Chapter 9
While Ida was on the phone to the linen company negotiating a quote, Erik and Mats had come back to the hotel and were talking in the hall.
She badly wanted to listen to their conversation, but she needed to concentrate on what the person on the other end of the phone was saying.
They’d chosen exactly the wrong moment to return her calls.
She was still on the call for the time it took for Erik to disappear up to his room and then reappear in what looked like swim shorts.
He had a towel tucked under his arm. So he hadn’t listened to what she’d said yesterday.
After the call, she headed outside. Mats had already left, giving her a wave on his way out. It was a shame he’d gone; she could have taken him with her. Perhaps his new best friend would be more likely to take his advice.
Which way would Erik have gone? The only places to get into the water were from either of the jetties. If she was going to take a dip in the fjord having been warned against it, she would probably go to the far end of the island where no one ventured.
She walked through the woods, wondering why she was bothering.
If he wanted to kill himself, it was up to him.
But something nagged at her. After reading about his accident and knowing the mindset of people who liked extreme sports, she wondered whether he was the type of person who was looking to take things to the edge.
Maybe yesterday he hadn’t known that the fjord was too cold to swim in, but he knew today and was doing it anyway.
As she came into the clearing, she could see him standing on the edge of the jetty. His shirt was off, and he was looking down into the water.
‘Hey!’
Her shout was swallowed by the splash he made as he lowered himself into the water. He did it very carefully, keeping one hand on the dock. At least he was being sensible.
She couldn’t see him now he was in the water because he was hidden by the jetty, but she heard him shout out, ‘Ha!’ and it made her smile. There was joy in the sound.
She walked a little further then backed off, hiding behind a tree as he lifted himself out of the water, giving her a fine view of his chest in all its glory.
Tanned skin, quietly defined muscles, except in his arms where the muscles worked so effortlessly to push him out of the water.
He stood up, and it was like watching a slow-motion sequence in a movie as he ran his hands through his hair and lifted his face to the sun.
Ida couldn’t help but gasp. He was glorious.
He picked up his towel and patted the water off his torso before turning around and doing it all over again.
This time Ida walked over to the jetty and peeked over the edge where Erik was doing a graceful breaststroke along the edge.
She took a step back, not wanting to startle him while he was in the water, and had to take another step back when he hauled himself out.
‘What can I do for you?’ He didn’t look surprised to see her.
But he was grinning in a way that disarmed her.
It was quite annoying because she’d been ready to point out that he had come for a swim without letting the reception desk know.
And now she didn’t feel able to say that at all.
It was hard to think of anything to say while he was standing glistening and golden in front of her.
‘I was out for a walk.’ As if he was going to believe that.
‘Sure you were. Come to check up on me?’
She shrugged. ‘You look like you know what you’re doing.’
He smiled. ‘Thanks. And for what it’s worth, I know I was a grumpy asshole this morning. I’m really sorry about that.’
Ida felt her heart melt. ‘It’s okay. Everyone has their own stuff going on. I know it probably wasn’t about the hot water.’
He looked puzzled but didn’t ask what she meant, which was good because she shouldn’t have said that. Letting on that she knew anything about him was a mistake if she didn’t want to come across as a stalker. Which was exactly what she was.
‘This side of the island is beautiful,’ he said, nodding to the mountains that rose higher further down the fjord.
‘It is.’
He came to stand beside her. ‘Did you grow up around here?’
‘Yes. Across the fjord in Loddefjord, on the outskirts of Bergen. Still in the same house.’
‘And you travel here every day?’
‘Yes. Sometimes I stay here if there’s a room free.’ She held back from telling him he’d stolen her room.
He walked over to the chairs around the campfire and sat down, rubbed his hair with the towel and then wrapped it around his shoulders.
‘Do you have time for a break now you don’t have to wrestle me out of the water?’
Her stomach flipped. He wanted to talk to her. It had been a long time since a man, especially a man that she liked, had done that.
‘I have a few minutes.’ She took the seat next to him. ‘So you worked with Mats today?’
