‘OK,’ she replied. ‘You’ll get me a glass of red wine and then you can tell me everything there is to know about the Northern Lights so I can make notes for the event I’m hopefully going to be organising.’
‘Ah, well, there is full commentary from one of my colleagues.’
‘And it feels like there are hundreds of people on here who will be talking over it. I also saw selfie sticks and I was hopeful they had died out by now.’
He laughed. ‘OK, then you should find a seat at the back of the boat. It is quieter there. I will get wine and, as long as I am not in charge of the lifeboats, I will station myself there too.’
‘OK, Jack Dawson.’
‘You say this because I mention lifeboats or because of my hair?’
‘Because I’m just an ill-prepared girl, down on her luck, hoping my prior introduction to you will help me survive the night if we hit an iceberg.’ She smiled, with her eyes as well as her mouth.
Suddenly Gunnar felt hot and he knew it wasn’t his thermal coat but the eye contact. What was happening to him? He should look away…
The door of the bathroom suddenly burst open and he jumped a little as two women tried to barrel through in a flurry of coats, hats and scarves and ‘sorrys’.
‘Excuse me,’ Gunnar said to everyone, shifting towards the door. He was going to get out before any questions as to why he was in the ladies toilets could be asked.
12
The back of the boat was only slightly quieter than the large upstairs deck filled with passengers, but it had a spectacular view of the harbourside including a building that looked like a mirrored work of art, sparkling and reflecting all the colours. Chloe had settled herself, leaning against the rail at one side, overlooking the rear. And the temperature had definitely dropped since she had emerged from inside, so much so that she had decided to leave voice notes to herself rather than take her gloves off and tap the screen with soon-to-be numb fingers.
‘…beautifully cold, Michelle, but we will have to make sure everyone is wrapped up warm. Cosy blankets provided? Some of those furry hats that look like bedded-down cats? The harbour area is kind of cute cabiney on one side and then very chic on the other with this stand-out building that looks like mirrors and?—’
‘That is Harpa.’
Chloe jumped at the sound of the voice and then there was a plastic cup of wine in her orbit. It was Gunnar.
‘Harpa?’ she queried.
‘Please, take the wine. If I am seen with it I could be fired.’
She pocketed her phone and took the cup from him. ‘Thank you.’
‘So, Harpa, it is the building over there. A new, but iconic landmark, at the centre of our cultural city. It is home to our orchestra and our opera and it is a world-class concert hall with state-of-the-art acoustic technology.’
‘Spoken like a true tour guide.’
‘Ah, well, it is not usual for my job to be here tonight but there was an iceberg warning so…’
It took Chloe a millisecond to realise he was joking with her and she doffed him on the arm. ‘Very funny.’
He laughed. ‘Sorry.’
‘Careful, it almost sounded like you meant it. And I know how apologies come hard for you.’ She took a sip of the wine. ‘Mmm, this is nice.’
‘Of course,’ Gunnar said. ‘Everything we serve in Iceland is of the best quality.’
‘Particularly the views. Stunning.’
She had meant the harbour, but she felt her cheeks deepening in colour as she looked at Gunnar. She’d felt similar in that tiny bathroom and it was both disconcerting and unfamiliar. And she was here to do a job.
‘That is why people come here from all around the globe. These views and the views you will be seeing in the sky. With hope.’
‘Hope?’ she queried.
‘Yes,’ he whispered, head leaning a little closer. ‘Seeing the Northern Lights in Iceland, it is not guaranteed how some people think.’
