Though it was her day off, Gudrun arrived at 6 pm just as it was starting to look almost finished and she, Rachel and Nick walked around every inch of the store making a final list of things that needed to be done before he left. There was hardly anything. Everything was just where it should be and it left Rachel feeling positive that they were going to be delivering a great Snug store next week.
“Do you want to get dinner, Rachel?” asked Gudrun as they locked the shop.
“I’d love to. I’m starving actually, where shall we go?”
“How about Islenski Barinn?”
“Perfect. I could do with a drink, to be honest.”
“You can’t have had a bad day, Rachel. Everything looks great!”
“I broke up with Adam last night.”
Gudrun put her hand over her mouth and gasped, wide-eyed. “You did not!Guð minn góður! How did it go?”
“It was horrible but I did end up feeling relieved,” explained Rachel as they strolled up the road past the fairy-lit trees. “He wasn’t expecting it, but the conversation just fizzled to nothing in the end. He thought it was purely because he didn’t come over last weekend. He didn’t seem to understand that it was about everything, not just that. Or I didn’t explain properly.”
“Did you confront him about the other woman?”
Rachel nodded.
“And he denied it?”
“Actually no. He assumed Anna had seen more than she did and he admitted he’d kissed this woman. He said it was a mistake and that it was the first time it had happened.”
Gudrun snorted in disbelief. “He would say that.”
“I know. I kind of doubt it was the first time or that it stopped at kissing and it did end up being more about that than the fact that he didn’t come for the weekend. I don’t think he realised it would matter to me. I’ve probably let things like that go before without much fuss but it was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
While Gudrun looked confused at the English metaphor, Rachel had a sudden pang of guilt. Had he understood her reasons properly and had she given him a chance to explain his side of things? Not that anything he said would have made any difference. It was a big decision she’d made and if it was the right decision nothing should have been able to change her mind. No doubt there would be more talking when she got home. In the meantime, she just hoped he’d be able to accept it.
Gudrun was such good company that Rachel managed to have a great evening. They inevitably talked about men with Gudrun imparting advice about the break-up.
“The thing is Rachel, you need to move on. You are the one who made the decision and it was a good decision. Time is short,” she added, giving Rachel a knowing look as she sipped her wine.
“I know you think I should be straight round to Jonas’s,” smiled Rachel, “but that wasn’t why I broke up with Adam.”
“No, you broke up with him because he didn’t realise how lucky he was and because you deserve someone who does realise.”
“Exactly. But it was two years and I did love him. I was just blinkered to the wider world beyond London and work. I thought if Adam came here he would see things the same way as me but I don’t think that would ever have happened. He works because that’s what he loves, it’s his life. In London, I did work almost as much as him but in hindsight, it was a time filler. I love working for Snug but if Adam had been around more we would have spent more time together and both of us might have had a life outside of work. I know now that’s what I want.”
“Skál!” said Gudrun, holding her glass up to be clinked.
“Skál!” Rachel replied, feeling as if this was the first night of the rest of her life.
*
The next day, Rachel and Gudrun set off to visit another designer, a potter who used lava in his work to produce something which was certainly very unique although Rachel wasn’t entirely sure she was in love with the outcome. It was sometimes good to meet the artist and see where they worked to help put the work into context, so she was trying to keep an open mind.
They were just parking up when Rachel’s phone rang, showing the number from Jonas’s excursion company.
“It’s Jonas, I think.”
“I’ll meet you inside,” said Gudrun, pulling on the handbrake and then getting out and putting her coat on.
“Hello?” said Rachel.
“Hi, Rachel. It’s Jonas. How are you? I hope you don’t mind me calling you.”
