Evie's Job

by Tess Mackenzie

  Evie went over to Natalie and slid her arms around Natalie’s waist. “Hey,” she said, and hugged her. Evie’s legs were bare. Her feet were bare, like Natalie’s, which probably meant something in the same way that wearing each other’s clothes did. Her hair was a mess, and she was the only one in the room without makeup, and she wanted both those things to matter without quite being sure how. She wrapped herself around Natalie, and pressed her face into Natalie’s neck, and breathed in her smell.

  She breathed in loudly, and obviously, so Meredith would know what she was doing.

  Evie could see Meredith from the corner of her eye. She could see enough to tell that Meredith’s expression had changed, and Meredith looked suddenly startled, and a little dismayed. Evie wasn’t sure why, but she was pleased. Whatever the reason, Meredith had noticed her, and that was good. And then Meredith glanced down, at Evie’s legs, and Evie was pleased. Her entrance couldn’t have been more perfect.

  “Hey,” Evie said, as she hugged Natalie.

  “Oh hi,” Natalie said, and her voice sounded different, slightly softer, the way it always did when she said hi to Evie. Evie didn’t know if Meredith would notice, but she hoped Meredith would. “You two met,” Natalie said. “Didn’t you?”

  “Yes,” Meredith said.

  “No,” Evie said. She had no idea why even as she said it. She was lying. She was lying outrageously, and everyone in the room knew she was, but she did anyway, just because.

  “We did yesterday morning,” Meredith said, sounding surprised, as if it was disgraceful that Evie could forget meeting someone as important as Meredith.

  Evie shrugged, as much because of that as anything else. “I don’t remember,” she said, and kept her face against Natalie’s neck.

  “It was only a day ago,” Meredith said.

  “Oh,” Evie said. “Well, I still don’t.”

  “You must do.”

  Evie turned, and looked at Meredith, and pretended to study her carefully. She stared, her cheek still against Natalie’s shoulder, then shrugged again. “Nope. Sorry. When was this again?”

  “Yesterday…” Meredith said, and then stopped, apparently realizing what Evie was doing. “Fuck, I give up.”

  “What’s wrong?” Evie said. “I just don’t remember.”

  Meredith just glared at her, which pleased Evie. She was surprised how irritated Meredith seemed, but she supposed unreasonable denials would be quite confusing to deal with. She’d have to remember it for another time.

  Evie hugged Natalie, hoping she wasn’t going too far, and trying to give Natalie a chance to make some kind of hint if she wanted Evie to stop. Natalie didn’t seem to mind, though. She hadn’t said anything yet, or tried to stop Evie talking, and her back and arms didn’t feel tense against Evie, the way they would if she was angry or worried. She seemed relaxed, and just kept hunting through the carton, almost as if she had decided to ignore them both.

  Evie thought was quite wonderful.

  “Hey,” Evie said, and kissed Natalie’s neck. “Introduce us.”

  “We already met,” Meredith snapped, apparently unable to deal with Evie’s insistence they hadn’t. “Fuck.”

  “Says you,” Evie said. “I don’t think we have.” To Natalie she said, “Introduce us, please?”

  “Don’t encourage her,” Meredith said.

  “Introduce us,” Evie said.

  “Don’t,” Meredith said. “I mean it.”

  Natalie looked up. She looked at Meredith, and now she was annoyed. Evie felt her back go stiff, and saw her hand clench on the carton and the side of her jaw go tight. Apparently she didn’t like Meredith telling her what to do. Evie completely understood.

  “Evie,” Natalie said. “This is Meredith. Meredith, Evie.”

  “For god’s sake, Nat,” Meredith said. “Did you have to?”

  “Yes,” Natalie said, and looked back at the file carton. “Of course I did.”

  Evie was a little surprised. Natalie was less polite with Meredith than she usually was with people. She was abrupt, and seemed easily irritated, and also didn’t appear to listen very carefully to Meredith. Evie wondered if Meredith realized all that, and thought she probably didn’t. Meredith didn’t seem aware of very much about Natalie’s feelings.

