The Secret Life of Evie Hamilton - Catherine Alliott [137]
I glowed. ‘Thank you.’
‘But this isn't to be some dilettante stance you adopt to piss off Ant, and which you chuck in after a couple of months when your family life is back on track, OK?’
I gulped. Talk about getting to the crux of the matter. ‘Absolutely not.’ I meant it.
‘You have to be committed. And I don't want you saying you'll do five days, and then cutting it down to three.’
‘No, I won't.’
‘Or not putting in the hours. Gone are the days of half-day closing on a Wednesday. These days we work one late night, and Sundays too. It's tough out there.’
‘Fine by me.’
I could see Clarence watching this little exchange with interest. Seeing another side to his foppish new friend: a presumably not unattractive, forceful side.
‘So when can I start?’
‘As soon as you like. Tomorrow if you want. Half-term's a busy time. Your mum does Tuesday afternoons now, and Sundays and Mondays are quiet, but Wednesday to Saturday would be good.’
‘Perfect,’ I said firmly.
‘And you don't have to do every Saturday,’ he said kindly. ‘We tend to rotate them, Ludo and me.’
I nodded. ‘Um, Malcolm, that's the only tricky bit, actually.’
‘What?’
‘Ludo.’
‘I thought he'd forgiven you for trashing his car?’
‘He has. The problem is, Malcolm…’ I took a deep breath, ‘Well, the problem is, he fancies me.’
Not the word I meant to use at all. Teenage. Smutty. Malcolm frowned. ‘Ludo?’
‘Yes.’
He stared at me. Suddenly he threw his head back and roared with laughter. ‘Don't be ridiculous, Evie!’
‘I swear to God, Malc, he does.’
Malcolm gave another incredulous bellow of laughter, right up to the stars this time. ‘Evie!’ His head came back, eyes huge and delighted. ‘How can you tell such lies?’ He turned to a bemused Clarence. ‘Ludo's hot,’ he explained.
‘Oh, thanks!’ I spluttered.
‘No, but he is hon, isn't he?’ He pleaded, eyes brimming with ill-disguised mirth. ‘He's young and he's fit and—’
‘Sounds just like Evie,’ smiled Clarence loyally.
‘Oh, no, he's much fitter than Evie!’
‘Malcolm! He's not even that much younger than me, actually, and thanks so much for the vote of confidence.’
‘Petal, he must be,’ squealed Malcolm. ‘Must be half your age! He looks like something out of the SAS,’ he explained to Clarence.
‘I must meet this man,’ purred Clarence, which made Malcolm do a swift double take.
‘Anyway,’ I went on doggedly, albeit through clenched teeth, ‘it would be better, certainly in the short term, if I did my shifts with you, rather than him.’
‘What, in case he ravishes you in Fantasy Fiction?’ he snorted. ‘Backs you up against Lady Chatterley's Lover?’ This went down best with Malcolm himself. It struck him as unbearably funny. Clarence and I waited patiently as he rocked about, clutching himself. He composed himself briefly, pausing to wipe his eyes. ‘Oh God,’ he moaned, ‘marvellous. Absolutely priceless. Yes, sure, whatever you want, Evie. Ludo's mostly there at the beginning of the week, anyway. Just as long you don't go completely delusional on me. I wouldn't want you fretting that I fancy you, or something.’ This set him off again.
‘No danger of that, Malcolm,’ I said. He'd got to the coughing and spluttering stage now. ‘And thanks for the drink.’ I stood up.
‘You're going?’ Clarence got up too as I drained my glass. We both studiously ignored Malcolm, bundled in his rugs, sniggering weakly.
‘I am. I shall leave you in peace. I wouldn't want Malcolm to have a hernia. But thanks, Malc.’ I prodded my incapacitated friend with my toe. ‘You're a star.’ He raised a weak hand in recognition.
‘My pleasure, hon. You've made my evening.’
I smiled. Then I disembarked with a little help from the lovely Clarence and, refusing his offer of walking me to my car, made my way across the meadow, back towards Worcester College.
26
If I were to put my motives for going back to work under a mental microscope, I'd probably conclude that I'd wanted to impose some control on my life: that it seemed to