time he tried to prepare an attack or start something she would stop it, capture his piece protect hers.

He couldn't do anything besides get his king corner on the left of the board with just a bishop on black and two pawns. She was quick with her moves, and smart about them too. It was like she was reading his mind, he was doing moves he had never done before, never seen before yet she still knew.

Everything he tried, she stopped.

The game went on to the point that watches were leaving for food breaks and would bring back coffees to sell to other watchers. Benny seemed to have found a way consistently to slither his way out of a mate and was never slowly capturing some of her remaining pieces.

She had two bishops, a knight and one singular pawn that was near the edge of the board but unfortunately for her, his bishop have the next move for her pawn in threat. Benny's time was coming to an end and so was the game as they very slowly edged down on each other's pieces.

With just one minute left on the clock, a name was circled. Jennifer looked up at Benny as he stood up bringing his hand out still avoiding her eyes. He walked off briskly, shielding his face from the reporters while Jennifer stood still glancing down at her name circled in red. She watched him walk to the bar and ordered a beer.

She shook her head slowly before she sat on a stool one away from him. She tapped her feet on the edge of the bar floor. She felt crazy flashbacks to the night they first met. At the bar in the club, she used to work in. Just one seat away from each other and she asked him for a lighter.

"I'm sorry," She said quickly and for the first time, he looked up at her trying to see her eyes through her sunglasses.

"What for?" He asked.

"Not turning up last night," She replied turning her gaze towards him.

"It was an ask, not a demand," He finished as he stood up.

"Benny," She said as she watched him freeze.

"Save it, Jen. Go find someone who will put up with you," He scoffed as he walked off. Jennifer placed her head into her hands as she thought. There was silence in the bar. Quietness as Jennifer began to fill with anger. He could've had the decency to listen to what she said. She wasn't going to not be heard, she had to at least apologise.

She didn't want forgiveness she wanted him to at least listen. She walked towards the front desk as an idea brewed. "Hello," Jennifer smiled.

"How can I help you?" The man replied.

"What room is Benny Watts in?"

"Uh- unfortunately I cannot share that information with you," He answered, Jennifer breathed frustratedly before reopening her purse and bringing out 200 dollar bills.

"Room?"

"Is this a bribe?"

"Is it working?"

"This is confidential information," She pulled out 300 hundred more sliding it on the counter. He picked up the dollars and flicked through them before taking most of them leaving about 100 hundred left. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave,"

"Fucking hell," She mumbled taking the remaining money and heading up the elevator. "How much did he even take?" She asked as she flicked through. "One hundred and twelve," She scoffed glancing back at the numbers on the elevator. "One hundred and twelve," She repeated. 100 + 12. 100 and 12. 112.

She quickly changed the number on the elevator and started her 'Sorry Mission'

She felt as though she had been here before.