Walter and Paige stood facing each other next to the couch in the living room. Both keenly aware that one of the members from her protective detail was just outside the door.
"That was actually a lot better than I thought it would be." Paige finally spoke.
Walter nodded, unsure of what to say. Even though he was slowly getting better, emotions still confused him, he hated that they tended to override what he was thinking at times. And trying to figure out what others were thinking based on the emotion they displayed always backfired.
"Did you want to sit?" Walter finally asked.
Paige smiled and kissed his cheek before turning and sitting down with her knees pointing in his direction. She watched as Walter slowly sat down next to her.
"I'm not sure what I should say." Walter finally spoke.
"Is there anything you are upset over?" Paige asked quietly.
Walter shook his head.
"Well, I'm upset that they couldn't give us privacy last night. Everything was so good until this morning. Now it feels like we were cheated." Walter told her.
Paige smiled and nodded.
"What do you think about what my Dad said about going after the photographer and paper?" Paige asked as she reached over and took his hand in hers.
Walter shrugged.
"I think the Ambassador doing something makes sense. I'm not sure about us doing anything, it seems like that would just stir the pot." Walter told her.
"What about what my Mom said, talking about our relationship? What does it mean to you, where do you want it to go?" Paige asked while biting her lower lip.
Walter looked out a window and was staring at the sky.
"If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay." Paige said quickly.
Walter slowly shook his head.
"It isn't that. It is hard for me to put into words." Walter tried to explain. "Since we met, you have been what is most important to me. And I don't want that to change."
Paige blush as she smiled.
"I feel the same way about you Walter." Paige told him.
"Oh, I should probably tell you, Megan kept prodding me after we got home last night, about where we disappeared too. I didn't feel comfortable telling her about us kissing, but she persisted and said it was okay to tell her, just not anyone else." Walter explained.
Paige smiled.
"I don't mind that you told her about that, I don't want to hide us away. But it isn't anyone else's business Walter. So, don't tell anyone else, they'll just have to read about it." Paige told him quickly with a smile.
Walter nodded.
Ralph stepped into the living room and saw them both sitting there holding hands talking quietly.
"How are you doing in here?" Ralph asked.
"We're being good Daddy." Paige said warily.
Ralph chuckled.
"I asked how, not what pumpkin." Ralph told her as he walked over.
"Well, we both think it would be better to just let the Ambassador deal with the photographer and the paper. Anything else might call extra attention to us." Paige told him.
"I agree." Ralph nodded.
"I would like to apologize to you sir." Walter started.
Ralph held up his hand as he pulled a chair over and sat down.
"Walter, what you two did last night wasn't a big deal. The problem comes in when hormones override good sense. That's what is concerning. If the two of you hadn't stopped yourself then the kissing could have led to something that would have been a big deal. While my family isn't practicing, we're Catholic just like your family. And the last thing we'd want is an unplanned pregnancy. We don't believe in terminating a baby without medical reason. You're both too young to be parents or to make the decisions that lead to that. Education needs to come first, the other can wait a few years, or twenty." Ralph told them.
"Daddy." Paige huffed.
"Pumpkin, I'm doing my best to be relaxed over this. So me saying it can wait twenty years is an improvement. Have you made any decisions about how you both are feeling?" Ralph asked.
"We both agree that we're the most important thing to the other. We plan to continue as we have been, regardless of how the press or our classmates behave. But we need you and Mr O'Brien to be okay with this. We both feel that Mom and Mrs. O'Brien are okay with it." Paige told him as Walter nodded.
"Well we've all had a pretty good talk and as long as you guys keep it where you are, we'll be okay overall. That doesn't mean we want to see you both snogging, as they say, all over the place. But keep the kissing in proportion and everything should be fine." Ralph smiled. "Have you given any more thought to how you will respond if people call Paige names and stuff?"
"I'm going to do my best not to react to it." Walter nodded.
"Alright, well lunch is ready, let's go eat." Ralph told them as he stood up.
Tuesday after dinner:
"Have you got everything packed Walter?" Louise asked him teary eyed as he came down the stairs with his suitcase to go to Dublin with the Dineens.
Walter nodded.
