Page 29 of Meet Me Under the Northern Lights
SELJALANDSFOSS WATERFALL
‘…now remember that the staircase is wet. You should take care. And if you want a photograph through the waterfall you must also be careful because the rocks are…’ Gunnar stopped talking as most of his passengers raced off to start up the incline.
‘I do not know why I give the warnings. As soon as I tell people the waterfall appeared in a Justin Bieber music video they are already getting ready to run.’
‘Did it really?’ Kat piped up. ‘I thought you were lying about that to get the two teenagers to stop yawning.’
‘No,’ Gunnar said. ‘I do not tell lies as part of the trip.’
He swallowed. Except recounting folk tales about the huldufólk . Except telling Chloe that Magnús was his friend’s son on work experience.
‘Can you really walk behind the waterfall?’ Chloe asked him.
‘Yes. Again, not a lie.’
‘Good. So, what are we waiting for?’ Kat asked. ‘We don’t have to run, but I don’t want to get in a queue for a photo and find we have to leg it back to the coach before I’ve got my turn.’
‘Magnús, do you want to lead the way?’ Gunnar suggested.
‘OK,’ Magnús agreed, stepping forward.
‘Great,’ Kat said. ‘A fit young man to catch me if I fall.’
‘You will not fall if I am leading the way,’ Magnús stated.
‘I like your confidence,’ Kat answered. ‘I have less confidence in my shoes however.’
‘Magnús,’ Gunnar called. ‘The tourist way. Not the other way.’
The boy raised his hand in acknowledgement and headed off with Kat at his heels.
‘Now I’m intrigued that there are two ways to get to this waterfall,’ Chloe remarked. ‘What does “the other way” involve?’
‘Peril,’ Gunnar answered straight away. ‘The chance of death. Exactly like when you were running too fast up from the black sand beach.’
‘O-K,’ Chloe said.
‘Sorry,’ he said quickly. ‘I didn’t mean to bring that up.’
‘Exactly what the passenger called Richard said when we had that impromptu stop half an hour ago.’
She had ridden over any awkwardness about the situation with humour.
He was an idiot for mentioning her running up the steps at Reynisfjara .
Because it hadn’t just been about her taking risks with her speed and her foot placements, it had been about him rushing to her rescue, holding her still before she fell.
Close. Too close? Except his sense of sense had told him she was not going to stop even if falling from the cliff was the outcome. He had had to be there.
‘I did warn you about the likelihood of sickness on this trip,’ he said. ‘It is a long day of travel but, the spectacular sights are worth it, no?’
‘Oh, definitely,’ Chloe agreed with a nod. ‘And I think some of them would work for the event I’m organising but, you know, there are other places I need to go and different activities to try out.’
‘Yes,’ he agreed as they walked. ‘So, do you have a shortlist?’
‘It’s actually a pretty long list.’
He laughed. ‘OK.’
‘But, I was wondering, if you might have time to… do a couple of the things with me.’
‘Oh.’
His heart was racing now, speeding away like someone had attached it to a F1 car flat out from the starting grid.
He had put a tentative suggestion of something out there not really expecting anything to come of it and now she was moving with it?
Was she? Shit. He had only said one word and it hadn’t been ‘yes’.
‘Sorry,’ Gunnar said quickly. ‘I mean… what did you have in mind?’
He internally cursed himself for sounding more LinkedIn than Hinge. He needed to work on his rizz. If that’s where this was going…
‘It’s OK, you know, if you don’t have time I?—’
‘No,’ he said fast. ‘No, tell me your ideas.’
They had reached the foot of the stairs now, could hear the powerful rushing of the water as it came over the cliff.
‘Well, I definitely want to try the dog sledding. I think it sounds like something my clients would enjoy.’
‘OK,’ Gunnar answered.
‘You have done that before?’
‘Not the way you mean,’ he said, putting his hands into the pockets of his coat. ‘When I was a kid, myself and my friends, we would try to get the neighbours’ dogs to take our go-karts for a ride. We had mixed results. But, dog sledding, the real tours, they are very popular here.’
‘So, shall we do it? I mean, it sounds like you have experience in the core concept and Kat, you know, she is not so good with dogs.’
‘Really?’ he asked.
‘Allergic actually,’ Chloe added.
‘Oh, wow,’ Gunnar said, watching her cheeks pink. ‘Then it does sound like you need my help.’
‘I mean, yes, but I understand that you’re busy with work and?—’
‘Maybe tomorrow evening?’ Gunnar suggested. ‘After seven? I could pick you up.’
‘OK,’ Chloe said. ‘It sounds like a plan.’
It sounded like a date. And that both scared and excited him at the same time. If it hadn’t been for the waterfall mist hitting his cheeks there would definitely be heat there.
‘OK, good, krúttio mitt . So, let us go to the waterfall now. See how the sunset begins to look.’
And, as he stepped onto the first stair there was something fizzing inside him that suggested he more than liked the idea of dog sledding with the ‘except’.