“That is a good example, yes.”
“When did you do it?” Eva asked. “What does it feel like?”
“I’ve done it twice over the last year. It doesn’t feel like anything. I got it around my forehead and between my eyebrows. It just freezes your face for a while. The movement of your muscles is what causes wrinkles over time, so Botox prevents you from using those muscles.”
“And we never noticed? How much did it cost?” I asked eagerly.
“A little under three hundred.”
“US dollars?” I deflated at once. “More than half my life’s savings. So much for that plan.”
“Wait.” Sumira sounded concerned. “You don’t even have a separate savings account? I always thought you were just telling us your checking balance.”
I got an uncomfortable twinge in my stomach. “Does everyone have a so-called savings account except for me?”
“Um, I think so,” Eva said.
“Great. Fantastic. I’ll just add that to my list of failings. Oh, I haven’t even told you about my dentist appointment the other day. I swear there’s a conspiracy happening.”
Sumira interrupted. “As much as I would love to hear this story, I have to go. Talk to you guys later.”
“Go on,” Eva encouraged me. “Did the dentist sexually harass you?”
“No, Dr. Melinda Chung did not sexually harass me. Do you think I would go to a male doctor of any kind? Unlikely. Anyway, there was a new dental hygienist, Sam, who was all up in my business. She kept saying things like, ‘At your age, this kind of plaque buildup can be really dangerous.’ ‘At your age, you’re looking atbone deterioration.’ ‘At your age, you might want to invest in a Water Pik.’ I swear to God.”
“That is so rude.”
“And then she called Dr. Chung over to take a look at something. So Dr. Chung poked around in my mouth and made all these concerned noises. ‘Cavities aside,’ she said, ‘I’m not liking the look of these back molars. Do you grind your teeth at night?’ I was like, ‘Just at night? I wish!’ When she didn’t laugh, I said if she met my mother she’d understand.”
“What’s wrong with your back molars?” Eva asked, because that’s the kind of caring friend she is.
“That’s the good part. Dr. Chung goes, ‘I’m going to have you wear a night guard and use some enamel strengthener daily. Otherwise you’re looking at dentures in a few years’ time.’ I swear Sam had to swallow a shit-eating grin. Why does Sam hate me?”
“Dentures?” Eva yelped.
“As if it wasn’t hard enough to find a man, now I’ll be able to entice them by going to bed with the retainer of a thirteen-year-old and, soon, the fake teeth of a ninety-year-old.”
“Technically you do have a man already, right?”
“Right, my delightful boyfriend who can’t be bothered to text me, let alone see me. It’s for the best. My dentures would only scare him away.”
“When are you going to get your cavities filled?”
“I haven’t decided yet. Letting my teeth rot and fall out would only add to my crone mystique.”
There was a pause. I heard Jasmine say she was going to make more popcorn.
“Hey.” Eva’s voice was gentle. “Is everything okay with you and Stephen?”
“Honestly? I don’t think so. We’ve only hung out a couple times since that night we went out with you.”
“It’s been over a month since then.”
“I know.”
“Has he told you anything that might explain why?”
“Nope. It sort of feels like if I didn’t keep trying, he would be content to just fade away without having to go through an actual breakup.”
