‘I enjoyed that,’ Astrid said. ‘Your brother seems like fun.’
That was it exactly. Isak was the fun one, and whenever he and Leifur were in the same room together, Isak won everyone over, leaving Leifur looking like the boring sensible brother. Even Astrid thought Isak was fun. What else could she think without knowing what he was really like behind his happy-go-lucky exterior? And it felt too late to explain to her. Anything he said now would sound as if he were being childish.
‘Hey, Leifur.’ She tucked her hand into his elbow since he had his hands in his pockets.
‘Sorry. Yeah, I suppose he is.’
‘You two don’t get along?’
‘Not really.’
‘So I’m guessing you’re not planning to put a word in for him with Jonas?’
‘No.’
‘Right.’
‘You think that’s bad?’ Because it suddenly seemed worse that Astrid might think badly of him than anything Isakcould do.
‘No. I mean, I don’t know him, but he seemed perfectly nice, and keen to work with you.’
He sighed. ‘I think it was my mother more than Isak. I’m not sure he actually asked.’
‘You’re right,’ she said. ‘I hadn’t even noticed, but yes, it was your mother.’
That little chink of light, of realisation by Astrid that things hadn’t played out how she thought, gave Leifur the opportunity he needed.
‘That’s how it is with Isak. He charms people, especially our mother, into helping him get what he wants. He makes no effort, takes no responsibility and yet somehow manages to be everyone’s favourite person.’
‘You’re my favourite person.’
He looked down at her and smiled, although he still felt down in the dumps. ‘Thanks.’
‘And you don’t have to do anything about helping him out if you don’t want to. We genuinely don’t have a job for him on the boat, so even if you wanted to say that you had spoken to Jonas for him, you can be pretty certain the answer would be no.’
He took his hand out of his pocket and reached for Astrid’s hand. ‘I’m sorry. He brings out the worst in me.’
‘I have an idea. Let’s head back to town and go out. We can have an early night out and be back at mine in time for a decent night’s sleep.’
That sounded good. He needed to blow off some steam, and besides, he hadn’t taken Astrid out anywhere yet, and it was as good a time as any to start now.
‘Okay. Early dinner and a couple of drinks?’
‘Do you have anywhere in mind?’
‘I have the perfect place,’ he said.
Kaffivagninn was on the far side of the harbour and wassupposedly the oldest restaurant in Reykjavik, housed in an unassuming wooden building with the name in lights across the roof and a large wooden terrace that overlooked the sea. It had been renovated during the past few months and looked more modern and perhaps more inviting than it had done before, but it still held all the nostalgia that Leifur remembered, and he loved it. He’d eaten there with his father and brother and their crew many times when they’d dropped off their catch in Reykjavik. If it had been a good day, his father would treat them all to fish and chips before they headed home.
‘I always thought this place was just for fishermen,’ said Astrid.
‘It used to be years ago, but every time I come here there are more tourists than the time before. I guess that’s why they renovated it.’
They sat at a table for two next to the windows that overlooked the sea. They each ordered a beer and fish and chips.
‘Skál,’ she said. ‘To us.’
‘To us.Skál.’
