The West Texas Ladies Chess Club Ch. 04

But before I could say anything, Ginny rallied back to her usual self and said, "Well. Ok, then." She sighed deeply, then said, "As to your question: Yes. I set this all up. As a means to win a Chess tournament. As a means to get back to the top of the game. I told you this game is life, to me. I told you that victories are won all over the board and sometimes, before the game even begins, in the mental "fuck-them-before-they-fuck-you" arena.

Tiny Tim snorted and said, "And she didn't just set up you girls, either!"

"Tim, shut up," Ginny said.

Tiny Tim said, "Oh, Sorry, am I out of line? It must be because I just GOT MY ASS KICKED! Which you also set up!"

"Shut up," Ginny said. "I've told you and told you that you NEVER pay enough attention to your opponent's pawns, and you fucked it up like I can't even imagine! You let her promote three pawns, you IDIOT!"

"I LET HER?" Tim shouted. "Were you watching that game? She destroyed me! And you were supposed to tell me all her faults in her play! But you must have missed a few because I never saw a game like that!"

Ginny noticed everyone listening and realized the cameras and news crews were still there, recording every word and action. "Anyway, I'm not talking to you; I'm talking to Tish. We'll talk later. Maybe. "

Tiny Tim clasped his hands in front of him and said, "OH! Thank you, my love!"

"Shut up!" Ginny commanded.

"OH MY GOD!" I shouted. "You and him? You had... have... a relationship? Did you make him think you loved him, too?"

"Ki-, no. Sorry, darling, I will respect your wishes on that. For now. Darling, my relationships outside my obligations to the club are entirely my own affair. And I never said I belonged to only your club."

"But what about us?"

Ginny waved her hand dismissively and said, "We never made any promise of sexual exclusivity to each other."

"But-"

"Have I failed in my obligations to the club? In any way?" she asked.

I felt Lisa walk up behind me, wrap her arms around me and hug me tightly against the front of her body, her breath brushing lightly on my neck my ear.

"Darling," Ginny said, "I said I would make the Club a champion in the world of Chess, did I not?"

Comforted by Lisa's embrace, somewhat more calmly, I replied,

"Yes."

"And didn't I?"

"Yes." I didn't want to admit it, but I couldn't lie, either. Her teaching had brought us so far along in the game in such a short time. It galled me to no end to admit, though, because I was so mad at her.

"And you did want to win, didn't you? So very badly?"

"Yes."

"And you have, haven't you? On your own merit? In the arena of equal, no-holds-barred competition? In one of the very few games in which men and women can compete as equals?"

I hesitated. "Yes." Admitting it tore a sigh from my lips.

Ginny said, "Ah! But that, right there! That bit of hesitation? Darling? You still value your relationships, your feelings of friendship and love, more than victory in the game. Don't you?" She said it as if it were an accusation.

"Of course."

Ginny suddenly looked far older than her 24 years. She looked so sad, so weary. So tired. She leaned in close to me and whispered in my ear, "And that is the difference between you and me, Kitten. I have the game. You have love." She leaned back and looked me in the eyes, and said,

"And on that point, I concede the victory to you, my Kitten." She took a deep breath, and her hands rose to my arms, lightly stroking them, elbow to shoulder. My skin instantly turned to hyper-sensitive goosebumps.

"You win," she said. "You win!" Another pause punctuated by a deep breath. I felt her breasts push against mine, with the depth of her inhalation.

"You beat me." Yet another deep breath, another course of unwanted, unwelcome, yet undeniable shivers through my torso, spreading down into my loins and my thighs. And through it all, Lisa held me fast, from behind, in her embrace. Rendering me unable to step away from Ginny's body, her intimate contact with mine.

"At every turn." Ginny sighed, her breath spilling across my neck, my throat, and my ear, through my hair, down my shoulder, down my chest. My traitorous body shivered in the revelry of the sensation of her hot breath.

Or was it her words? Echoing in my mind, which gave me such pleasing shudders? Such satisfaction? At that moment, I had no idea, and I cared even less. I held still, caught in the intimate closeness between Lisa from behind, Ginny's body pressed up against my front, and her words caressing my soul.

Ginny gave me a moment to savor it all, then said,

"And when I walk out this door and go home, I'll start thinking of the next tournament and how I will win. Because for me, life is a succession of tournaments.

"When you walk out this door and go home, you'll have at least a dozen women go with you. And they're all going to take turns loving and consoling you all night long. Giving you their bodies. Their hearts. Their souls. All to comfort you. To make you feel better. To show their love for you with everything they have to give. Because they love you."

