‘It’s no problem,’ he said, putting his hands in his coat pockets. ‘Have a good rest. I will reply to your email when I have spoken to the boss.’
‘That’d be great, thanks.’ She’d almost forgotten why she’d been in his office in the first place. Hopefully, after a few hours’ sleep, she’d be refreshed enough to make a proper plan for her visit.
‘Nice to meet you, Iris.’ He backed away slowly, a half-smile playing on his lips as he shifted his gaze to the floor and then turned away, walking towards the staircase.
Iris watched him walk away, then opened the door to room fourteen and dragged her bags across the threshold. Without even looking out of the window, she drew the heavy curtains across, then stripped off all of her clothes and climbed into bed.
When she woke, she lay still, taking in the sumptuous bed that had cocooned her as she slept. The mattress was so squooshy, and the duvet so soft and voluminous that shebriefly wondered whether to go back to sleep. After another few minutes, her brain kicked in and reminded her she had instruments to set. She reached for her phone and saw that she’d slept for the whole day. It was just after seven in the evening and her stomach was urging her to find something for dinner.
With a sigh, she sat up and pushed the duvet aside, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and setting her feet down on some thoroughly plush carpet. How much was she paying a night? Perhaps she’d misunderstood, because it had sounded affordable, but it definitely wasn’t enough for this level of luxury. Then she remembered the back and forth between Siggi and Anders, rolling her eyes and smiling as it all fell into place. As much as it had annoyed her this morning, she was grateful to Siggi and Anders for showing her — an absolute stranger — such kindness.
After a steaming hot shower, she dressed, then opened the curtains. Reykjavik was before her; silhouettes of buildings, lights twinkling in the darkness, and people bustling along the street below. This place had a heart, she already knew that, and she was excited to explore it.
‘Hi,’ she said to a different receptionist than the one this morning. ‘I wonder if you could suggest somewhere nearby where I can grab some dinner.’
‘Of course,’ she said, smiling. ‘There is a pizza restaurant along the road this way,’ she said, gesturing with hand signals. ‘Or there is a fish and chips place if you go this way, and then towards the harbour. And there are lots of other places, so you may see somewhere your prefer on your way.’
‘I might try the fish and chips.’ It was a taste of home that she hadn’t had, or even thought about, in a long time.
‘Good choice.’
‘Thank you. Sorry, what’s your name?’
‘You’re welcome. I am Bríet. Enjoy your meal.’
Iris hesitated, and then asked, ‘And who was your colleague on the desk this morning?’
‘That was Embla.’ Bríet glanced around. ‘You came in with Siggi Ólafsson. Embla used to be with Siggi.’
‘Oh. Okay. Thanks Bríet.’
‘Embla is always angry with Siggi. It is not you.’
Iris stepped from the warmth of the hotel into the fresh air. She took a deep breath, enjoying the feeling of the cold on her face while the rest of her was bundled up in layers of clothes. It was almost the opposite of Hawaii, and most of the other places she went more frequently, where the inside was air-conditioned and cooler than the outside.
She walked along the road, taking the turn she hoped would lead her towards the harbour, but not minding if she took a wrong turn because there was nothing like being somewhere for the first time and taking it all in. Iris always felt that her first impressions of a place stayed with her, and however many times she went back, the same feelings were evoked again and again. In this area of Reykjavik, the streets were lined with two-storey buildings, each a little different from its neighbours and each painted, some in bright colours. The trees lining the street were laden with fairy lights through their branches and spiralling down their trunks, giving a festive feeling even though it was March.
Iris took her time. Although she was hungry, she didn’t want to miss anything. She paused now and again to look in shop windows, left the street altogether on a couple of occasions to explore tiny side streets, and made a mental note of a couple of places that might be nice to eat at on a night when she wasn’t craving fish and chips like she was since Bríet’s suggestion. Then the road opened out onto a wider, busier road with the sea and harbour on the other side and a huge glass building that dominated the sea-front. Curious, and because she was headedthat way anyway, Iris crossed the road and walked across the plaza in front of the building. A sign told her it was a concert hall called the Harpa. The doors slid open automatically as she approached them and she went inside. It was cavernous with the front wall, made up of elongated hexagons of glass, soaring above her and continuing across the ceiling. Opposite, the wall was dark grey, probably lava rock, Iris thought, and the foyer narrowed towards one end where the two walls met. A staircase rose majestically along the length of the building, with sofas on the many landings, making Iris think it would be the perfect place to while away an hour or two with a coffee, watching the world go by.
Her phone was buzzing in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw that Jay was calling her. The temptation to ignore his call was strong, but he never called out-of-hours unless it was important.
‘Jay.’
‘Hey, Iris. I’ve been speaking to my opposite number at the Icelandic Met Office and arranged for you to go in and meet them the day after tomorrow. That gives you a day to get settled before you get started.’
So, not that important. ‘Okay, that’s fine. Can you email the details?’
‘Of course. So, how is Reykjavik?’
She could have told him that the city had all but won her over already, but she didn’t want to share it with him. ‘Yes, great, thanks. I’ve found a nice hotel and hopefully have someone who can take me to the Reykjanes peninsula tomorrow.’
‘That’s fast work,’ he said, sounding impressed.
‘Well, best to get a handle on it as soon as we can.’
‘Quite. Let me know how it goes on Friday.’
‘Will do. Bye.’
