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“Search me,” said Jules. “I was there the other day and the same thing was going on. He said they were discussing the racing form.”
“Planning a bank heist in all likelihood,” grunted Amelia.
“Didn’t know you were planning to go up there today,” Jules said.
“Scouting for business, weren’t we?” put in Cass. She sighed. “Not that the wrinklies were into spray tanning.”
“Don’t call them that,” said Jules, putting a half pint in front of Amelia. “And to be honest, I’m not sure most people around here are. It’s more of an Essex thing, isn’t it?”
“We’re different though,” Amelia said. “We go for the natural spray tan, so natural even your mum won’t be able to tell you haven’t been sitting in the sun.”
Jules glared at her.
“Alright, alright. We were a bit over-enthusiastic with you is all,” said Amelia.
Jules looked down to where her hands sat on the bar. They weren’t glowing orange anymore, but they certainly weren’t a natural color yet either.
Before she could argue with her sister, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She dragged it out to see a WhatsApp from Alea. But as she was about to open it, another message came in. She clicked and saw just three words.
Tomorrow at three.
With a full stop. Who punctuated a text? Billie Brooke, obviously. But Jules was grinning, smiling to herself more than anything. Smiling at the thought of another lesson.
“What you grinning at?” Cass asked.
“Looks like Alea’s got some competition,” said Amelia. “She only smiles like that when she’s got a crush.”
“Do not,” said Jules, blushing hotly.
Cass cackled. “You crushing on your piano teacher?” Jules just stared at her until Cass remembered just who her piano teacher was. “Ah, yeah, right,” Cass said. “Maybe not, eh?”
“Better not,” said Amelia. “Billie Brooke can go suck eggs, the stuck up little so-and-so that she is.”
“Hey, I’m sure she’s changed,” Jules said, not sure why she felt the need to step up to Billie’s defense.
“Leopards can’t change their spots,” said Cass.
“But Whitebridgeans can change their skin tone,” said Amelia, standing up and picking up a stack of flyers she had next to her on the bar. “Come on, Cass, we need to hand these out or we’ll never have any business.”
Jules watched them start giving out papers around the pub and shook her head. They had no idea what they were talking about.
She didn’t remember Alea’s message until much later that night when her shift finally ended.
Chapter Twelve
Billie strode over to where the three junior boys were bouncing a ball against the wall. “Tell me, does that seem like a wise plan?”
“Um… no?” hesitated one of the boys.
She pointed at the window. “You break that, you think you’ll be in trouble?”
“Um… yes?” said the same boy.
“Right, so let’s take the ball to somewhere safer, where there’s no windows, alright?”
“Yes, miss.”
The three ran off and Billie smiled. She remembered what it was like to be that age, to have no worries, to be free, to have all the world open in front of her. So when exactly had it all closed down? When had her choices gotten so limited?
