Chapter 5
Chapter Five
‘Ullo, Evie love.’
Dennis greeted her cheerfully as she arrived at his depot at the ungodly hour of 7.30am. Tradespeople started work abominably early, but then again, they did knock off at 4pm. And they stopped for morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, and cigarette breaks, though most of the young ones nowadays, according to Dennis, sucked on vapes that smelled like the pick-and-mix at Tesco’s.
Evie had met Dennis on her first day at Double K, when Keith had taken her round all the stores to meet the staff and any of the customers who happened to be in. Dennis was the same generation as Keith and Kev, a sturdy, sandy-haired man in his fifties, who’d built up a sizeable team. The Straight Flush vans were often seen zooming around London, though woe betide any of the drivers who broke the speed limit or carved up a cyclist. Dennis was a stickler for good manners at all times, and those who transgressed weren’t given a second chance. If employment law hadn’t looked unfavourably upon it, Dennis would have given them a clip round the ear as well as their marching orders.
‘Morning, Dennis,’ said Evie. ‘Thanks for letting us tag along.’
‘Long as you don’t get in the way. And you wear the official uniform.’
Dennis handed her a pair of overalls, white and blue, the Straight Flush colours. There were several women in Dennis’s team, so she might boil to death, but at least they would fit.
‘Your young colleague is just getting changed into his.’
Leo had arrived before her. Of course he had.
Dennis inclined his head towards Evie conspiratorially. ‘He wasn’t too thrilled by the gear, but I told him it was health and safety.’
Leo in overalls!! Lolz!!
Evie was enjoying the mental image when Leo stepped out of the staff bathroom, and she was able to enjoy the real image even more. The overalls were too big for him – probably old ones of Dennis’s – and though he’d rolled up the sleeves and legs, there was still a bagginess around the crotch that Evie knew would be doing Leo’s head in. The pants he’d worn to work thus far were perfectly tailored to show off his tight rear end. Right now, he looked like a kid dressed up in his parents’ work clothes.
‘We’re going to look so cute together,’ Evie said to him. ‘Like twins!’
Leo’s expression would have reduced a lesser woman to a pile of ash.
Evie raced off to change and emerged in time to hear Dennis clap his hands to summon his team. She sidled next to Leo, who was doing his best to look relaxed and unconcerned in a room full of plumbers who, despite being every shape and size, all looked better in their overalls than he did.
‘Right, you horrible lot,’ said Dennis. ‘Briefing time.’
He ran down the list of jobs and allocated them across the team with the clarity and efficiency of military orders.
‘You two–’ He pointed at Evie and Leo. ‘You go with Ash here. Do what they say and don’t get in the way. You got four jobs to get through today, so hop it.’
Evie noted the use of ‘they’ – full marks to Dennis – and watched with interest as the plumber named Ash approached. They were of medium height and build and wearing a Double K cap. Under it was a face that would have been quite ordinary had it not been for a pair of startling – and startlingly familiar – greeny-gold eyes.
‘Do you have a close relative who cuts padlocks off bridges for the council?’ Evie asked.
The plumber named Ash raised their eyebrows. ‘Um – not that I know of.’
‘Cool. Right. Just checking.’
‘I’m Leo,’ said her boss, pointedly. ‘This is Evie. We’re from Double K and keen to see how we can better service our customers’ needs.’
Ash raised their eyebrows even higher. ‘Okay – but you know that sounds kind of dodgy.’
Evie tried to suppress a snort of laughter and failed.
A warning growl came from the direction of Dennis.
Ash said, ‘Time to go. Hope you don’t mind a bit of a squeeze in the van.’
Good thing Leo did have a tight rear, thought Evie. The two of them barely fitted next to Ash in the van’s cab. Evie had the middle seat and she and Leo bumped hands trying to get their seatbelts in the right slots. The quick electric touch of skin on skin made them both jump and bash each other’s knuckles, so Evie waited until the van’s seatbelt alarm started to jangle before trying again. Next to her, Leo kept quiet, but she could detect what she’d decided to call his signature scent, the spicy, surfy one. Not as strong as yesterday, probably because he wanted to avoid any ribbing from plumbers whose idea of a manly scent would involve Borax. Evie resisted the urge to sniff him to try and identify the brand. Maybe one day she’d be able to ask him without it sounding weird.
