“Peter Aurek?” the official asked a tall boy around my age. He had on dark, thick glasses and had a shaved head. He wasn’t anything like I’d expected.
Salinger had tried to point him out to me earlier in the day, but I’d only caught glimpses of him, and he didn’t ever come into the skittles room.
“Table two, seat one.”
He didn’t respond. Kept his gaze at the floor and sat down, staring only at the top of his board. He intimidated me. I whipped my head back Salinger’s way when the official announced his name.
“Table two, seat two,” he told him.
My heart started to race for Salinger’s sake. I watched him as he walked by. He gave me a side-eye and smiled at me. It was subtle and crooked and just a little bit sexy. He sat in front of Peter.
“Diego Hurtado?” the official asked the last opponent.
I recognized him from when he’d greeted Salinger in the morning, when we waited to register.
“Yes,” he said.
“Table one, seat two.”
Diego took the seat across from mine. He glanced Salinger’s way and nodded once in greeting. He turned toward me and smiled and nodded as well, but didn’t say anything.
“Ladies and gentlemen, these are our final four!” an official addressed the crowd. “We ask you remain as quiet as possible.” He turned toward the tournament officials standing near our boards. They each nodded at him. “Whenever you’re ready, gentlemen.” Salinger cleared his throat and the official glanced at me, his face turning pink. “And lady.”
“Good luck,” I told Diego.
“Good luck,” he returned.
And thus we began. Diego was a good player, but I was better. I made short work of our game and by the end, he couldn’t keep the look of shock off his face. When I took his queen, he smiled at me, a genuine smile, and stuck out his hand.
“Brilliant,” he told me. “You’re brilliant.”
I took his hand as my face heated. “Good game,” I hushed his way.
He leaned over the board. “What’s your name?” he whispered.
“Lily Hahn.” I told him.
“Good game, Lily.”
He stood up and walked from the hall with a small wave when he reached the exit. I waved back. Instead of following him out, I turned toward Peter and Salinger’s game. I watched them battle it out for several minutes. I was impressed Salinger held his own, though Aurek had a higher rating. That’s when I saw it, though, Salinger’s fatal mistake. I didn’t know if he’d seen it, but I knew Peter Aurek had.
In an additional twelve moves, Peter Aurek had defeated my poor Salinger. He sat back and looked up at Aurek when he stood.
“Good game,” Salinger said, standing up as well and offering a hand.
“Good game,” Peter returned, taking his hand.
The official who’d made the previous announcement raised his hands when the crowd began to titter. I could feel their stares on the back of my neck.
“Ladies and gentlemen, our final match between Lily Hahn and Peter Aurek will commence at six o’clock this evening. We hope to see you all there.”
When he finished his announcement, Salinger ran over to me and picked me up.
“You did it, Little! You’re in the final two!”
I hugged his neck then pulled back. “I wish it could have been the two of us, though, instead.”
“Never would have happened,” he said, setting me down. He screwed his face up. “Did you see where I messed up?”
I smiled up at him and closed one eye. “A little.”
He playfully balled a fist and hit an open palm. “Damn it!” He laughed. “I knew what I’d done almost as soon as I did it, but I am improving.”
“I noticed that.”
“It’s because I’ve been practicing with you.”
I lightly punched his shoulder in answer, a little embarrassed by his praise.
“Let’s get something to eat and get ready for the final match. You hungry?”
“A little.”
We grabbed our bags and headed toward one of the casual restaurants nestled amongst the walls of the convention hall floor. We found a table and settled in, glancing at the menus a waitress had handed us. Salinger tapped his foot on the side of my leg and I looked up. He threw his head to his left and I glanced that direction. It was Peter Aurek. He sat with another guy, older than me, mid-twenties, I thought.
“Peter Aurek,” I said.
Salinger shook his head. “No, it’s the guy he’s sitting with.”
“Who is that?” I asked behind my menu.
“That, Lily, is last year’s National Chess Champion. Name’s Tao Zhang. He has the highest rating of any person alive today.”
I dropped my menu to study him.
“What is he doing here?”
“Not sure.”
“Why isn’t he competing?” I asked.
“Probably because he wouldn’t gain anything from it.”
“I see.”
“He’s friends with Peter?” I asked.
“I guess so.”
Salinger and I ordered a few sandwiches and a plate of fries between us then returned to the skittles room so I could relax, get out of my own head. I laid down and Salinger let me borrow his headphones. I closed my eyes and tried to calm my nerves. Before I knew it, they’d called for the final match.
I stood up and stretched.
“Watch my bag?” I asked Salinger.
“Sure,” he said, hefting it onto his shoulder. “Ready?”
“Not really,” I told him.
He smiled at me and shook his head. “Nah, you are ready. Tell your heart to catch up with your head.” He turned toward the door. “Come on.”
I followed him out and met his stride. When we reached the hall doors, Salinger kissed my cheek and whispered good luck to me. He went inside without looking back and I watched him climb the stairs to the observation decks. My fingertips went to the skin his lips had kissed. My whole body shivered. I brought my hands down and in front of my face. I studied them. They shook and I forgot everything around me.
I looked up at him, at his profile, at his stunning face, and it shone brighter than anyone’s in that room. He resonated something in me and my eyes began to burn. I brought my trembling hands to my eyes and felt moisture. He was so beautiful inside and out.
Why do I want him so, so much?
“Miss Hahn?” an official asked me.
I shook my head. “Um, yes?”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, sir.”
“They’re waiting for you,” he said, gesturing to the table.
Peter Aurek already sat there, his gaze turned away from me.
“So sorry,” I whispered and started to walk forward.
Time seemed to stand still as I entered the hall. I felt hundreds of eyes on me, flashes of bulbs, and small cheers from the crowd, but I could only feel them. My eyes went straight for Salinger and stayed there. He leaned on the railing behind my assigned chair, ran a hand through his hair, letting it settle on the back of his neck, and smiled at me.
A tight ball of tension rooted itself in my stomach and refused to budge. His small gesture, his small encouragement. His small kiss. It had done something to me, uprooted any feelings I’d desperately tried to bury. They were coming up with or without my permission to show me they were in control.
I’d never felt anything like that my entire life, that sort of incitement. It burned through every cell of my body. I fought the urge to crawl up the deck wall, jump the railing, and touch Salinger just to know what he felt like in that instant, as if every instant was a missed opportunity, as if every instant might prove something different, as if every instant my skin didn’t know his was an instant to mourn.
My hands found my forehead and pushed my hair from my face.
What is happening to me?
I felt both profoundly sad and profoundly happy at once.
I looked up at him, my breaths coming fast. His brow furrowed in question.
He leaned over the railing. “Lily?” he whispered. My hands found my stomach and knotted the shirt there. “Are you okay?”
I couldn’t answer him. I wanted to, but I was rooted there, unable to move.