One Game | Benny Watts

002

"What?" Jennifer laughed lightly

"He's been so persistent about it, honestly," her mothers smile was familiar and not viable across the line

"That's so funny," Jennifer breathed as she blew smoke form her mouth

"He might do it you know, quit the fuckers," she explained

"Doubt it, he's been on 'em for how long?"

"Since he was thirteen," she explained

"Exactly, ent no way he's gonna quit 'em after 60 years,"

"I'm thinking 'bout it Jen," she heard her father on the line. She liked talking to her parents, she moved out a few years ago. Moved to Times Square. Sure she wasn't too far from Brooklyn but she still missed that place, she's been there all her life and now she was alone in the middle of New York spending every single lovin' night surrounded by men.

"Yeah, sure you are," Jennifer smiled

"Have some hope in me all right kid?" He laughed

"I do, I have so much hope," she answered. Her fathers talking about quitting smoking. Says as he's getting older, they're too expensive and make him cough. He's been saying this for 10 years. He quits sure, for about 5 minutes then he goes back to it the second something goes wrong.

Jennifer smokes, she smokes a lot. They don't know that though and she doesn't intended on telling them either. She was pretty sure they knew, because everyone smoked. It was weird if you didn't. But her partners were easily pushed and fell into propaganda like a trap. They thought smoking caused lung cancer. Jennifer wasn't sure how she felt about that, but smoking made her feel good. Made her feel okay.

So did the pills.. and the alcohol. She one hundred percent was never going to tell her parents about the sheer amount of illegal drugs she took on the daily, they might explode. Then they would probably pay god enough to come back to life, rich fuckers, then explode again at the sight of her. So, for everyone's including her selves sake, she kept it to herself.

Benny opened his eyes slowly at the sound of beeping and tooting from outside that blurred his ears. He rose from the bed slowly, rubbing his eyes left and right before turning his light on. It illuminated his dark room and casted a shadow of his body to the wall. He ran a hand through his messy hair before he pulled himself from the bed. He grabbed a long black robe and pulled it around his body as he stumbled to the kitchen of his messy apartment. Not an ounce of kitchen space, anywhere. "Fuck," he mumbled

He spotted a pile of cloths waiting to be washed. He picked them up and placed them on the floor, freeing up a square. He yanked his black fridge open revealing a depressing excuse of food. Half a milk, a green apple, leftovers from a few nights ago and a carton of orange juice. He sighed and took the milk and opened his cupboard to reveal a old box of cereal.

He carried his bowl to the living room, or well,  a couple of chairs, coffee table and array of cushions that he named the living room. You would've thought US Chess Champion would've had a slightly better place to live but no, he was here. Under a house, in a messy basement. He could do better. He lied to himself.

He pulled out a magazine form his desk "Chess Review" it had Beth Harmons face on it. He checked the date, a new Chess Review should be out today. He decided that later on in the afternoon he would go out and get some edible food and a copy of Chess Review. But not now currently he had a game of chess to play...

Benny's morning was, slow and calm unlike Jennifer's who had to get up early, talk to her parents, and go out. She was walking round the store grabbing little things on her way. So far she had: apples, biscuits, two packs of cigars, two crates of beer and a watermelon. Why did she have a watermelon? She didn't know. Did she have it anyways? Hell yeah.

She stumbled into the magazine isle. Normally, she walked right past it but a copy caught her eye. It was her stupid face. "Lady Martinez switching up the look," was the headline. "Fucking pathetic," she whispered quietly to herself as she looked at it. I'm switching it up because I didn't wear what my manager told me to? Oh, yes, god forbid I'm a real person. She thought to herself. She looked next to her face to see a familiar set of brown eyes. Chess Review - Benny Watts. One more tournament to go before Paris.

Paris? She repeated to herself. She thought she recognised him. But she couldn't pinpoint where, yet his eyes gazed back at her with such a familiarity that it was almost impossible to imagine she didn't know him. Where had she seen him and had he seen her?

She moved on, eventually coming to the realisation it didn't matter. She would never seen him again and that was okay. She purchased her things and left, she walked back home smoking a cigar from her new box. She planned the rest of her day, to make sure she was organised. She would get in, put her things away. Get her dress out for tonight and steam it. She would then wait half an hour, then head to the club. Shows start at 9:00 to 9:30 first the. Another one at 10:30 to 11:00 only half an hour each. Only an hour all together.

She could do that. Maybe. If she got enough alcohol and pills in her system it would be a bearable right? Only just.