Evie's Job

105: Evie

Evie went to her tutorial, and then went home, still a little puzzled by the conversation with Meredith. She didn’t quite understand what it all meant, or why Meredith had bothered, or even if Meredith was being entirely truthful. She thought about it occasionally during the afternoon, wondering, but getting nowhere particular, and in the end she decided not to care. If Meredith was going to leave her alone, then that was good and Evie could stop being concerned. On the other hand, if Meredith was scheming, then Evie couldn’t see how, so worrying wouldn’t actually help. Either way, not brooding about Meredith would be a pleasant change after the last few days. It was something to make the most of it, so she did.

She read all afternoon, taking notes for her first exam. Around six, she began making dinner, and was still cooking when Natalie came in.

“Hey,” Evie called when she heard the door. “Come over here. I have sauce and I can’t stop stirring.”

Natalie put down her bag and briefcase, and came over, and kissed Evie. “How are you?” she said.

“Yep,” Evie said. “Good. Went to uni, had a tute, and, oh yeah, I fixed everything with Meredith too.”

Natalie stood there for a moment, apparently thinking about that, then said, “With Meredith?”

“Yep.”

“That’s what I thought you said. You fixed what with her, exactly?”

“Everything, I think.”

“Oh god, what happened?”

“Nothing much. She came to see me.”

“Here?”

“At uni.”

“Oh,” Natalie said. “Oh fuck. I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?”

“I don’t know. Because she’s my disaster. Because I should have tried harder to keep her away from you. What awful thing did she do?”

“Nah, it’s fine. Nothing happened. We made a deal.”

Natalie was quiet for a moment, apparently needing to think about that too. Evie kept stirring, grinning at Natalie.

“You did what?” Natalie said, eventually.

“Her and me,” Evie said. “We made a deal about you. About all of us, I suppose, but mostly about you. We divided you up and I get to keep you.”

“Oh good,” Natalie said. “Well, that’s a relief.”

Evie grinned. “I thought you might think so.”

“God, I’m sorry. I can only imagine what she was like.”

“Don’t be. It’s really fine.”

“You don’t need to be polite, just call her a interfering bitch.”

Evie didn’t say anything. She deliberately didn’t. Natalie looked at her, and seemed to realize.

“Well, what’s the deal?” Natalie said.

“In a sec,” Evie said, and held out the spoon she was stirring with. “Taste. Is that too salty?”

Natalie did, then shook her head. “It’s fine. What’s the deal?”

“I can’t ever leave you, or upset you, or break up with you, or I guess do anything you don’t want me to. And then Meredith’ll leave me alone.”

Natalie sighed. She leaned on the bench where Evie usually sat to smoke. They’d stopped leaving food there, so there was a space. She leaned, and watched Evie stir, and seemed to be thinking. “I don’t know what to say,” she said, in the end.