Reaching for The Moon by ThePekingNoodle

Chapter Five: Check and Mate

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Logan gets a lesson in chess…

The room he entered was a charming sitting room done in shades of yellow and blue. The lighting was subdued giving an air of warmth and coziness. As Logan began to cross the room, he heard a soft rustle and turned to see that Max was sitting in a window seat. Her legs were curled under her, and she silently looked up at him with those dark brown eyes.

It would be impolite to ignore his host's daughter so Logan smiled and walked over to where she had risen from the seat.

"How are you enjoying your first dinner party, Max?"

She frowned at his question, "Was it that obvious that I've never attended a formal party before? Mama will be upset with me."

Logan hastened to reassure her, "Not at all. Your father told me earlier or I never would have guessed."

"Oh. That's better then. It's just because my parents are old fashioned. They think I'm still a child but I am fifteen you know."

Logan smiled down at her. "You're positively ancient," he teased. "Shall I fetch your cane?"

Max wanted to be annoyed with him but she couldn't be. She felt an odd thrill at being alone with him in the room. She looked up at him realizing again how tall and handsome he was in his formal evening dress. She was enjoying the fact that she was here, flirting with this sophisticated man. She couldn't wait to tell her friends at school. Logan was so much better than the rock stars and movie stars they all idolized in magazines. He was real and here and she had another six days to enjoy his company.

Logan knew he should leave, but he found himself unwilling to end this interlude. He told himself once again to think of Max as a younger sister and he forced his eyes away from the lush curves that her soft cream dress so clearly revealed.

Max looked at Logan wanting desperately for him to stay a bit longer, but she had exhausted her repertoire of flirtation. Her eyes went around the room and she spotted a chess set. She picked up one of the pieces and looked at Logan with a challenge in her eyes. "Do you play?"

"As a matter of fact I do, but I haven't had much time for it in the last few years. I'm probably very rusty."

"Would you like to have a game then? I may not be up to your level but it might be amusing." Max hoped he would agree.

Chess seemed an innocuous pastime and Logan didn't really want to leave Max just yet, so he smiled and agreed and they sat down to play. Within five moves he knew that she was not only up to his level, she was beyond it. She was also flirting with him, not too overtly, but enough to break his concentration. He wondered if it was deliberate or if she was really the innocent she appeared to be.

Deciding he needed some distraction of his own, he gently returned her flirtation, being careful to keep it suitable for a fifteen year old girl, and he was rewarded when after an hour of play, he succeeded in gaining Checkmate on her. He was amazed that a young girl had given him such a tough game and he looked at her curiously wondering who had taught her to play.

"Where did you learn to play like that?"

Max hesitated for a moment and a shadow seemed to cross her face. As quickly as it had come it passed, and she smiled at him, "Maybe I was just lucky." She didn't seem to want to expand on that and Logan let it drop.

Logan looked at her suspiciously. "Max, you are a little devil. You let me win that game."

Max smiled innocently at him. "Why would I do that?" Before he could reply she stood and he followed suit. "We need to go back to the other guests. I'm surprised my parents haven't come looking for me already."

Logan escorted her back to the main salon and as they entered, he looked down to see that Max was once again, simply a beautiful young girl. The enchanting young woman who had flirted with him over a chess game had vanished.

Annette came over to them and Logan smiled at her. "Madame, your daughter has just given me a chess lesson."

Max frowned at him. "You already knew how to play."

Logan teased, "Ah, but I learned not to play you again. You're too good for me."

Max laughed at that, "He thinks I let him win, Mama."

Annette laughed as well, and took Max off to say goodnight to their departing guests. When they finished Max started up the stairs but halfway up, she turned and looked down at him, "Good night Logan." He could have sworn he saw her wink.

End of Chapter Five…TBC…