Christmas Island

by Natalie Normann

  No problem at all.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The phone beeped again. She had just arrived from the market and Holly folded her arms over her chest and leaned against the kitchen counter, not ready to check her messages yet.

  What if they had made a decision? And she was out?

  The idea that she was finished as a doctor felt like a stab in the belly. She turned away. Tea first, and then she would look at the phone.

  On the counter was the box with the rest of Jack's produce. She picked up the last of the biscuit tins and opened it. Stuffing a jammie dodger in her mouth felt like heaven. While she waited for the kettle, she gobbled up another. God, he was good at baking.

  The kettle took forever, so she quickly checked the message, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was from Jack. She sent a text back. While she waited for him to respond, she snooped in the fridge, looking for something to snack on.

  Holly opened one of the foil packages and whistled when she realised it was some kind of chocolate cake. She took the cake over to the table, then sent Jack a new text.

  You’re really getting the hang of the biscuits. We sold almost all of the boxes and most of the marmalade and mustard.

  It took some time before he responded, giving her ample time to make the tea. She even had time to put milk and sugar in it.

  I didn’t make most of them. Ninni did, he responded.

  Impressive, Holly thought, feeling a tiny stab of envy. I would love to be that together, she thought.

  When are you coming? It’s almost Christmas. I want to see Rosie before I have to go back home.

  This time he answered right away.

  We’re leaving tomorrow, pretty late, I’m afraid. We’ll stay in Bergen for one night, then come straight to the island.

  Holly smiled.

  Okay. You better not be delayed again. I really don’t want to spend Christmas alone here.

  The islanders would never let you spend Christmas alone. But I promise we’ll be there. In the meantime, you have plenty of time to clean the house.

  Ha, ha, very funny. Give Rosie a kiss from me.

  Holly put down the phone and looked around. How rude, and that reminded her of Tor and his weird last name: Ruud.

  She wondered how Tor was doing after their kiss. It had certainly been passionate. Who knows what could have happened if they had stayed in that stall for much longer. Unfortunately, Britt had come back and pounded on the wall.

  She didn’t regret it. But the timing was so off. She only had a short time left on the island, then she would have to go home and that would be it.

  But she really wanted to sleep with him, so much she could barely think about anything else.

  The phone pinged again. Holly looked at it with half an eye.

  It was a text from Ninni:

  Who’s the we?

  Holly laughed. She picked up the phone and called her. Ninni picked up at once. ‘I thought you were doing the Christmas market thing alone,’ she said.

  ‘No, I had help. From the local hermit.’ Holly leaned back.

  ‘Really? Because I heard that he hates people and that he looks like an old fisherman with a scruffy beard. Is he old?’

  ‘You know perfectly well that he’s not. Nor does he hate people or look like an old fisherman. He’s lovely, actually.’

  ‘That sounds intriguing. Tell me everything.’

  Holly could hear Rosie yelling something in the background. ‘Do you have to go?’

  ‘No, she’s yelling at Jack for not taking her to the pool. Not sure how we’re going to get her out of there when we go home. Tell me about him.’

  Holly pulled her feet under her on the bench. ‘But you know about him. Tor was here before you two left.’

  ‘Yes, but I never talked to him. He was just this man who brushed past you when you went into the shop. I said hello to his cat more than him.’

  ‘He’s not like that, not now.’ Holly detailed how Tor had been the day before. ‘We were closing the stall, and it was kind of dark and then he kissed me. Or I kissed him. I’m not sure who was first, to be honest.’

  ‘That must have been romantic,’ Ninni said, laughing when Holly squealed.

  ‘It wasn’t romantic at all. It was awkward and too hot in there, and there were so many people outside, and it was… oh, who am I kidding. It was a great kiss.’

  Now Ninni was squealing. ‘Oh, I love that. Are you going to kiss him again?’

  Holly certainly hoped so. ‘I don’t know,’ she said.

  ‘Why not? He must like you. Why wouldn’t you kiss him again?’

  ‘He might not want to kiss me again,’ Holly said and was rewarded with Ninni snorting.