‘Uh huh.’ He smiled as he said it. ‘It was great to have something to do. This place has a slow pace.’
Ida laughed. ‘It’s supposed to be relaxing. Are you the kind of person who’s not very good at that?’
‘I guess so.’
‘Why did you come here then?’
‘I think I told you my family has roots here. I wanted to come see for myself. And my dad asked me to source some Norwegian spruce while I’m here.’
‘Why?’
‘It’s the best in the world,’ he said, as if that answered her question. ‘And I might take up your suggestion of going for a hike tomorrow, although working with your brother again is tempting.’
‘Really?’
Erik laughed. The first time Ida had heard him do that and it matched the impression she had of him from the images she’d seen online. A happy-go-lucky version of the man who was here now.
‘He’s good company and I love what he’s doing here. Not just the cabins, the whole thing. It’s brave.’
He stood up and pulled his t-shirt on. ‘Want to walk back?’ He turned and smiled at her. Was she imagining that he maybe felt something too? Or was he being friendly to make up for his tantrum over the hot water? She was so out of practice.
‘So you’re from Toronto?’ She’d seen from his check-in details.
‘Yep. Born and bred, but I live in Banff, near Calgary. I lived in Banff.’
‘What do you do?’
He exhaled, and she realised it was a question he found difficult to have to answer but she had to get this part of their conversation out of the way so that as far as he knew, he’d told her his story instead of her doing a deep-dive into him herself. She only hoped he would.
‘I’m sorry, I —’
‘No, it’s fine. I was a snowboarder. I was on the national team, but I had an accident last year.’
‘I’m so sorry.’
He shrugged. ‘It could have been worse.’
But Ida sensed it couldn’t.
‘Your brother did a beautiful job,’ he said, nodding towards Mats and Lotta’s cabin as they passed by.
‘How did you get into working with wood?’
‘My father’s a joiner. And so was his father, and his father before him. I guess I’m lucky he made me learn the trade alongside my boarding. He wanted me to have something to fall back on.’
Ida saw the wistful look in his eyes.
‘Are you enjoying it?’
‘I guess I’m good at it. But it’s not boarding.’
Ida could sense the heartbreak within him, and it made her own heart ache. How was it that a man she hardly knew could have such an effect on her?
‘So what do people do for fun around here?’
‘If we’re talking about right here, probably read a book, maybe have a glass of wine with their dinner.’
‘And further afield, say where you live?’
Ida wracked her brain to think what she would do if she were a normal thirty-three-year-old who lived in Loddefjord rather than a virtual recluse. ‘Maybe go to Bergen for dinner, or to the local bar for a drink.’
‘What do you say?’
Ida stared at him, sure that her heart had stopped beating. Was he asking her out? Surely she had the wrong end of the stick. He was asking for suggestions about where he could go.
‘Would you go out with me, Ida? Show me how Norwegians really live? Think of it as a proper apology.’
Okay, so he was asking her. She almost said there was no need, but thankfully, the emotions running around inside her took over. ‘I’d love that,’ she said, hoping she sounded exactly the right amount of keen, without having any idea how that would sound.
‘Great. What time do you get off work?’
‘Maybe we should take the first boat over to Bergen late this afternoon and then you can catch the last one back.’
‘That sounds like a plan.’
They walked back to the hotel together. Ida quizzed Erik on where he’d like to eat.
‘Somewhere with great Norwegian food. A place the locals would go.’
‘Leave it with me. I’ll book something.’
‘Thanks, Ida.’ He gave her a smile that melted her insides and headed up to his room.
Ida pulled her phone out and went into the office.
‘Ingrid. I think I have a date tonight. I’m going straight from work, but Mats is coming back here later, and I can ask him to bring me something else to wear. What should I wear?’
‘Is it the Canadian?’ Her youngest sister was the coolest person Ida knew. She always looked effortlessly chic, whereas Ida hadn’t the first clue about clothes, make-up, or anything like that. Hence, the phone call.