‘You know, the oldest perfume in the world is from Ancient Egypt,’ said Ash.
‘Why did you bring that up?’ Evie had to ask.
‘Dunno,’ Ash shrugged. ‘Must have smelled something that reminded me.’
It was almost impossible to tell how old Ash was. The way they spoke made them seem young, but how many young people had an interest in ancient perfume?
‘How long have you been a plumber?’ said Evie.
‘Few years,’ said Ash. ‘It’s a good job. Gets me out and about.’
A little memory bell jangled in Evie’s head. ‘Are you sure you don’t have a relative who works for the council?’
‘Maybe distant,’ Ash shrugged. ‘I do have a big extended family.’
‘Do they all look like you?’
Ash kept their eyes on the road, but Evie saw them smile. ‘Let’s just say you can tell we’re related.’
Evie heard Leo make a small impatient sound. She guessed that idle chit-chat didn’t fit his idea of being professional. Sure enough–
‘Ash,’ said Leo. ‘Can you talk us through best practice when it comes to selecting plumbing supplies?’
‘Um – not really.’ Ash checked the side mirror, indicated and pulled into a parking spot. ‘I’ve got a leaking shower to deal with.’
The duff shower belonged to a brick house, three-storeys-plus-loft-conversion, in a quiet, affluent Islington terrace. Evie and Nicky’s flat was on the top floor of a similar house, but Evie suspected the fridge in this one wouldn’t be filled with plastic containers of half-eaten curry. This was a Planet Organic household if ever there was one. They had window boxes with flowers that were actually alive.
Ash rang the front doorbell. ‘Dennis says the family have gone on holiday, but the cleaner will let us in–’
And these people had a cleaner. A pretty Polish woman in her thirties, who escorted them up to the converted loft, where they found a bedroom and ensuite bathroom. The room obviously belonged to a young girl because it had the kind of bed Evie had dreamed of when she was that age. Pink and white and plush. Fit for a princess.
‘Oh my god, she has a vintage Blythe doll!’
Evie picked up the doll and pulled a string. ‘Look!’ She showed Ash and Leo. ‘Now she has purple eyes!’ Another pull. ‘Now they’re blue! Like magic!’
Ash’s own eyes flashed bright green. ‘Cute. And also creepy.’
‘Evie,’ warned Leo. ‘Ash has work to do.’
‘Oops.’ Evie put down the doll. ‘Where do you want us?’
‘Well, this ensuite’s only big enough for one,’ said Ash. ‘So maybe you just sit on the bed and watch from there?’
‘Copy that.’ Evie bounced onto the bed and flopped onto her back. ‘Ohhh, so soffft …’
‘Evie.’ Leo’s tone was unmistakably testy.
With a sigh, Evie sat up. It was still too early, and she’d not had enough coffee to tolerate him bossing her around for the next however-many hours.
She patted the bed beside her. ‘Leo. Come and sit here like Ash suggested. And for all our sakes, relax . This could be a really fun day. Lighten up and enjoy it.’
Honestly, he looked like she’d slapped him. But before he could respond, Ash emerged from the ensuite, where they’d been inspecting the shower stall.
‘I’m going to need more kit from the van. And I saw a coffee cart in the square. Want me to grab some while I’m out?’
‘Yes, please !’ said Evie. ‘ Huge latte with two sugars for me! Leo, give Ash some cash.’
‘Excuse me?’ Leo frowned.
‘We’ll claim it on expenses!’
Leo rolled his eyes, fetched his wallet, handed Ash some notes. ‘No milk or sugar in mine. And I’ll need a receipt.’
Ash tugged the peak of their cap. ‘Wotcher, guv. Be back in a jiffy.’
