I forced open the door, having to give it a shoulder shove as I always have to, given the door has been slowly falling from its hinges, I have told the landlord but I don’t think he particularly gives a shit. I threw my keys on the hook, my bag in my bedroom and my hat and jacket on the hooks beside the door. I sat the mail pile from the mailbox on the table to go through once I had a damn coffee. I emptied my bag throwing my clean clothes back in the drawers and my books on the table to put away later, throwing my laundry in the hamper. I quickly made myself a nice strong coffee and got settled in my chair with my knife.
I slowly went through the mail sorting through junk, invitations, press things and all sorts of other nonsense most of which I had one look at and threw away. I picked up the next and couldn't hold back the smile that cracked across my face.
The little baby blue paper was a little creased and bruised from its journey to my mailbox, the sweet navy blue ink in that flawed cursive I knew so well.
‘Benjamin Watts
Apartment 64 D
Stalemate Avenue
Brooklyn
New York
The United States Of America’
Just to be sure I flipped it over spotting where the envelope had been sealed up well with as few bruises across the paper. And the sweet little inked drawing of the little black and white panda bear.
So I smiled and put it away wanting to save it for later continuing on with my coffee and the rest of my mail.
After I had dealt with everything for the day, had myself a… semi-warm shower and got myself tucked up in bed, I got the little letter from the side table and I couldn’t help my smile. I carefully opened it revealing the three of the same sweet smaller blue stationery envelopes with the same blue ink. One had a little heart drawn on it, the other had a chess piece, and the last had a little newspaper. I smiled and opened the little newspaper envelope seeing her sweet letter.
'Dear Benny,
I hope that you are feeling well after your laborious travels. I sometimes know how you can get when you're travelling a lot. Pray to tell, how have your tournaments gone? I'll likely hear of the outcome in the following days but I know you so like to have my letters when you return home and of course, and of course I like to ask to hear of it from you. Things are going well here much as they always are even if the weather has turned rather harsh, much more so than last year. I, at last, found the time to change around my curtains and other linens I’m sure I’ll find other jobs for myself in the coming months. I’m sure you will too find something to take up your time post chess season. Perhaps you’ll finally find the time to get that basement of yours looking more like a home, I Was so thrilled to receive your letter, I felt like I hadn’t heard from you in months, I really missed my little cowboy X ’
The letter talked of course about everything I had asked her in the letter I sent her a few months ago along with all the other news going on with her lately. I smiled and put it away on the side so I could write her a reply to her in the morning. I opened up the small chess envelope seeing the small sweet note with the move
White D4 Castle to D6
I laughed a little, getting my small travel board and doing the move she made taking notes so I could send her back my own move, knowing it won’t be long until we had finished this game even though we started it over a year ago.
Admittedly I considered leaving the last little envelope but I’m already all cosy and cuddled up in bed opening the little heart envelope and immediately six little polaroids fluttered onto my bedsheets. And I smirked setting everything else away picking up the little polaroids seeing her in her sweet little flowery dress, another of her out in her garden among the daisies, Another of her in her sweet vanity blowing me a little kiss, Another of her laying in her bed with a sweet black lace set of bra and panties tight and snug around her plump body revealing so much but nothing I had seen in her photos before. And the last in a sweet black lace bra and panties with the bra pulled down enough to reveal her perky breasts.
“Hummm dirty girl” I smirked looking over them and grabbing the little box from under my bed, the old battered shoe box filled to the brim with our other letters and the other sweet and sexy polaroids she had sent to me...
I stood having my second coffee of the morning attempting to get the metal capacity to take a damn shower. When I heard a knock on the door which confused me. I set my coffee down and went to the door giving it a firm pull and being met by a familiar face.
"Morning Watts"
"What do you want Weiss?"
"Mostly to bug the shit out of you, and not pay for a hotel during my layover?"
"Fine" I sighed letting him in "Coffee?"
"Yeah go on then" He laughs taking off his jacket and having a look around my apartment "Still living in a crack den I see"
"Ex crack den." I corrected
"They left, I moved in. that's how renting works Weiss" I explained as I made him a coffee
"Didn't even put new wallpaper on the walls?"
"Why? it's... fine" I shrug
"I am waiting for the day I walk in here and its a perfect little place"
"Why?"
"I'll know you got a girlfriend"
"Don't be a dick," I told him handing over his coffee and taking a seat at the table
"Still haven't brought a couch?"
