Late nights

XIX

An hour had passed and Lola was taking her time thinking. Her hair was getting messier and she kept looking off to think about all the possibilities. Another hour passed and from Tom's perspective, it looked like Lola was the only one struggling to come up with good moves. After two more hours, it had gotten dark outside, but a lot of games were still going on. Lola moved a piece and stood up from the board to walk to Tom.

- Hey, I don't see any water in here, even though there should be some. Could you bring me a bottle? - She asked.

- Sure, no worries. - Tom stood up to get some water.

Tom ran to get some water and placed it next to the board for Lola to drink. She took the bottle and drank more than half of it. Tom's back was starting to hurt watching the game, but then, something happened. Lola smiled, stretched her back, and quickly ran to Tom:

- Watch, I'm about to win. - She said and ran back.

Lola walked back and quickly moved the pieces. Just as she said, she won the game and shook hands with her opponent. 

They went back to the hotel room and were done for the day.

- That was tough. Move five, it was already going bad for me, I really thought it was over for me there.

- So what happened in the end there?

- Well he thought he was safe, then I saw that I could mate him in 4 if he took my knight, and he did. I checked with my knight, he took my knight with the pawn, then I checked again with my queen, which he was forced to take, then I checked with my bishop, he only had one place to move to and then mate with the rook. 

- Oh, that's beautiful. - Tom looked at Lola moving the board around.

- Yeah, it's one of my good ones. I'm really tired, but I wonder who I'm playing tomorrow.

- The view is incredible outside. - Tom looked out the window.

- Let me put on my glasses to see it better, - Lola walked up to the window, - oh yeah, that's quite spectacular. 

- This is nice, you know.

- What is? - Lola was getting ready to go out to the main hall and see who she was gonna play against.

- Just us being here, us being together. - Tom awkwardly said.

- Oh yeah, chess buds. - She walked out.

Tom sat on his bed ready to go to sleep. Lola quickly came back with her face in her hands.

- What's happening? - Tom asked.

- I'm playing Hikaru Nakamura. - Lola sat down on the floor by the door and started crying. - Oh god, it's all coming out.

- Hey, hey, why are you crying? - Tom didn't know what to say.

- Nothing, nothing, - Lola cleaned her face, - there's no way I'm beating him.

- Well, you can give it a shot.

- That I can.