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Jules turned around now. “There’s no need to sound so surprised about it. I mean, I told you I’m not an idiot.”
“There are plenty of people who aren’t idiots who can’t play the piano.”
“Like Einstein,” Jules said, impressed with herself.
“No, actually Einstein played both the violin and the piano quite proficiently,” Billie said. Then she grinned. “But Bill Gates can’t, so you’re one up on him.”
She really did have a pretty smile when she actually used it, which was about once a week by Jules’s reckoning. “I didn’t realize how hard this was going to be,” Jules admitted. “I mean, I thought if little kids could do it then it must be easy. But I didn’t realize just how much went into it. Fingers, notes, reading, pedals, and having to do it all independently with two hands. It’s like reading two books at the same time and dancing.”
Billie laughed. “That pretty much sums it up. Some people just have the knack for it, I suppose.”
“Do you think I’m one of them?” Jules couldn’t help but ask.
“Well… I’m not sure I’d go that far,” Billie began. Then she smiled again. “But you’re far from the worst student I’ve ever had.”
Which was probably what spurred Jules into doing what she did next. The honesty of it. Billie was being nice and was smiling and laughing, but she wasn’t bullshitting her and a part of Jules liked that, respected it.
“Excellent, that calls for a celebration then,” she said, pushing the piano stool back.
“I’m afraid all I’ve got is coffee and some very suspect cooking sherry,” Billie said.
“Not what I meant,” said Jules. “Come on, I’ve got to work later anyway, come down to the pub with me, I’ll buy you a drink.”
For a long moment she thought she’d done the wrong thing. Billie just looked at her strangely until Jules was forced to think her invitation through.
Maybe she had that thing, that one where you don’t go outside. But she went to the school, so that wasn’t it. Maybe she was tea-total or an alcoholic, either way, Jules had just put her foot in it. Now she didn’t know how to take it back.
It didn’t matter though, because Billie was starting to smile again. She was starting to nod and Jules felt a little lighter and was starting to smile herself.
“Actually, that sounds nice, why not?”
“You don’t have to,” Jules said immediately. Billie might be smiling but she looked nervous and Jules realized that she hadn’t seen Billie around town, maybe she was avoiding seeing people. Though who knew why she’d do that.
“No, it was a nice invitation, and you’re right, this does deserve some small celebration. Baby steps. There’s a long way to go yet, but you’ve done well and that should be recognized.”
“Alright, alright, I haven’t mastered cold fusion or anything,” Jules said, starting to feel uncomfortable.
“Thank all the Gods for that. Let me get a sweater.”
“It’s not cold out.”
“But it will be later,” said Billie, disappearing from the room.
Jules stomped around the living room waiting, looking at all the pictures, looking at the music, and finally, looking at the violin in its case on the dresser. She wondered when Billie was going to play for her, because she surely would. Maybe there’d be some kind of concert or something.
She intended to ask, but when Billie came back she was wearing a whole different top to go with her jeans, one that clung to her curves and tried to make Jules’s eyes pop out of their sockets.
“Is this alright?” asked Billie anxiously.
“Yeah,” said Jules. “Yeah, it’s fine. You’ll be dead popular in that.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Billie asked.
“Nothing,” said Jules. “Come on then if you want that drink, let’s get going.” And she walked out of the house so that she wouldn’t have to look at Billie anymore in that top.
She was being nice, she reminded herself. Billie had no friends as far as she could tell. And Billie was helping her. Alright, for a lot of money, but still, she didn’t have to. It was the least she could do to buy Billie a drink.
There was a lingering memory of Billie’s smile somewhere in there and the thought of that top. Honestly, if she weren’t all caught up with Alea, she might actually consider Billie Brooke.
