Evie's Job

60: Natalie

On Sunday afternoon, completely without meaning to, Natalie asked Evie to move in with her. Or at least to stay with her indefinitely.

They were in the main room of the apartment, sitting on the couches in the sun, sprawled happily, half on top of one another. Natalie had been stroking Evie’s hair, and Evie had been saying she needed to go soon, although not actually moving, and talking about her workload, and the study she needed to do, and explaining that she wouldn’t have as much free time over the new few weeks so might not be able to be around as much. “I have essays,” she’d said, apologetically. “And I really need to get started on them, and then I have exams, and I’ll hopefully have interviews soon too.”

“So work here,” Natalie said, without thinking.

“Nah, I can’t. I don’t want to have to stop and move again once I get started.”

“So don’t,” Natalie said. “Move.”

Evie didn’t seem to understand. “Well, I’ll need to…”

“I mean, why do you need to move?”

“Because if I start here, then tomorrow or the next day I’ll need to pack up and leave again.”

“So stay.”

Evie went quiet. Noticeably quiet.

Natalie sat up. “What?” she said, trying to work out what had just happened.

“You want me to stay?” Evie said.

Natalie nodded, slightly warily. She reached down, and found her glass of wine on the floor, and sipped it slowly.

“For a while?” Evie said.

“Yes, of course. Just come and work here.”

“But for a while? You don’t mind the while part?”

“I don’t think so,” Natalie said, cautiously. “I mean, you’re already here now...”

“I know, but…”

“So stay as long as you need to. What difference does it make?”

“Um, because a couple of days is one thing and whole weeks is another. Isn’t it?”

“I don’t know. Is it?”

“You got that I meant whole weeks, didn’t you? Once I start?”

“Weeks, months, whichever it is, that’s fine.”

“Oh,” Evie said. She seemed to be thinking. “I can’t anyway. All my books are at home.”

“So bring them here.”

“All of them?”

Natalie shrugged.

“I’m sharing one with someone,” Evie said.

“So buy another. Or I will. What’s the problem?”

Evie sat there for a while, thinking again. “Nothing, actually.”

“What book is it?”

Evie told her. The standard summary of case law on trusts and tax. Natalie thought for a moment, trying to remember, then got up, and went into her study and hunted around for a moment. She came back and held out a copy. “It’s probably not the newest edition, but…”

Evie took it, silently. She seemed a little surprised.

Natalie felt quite pleased with herself.

“You don’t have to be here,” Natalie said. “You don’t at all. I’m not trying to be demanding, or make you do anything. I just thought it might be easier for you if you were.”

“It just seems like this is a big deal,” Evie said. “If I do.”

“Not really, is it? I’m at work all the time, so you might as well use the place to study, that’s all.”

“I suppose.”

“And I’ll be able to see you more, too,” Natalie said. “So that’s good for me.”

Evie nodded.

“Say yes,” Natalie said. “Please?”

Evie seemed to be thinking. “It might be good,” she said. “It might work quite well.”

“It might,” Natalie said. “So do.”

“I might be weeks, though. Even a month. I mean, it’s basically my whole career being decided on the next month, so I need to be settled and able to work…”

“I understand,” Natalie said. “I’ve been there too, remember?”

“Yeah, I know.”

“And it’s only you visiting. It’s only you staying with me for a while, so you have a place to work.”

“I know,” Evie said. “I heard.”

“So what’s the harm in it? Take as long as you need, and study as much as you can, and don’t worry about anything else, not until your exams are out the way.”

Evie sat there, slowly nodding. “Okay,” she said. “Thank you.”

“Yes?”

“Yep. But I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into.”

Natalie grinned. She got up, and went and fetched her car keys. “Here,” she said, and held them out.

“What’s that?” Evie said.

“Go get your stuff. The car will make it easier.”

“What, right now?”

Natalie looked at her. She had just assumed so, because Evie had been talking about how much she needed to do. “Well, if you wanted to get started,” she said. “Then yes. Or I can come too and help, whichever is easier for you.”

Evie looked at her for a moment, still thinking.

“I can’t drive though,” Natalie said. She’d been drinking wine since lunchtime, and was fairly sure she couldn’t.

“Oh yeah,” Evie said. She seemed to have forgotten. She stood up, and came over and took the keys.

“I can carry things, though, if you like,” Natalie said.

“Nah,” Evie said. “It’s fine. I’ll go.”

Natalie nodded. She watched Evie put on her coat and shoes.

“I won’t be long,” Evie said.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Thank you,” Evie said. She stopped on her way to the door, and looked at Natalie. “Thank you for this,” she said. “It’s a wonderful thing for you to do.”

Natalie shrugged a little, embarrassed. Evie kissed her and left.

Natalie stood where she was until the front door had closed, until she was certain that Evie had gone, and then, and only then, did she let herself wonder what she’d just done. It had been impulsive, far too impulsive, and she was suddenly beginning to wonder if this was an awful, terrible idea.

She stood there for a moment, trying to imagine the worst. Imagining fights and disagreements and them each irritating the other for no good reason all. Imagining constant pointless arguments, and Natalie uncomfortable with Evie always in her space, and those things made worse by Evie’s stress about exams, and Natalie being busy at work, and it ruining the fragile thing they’d managed to find together in a matter of days.

Natalie was worried for a moment, so worried she felt slightly ill. This might all be a terrible idea, she thought. It might all go wrong. She stood there thinking, then decided it was too late to fret. She’d done what she’d done, and Evie had decided, and it was far too late to worry, or do anything but make the most of it, so she poured another glass of wine and sat down to wait for Evie.