Elena's POV
We went to my room and some photographers were taking pictures of us I'm afraid of tomorrow's covers, I used my key to open the door and we went inside I sat on my bed and Benny poured me a glass of water and gave it to me "thank you" I said "no problem" he said and looked at the chess board I had on the table his room "he's playing Borgoff's game with Beth" he said "yeah yesterday I looked up Beth and I found a lot about her and I thought I'd play some of her games" I said "you know that game we helped her a lot with that one I helped her a lot,Harry Beltick and four other people we talked for almost 7 hours on the phone explaining all the moves she could make I paid $958 just for that call" he said and laughed "you guys were a good team" I said and looked at the floor "yeah....we were" he said and sat down next to me "are you feeling better?" He asked me "yes much better I think we need to come downstairs in a minute you're playing" I replied "yes we should" he said and stood up I stood up too and he opened the door for me to come in "so they took a cover off the last night's match nice you came out" he said "yes" I said " Benny Watts is looking at a draw again after the last one offered to him by Beth Harmon in Las Vegas by the New Player Phenomenon of the last two years. I see" he said and looked at me " your last draw was with Foreman last year just journalists bullshit" I said and he was surprised " yes I read all the magazines that come out about chess and I saw that" I said and walked out the door that had been opened and closed it behind him.

Benny's POV
Whenever she's read about me, but why haven't I read about her, am I so selfish that I only buy and read what the magazines say about me, we went downstairs and went to the table where I was playing, I had white and I played first.
It was a tough game and after 3 hours it was over and of course I had another win in my collection and Elena went to play her own game and if she wins we play again tomorrow and whoever wins goes to Berlin and from there if you are invited to the Italian indoor court the other one has to be invited to go to Berlin, and of course to the Italian indoor court only if he is invited. She was playing with dedication and calmness, she was pushing her opponent from the beginning and was getting exhausted and nervous enough "excuse me Mr. Watts "I heard someone behind me "I'm from Chess Life magazine and I would like to interview you" she said "yes of course" I said and went with him to the balcony "Mr Watts it is believed that young people in chess can become better than you who have been in the game for years" he asked me "it is possible that time is passing and everything is changing" I said "yes, your draw with Miss Mackelson is believed to have been due to mistakes you may have made or to too much practice on Miss Mackelson's part?" He asked me to start us on Helena "both, Miss Mackelson read chess books and practiced a lot of techniques but of course I can make potential mistakes like the rest of us" I replied "yes, your friend Beth Harmon was found dead about 3-4 months ago the causes were never mentioned?" He asked me and I just looked at the floor I don't want to talk about Beth "I don't want to talk about that" I replied " I understand you but chess fans want to know the reason for the unjust death of the chess queen many are talking about assassination plots because of her victory against Borgov almost two years ago" she said "I'm done with this interview I have nothing more to say" I said I put my hat on I turned to go inside and saw Elena get up and shake hands and her opponent's king down on the chess board she gave up the game I went inside and she turned and looked at me "did you win ?" I asked her "yeah another win for me and tomorrow we go for the final" she said "I have to go, see you tonight" I said "ok so see you tonight, I hope to find out a few more things about Beth because from what they write I can't find out much" she said and I laughed "ok I'll tell you" I replied and left.

Elena's POV

He left and I went to the dining room to get something to eat and go to my room.
I went into my room and I see the magazine again that says about my draw with Benny, I did come out nicely in the photo and opened the page with our article and the final of our game a lot could do and do and turn the game around, I have replayed the game many times and changed it many times and try and try new things,the time goes by fast and it's gone 7:00 I go to get ready I put on jeans and a blouse in light beige I get my hair in a bun and put on a white ribbon with gold that I had I just put on mascara and eyeliner I get my bag and put in my room key my wallet and my small notebook and my pen as always I put my black jacket on top 7:40 o'clock and I go down to the bar and take a coke until I had drunk it it was gone 8:00 I go out and Benny appears in his car "good evening miss are you expecting anyone?" He says to me and I laugh "yes I am waiting" I say "well come on in because the one you were waiting for is here" he says and laughs I open the door and go in "where are we going?" I asked him "this is a surprise" he says and looks at me it was about half an hour drive and we were talking about chess he has been playing since he was a kid but for a long time he stopped playing we arrived at a gazebo on a hill we got out of the car and I climbed the hill it had a view of all of New New York and Benny came over with a couple of beers in his hands "I come here often and sit for hours sometimes I take the chess board with me and play it's peaceful and nice here" he said "it's really the first time I've seen all of New York so it's great" I said "first time you've come here ?" He asked me "yes, I live on the other side of America" I said and he looked at me funny "Las Vegas?" He asked me "you came close but not Los Angeles" I replied and laughed "so what do we start our conversation with today" I said "you" he said "you" he said "you suddenly appear in the chess world and no one bangs how does that happen?" He asked me "it's a long story I haven't played chess like you since I was a kid, I've been playing for the last ten years since I was 17 that is" I said and he looked at me "you're 27?" He said "yes" I said "you look younger I'm in shock now" he said and took a sip of his beer "hahaha you really didn't know that there are many times it's written in the magazines" I said.

