Evie tentatively opened the front door later that day to find Lillianna, her hair newly dyed black and ironed Morticia Adams straight, singing on her doorstep. It was a lovely evening, the sky orange all along the horizon, and the air filled with the crisp, clean scent of the coming spring. Purple-tipped crocuses had reared their heads all along the strip of green that bordered the street. Evie peered quizzically at her friend. “Who’s back…?”
Lillianna playfully slapped her cheek. “I see you’re in la-la land again. It must the lack of fucking sleep your getting, or is it just the fucking? Your favourite lover boy just drove into the village. I saw him pull up at his place not more than ten minutes ago.”
“I don’t have a favourite… and he’s only been to B&Q.” Evie stared nonplussed into the twilight. “It’s not like he’s been away for a week. I saw him at lunchtime.”
“Yeah—curious that you don’t have a favourite but you know who I’m talking about.”
“Drop it, Lilli. Are you coming in?”
“Nah, you’re coming out.”
Evie shook her head. She still needed to work on the dramatization of her sex life for Kit’s benefit. Despite fitting in numerous rehearsals at work, going over events in her head and trying to make them sound interesting, the only reaction she was likely to get at the moment was a humungous yawn. “I’m all set for an early night,” she told Lilli.
Truthfully, she did need one. There were muscles in her stomach and thighs she hadn’t known she had a week earlier.
“Honestly, you and your dressing gown!” Impatient as ever, Lillianna pushed past Evie into the hallway, her straight hair swinging like a stage curtain over her face. “Grab your coat. Let’s sort you out.”
Thirty seconds later, Evie found herself crossing the green in her slippers, clutching her coat and bag. “Where are we going?” she asked as she tried to shake off Lillianna’s steel-clawed grip on her wrist.
“Molly’s. You need sprucing up a bit, and I need an excuse to visit. It’s Wednesday,” she proclaimed as if that fact were highly pertinent. “And I had my nails fixed yesterday ’cause one of them broke, so you’ll have to have yours done.” She waved the evidence of her recent manicure two inches in front of Evie’s face. The nosebleed effect had gone, replaced by a stylized cobweb design in black and silver, presumable intended to go with her return to black hair. “Plus, you’re shagging Kit, so we kind of need to talk.”
The notion of sharing the details of her sex life brought a sickly green tinge to Evie’s already pale skin. “I don’t do details. I’ve told you that before.”
“I wasn’t asking for them, although if you do want to share… Anyway, I notice you’re no longer denying the fact that you’re doing the evil with him, which must mean Ross is in on it too.”
Evie stopped and planted her hand upon her hips, but Lillianna just marched ahead.
“At Molly’s.” She tapped her nose and gave Evie a wink. “Village green’s never a good place to dish.”
“I haven’t noticed it growing ears.”
“It doesn’t need to grow ’em.” Lillianna swirled around, but she kept on walking, albeit backwards. “I think it’s about time you learned what certain folks have against him.”
Okay, this she definitely wanted to hear. At the least, it might shed light on Tony’s weird remarks.
“Eyebrows and nails, Moll,” Lillianna announced when Molly opened the door of her corner cottage to them and peeped out into the now thickening gloom. “Sorry about the short notice, it’s desperate.” Lillianna guided Evie over the threshold and through to the conservatory, where she pushed her into the big leather chair that dominated the space. Molly followed them through, flicking off the TV with the remote on the way past. She stood in the doorway and eyed them questioningly.
“Kill the hairy caterpillars.” Lillianna nodded towards Evie’s brows.
Molly’s narrow, heart-shaped face filled with a sunny smile as she padded across the lime-washed tiles to Evie’s side. Ill at ease with the smiling torturer’s approach, Evie hunched down into the chair. “I happen to like them au natural.”
Molly gave a shrug and slipped the tweezers she’d picked up into her pocket, the action met with a disapproving sniff from Lillianna, who swirled away in a cloud of patchouli and gardenia with her severely plucked eyebrows arched halfway up her fore-head. “I bet Kit plucks his. He’s not found of unnecessary body hair.”
Evie folded her arms, remembering all too well the sensations associated with Kit’s denuded body, and how noticeable the stubble around his jaw was first thing.
“And Ross definitely plucks, else how do you explain his teenage monobrow compared with now?”
“Never mind the eyebrows, these are atrocious.” Molly’s fingers entwined around Evie’s hand and then stretched out each digit for inspection. Sorrow glowed in her mocha-brown eyes as she tutted over the destruction. “You’ll have to have acrylics, there’s barely any nail left.” She flicked her long blonde fringe out of her heavily made-up eyes and immediately set to work pulling out the requisite bits and pieces. “I never took you for a nibbler. Normally I can spot them.”
Evie glanced at her poor fingernails. A week of studiously attempting to ignore all the rumours circulating about her and the boys had reduced them to ragged stumps. Without thinking, she popped her thumbnail in her mouth and attempted to bite. The act earned her a withering glare.
“I catch you chewing these and you’re in for it,” Molly said as she lay out a set of fake nails on the side table attached to the chair. “Just chill for a while; this won’t take long. I just need to sort your cuticles out first.”
Molly set to work, soaking her nail beds. Evie allowed her attention to stray in Lillianna’s direction. Her friend, who was being unusually quiet, stood by the window, with a nail art leaflet held loosely within her grasp. However, her attention was clearly on whatever lay beyond the blinds, the cord of which she twitched the moment Molly’s head turned, to reveal a panoramic view into the neighbours lounge.
“You could’ve just called, Lilli, and stood in the dark, although the business is appreciated.” Molly gave Evie a broad smile, which she barely noticed. her thoughts already back on the subject of her past sexploits and how exactly to dress them up for Kit’s consumption. Maybe if she spun him something about an old temping job and seamed stockings, except he’d probably realize she was lying, and she wasn’t sure he’d get off on the whole naughty secretary thing.
“Ahem!” Lillianna’s sharp cough cut through Evie’s thoughts. She glanced up and realized that Molly’s neighbours were home. Jason and Saul were the lead singer and bass player from Kirkley’s hottest band. Admittedly, their only competition was dad rock quartetBill and the Teds, but the pair were certainly lust worthy, especially when they poured themselves into tight outfits and got up on stage. Currently, they were stripping off creased business suits.
