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Harry’s just packing up after a nice day at the beach when he sees them.
At first glance, there’s nothing particularly remarkable about the two people lounging under the black and white pinstripe umbrella. Sure, they’re both fairly attractive–although maybe a little pasty – and yeah, they’re both intensely engaged in a chess game on what is a beautiful day. Other than that, there’s nothing too remarkable.
But Harry knows better.
Because under that umbrella is Beth Harmon and Benny Watts. They’re both chess geniuses–in fact, Harry’s fairly certain that they’re both currently ranked #1 and #2 in the US. They also both have pretty healthy egos, if Harry recalls correctly. Which he should, because they’re also both his exes.
Harry’s ready to slink past them, hoping they’re too engrossed in their game–and they probably are–to notice him. He’s almost past what he figures is their sightline when he hears the yelling.
“Harry!”
At first, he contemplates ignoring it, pretending he didn’t hear. But his mother didn’t raise him to be rude.
So he turns, hoping it’s someone else calling his name. After all, the beach is still fairly crowded.
And it is, it turns out. It’s Matt Stevens, his friend from college, with the same blonde hair and genuine smile. Matt who, Harry now realizes, is at the beach with his exes. How do they know each other?
Matt waves and it’s already too late, since Beth and Benny have now looked up from their chess game, along with another woman behind the umbrella he now recognizes as Jolene. So Harry smiles and ambles toward the group. Hopefully, this won’t be too awkward. A quick hello and goodbye.
“Harry Beltik!” Matt greets him as he draws closer. “How have you been?”
“Um, good,” Harry manages alongside a general wave toward the group. “How have you been?” He’s not sure who he’s talking to exactly, but knowing this group, one of them will speak up.
“Good,” Mike answers, not missing a beat. “Oh, let me introduce you to Be–”
“Oh Harry and I have met,” Benny interrupts, because of course he does. Harry stifles the urge to roll his eyes.
Next to Benny, Beth and Jolene both shoot Benny a surprised look.
“Wait,” Jolene says, “ you’ve met Harry?” Beth is now looking at Benny with that look, the one Harry could never quite figure out but seemed to be a signature of hers.
“Yeah,” Benny responds. “Wait. Have you? ”
Jolene snorts and looks at Beth. “This one’s on you cracker.”
Beth is now looking at the sand like it’s a new edition of Modern Chess Openings. Harry wonders if he should say something, if he should speak. He's never been good with tension or awkward silences. Then again, neither has Beth.
“Harry and I used to date,” Beth says only somewhat awkwardly, folding her hands in front of her and looking like she’d rather be anywhere else. Not that that’s new either.
“Uh huh,” Benny says, his tone sardonic. “Sure you did.”
The look Beth fixes Benny with this time is more properly described as offended. It also possibly looks like she might kick Benny in the crotch.
“We did,” Beth snaps.
“Right,” Benny says, still disbelieving, now laying back on his elbows, lanky body in front of him. God, he really is slender, even more slender than Harry remembers.
“What’s so hard to believe about that?” Beth asks, still obviously irritated. Jolene looks on, amused. Matt just looks confused.
Harry contemplates making his exit now, before things get messy. He's never been good at arguments with either of them. He can’t imagine what an argument between the two might end up looking like.
“Harry and I dated,” Benny says, as if that explains everything.
Beth’s momentarily rendered speechless–whether by the fact that Benny and Harry had dated or that they somehow dated the same person, Harry’s not sure.
Jolene, however, jumps right in. “You two dated?” she says, squinting at both of them as if trying to picture it.
Okay, yeah, it might be unconventional, but is it really that strange that they know each other? Harry doesn’t think so. The summer before college, Harry’s mom had insisted he work, in no small part due to the fact that he’d charged an unnecessary dental surgery to his parents’ credit card that was given to him for “emergencies only.” In any case, he’d ended up as a counselor at the enrichment sleepaway camp his local synagogue put on every summer. He’d met Benny there.
