Page 80 of A Winter in Wonderland
‘No, nothing’s happened.’
‘Yet?’
I hesitated a moment too long because she made anah-ha!sound and leapt up, moving to one of the chairs so she could sit and look up at me.
‘We had a bit of a moment at the Christmas party, that was all, he was taking a break, and so was I, and there was no one around.’
‘The magic of Christmas,’ Esteri sighed and I tried not to roll my eyes.
‘But the moment was broken when the band stopped playing and, I don’t know, we’ve had a couple of times since then that I’ve felt like we’re on the brink, but nothing yet, apart from a tiny kiss at midnight on New Year’s. Just before you kissed me.’
‘What are you waiting for?’
‘I don’t know,’ I admitted. ‘I guess I don’t want to mess up our friendship. And Idon’twant to get hurt.’
Esteri made a derisive snort. ‘Come on, you have like, one month left together here. Then he will go back to America, and you will go back to your sad little life in England, and you might never see each other again. So live a little.’
‘My life in England isn’t sad!’ I protested.
‘Hey, I’m just paraphrasing you, Miss No-Job, No-Home.’
I lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Of course I wanted to be with Josh. I couldn’t stop thinking about him. If I was honest with myself, the spark had been sparkling long before the Christmas party. But was there any point? Like Esteri said, in a matter of weeks he’d be gone.
‘What are you thinking?’ she asked me.
‘Just wondering what to do.’
‘Do you want my advice?’
‘Do I have any choice?’
‘No,’ she laughed. ‘I bet you’re thinking, oh, maybe it would be better if I didn’t rock the boat, if I didn’t have any fun so then I can’t be sad at the end. Well, that is crap. You like him. He clearly likes you. Don’t waste an opportunity just because you’re worried about hypothetical outcomes.’
Hmm. She sounded like my sister, when Shay was trying to convince me that coming to Lapland was a good idea.
And she was right, wasn’t she?
Hmm.
‘Come on, you stupid Brit, get up and go and kiss your man, and I’ll go and have an extra-long sauna so you have the room to yourself.’
I laughed. ‘No, not now, I don’t want to do anything right this minute.’
Esteri shrugged and took a drink. ‘OK, suit yourself. But don’t leave it too late, OK? Don’t wait for someone else to solve your happiness problems.’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘Now, I need your help.’
I propped myself back on my good elbow again, glad to be moving the topic away from me. ‘What’s up?’
‘I know we talked about this before, but … What do you think about me moving to Lapland?’
‘Permanently?’
‘Yes. I’d need to go back south to tidy a few things up when we’re done on this job, but then I’d come back up ready for summer.’
‘Would you live near your family?’