‘Can we stick to the reason I called?’
‘I can’t advise you unless I know what he’s like.’
It sounded plausible.
Ida sighed. ‘Yes, it’s the Canadian. He’s a snowboarding joiner.’
‘Okay. Sporty. Good physique?’
‘Yes.’ All Ida could think about was seeing him exit the water. It was playing in her mind on a loop.
‘Where is he taking you?’
‘I’m taking him to Fjellsk?l.’
‘You mean business, Ida!’
‘He wants local. That is the best place.’
‘So you can be casual. Don’t wear jeans, though.’ Her sister knew her too well. ‘Why don’t you wear that blue dress with the embroidery on the bodice? And maybe your denim jacket. And do your hair in a chignon.’
‘A chignon?’
‘You know what a chignon is, Ida.’
‘I can’t do a chignon.’
‘Isn’t there another woman on that island who can help you? Everyone knows how to do a chignon.’
‘I can ask Emilie.’
‘Yes, ask Emilie. And Ida.’
‘What?’
‘Enjoy yourself.’
After a phone call with Mats, during which Ida directed him to everything she’d need from her bedroom, he arrived at the hotel with a bagful and handed it to her.
‘What’s all this for?’
‘I’m going out tonight.’
‘Straight from here?’
‘Yes. Can you cover the desk while I get changed?’
She took the bag into the office. It was so much easier when she had her room upstairs. Except it was Erik’s room now, and she wouldn’t be going on her first date in years if he hadn’t taken that room.
She took off her practical black trousers, black t-shirt, and cardigan, all of which she wore in some form or another every day for work, and pulled the dress over her head.
The shirring at the back cinched it in so there was no need to struggle with a zip.
She put her white trainers back on, glad she could get away with the same footwear, then stood in front of the shelves assessing herself in the screen of her phone that she’d propped there to use as a mirror.
A couple of licks of mascara and a dab of concealer under her eyes were surely enough.
A swipe of the fancy lip gloss Ingrid had given her a few weeks ago that tasted of toasted marshmallows finished her makeup.
She noticed that the blue dress matched her eyes.
Perhaps that’s what Ingrid had planned. After fruitlessly attempting a chignon herself, she went back out to the entrance hall where Emilie had arrived for the evening shift and was chatting to Mats.
‘Emilie, can you give me a hand with something?’
Both Emilie and Mats looked at her as if she had emerged wearing fancy dress instead of just a dress.
‘What?’
‘Nothing. You look great, Ida. Where are you off to? You didn’t say why you needed the clothes,’ said Mats.
Ida glared at him because she wasn’t about to announce to them and anyone else who might be within earshot that she was going on a date with a guest.
‘Come on, Emilie. I’m in a hurry.’
Emilie looked confused about why they were heading into the tiny office but didn’t say anything.
‘Do you know how to do a chignon?’
‘Yes, do you have hairpins?’ She didn’t miss a beat. And Ida was grateful for not being interrogated. If anything, being proud of Emilie for her unflappable response to an odd request, something that was an everyday occurrence in their job, distracted her.
Ida handed over a fabric pouch which held all of her hair-doing accessories. Emilie deftly extracted a few bobby pins and got to work.
‘Where are you off to?’ Ah, so she hadn’t avoided an interrogation after all.
‘Out for dinner.’
‘Anywhere nice?’
‘Fjellsk?l.’
Emilie raised her eyebrows as she came to the obvious conclusion that Ida was going on a date. ‘Lovely.’
She finished stabbing Ida in the back of her head and turned her so they were facing each other. Emilie gently teased some strands from the front of Ida’s hair so they were free of the chignon and waved gently around the sides of her face.
‘Thank you.’
‘You’re welcome. Have a great time!’ Emilie gave her a quick hug, then turned and led the way back out to the reception desk.
Ida spent the next minute or so doing a handover with Emilie before she spotted Erik coming down the stairs.
‘Thank you, Emilie.’ She headed straight for the door and walked outside at the exact moment Erik reached her side.