The table was set as a chessboard

two wine glasses with bishop hearts

our hands at either side to castle

and all the bits of conversation falling pawns

He’d captured my knight early with his unexpected dinner invitation

in the muggy evening our glasses sweat beads that ran

moist between my fingers

I was contemplating my next move while

gently stroking the stem, hard like his collar bone visible

through the open neck of his shirt. Started out buttoned, now down

two. I replaced a strand of hair behind my ear, hoping his eyes did not

watch my fingers hesitating on my neck but instead

the other hand whose tips I dipped into the last drop

of wine before placing it to my lips…

Checkmate: queen takes king, we tumbled from the table

and onto the bed our legs entwined like the ivy creeping up his

fire escape outside the window

Downstairs people were dancing in the heat, the voices spilled

into the street coming muffled to our ears muffled in each others’

hair hearing only hints of melody like a chorus of tropical birds