Haircut (Beth Harmon X Benny Watts)

Chapter 18

I was glad when I finally walked inside my house. It did suprise me for a second when it didn't smell like wine when I first entered, by then I remembered that I cleaned everything before I left. I threw my suitcase in the hallway and crashed down on the couch.

These past three days had been so exhausting. The tension of the games mixed with Benny's sudden peace offering made my head feel like jelly. But in a good way. Even though my life still feels like a mess, it's a lot better than three weeks ago.

Just before I fell asleep, the doorbell rang. Groaning, I crawled of the soft cushions of the the couch and walked to the door. When I had opened it, Harry's nervous face was looking right at me.

"Hey, Harry." I said, as I leaned my head against the doorway.

"Hey, Beth, how are you doing?"

He had a hint of fear in his eyes and I didn't know why.

"I'm fine. And tired." I smiled. That seemed to work, because he stopped looking at me like I could explode any second. But I couldn't really blame him for that.

I really wanted to go sleep, but I also wanted to talk about all that happened. And Harry is one of the best listeners you'll ever meet.

"Do you want to come in?" I said as I took a step backwards, making space for him to walk through the door.

"Yes, of course." He smiled back now.

After I got Harry and me a coke, I sat down on the couch next to him. He still had the same gaze in his eyes.

"You're doing quite well, even though you lost." He said as he took a sip of his drink.

"I hadn't played in nine months and I was playing against Benny, so..." I said.

"Yeah, but still, you lost."

"I know that Harry and yes it is shit and yes I really wanted to win, but I'll beat his ass next time." I said annoyed.

He chuckled. "That was the answer I wanted to hear. I almost thought that no alcohol for two weeks made you soft."

My cheeks turned a little red. I hadn't told him that I had a breakdown two nights ago. But Harry knew me to well not to notice.

"Oh no Beth, please don't tell me you got Iridium."

I felt quite relieved, I chose booze that evening and not the green pills. Alcohol was easier to stop with, to my opinion.

"No, no, I didn't, I just had a little too much to drink after a setback..." I said quietly.

"Setback?" He asked with one eyebrow raised." What kind of setback?"

"I-I saw Benny with someone and..." I said awkwardly.

"Owh." He said in the same tone. "Is he dating someone?"

I nodded my head, maybe just too quickly. "It was nothing, he said."

"Right."

We both too a few seconds to drink from our cokes. In Harry's eyes I saw he wanted to say something. He always overthought literally everything.

When he hadn't said any thing for two more minutes, I lost my patience.

"Harry, what's on your mind? Your eyes look like they're in a hurricane."

He looked at me shy, what made me scared all of the sudden. Don't start about feelings again, Beltiks, please, I thought.

"I-I don't know how to tell you." He started.

Please don't, please don't, please don't, my mind said.

"Just say it." I said with a hint of annoyance.

"I think I'm in love..."

I screamed inwardly, but I held my cool. I really wanted to kick him out of the house. He knew how I felt about him. He was my friend, listener and my helping hand, what I appreciated much. But nothing more. We tried and I knew we wouldn't work.

I knew that I didn't feel a thing for Beltiks, when I stared at the chess review for almost three minutes straight when I bought it. Benny was on the front page.

"She's, beautiful, nice, happy and likes to play chess too." He was looking down at the couch, while he played with the end of his sleeve.

I wish he would stare long enough at it, that he wouldn't notice if I ran away.

"But really Beth, you should've seen her. Her smile was so beautiful and the way she laughed at my joke."

Wait, what, I thought.

"It's too bad I don't know her name. She comes to the supermarket every Wednesday. But I think it's weird to ask her name, what do you think?"

My brain was still processing what just happened. Harry fell in love, with another girl. Maybe I should've felt jealous, but relief was the only thing going through my body. After a few more seconds, I was finally able to reply.

"You should ask her name. Ask her on a date, why not?" I said. But we both knew, that my love experiences weren't anything near normal, to give the right advice to him.

"What if she's already dating someone, what if she's married?"

"You will only find out if you ask her."

I smiled. Maybe watching all those soaps with Alma, helped me in the end.

He sighed. "Maybe you're right."

"I am."

"Of course you are." He smiled.

"By the way, what is your next plan?"

I thought for a while. "I don't really know yet. I don't want to stop playing chess, not now it made me feel good again. But there isn't a tournament until the weekend of new year's Eve. But I do have a wedding to attend in two weeks." A flow of adrenaline rushed through my body as I said the last sentence. That Benny asked me was still a mystery.

"Jolene's wedding?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

"I'm invited as well."

"That motherfucker." I whispered.

"What?" He asked confused.

"Nothing." I rolled my eyes.

He looked at his watch. "I'm sorry Beth, I need to go."

"Its 3 PM, what are you going to do?"

"Trying to ask a girl for her name." He smiled nervously as he rolled up his sleeves.

I smiled. "Good luck."

"Thanks."

I looked at Beltik as he drove away in his car. The goof was in love. I shaked my head unbelievably. I wondered who it was, that stole his heart by simply smiling at him.

~short chapter I know. I had two birthdays last two days, but tomorrow will be longer. I promise!!