face, he had the good grace to look a little abashed.
“I hope that’s all right with you,” he said. “I come here a lot, I know what’s good.”
“Next time a simple recommendation will be fine.” I was torn between anger and laughter. “Tell me, did you ever go to flight school?”
“No, why?”
“Because the only people I’ve ever met who are as arrogant as you are pilots. Do you usually order for people?”
“Only when I’m trying to impress them.”
“Well, stop it. Because if you order my dessert, I’m leaving.” I meant to sound peeved, but he just laughed and I was surprised to find that I found it funny too.
When the waiter came back, before Dov could say a word, I ordered two coffees and two desserts. He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed behind his head, and smiled.
“I knew you were going to do that,” he said.
“And I knew you knew,” I said sweetly. “But I decided to do it anyway.”
He burst out laughing. I returned to the office in a better mood than I’d been in for weeks.
I didn’t want to tell anyone about this date. It didn’t seem to mean anything yet, and I didn’t know enough about him. If he was a player or had already dated everyone else in the office, I didn’t want to be made fun of. But gossip spread in the office like mold on damp bread. Just because I didn’t tell anyone about it didn’t mean people hadn’t noticed.
“Maya, you dog!” Ilana caught my arm as I walked down the hall. “How long were you planning to hide it?” Ilana, with her hennaed hair and love of heavy gold jewelry, was my age, twice my weight, and half a head shorter. She was also better informed than the Mossad.
“Hide what?” For a moment I really didn’t know what she meant.
“ ‘Hide what?’ she asks,” she scoffed, and laughed loudly. “I’m talking about the fact that you tried to hide that amazing piece of flesh drooling after you. We’re all ready to melt from those looks he sends you. I don’t know how you do it, honey, three months in Tel Aviv and you’ve got the hottest man in the building after you.”
We were just standing out there in the hall. Anyone could walk by and hear her. I could feel my face heat up.
“Do you mean Dov?”
“Who else?” She mocked. “Who else could I possibly mean?” She leaned in. “I hear he’s unbelievable in bed. You’re in for a good time.” Her face was so near mine that I could see where her dark lip liner veered off her lip like a blip on a heart monitor.
I was embarrassed, annoyed, and just a tiny bit flattered that I was dating such a catch. But annoyance won out.
“That’s disgusting,” I said. “Besides, I thought you tried out everyone in the building. How great can he be if you haven’t slept with him yet?”
She blinked in surprise.
“I’ve got to run,” I said. “See you later.” I took off before she could say anything. Ilana laughed behind me and I wanted to kick myself. My mouth, I swore, was not always connected to my brain. After she stopped laughing, I could feel her staring at my retreating back, speculating.
That Friday night, I waited at the crowded bus station for my bus to arrive. I was meeting my high school friend Daphna in South Tel Aviv, where most of the pubs and clubs were. Dovwas going to be there. I was jostled forward as a mother and daughter brushed by me. People stood closer here in Tel Aviv than in Haifa, bumping, touching. I had almost gotten used to it.
I had spent nearly two hours getting ready, blasting U2 on my CD player, practicing my dance moves in the mirror. I finally settled on low-slung black pants and a dark-red shirt that rode high, exposing my navel. I had recently invested in half a dozen thongs and two push-up bras—things I never paid attention to in high school. But living with Aunt Hen was an education. She might rarely be at home, but when she was, she noticed things, whether it was water spots on her marble counters or a faint stain on my
“I hope that’s all right with you,” he said. “I come here a lot, I know what’s good.”
“Next time a simple recommendation will be fine.” I was torn between anger and laughter. “Tell me, did you ever go to flight school?”
“No, why?”
“Because the only people I’ve ever met who are as arrogant as you are pilots. Do you usually order for people?”
“Only when I’m trying to impress them.”
“Well, stop it. Because if you order my dessert, I’m leaving.” I meant to sound peeved, but he just laughed and I was surprised to find that I found it funny too.
When the waiter came back, before Dov could say a word, I ordered two coffees and two desserts. He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed behind his head, and smiled.
“I knew you were going to do that,” he said.
“And I knew you knew,” I said sweetly. “But I decided to do it anyway.”
He burst out laughing. I returned to the office in a better mood than I’d been in for weeks.
I didn’t want to tell anyone about this date. It didn’t seem to mean anything yet, and I didn’t know enough about him. If he was a player or had already dated everyone else in the office, I didn’t want to be made fun of. But gossip spread in the office like mold on damp bread. Just because I didn’t tell anyone about it didn’t mean people hadn’t noticed.
“Maya, you dog!” Ilana caught my arm as I walked down the hall. “How long were you planning to hide it?” Ilana, with her hennaed hair and love of heavy gold jewelry, was my age, twice my weight, and half a head shorter. She was also better informed than the Mossad.
“Hide what?” For a moment I really didn’t know what she meant.
“ ‘Hide what?’ she asks,” she scoffed, and laughed loudly. “I’m talking about the fact that you tried to hide that amazing piece of flesh drooling after you. We’re all ready to melt from those looks he sends you. I don’t know how you do it, honey, three months in Tel Aviv and you’ve got the hottest man in the building after you.”
We were just standing out there in the hall. Anyone could walk by and hear her. I could feel my face heat up.
“Do you mean Dov?”
“Who else?” She mocked. “Who else could I possibly mean?” She leaned in. “I hear he’s unbelievable in bed. You’re in for a good time.” Her face was so near mine that I could see where her dark lip liner veered off her lip like a blip on a heart monitor.
I was embarrassed, annoyed, and just a tiny bit flattered that I was dating such a catch. But annoyance won out.
“That’s disgusting,” I said. “Besides, I thought you tried out everyone in the building. How great can he be if you haven’t slept with him yet?”
She blinked in surprise.
“I’ve got to run,” I said. “See you later.” I took off before she could say anything. Ilana laughed behind me and I wanted to kick myself. My mouth, I swore, was not always connected to my brain. After she stopped laughing, I could feel her staring at my retreating back, speculating.
That Friday night, I waited at the crowded bus station for my bus to arrive. I was meeting my high school friend Daphna in South Tel Aviv, where most of the pubs and clubs were. Dovwas going to be there. I was jostled forward as a mother and daughter brushed by me. People stood closer here in Tel Aviv than in Haifa, bumping, touching. I had almost gotten used to it.
I had spent nearly two hours getting ready, blasting U2 on my CD player, practicing my dance moves in the mirror. I finally settled on low-slung black pants and a dark-red shirt that rode high, exposing my navel. I had recently invested in half a dozen thongs and two push-up bras—things I never paid attention to in high school. But living with Aunt Hen was an education. She might rarely be at home, but when she was, she noticed things, whether it was water spots on her marble counters or a faint stain on my
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