  ‘If he doesn’t want to kiss you again, he’s either gay or he’s a total idiot.’

  Holly laughed. ‘I’m sure he’s an idiot,’ she said.

  She could hear Jack in the background.

  ‘None of your concern, Jack,’ Ninni said. ‘And stop feeding Rosie chocolate. Unless you are really keen to change her diaper.’

  Holly pulled the foil away from the cake and stabbed her teaspoon in it.

  ‘What’s that noise?’ Ninni asked.

  ‘I’m attacking a chocolate cake I found in your fridge.’ Holly popped the teaspoon in her mouth. The chocolate melted, and when she chewed it, there was a strong taste of something else coming through. ‘Why is there liquorice in this cake?’

  ‘Oh, you found the Delfia cake. Careful with that. It’s really rich. There’s all sorts of goodies in it. Soft sweet liquorice shaped like boats, marzipan, strawberry marshmallow Santas, Non-Stop – that’s our take on Smarties – and the Norwegian equivalent of jelly babies, called “sticky men”.’

  ‘Sticky men? That just sounds weird,’ Holly said, trying to get a better look at the sweet.

  ‘Well, they’re shaped like stick figure men. I love those.’

  ‘It’s like a giant truffle,’ Holly said, taking another spoon, this time with a piece of marzipan and another sticky man. ‘God, it’s good!’

  ‘It’s a house speciality. Enjoy it, but don’t eat it all at once. You’ll make yourself sick. When are you going to see him again?’

  ‘I… don’t know. Tomorrow, presumably. Why?’

  ‘I think you should kiss him again and see where it leads. It makes for a good distraction. Jack said you haven’t heard from the hospital yet.’

  ‘Are you telling me to shag him so that I don’t think about that?’ Holly almost choked on a piece of liquorice when she laughed.

  ‘Yes, of course I am! Have some fun while you’re there. The island is all about healing and fun. You know that.’

  Holly found one of the marshmallow Santas. It was chewy and sweet, and tasted slightly of strawberries.

  ‘You’re bad. Oh, and you can tell Jack I ate his jaffa cakes. He needs to bring more.’

  Ninni giggled. ‘They’re my jaffa cakes. I love them and you can buy more in most shops where you are, but only the orange flavour, I’m afraid.’

  ‘I didn’t know that! I’ll get you a new package tomorrow.’

  Jack was on the phone. ‘Who are you kissing? I hope it’s not Tobben,’ he said.

  ‘I’ll have you know that Tobben is a perfectly nice man, but it’s not me he wants to kiss.’

  ‘Then who is it?’

  Holly grinned. ‘I think he fancies Britt, actually. I’ve seen him looking at her, you know.’

  ‘No, idiot. Who are you kissing?’

  ‘You don’t know him. And stop harassing me. It’s none of your business who I kiss,’ Holly said.

  When she hung up the phone a few minutes later, she felt better. It was silly to take everything so seriously. There was no need to, really.

  Holly took another spoonful of cake, and this time crunchie Non-Stops followed. Insanely good, she thought. Perhaps I should go out for a while, before I eat all the cake and make myself sick. That would be bad.

  Something
wet was in his ear. Something a bit raspy. Tor tried to wave it away, but it came back.

  He opened his eyes and was jabbed by a huge, furry paw.

  ‘What are you doing, you maniac?’

  Frøy sat on his chest, paws primly placed in front of him. He blinked several times.

  Tor looked at him. ‘What?’

  Frøy didn’t roll his eyes, but it was close, Tor was sure.

  He reached for his phone to see what time it was. About ten minutes past cat dinner time. ‘Do you know that delayed gratification is a sign of mental strength? I’m sorry my nap ruined your dinner time.’

  Frøy jumped off his chest and off the sofa, and strolled over to the open door. He waited to make sure Tor followed.

  ‘I’m coming, I’m coming.’ Tor put his feet on the floor, pulling a face at the cold. He had come back from town a bit later than expected and completely knackered, and had crashed on the sofa.

  He had also forgot to put on the heaters, apparently.

  Frøy disappeared out the door.

