When the Women Come out to Dance (2002) Read Free Page B

he thought it was time they met. She said fro m the chair she sat in most of the day, "It's open," c losed the book she was reading, a finger insid e holding the page, and watched him come in in hi s khaki shorts and T-shirt.
    "You didn't have to get dressed up on m y account."
    She liked his smile and the way he said, "I wa s right. I've found someone I can talk to."
    "About what?"
    "Anything you want, except golf."
    "You're in luck. I don't play golf."
    "I know you don't. I checked."
    She liked his weathered look, his cap of whit e hair, uncombed. "You're here by yourself?"
    "On my own, the first time in fifty-seven years."
    She laid the book on the table next to her. "So now you'r e what, dating?"
    He liked the way she said it, with a straight face.
    "If you're interested, Jerry Vale's coming next week."
    "I can hardly wait."
    He said, "I like the way you wear your scarves. You've go t style, kiddo."
    "For an old broad? You should see me in a blond wig."
    "A woman can get away with a good one. But you see a ru g on a guy, every hair in place? You can always tell."
    "That's why you don't comb your hair?"
    Again with the straight face. He shook his head.
    "I made a decision," Vincent said. "No chemo, no surgery.
    Why bother? I'm eighty years old. You hang around to o long, you end up with Alzheimer's, like Howard. You kno w Howard? He puts on a suit and tie every day and calls on th e ladies. Has no idea where he is."
    "Howard's been here. But now I think he and Paulin e are going steady. Pauline's the one with all the Barbi e dolls." Natalie paused and said, "I'll be eighty-two nex t month."
    "You sure don't look it."
    "Not a day over, what, seventy-five?"
    "I'll tell you something," Vincent said. "You're the bestlooking woman here, and that's counting the maids and the ones that pass for nurses. Some are okay, but they all have bi g butts. You notice that? Hospitals, the same thing. I've made a study: The majority of women who work in health care ar e seriously overweight."
    "You've spent a lot of time in hospitals?" "Now and then. No, this is the closest I've come, this assisted living. Or as it says in the literature, 'The gracious and dignified living you deserve.' As long as you can afford it , live in your own prefab cottage. I did all right with prefab , built terraces, row housing. Some, it turned out, in th e wrong place. Andrew came along and blew 'em off the lot."
    He said, "I know you were married. What'd your husband do?"
    "Commercial real estate."
    "I might've known him."
    "In New York City."
    There was a lull. Vincent glanced around the room, at furnishings from another life, expensive-looking pieces.
    "You're happy here?"
    "Am I happy?"
    "I mean, do you like living here?"
    "It's all right."
    He waited before saying, "Are you in pain?"
    "I have my pills."
    Vincent nodded. "Back 'em up with a cocktail in th e evening, against orders."
    She said, "Do you always wait till evening?"
    "Hardly ever."
    Natalie stirred, pulling herself up. "You can have whateve r you like as long as it's Polish vodka."
    "You want me to get it?"
    She said, "Sit still," up and moving now: slim brown leg s in a white shirtdress that barely reached her knees. He coul d see her fifty years ago, taller, not as frail, dark hair in place o f the lavender scarf, a confident, good-looking woman. Sh e returned with drinks in crystal glasses, handed him one an d settled back into her chair with a groan. Now she was lookin g at him again.
    "Don't you have drinking buddies?"
    "The guys here," Vincent said, "the ones who know wher e they are, either play golf and talk about it on and on, or the y sit and watch CNN all day. I get the feeling they miss Ronal d Reagan."
    She sipped her drink. "Is it a matter of time with you?"
    "I'm given maybe six months. What about you?"
    "Anywhere from a few months to 'who knows?' "
    "Are you afraid?"
    "Not so much anymore."
    He said, "You learn to live with it."
    And she smiled. "In a manner of