As the evening progressed, Gran’s yawns increased. ‘I think it’s about time this old lady turned in,’ she said, struggling to her feet.
Both Lily and Nick moved to assist her, but Gran turned them away. ‘I’m not completely decrepit yet,’ she admitted with a wink. ‘Goodnight, dears. Nicholas, it was nice to have you over for dinner. Thank you for bringing such a delicious assortment of delights and I will see you tomorrow,’ she said and she moved with her walker to the stairs.
‘Goodnight, Violet,’ Nick murmured, gently. ‘Thank you for having me.’
Once Gran had climbed the stairs, the room fell silent. Lily busied herself clearing the table, acutely conscious of Nick’s presence as he insisted on helping.
‘You don’t have to do that,’ Lily objected as Nick started scraping plates into the rubbish bin.
He smiled at her over his shoulder. ‘I want to. Besides, if we do the dishes now then you won’t have a mess when you wake up.’
They settled into a comfortable rhythm, Lily drying while Nick washed. The domesticity of it all didn’t escape her, and she found herself wondering what life would be like with a man like Nick. She had dated in London, and had a boyfriend while at college, but the performing world wasn’t conducive to long-term relationships.
‘Penny for your thoughts?’ Nick’s voice interrupted her thinking.
Lily blinked, realising she had been staring at the same plate for about a minute. ‘Oh, just… thinking about London.’
‘Do you miss it?’ he asked as he rinsed off a plate.
She thought for a moment. ‘I don’t actually. I mean I’ve been busy here. In London I have more time but I do nothing with it. I work two jobs but the shifts are becoming few and far between and then there are auditions.’ She paused.
‘Actually, and this is a secret…’ she said. Nick put down the scrubbing brush and leaned against the sink. Dammit, why did he look so handsome?
‘I have been teaching singing and piano at home. That’s how I’ve been supplementing my income.’
Nick frowned, his face confused. ‘Why is that a secret? It sounds like an entirely sensible thing to do.’
Lily sighed, ‘There’s this idea, that to resort to teaching means you’ve failed. It’s weird, and hard to explain but you’re supposed to be doing it, not teaching other people how to do it.’
She picked up a bowl and started to dry it with the checked tea towel.
‘Yes it’s weird,’ said Nick. ‘But it’s also a bit elitist. I mean how else are people supposed to learn?’
‘I know,’ Lily said. ‘And the worst thing about it…’ She paused. She hadn’t yet admitted this to anyone and here she was spilling her secrets over sudsy water to her grandmother’s nurse. ‘It’s the most rewarding and fulfilling thing I do in London. I can’t explain why but I love it. I love encouraging people and seeing their faces when they learn the tricky bars in the song or hit the note I knew they could reach.’
‘That’s amazing, Lily; maybe you should do it full-time and give up the other jobs you have. Is it worth it financially?’
She nodded. ‘Yes, it is, but my mother would be furious and most of my college friends would think I had failed.’
Nick rinsed the last dishes and then cleaned the sink the way a health professional would, so it was shining and whistle-clean.
‘Let me understand this. Your mother and friends would rather you drag yourself around London for horrible jobs on a minimum wage than teach what you’re good at in the safety of your own flat and make more money for less work?’
Now that he said it out loud, she realised how stupid it sounded. ‘Well Nigel my housemate knows, but when I told my mother I didn’t want to take the place at the college to do performing, I wanted to be a music teacher, she told me that I was wasting my talent.’
He stared at her for what felt like a lifetime. ‘Thank you for sharing that with me, Lily,’ he said. She swallowed, aware the energy between then had changed. Lily became acutely aware of how close they were standing and the warmth emanating from Nick’s body.
‘Lily,’ she heard Gran’s voice say from upstairs. ‘Can you bring me my heartburn medicine? The butter chicken seems to have stayed in my chest.’
‘Of course,’ she said and smiled at Nick. ‘I should go and check on her.’
He picked up his car keys and wallet that he had left on the bench.
‘Thank you for the dinner,’ she said. ‘It was lovely.’
Nick nodded. ‘It was a great night. Thank you for hosting.’
‘See you at rehearsals,’ she said, and he nodded and then left her alone in the cottage, wondering what would have happened just before Gran called down. Perhaps she was imagining it all; it had been a while since she had any sort of flirtation with a man.