"Why? I have a chair"
"Some would call that antisocial ben"
"People don't like it they are welcome to fuck off"
"Now that is being antisocial" he laughs "Can I change my clothes? been in these on the plane I feel horrid"
"Go on," I told him so he happily headed into the bedroom I didn't think much about it getting my typewriter set up as I needed to get some writing done today, and soon enough he returned in a new shirt with a smirking smile across his lips "What?" I glared giving him a look but he just smirked at me "What?" I asked again more firmly this time
"what's her name?"
"Whose name?"
"you know who"
"I do not."
He smirked and set the last couple of polaroids onto the table "who is she?" he smirked
"I said you could change, not go through my stuff!" I complained grabbing them and hiding them away
He smirked and took the seat across from me, "something you want to tell me ben?"
"No" I snapped focusing on loading my typewriter
"I already know so tell me"
"You don't know shit Weiss"
"I know there's… a girl." He smirked
"Do you now"
"Who likes you enough to flash her tits in a polaroid for you" he smirked and I didn't even look at him "come on, I won't tell anyone"
"Yeah you won't, because I'm not telling you anything. It's my business. It's got nothing to do with you Weiss"
"Tell me, come on. Or I will tell everybody about your little polaroid girly"
I sighed "will you shut the fuck up. If I tell you?"
"Yes"
"And you won't say a word to anyone else"
"Cross my heart"
"I'm serious Weiss. I hear anything about this outside of this apartment I take my knife and do something so horrific to your dick you will never want to look at it again. Do you understand me?"
"Yes" he gulped
"Fine. And don't judge me"
"I won't I promise"
"Fine." I sighed, having a sip of my coffee. I pushed myself up from the chair going to my bedroom seeing where I hadn't put away the little box from last night where he clearly found those photos, so I returned them to the box and brought the box to the table taking out the photo she sent me so long ago, in her beautiful black dress letting him see the photo "Her name is y/n."
"Y/n? Cute."
"And she lives in the UK"
"What?"
"Yeah"
"How did you two meet then?"
"Well… we haven't officially. Met."
"Hu? Okay I need an explanation. Like now."
"When I finished my book, openings and tactics advanced"
"Yes benny I remember your book" he sighed sipping his coffee
"The chess federation paid to publish it, but due to them being cheapskate assholes they only paid for US distribution. And a couple of months after it got published I got a letter from the chess federation said someone was trying to get in contact with me about the book so I accepted. And a week or so later a letter came" I explained "from the UK, from y/n. She is the UK chess champion held the title for six years when we first got talking, she knew of me of course thought the chess news and things and she was very interested in one getting her own book published in the US
and two getting my book published in the UK and Europe. We ended up getting nowhere with it but I sent her a copy of my book and she sent me one of hers" I told him getting the book from my box "and… we got attached to each other. It started off normal. Innocent. Just writing letters back and forth. Playing chess thought the mail and all just little things" I shrug "but we grew closer, and talked more and more and now, we talk all the time in letters always sending things back and forth to each other, put kisses on the ends of our letters, send each other polaroids cute and not so… innocent. And we're kinda, dating. Long distance."
"So, this whole box?"
"Is letters, our via mail chess games, pictures, drawings, little trinkets and things she's sent me. Ohh yeah she went on holiday to the coast last summer and she sent me a little Panda on a string" I smiled getting the tiny bear as I flipped thought the box
".... Hang on, have you two actually ever met?"
"No. Not in person. But I really do like her, I do. And it's not like I don't want to we've both busy and I don't get chance"
"She sent you a picture of her in sexy lingerie and with her tits out. And I'm going to guess there are alot of them like that in that box"
"..... maybe"
"And let me guess you have also sent her… of you-"
"Yes."
"Funny question I know. Why don't you just call her?"
"Time zones. Plus writing to each other is cuter plus we both travel a lot so it's easier just to have letters waiting"
"Benny. I admit I'm not the smartest guy in the world"
"Obviously" I told him
"But. Come on. If you like her that much, just hop on a plane or buy her a ticket and met this girl"
"Your right. I jumped can't afford it"
"Benny Watts you just one US Chess champion. Use your prize money to pay for it"
"Well…"
"What else are you going to do with the money?"
"Well, my car needs work, I need some new jeans, a couch as you so often suggest"
"Gambling it all away"
"Shut up Weiss"
"And your rather do all that, then actually meet in person this girl you've been talking to for years, and who is your girlfriend and get that you have never actually met"
"Point taken"