Chapter 20

Next Monday usual staff happened. I took the stairs to my office because of that elevator, I took a little insult from Lucy Chaw, told Oliver he has no shoot with her and lunch time came. 
Since Shawn and I are going out, I stopped bringing my lunch box because now I have a lunch buddy. I might be happy about my relationship with him but we still agreed to keep it a secret. For some reasons, dating your boss could be a bit hard on you because any credit you get will immediately be assumed that you got it because you are dating the boss. 
Unlike other days, Shawn is late so I went to his office. It was lunch hour so I had no trouble walking in to his office and when I did, I saw him surrounded by papers, jumping his eye from one paper to the other. I was already in but he didn’t see me so I said “Knock knock” 
He looked up and when he saw me he looked startled, he looked at his hand watch and realized that he is late. 
“Oh, I am so sorry; I didn’t realize it is lunch. I was just so busy. I am almost done.” 
“It’s ok, I’ll wait.” I sat down in front of him and watched him being busy. I sat there for a few minutes and when I got bored I started looking on the table. 
“Do you need any help?” I asked him. With his eyes still on the papers he said “No” 
That was a short answer. I can tell he is really busy and I am really hungry. I was about to tell him that I was going to go and grab something to eat but then I saw a chess board surrounded by paper works on his desk. 
“Is that a chess board?” I asked while reaching out for it. Shawn didn’t answer. 
I held the board on my hand and it took me back to my college days. “Where are the pieces?” 
Shawn pointing to his top drawer he said “Top drawer” 
I took the pieces and placed them on the board in the right order. When I was done, Shawn finished his work and said “Ok I am done. Let go eat.” 
“But I just finished putting them in order.” I complained. 
“You play chess?” he asked. 
“Ya, I learned how to play in college.” 
“Who taught you?” he asked. 
“It was part of my business class. Professor Silver used to make us play chess against each other.” 
“How does that have anything to do with business?” he asked again. 
“It was never about wining fair and square. It was about getting inside your opponents head and make them take the wrong move.” 
“How could you make someone take a wrong move?” 
“It’s easy, you attack their weakness. Whatever it is you have on them, when you start to play, you attack their emotions, you know, stab them where it hurts the most. And while you are confusing them with words, make your move fast so that their confused mind won’t be able to figure out your plan and next move.” I explained. 
“That still doesn’t answer my question, what does it have to do with business?” 
“Professor Silver was trying to teach us how to capture an investment by convincing whomever the investor is that our company is best to fill all the weaknesses they have even if we can’t. It is more like an investor hunt.” 
“But why do you have to make you move fast?” he asked again. 
“It so that person doesn’t know your lying. Or in the world of chess, you make your move fast so that your confused opponent doesn’t know that you have put your queen on risk so that you can win.” he still looked confused so I explained more with the chess pieces I have put in order. “For example, if your king is almost trapped and the one way I can completely trap your king, is by moving my queen to a position that will trap it. But, if the position I am moving my queen to might be a dangerous place. Like: she could be taken by one if your nights or bishop. So, while I am confusing you, I will make sure to make it look like I am going to move another piece, when really I am placing my queen in danger to win. It is a fifty-fifty chance that you might be able to see the move I made or not see the move I made. It all depends on how good my emotional attack is on you. It was all to improve our convincing skills.” 
“Huh, how come you didn’t use this on the investor hunt you went to with me?” 
“Because” I answered “Ron King was a very nice man that didn’t need hardcore convincing. He was convinced as soon as he saw us.” 
Shawn, while laughing said “Well, mind games or not, no one can beat me.” 
“Is that a challenge?” I asked. 
“No because it won’t be fair for me. You are my girlfriend; it would be pity of me to crush you.” 
“Oh really, then do you want to make it interesting?” I asked. 
“Are you suggesting we bet on the game?”He lowers his voice. 
“Yes, but let’s make it something personal.” I suggested. 
“Ok” he said “If I win, you are going to go to Lucy Chaw and finally stand your ground.” 
“Excuse me” I said “Are you really going to go there? Fine, if I win, until the end of the month, you will call your father ‘dad’ no matter where you are.” 
“That’s too personal.” he complained. 
“Hey, you started it. Plus it will give you more reason to win.” 
“Fine, I am going to crush you so hard you won’t be able to take the stairs to your office anymore.” 
“If that was trash talk, it was really weak bro.” I boasted. 
Suddenly I forgot that I was really hungry and so did he. We placed the board between us. He picked the white piece and I the black. He started, as so as he made his first move, I started my attack. 
“So, Shawn tell me, why is it that you feel like you can’t fix your relationship with your father?” 
“What” confusedly he asked. 
“Nothing, it’s just that, what you told me on movie night kind of bothered me.” I moved my knight. Shawn got upset with my question, he said “There is nothing to explain.” and without thinking, he moved his bishop into a position that will let my knight capture it. And so I did. 
When Shawn realized he just lost his bishop as soon as the game started he said “Oh, I see what you’re doing. You really think my father is my weakness?” 
“Yes I do” I gave him a short answer. 
“Well you are wrong.” he said and kept playing. As we played along, I made Shawn realize that it wasn’t only his father that pushed him out of his life; it was also Shawn that pushed his father out of his life too. And half way through the game, I realized that Shawn had been saying the same thing over and over again. 
He kept saying “my relationship with my father is a dead end.” 
“Shawn” I called out to him “Why do you keep saying your relationship with your father is a dead end?” 
“Because it is” he answered while moving his night to capture one of my pawns. 
As I moved my queen to capture his knight and put his king on check. 
“Check” I said “Do you even know the meaning of a dead end.” 
While protecting his king by moving his bishop in front of it, he said “Of course I do. It means there are no more roads for you to walk on.” 
“In a literal sense; yes, but that is not what I mean. My question was the meaning of a dead end in a relationship.” 
He stopped looking at the board and focused on what I had to say. “It still has the same meaning.” 
“No, you see that is where you are wrong. Dead end on the road does mean there is no more ground. But in relationship, dead end doesn’t always mean that the relationship is over, it just means that it is presenting you a new opportunity.” 
“What do you mean?” he asked looking much focused. 
“When you run your relationship to a dead end, you can choose to either break it off or continue on building your own road. When you face a dead end, it is your decision to roll your sleeves up and start making a new ground for you and the other person. It is all up to you and only you. So instead of turning your father away, you can try to rebuild the days you have lost with him.” 
I captured his bishop and yelled “Check mate”. 
“Wait what” he got confused “Did you really win?” 
“Of course I did, I am professor Silvers’ student indeed.” 
“So I lost the bet” 
“Yes” I said “And don’t forget: you have to call him dad till the end of the month wherever you may be.” 
“We still have twenty days till the end of the month. Even at work?” he asked. 
“Yes” I answered.