They walked through the city, past the station and onwards until they came to Kongsveien, a road that began at the foot of the hill in front of them and wound upwards.
‘We’re going up here,’ Mats said, pointing to a string of lights that showed a pathway through the trees leading uphill.
Lotta grinned at him. ‘Okay.’
They headed up the path, the soft glow of the lights leading them up and away from the city streets.
‘This view is incredible,’ Lotta said, pausing to look down. They were already high above the rooftops of the nearby buildings.
‘It gets better.’
‘This is so cool. I can’t believe we’re in the middle of a city.’
They continued up the path and Mats couldn’t help but compare Lotta to other women he’d dated who would, in the first place, have worn shoes entirely unsuitable for this kind of walk and also would complain about how far it was. He smiled to himself. It was another sign that Lotta was different.
At the end of the path, several flights of brick steps led them to a huge, flat area with a curved edge, giving the most wonderful view of Oslo. It was bordered by a balustrade that was subtly lit to give people enough light to watch their step, but not to detract from the view. Typically, with things like this that were on one’s doorstep, Mats hadn’t been up here for years, so he was enjoying discovering it again just as much as Lotta was for the first time.
‘Okay, this is more incredible,’ she said, taking his hand and encouraging him to stand behind her. He didn’t need anyencouragement, looping his arms around her shoulders, his chin just dusting the top of her head. She fitted into him as if they were always meant to find each other.
‘Tell me some things we can see.’
‘There is the Opera House with the roof that slopes. There is the cathedral.’ He pointed in the direction he was talking about. ‘Then over there are the islands of Oslofjord. The biggest is Høvedoya, that’s what those lights are.’
‘I think we went to one of those islands when I last came here. Something to do with my grandfather’s history, but I forget what it was. How big is your island compared?’
‘It’s longer and thinner,’ he said.
They stood in silence, the only people on the viewing platform at this time of day, and feeling like the only people in the world at that moment.
Lotta turned so that she was facing him. ‘Thank you, Mats. I love this. It’s an amazing first date.’
He bent his head to kiss her. This was how he’d imagined their first kiss. Somewhere they’d both remember, the lights of Oslo twinkling below them.
‘I hope it’s the first of many,’ he said. ‘Although I’m not sure they’ll all live up to this.’
‘You have set the bar very high for the first one,’ she agreed. ‘But really, I think any time we spend together will be just as wonderful wherever it is.’
He kissed her again, her perfect lips warm and soft against his. If they spent the rest of the evening doing this, that would be fine by him. But then he felt her shiver slightly. ‘Come on,’ he said gently. ‘Let’s get some food.’
The restaurant was a short walk from the viewing platform and was fairly quiet since it was a Tuesday in April, so they were lucky enough to have a table that overlooked the city.
‘Tell me more about your island,’ Lotta asked him when they’d ordered.
He told her everything, from how he felt when he first went there to how he’d had to persuade his family that it wasn’t a money pit. But he stopped short of sharing his fear that his father wouldn’t have approved. That was too hard to say out loud. He handed her his phone so she could see some photos.
‘But if it’s your money, what does it matter?’
‘It’s everything,’ he said with a shrug. ‘It’ll take every penny I have, and they worry that if it doesn’t work out, where will that leave me.’
‘It will work out,’ Lotta said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
‘I think you have more belief than me,’ he laughed. ‘And I believe it will, yes. But part of me also thinks that they’re right. It is going to be a money pit.’
‘A ridiculously stunning money pit,’ she said, looking through the photos. ‘I’ve never seen anything like it.’
‘I’d love to take you. Maybe not on this trip, but as soon as we can organise something.’
‘I could tag a weekend onto the end of my next trip?’
