Chapter Four
Diana
Steam rises from the snow-covered landscape.
Tall silver towers rise up to the sky, the bases shrouded by mist. Ripples cross the surface of a small lake on the other side of the parking lot even though the temperature is below freezing.
The sun hasn’t risen yet, although I can see a haze of gold along the peaks of the mountains.
A light snow started just before Viktor turned the car into the parking lot of AuraGeothermal’s Snjóheiei, the first geothermal plant Ari’s grandfather built.
Now the snowflakes spin and dance as they fall to the ground, creating a faint dusting of white on the path curving from the parking lot to the main entrance.
I glance down at my watch. Ten ’til eight. I’ll start waking up in a couple minutes. But right now, I just want to enjoy the moment of seeing something I’ve never seen before.
It took me over two hours to fall asleep last night.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Ari. Felt his weight on top of me as he made love to me, then next to me, as I allowed myself the rarity of sleeping with a lover for the first time in years.
My romantic experiences have been few and far between since Brian.
My chest clenches. Brian had been sweet, a biology major with aspirations of becoming a doctor.
We’d met in a communications class. He’d been cute, with a boyish smile and an infectious laugh.
When he’d invited me to coffee, I’d been flattered.
When he’d kissed me, I’d felt the faintest fluttering of butterflies, a whisper of possibility.
Maybe I could let down my guard, let someone in.
Six months in, I hadn’t let it down enough. Brian had wanted more, had wanted to deepen our relationship much quicker than I was ready for. It hurt him that I wouldn’t let him see me naked, wouldn’t share the scars from Dale’s attack.
So he left. Like my mother. Like the constant rotation of foster parents and case managers.
Like Aislinn.
That’s why, I reminded myself at one o’clock in the morning, my experience with Ari packed such a punch.
After Brian, I’d dated casually, only allowing a couple to progress to physical intimacy.
Like Brian, my previous lovers had wanted more, so I’d ended things before they could.
It had been nearly two years since I’d kissed someone, much less gone to bed with them.
My hang-ups with Ari were rooted in satisfying sex—really, really satisfying sex—and nothing more.
My brain and my heart argued off and on until I finally succumbed to sheer exhaustion, only to be yanked awake five hours later by my alarm.
At least the view was worth getting up for.
Watching the snow glittering in the air, the steam swirling, is a balm I desperately needed.
Already the days are slipping by. I hope I’ll at least have some time to explore.
I’ve always enjoyed the places I’ve traveled to.
Some have stood out more than the rest. The ivy-covered storefronts and lantern-lit streets of Montmartre in Paris.
The meandering lanes between the stone buildings of Heidelberg in Germany.
The striped flower fields of Japan’s Biei.
But as I think about leaving Iceland, returning to New York, I feel vaguely unsettled.
“Good morning.”
The gravelly voice yanks me out of my reverie. I turn to see an older man with a weathered face and thinning salt-and-pepper hair standing a few feet away. His head is tilted to one side, a slight smile lurking about his mouth, even as his deep-set eyes darken with suspicion.
Georgios Xenakis. CEO of Hellas Shipping, worth close to two billion dollars. Father of three, widowed in his midthirties when his wife died four weeks after giving birth to their daughter, never remarried.
I run through the facts in my head as I smile and hold out my hand.
“Γει? σου, Mr. Xenakis.”
His eyes widen in surprise as he steps closer and takes my hand.
“Γει? σου, Miss North. You speak Greek?”
“I’ve just spoken two of the ten words I know.”
“You know more than most. I recognized you from the picture on your firm’s website.” He releases my hand and gestures to the surreal landscape around us. “What do you think?”
A small burst of energy slips through me.
This isn’t just a simple question or making polite conversation.
It’s a test. I can see it in the way he holds my gaze, his own eyes assessing and watching me for any hint of deceit.
The way he leans in slightly as he searches for deeper insight versus casual observation.
“AuraGeothermal is an efficient operation.” I gesture to the collection of buildings just beyond us.
“Their commitment to reducing their environmental footprint has been very successful to date. Reduced water usage, land restoration, supporting local businesses in the nearby towns.” I hold his gaze.
“The company is dedicated to their causes.”
“Dedicated, yes.” Xenakis’s smile remains in place, but his eyes harden. “To their causes here. To Iceland. Collaborating with outsiders, however, is another matter.”
