-Eleonora-

The night was turning out pretty pleasant, we made teams and started the game while eating. I was on the floor and Jenny was by my side having the time of her life, Connor was next to her, and Blaze was by my left side at on the couch. He refused to sit on the beige carpet.

Although it was quite awkward to start the game due to Connor continually selling Blaze sir or Mr.Maxwell he finally stopped his habit, and Jennifer made Connor somehow relaxed, she had that charm of making people comfortable and make them talk.

Turns out to my surprise Blaze was very good at Trivia, especially the entertainment category making me frustrated. He realized how frustrated I get everytime he got an answer right, it was like we were fighting our way through trivia. We were asking each other the questions, I declared war mentally and I knew somehow he understood. Some questions were so easy for me and for him that it was starting to get ridiculous... From time to time entertainment category would show up and neither of us would fail.

"What is the name of the only comic book character that is legally owned by both Marvel and DC?"

" Access" I smiled

"Which celebrity has fulfilled the most Make-A-Wish requests? "

"John Cena" he smirked

"Pete Best was the original drummer for which famous band? "

"The Beatles" I said easily

"Which actor played James Bond in the most movies? "

"Roger Moore" he answered

"I think you found your rival" Jennifer laughed while taking a sip of red wine

I gave a fake smile at her not really liking his fantastic knowledge in this category. I was known better my friends as a great trivia player, I always loved it and my favourite category was entertainment why? Well, I rarely failed a single question and I guess I'm not the only one.

"Entertainment!" Connor cheered "My partner will take the lead" he said pointing at Blaze, Blaze nodded and bowed down his torso to the center table to be more close to us, we made me a signal with his hand for me to proceed and ask the question, I rolled my eyes taking a card and reading it to myself, I quickly smirked, there's no way he knows this.

"Can I?" I asked shaking the care in my hand

"Go for it" he said placing his glass on the coaster taking all of his attention to me. The other two laughed at our behavior, expecting Blaze to answer correctly like he has been doing the whole game.

"I'm not giving the answers since you're so good at this" I challenged him

"Sure" he said unbothered

I cleaned my throat and looked at his eyes, he was already looking at me waiting for my question.

"Whitney Houston's hit 'I will always love you',was originally written and performed by which musician?" I asked while adverting my eyes to him when I finished reading the question, I saw his eyes fixating on mine like challenging me, it's done there's no way he knows this. Blaze... Face it, the entertainment category is my jam, not yours.

"Wasnt it, Whitney? " Jennifer questioned "my whole life has been a lie

"In the 68th position of the billboard of Greatest Songs of All Time, I will always love you was written and performed by..." he said with smirk on his face while looking at me "Dolly Parton"

"What?" I said out of the blue and a bit too loud "How do you know that?" I questioned pointing at him he just replied with a small smile and shrugged his shoulders, I place the card down wich was taken by Jenny "Are you cheating?"

"He got it right" Jenny squealed "You're amazing" she commented looking at him "You're probably the only person I know who is so good at trivia like Eleonor"

"Thank you" he simply said, I closed my eyes giving a deep breath

"You are so cheating" I commented, the other laughed at our little battle

"I am not" he simply said grabbing the empty bottle and leaving to the kitchen

"I will grab more snacks" I commented taking the bowls and following him. Jennifer and Connor were not bothered at all they were both on the floor next to each other laughing and talking their backs rested against the soft couch while they were eating Cheetos and peanuts, a weird combination that both found spectacular. I was happy that Jennifer was distracting herself and also Connor, they were both caught up with difficulties in life one with a broken heart other with the amount of work, it's good to see them relaxed, I wish I could be genuinely happy right now but unfortunately I am a sore loser, and I have also pride and right it's being quite damaged.

I placed the bowls in the counter while refilling them afterward I saw him taking another bottle of red wine and looking for the cork remover "How do you know about Dolly Parton or Roger Moore?" I questioned not looking at him

"It's called knowledge"

"You cheated didn't you?"

"Is your pride that hurt?" He questionss looking at me from his shoulders I catch his eyes and advert them quickly

"Yes it is" I confessed "It's hard for me to believe a man like you knows Dolly Parton wrote I will always love you"

"A man like me?" he questioned taking the cork out of the bottle

"Yes, let me correct myself a machine like you. Everything in your world is about work so this is very shocking for me" I explained, I noticed his small movement with his lips like a quick smile but quickly covered

"My mom insisted on teaching me some pop culture" he clarified making my lips curve unconsciously, I think this is the first time I know something about him, it's the first time he opened up. It was just a simple phrase but it made me feel good, it gave me a sense of reassurance as if he was starting to be more human around me. Though I need to mentality tell myself to not place my hopes way too high he is still a code to crack.

