MASTERMIND | Jamie Tartt

FIFTY SEVEN: HEAVY IS THE HEAD

"Morning, Will," Billie grinned as the young kitman made his way out of the locker room, armed with a basket of water bottles.

"Oh, hi!" He smiled, "Love the look!"

"You're a sweetheart," She replied, wrapping him in a quick hug, "I've been asked to work on a shoot with Nike next week if you want another assistant gig, the client is currently under an embargo, so it'll be a big one."

"Oh, wow, yes, I mean, that'd be...wow, I'd love to," Will stumbled awkwardly over his words, "I mean, I'll have to ask Ted."

"No you won't."

"I won't?"

"I already asked him, and it's a yes," Billie told him with a reassuring smile.

"Billie, that's-" He hugged her in delight, "Thank you so much."

"You don't need to thank me, Will," She assured him, "I had Rebecca's help to get my foot in the door, call it paying it forward."

"I better tell my mum," Will grinned before hurrying into the boot room.

Billie continued her journey towards the coaches' office, offering Trent a small nod before entering the main part of the office where Roy was standing beside the whiteboard, Ted and Beard watching on in intrigue.

"I've given this a lot of thought," Roy told the coaches as Billie took a seat on the edge of Ted's desk, "Next time we do this drill, we tie multiple guys' dicks to one guy's dick, yeah?"

"That was a one shot deal, Roy," Beard sighed, his feet propped up on the desk.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure we cooked that whole bird already, Coach," Ted added in earnest, still touched by Roy's unwavering commitment to the whole invisible string theory.

"I would also prefer for my boyfriend's dick to remain in one piece, if that's okay with everyone?" Billie muttered, knowing that the next point in Roy's plan would be to put Jamie in the centre of that red string dick web.

"Of course," Ted nodded as Roy simply grumbled in mental pain, returning his attention to the whiteboard.

"So, Ted," Trent appeared in the open doorway, "This number four."

"Yes, sir," Ted nodded.

"You haven't said what it is yet," Trent continued.

"No, ma'am."

"But you know what it is?" Trent asked.

"I don't actually," Ted remarked, turning to Beard, "What about you, Coach?"

"I'm agnostic," Beard said as his eyes remained on his book.

"Roy?"

"I don't fucking know."

"Billie?"

"I just take the photos," She held her hands up in innocence.

"Number four has yet to reveal itself," Ted declared.

"There is no number four?" Trent furrowed his brow.

"Like the man once said, 'sometimes you gotta leave space to let God walk into the room," Ted replied.

"Ah, so number four is God?" Trent asked.

"Oh, no, I don't think so," Ted turned to Beard, "Coach?"

"I'm an atheist."

"Roy?"

"I fucking hope not."

"Billie?"

"I just take the photos," Billie repeated as the locker room door slammed, the three coaches, Billie and Trent peering into the locker room to assess the situation.