Benny's POV
"27 indeed?" I still couldn't believe it and she was busting out laughing "don't laugh I had you down for 22-23" I told her and she laughed even harder "yes... I'm 27... oh first time I've ever laughed so hard" she said and wiped her eyes and took a sip of her beer "tell me you stopped playing around that time" she said and all those memories came back to me with my mum my sister and all the company I was unfortunately involved in "bad past just not much I don't talk about it much I try to forget it but it's hard" I said and took a sip of my beer she touched my hand with hers her skin was so soft and I felt that weird feeling again that I get when I'm around her "we all have some bad stuff in our past it's just a matter of finding the right person to talk to open up to get that weight off our shoulders, we're not all perfect" she said and she looked at me hard in the eyes "bad company" I said "I've been in a lot of trouble so I know how to hit and so I've happened to hit a lot of people for a lot" I said and she looked at me "after you're out of trouble everything gets better" she said "what about you? bad past you have" I asked her "problems and damage to my family and many more" she said and drank from the beer "just because I'm cute and innocent in quotes doesn't mean I'm a saint" she said "why do you wear your hair in a bun and why do you have it long? " I asked her "if I tell you you won't laugh or throw out any innuendo though" she said "no I won't laugh or innuendo" I said "I like it when it's dragged out during sex" she said and laughed "maybe we should tie you up and already" I said and laughed "we said no innuendo then" she said and patted me gently on the shoulder as we laughed "tell me about Beth" she said "she was very calm but when she was losing you had to get out of her way or else... you were in for a big bang" I said and laughed "she was sweet she unfortunately had many addictions like drinking and tranquilizers but a great chess player she was the first to beat me after 8 years close she was smart very smart and I taught her enough to beat Borgov and we had sex once nothing else" I told her and she was surprised "ok everything I expected everything except that-" " it was nothing important just once more we were friends very good friends nothing erotic" I told her before she said more about it "right" she said "well I have an idea we'll take turns asking each other questions about difference things favorite color and stuff" she said and I agreed enough time passed and we drank almost all the beer.

Elena's POV
The time was close to 12 at night and we talked a lot between us "so are you up for a ride to a bar I love here" he asked me "yeah let's go" he said and we got in the car and drove "we're three blocks from my house and it's the best bar I've ever been to" he said and opened the door "hey we're reminded of Watts guys" said a guy behind the bar "Julian I haven't forgotten you my love" said Benny mockingly "meet the new blood the phenomenal girl of the last two years Helena Mackelson" he said "nice to meet you" I said "Julian nice to meet you too" he said he could hear the time of my life playing "oh I love that song" I said "then come dance" said Benny "dance?" I asked and looked at my left ankle anxiously "yes come on" he said and pulled me close to him a dance it won't hurt I said and we danced and did some random cool choreography but the best parts were the turns he made me do and our laughs and we went to the bar "Julian two glasses of whiskey" he said "let me see how I get to the hotel" I said "don't worry tonight it's just the two of us and I'll take you back" he said it was 3am "I don't think you can take me to the hotel" I said "yeah and I think so" he said "Julian, I'll pay you the day after tomorrow" he said "okay" Julian said and we left the bar "one more dance princess" he said "there's no music" I said "it's okay with the New York music" he said and pulled me and pulled me close to him and made me turn around "well here's what we'll do we'll go to my house we'll sleep there and tomorrow we play at 10 so we'll wake up at 8 so we can go to the hotel to change and play our matches" I said "ok but let's wake up!" I said, "Yeah, we'll wake up."
He answered me and we walked those three blocks to his house. Beautiful night and different from the ones I live through.