by Julie Caplin
‘I don’t like surprises,’ called Lucy but it was too late, Hekla had gone.
Chapter 24
‘You’re going to love this,’ said Hekla paying the entrance fee to go into the Fontana Geothermal Springs, grinning happily as she looked up at the tiny flakes of snow which had started and stopped several times throughout their journey here from the Lodge.
‘Girl time,’ added Elin with a happy sigh. ‘This is perfect relaxation. There is nothing like a day at the hot springs.’ She gave Lucy a wink spotting her curious looks up at the heavy grey sky. The imminent snow forecast for today didn’t seem to have deterred any of them from making the trip.
Lucy didn’t mind this surprise. It turned out that Hekla had done some complicated rota jigging to release everyone for today. Alex and Dagur were on reception duty, despite the fact Alex had had virtually no sleep for the last few nights, and Gunnar was helping Freya to change beds and clean bathrooms, so that Elin, and Brynja were free to come.
‘I’m looking forward to it,’ said Lucy meaning it. After a full day in bed, she felt so much better, although … weirdly she already missed Alex. She hadn’t seen him properly since lunchtime yesterday but had been dozily aware of him popping in to check on her throughout the night. Laying a finger on her cheek. Brushing her hair from her face. A whispered, ‘Good night, sleep tight.’
When Hekla, had suggested the trip out, