Free All In: ALL IN KNIGHTS OF MAYHEM by Brook Greene

well I had belly ached over my wardrobe choice for twenty five of the thirty minutes I had been gone.
    “Yeah , that old thing.” His laugh makes me smile and I make a mental note to make him do it more, ‘I drove but we can take yours if you feel more comfortable.” He is actually being a gentleman to my utter shock my mouth falls open.
    “What , didn’t think I could actually be nice?” He takes my hand and leads me to the door. Locking it behind us I turn and am shocked again to see a black Camero sitting in my driveway.
    “Is that yours?” I ask and point like and ill mannered child and immediately want to rub my bare legs over the interior and no I don’t want to drive my SUV.
    “ Yes, you ready?” He opens the door for me and I appreciate the leather interior as I slip into the luscious seat.
    He rounds the car and enters on the driver’s side, the car purrs to life. The hum of the engine is deep and dark like the driver’s voice. He backs out and heads us into town. A slow blues songs plays on the radio and the smell of his cologne is filling the car and my nose making my skin tingle.
    “ Okay the thing with Roman, tell me about it.” He has his long left arm propped up on the steering wheel and the other resting on the console between the seats. His seat is as far back as it can go to accommodate his long legs.
    “What do you want to know?” I prompt him to ask the questions to avoid the possibility of over sharing.
    “Why don’t you start from the beginning.” He never takes his eyes off the road as he swerves the car in and out of traffic.
    “He is Piper, my roommate’s, older brother so he is around a lot.” I fidget in my seat and wring my hands together why does he make me so nervous? Not sure if my answer will placate him enough to let the topic go but I try anyway.
    “And the thing he has for you sprung up from him being Piper’s brother?” His face expressionless and his tone flat, indicating he isn’t buying my explanation for our friendship.
    I inhale deeply, ‘he would come over and stay with me when I first moved in with Piper, while she would be out on one of her boy projects. I was new to town and he didn’t want me to be alone.”
    “I bet he didn’t.” Leo’s retort is laced with cynicism and doubt, ‘did he ever try anything on you?” I jerk my head around to face him and shake my head at the sound of his thickly laced tone, being just a bit to jealous for my taste.
    ‘What? No! And why would it matter if he did, it was way before I knew you.” I am disgusted and completely confused why this would mean anything to him.
    “It matters now , so answer the question.” His stern tone demands I reassure him of the platonic feelings I have for Roman regardless of how he feels for me. There was maybe a brief moment I might have considered pushing Roman for more. But when I took a beat and weighed the options and consequences of dating my roommates/best friend’s brother and the possibility of it ending badly had swayed me to the friend side of the fence.
    Still needing to prove to Leo what or who I had done before him was none of his concern I argue my point, ‘No it doesn’t matter.” I cross my arms over my chest and lock my ankles.
    “Y ou are the one who brought the whole thing up by having him at your house when you knew I was going to show up.” His gruff tone is accentuated by his clipped words, ‘and if you haven’t already guessed,’ he takes his eyes off the road briefly to look at me, ‘I don’t share.”
    “ It wasn’t planned, I just lost track of time and you aren’t sharing anything with anybody.” Looking down at my black dress I smooth it out over my thighs. Why did I agree to dinner with this man he is nothing but infuriating, ‘turn around and take me home Leo, this just isn’t working out.” I pinch the bridge of my nose and press my eyes together tight and will the car to stop and turn back towards my house.
    “No, as soon as we