  “Are you going to be long?” Evie said to Natalie, just for something to say. She meant are you okay, and that she hoped she hadn’t done anything too awful by provoking Meredith.

  “I hope not,” Natalie said, and sounded fine.

  “I’ll go make coffee,” Evie said, relieved. “Do you want some?”

  “Thank you,” Natalie said. “Yes.”

  “Meredith?” Evie said, because Natalie wasn’t upset, and unpredictability seemed to unsettle Meredith.

  It seemed to work. Meredith looked surprised, and then silently shook her head.

  “It’s no trouble,” Evie said, deciding to make a thing of that too. Meredith might be a famous barrister and successful and rich, but Evie had been a waitress and had some idea how to helpfully be unbelievably difficult when she wanted to.

  “No thank you,” Meredith said.

  “I’ll bring one anyway, shall I?” Evie said, trying to be annoyingly persistent.

  It seemed to work. Meredith seemed quite annoyed. “I’m really fine,” she said. “No thanks.”

  “How do you have it?” Evie said, ignoring her.

  Meredith seemed surprised. Evie imagined she would be herself, if someone was so obviously ignoring what she said.

  “I said no,” Meredith said, sharply.

  “Well, I might as well make it anyway, in case you change your mind.”

  “I won’t change my fucking mind.”

  “What’s wrong?” Evie said. “I’m just offering you coffee.”

  “I don’t want any.”

  “Oh,” Evie said, and looked at Meredith for a moment. “I won’t poison you or anything, I promise.”

  Meredith gave her a long thoughtful look, then said, “No thank you,” very deliberately.

  It sounded final. It sounded like a decision had been made. Evie didn’t want to let Meredith make decisions.

  “How does Meredith have her coffee?” Evie said to Natalie.

  “Milk and no sugar,” Natalie said, without looking up.

  “Fuck,” Meredith said. “Nat…”

  “Stop it,” Natalie said to her, then held out a piece of paper. “Is this it?”

  Meredith looked at it. “No.”

  “I won’t be long,” Evie said, deciding she’d caused enough of a nuisance for the time being. She went through into the kitchen, listening to see what happened next.

  *

  Evie could hear the murmur of voices from the study, but couldn’t tell what was being said. It sounded like Meredith was doing most of the talking, and Natalie was answering as briefly as she could. Evie listened for a moment, but couldn’t hear very much, and especially not once the coffee machine began starting up.

  It was an automatic machine, and all that needed doing was pushing buttons. Evie stood there and pushed. Natalie liked strong espresso, and Evie didn’t especially mind how she had it, so the machine was already set to make thick dark little coffees. Evie could have changed the machine’s settings before she made Meredith’s. She should have, to make a proper coffee with milk. It would have been easy, it would only take turning one dial, but she didn’t, quite deliberately. If Meredith wanted milky coffee, she probably didn’t like it strong, and that meant Evie would make it as strong as she possibly could, by filling a large mug with several shots of short espresso, and then tipping in a little milk on top. On the off-chance Meredith actually drank it, even though she probably wouldn’t.

  Evie made her own coffee, and then made Meredith’s. It took several minutes to make that way, standing there pushing the button over and over. Evie drank her own while she waited. When Meredith’s mug was full, she made Natalie’s, in a little cup, and added some milk to Meredith’s
. Then she went back through into the study, carrying two cups. She put Natalie’s down on the desk, beside the carton, and held Meredith’s out towards her.

  “Here,” Evie said.

  Meredith shook her head.

  “Could you take it please,” Evie said, and kept holding the mug out.

  “I told you no.”

  “And I said I’d make you one anyway, in case you changed your mind.”

  “No thank you.”

  “Are you worried about poison?” Evie said.

  “Of course not.”

  “Well just in case,” Evie said, and sipped Meredith’s coffee.

  “I don’t want it now,” Meredith said.

  “My arm’s getting sore. Could you take it please.”

  Meredith shook her head. “Put it somewhere else.”

  “Could you just take it?”

  “No.”

