Page 20 of Ignited in Iceland
‘Your friends are so —’
‘Friendly?’ He’d jumped in so quickly, it made her laugh.
‘Yes!’
‘I did warn you,’ he said, raising his eyebrows and grinning.
‘Well, I think it’s nice,’ she said. Because it was. She felt like she was part of something, and even if it was only for a little while, only for as long as she was in Reykjavik, she was going to take it. ‘Thank you for asking me to come.’
For a moment, she thought Siggi might joke that Olafur had asked her, not him. But his expression turned from playful to something more thoughtful. ‘You’re welcome, Iris. I enjoy spending time with you.’
Her stomach flipped and she was lost in his gaze for a second. Then the barman interrupted them, setting out their drinks order on the bar.
‘I’ll take some of these over,’ she said, tearing her eyes from his.
‘Iris.’
She stopped breathing for a moment, as if by inhaling she might miss something he said.
‘Thank you for coming.’
She exhaled as she smiled. And for the rest of the evening, she kept playing his words over and over in her head.I enjoy spending time with you. Had any words ever had such a significant effect on her? She didn’t think so. She hugged them to herself as she enjoyed the rest of the night and then fell asleep with them humming in her ears like a lullaby.
7
IRIS WOKE UP, groaned, and reached for the glass of water beside her bed. It was a long time since she’d drunk as much beer as that and her head was reminding her she wasn’t used to it anymore. She took a few gulps and lay back on the pillows, thinking about last night.
It was no surprise to her now that Fliss had been drawn into the group so quickly. They were welcoming and great fun to be with. The men, having grown up together, had a straightforward relationship, knowing each other inside out. But for some reason, Siggi wasn’t as comfortable with that as Brun, Olafur and Jonas were. He’d joined in with the gentle ribbing they gave each other, but he hadn’t said much, Iris realised. Perhaps it was because he travelled so much, he missed a lot of what went on, when the others were working together, socialising together and very much part of each other’s lives.
She reached for her phone and replied to a couple of messages on the family WhatsApp, then her phone pinged with a message from Siggi.
Wondered if some fresh air might help?
She laughed. Had it been that obvious?
I’m going round to Rachel’s to bake cakes
I hope you are joking. But it sounds possible…
What can you offer instead?
Iris felt bold. She bit her lip waiting for his reply.
A visit to a volcano, unless you need a break from them at the weekend…
Can we have breakfast first?
Outside your place in half an hour
She sent a thumbs up emoji and immediately felt better at the thought of a carb-laden breakfast. She got up, showered, scrunch-dried her hair and then layered multiple items of clothes on, finishing with her Icelandic style wool jumper that her nan had knitted. The weather forecast, for what it was worth, was saying it would be a bright but cold day.
Half an hour later when she went downstairs, Siggi was waiting in the foyer, leaning on the reception desk, talking to Bríet.
‘Good morning, Iris,’ she said with a smile. Iris was envious of how bright and non-hungover she looked.
‘Morning.’
‘Ready?’ Siggi asked.