Off down the stairs they went, the bedroom door swinging shut behind them.
Evie picked up the Blythe doll again and pulled the string to change its eyes, this time to bright green. ‘Look, she’s related to Ash!’
Leo had ignored her request for him to sit on the bed. He was leaning up against the wardrobe door, arms folded tightly across his chest, scowling at her.
‘Do you ever take anything seriously?’ he demanded.
Evie’s first instinct was to fire off some glib retort. But she was stopped by the unexpected heat in Leo’s voice, plus her sudden recall of what the council worker on the bridge had said: ‘Those who are rarely troubled are often those who skate only on life’s surface.’
Is that me, Evie wondered? I skate along the surface and bail when things get tough? Is that why I fell for the same kind of man each time? Because I’m just like them?
‘I do take things seriously,’ she said, as much to herself as to Leo. ‘I put my full effort into my job, and I’m a good and loyal friend. I probably am inappropriately jolly at times, that’s fair. But life is short. Too short not to be your whole true self …’
‘But there must be a separation between work life and personal life,’ said Leo, still heated. ‘It’s simply not–’
‘Professional?’
‘Yes!’ he almost shouted. ‘Professional! Disciplined! Focused! What’s wrong with that!’
As Evie stared at him, he shut his mouth tight and turned his head away.
‘I’m going out for some air,’ he said, brusquely.
He grabbed the doorknob and turned it. Then he pulled it. Then he rattled it. The door remained unmoved.
‘Here, let me–’ Evie got off the bed, and tried it herself. Same result.
‘How can we be locked in?’ she said. ‘It’s a child’s bedroom! There must be some law against it!’
‘The cleaner will let us out,’ said Leo. He banged on the door and yelled, ‘ Hello !?’
After a few minutes, it became obvious that the cleaner had finished cleaning and gone home.
‘Well, Ash won’t be too long,’ said Evie. ‘And we have tap water, and books to read, so we won’t die of dehydration or boredom.’
Leo was shaking his head despairingly, as if being temporarily imprisoned in a room filled with dolls, pink faux velvet and fairy lights was the worst thing he could imagine. He really needed to learn how to look on the bright side of life, Evie decided.
But telling someone to cheer up was as useful as telling them to calm down – in other words, it was of no use whatsoever. So, she slipped off her shoes and lay on the bed, propped up by the deliciously squashy pink pillows. On the bedside shelf, she’d spied a copy of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, a book she’d very much enjoyed when she was a kid, and which seemed apt, given the circumstances. She settled down to re-read it.
Leo had moved to stand by the window and glare out over the neighbours’ back gardens. For some time, the only sound in the room was Evie turning pages and laughing softly. The sudden intrusion of Leo’s voice made her jump.
‘Should it take this long to get coffee?’
‘Not usually,’ agreed Evie. ‘Perhaps Ash needed to go back to the depot for a special tool?’
Leo looked down at his shoes. A pair of beige-on-beige Tigers. Fashionable and immaculate.
‘Ash was taking the piss, weren’t they?’ he said. ‘With the cap and the “guv” thing?’
‘Absolutely,’ said Evie.
Leo gave his swanky shoes a curt nod, then straightened up and let out a long exhalation of breath.
‘Fuck it.’
To Evie’s astonishment, he flopped down on the bed beside her. Some distance away, to be fair; it was a ridiculously large bed for a child. But still–
‘Are you okay?’ she ventured cautiously.
‘No,’ was the short answer.
‘Do you want to talk about i–?’
‘No.’
Shutting up it is, then. Evie turned back to her book. Alexander’s mother was insisting that people had bad days even in Australia. Evie felt she had a point. In a country where every second living creature could kill you, the odds of a day going bad seemed high.
‘All right,’ said Leo.
‘All right what?’ said Evie.
He’d been staring at the ceiling – glow-in-the-dark stars and more fairy lights – but now he turned his head to look at Evie.
‘I’d like to talk about it,’ he said.
Evie set aside the book. ‘I’m listening.’