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“Well, you didn’t look like you were going to let me in,” Jules said, slipping past her and scurrying toward the living room.
For the third time in a row she sat in the armchair. One day, she promised herself, she was going to walk in here and go straight to the piano.
“What is it then?” Billie asked, conspicuously checking her watch and not sitting down.
Jules blew out a breath. “I need to talk to you about something. Do you think you could sit down?”
“Inviting me to sit in my own house?”
“Please, Billie? I mean, Ms. Brooke.”
A slight smile twitched at the corner of Billie’s mouth. “We’re not technically in class. Billie’s fine.” She sat down at the corner of the couch. “If you’ve come to quit then I understand. It happens. The piano isn’t for everyone, and if you don’t have one at home then…”
Jules closed her eyes for a second. Was she really going to tell the truth? She didn’t have much choice in the matter. This was a Hail Mary attempt, her one last shot at getting Alea and she had to take it.
“No, I don’t want to quit,” she said, opening her eyes again. “Actually, I came here because I haven’t been quite honest with you.”
“Unsurprising,” said Billie tartly, her mouth pouting and an eyebrow rising.
Not helpful. Come on, Jules told herself. You can do this. She cleared her throat. “The thing is, there’s this woman.”
Billie said nothing, just kept on looking.
“Her name’s Alea and she sings at the pub sometimes and she’s, well, she’s perfect. Perfect hair, perfect eyes, perfect voice.”
“And you’ve come to tell me this because?”
Jules screwed all her courage up. “Because I stupidly told Alea that I could play the piano when I can’t and now she’s given me a song to learn to play for her in less than six weeks and I really need to learn it so that I don’t look like an idiot and she’ll go out with me.”
To Jules’s surprise, Billie’s next question wasn’t snide or sarcastic or anything to do with Alea at all. “Do you have the music with you?”
Jules opened up her backpack and pulled the sheets out, handing them over to Billie who began to look through them. After an agonizing minute or so, Billie tapped the papers together again and looked at her.
“You want me to teach you to play this song so that you can seduce a woman.”
It wasn’t a question, but Jules nodded anyway. She was still somewhat stunned by the fact that Billie hadn’t laughed at her. Everyone else had laughed.
Billie shook her head. “It’s a ridiculous idea.”
“But is it impossible?” asked Jules.
“No, not impossible, not with enough work and practice and a little talent.” Billie handed the music back. “But I won’t be doing it.”
“Why not?” asked Jules, slightly offended and not really understanding why. Maybe because it implied that she had no talent.
“Because it’s a stupid idea and…” Billie shrugged. “And I don’t want to be a part of it.”
“I’ll pay you five hundred pounds,” Jules blurted out. So much for bargaining. She’d just hit her maximum figure in one offer. But she needed Billie’s help, Billie was the only person she knew that could help her, that didn’t laugh, that didn’t think this was impossible.
“Five hundred pounds.”
Jules scrunched her face up and tried to stop her mouth opening, but it didn’t work. “A thousand.” Great, her maximum figure plus half of her savings.
“A thousand pounds?” Even Billie seemed a little shocked at this.
“Mm-hmm,” Jules said, not trusting herself to use number words anymore. It was for Alea. For her future. It was worth it, she told herself.
Billie tilted her head a little as she studied Jules carefully then finally, she held out her hand. “Deal.”
