Once they’d settled themselves at a table, Bjarkey asked, ‘Which tour company did you use to come out here last week?’
‘Iceland Adventures. I’d emailed a few places to ask, and they were the only ones that responded and actually, they said no.’ Iris smiled because it seemed pretty funny now that she knew Siggi.
‘I expect they thought you were a tourist.’
‘That’s what they said. I had to ask them to google me to prove my credentials.’
Bjarkey laughed. ‘I do not know what other way there would be to prove it, but I am not sure I would have thought of suggesting that.’
‘And I’m not sure they said no because of the risk, because on Saturday Siggi took me toFagradalsfjall.’
‘On a tour?’
‘Not really. More of a day out.’
‘So you guys are friends now?’ Bjarkey raised an eyebrow and smiled.
‘Yes, I think so.’
Bjarkey raised her eyebrows and tipped her head, encouraging Iris to elaborate.
‘It’s a bit awkward. We held hands at the volcano and then on the way home, I think he was trying to tell me he likes me.’ It felt odd, sharing what felt like intimacies with Bjarkey, but Iris liked her and wanted to forge a friendship, so she didn’t think too hard about it.
‘You think? What did he say?’
Iris thought for a moment. Because what did he say? ‘I’m not sure I gave him the chance to explain himself properly. The thing is, I travel a lot. There never seems any point starting anything with someone I’m going to leave in a week or two.’
‘Not for some fun?’ Iris may have looked shocked, because Bjarkey quickly added, ‘I am sorry. I have been married a long time. I love my husband, but I live for conversations like this.’
Iris laughed at Bjarkey’s candour. ‘I don’t know if I’d be able to have the fun without the feelings that might go along with it. I don’t want to get hurt, and I don’t want anyone else to.’
‘Does it need to be so deep?’ Bjarkey asked gently.
‘It does.’ Because what was the point otherwise? Letting down the defences that she had spent so long building could be disastrous if it was for the wrong man. The last thing she wanted was to have made herself as resilient as possible, only tohave her heart broken by someone who wasn’t as invested in a relationship as she was.
Bjarkey dropped Iris off at the hotel, and after they’d made plans for her to go into the IMO office the following day, she dumped her things in her room and headed back out in search of food. The fish and chips she’d had on the first night had been so delicious, it was tempting to head there again, but there were other places she’d seen as she’d walked around that she was keen to try too. She headed for the church,Hallgrímskirkja,remembering that she’d seen somewhere at the other end of the road from there that she wanted to try. It was on the street where the road was painted with rainbow stripes. The only way Iris could remember where that was, was to use the church as a reference.
101 Reykjavik Street Food was a cross between a street-food eatery and a casual restaurant. Iris ordered the house special, which was fish stew and rye bread. Authentic Icelandic food was something she had yet to try, and this felt like a safe choice. She sat on a high stool at the bar that faced the window so that she could watch the world go by. The food was delicious. Hearty, full of flavour, and it warmed her from the inside out. It was the best meal she’d had, well, since the fish and chips.
When she finished eating, she sipped her beer and gazed out of the window. She was so busy daydreaming that she jumped out of her skin when someone rapped on the window.
‘Oh my god!’ she said, smacking her hand to her chest. Siggi was on the other side of the glass, laughing so hard he was shaking.
Iris began laughing and tapped on the window, trying to encourage him inside. He finally noticed and came in, taking the stool beside her. He brought the cold in, like an aura around him.
‘You have already eaten?’ he asked, pulling his hat and gloves off and unzipping his coat, but not taking it off.
‘Yes. I had the fish stew.’
‘That is good here,’ he said. ‘And what are you doing when you have finished that beer?’
‘Heading back to the hotel. What are you doing?’
‘I am on my way to see Brun play at the open mic night. Want to come?’
Iris was quite surprised. It was hard to imagine Brun as a performer. ‘He sings?’
‘And plays guitar. I think everyone will be there, apart from Ned and Anna. They are still in London.’
