“So, who is it?” came a voice from the top of the stairs leading to Jos’s flat. Evelyn started and pulled back from Jos, but Jos kept hold of her hand and laughed. Evelyn looked up the staircase to find Vernon standing at the top. “Aha, I see. Sorry to interupt the reunion,” he said, turning to go back into the flat.
“It’s all right, Vernon,” Jos called after him. She turned to Evelyn. “There’s only Vernon here so far, but I am expecting a few visitors throughout the day. Clara and Courtney said they’d pop in, and I think we might even see Dorothy. Not sure about any others so I can’t promise a big party.”
“I don’t mind at all,” Evelyn replied. “I’m happy to be here with you.”
Jos smiled. “In that case, you’re easily pleased. Come on, let’s go and keep Vernon company. He gets awfully twitchy if he’s on his own for too long.”
Evelyn followed Jos up the stairs, marvelling at how relaxed and comfortable she felt but already decided that this was the best Christmas Day she had ever spent.
*
Jos found seeing Evelyn again more exciting than she had been anticipating. Alone on Christmas Eve, she’d almost begun to regret inviting Evelyn to spend the day with her. She wanted to see Evelyn again but spending Christmas together seemed like a step forward into a relationship more committed than she was used to. Usually, even if she was involved, she told her girlfriends that Christmas was a time for family and she wanted to share it with Vernon. Those girlfriends were usually not overly concerned, having families of their own to see. To invite Evelyn into her day seemed rather intimate and she’d worried it would feel like too much.
Instead, seeing Evelyn at her door had been nothing but a pleasure. She’d forgotten just how beautiful she found Evelyn, just how intrigued she was to find out more about her. To kiss her again was unadulterated joy. She could have taken Evelyn to her bed and spent the day there quite happily, indulging both her lust and her craving for intimacy with her.
Now, as she watched Evelyn sipping a glass of sherry and conversing easily with Vernon, with whom she now appeared quite comfortable, she smiled to herself. Evelyn fitted well into her world, whilst changing it entirely. That was a combination she’d never managed to find before. There were women who were part of her world and women who wanted to reshape it. But no one who had slotted into her way of life and yet offered her the promise of so much more. True, there was still an uneasy tension in the pit of her stomach. This was unfamiliar territory for her and suggested a time of change in her life. She never handled change well. Yet surely she could overcome her insecurities, for Evelyn?
The afternoon was relaxed. Jos had not prepared a Christmas dinner but had rather arranged a hearty buffet meal on her dining table, with turkey sandwiches for the sake of tradition, along with a pile of mince pies, but plenty of more interesting options. She wondered if Evelyn pined for home, and her mother’s cooking. She was nervous to ask, worried that she would cause Evelyn pain. And yet she knew she would have to talk through such things with Evelyn at some point. They could not go forward if she was scared to get closer and more emotionally involved with Evelyn.
For the first hour, Vernon dominated the conversation, as he was wont to do on most occasions. She was content to listen to Evelyn’s responses, describing her home town to him, explaining her decision not to cut her hair as per Lilian’s instructions. His questions were, typically, rather random, but Evelyn was open and comfortable responding to them. Jos mostly watched her, growing more and more familiar with all of her mannerisms. She had a habit of twirling a lock of hair around her finger when she was a little uncomfortable. Her smile came quickly and took a long time to fade from her eyes. When she was thoughtful, she bit her lip gently. Everything Evelyn did was somehow endearing to Jos. Was this what love did, when it was real? Made you notice the most ordinary of actions and consider them wonderful? She had to confess to herself that she was rather enjoying her experience of it.
Clara and Courtney joined them at about one o’clock. Jos was happy to see her friends and delighted that Evelyn seemed pleased to see them too.
“Evie! What a delightful surprise!” Clara said, on entering the room. She looked to Jos, raising an eyebrow. Jos had intentionally not told Clara and Courtney of what had occurred between her and Evelyn, partly to enjoy their happy surprise on discovering it. “Jos Singleton, you are a sly beast! Imagine not telling us.”
“You’re rather presumptious, Clara,” Jos replied.
“Yes, Evie might be here with me, for all you know,” Vernon added.
“Vernon, dear, she has far better taste and you know it,” Courtney said, smiling indulgently at him.
“So I keep being reminded,” Vernon said, with a mock pout.
“You poor dear.” Courtney turned her attention back to Jos. “It is true though, isn’t it darling? I told Clara it wouldn’t take long. This is simply the best news for Christmas.”
“Yes, it’s true,” Jos replied, looking at Evelyn, who had not managed to get a word into this exchange yet. Evelyn smiled, and Jos was glad. “You can consider Evie and me an item.” She saw the pleasure in Evelyn’s face.
Clara looked back to Evelyn. “Welcome to the club, Evie,” she said. “Delighted to have you.”
“Thank you,” Evelyn replied. Jos thought she was, perhaps, a little overwhelmed by the attention. “I’m very happy.”
“It’s just the cat’s whiskers, the cherry on the cake,”
