‘I know, Michelle,’ Chloe said firmly. ‘I want this job too. That’s why I dropped everything to fly to?—’
‘So, bend the expenses account just a little and, as I said, be really nice.’
If she heard the words ‘really nice’ once more she might vomit. She looked at the glittery angel at the top of the Christmas tree channelling inner peace then opened her mouth to say something but Michelle beat her to it.
‘And the fact you speak her language will be the icing on the cake that not even Dress Code will be able to compete with.’
‘Her language?’ Now there was a lump in Chloe’s throat. She meant the language of business, right? Two people invested in making this event for Sinclairz Chairs the best it could possibly be. Except dread was suddenly drowning her on the inside.
‘Icelandic, silly! She’s originally from Iceland. And her name is Kirstin.’
Chloe slapped a hand to her mouth to stop the fermented shark escaping.
31
Hildur had cooked again and Gunnar knew he should tell her that keeping off her foot was more important right now than preparing dinner, but for two reasons he said nothing. The first was because Hildur generally never listened to anything that contradicted what she wanted to do. And the second reason was because theplokkfiskur– fish stew – was absolutely delicious.
‘Is there more?’ Magnús asked, eyes wide.
‘Magnús,’ Hildur said, humour in her tone. ‘When I cook there is always more, no?’
Before anything further could be said the boy was up from the table and heading towards the pot on the countertop in the kitchen area.
‘The trip was good today?’
Hildur had lowered her voice to ask the question even though Magnús was so busy spooning extra food onto his plate he was oblivious to anything else.
‘Yes,’ Gunnar answered. ‘The weather was not too cold and everyone enjoyed themselves.’
‘And the “except”? Did she enjoy herself?’
‘Her name is Chloe,’ Gunnar reminded her. ‘And yes. But the tour is good. Icelandic views are unmatched. There are never any bad reviews about the scenery.’
But, despite Chloe brushing over whatever had happened to her on the black sand beach, he hadn’t forgotten how close she had come to falling off that ridge. He had kept calm, like he always tried to, made it seem like nothing, but it hadn’t been. He wondered if she would ever tell him what she had been thinking about in that moment…
‘And Magnús? Did you manage to speak to him about school?’
Gunnar’s eyes went to the boy, piling up food, oblivious to their conversation. He nodded. ‘Yes.’
‘And?’
‘And I will be going to see his teacher tomorrow. I need to make sure that they know the full story and that at the very beginnings of any issues with Magnús they make me aware.’
‘Very good,’ Hildur said, nodding.
‘What is very good?’ Magnús asked, sliding back into his seat with a steaming plate of food. ‘The fish stew? Or the way Gunnar did not tell you he has a date tomorrow night?’
‘What?’ both Hildur and Gunnar exclaimed at the very same time.
Gunnar was quick to recover sense and follow the one word up. ‘I do not know what you mean. I am simply meeting with Chloe to investigate something for her work. She organises events.’
‘Hmm,’ Hildur said, a suspicious smile on her face. ‘So you will be taking your computer with you?’
‘What? No,’ Gunnar said. ‘She has a computer and?—’
‘And the kind of “investigations” do not need you to work your fingers.’ She gasped. ‘With the keyboard at least.’
‘Hildur!’ Gunnar said warningly, eyes darting to the impressionable boy he was responsible for.