“There are challenges with communication—”
“Challenges?” Xenakis snorts. “Miss North, I’ve never met a man so dismissive, arrogant, and blunt as Ari Valdasson.”
You and me both.
“I understand. But,” I add before Xenakis can retort, “what Mr. Valdasson and AuraGeothermal are trying to do align with your own beliefs about green energy. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think there was a solution to both your concerns.”
He rolls his eyes. “The only reason I’m still here, Miss North, is because the shipping time between the Port of Piraeus and Reykjavik is half the time it would take for me to ship from California or Indonesia.
” His hands come up, spread apart to illustrate the vast distance between said destinations and Greece.
“That and Mr. Valdasson’s offer to finance the majority of the construction of the ammonia cracking plant was appreciated by my government. ”
“But you’re here. And now so am I.”
I hesitate. Ari’s hostile takeover of Aura from his father is public knowledge.
But the details Ari shared last night, the ruin his father had almost inflicted to ensure the deal went through, can only be found in a smattering of local articles published here in Iceland.
The international coverage pitted father against son, progress against isolationism.
“There’s a lot of work to be done, and a lot of misunderstandings to get through. But,” I add, “I believe a path can be forged.”
Xenakis’s phone rings. His face tightens as he pulls his phone out of his pocket, then eases as he reads whatever’s on screen.
“My apologies.”
“Everything all right?”
“Yes. Yes,” he repeats, as if to reassure himself. “You were saying?”
“Miss North.”
Ari’s voice rings out, making Xenakis and I both turn. My breath catches in my chest. He’s wearing a navy blue suit that deepens the color of his eyes. With the snow swirling around him, he looks like a Viking prince dropped into the twenty-first century.
Geez. I have been reading one too many historical romances.
“Mr. Xenakis.”
I manage to hide my wince at Ari’s cold greeting. Xenakis tenses next to me.
“Mr. Valdasson.”
Ari’s eyes dart to me. “Miss North. I see you and Mr. Xenakis are already acquainted.”
“We met five minutes ago.” I state the facts, keep the emotion out of my voice. “We were discussing some of the initiatives AuraGeothermal has made in reducing their carbon footprint and investing in local communities.”
Ari’s gaze flickers between Xenakis and me. “If you’ll follow me, we’re ready to begin the tour.”
Xenakis and I glance at each other as we follow Ari up the path. Xenakis raises his eyebrows in an I-told-you-so gesture. I stay silent. There’s nothing I can do in the moment. Yes, we’re off to a tense start. But that doesn’t mean negotiations can’t be saved.
The main entrance of AuraGeothermal is comprised of glass and timber. Amid the backdrop of snow and mountains, it reminds me of a glacier jutting out of the hillside. We walk into a surprisingly warm lobby.
“Low-emissivity glass,” Ari comments as he notes me staring out the massive windows.
“Triple-glazed for thermal insulation and soundproofing, tempered to withstand the windstorms. Everything we do here is to reduce our own energy consumption even as we generate it. That and ensuring we create a positive environment for our employees.”
The pride in his voice is almost imperceptible. But I hear it, feel it resonate deep within my chest as we follow him to a crescent-shaped desk in the middle of the lobby. A young man with a round face and bright blond hair waits.
“Good morning, Atli. How’s Sigrún doing?”
Atli’s cheeks flush a deep red as a huge, toothy grin spreads across his face. “As well as one can at seven months with twins, herra.”
Ari’s gaze sharpens. “Tell me if you need anything. Either of you.” A ghost of a smile crosses his face and makes my chest clench. “Or rather all four of you.”
“Twins?” I say out loud.
Ari’s head snaps around, eyes narrowed, but Atli’s smile grows until his eyes crinkle into slits.
“I couldn’t believe it either. A boy and a girl.
” He slightly shakes his head and reaches beneath the desk, pulling out two dark blue bags emblazoned with AuraGeothermal’s logo—wavy bands of pale blue and white to symbolize the Northern Lights, with the company’s name written below in bold print.
He hands Ari the bags, which he passes to Xenakis and me.
“Hard hats and safety goggles for later in the tour.”
Xenakis glances at the young man. “Is he our tour guide?”
Ari smiles thinly. “You’ll be with me for the tour.”
“You?”
“Yes.”
Xenakis is surprised. But beneath his bluster and frustration, I think he’s pleased. Pleased and intrigued.