‘Is Iceland better than Hawaii? God, even asking you that makes my life sound depressingly boring.’
She laughed. ‘They’re both great but Iceland has surprised me. I had an idea what Hawaii might be like and that’s how it was whereas here…it’s not what I expected.’
‘What have you been up to? Have you had time to do anything other than work?’
Iris told him about her snorkelling experience and told him about the open mic night.
‘You went to that on your own?
‘No, I went with a group. I met them through the guide who’s been helping me out with getting to the site of what we think will be a major eruption.’
Finn was usually the person Iris told everything to but she wasn’t sure how to tell him about Siggi, so held back from mentioning the camping trip because there was no way to spin that as anything other than a romantic getaway. She was worried he would judge her for embarking on what was essentially a fling.
‘Nice deflection on the tour guide,’ Finn said. Iris could hear the smile in his voice. ‘And how’s the work going?’
She told him about the job offer, leaving out the part about Jay insisting that she abandon her field work for no valid reason. She didn’t want to get into what had happened. Finn would worry about it, share it with Felix, and the last thing she needed was for her brothers to rock up at the lab to warn Jay off. She wouldn’t put it past them, especially Felix.
‘Wow, that’s amazing. It’s about time you were recognised for what you’re doing. It’s a game-changer.’
‘Well, I don’t know what I’ll do about it yet, but it’s amazing to be offered something like that.’
‘Would you want to stay in Iceland?’
‘Honestly, I don’t know. It’s an amazing set up at the IMO and having volcanic activity on the doorstep is hugely tempting. But it’s a big step.’ She paused. Again, it was on the tip of hertongue to mention Siggi but she wouldn’t want Finn to think that her considering the job offer was driven by anything other than a good career move.
‘It is, but you’ve been travelling a lot for a couple of years. That has to have its downsides?’
‘But if you say that to anyone, they’d think you were mad. Who doesn’t love the thought of travelling the world for the job they love?’
‘Iris, you’ve always loved routine and consistency. I know the past two years have been out of your comfort zone and I think it’s amazing that you’ve embraced that challenge. We all do. But there’s nothing wrong in feeling that you’d want to settle down somewhere again. It’s not a sustainable lifestyle for everybody.’
Finn was right. There were lots of downsides. She had lost the feeling of belonging anywhere. Of having a home. And the possibility of finding someone to share the rest of her life with was completely off the cards. She might have been closed off from the idea of falling in love again since Patrick, but Siggi had reawakened that possibility now. And she knew that was something she wanted.
‘I’ve met someone.’
‘It’s the tour guide, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, but it’s not that cliché type situation.’ It wasn’t, was it? ‘He’s not serial dating anyone new who comes into town.’
‘Right.’ Finn sounded open to more information rather than judgey, and Iris decided she could do with someone else’s take.
‘He grew up here but he travels a lot, to all sorts of places. In fact, he was in Hawaii at the same time as me before he came back to Iceland to work and save up for his next trip.’
‘Wow, that’s some coincidence. And you like him?’
‘I really like him, Finn. He’s fun to be with, he’s thoughtful and he’s taken me to some amazing places because he knows I’ll love them for the geology.’
‘So the decision about staying is a bit more complicated.’
‘I’m not staying because of him. If I stayed it would be because of the job, and anyway, he’ll be off travelling somewhere again in a few months. I’d only consider the job if it’s a better career path for me, and I don’t know yet if that’s the case. At the moment, it’s just nice to have been asked.’
‘That’s great, Iris,’ Finn said sincerely. ‘About the job and the guy. It’s about time you had some fun with someone who appreciates you. Just watch out for yourself.’
Iris glowed. It meant a lot for her brother to give his blessing.
‘I will. Thanks, Finn. Have you spoken to Felix lately?’
‘Yep, he’s in the thick of the exam preparation season so I haven’t actually seen him but I gave him a call just to check he’s not losing his mind.’
