“I’m not losing my composure, and my tic- tac- toe performance is hardly— ” “Question,” he interrupts, a new edge to his voice. “Why do you pretend you don’t want this?” “This?” He gestures around himself. But then he says, “Chess. Why do you pretend you don’t want to play it?” “You don’t know me,” I bristle. “I just don’t like chess that much.”
