Evie's Job

64: Evie

Natalie came home from work one lunchtime and found Evie still in bed. Evie was still there just because she was. She simply hadn’t happened to get up yet. She had been awake for an hour, and was going over the notes she’d made the day before, reminding herself of what she’d read. Sometimes, studying in bed was easier than getting up. The bed gave her a lot more room to spread things out, and Natalie’s central heating kept the apartment warm enough that she didn’t need to stay under the bedclothes like she would have at home.

Evie heard the door open and close, and called out, “I’m in here.”

“I just need some papers I forgot,” Natalie called, and went into study.

Evie waited, looking at the door, and after a moment Natalie came into the bedroom, stuffing a file into her briefcase. “I’m rushing,” she said. “I’m just here to kiss you.”

“Yep,” Evie said. “Okay. So do.”

Natalie leaned over the bed, and kissed her. Then she stopped, and looked around. “Have you actually got up yet?”

“Sort of.”

“Actually up?”

Evie grinned. “Well, to pee.”

“But up? Like out of bed?”

Evie shook her head.

Natalie stood there for a moment, as if she was about to say something, but then she smiled and seemed to make herself stop. She looked at Evie, still smiling, as if Evie was doing something charming. “Have you at least had something to eat?” she said.

Natalie asked that a lot. She seemed to worry that Evie wasn’t remembering practical things like food and fresh air, Evie assumed because Natalie became single-minded herself when she was concentrating, and had decided Evie would be the same.

“Just coffee,” Evie said. “The machine’s still on, if you want one.”

“That’s not eat,” Natalie said.

“I know, but…”

“No actual food?”

“Not yet.”

“You should have something.”

“I will.”

“I’ll make it for you.”

Evie looked up, surprised. She had only been awake an hour, but Natalie was probably imaging a day organized like her own, and that Evie had been starving herself all morning, too involved in her study to remember to eat. “I’m fine,” Evie said. “I wasn’t hungry yet, was all, and I wanted to go over this.”

Natalie kept looking at her.

“I’m about to get up,” Evie said.

“I’ll get something,” Natalie said, deciding, and put down the briefcase. “You’re always cooking things for me. What do you want?”

“You really don’t need to.”

“I’m afraid I do. What?”

Evie looked at her, unsure.

“I’m in a hurry,” Natalie said. “But I’m not leaving until I do this. So if you could just tell me and not argue, I’d be grateful.”

“Toast?” Evie said.

Natalie nodded, and went out to the kitchen. Evie heard the bread bag rustle, and the toaster click down. “What do you want on it?” Natalie called.

“Um, peanut butter?”

“How much? How thick, I mean?”

“You know, the usual.”

“That’s really not very helpful.”

“I don’t know. Just how thick people have it.”

There were scraping noises, then Natalie brought in a plate. It held two pieces of toast with smears of peanut butter. Small, tidy smears, just a hint for flavour, the way Natalie ate it. She held the plate out towards Evie. “Too much? Too little?”

“That’s fine,” Evie said.

“Oh,” Natalie said. “Fuck.”

“It’s really fine.”

“No it isn’t,” Natalie said. “Or you wouldn’t have said it like that. So which is it?”

“Which is what?”

“Too much or too little? Don’t make me guess or I’ll probably guess wrong.”

“I don’t…” Evie said, then decided that wasn’t going to work. She already knew Natalie well enough to see when an unnecessary conversation was about to happen. “It’s really okay, I’ll sort it out. Don’t you need to go?”

“It’s a partner’s meeting. I don’t need to go that much.”

Evie was surprised. “You’re going to stay here and make me toast rather than go to work?”

“Not really, I’ll drive fast. I’ll be there in time.”

“Okay,” Evie said. “Um, thank you, and perhaps just a little more peanut butter. But only if…”

Natalie picked up the plate and disappeared. She came back, and showed Evie the toast again, and it was still too little peanut butter, but Evie didn’t want to criticize. Natalie seemed to guess, or perhaps saw Evie’s expression. “More?” Natalie said.

“Um, perhaps just a little...”

Natalie sighed, and went back into the kitchen. She reappeared with the peanut butter jar and a knife and held them both out. Evie took them.

“You’re clever,” Evie said.

“I know,” Natalie said.

Evie took a bit, so as not to seem ungrateful. Natalie watched. Watched her drop crumbs in the bed.

“I’ll change the sheets later,” Evie said quickly.

“I didn’t say a thing.”

“You thought it.”

“Not really I didn’t, no.”

“I will.”

“And I didn’t think it.” Natalie leaned over the bed, and kissed her. “But now I really need to rush. So bye.”

“Thank you,” Evie said, and pulled Natalie back for another kiss, and then let her go.

Natalie waved, and dashed out the door.

“Bye,” Evie called, as the door slammed shut, then went back to her studying.

She realized afterwards she hadn’t actually got out of bed that evening until about an hour before Natalie got home from work.