The Other Harmon (Benny Watts TQG)

Part 9 : Proposition

I could barely wait, barely containing my excitement at the meet idea Benny watts wanted to talk to me, not just passing conversation he wanted to go out his way to spend time with me, I wonder what it was he wanted to talk about. I waited by his last game s beth was already thought to the next round and up in her room I sat watched as the game finished and he got up heading out of the room, I followed curiously but as I turned the corner I couldn't find him but suddenly arms were around me and I almost screamed in fear but I saw quickly it was just Benny

"You scared me" I complained hitting him gently with my handbag

"Sorry, so I'm all done for today, you wanna go chat now?" He asks and I nodded so he lead me to the lift and we got inside

"Where are we going?" I asked as the door closed

"My room," he said I pinched myself to check I wasn't imagining it but it was real I then started running through every other word in the English language that I might possibly have confused it for until the doors opened and he leads me down to a room unlocking the door and letting me inside. It was a nice little room with a double bed some various hotel furniture most of it covered with benny's scattered belongings "oohh uhh sorry about the mess" he says quickly cleaning up a little

"It's alright" I smiled "but why did we come up here?"

"Because I wanted to talk to you," he says sitting in his bed and tapping the mattress beside him "sorry, I know it's a little odd I just didn't want people listening in, or reporters about I'm sure you know what they're like" he explained and I nodded that made much more sense and I'm not gonna lie I didn't care the reason the thrill alone of being in Benny Watts' hotel room was insane

"So what did you wanna talk about?" I asked

"Ahh yeah, I have a little... proposition to offer you honeydew"

"Oh?"

"You know how you said about Austin?"

"Yes"

"Well... I'm going in a couple of months, and I was wondering whether you wanted to come with me?"

"Benny you mean it?'

"Of course I do"

"Oh thank you thank you thank you!" I smiled hugging him insanely tightly "ohh sorry" I said moving away

"Aww no worries honeydew" he laughs "so I've already got the plane tickets and the hotel sorted all booked and ready, but... there is one little catch"

"What is it?" I asked

"In order to even be a guest at the hotel you have to be part of the tournament, or you can have plus ones but they have to have the same last name," he explained "so, if you want to come... you have to play"

"But Benny I've never played before except against you and Beth, I can't go against chess champions"

"Y/n trust me, you can I know you can,"

"Can't we just fake the last name thing? Pretend I'm your sister? Or wife?'

"You think anyone is going to believe that, for one thing half the chess world knows your Beth's sister, and oddly enough don't you think it would have been news if I got married?"

"I guess, Benny I don't know..."

"Please y/n, for me honeydew?"

"Well... okay" I nodded

"Yes, that's my girl!' he smiled grabbing my face and kissing my cheek rather hard so much I could hear the clack of the kiss but we both froze "I am so sorry y/n"

"No, no it's uhh it's okay benny" I blushed "don't worry about it" I smiled "so austin?"

"Right yeah, uhh so we fly out on the seventh tournament starts on the sixteenth, should be home by the nineteenth" he explained

"Why are we there so early?" I asked

"To prepare and practice, and... so you can explore austin a little with me"

"What about the flight's?" I asked "am I going to be on the plane all by myself?"

Unfortunately the flight out, yes your going to have to be there by yourself but I'll meet you at the airport in austin, home it's the same flight home so you'll come into new York with me maybe we'll stay at my apartment there for a couple of days just while everything cools down" he explained and I blushed more the mere idea of it all, a holiday across the country without any of my family, just me and Benny, on planes together in a hotel together, then back to his apartment for a few days I could have melted into a puddle of excitement

"Uuuhh Benny?" I finally got the courage to ask "what's the situation with the hotel?"

"Ahh well as I said you can't be a guest unless you're competing or a same last name guess. And... I kinda messed up a little when I was making the forms"

"Oh?"

"It's one room, for the two of us, I'm sorry I didn't realize until after and then I tried to call and change it but by then the hotel was full with everyone else from the tournament" he explained "it's okay I mean really we'll be exploring and working most of the trip the room will really just be for sleeping, but they assured me it had two beds" he says

"I'm sure it'll be fine" I smiled internally screaming at the mere idea of sharing a hotel room with him he gave me all the things I needed and he'd send the tickets and such thought soon as they were likely already in his mailbox at home

"Ooh and one last thing" he says grabbing a note and a pen from the table scribbling something and then handing it to me folded up

"What is it?" I asked

"The number for my apartment, Incase something changes and you need to get hold of me... or of course if you just fancy talking to me?"

"Thank you Benny" I smiled giving his cheek a little kiss

"Your welcome honeydew" he smiled.