mail.”
The day she finally did arrive, she came alone. The bell from the gate rang. Jane buzzed her in, and walked outside to be there to greet her. Evelyn drove up in a black Lexus SUV with shiny, raven-black windows, so dark Jane wondered how Evelyn could see out. The vehicle rolled up slowly next to Jane and stopped. The driver’s side window slid down. There she was, her trademark red hair pulled smoothly back, her pale skin smooth and slightly waxy. Up close Jane could see she had ginger freckles sprinkled across her face. It looked like her head was floating against the dark background of the car seat. She wore dark sunglasses. Two sets of shade. How did she see where she was going?
“You must be Jane. Evelyn Kenny. I was going to park around the back if that’s okay.”
“Yes, of course. That’s where I park.”
Jane headed back toward the house as Evelyn drove around the corner. She turned her head up toward the sun and closed her eyes, feeling the heat on her forehead and eyelids. A last moment of peace.
The quiet jingle of keys announced Evelyn’s return.
“Hey.” Evelyn smiled. That smile. The famous one. She held out her hand. Jane shook it. Despite the smile she looked a trifle ill at ease.
“I hope I’m not imposing. We only met that once. Ian said it was okay, but I don’t know how you feel about it.” She swung her keys around in a rapid loop on her index finger.
“Oh, no, I'm happy to have you.” The situation was awkward for Evelyn, not just herself. “Please come in, let’s not stand out here.” She opened the front door, leading the way into the living room, and took Evelyn’s bag out of her hand to put it by the stairs. “Have a seat. Do you want some water or anything?”
Evelyn shook her head, took off her thin black knit duster and draped it over a chair. She sat down on the sofa and rubbed her legs. Buttermilk appeared. He jumped up on the duster and settled himself. Evelyn eyed him, but didn't say anything.
“That was a long drive. I wanted to have my own car, not a rental, so I decided to drive. I don’t know if you even have rentals out here, in the flyover states.” She ventured another smile, fingers drumming on her leg.
Jane took a seat in the big chair, folding her legs underneath her. “You drove all the way from Los Angeles?”
“Yes, I know, me, road-tripping, who knew? Once I stopped to get gas, and this guy was looking at me at the gas pump, and then I got on the road and he was behind me and I was like, oh my God. What the hell, people, can't I drive down the road? But I’m pretty sure it was because he thought I was, you know, pretty, not because he recognized me. Because without makeup, I look like this.” She waved her hand in front of her face. “I’m not really recognizable.”
Jane looked Evelyn over, who still wore her dark glasses, unsure of how to respond.
“So, anyway, he got off maybe seven exits later and by that time I was sorry because I have to tell you, he was fine. Even though he was driving a Beamer and I’m so over that. I’m into hybrids, only I couldn’t bring mine because this trip was way too long to be cramped, so I brought the Goliath. Anyway, I can always call the police if I have a problem with a stalker or whatever, I have 911 on speed dial. Of course, if it’s out in the middle of nowhere I don’t know how fast they can get there, but it makes me feel better.” She took a breath, running her hand back over her smoothly swept-back ponytail. “I’m beginning to think it’s crazier not to do things like this than to do them. It’s too easy to live like you’re in a bubble.” She flopped back against the sofa. “I don’t want to be a prisoner of myself, you know?” She looked around the room. "I think I'm safe now." Her deadpan tone made Jane smile.
"You're funny."
"Ian didn't tell you? He's been holding out on you."
Evelyn had a self-deprecating way of saying vaguely offensive things. Jane
The day she finally did arrive, she came alone. The bell from the gate rang. Jane buzzed her in, and walked outside to be there to greet her. Evelyn drove up in a black Lexus SUV with shiny, raven-black windows, so dark Jane wondered how Evelyn could see out. The vehicle rolled up slowly next to Jane and stopped. The driver’s side window slid down. There she was, her trademark red hair pulled smoothly back, her pale skin smooth and slightly waxy. Up close Jane could see she had ginger freckles sprinkled across her face. It looked like her head was floating against the dark background of the car seat. She wore dark sunglasses. Two sets of shade. How did she see where she was going?
“You must be Jane. Evelyn Kenny. I was going to park around the back if that’s okay.”
“Yes, of course. That’s where I park.”
Jane headed back toward the house as Evelyn drove around the corner. She turned her head up toward the sun and closed her eyes, feeling the heat on her forehead and eyelids. A last moment of peace.
The quiet jingle of keys announced Evelyn’s return.
“Hey.” Evelyn smiled. That smile. The famous one. She held out her hand. Jane shook it. Despite the smile she looked a trifle ill at ease.
“I hope I’m not imposing. We only met that once. Ian said it was okay, but I don’t know how you feel about it.” She swung her keys around in a rapid loop on her index finger.
“Oh, no, I'm happy to have you.” The situation was awkward for Evelyn, not just herself. “Please come in, let’s not stand out here.” She opened the front door, leading the way into the living room, and took Evelyn’s bag out of her hand to put it by the stairs. “Have a seat. Do you want some water or anything?”
Evelyn shook her head, took off her thin black knit duster and draped it over a chair. She sat down on the sofa and rubbed her legs. Buttermilk appeared. He jumped up on the duster and settled himself. Evelyn eyed him, but didn't say anything.
“That was a long drive. I wanted to have my own car, not a rental, so I decided to drive. I don’t know if you even have rentals out here, in the flyover states.” She ventured another smile, fingers drumming on her leg.
Jane took a seat in the big chair, folding her legs underneath her. “You drove all the way from Los Angeles?”
“Yes, I know, me, road-tripping, who knew? Once I stopped to get gas, and this guy was looking at me at the gas pump, and then I got on the road and he was behind me and I was like, oh my God. What the hell, people, can't I drive down the road? But I’m pretty sure it was because he thought I was, you know, pretty, not because he recognized me. Because without makeup, I look like this.” She waved her hand in front of her face. “I’m not really recognizable.”
Jane looked Evelyn over, who still wore her dark glasses, unsure of how to respond.
“So, anyway, he got off maybe seven exits later and by that time I was sorry because I have to tell you, he was fine. Even though he was driving a Beamer and I’m so over that. I’m into hybrids, only I couldn’t bring mine because this trip was way too long to be cramped, so I brought the Goliath. Anyway, I can always call the police if I have a problem with a stalker or whatever, I have 911 on speed dial. Of course, if it’s out in the middle of nowhere I don’t know how fast they can get there, but it makes me feel better.” She took a breath, running her hand back over her smoothly swept-back ponytail. “I’m beginning to think it’s crazier not to do things like this than to do them. It’s too easy to live like you’re in a bubble.” She flopped back against the sofa. “I don’t want to be a prisoner of myself, you know?” She looked around the room. "I think I'm safe now." Her deadpan tone made Jane smile.
"You're funny."
"Ian didn't tell you? He's been holding out on you."
Evelyn had a self-deprecating way of saying vaguely offensive things. Jane
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