‘No, we were just exploring,’ Mark said.
The restaurant windows were open, and people were already silently tucking into lunch. I tried to catch Henrik’s eye, but he seemed very caught up in his courgetti and didn’t look my way once – not even when I waved.
Tore blocked the doorway, calm and zen-like, his alpha aura radiating strong.
‘Mark, as I mentioned on our tour, we observe quiet during lunch, out of respect for anyone processing difficult feelings.’
‘Understood,’ Mark said, his face suddenly serious.
Tore nodded slowly, frowning. ‘Sorry to ask this, but can I smell… spirits?’
My immediate instinct was to lawyer up and defend our collective criminality. But I managed to keep my mouth zipped. Mark was closest and it was his drinks cabinet – he could handle it. He pulled out his hip flask and waved it shiftily. ‘I always take it when I go orienteering, in case of emergency. Better to be safe than sorry.’
The absolute front of him, standing there breathing noxious fumes all over Tore while trying to pull the wool over his eyes. He was like a five-year-old.
Tore eyed the contraband and smiled. ‘It’s quite safe here, but I understand the logic. I wonder, if under the circumstances, I might speak to Jonas about you having lunch a little later. You probably want a shower and a rest after all your… exploration?’
‘Great idea. Thanks, Tore,’ I said, linking arms with Mark and dragging him off. ‘This way.’ He put the hip flask back in his pocket and a Bounty wrapper fluttered to the floor.
I snatched it up as fast as I could. ‘Sorry,’ I mouthed at Tore, feeling guilty. ‘We’ll be back in an hour, in a more presentable state.’
He gave me a thumbs up, but I knew I’d let him down. Mark sniggered, so I kept him facing forward and frogmarched him down the path.
‘Ha, ha… I got you in trouble with the teacher,’ he sang. ‘What kind of resort doesn’t let you have a few drinks to relax? Is this AA or something? I didn’t realise you were holidaying with winos and smackheads.’
‘Shh. Let’s get some coffee inside you.’
‘How about we get something insideyouinstead?’ he said, chuckling to himself. ‘For old times’ sake.’
‘Jeez, how many did you have?’ I steered him back to the cabin, put the fire on and made a pot of Henrik’s special coffee as Mark lay on the sofa. His phone started pinging away as soon as we walked in. ‘Have you got signal in here?’
‘Yeah, I brought a booster box with me. I got it in Finland last month. I’d have been cut off from civilisation, otherwise.’
‘I think that’s the idea,’ I said, carrying over his coffee.
‘Need to stay in touch with work though, don’t I?’ he mumbled, closing his eyes. Always so worried about work, his brain was forever buzzing with activity, just like mine. Maybe that was part of the reason we got along so well.
‘No, Mark, you don’t. You’re Tore’s worst nightmare. Secret aerial on the roof, booze, chocolate… pork pies! You’ll be pulling a string of sausages out your pocket next, like a Punch and Judy show.’
‘Not a sausage, I’m just pleased to see you,’ he said with his eyes still closed, laughing to himself.
‘Still rolling out the same old puerile jokes, eh?’
‘Sausage,’ he replied, then started softly snoring.
