Mullis acquired a reputation for erratic behavior at Cetus, once threatening to bring a gun to work; he also engaged in "frequent lovers' quarrels" with his then-girlfriend (a fellow chemist at the company) and "nearly came to blows with another scientist" at a staff party. According to White, "It definitely put me in a tough spot. His behavior was so outrageous that the other scientists thought that the only reason I didn't fire him outright was that he was a friend of mine."