  It was freezing. Tor grabbed a woollen sweater and pulled it on.

  He walked into the kitchen and found Frøy sitting next to his bowl, patiently waiting for food.

  ‘Dry kibble today, buddy, how’s that for breakfast? I’ll get you some fresh fish tomorrow.’

  Frøy watched the bowl fill up, then dove in as if he hadn’t eaten in ages.

  Tor made a cup of coffee and walked over to the window.

  ‘It’s grey out there, Frøy. We might be in for a spell of snow.’ He looked at the cat who had inhaled his food and was now busy cleaning his whiskers.

  Tor sighed. ‘Why did she kiss me? Or rather, why did I kiss her? It was dumb, that’s what it was. I just couldn’t help myself.’

  Frøy looked up, then right down again.

  Tor snorted. ‘You’re no help, are you?’

  He shook his head. It was a kiss. A very nice kiss, but still. Just a kiss. So why couldn’t he forget it?

  It made him wonder about Holly. Did she think about it?

  Probably not.

  Outside the snow started to fall in large flakes. He looked at the clock on the wall. There was no meetings waiting for him, nothing scheduled. And he really didn’t want to go fishing in this weather. But he did need to take a walk, to clear his head, and perhaps get his mind off of… other things.

  Changing into winter gear didn’t take long and he was lacing up his booths when Frøy decided that his after dinner nap was over.

  ‘Good thing you have thick fur,’ Tor said and opened the door.

  The wind hit him, cold and icy, and he lifted his face for a moment, enjoying the fresh smell from the sea.

  ‘I think our fishing trip has to wait until the wind settles, Frøy,’ he said, following the cat outside.

  The snow was heaping up. A proper snowstorm, he thought.

  Frøy dived into the snow with cat glee, coming out of the snowdrifts covered in white dust. He shook his fur clean, then dived in again.

  ‘You must be the weirdest cat in the world,’ Tor said.

  The pathway was covered in snow by now, and he walked carefully. Falling on his bum and breaking something was not part of the plan.

  When he eventually came down to the pathway along the cliffs he walked over to the edge Holly almost fell over. From there he could see almost to the mainland. Or imagine that he could.

  It was stunning. White everywhere he looked reflected the moonlight, and then the grey-blue waters surrounding the island.

  The air was crisp and he took a deep breath, enjoying the feeling.

  ‘Do you know that there’s a really long drop from there?’ Holly said behind him.

  Tor almost stepped forward in shock. Instead he turned carefully around and looked at her. She was dressed as if she was heading on an expedition to the North Pole.

  ‘Yes, I do, actually and I almost experienced it right now. You really should make some noise when you sneak up on a person,’ he said, stepping away from the edge.

  ‘Must be the snow.’ Holly lit up in a huge smile. ‘I’ve never seen anything like it.’

  Tor smiled. ‘It’s something else, isn’t it? You should see it on the mountains when the sun is shining. It’s stunning.’

  ‘I’d love that.’ Holly looked up at the dark skies. ‘Will it continue, do you think?’

  ‘No idea. Looks like it, but there’s a lot of wind out here. It’s probably going towards the sea,’ he said. ‘And most likely it will be gone by tomorrow, anyway.’

  Holly looked at him. ‘You have no idea, do you?’

  Tor shook his head. ‘I’m a city boy, remember?’

  They fell silent and Tor found it excruciatingly awkward. He searched his brain for something to say, something that didn’t sound like he was a babbling idiot. ‘Uhm. I thought you had gone home,’ he finally said.

  ‘Same here.’ Holly looked out on the sea. ‘I needed some fresh air. Standing outside on the ferry wasn’t enough, apparently.’

  ‘Yes, I took a nap when I came home, and Frøy actually sat on me, demanding dinner,’ he said.

  ‘He did?’ Holly looked up and smiled, then looked down again.

  ‘Yes, he does that when he thinks I’ve neglected my duties as his butler, I think.’

  ‘So you’re not his master, then?’

  ‘Not even close.’ The awkwardness was rattling his brain powers. ‘Ehm, are you all right?’ he said after another few seconds.

