Evie's Job

87: Evie

Natalie went through to the office and collected her and Meredith’s cups. She came back into the kitchen and put the empty cup in the sink. Then she looked at Meredith’s cup, which was still full of coffee.

Then she lifted it to her mouth.

“I wouldn’t…” Evie said, but was too late.

Natalie sipped, then made a face. “That’s quite strong,” she said.

“Um,” Evie said. “Yeah, it might be.”

“Really very strong.”

“I suppose it is,” Evie said.

“Almost maliciously strong, perhaps?”

“Perhaps,” Evie said. “Why are you drinking it?”

“So it didn’t go to waste.”

“What if I had poisoned it,” Evie said. “Then you’d look silly.”

“I’d look silly?” Natalie said. “You’d have poisoned me.”

“I suppose.”

“And with what, anyway? There’s nothing poisonous in the house.”

“Says you,” Evie said.

Natalie just looked at her.

“These,” Evie said, and held up her cigarette. “If you soak a cigarette in water…”

“God,” Natalie said. “How do you know that?”

“I just do.”

“And why would you?”

“I don’t know,” Evie said. She sat there for a moment, and then squashed out the end of cigarette. She blew out the last breath of smoke, and turned off the extractor fan.

Natalie watched her, and seemed to be thinking.

“Sorry,” Evie said.

“What for?”

“Um, saying I might poison you…”

Natalie shrugged.

“And for all the rest,” Evie said. “For I don’t know. For if I got carried away and went too far just now with Meredith.”

“It’s fine. You didn’t.”

“I might have.”

“No.”

Evie shrugged. She sat and thought. “I was kind of listening,” she said. “While you were in the office.”

“I thought you might be,” Natalie said.

“Is that bad?”

Natalie grinned. “I probably would have too.”

Evie nodded, relieved.

“You seemed upset though,” Natalie said. “And perhaps a little confrontational. Is that awful to say?”

“No,” Evie said. “It’s true. I mean, I know I was. And I am sorry.”

“For being confrontational?”

Evie nodded. “I suppose so, yeah. I mean, if you didn’t want me to be confrontational, then I’m sorry I was. It’s just that she brings out this awful side to me I didn’t know was there.”

“You know what?” Natalie said. “I think it’s mutual.”

“Yeah, I think so too.”

Natalie took another sip of Meredith’s coffee, then seemed to change her mind. She tipped it into the sink.