Britt Eagles found work clearing coffee tables and quickly established herself as an energetic employee with oodles of charm.
The business owner, Harriet Baker, wife of an accountant and mother of two daughters at university, recognised the almost 19-year old newcomer was an asset and on day-three of her employment began training Britt to relieve at the till at off-peak times.
Although not used to handling money and already learning to be politely chatty to people she met, Britt proved to be a natural and with a good memory and her training period virtually ended within an hour.
Part of that time had been taken up learning the basics and set skills about how to operate the till, issue new tea/coffee cards and stamping them to qualify for a free cup after eight stamps, looking at the plates containing up to six or seven items and at times having to register items at the till for perhaps six customers if one person was paying for all in the party.
After three practice runs, Britt was operating flawlessly without having to look only once at each plate while registering each item on the till before totalling.
"You've done this before," said the impressed Mrs Baker.
"Not since my first couple of years at primary school."
"Well I never."
Britt flushed in pleasure and knew she's have sometime really positive to include in her next letter to her grand-parents.
Mrs Baker's 20-year old Rachel arrived late afternoon shortly before closing that day and helped with the cleaning up. She and Britt immediately established rapport.
The boss's daughter asked Britt, "Where do you hail from with that awful accent?"
"It's probably the origins of Cockney but I'm working on it, listening to the likes of you."
Rachel laughed and said, "You sound fun."
"It's just my attempt to impress an older woman like you."
They laughed and Rachel asked what did Britt do for kicks and Britt told the truth and said she mainly sat and talked to her landlady and went walking.
"Omigod you must come out tomorrow night with me for a drink with my girlfriends."
"You mean females who are at university?"
"Yes, as it happens."
"I must say no; I have no wish to be shown up to your detriment."
"Are you serious?"
"Yes, but thanks for being friendly."
"Listen you chump, while the six of us do go to university, only Leonie and I are full fee-paying students. The other four are financially-assisted students and in their first year two of them wore second-hand clothes and..."
"I get the point, you believe I would fit in providing I don't try too hard. I'll..."
"Great, Britt. You are a complex thinker and I must say you're wasting your time working in my mother's coffee shop. You sound as if you should be breaking into commerce to work your way up the ladder."
Her mother called, "Rachel you are slowing Britt with all that talk. She's a power worker and must not learn there's an easier way working on the job."
They laughed and before moving away Rachel said, "I'll call for you at this time tomorrow. Pub dress is jeans and a top, minimum make up and tea is pie or pizza and a hot spud."
"Thanks enormously Rachel."
Rachel looked at Britt thoughtfully and moved off with a wave.
Britt heard Harriett say to her daughter, "I'm surprised you found the time of day to bother chatting with my new employee. She's a couple of years younger than you, more your sister's contemporary I should think."
"Mum she's one of the most beautiful girls I've seen and has yet to blossom and she's sharp as a tack with oodles of personality. You've found a gem in Britt and I'm telling you that girl is probably heading for somewhere big, especially if she can shed that awful accent."
"Yes, you may be correct in all respects. Already I'm developing a soft spot for her and she's only been with me three days."
Next evening Rachel and Britt began walking to the pub and the footpath was busy with people leaving for home. She casually looped her arm through Rachel's.
"God, Britt you took the initiative and just linked arms, whereas for the second time in a minute I was thinking of asking could we link arms because... because the footpath is so crowded."
"Oh, I just felt friendly and it seemed the right thing to do. I wasn't thinking sex."
Rachel burst out laughing and patted the hand of the arm linked through hers.
"Britt, you are such a scream. I feel the girls will just love you."
They pressured each other's arm, smiling at each other.
"Rach... I mean is it OK to call you Rach?"
"Yes of course and Leonie never calls me anything else since the days we were in the sandpit together at a birthday party when we were three or probably four. You'll really like her."
"Um how do I get to talk proper like you?"
"I haven't a clue really but know that environment is a significant factor. Look, Leonie took elocution lessons from an early age because her mother wanted her to become a theatre actress. But she's ended up deciding instead to become a broadcasting journalist, probably starting in radio and is taking media studies for her degree. She hopes to end up in TV news or perhaps speaking parts in film advertising or, as she says, whatever."
