Page 88 of GAF Factor

“Come on. Let’s get something to eat.”

I nodded, glad the fight was over. That was my first real fight with IKE, and I wanted it to be the last, though I knew that wasn’t a reality.

“What are you thinking?” he asked as we walked out of the room. He banged on IRIS’s hotel door, then stepped back, waiting for my answer.

“I was thinking that I don’t like fighting with you.”

“I don’t like it either.”

“Why can’t we fight over normal stuff?”

He raised an eyebrow at me. “And what is normal stuff?”

“You know, what direction the toilet paper should face on the roll? Or who was the last one to empty the dishwasher? Or how many dryer sheets should go in the dryer?”

“People actually fight about that stuff?”

“Some people do,” I answered as the door opened and IRIS walked out, holding Jane’s hand.

“Some people do what?”

“Fight about dishwashers and dryer sheets,” IKE answered for me.

“Oh, totally. This one is always bitching about how I wash the dishes,” he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder.

Jane punched him hard. “That’s only because you do them wrong on purpose so I’ll have to do them and won’t ask you to do them ever again!”

“You do that?” I turned accusing eyes on IRIS. “Seriously?”

“Maybe, but it’s only because I know she’ll never be happy with anything I do. So, if I let her do it anyway, it prevents us from having arguments.”

“No, it just makes me mad that you’re not doing it until I blow up. And then one day, I’ll take one of your homemade devices and use it on you!”

“That’s just mean. I make up for it in other ways.”

“Like what?”

I was beginning to feel slightly awkward as we stood in the hallway as they argued.

“I let you choose where we go out to eat. Every time!”

“I don’t want to always choose where to eat. That’s why I ask you.”

“But I want to make you happy. That’s why I ask you what you want. I’m trying to please you.”

“What would please me is if I didn’t have to choose all the damn time. Sometimes, it’s nice to have someone else’s opinion,” Jane retorted.

“Well, I’m so sorry that I was trying to be nice and let you have your way. I guess from now on, I’ll be a massive jerk and always pick the restaurants,” he said, storming away.

“That’s fine by me. Oh, and while you’re at it, maybe you could go to the back of the restaurant and take some lessons from the dish washer!” she shouted, chasing him down the hall.

“Still want to argue about the little things?” IKE asked.

“Nope. I’m good.”

The smellof food made my stomach roil, but I knew I needed to eat if I was going to spend any amount of time in a car today. IKE shoved a cup of coffee in front of me, along with a cup of tomato juice. Both of them made me want to hurl.

“So, what did you find out last night?” I asked, trying to distract myself as I took my first sip of tomato juice.

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