"He's only going to be an hour and a half away, Mother. They could just come back home each day." Megan rolled her eyes.
"I have five shirts and pants, socks, underwear, a toothbrush, and toothpaste." Walter told her as he rattled off various items.
"I know, I'm being silly, but you're still my baby and going off for five nights and days to a big city. You be sure to listen to the Dineens and the protection detail with you, you hear me?" Louise asked as she adjusted his collar.
Sean stepped up and held out a small wallet.
"Here is a little something for you. Should be enough to get a hackney if something goes wrong. And a bit extra so you can take Paige out to eat one time. I wish the harvest had been bigger, to let us give you more. As it is, if we run into problems with income, the money will see us to shearing season." Sean told him gruffly while trying to conceal his emotions.
Louise smiled at Sean as Walter took the wallet and slipped it into his pocket.
"Dad, Mom, thank you for this, for everything." Walter told them before he frowned looking at Megan. "Is your wrist still numb?"
"It came back for some reason." Megan replied with a shrug. She leaned over and looked out the window and grinned. "Looks like your ride is here little brother. Give us a kiss and get out of here."
Walter started to reach out to shake Sean's hand when Sean pulled him in and hugged him and then kissed his cheek.
"You be good boy." Sean told him as they parted.
Louise let out a sniffle but stepped in and hugged him and kissed his cheek too before he stepped back and over to Megan.
Megan grinned at him as she pulled him in and hugged him tightly.
"You did good Walter. I barely saw you shrink back from their hugs. Be safe and enjoy your time. Don't forget to bring back that first place trophy." Megan told him as she kissed his cheek.
"Mr. Dineen told me not to worry about trophies. He just wants me to get my feet wet." Walter told him as they parted.
"That's fine for him, but you're my brother and I want my brother to be the champion. So you bust them up!" Megan grinned at him.
Walter nodded before he walked over and opened the front door. He saw Cabe standing outside of the SUV and he looked and smiled at his family before he left.
Paige jumped out of the SUV as he got closer and into his arms. Cabe chuckled as he picked up Walter's suitcase that fell as he caught Paige. Cabe looked up and saw Walter's parents and sister watching so he waved at them. As Walter got in behind Paige, Cabe walked to the back and put the suitcase in the SUV. Ralph Dineen waved from the SUV they were in just before both vehicles left.
Cabe opened the hotel room door and stood there watching while Walter and Paige kissed and said good night. His partner went into the room and checked it out real quick and then she walked back out and took the key from Cabe.
As Paige walked forward Cabe just chuckled at the eyes her and Walter kept making at each other. Paige grinned and winked at Walter before she walked into the room and the door closed behind her.
Cabe grinned at Walter as he stood there just staring at the door as if he could see through it.
"Come on Romeo." Cabe cupped his shoulder and the pair walked to the next room where Cabe unlocked the door. They walked in and Cabe put the suitcases down. "Do you have a preference for which bed you want?"
Walter shook his head.
"Okay, I'll be with you until about noon tomorrow and then my replacement will take over and then I'll be back at noon Thursday and then again on Saturday. You've got to check in at eight a.m. and then you'll have your interview first thing at nine a.m. According to the schedule you are set to start your first game a half hour after your interview. Okay?" Cabe asked him while going over the itinerary with him.
Walter nodded for a moment and then paused as he looked out the fifth floor window.
"Cabe, in the context of this chess tournament, what does someone mean when they tell you they want you to bust them up?" Walter asked.
Cabe chuckled.
"Well son, no matter the context whoever said that to you, they are saying they want you to destroy whoever is opposing you as quickly as possible. Kind of like what you did to those boys, Thomas and Conner." Cabe told him. "Who said it to you?" Cabe asked curiously after thinking about it for a moment.
"Megan told me that before I left, after I told her that Mr. Dineen doesn't want me worrying about the trophy." Walter explained.
"So Walter O'Brien, it says you're thirteen and this is your first time in a chess competition. What makes you qualified to enter this prestigious event if you have never competed before?" The reporter asked.
"Yes, I am thirteen and this is my first official competition. I'm not sure what makes me qualified other than my sponsor believing in me." Walter told her.
