𝑪𝒉𝒆𝒄𝒌𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆: 𝑩𝒆𝒏𝒏𝒚 𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒔 𝒙 𝑶𝑪

So Many Questions

The next day was the actual start of the tournament. Beth had started her first game a while ago and was probably going through it with ease. While Emilie had been sitting around drawing in her sketchbook the world around.

Her hands had a habit of drawing his face, and what the hell did he mean with that note?

She sat at the bar sipping on her rum and cokes, the coals had already stained the side of her hand and the tips of her fingers from blending.

"Creature of habit aren't you?" the voice behind her was becoming increasingly familiar.

"Shouldn't you be playing right now?" Emilie closed her sketchbook while simultaneously turning around to face him.

"Finished early," he sat down beside her, "Isn't it a bit early for a drink?"

"Do you always ask so many questions?" she didn't answer his question.

"What about we play some of that speed chess you wanted to yesterday?" he didn't answer her question either.

"There's no board here, how would we..."

"Well you didn't seem to notice that yesterday, and we are literally at a chess tournament, I think we can surely find some- There's one!" He walked over to a table and sat his hat down on it.

"Ok, um let me just grab my stuff-" She scooped up her sketchbook and coals,

"Don't forget your 10 am drink," he glanced between her and the drink, he was attempting to joke but there was concern in his eyes, Emilie didn't see this though and just downed the entire drink.

"Ok, now let's play," she's a little breathless now and went to sit across. She took the two kings and had him pick his color. He picked the hand with the black king. It gave her the advantage.

The sound of the pieces against the board and clicking of the clock could've been the beat of a song.

Benny won despite the first move advantage.

Then he won again.

And again.

And then he didn't.

She was attacking him from the front that he didn't notice her rook, waiting patiently. It was all set up and with a move of a rook that was mate.

"You've beat me twice,"

"I only beat you now?"

"You beat me the first time,"

"If you're this good, and your sister's better then it ought to be quite the-"

"Are you just talking to me to get information about Beth?"

"I don't need that to win,"

She crossed her arms over her chest, "That's arrogant for you to assume,"

"Well, she's the only true wild card," he said crossing his arms, mimicking her.

"Meaning..." the further this went on, the sassier her tone became.

"She hasn't lost a game, a meaningful one. I've analyzed some of her games and I've only found one mistake,"

"Well, you make mistakes all the time it seems,"

"I'm being sincere now, she could be something real one day,"

"She will! she's worked her whole life at chess. Beth Harmon is an orphan who learned to pay chess in the basement of an orphanage and I bet you had tutors to teach you everything you know,"

"Well, what about you? Emilie Harmon, you seem to be quite okay with just having a talented sister so what're you gonna do? Mooch off her all her life?" he directed to her. He was getting kind of tired of her righteous speech.

She didn't know what to say. Emilie wasn't going to give him the depressing opinion she had about a realistic future for her. "I had a boyfriend, you... Russian Imp,"

"Not Russian, wish I was. The soviets are amazing at chess but also that's past tense,"

"Well, I could've married him!"

"Again past tense."

"Well, I still could,"

"Is that all you see for yourself?"

"You know you're awfully annoying?"

"You're just annoyed that I'm actually asking you a legitimate question,"

"I barely know you!" She said exasperatedly.

"Well you've talked this far,"

"I don't have to tell you anything I don't want to,"

"You never had to but I think a part of you wants to know someone cared enough to ask," There was a bit of silence, uncomfortable in that there was weight to her answer. She felt as though acknowledging this weight on her shoulders would make it heavier.

"I can't make money on my own so I have to either rely on Beth or marry a man who can work," her voice sounded almost monotone, professional and if anything a little bitter. She didn't say anything after that, instead choosing to focus on her drawing, letting her mind wander a bit.

"I guess," Benny kind of realized it was a hard topic for her, and now that she said it he was okay with changing the subject. "What are you drawing in there?" He leaned over trying to take a peek to answer the question for himself, but before he could she pulled her sketchbook to her chest.

"I have three things to say-" keeping her business tone but it didn't sound as sad as before.

"Go right along," he cut her off slightly to respond and there was a slight country twang in his voice. Really went with his whole cowboy persona.

"Again, why do you ask so many questions? Secondly, it's none of your business, and third, why did you write me that note?"

"You should be able to figure all that out on your own," His smirk started to melt her further and she seemed okay by this point, but there wasn't much left to say so Emilie just stopped talking. Benny could tell the conversation was over but he didn't get up. Instead, he opted to just play chess on his own over his break.

Emilie turned the page to find new space and found herself sketching a picture of Benny playing chess, but just the board and his hands.

"You want something to drink?"

She shook her head no.

He went to the bar to get himself something to drink, where he had his second interaction with Beth Harmon. He pointed out a mistake she had made during her game with Beltik, telling her to sit it down and play it out. This frustrated Beth immensely.

Benny grabbed his hat off of Emilie's table, tipping it toward her in a silent goodbye, before Beth sat across from Emilie, replacing Benny, and began furiously moving pieces, recreating her previous game with Beltik. Beth scoffed when she realized Benny had noticed something she didn't.

"Why're you sitting at this table alone?" When Emilie just shrugged, Beth added, "Can you believe that he was right? Ugh Why did he have to point it out all of a sudden?"

All Emilie said was, "Oh Beth, why so many questions?" she smiled to herself and continued her drawing.