The Pull of the Moon_ A Novel - By Elizabeth Berg Page 0,59

the eye and said, “Yes.” Dorothy was a little miffed, because the woman had acted as though Dorothy had affronted her dignity or questioned her ethics or something. Like the time Dr. Niemeyer was telling Dorothy to get a certain ($275!!!) blood test and she’d said, “Would you tell your wife to get it?” And Dr. Niemeyer had drawn himself up and quietly said, “I would.” Dorothy had been all set to give him an affectionate little punch and say, “Oh, come on, now, don’t be so prissy,” but then Dr. Niemeyer had added, “If she were still alive,” and that had just ruined everything. It wasn’t her fault the woman had died! Dorothy had been going to refuse the test no matter what, but after he said his wife was dead, well, then she had to get it. Those dead people had more power than they thought.

Dorothy has never gone to a high school reunion. She was always married when they had them before, and who wanted to bring that to a reunion. Now she is divorced, plus she saw that movie about saying yes to life. She steps closer to the mirror and raises her chin so her turkey neck disappears. She’ll hold her head like this when she walks by Pete Decker. Later, when they’re making out in his car, it will be dark, and she won’t have to be so vigilant. Oh, she hopes they can make out in his car, she’s heard people always make out in cars at high school reunions. She was dying to make out with Pete in his car when they were in high school. He had a four-on-the-floor, metallic-green GTO, but she never even got to sit in it. She bets he has something like a red Lexus coupe now. And she bets that at the reunion he’ll watch her for a while, then come up to her and say, “Hey, Dots. Want to take a walk?” And she’ll say, all innocent, “Where?” And he’ll get a little flustered and say something like, “You know, just a walk, get some air,” and then she’ll hesitate just for a second, just long enough to make him think she might refuse, and then she’ll shrug prettily before she agrees. They’ll go out to the parking lot to his car and he’ll open his passenger-side door and raise his eyebrows and she’ll say, “Pete!” like she’s offended at the very notion. But then she’ll get in, will she ever. Oh, she likes this part of the fantasy best. She’ll get in, he’ll come around and get in on his side, and then, just before he lunges at her, he’ll look at her with smoke practically coming out of his eyes. And in her eyes, a soft Yes, I know. Or maybe a Come and get it, big boy! She can’t decide. Maybe both.

Dorothy does plan on being be a little mean to Pete; she has finally learned it can be a good thing to be mean to men. They actually like it; it appeals to their hunting instinct. That’s why she’s going to walk right by him after he sees how attractive she is. Considering.

Her daughter, Hilly, told her about being mean to men. She said you do it just at first, and then every now and then, like immunization shots, to keep up a level of intrigue. And it worked. When Hilly finally started doing it, wasn’t she engaged in what seemed like ten minutes! She’s getting married in Costa Rica next month, and Dorothy thinks it’s a wonderful idea, the destination wedding. Thank God her ex will pay for everything. Poor he was not. She supposes he’ll bring his new wife and pander to her every single second. Holding her hand, as though they were teenagers. Bringing her drinks, as though the woman is incapable of doing anything for herself. Staring into her eyes like the secret of the universe is written there. It’s nauseating the way they behave, anyone would say so. Hilly calls them The Magnet Dolls. Though she might do that only in a flimsy attempt to offer some kind of support to her mother, who now lives alone and must take out the garbage and figure out who to call to fix everything and check the locks at night and everything else. Dorothy suspects the truth is that her daughter actually likes her stepmother. She hasn’t said so directly, but she did say that she’s happy for