Evie's Job

98: Evie

Meredith began answering questions, and Evie knew she was in trouble. Meredith was looking around, exactly as Evie had expected her to do.

Meredith was looking around, looking at people carefully. She was listening carefully too, paying attention as people spoke. She seemed to be taking the questions seriously, and trying to be helpful with her answers. It was almost as if she was trying to be supportive. As if she actually wanted to help.

Evie couldn’t believe what was happening.

Helpful Meredith was all very nice, but exactly what Evie didn’t want. Evie needed Meredith bored and inattentive, and trying to leave as quickly as possible. Instead she got Meredith taking her community outreach seriously, talking to people and listening to people and looking at them all far more carefully than was necessary. It was probably only so she could remember their faces, Evie told herself bitterly. Meredith was probably memorizing them all so she’d know exactly how inexperienced they were if they turned up opposing her in court. Probably she was just doing that, but even if she was actually sincere and trying to help, it didn’t especially matter. Not for Evie, not right now. Whatever the cause of Meredith’s interest, it meant she was looking around as she answered questions, and noticing people as she did, and that meant all Evie could do was sit where she was and wait to be seen.

She didn’t like that waiting at all.

She sat, breathless and nervous, wondering how awful this was going to be. Meredith was going to notice her, and when she did, something bad would happen. Something so horrible that Evie couldn’t imagine what. She tried to imagine it anyway, she didn’t seem able to make herself stop. It was bound to be something dignified, Evie decided. She was fairly certain of that. And probably something nasty and restrained as well. Meredith wasn’t going to call her names right there in the lecture. It wouldn’t be anything so obvious, Evie thought. Meredith wouldn’t point and shout home-wrecker, or anything like that, even though it would almost be a relief if she did. A relief, as long as that was all she did, because would get everything out of the way and save whatever happened being something worse.

Evie expected something worse. She was sure it was something worse. Something more terrible, with quietness and planning and remembering, something involving Meredith’s position and her friends, and the worst she was capable of, and whatever else it was about her that had even Natalie wary of her anger. Evie began wondering what. She began wondering whether Meredith could have her solicitor’s practicing certificate refused, or her exam results cancelled, or something horrible like that. She tried to remember if good character was a requirement of solicitors. She had an awful feeling it was, and realized she had no idea what good character actually meant.

She was daydreaming, she realized, rather than concentrating on Meredith. She supposed daydreaming was better than just sitting there dreading.

Meredith talked, and Evie waited, and Meredith still didn’t notice her.

Noticing was taking longer than had Evie expected it to, almost long enough for her to start hoping again. She began to hope. She began feeling happier. She felt almost relieved, and like this might all end well.

She had almost started to think Meredith might not see her at all, when, quite suddenly, there was a question from two rows behind her. Right behind her.

That was very bad.

Meredith looked at the person who was asking the question. She was concentrating on that person, and looking right over Evie’s head. As Meredith listened, she glanced around. Evie watched her eyes move downwards slightly.

Downwards, and then back up. Evie held her breath.

Meredith wasn’t especially looking for her, Evie told herself. Meredith didn’t know she was there. Lizzy was right, people didn’t see what they didn’t expect to see. Evie might still escape notice. Meredith began answering, and for a moment, Evie thought she had. Meredith was looking past Evie, talking about how private chambers compared to a big firm.