Teach Me

Chapter 7: Elo

"I don't know, Alex," I said his name out loud for the first time, "12 years is a lot... But I don't feel like it's a deal-breaker. If we have a lot in common and we get along well, maybe the gap won't even be that noticeable," I aired my thoughts on the matter

"But what about you? Do you see me as a child or a prospective partner? Do I just fulfill a fetish or am I some kind of conquest?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, making my concerns clear.

He nodded. "All valid points and questions," he replied, taking a large sip of wine.

"I just don't understand... a 12-year age gap is almost unheard of in the werewolf community. I think the most I've ever heard of was 8 years. And I remember people having a lot to say about that at the time," I recalled, wondering what people might say about Alex and I if we went ahead with this.

"I think 7 was the most I've ever heard of," Alex explained, interrupting my thoughts.

"Do you still have that weird feeling? The pulling?" I asked curiously, disrupting the silence that had settled between us.

"Yeah, it's actually gotten worse since I started drinking, I just realized," he admitted, inspecting what was left of his glass of red wine. "You?" he asked, looking at me.

"Yeah. But I don't think it's the drinking that's made it worse. I think that's just the natural progression. Maybe it's our proximity," I went on, also feeling the escalation since we started talking, "It's weird..."

He took another sip of wine as my gaze wandered around the room. My eyes finally settled on a chess set. It was settled on a side table between two chairs that overlooked the dark, wet garden through an enormous window.

"Wanna play?" I asked with a sly smile, nodding towards the set.

"I'm not sure...," he began, but I interrupted him.

"What? Do you need to mow the lawn? Read the newspaper? Watch TV on your recliner until you fall asleep?" I suggested with a chuckle.

"God, Lacy! I'm 30, not a father of 3!" he chuckled too. "I was going to say that I'm pretty good," he warned me with a smirk.

"What's your Elo?" I asked, the challenge in my voice was obvious and I surprised myself even. But I was good at chess too and it made me feel more confident.

"1500, or thereabouts. I can't remember the exact number," he revealed, clearly pleased with himself. I couldn't help the enormous smile that spread across my face. "What's yours?" he asked, his smile faltering as mine grew.

"1824," I replied with glee. I couldn't deny the feeling of superiority it gave me to be better at something than he was.

"Well I don't have hours and hours of free time every day to spend on chess.com, Lacy. I'm a grown-up, with a job," he joked, his eyes sparking with humour.

He stood, offering his hand to help me up before striding over to the chessboard and gesturing for me to join him. I followed close behind, my excitement likely palpable as I settled down opposite him eagerly.

The chess set was gorgeous. Carved from stone and polished to a glossy gleam. "What are they made out of?" I asked, holding one of the cool pieces in my hand and feeling its weight.

"Onyx and marble," he informed me, then he rotated the board. "You can be white," Alex announced before hunching over the board expectantly as he waited for my opening move.

I won't bore you with the details, but I won. He ended up resigning before demanding a second game as he drained his glass of wine.

"But can your ego take another beating so soon?" I asked teasingly.

He laughed. God, I loved that sound. "I think my ego will survive," he chuckled, resetting the board.

An intercom buzzed, disturbing our second game. The pizza had arrived. "s**t. Let me sort this out quick," he mumbled, opening the gate for the delivery guy from his phone.

Alex stood and headed towards the front door to receive the delivery. Titan, seizing the opportunity, followed closely behind, his stumpy tail wagging with anticipation. I watched them go, feeling a strange sense of belonging.

A few moments later, Alex returned, carrying two large pizza boxes. He set them down on the coffee table and opened them, revealing the steaming, cheesy contents. The aroma of bacon and pineapple filled the room, making my stomach rumble.

"Help yourself," Alex encouraged, grabbing a slice for himself.

"We aren't finishing the game?" I asked, a little surprised.

"We can call it a draw? Or pick it up again later? Not a chance I'm letting you eat pizza while you manhandle my hand-carved chess set," he joked with a smile before taking a bite of his pizza. I chuckled.

We ate in comfortable silence for a few moments, the tension from earlier seeming to dissipate with each bite. Titan lay at our feet, hoping for a stray piece to fall his way. I sneakily dropped a few bits here and there on purpose, eager to win him over with my generous treats.

"So, you're turning 30 next week. Any big plans?" I asked, trying to make conversation.

He shrugged. "Not really. I'm not big on celebrations. Maybe a quiet night in with a good book or a movie." I nodded, finding his low-key approach relatable.

We continued to chat casually as we ate, discussing everything from favorite books and movies to our views on various world events. The conversation flowed easily, and I found myself enjoying his company more than I had anticipated.

"Do you want to watch a movie or something?" he suggested casually.

"What's the time?" I asked, figuring I'd use that as my gauge to decide.

"9PM," he replied after glancing at the silver watch on his wrist. It was too early to call it a night then.

"Almost your bedtime?" I giggled at my own joke.

"Lucky for you it's not a school night, otherwise I suppose you'd have been in bed already," he teased in response.

"Yeah, okay. A movie might be a nice way to unwind a little," I finally replied, smiling all the while.

"You should probably pick or I'll have us watching some terrible true crime documentary," he mumbled, handing me the remote.

I chuckled. "I don't mind those," I said, still smiling. "But maybe something a little more light-hearted is in order for tonight," I suggested.

"I'm easy," he conceded, waiting for me to pick.

In the end, I selected a comedy. We were watching it together, sharing a few laughs and commenting on certain plot points as well as the storyline, but then I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I remember, I was in the guestroom waking up to the sound of Alex whispering and someone holding me down.