Suddenly, Becky was there, behind Ginny. I saw her roughly grasp Ginny's shoulders, and rudely pull her away from me, and push Ginny aside. Physically, Ginny was no match for Becky. Most guys were no match for our butch dyke. Ginny literally flew across the room and landed against Tiny Tim, knocking them all over in a domino effect that, later, we all agreed was utterly hilarious. But at the time, we were all quite shocked.

"Bitch!" Becky spat. "Haven't you done enough? Leave her alone, and let us take her home, now. You won your game! Your God damned, miserable game! Didn't you? Now leave Tish alone!"

I was instantly wrapped up in a fierce bear hug from Becky, held fast to her chest, and with all the release of emotion from winning, from realizing how we had been used, and all for a game, Ginny's betrayal of me, of the entire club... suddenly I was weeping like a baby, again, in Becky's strong embrace.

"It's all right, Tish," she said. The other girls approached, and again I was enveloped in the caresses of a dozen women, their hands on my back, my arms, my shoulders, my hair, neck and cheeks. Bodies pressing in against me from all sides.

I bawled like a little girl who's just had her first heartbreak.

Ginny stood back up, saying, "There's only one more thing to tell you, my beloved Kitten."

Both Lisa and Sam, at the same time, said, "No!" There was panic in their voices.

"I didn't set you up alone," Ginny said. "I had help."

"Bitch, shut your mouth!" Lisa shouted.

"Ginny, no! Please!" Sam said.

"Lisa and Sam were in on it, too," Ginny said.

The last thing I saw was Cassandra walking up and shoving Lisa away from me, cursing in Korean. Two of the girls immediately took up Lisa's place, wrapping me in their arms. I looked in the other direction, and I saw Sam, on her knees, her face in her hands, crying uncontrollably. I saw Becky, in front of me, saying, "We need to get Tish out of here! We need to take her home!"

I don't remember leaving the auditorium. I don't remember being taken to the car, or even entering my own home. What I do remember is that I was never alone, for one instant, the entire time. One of the girls was always there, usually two or three or more. All holding me, stroking my back, often sharing their tears with mine, crying right along with me.

I remember waking up in my bed the next morning and finding Martha spooning up against me, and I instantly burst into tears all over again as she held me to her breast and stroked my hair, arms, and back.

That went on for another day. I heard many knocks on my door, throughout the day and evening, voices outside shouting questions, and I heard my door being closed in the faces of the reporters.

The next day, around 10:00 AM, Jenn and Becky came in and sat on my bed. Reaching out to put her hand on my face, Jenn said, "Ok, Kitten. It's time to put your big-girl panties on now, get out of bed, and face the day."

Becky took my hand and said, "She's right. You can't cry forever. You'll only be miserable forever, and you'll never see the good in all of this."

"What good could possibly come from all of this?" I demanded.

"Maybe this," Becky said. She handed me an envelope. Showing only my address and return PO box address. I opened it and found one sheet of paper. I read it. I wadded it up and threw it across the room. "I don't want that! That's the very last damn thing I want!"

Becky stood up, retrieved the letter, and handed it to Jenn. Jenn read it and said, "Tish. Think objectively, here. This solves a lot of problems for you."

"I don't care!"

Jenn pushed the paper against my chest and said, "You should. A lot of girls would be thrilled with a full-ride Chess scholarship. And most of them will never stand a chance to get it."

Epilogue

Three Endings

A year later:

The Egregiously West Texas Chess Club For Ladies disbanded soon after. Day by day, the news crews and reporters outside my door dwindled to zero. I was sad to disband the club, but honestly, it had served its purpose for us all. We all keep in touch, though.

Against all odds, I fell in love with a man and got married! Yes, he is the most wonderful man. Remember the couple of times when I was having difficulties controlling myself in public? And there was this one man I found watching me, but he had been discreet, never made a big deal out of it, never spread rumors about me? His name is Rick. We finally formally met at the library, and boom! I found my Mr. Right. Or at least, my Mr. Wright! Even knowing all about my recent past, he was fine with it all. And he was fine with all the girlfriends I had made in the club! Jenn and Martha, Becky and Cassandra, all instantly accepted him into our circle.

How wonderful is Rick? He encouraged me to keep up a loving, sexual relationship with Jenn and Martha, and Becky and Cassandra.

Speaking of Becky and Cassandra: after all the publicity faded, they fell in love. They got a house, started a business, they're CPA's! And are doing very well. They're working through the process of adopting a child.

And... wouldn't you know it? I came across Sam. She was working in an animal shelter. I went in looking for a dog, for Rick and me. And I found Sam. I couldn't help it. I ran into her arms and hugged her, and cried. I called Rick and told him all about it, and he said I should invite her to our home, and he would be gone for the evening. Jenn and Martha took him in for the night and made sure he wasn't lonely. I invited Sam over for dinner at my house. It was so great to see her. And see that she was doing well.

