Their Disagreement

It started with teasing. Then flirting. Until it exploded in a moment of passion. It continued the same way. Joking and teasing. Stolen glances and playful touches. Passion building. Until a moment could be found to give in to their desire. Were they lovers? Not in the romantic sense. But there was no denying there was something intense between them.

They were at it again. But his time it was different. Why? It was nothing he hadn’t done before. Nothing she hadn’t done before. So why is it neither of them could let it go? Was it because this time it was personal? Or was it simply that they were both just so darn stubborn. They were both a little right. Both a little wrong. Neither had a problem being right. Neither would admit being wrong.

She was irritated that he would not admit to being a jerk. He was ticked off at her for shoving her nose, and big mouth, into his business. He had given her a good talking to on more than one occasion, but the dumb b*tch just can’t seem to get it. What a train wreck. He was sick of the headache.

In retrospect, she should have known better. She knew how he was. She knew how he acted. Why should there be an expectation of anything different? She felt a bit of a fool for flying off the handle like she did. But that was how she was. Talking before thinking. Throwing in her two cents where it doesn’t need to be thrown.

She called the garage phone. It was the end of the day. She wanted to close up and get the heck out of there. But he still had the last customer’s payment. He was always doing that. Showing off his work like a kid to his parents. Then taking the payment and sending them on their way. He was supposed to review the work, have them sign off on it, and send them into the office with the invoice. No respect for proper procedure!

The phone rang. And rang. No answer. Maybe he couldn’t get to it right then. She finished everything else to be done and tried again. No answer. It was after hours, Maybe he had his music on too loud.

She went into the garage. Something she rarely did. This was his domain and she respected that. There was no music. Just him. Cleaning up a truck that he just finished that day. It was to be picked up first thing the next morning. He must have been ignoring her calls. He kept working without noticing her. Or he was still ignoring her. The tension from their incident was still there. It was palpable. The silence was deafening.

More than she hated being wrong, she hated him being mad, especially at her. She knew he had it rough. The last thing she wanted to do was contribute to it. She took a few deep breaths and spoke. “Look, I overreacted. I didn’t know the whole story. I should have known better than to listen to her.” This time he was all too quick to point out how right she was. Until she continued. “But you were still wrong. You acted like a jerk. You really shouldn’t have done that.”

She waited for the miracle that was never coming. Foolish of her. Expecting him to admit his shortcoming. Not this time. Quite the contrary. He was not going to settle for anything less than a complete admission of guilt on her part. And he let her know it, “Aren’t you going to apologize to me and admit your were all wrong? Say you’re sorry.” She would not give in. Not an inch more than she already had. Not until he admitted his half. And she told him so.

He moved closer to her. Backing her up to the rear of the pickup he was working on. “Say it”. She refused again. She could see the shift in his body language. His expression. This no longer had anything to do with their fight. This had everything to do with him making her say something she didn’t want to. He got off on it. To her surprise, she got off on that.

She stood her ground, his body pressing her against the open tailgate. “You were wrong and I am not apologizing until you admit it.” Before she knew it, he picked her up and tossed her in the truck bed. As she landed on her rump, she gave him a look like a deer in headlights. Before she could get down, he hopped in with her.

She moved to get down and he stopped her. “Apologize.” “No!” Now they were playing like a cat and mouse. She zigged. He zagged. Always one step ahead of her. He knew she was not about to jump off the side of the truck. He had her trapped.

Finally he grabbed her. Put his arms around her and held her to him. Her back to his front. He put his mouth against her neck. Just behind her ear. She could feel his breath, the long stubble on his cheek. Would it kill him to shave more than once a week? Then he spoke. In that low quiet voice that drove her mad. “Are you going to say it?” “No.” He held her tighter. One arm just below her chest. The other now moving along her thigh. “Say it.” She refused. He didn’t stop.

He pulled her down onto the truck bed with him. Their eyes locked. She could see what he wanted. Her heart raced with nervous excitement. He could feel it. “Say it.” “Make me.”

There was no kissing. No gentle touch. He meant business. Exercising his control. The way he looked at her. The way he held her down. Yet she still felt safe. He might have had her helpless, but she felt like she could take the reins at any minute. She didn’t want to. Not this time. She winced and he let up. She stared him straight on. “Do it again”. Her back arched and she let out a quiet cry. She gave herself to him completely. He was more than willing to take her. They played out their argument in the bed of that truck. Until he was satisfied that he had taught her a lesson.

He helped her down from the truck. “Well, are you going to apologize or what?” This time it was the charming boyish voice that she equally loved. “Of course not”, she quipped. “You didn’t say you were wrong.” He watched her as she straightened her dress and attempted to fix her tussled hair. She tried to pretend she didn’t know he was watching. She hated when he did that. He loved it.

He chuckled. “I guess you should give this guy a discount on his bed liner considering it’s used now.” She cocked her head and smirked in disapproval. He returned with his devilish grin. She hurled a nearby pile of filthy rags at him. It was that or a wrench, and she was just trying to annoy him, not kill him. She picked up the invoice and check that were sitting on the workbench and turned away to leave. “Hey! You better pick up that mess!” “Oh no, mister. The office is my job. This pigsty is all you. I am going home”. She went to the office, closed up, and went home.

And that was how it was settled. The air was cleared. They agreed to disagree.