"And who is your sponsor?" The reporter asked.
"Mr. Dineen." Walter replied even as his eyes found Paige standing back in the crowd a bit watching him.
"Mr. Dineen, is this the diplomat whose daughter you were caught making out with in a car at the US Embassy's Christmas ball?" The reporter grinned.
"Mr. Dineen is a diplomat with the US Embassy, and my relationship with Ms. Dineen is personal and private and I won't answer any questions about it." Walter told her coldly.
"But you got the whole country and quite a large section of the world talking about it. Wouldn't you like to say something concerning it?" The reporter pressed.
"The only thing I wish to say concerning it is how disappointed I am that some low life felt privileged enough to sneak around and take photographs of us where the person wasn't authorized to be. As well as the editor of the paper that saw it as a way to make money off of something that doesn't concern anyone in the world except our family." Walter told her sharply.
Cabe clapped his hand over his mouth as he turned away trying hard not to laugh.
"So how do your parents feel about Ms Dineen?" The reporter pried.
"I thought this was an interview about me? If you wish to know how my parents feel about Ms. Dineen then I suggest you ask them." Walter told her before standing up and taking the microphone off and dropping it on the stool and walked off.
Cabe walked up alongside him as he walked away and put his arm around his back.
"Proud of you kid." Cabe told him.
Walter made his way to the first game and found his opponent seated on the black side of the board since he won the toss. The man was making all kinds of faces and grunting noises and Walter's left brow rose. He raised his hand instead of sitting down and an official came over.
"Yes, Mr. O'Brien, is there a problem?" The man asked.
"I think my opponent might be suffering some kind of stroke." Walter gestured at the man.
The official chuckled.
"No Mr. O'Brien, some players do things like that before a match begins thinking they can psyche their opponent out." The official explained.
Walter rolled his eyes and without sitting down reached down and moved his first pawn and hit the clock.
The man quickly moved and it seemed to be a flurry of moves as Walter stood the entire five minutes. But in less than fifteen moves his opponent tipped his king over. Walter reached his hand out but his opponent just stood and walked off.
Ralph and Paige were standing back grinning at Walter as he walked away.
"You did great Walter!" Ralph told him as he shook his hand.
Paige kissed his cheek before they walked off to wait for his next match.
Opponent after opponent fell before Walter as he checkmated each one that day.
"Well Walter O'Brien, unknown at the start of today you have quickly made a name for yourself in the chess circle. How do you feel?" The reporter asked as he stood there with Paige holding his arm.
"I'm with people I love and playing a game I find fascinating so I feel pretty good." Walter told her while grinning at Paige.
"Love? So, you two are in love then?" The reporter asked quickly while ignoring the competition she was supposed to be covering.
"What is it with you people? Yes, Walter loves me and I love him, big deal, are you in grade school?" Paige demanded.
Paige's protective detail moved in quickly and escorted the couple out of the hall at that point.
"Well there you have it folks, an exclusive only on the BBC, Ms. Paige Dineen and Mr. Walter O'Brien are officially in love." The reporter grinned.
"Oh that woman, I wanted to beat her so bad." Paige complained as they walked down a hallway leading back into the hotel.
Ralph and Veronica were in the lobby as they came into the hotel and he shook his head at them.
"You gave them exactly what they wanted, sweetheart." Veronica told her daughter.
"I can't help it, they can't even remember why they are here, to cover the tournament, not our relationship." Paige complained.
Ralph chuckled.
"Walter, I just want you to know, you made me a lot of money today." Ralph told him.
Walter frowned.
"I bet the Ambassador you'd storm the competition on the first day. He bet me a month's wages." Ralph chuckled. "Let's go to dinner to celebrate."
Greetings! Hope everyone is doing well!
Railman - hehe Nope, Ralph is definitely trying his level best here. Thomas and Conner you say? I guess we'll have to see when school starts again. hehe So glad you are enjoying it!
Margaret - Thank you! Glad you approve!
Pearliegirl - haha Yeah, you're right she is a healthy, smart, red blooded, all American girl! And it is funny you say that...something about that might be coming up in chapter 9/10. So glad you are enjoying it!
To the Adventure! -Tim