  Natalie reached over and took the mug and put it on the desk. “For fuck’s sake,” she said, but she grinned quickly at Evie.

  “Thank you,” Evie said. “Have fun.” She left the room, and went back towards the kitchen, but stopped in the hallway and stood there, silently, close enough to the study door to be able to hear what was said inside. She wasn’t sure why, but she wanted to hear, to know what Meredith was saying.

  “What the fuck, Nat?” Meredith said. “What the fuck was all that?”

  “I’m not getting involved.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean.”

  “Nothing,” Natalie said, and it sounded like she was only half listening.

  “What the fuck is she doing?” Meredith said.

  “Nothing you wouldn’t,” Natalie said. “And you don’t have to react.”

  “I’m not reacting,” Meredith said.

  Natalie didn’t answer.

  “She’s being a complete bitch,” Meredith said.

  “Don’t call her that.”

  “She’s almost naked.”

  “God, Meredith, she isn’t. Her legs are bare, that’s all.”

  “And her shirt’s open too.”

  “Not much. And it’s her home. She can wear whatever she likes.”

  “Oh,” Meredith said. “Her home. So she does live here now?”

  Natalie sighed. Evie heard it from the hallway. “I suppose so,” Natalie said. “Yes.”

  “And you don’t mind if she behaves like that?” Meredith said.

  “I don’t mind?” Natalie said, sounding surprised, then, “Behaves like what exactly?”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “I really don’t.”

  “You saw all that.”

  Natalie didn’t answer. Evie guessed she might have shrugged.

  “Well?” Meredith said.

  “Well nothing,” Natalie said. “For god’s sake. If you two want to fight, you can go right ahead. I can’t see why you can’t both be adults and get along, and I’m not going to let you both drag me into it. So ignore her or respond to her or do whatever you like. It’s nothing to do with me.”

  “I can be an adult,” Meredith said quietly. “I doubt she can.”

  There was a bang. Natalie putting something down, hard, Evie thought. Then Natalie said, “Fuck you Meredith.”

  Evie was quite surprised. Meredith didn’t answer, so she must have been too.

  “I know meeting Evie is something of a shock,” Natalie said. “You’re upset, and I could have handled telling you about her better. I understand that, and I’m sorry, and I’m also trying to be very polite here, but it’s been three years and I really don’t think it’s any of your business who I sleep with, or am friends with, or who is around my home…”

  “Nat…”

  “Let me talk for a moment. I also don’t much care what you think of this or of Evie or whether you want to try and get along with her. But I’m absolutely not going to let you drag me into some spiteful little contest between the two of you.”

  “Let me drag you into it?” Meredith said, sounding offended.

  “Yes Meredith, let you drag me in.”

  “She’s doing it too…”

  “And she’s twenty-one and has probably never had to deal with someone’s ex-wife before, so grow up.”

  There was a silence, then Meredith said, “You don’t actually know?”

  “Know what?”

  “Whether she’s had to deal with someone’s ex-wife…”

  Another bang. “Oh fucking grow up.”

  “She doesn’t have to be so…”

  “Yes she does,” Natalie said. “Apparently. And so do you. And I don’t understand why, but I’m getting sick of it.”

  There was quiet in the office for a moment.

  “And one more thing,” Natalie said. “If I was you I’d ignore her, because whatever it is that’s going on between you two, I think at the moment she’s winning.”

  “Winning?”

  “She is.”

  “She doesn’t have to be such a rude little....”

  “Don’t,” Natalie said, sharply. “Please.”

  There was another silence, and then Meredith said, “I won’t.”

  “Thank you,” Natalie said.

  There was silence again. Evie was tempted to look in the door, just to see what was happening. She was tempted, but she wasn’t going to. She was already uncomfortable with herself for eavesdropping. She wasn’t going to actually get caught doing it as well.

  She waited in the hallway, as quietly as she could, listening to paper rustling. After a moment, Natalie spoke again.