  Holly shrugged. ‘Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?’

  ‘I don’t know. I… ehm…’ He had no idea what to say.

  ‘You’re not sure?’ Holly had a little smile on her face.

  Tor frowned. Was she making fun of him? ‘Not really,’ he said.

  ‘It was only a kiss,’ Holly said, smiling wider now. ‘No need to tie yourself in knots.’

  ‘Is that what I’m doing?’ Tor couldn’t help smiling back at her.

  ‘Looks like it,’ Holly said.

  Tor drew a sharp breath. Time to not be an idiot, he thought. Maybe this was the time to channel his inner Viking? Thor would have seized the moment. ‘I’d like to do it again, actually. Kiss you, I mean.’

  ‘Really?’ Holly was teasing him now. Even he could see that.

  ‘Yes. I’ll understand if you say no, but please don’t.’

  Holly took a step closer, then stopped. ‘What will you do if I say no? Jump off the cliff?’

  ‘Uhm, no. I’m not that dramatic,’ he said, grinning now.

  ‘Good. Because it’s an awful long way down and heights make me dizzy. I wouldn’t be able to climb down and save you.’

  ‘Really? I thought you were Wonder Woman,’ Tor said, enjoying himself.

  ‘Of course I am, but that doesn’t mean I can fly.’

  Tor held out his hand and pulled her close.

  The embarrassment disappeared. So did the cold.

  Tor held one of her hands. ‘Now what?’ he said.

  ‘I’ve heard it’s like riding a bicycle,’ Holly said.

  He could feel his ears turn red and the look on her face suggested she found that endearing.

  ‘Well, not here, obviously. We don’t want to risk frostbite in more sensitive places,’ he said.

  It made them both laugh and the tension between them eased.

  ‘Are we doing this? I mean, you’re leaving soon, presumably after New Year, and I really have to think about returning home myself.’

  While he was talking, he pulled the mitten off her hand, and knit her fingers with his.

  ‘It’s called a holiday fling, Tor. It’s not that complicated.’

  He nodded. ‘Okay. I can deal with that.’

  Holly looked at him as if she was expecting something and Tor wondered how on earth she managed to make him feel like a complete dollop just by looking at him. He searched his brain for something sensible to say. ‘I… I am lost for words,’ he finally said.

  It made her laugh. That ha
s to be a good sign, he thought.

  Holly stopped laughing then and looked so serious he almost forgot to breathe. ‘So am I,’ she said.

  He had no idea what to say next, so he pulled her close and kissed her again.

  Then, still holding her hand, he brought her back to the house.

  Chapter Twenty

  Tor slept like a bear and was just as warm, though Holly was grateful for the additional two duvets anyway.

  The room was freezing and she discovered that the window was open, letting in the wind. Outside it was dark and she could hear the water thrashing against the pier.

  She realised that the snoring that had woken her up wasn’t coming from Tor and when she looked around, she found Frøy laying across them both in the bed. The snoring was him purring.

  For a second she considered waking Tor up, but she had to pee. Nature’s call first, she thought. She got out of bed and almost yelped when her feet hit the floor. In a hurry, she pulled on her socks and pulled Tor’s sweatshirt over her head. Much better, she thought.

  By the door, she turned to look back at him. He rolled over and slept on. She smiled and gathered the rest of her clothes before leaving the room.

  Holly decided that a trip to the bathroom was more important than putting on the rest of her clothes in the hallway. Frøy watched her with interest. ‘Are you judging me, fluffy?’

  I’m not doing the walk of shame in front of a cat, she thought, tapping him on the head as she climbed down the stairs.

  The cat thumped down next to her, trying to get in the way.

  ‘Are you trying to stop me from leaving?’

  Holly opened the kitchen door, and smiled when she realised the heat was on in there. She dropped the rest of her clothes on the floor before hurrying to the bathroom, making sure not to squash Frøy when she closed the door.

  When she came back into the kitchen, Frøy had curled up on the pile of her clothes. ‘You are not right in the head, my friend,’ she said. Trying to wriggle her clothes from under a huge lump of a cat was a lot harder than she had anticipated.