Evie's Job

70: Natalie

A few nights later, from the kitchen, while she was studying, Evie said suddenly, “You’re not drinking as much as you used to.”

She had a way of saying things like that without warning, without looking up, while still seeming to be reading. As though she studied until she lost her concentration, and then said whatever was on her mind.

“What?” Natalie said, from the couch across the room.

“Back when I first met you, you drank more. And more often. You’re not drinking as much now.”

“No,” Natalie said. “I suppose I’m not.”

“But I am,” Evie said. She had a glass of wine beside her on the table. She had taken the bottle with her to finish, she’d said, because it was red and open and she’d been having trouble focussing all day. She had been in the bathroom with pot earlier too, Natalie thought, guessing from the lingering smell.

“I wasn’t counting,” Natalie said.

“I was,” Evie said. “Is that okay? I mean, I’m not drinking too much of your good wine or something?”

“Of course not.”

“Good,” Evie said.

“You don’t need to check. There’s wine. If we need more, I’ll get more. Stop worrying.”

“I’m not worrying,” Evie said. “I’m asking politely.”

“Oh,” Natalie said. “Never mind then.”

“Smartass,” Evie said. She sat there for a moment, as if she was still reading, then said, “So you drinking. What was that about?”

Suddenly Natalie understood what they were really talking about. “Nothing much,” she said, cautiously. “Not really.”

“You know how sometimes I say you’ll need to tell me eventually?”

“Yes.”

“Well, that. This is one of those times.”

“You really want to know?”

“Yep,” Evie said, looking up. “I really do. Because of how I asked and everything…”

Natalie was sitting on the couch, and had been reading papers for work. She decided they were actually talking now, and put her laptop on the floor. “Yes,” she said. “All right. I suppose I’d got into a habit of drinking a little more than was sensible. For a while, anyway. That’s all.”

“I noticed. Like the first time we met.”

Natalie shrugged, slightly embarrassed.

“Why?” Evie said. “I’m just curious.”

“I don’t know. Loneliness, I suppose. After Meredith. Being on my own, and being sick of being on my own, and that being a bit miserable. All of that, and at the same time, really nothing too. Nothing interesting or special, just the usual.”

“Yeah,” Evie said. “I think I understand.”

“And now I’ve stopped again mostly,” Natalie said. “Because I don’t need to any more. So there you go. That’s about it.”

“You don’t need to?”

Natalie shook her head.

“Because I’m around?” Evie said.

“Yes.”

“Oh,” Evie said. “Well, good.”

“It was never anything very serious,” Natalie said. “Just to say that again. Just so you don’t worry. It really was just a bad habit rather than anything else.”