Evie's Job

44: Natalie

Natalie had suggested they meet at her apartment, since Evie might not know where the restaurant was. When Evie arrived she texted from downstairs, the way she always did, making Natalie wonder what she had against the doorbell. Natalie buzzed her in, and went and opened the apartment’s front door, then went to get her coat and have a final quick glance in the mirror.

She heard Evie shout, “Hey,” from the front door, and went to find her. Evie was in the hall. “Hello,” Natalie said, then stopped, and stared.

Evie had a tight floaty dress, and her hair was up and neat and elegant. She had shiny lips and lots of dark around her eyes, and oddly, she also had bare feet. She was holding her shoes in her hand. Natalie stood there for a moment, wondering, and then realized why. The lobby floor, downstairs. It was polished, and always a little slippery.

Natalie stood there, staring, feeling breath-taken, stunned by how different Evie looked when she dressed up.

“My god,” Natalie said. “You’re…”

Evie smiled, and seemed relieved.

“You look older,” Natalie said.

Evie nodded. She seemed smug, apparently quite pleased with herself for the reaction she was getting.

“A lot older,” Natalie said. “Come in. I’m almost ready.”

She got her bag, and her keys, and turned back to Evie. She glanced at Evie’s shoes again. They were nice strappy sandals, with fairly high heels. Evie seemed to be able to manage higher heels than Natalie, not that Natalie ever especially tried. Evie saw where Natalie was looking, and suddenly seemed flustered. “Oh,” she said, and looked too, as if she’d only just realized she had bare feet, and was suddenly wondering if she should have put her sandals back on.

“Fuck,” she said. “I…”

“Don’t worry,” Natalie said. “You look incredible.”

Evie smiled, and went to kiss her, then stopped and said, “Lips.” She peered at Natalie for a moment, apparently trying to see if Natalie had lipstick on. She seemed to decide not. She pressed her hand to Natalie’s mouth instead.

“Hi,” she said. “That’s the best I can do.”

Natalie smiled.

“Shall we go?” Natalie said, and Evie nodded. Natalie pulled her door shut, and they walked down the hall to the lift. Evie left her shoes off until they were in the car.

They drove to the restaurant in silence. Natalie was a little nervous. She didn’t want this to overwhelm Evie, or equally, for Evie to find it all silly.

In the restaurant, she watched Evie carefully, trying to be ready in case Evie got bored, or self-conscious, or whatever else she might get. Whatever vague and ill-formed fear Natalie was afraid might happen. To Natalie’s relief, Evie seemed fine. She glanced around, and seemed interested, and sat down when the waiter pulled her chair out. She jumped when the waiter put a napkin on her lap, which worried Natalie a little, but then Evie saw Natalie looking, and started to grin

Evie sat there, grinning, ignoring the waiter until the waiter had left, and then said, “Don’t worry.”

“I’m not worried.”

“You are, but don’t be. I just forgot he’d do that, is all.”

“You’re sure? We can just....”

“Go have burgers?”

“If you like. Anything you like.”

Evie shook her head. “I’m fine,” she said. “This is good. Stop worrying.”