scenes from a marriage: on games

So, for whatever reason, I'm generally not really a fan of games.  I know that makes me sound like the least fun person in the world, which maybe I am, but I just don't find games that enjoyable.  My husband loves them.  Luckily for me, we don't really own any (I bought him Trivial Pursuit in a charity shop, because it's his favorite, and also I don't mind it that much.  It's particularly fun to play an old version - this is the original, so we like to preface our answers with, "well, back in the '80s, this was true..." because some things have changed) so it doesn't come up that often.

But the other day, at our friend's house, Sam suggested we play Phase 10.  "I hate that game," I complained.  "It is basically the very worst game, I can't think of something I'd rather do less,"

"Don't be silly, Phase 10 is fun.  Have you ever even played it before?"

"When I was little, I think I owned it.  But I hate games that involve skill.  You always make fun of me."

"There's no skill involved.  It's easy." 

And somehow, I don't know how, he convinced me.  I guess I was getting pretty desperate when I said we shouldn't play games with cards ("that means face cards," was his rebuttal) and anyway, he really wanted to.  Anyway, it turns out that Phase 10 is pretty fun.  (Ahem.)  Particularly when you win.  (I won!)  Sam helped me cheat, however.  This was after we got off to a bad start, when he spent the first round skipping me.

"Why did you do that?"  I'd ask every time.  Our friends laughed.  "Oh, we've found that husbands and wives shouldn't sit next to each other in games like this!" they told us.  But then, since I was winning anyway, Sam began giving me help.  "What card do you need?" he'd ask, and show me what he had.  Playing games is much more fun when you're not really competitive. 

"You only won because I let you," he reminded me later that evening.  "And I only let you so that you'd play more games with me.