Page 37 of Ignited in Iceland
‘You don’t have much stuff,’ she said.
‘I don’t need much stuff. I did warn you, it is not very nice.’
She tipped her head to acknowledge that she remembered.
‘It isn’t that it’s not nice, it doesn’t feel like you, that’s all.’
‘What would it need to feel like me?’ He came and sat down, placing the cups of coffee on the table between them. He looked amused.
‘I thought you’d have photos everywhere of the places you’ve been, lots of souvenirs, that kind of thing. I imagined there would be a surfboard propped up in the corner of the lounge and that you’d have Mexican cushions and Indian throws. Things like that.’
‘You think I surf in Iceland?’
‘I don’t know!’ she said, laughing at how surprised he sounded.
‘I do,’ he said, grinning. ‘But it is not as good as surfing in Hawaii. There is nothing like the warmth of the sun on your face.’
‘Isn’t it too cold here?’
‘It is, but you know that saying, there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing choices? That goes for surfing too. You need a thermal wetsuit and you cannot stay in too long. And it is best to avoid any beaches that are throwing ice balls onto the beach.’
‘Does that really happen?
‘Yes. In the deepest parts of winter, and I do not feel like surfing then. In fact, I am usually surfing somewhere else in the winter.’
‘What are you doing today?’
‘What are you doing?’
Iris bit her lip and smiled. ‘I have nothing pressing to do.’
‘I have nothing to do except press myself on you until around six tonight.’
’That is so cheesy,’ she said, grinning anyway.
‘You can stay for a while, then?’
‘Yes.’ Iris slid out of her seat and onto Siggi’s lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck. ‘And what are you doing later?’
‘I am taking a Northern Lights tour.’
‘Really?’
‘Want me to see if you can come?’
‘Oh my god, I’d love to come. Do you think that would be alright?’
‘I will see if there is a space, and we will rely on the forecast to know whether the aurora are likely tonight, because if not, it will be cancelled.’
‘And then what will we do?’
‘Perhaps I could show you?’
Iris buried her head in Siggi’s shoulder. ‘This is so perfect,’ she whispered.
He pulled back, put his hands either side of her face, caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. ‘It is. For now.’
Iris didn’t think too hard about that. It was a little warning that this was temporary, but she already knew that. She wasn’t expecting a happily ever after and she knew Siggi wasn’t either. They both knew where they stood and living in the here and nowwas what this was about. So she wrapped herself around Siggi and allowed him to carry her back to the bedroom.
