Preferences

“I prefer to drive, if you don’t mind,” Kay said.

 “Since when? You never mentioned that before,” Jason asked as he opened the driver’s side door. Kay was standing right behind him.

“I’m sure there are many things I’ve never mentioned before.”

Jason, a tall, 56-year-old man with thinning hair turned toward her, trying his best not to look or sound irritated. “Kay, we just got married, not twenty minutes ago. I don’t want to start our married life off with an argument.”

 “I agree. Let’s not turn this into a test of wills. Please step aside and let me drive, dear.” Kay, who was almost as tall as Jason, had the bearing of royalty. She stood very straight, dressed impeccably, and always looked as if she was about to address Parliament on an important matter.

 “You aren’t driving. Not today and not any day as long as I can drive. This isn’t a test of wills. I have the sinking feeling that it’s about much more than that.”

 Kay took a step back to assess her new husband. She had recently resigned her commission as an Army officer, after a twenty-five-year career. He was being quite serious. In their six months of what she had insisted on referring to as a courtship, he had not uttered a single cross word. Apparently, she had misjudged him. He too was employed by the Federal Government as an assistant secretary for tax policy. Until that moment, Kay felt he was the most agreeable man she’d ever met. She turned sharply and walked to the other side of the car and got into the passenger seat. As soon as Jason was seated, she said, “I meant what I said, I prefer to drive, Jason.”

 The carnation on Jason’s lapel was already beginning to wilt. He started the car, a brand new Audi he never could have afforded on his income alone, and said, “We got married today because we believe we are very compatible. I thought we really covered the waterfront in all of our conversations over the last six months. I can’t understand how we missed your preference for driving. I mean, we’ve driven together enough to go to the moon and back.”

 “The moon? Seriously? I never noticed your preference for exaggeration, dear.”

 Jason turned the motor off. He looked at Kay and said, “Stop it Kay, what’s going on? Are you having second thoughts already?”

 “Don’t be silly. Being silly isn’t your style. Why shouldn’t I drive if I enjoy it so much?”

 “Does it occur to you to ask me what my preference might be? It so happens that I love driving, always have. In short, I prefer to drive.”

“We’re going to be late for our reception. The icing on that vanilla wedding cake is probably melting already. Let’s discuss this later.”

 “Discuss who will do the driving? There is nothing to discuss, darling.” Jason’s hands were gripping the steering wheel so tightly his fingers were beginning to hurt. He turned to face his bride. “What else are you going to suddenly express a preference for?”

 “That remains to be seen. I could ask you the same question, I suppose.” Kay was fingering her new wedding ring, twisting it back and forth. “Did it occur to you that when I said ‘I prefer to drive,’ I was talking about today, a moment in time?”

 “No, that wasn’t the way it sounded to me. It sounded like you were issuing a command.”

 “A long career in the army will do that to you. I didn’t mean it that way.”

 “So, you aren’t insisting on doing all the driving?”

 “No, Jason, I know you enjoy driving. But since we both enjoy driving; we can share that responsibility. That’s why I consented to this Audi we’re sitting in.”

 “Consented? I thought we made a joint decision.”

 “We did. Did we not both consent to buying the car? If one of us had expressed reservations, we wouldn’t have bought it, correct?”  Kay, placed her purse on the floor. “Please start the car, dear. Our friends and family are waiting for us at the hall. We need to go now.”

 “In a minute. Maybe I’m having post marital jitters. Did we move too quickly?”

 “Why do you say that?”

 “I just realized you have a way of making everything sound as if you are my commanding officer. For example, you could have said, did we not agree together to buy this car. Instead you gave your consent.”

 Kay laughed. “Do you love me, Jason?”

 Jason didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, to Saturn and back.”

 “Then please get us out of here. We have many years to figure out how to fix your exaggeration problem.” Kay leaned over and kissed her husband.

 “Do you want to drive?” he asked.

 “Not a chance. And for the record, I prefer chocolate cake.”

“I prefer vanilla.”

 The Audi drove like a dream.