Yes, we made love. I told her I forgave her for everything. I told her how much I still care for her. I told her we could work through everything that had happened, and go forward with our lives, even our relationship. It was a lovely evening of tears and sighs. We fell asleep, me spooning against her back.

She was gone before I woke up. Her side of the bed wasn't even warm, she must have left soon after I fell asleep. I held her pillow to my face to breathe in her scent, and cried.

I never saw her again. I wish she hadn't done that. We could have made it work, despite how everything had gone. Often, I think of her, wonder where she is, and hope and pray she is well. I hope she is happy. If I could talk to her, I'd tell her again that all is forgiven, I miss her, and I wish she would come back. Or at least talk to me.

###

Three years later:

I met Ginny. At a Chess tournament. I knew our paths would cross here, eventually. I viciously destroyed her on the Chessboard.

The only words we exchanged were when she said,

"You really did mean it, didn't you? All that talk about how you loved me? It was real for you, wasn't it?"

"Yes," was all I said.

"Well, then. At least I know I have been loved. At least once."

When I won, she congratulated me sincerely, shook my hand, and I never saw her again. She disappeared from the world of Chess after that. I tell everyone I hope she's ok, but I don't really care what happened to her. If being with her had taught me anything, it was that Ginny could damn well take of herself.

And if Ginny had learned anything, maybe she had learned the value of love. And next time, if it came again, she wouldn't throw it away. One can hope.

###

Five years later:

And then, one day, I ran into Lisa.

She was homeless. She was begging for spare change on the side of the road. She didn't even recognize me. I almost didn't recognize her, through the filth and the rags she was wearing.

I gave her the cash I had in my wallet. I told my husband what had happened, and he said, "You have to help her. If you want to." Like I said: He's Mr. Wright, in so many ways!

So, I came back the next day, and did it again, and gave her several bottles of water, some blankets, and some clothes. Still, she didn't know me.

I went back the next day. And the next. And the next.

And one day, she looked at me, and said, "Tish?"

"Yes, Lisa."

"Oh, God." She was trembling, and I could see the tears in her eyes. "I wasn't sure it was you. I thought maybe I was seeing an angel. Then I thought that if it is you, I didn't want you to see me, like, like this..."

I put my hand on hers and she flinched, but she let me hold her hand. "You don't have to live like this, baby. Will you come home with me?" I reached over to the passenger side door and opened it. She got in the car.

I took her home with me. I washed her myself. I fed her, laid her down in my bed, and slept in the same room with her. I had to sleep in a chair, across the room, because it was clear she didn't like anyone pressed up against her when she was sleeping. I wept at the realization of what that probably meant, in her time on the streets.

The next day I came home with a dog. A great big Siberian Husky, adopted from the shelter at which I had found Sam, a few years ago. His name was Fafnir. The family that had raised him had hit hard times, financially, and could no longer afford to keep him. Lisa and Fafnir instantly bonded, and Lisa slept much better at night, with Fafnir in the room.

At first Lisa wouldn't go anywhere near my husband, wouldn't talk to him or make eye-contact. She would always go to the farthest point in the room from him.

But Fafnir took one look at my husband, and instantly bonded with him, too, and just like that, my husband was ok with Lisa. Fafnir wasn't happy unless he had both Lisa and my husband in the same room, and being a Husky, he was stereotypically vocal about it! He would only relent in his complaining at bedtime, when Lisa went to her room. He would look at my husband with sadness, then go lay down on the floor by the side of the bed Lisa was on.

After about a month, Lisa was becoming more and more her previous self. One night as we all said goodnight, she looked at me, and asked, "Tish? Will you come lay down with me?"

I looked at my husband, and he nodded yes. I know I keep saying it, but: he really, really, is Mr. Wright.

When we would get ready to go to bed, Fafnir was in the habit of running into Lisa's room, and then whining piteously until she entered the room. Tonight, as I walked into the bedroom we had given Lisa, Fafnir saw me, yelped once in surprise, looked at Lisa, looked at me, then trotted out and laid down at my husband's feet with a huge, ostentatious sigh.

Lisa and I got undressed, naked, just like the old days, and laid down. We snuggled together, and she said, "Oh, Tish. I've missed you so terribly."

"Me too, baby," I said. "But it's going to be ok, now. Everything's going to be ok, now. We'll make it all work out like we want. You'll see. I promise."

We fell asleep, cuddling together.

A week or so later, we made love together. Afterwards, we both held each other and cried tears of gratitude for having been reunited.

END