"I suggest you listen closely to how she speaks and if that appeals to you then model yourself on her. She has a great ear for accents."
As they neared the pub, Rach pulled out her phone using the quick dial function and said, "We are almost there" and cut the call.
She said to Britt, "That was Leonie who'll come out to meet us. We talked about this and agreed we must present you as someone special because we have been a tight six up till now."
"Oh."
"Just relax Britt; you are so different I believe you will be a novelty, hopefully becoming a stunning extension to the group."
"Oh god, Rach."
Britt had scarcely got that out when a young woman with a gorgeous mane of chestnut hair and incredibly pale face rushed up to them and held out her hand and said sweetly, "Hi, I'm Leonie Hopkins, who claims to be Rach's best friend and I'm wrapped that you are already calling her Rach, uninvited I presume. Methinks we are kindred spirits but don't know it yet."
Attempting to smother her accent somewhat, Britt said, "How do you do Leonie. Please call me Britt."
Leonie looked startled, glanced at Rach and then focused on Britt and said, "Omigod, you are yet another beautiful babe from Geordie-land. When Rach said, you were from up north and wanted help to tone down your native accent I had no idea; I thought you might be from Manchester. Please oh please, don't jettison your beautiful or rather your distinctive accent that is not without charm. I believe you are already trying to supress it. Just learn to shed some of the words that are unfathomable to Londoners, slow down your rate of speech listen to I and people like me speak and you'll be fine."
Britt thought what a lovely greeting. Of course, those three females had no idea that they would become the closest of friends.
Later as Rach and Britt shared a cab home with Britt to be dropped off midway, Rach said, "Your absorption into the group got off to a slow start when you entered the pub but you began to relax after the first couple of cocktails, your shyness evaporated and you ended up being the life of the evening, having us in stitches on occasions relating some of your life experiences, often told with your accent exaggerated. The girls almost said in one voice you must join us again next Thursday evening and I think Leonie is in love with you."
"What?"
"I probably mean fascinated with you and keen to help you with your speech slightly, but I don't know. She told me almost breathlessly that you are such an endearing character."
"Oh, Rach no, I have no wish to come between you two best of buddies."
"You won't darling but I must say her real interest in you might be your body. Leonie is somewhat bi-sexual."
"Oh god."
Rach whispered, "Don't worry dear... she's great in bed and if it happens it won't do either of you any harm as she plans to marry well and hopes to have two adorable kids."
* * *
The day before Leonie Hopkins celebrated her 21st birthday, Britt called on her at home for her final session. They kissed warmly as usual but the embrace was somewhat longer with Leonie appearing reluctant to let go of her language student.
"Why are you being so lovely to me?" Britt asked softly, feeling no urge to break away.
"It's the end of the line for us," Leonie said.
She kissed her student and dear friend on the forehead and released her.
"I've gone as far as I can, assisting you to soften you accent and to encourage yourself to drop your former slang and yet still retain your basic accent that we agree is part of your heritage."
Britt smiled: "I hear what you say and I know you have made a difference. I haven't said anything to you about this until now but last week when Rita's nephew Ryan, the cab driver who originally brought me to her and occasionally visited us, said and I think in exaggerated awe when I greeted him – 'Golly Britt, you're learning to speak posh'."
The friends laughed and Britt gazed into the eyes of her taller friend and said, "Teacher, you must be very proud me."
To her astonishment, Leonie burst into tears and cried that she was losing Britt who no longer would have further use for her.
"That's nonsense, you and Rach are my best friends along with Rita, the only really close friends I have here in London. None of us is currently planning to move away to my knowledge."
She pulled Leonie to her and her distraught friend sobbed, "I meant the end of (sob) our intimate one-on-one (sob) relationship. You have no idea what you've become to me Britt."
Britt was neither surprised no repulsed. Rach had suggested something like this might occur if Leonie and Britt bonded. It had surfaced and the next move was up to her.
"Do you feel you have become romantically attached to me darling?"
Leonie stiffened in Britt's arms and didn't reply.
Britt pulled one of her friend's arms free and pushed it between their chests.
"Touch me darling and let's talk about it."
