Alexa searched for something to say as she watched Helena move to the mirror.  ‘I really enjoyed your lecture Ms Peabody.’

Helena smiled brightly at her.  ‘Thankyou, and it’s Helena, Ms Peabody makes me feel so old!  Although to you I probably do look it,’ laughed Helena.

‘No, I think you look great,’ Alexa said and then fought to stop the colour rising in her cheeks as Helena looked at her.  ‘What I mean is you don’t look much older than any of us students, you dress better of course,’ I sound like such a retard thought Alexa

Helena laughed.  ‘Sometimes I wish I could just throw on my jeans and sit in the back with all of you rather than deliver a lecture.  ‘When I stand out there ready to speak I feel like a 15 year old standing up in the class for the first time.’

Alexa found that hard to believe.  ‘But you come across so confident.  I wish I could hide my nerves as well as you do if that’s the case.’ 

Helena handing the lip gloss back to Alexa.  ‘Well real confidence is about knowing who you are and believing in what you’re saying and I do have that but it’s natural to get a little nervous in front of an audience.’

Alexa felt like she was in a surreal world, getting life advice from a beautiful woman in a bathroom stall at the medical school.  ‘I’ll try to remember that, Ms Pea, I mean Helena,’ she loved the way her name sounded on her lips.  ‘Are you and your team spending long in the city?’ she asked to prolong the conversation.

‘Actually I am staying on for a few days, we’re investing in a new research centre here in the city and I need to check it all gets started smoothly so I’ll be here until Friday.  Tell me something is it wise for me to accept Dr Pax’s dinner invitation tonight?’

Alexa laughed.  ‘If you tell him this I’ll be thrown out of the university but for you’ll I’ll risk it.  A woman like you would probably last 5 minutes before he was asking you to take a look at the Van Gogh he keeps in his bedroom.’