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“I came to apologize anyway,” Jules went on. “I shouldn’t have walked out like that, it was rude.”
“And basically the same thing that I did to you at the pub,” Billie pointed out.
“Yeah.” Jules ran her hand through her hair.
“Which makes us even in my accounting.”
Jules smiled a little at that. “You reckon?”
Billie shrugged. “We could put it all down to a couple of bad days and not enough sleep?” Anything was better than trying to analyze how she was feeling and why.
“Alright,” said Jules. “Alright, it’s a deal.”
Billie cleared her throat. “And I apologize for being rude also.”
“Good. All even-stevens then.” Jules looked at her.
“What?” asked Billie. She’d apologized, surely nothing else was expected of her.
“Just… wondering,” Jules said.
“About?”
“Well, you said you had other things on your mind. Just wondering what they were. Not in a friendly way, just in an ‘it might impact your job performance kind of way’ obviously.”
“Obviously,” Billie said, biting back a grin because she’d been afraid that all this was going to change and she could see now that Jules wasn’t capable of staying a hundred percent professional. Not that she wanted Jules to be unprofessional. But having one person who didn’t treat her like she was the old Billie Brooke was sort of… relieving.
“So, anything you want to talk about?”
Billie sighed. Out of all the options there was really only one that she felt comfortable speaking to Jules about. “There’s this kid in one of my classes.”
“You’re being teased by a child?”
“No!” Billie frowned at her. “It’s not like that at all. There’s this girl and I think she’s… special. I think she’s got talent, like serious talent and I’m not sure what to do about it.”
Jules was silent for a moment, processing this, then she nodded. “I see.”
“You do?” Billie said, highly doubting that Jules did.
“Of course,” said Jules. “You had a shitty time growing up, or at least I assume you did given that everyone seems to think you were a stuck up snob. I’m guessing that has more to do with you being different from everyone else, or treated differently than anyone else, rather than you actually being a stuck up snob.”
Billie didn’t know what to say to this so she said nothing, feeling instead a warmth in her stomach that had nothing to do with custard cremes spread into a sense of comfort.
“So you’re worried that this kid of yours will have a shitty time growing up if you give them the gift of musical talent,” Jules said. “You’re afraid that this kid will get treated the same way as you got treated, which is a fair point, I suppose, but then you’re forgetting that this kid isn’t you. Who is the kid, by the way?”
Probably she shouldn’t say anything, but she was so surprised that Jules actually did understand that Billie didn’t think. “Agatha Browning.”
“Ag?” Jules said, then she laughed. “Shouldn’t surprise me, I suppose. I’m pretty sure that child’s a forty year old trapped in a kid’s body. Have you told her parents?”
Billie shook her head.
“They’re good people,” said Jules. She tilted her head to one side. “And that’s what’s bothering you?”
“I wouldn’t say it’s my only problem, but it’s one of them, yes.”
“Alright then,” Jules said. “How about tomorrow you and I go to the bookshop and I’ll introduce you to Mila, Ag’s mum? We can talk it through together and find a solution that works for everyone, especially Agatha.”
The warmth spread further in Billie’s belly. “Er, yes, actually, yes, that would be helpful.”
