Matchpoint Read Free Page A

around and moved his head from side to side as he shouted, like a quarterback at a football game, calling the plays before the snap. He was moving the dental instrument around pretty good now, and it caught a glint of sun and shined in my eyes.
    I wonder what Codes One through Five are
, I thought just before I lost consciousness.

    “THERE SHE is. She’s coming around now.”
    “Where am I?” I asked, but I knew exactly where I was. My body hung almost upside down in a Bliss Dental chair, and a spit cloth was draped on my chest. Dr. Dulur hung over me, his polyester shirt unbuttoned halfway to reveal a tuft of curly gray chest hair and three gold chains that seemed to float in midair as he leaned perilously close to my head. A long white scar traced a path down his right cheek. His hands were in my mouth, the scary dental instrument between his fingers, busily inspecting my teeth and gums. “Where am I?” came out muffled because my mouth was open and full of Dr. Dulur.
    “Uh-oh. This is what I feared,” he said.
    “What are you doing?” I tried to say.
    “Dr. Dulur likes to take advantage of a fainter.” The voice came from somewhere to my left. “That didn’t come out right,” the voice said, his head appearing behind Dr. Dulur. He was young, no more than twenty. I noticed he was prematurely balding and had perfectly straight white teeth. “What I meant to say is that he likes to do as much work on you as possible while you’re unconscious so you’re not scared,” he explained.
    “But I’m not here to see the dentist,” I tried to say. Sweat had popped out on my forehead. I wanted to swat Dr. Dulur’s hands from my mouth, but I was paralyzed with fear.
    “That’s what I tried to tell him.” Belinda appeared above me, the third head to hang over my face. “He wouldn’t listen.”
    “Well, I’m afraid the news isn’t all that great, but it’s fixable,” said Dr. Dulur. “Lucky you came in when you did.” He put the instrument down and smiled at me. “Seven cavities.”
    My hand flew to my mouth. “Seven what? No, I don’t have cavities. I’m just neurotic. It’s in my head.”
    “Yes, it’s in your head, all right,” he said, still smiling. “All seven cavities are right there in your head. Somebody hasn’t been brushing regularly.”
    “But that can’t be. I brush and floss religiously.”
    I wasn’t lying. I was a big brusher, and I changed toothbrushes every month. I did what I had to so I wouldn’t have to see a dentist.
    “Oh, then it’s probably age. We’re not as young as we were, you know.” Dr. Dulur was still smiling. He must not have realized how close my fist was to his face.
    “Age?” I echoed. “Age?” I was carded at the 7-Eleven only last year. Was it the generic face cream I was using?
    Dr. Dulur flinched. “Maybe not age. You probably just need to do a rinse before bed. Keep your mouth moist during the night. Dry mouth can cause cavities. You must have your mouth open at night when you snore.”
    “I don’t snore!” I said a little too loudly.
    “Should we fill up those little holes right away? How about I get you numbed up and start drilling?” Dr. Dulur asked.
    And then I was running. I made it out of the chair, through the office, and out the front door in a matter of seconds.
    Once outside, I gulped fresh air. Matchmaking wasn’t easy.
    I started counting my teeth to make sure they were all still there. That’s why I didn’t see him until it was too late, until his strong arm caught mine in a viselike grip and pulled me around the side of the building.

Chapter 2

    W hat’s wrong with men? Oh, dolly, the list is so long I would have to alphabetize it and collate it and add roman numerals. Way too much work to write up that list. But up around the top of that list would be:
Men never grow up.
They are little boys in adult-sized pants. Pay attention! Sometimes men don’t do that. I make their match, they go out on a date, but they can’t