Harry guesses it hadn’t been dating so much as a summer fling, but he doesn’t really have a better name for it. Harry had always been interested in chess–even played at some local tournaments when he was younger–and so when he’d heard that Benny Watts, child chess prodigy and current professional chess player whose aunt coincidentally attended the synagogue was teaching chess classes for the summer, Harry had to sit in. From there, he’d been fascinated with Benny’s quick wit and love of the game. Harry’s still not exactly sure what Benny'd seen in him–maybe it was just a fellow chess player who wasn’t ten years old–but soon enough they were eating lunches together and fooling around behind the cabins.
It’d been sweet, in a way, although Harry definitely wouldn’t call Benny sweet. Most of their time together, in fact, had been spent with Benny lecturing him about some intricate chess move or obscure game that Harry could only try to understand. It’d also ended as soon as summer had; Benny went off to god-knows-where while Harry had gone off to college.
College, where he’d met Beth while auditioning for the university chess team. Beth had creamed him, of course, and had done so without mercy, but Harry hadn’t been put off by it. It took him until the end of first semester to kiss her, but then things progressed rapidly. Soon enough, they’d moved in together.
Actually, if Harry thinks about it, the same thing that happened with Benny had happened with Beth. Beth, Harry now suspects, had liked him around for the company, but mainly as someone to talk chess with. The problem had been that she was too fast for him, seeing more moves ahead in a split second than Harry could ever hope to.
They’d broken up at the end of freshman year, with Harry wishing Beth well and transferring to another university to pursue engineering. That university hadn’t had a chess team, but that had been alright with him.
And now, all three of them are here on this beach. Harry supposes he shouldn’t be surprised that Beth and Benny know each other, as the top domestic players. Really, he is the surprise denominator between them.
It still doesn’t make it any less awkward, though.
Beth and Benny are still staring at each other, eyes locked in some sort of fight for dominance, and Harry’s honestly not sure who he would put his money on winning.
He should probably say something, clear things up. But all that comes out of his mouth is, “So are you two dating?”
Immediately, Harry mentally kicks himself. He’s really not sure why he blurts out the most awkward things at the worst times, but he does.
Beth and Benny turn, their attention on him again, both of them looking at Harry with the same look each of them used to give him when he’d ask them to explain why they’d just made a move, and they’d roll their eyes in exasperation, as if it should be obvious.
“No,” Benny deadpans, while Beth grimaces and shakes her head. Matt and Jolene shoot each other knowing looks.
“Oh, uh, sorry,” Harry manages to stammer out, feeling even more awkward than before. “I mean, uh, well that’s good. Cause, y’know, that would be weird if you were dating. Cause I dated both of you, that is.”
Luckily, Jolene comes to the rescue with a snarky remark that diffuses the tension. “Well,” she says, “I’m glad we got that cleared up. Benny and Harry dated. Beth and Harry dated. And Benny and Beth are definitely not dating.”
“Uh huh,” Benny says, his attention now directed toward Beth in a look that could almost be described as attraction. Benny had never looked at Harry that way, and now Beth’s looking back at Benny with the same kind of intensity. It’s a look of wonder and desire, but also respect. It’s how you look at someone you fully consider your equal.
Even though they’re in a public place, Harry feels like he’s walking in on a private moment, and yeah, he really just wants to get out of here.
“Well, uh,” Matt says, scratching at his back and obviously at a loss.
“Uh,” echoes Harry, “Well, it was good seeing you all.” Better to make his exit now than wait around and say something dumb again.
“Yeah,” Matt says. “Hit me up sometime, we should get coffee.”
“Yeah,” Harry returns and thinks about saying the same to Beth and Benny, but then decides against it. “Have a good day,” he says finally, lamely, before quickly walking away. As quickly as the sand will let him, at least.
When Harry reaches the boardwalk, he looks back. The group seems to have settled back to normal, Matt now sunbathing and Jolene reading. Beth and Benny are back to playing chess.
Harry expects to feel another wave of embarrassment–and he does, a little–but there’s also a serene sense of relief about his past relationships: that he’s moved on, and that Beth and Benny seemingly have as well.
And despite their protestations, Harry can’t help but think: they really would make a good couple.