Evie's Job

29: Natalie

The film was about dead artists, with lots of English scenery, and in an odd way was exactly what Natalie would have expected Evie to pick, if she’d thought to try and guess beforehand. It was brooding and slow and fairly sad, and Evie talked all the way through it. Evie talked, but Natalie didn’t mind. She could listen to Evie and the film at the same time, and the theatre was mostly empty so they were well away from other people. Evie ate sweets and talked with her mouth full and whispered things to Natalie which Natalie didn’t really need to know about the artists, and what had become of them, and who had ended up suffering tragically.

“How do you know all this?” Natalie whispered back at one point.

“Maybe I’m just smart.”

“Maybe,” Natalie said. “Are you?”

“What do you think?”

“Yes?” Natalie said.

Evie shrugged, almost enigmatically. Natalie didn’t quite understand why.

“Maybe,” Evie said, grinning. “But also, I started off thinking I was going to do intellectual property law.”

“Oh,” Natalie said, and thought. “All right. I don’t quite see…”

“So I did an art history course, a music theory course, and a film course. To show how I had this polite interest in the creative shit I was going to protect. And it was fun and everything, except then I got interested in bankruptcy and tax and changed my plans.”

Natalie nodded. They sat there for a while, watching the film.

“Um,” Evie said. “I just said I was interested in bankruptcy law.”

“Yes you did.”

“I said I was interested in tax law, too,” Evie said.

“I heard.”

“You’re not saying very much about that.”

Natalie looked over, puzzled.

“I’m so interested,” Evie said. “That I’m thinking about sleeping with you just to learn more. About the legislative basis of our tax system.”

Natalie looked over at her. “You’re not really.”

“Thinking about sleeping with you?”

“Thinking about it because of tax law.”

Evie grinned. “Not really because of tax law, no. But that isn’t the point.”

Natalie was confused. She wondered if Evie was teasing her somehow, but she couldn’t quite work out how. She wondered if Evie was high. She’d thought earlier that Evie might have been smoking pot. It might be why Evie wasn’t making much sense now. Natalie wondered, but wasn’t sure how to ask, and whether she should, and whether it was even right to just dismiss what Evie was saying because of that. It didn’t really feel like it was.

“All right,” Natalie said. “What is the point?”

“That I said it, and you didn’t laugh. That’s all.”

“Oh,” Natalie said. “Why would I laugh?”

“Most people do.”

“Because you got interested in tax law?”

“Yep.”

“I do tax law.”

“Yep, I know.”

“Why would I laugh?”

“Yep. That was kind of my point.”

Natalie looked sideways. Evie was watching the screen, but she seemed to be smiling. Natalie couldn’t quite tell in the dark theatre.

“Stop looking at me,” Evie said. “I like that you didn’t laugh, that’s all. It’s not a big deal.”

Natalie nodded. She didn’t know what else to say.

Natalie watched the film for a while. She thought about Evie, and how different Evie seemed to be at some times to others. She was having trouble working out which Evie was real, the one who smoked pot at work, or the one who cared enough about a career in tax law to take extra courses to impress potential employers.

“I like that you did the art and film courses,” Natalie said, after a moment.

“Just while we’re telling each other how great we both are?”

“Not that. Because it was organised, thinking that far ahead. It was clever and committed and I like that in people.”

Evie grinned, and ate another sweet. Natalie was starting to wonder if she was nibbling them because she couldn’t smoke.

“I have to,” Evie said. “Think that far ahead. I have to stand out from everyone else. Do you know how many graduates your firm hires each year?”

“I actually don’t.”

“I do. Not many.”

“So the art and music…?”

“Is meant to give me some kind of advantage. So I stand out and am all special and they pick me. Except how everyone else does the same thing, so I’m thinking I’m actually not that special. But if I hadn’t done it, then maybe it would work for someone else, and I don’t want to risk that, so I have to as well. It’s complicated.”

Natalie nodded. She remembered thinking like this. The second-guessing and worry. It sounded a little more competitive than it had been for her, but not very much.

“Except,” Evie said. “Apparently you’ve never heard of this. Which makes me think it isn’t going to work. So that’s a shame.”

Natalie wasn’t sure how serious Evie was. “I’m not on the hiring committee,” she said. “I wouldn’t necessarily…”

“Yeah, I still got a weird feeling they haven’t heard about it either.”

“I can ask? If they take that into account?”

“Honestly? I think I’d rather not know.”

“Tell me when you start applying for positions and I’ll see if I can help.”

“Nope,” Evie said. “And don’t suggest that again.”

“I could help.”

“Nope. You know why.”

Natalie looked at her, and was about to say she didn’t.

“You’re not paying me,” Evie said. “Not in any way, not ever.”

“Oh,” Natalie said. “I see.” She hadn’t realized Evie’s rule went quite that far.

Evie shrugged, and didn’t answer, and seemed to go quiet. They watched the film in silence for while, and Natalie began to wonder if Evie was offended.

Natalie leaned over and whispered, “I’m sorry. I forgot.”

“It’s fine,” Evie said.

Natalie nodded, but was still worried. Evie had been very firm about how upset she’d be if Natalie tired to pay her again. Natalie was about to apologise again, just to make sure, when Evie reached over and put her hand in Natalie’s.

Evie squeezed, and twisted their fingertips together, and held on gently. She looked over, and smiled.

“It’s really fine,” Evie said. “Don’t.”

“Thank you,” Natalie said.

Evie shrugged again, and then they sat side by side, holding hands, watching the film.

Natalie wondered why she was acting like this. Why she was so flustered by the idea of upsetting Evie. She thought she knew why, but it was unsettling to think about too much.

She concentrated on the film instead.