17
The chocolate cakethey ended up purchasing from the dessert shop was completely and utterly sinful, Grace reflected later that evening as they ate it at the dining table back at Ryan’s house. Dark chocolate sponge, chocolate and raspberry mousse filling, chocolate icing, and a generous dusting of white and dark chocolate sprinkles made it one of the most indulgent desserts Grace had ever eaten.
“I think I might pass out,” she said, pushing her plate away with half a slice of cake still untouched.
“This is really very good,” Miriam said, taking a bite of the slim wedge of cake she’d served herself before setting her spoon down. “But I, too, am thoroughly defeated.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll finish anything you don’t eat,” Ryan said, polishing off his own plate of dessert before tugging his grandmother’s unfinished dish towards him.
“I’m sure you will,” Miriam said with a laugh and got up from the table. “I’ll turn on the coffee maker and then I plan to leave you two on dish duty once again while I rest my eyes in the other room.” She held up a hand towards Ryan and added, “And before you ask, yes, I am absolutely fine. But between the glass of wine and the pasta and the wonderful chocolate cake, it’s awonder I haven’t dozed off already. A quick fifteen minutes’ nap, and I shall be a new woman.”
Grace watched Ryan accept his grandmother’s explanation with a careful nod.
“Come on Stanley,” Miriam said. “Come and get cosy with me on the sofa.”
Stanley trotted off at Miriam’s heels, carrying in his mouth one of the cute little teddy toys Ryan had purchased for him at the pet shop.
“Honestly, I’m sure that dog understands every word we say,” Ryan said, and began clearing the table. “He’s been using that cuddly toy as a pillow all day, and now that it’s time for a nap with my grandma, he knows he’ll need it once more.”
“He’s a character,” Grace agreed. “I’m quite looking forward to having him for company over the next few days at home.”
During dinner, Grace had told Ryan and his grandmother about the annual leave she was being required to take, knowing they’d be glad to hear she would no longer need to exploit their goodwill for dog-sitting services.
“What do you plan on doing with your time off?” Ryan asked as they cleared the table.
“Actually, I don’t have any plans because until this morning I didn’t know I’d be taking time off. I’ll probably just spend it getting some studying done.”
Yet, as she said these words, Grace struggled to summon much enthusiasm, which was a new experience for her. Usually, she could think of no better use for her free time than learning and researching the hospitality sector, so committed was she to progressing in her career. But right now, the idea of it left her cold.
Ryan watched her as she carried plates to the kitchen counter and seemed to be considering his next words carefully.
“Maybe you need some proper time off work,” he said. “A complete break and a complete rest. You said you were disappointed and upset about the promotion process falling through, didn’t you?”
Grace nodded.
“So, instead of throwing yourself back into more study and work, maybe what you need is to forget about it all and just let your mind do other things for a while.”
“Maybe.” Grace filled the dishwasher, mulling it over. “That all makes perfect sense, but…”
“But?” he pressed, when she fell silent.
“I don’t find it easy to just switch off like that. Work means everything to me.”
Ryan gave her a soft smile. “Hey, I get it. I love my work, too. It doesn’t even feel like work to me. It’s just something I do, something I am. I’m a musician, and I love creating music and writing songs. But I still need time off to recharge. Time to let new ideas simmer and to refill the creative well. I couldn’t keep doing what I’m doing without taking a few days every now and again, or even just a few hours, when I make myself leave the work behind.”
“Like this time you’re having right now with your grandmother?” Grace said.
“Exactly.”
“So, if this is sacred time off for you, when you set work completely aside, then why is there a guitar propped up over there by the sofa?” Grace teased. “I didn’t see that there yesterday, so I’m guessing you brought it out at some point today to play it? And maybe to work, too?”
She only meant it as a harmless quip. What Ryan did in his own house and in his own free time was none of her business, and he certainly didn’t owe her any sort of explanation. Perhaps she’d been too eager to deflect the conversation from her ownlife, filled as it was with nothing but work, a sore topic for her right now.
Yet instead of prompting Ryan to laugh at her throwaway comment, which, given his easy-going nature was what she’d expected, she saw instead that a deep blush was colouring his cheeks as he dropped his gaze to the work of filling the dishwasher.
“I, er, was just strumming a few tunes for my grandmother, that’s all,” Ryan said.
“Oh, of course,” Grace said, embarrassed at somehow having made their conversation awkward. “I was just joking, I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m sure your grandmother must love hearing you play.”
