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I’ her and needing her Problem is, I’m victim to both I want her, God do I want her But lately, I need her too I like needing her It feels…I don’t know It just feels But if I blow one side of the deal, I’ll lose the other It’s a delicate balance, and kissing her--that would tip the scales for good

"Right, so I just shove all the clothes in this one and then pour in…what? Like, two cups of this stuff?" I’ht it would be better to play full dumbass rather than have her see me flounder and look foolish for real

"Uh, yeah, if you want to repeat that episode of the Brady Bunch where Bobby floods the laundry roo the full cup of soap fro almost half of it back in the bottle

"That’s a classic," I say,for her to take over

"Oh, I don’t think so Get over here You are going to learn by doing, not by watching," she says, reaching her hand to ry to touch her, but ent back into my hand

"What, no hands-on instruction?" I tease She sive up on the overt flirting--for now "Okay, okay, fine I put in this much, but where?"

Cass points at a small drawer on the side of the machine, and I pull it open and pour in the soap "Nohat?" I ask, honestly clueless She’s laughing atand slowly

"Hey, don’thow to do domestic shit That’s not nice I’d like to see you swap out an air filter and put in a quart of synthetic," I say, practically growling when I’m done with my testosterone-filled comeback

Cass is staring at me with her hand on her hip "That make you feel better?" she asks, herthat my mom’s do when she’s about to tell rowl and beat my chest once for added effect "Yes, it did"

Without pause, Cass proceeds to talk odda in a quart of oil on a sixty-seven Dodge Charger A sixty-seven Dodge Charger that "yes, you can switch to synthetic fro!" And somewhere in the ood chance that I’ for her It was at about the point that her lips slowed down to delicately toss out the words valve covers and oil filter cap

Scales Are Tipping

"Right, so, I sort the whites frothe hottest da it," she says, pulling herself up to sit on the counter, her legs swaying back and forth like wind chimes while she watches me do my first solo load of laundry in my entire life I’m actually kind of proud

I look at her over ht between her teeth while she tries to hide her s at me

Time to test the scales

I press the start button and the ins to whirl and buzz quietly It also says forty hs, and then pats the counter next to her I see her eyes flash when she realizes what she’s done, but I won’t let her feel bad

"I’ a joke out of it and positioning rab the s "Darip loosen, but I don’t move my hands away, and she doesn’t askym, when he pressed my muscles to make thehtful touch, a strategic touch--an opening that he is taking

"So, how do you kno to change the oil on a sixty-seven Charger?" he asks

"I drive one Back hoh to make his left cheek dih at his bluntness It’s probably s--whatever he’s thinking There’s no filter, no wall That’s how I operate, or at least how I try to