Page 22 of Adrift in Iceland
‘This is an annual salary?’
‘No, this would be for four months’ work. Now until the end of August.’
Astrid tried to be cool, but it was difficult when, even if that had been an annual salary, it was more than she had earned in Norway in a year. Probably more than she could hope to earn at this point in her career, even if she got a new job.
‘It’s generous. More than the going rate for a marinebiologist.’
‘You’re not just a marine biologist. You’re also local, you have experience on boats and you get on with Leifur.’
‘Leifur would be fine with anyone.’
Jonas shook his head. ‘Not true. When we first spoke, he was against having anyone else on the boat.’
At least that explained his reaction yesterday. ‘He can’t manage a tour alone. They had a couple of people besides the captain on the tour yesterday.’
‘We couldn’t allow it purely for safety reasons, but I didn’t think that would wash with Leifur, so I went with the idea that he needed someone to entertain the guests while he’s driving the boat. You did that yesterday. I’ll be honest, Astrid. We need to be up and running in the next few weeks to make the investment pay off, and I’m not sure I’m going to find anyone else before then who Leifur’s going to accept. Unless you know another local marine biologist with some boat experience?’
Astrid smiled. It felt good to be valued. Not only financially, although that felt good too, but knowing that Leifur enjoyed their trip and hadn’t objected to her monologue about the whales, that he’d gone from not wanting anyone else on his boat to accepting her as a colleague, touched her. She knew the boat meant a lot to him, and she was looking forward to seeing it with him tomorrow. She could imagine it was a huge step for him to invite someone onto his boat.
‘I don’t. And I’d love to accept the job.’ What were four months in the grand scheme of things? It wasn’t as if it was a complete pivot; it was using her expertise for something different, but using it nevertheless. Keeping her hand in.
‘That’s great news,’ said Jonas, shaking her hand and then pulling her towards him to give her a brief hug. ‘Can I tell Leifur?’
‘Can I? He’s taking me out on the boat tomorrow.’
‘He is?’ Jonas leant against the desk and crossed his arms, a smile on his face. ‘Of course. You tell him.’
‘It’s not anything like that.’ Why did everyone jump to the same conclusion?
‘Okay. I’m just pleased that you’re getting on well enough that he’s taking you out on the boat.’
‘He knows I like being out on the water, and I’m interested to see what his boat’s like.’ Astrid heard the defensive tone in her voice and immediately regretted it since Jonas had been so generous. ‘My sister is giving me a hard time about Leifur, that’s all. Sorry.’
Jonas shrugged. ‘It is no one’s business but yours. But for what it’s worth, your sister and her friends only want to see you happy.’
‘I am happy,’ Astrid said, plastering a smile on her face. ‘Thanks, Jonas. I’ll probably see you at the bar tomorrow night?’
‘I expect so. Happy to have you on board.’
She laughed.
Jonas grinned. ‘The pun was unintentional.’
‘It was funny,’ she shrugged.
Astrid left the office, and she was happy. Not because of Leifur and not because of the job, but because at least now she had a reason to be here. She belonged here, even if it was just for the summer.
She headed for Te & Kaffi and treated herself to a flat white and a sticky cinnamon bun. The coffee was delicious, and as she sipped it, she had a look at what rentals were available. It hardly seemed worth moving into somewhere for a few months, and Gudrun’s was more than comfortable, but it’d be nice to come and go as she pleased, especially once she started working. There were a couple of possibilities, so she emailed the agents and asked for viewings. Astrid had neverchosen anywhere to live herself. It was an exciting, if temporary, prospect.
Almost immediately, she had a phone call from an agent who had just shown one apartment she liked to someone else, but they had passed on it, and was Astrid available to view it now? The agent explained that it was in a great area and would be snapped up, so it was a great opportunity. Astrid finished the bun in three bites, gulped the rest of her coffee down and headed for Miðstræti, which was less than a five-minute walk away.
The apartment was in a three-storey building and took up the whole of the middle floor. It was a traditional wooden building, with ornate details on the edges of the roof and wooden balconies that ran up one side, overhanging each other.
The agent came to the front door and let Astrid in. ‘It’s upstairs,’ she said. ‘I believe there is a young couple who live downstairs and a single woman in the roof apartment. The owner is moving overseas for six months, so it is a fixed six-month let.’
‘Six months is perfect for me,’ Astrid said, a sense of deep contentment settling over her as she stepped into the apartment and was enveloped within its calming walls. The whole place was white, but all the walls were lined with wooden cladding, which gave the white some texture and warmth. With dark wooden floors, it was very chic, and Astrid could imagine herself padding around there, cooking in the state-of-the-art kitchen or relaxing in the pristine white bathroom that had a beautiful deep bathtub. The high ceilings and large windows were unusual in more modern buildings, but Astrid loved the period feel of the place.
‘Do you want to take it?’