  “Listen, Meredith,” Natalie said. “I’ve spent a lot of time with Evie and I’ve never seen her like this before. Never. Not once. Usually she’s calm and kind and says thank you to waiters and lets other people into queues ahead of her. You’re bringing something awful out in her and I assume it was how you were yesterday…”

  “I wasn’t anything…”

  “You were and you know you were. I’ve hardly talked to her about it and I know exactly how you acted. All condescending and superior. It used to infuriate me and I can see exactly why it infuriates everyone else too, including Evie.”

  “Nat, I…”

  “Stop calling me that.”

  A slight pause. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s fine,” Natalie said. “It doesn’t matter any more.”

  “Natalie…”

  “It honestly doesn’t matter,” Natalie said. “What does is this. Evie’s reasonable. She’s kind. If you go after her now and apologise, I’m sure if she’ll let whatever this has all been go and be polite back.”

  “I’m not apologising.”

  “For my sake? Since I have to live with you both?”

  “She started it. I’m not apologising.”

  Natalie sighed. “Then don’t. Fight with her. I really don’t care.”

  “Why are you taking her side?”

  “Why wouldn’t I take her side?”

  Another silence.

  “For god’s sake, Meredith, I’m in a relationship with her. Even if you don’t want to take it seriously. I like her. She’s a wonderful person. I want to be with her.”

  “Fine,” Meredith said.

  “Is it truly?”

  “Like you said. It’s not really my business any more, is it?”

  There was a short silence, as if Natalie and Meredith were looking at each other, or smiling, or possibly even had hugged. Evie wasn’t sure which, and still wasn’t going to look to find out.

  Evie waited, thinking, wondering if she should move from the hallway. She thought about Natalie, and about jealously, and wondered whether she was listening because she was jealous. She wasn’t, she decided. She absolutely wasn’t. She was listening because she was nosy, and wanted to know what was being said about her. That wasn’t completely healthy, but it was better than being jealous. She wasn’t jealous, she thought. She was almost certain of that. If anything she was actually glad. Glad for Natalie, that the long-standing source of mi
sery for her that was Meredith might finally be getting resolved. Hopefully resolved, anyway, if Meredith meant what she had said.

  In the office, the rustling of papers began again, and then after a few minutes Natalie said, “Is this it?”

  “No.” There was another silence, and more rustling, and then Natalie said, “This?”

  “Yes,” Meredith said. “That’s it.”

  “You’re sure?” Natalie said.

  “I’m sure.”

  “You’re actually looking at it and you’re actually completely certain?”

  “What?” Meredith said. “Yes, why?”

  “I don’t want you coming back tomorrow because you made a mistake,” Natalie said.

  It sounded sharp, Evie thought, but Natalie’s tone actually wasn’t. Natalie was teasing, the way she did to Evie sometimes, about some longstanding habit of Meredith’s, perhaps her not checking papers closely enough or being disorganized. Teasing must mean something good, Evie thought. It ought to mean Meredith didn’t hurt Natalie as much any more, and that was something to be glad of too.

  “Very funny,” Meredith said.

  “Aren’t I though?” Natalie said.

  There was a scraping sound. Natalie was putting the carton of papers back in the wardrobe, Evie realized, and that meant Natalie and Meredith were about to emerge from the study.

  Evie dashed back into the kitchen. She could run quietly in bare feet. She jumped onto the kitchen counter and grabbed her cigarettes. She thought, then broke a cigarette in half, and tucked the broken-off end back in the packet, and lit the rest so it looked half-smoked. Half-smoked would give the impression she’d been there the whole time, and she was rather proud she’d thought of that. She flicked on the extractor fan just as Natalie and Meredith walked in.

  “And she smokes too,” Meredith said. “Wonderful.”

  “Stop it,” Natalie said. “Just stop.”

  Meredith shrugged, and Evie glared at her, and Natalie and Meredith went over to the front door. And then that seemed to be that. Natalie said goodbye, and kissed Meredith quickly, and Meredith said something quietly, just as she left, which Evie couldn’t hear properly over the fan but thought was, “Make a fool of yourself then, I don’t care.”