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“Are you sure?” Felicity mocked, “Maybe your dementia’s acting up and you forgot.”
“Fuck you!” Derrick exploded to his feet. “I don’t have dementia.”
Felicity laughed. “That’s not what I heard.”
“Okay, okay. Let’s stop with the insults. They’re not getting us anywhere. Derrick, sit down. Felicity, stop goading him.” Chess waited until everyone had their emotions under control before continuing, “Derrick, maybe someone else got your list without your knowledge.”
“Maybe. But only one person had accessandmotive.” He pointed at Felicity. “Her?”
“Me?” Felicity scoffed. “What motive would I have to steal your list?”
Derrick paused for dramatic effect then announced, “Because you’re sleeping with Mark.”
I’m sorry, what?Chess’ jaw dropped. Wasn’t Mark gay?
Chess expected Felicity to issue an immediate denial. When the denial didn’t come, she whipped her head around to face Felicity. “You’re sleeping with Mark.”
“Not that it’s anyone’s business-” Felicity inhaled deeply. “- But yes, I’m sleeping with him.”
Chess was so stunned by that piece of juicy gossip that she even forgot what they were talking about until Derrick reminded her.
“See, see,” Derrick crowed. “She’s sleeping with him.”
“Yeah, I’ve hooked up with him one or two times because I was bored. So what?” Felicity countered, “That doesn’t mean that I’m spying for him. If anything, I only did it so I could get dirt for our team to use against him.”
“Oh yeah?” Derrick sneered. “So explain how he knew about our venue if you didn’t tell him?”
“I don’t know how he knew.”
“He knew because you told him.” Derrick accused, “You claim that you were just trying to get dirt from him, so, where is it? As I see it, the only thing that’s happened is that more and more of our secrets have been going to him. Show me something – anything - you’ve gotten from him and maybe I’ll believe your bullshit.”
“I can’t show you something I don’t have. Mark is careful, you idiot. He knows that I’m on Team Chess. He won’t just leave out their team’s info for me to find out.” Felicity’s green eyes blazed with anger. “How did you even find out about us? Have you been spying on us? I always knew you were a weirdo.”
“Don’t call me a weirdo.” Derrick scowled. “You vile, treacherous cow.”
“I’ll show you vile.” Felicity lunged forward in her seat.
Chess put out both arms to keep them from getting too close to each other. “Stop, stop, stop.”
“I’m not working with her anymore,” Derrick announced as he rocketed to his feet too. “I won’t be on a team with a traitor.”
“You think I want to be on a team with you?” Felicity stood too. “You’re an incompetent nincompoop.”
Chess was forced to stand too. “Okay, you two need to calm-”
Felicity interrupted to yell at Derrick. “The only reason you’re even on this team is because Chess feels sorry for you.”
“You little-” Derrick was rendered speechless for a moment. His fierce gaze switched to Chess. “Only one of us can stay in this team. You need to pick. It’s either me or her.”
“You think she’ll pick you? Over me?” Felicity laughed mockingly. “Derrick, please!”
Derrick stared at Chess. “Pick.”
It should’ve been an easy choice, but it wasn’t. Derrick’s proof about Felicity’s duplicity wasn’t quite as strong as he thought it was. Sleeping with Mark didn’t automatically make Felicity a spy; it just made her a lady with a defective gaydar. But it was clear that Derrick fully believed in his conclusion and wouldn’t be convinced to work alongside Felicity.
So now Chess was left with an impossible choice. Should she pick the competent yet allegedly traitorous teammate? Or was it better to stick with the less competent but very loyal teammate?
Chess looked at Derrick then at Felicity then Derrick again as she tried to make a choice.