"Gosh I love your mom" I said almost in a sigh, he looked at me with a questionable look "what? From what I know every single human thing to have in there" I said pointing to his chest "is probably because of her"

"Was this your point of trivia night?" he questioned a hand in the counter and his body inclined to me

"Actually yes" I said catching his eyes "This is a very good example of what I expected for a Trivia Night! I get to know the man I spending the next three years a bit more. You'd never tell me you know Dolly Parton or that you saw the movie Halloween. This is a good game for knowing each other, for bonding, for relaxing-"

"-you seemed very irritated over there when I was answering everything right" he teased making my fist clinch "with this game I learned you were a terrible loser"

I looked in his eyes and saw his smug face, gosh why does losing make me so irrational, I've always been like that... I blame my family who made board games a sort of tradition within the family, I hated to lose and I bet that I inherited it from Uncle Joe.

"That's good we both learned things from each other. Fantastic" I smiled trying to cover up my angry emotions

"Are you that bad in games in general or just trivia?" he said pushing my buttons

"For your information. I am very good at every kind of game, board game, card game you name it even games I don't know...you just had a mere beginner's luck" I said trying to convince him and also myself

"I don't think so, no. I'm just very smart and I have a very prominent knowledge unlike you" he said taking his head and pointing it to my face, he was speaking too much for me and gesticulating too much and also to close, probably from the alcohol I think. I looked at the trash and watched the five bottles of wine next to it. Damn we are just four how did that happen?

" Stop adding insult to the injury!" I demanded

"Such a sore loser like a child" he commented grabbing the wine bottle

"I dont think i was ever this close to murdering someone over a game" I breathed to myself "there's always a first time" I grabbed the bowls and followed him to the couch

"Another one?" Jennifer questioned looking at the bottle of red wine in Blaze's hand

"As if it was too much for you" I commented placing the bowls on the center table

"It isn't but I think it's time for us to go- I mean for me to go" she informed while standing up

"Well if you must..." Blaze whispered I looked at him with dreadful eyes today he was out of himself

Jennifer laughed "I don't want to delay your lovely night anymore" she said while getting close to Blaze and kissing him goodbye

"Our what?" I questioned confused

"Oh please, you are married Eleonora plus we are all grown ups" she smiled kissing my cheek taking me by surprise. Am I getting right? Or my best friends is leaving my house so I could have sexual intercourses with my fake husband? "And help me out" she whispered the last part at my ear, I noticed her eyes making signs and her head tilting in Connor's direction

I shook my head from one side to another mentioning a clear no, but she kept begging with her puppy eyes and cute pout. Urgh I hate that she knows my weakness.

"I am going too" Connor said shaking hands with Blaze in a very awkward way and then he said his goodbyes to me kissing my cheek while Jenny was making signs grabbing her hands and pleading me to help her behind Connor.

"Uhm- Connor" I said giving a tired sigh, he looked at me with bright eyed "How are you going home?"

"By car"

"Do you have an extra seat?" I questioned looking at Jenny, he followed my gaze "She came here by bus and I have to clean all this... Do you mind taking her home?"

He looked at her for an instance and she smiled "Uhm no"

"Great! Thank you so much" I thanked him while watching Jenny's little happy dance I guided them to the elevator and said my goodbyes. Once the doors closed I looked around to find Blaze cleaning the center table, taking the plates and glasses to the kitchen, seeing him doing house chores was something I never imagined since I met him but it as some sense since he is a neat control freak.

Does he have OCD? That would explain a lot.

I walked to the kitchen ready to wash the dishes, he didn't say a word while he was cleaning but then-

" Shame they went away I was loving winning"

I dropped the plates into the sink making a loud noise caught ing his attention, I cleaned my hands and started walking to the couch "Get over here!" I demanded I saw his posture straightening when my voice reach his ears

"Why do you keep trying to boss me around? You know I am the boss right?" he questioned cleaning his hands in each other

"Get over here and let's get this done!" I declared in a very strict tone

"What are you planning on?" he said walking over to me

I searched in the small sideboard near the sofa and took everything out placing on the table. Jenga, monopoly, scrabble, Cluedo, battleship, connect four, Pictionary and even Checkers.

"Where did that all come from?" he asked pointing at the table

"I decorated the house with also usable stuff" I mentioned with my hands on my hips "Get your ass over here we are ending this tonight!" I angrily sat at the couch

"I'm not going to play all that... are you crazy?" he said looking at the amount of boxes

"Are you afraid of losing?" I pouted mocking his fear

He gave a simple laugh and pointed at himself "Me? I never lose so I am never afraid of losing"

Isn't he full of himself?

"I'd like to see you try"

" you know what?" he said coming into my view and taking a seat in front of me on the comfortable couch "I will play with you not because I want to prove you that I never love but I will play and win only to see that terrible sore loser temper you have" he shrugged his shoulder and his smiled widen "I just like to see that loser face of yours"

"Choose a fricking game to lose I'll need more wine to deal with that stupid face of yours" I said standing up and walking to the kitchen

"Bring me a glass too, darling " he said and I could just hear his smile through his words

"Go get it yourself, jackass"

"You're so rude" he commented "How do you feel about Cheekers?"

"Bring it on" I said taking a sip of the red wine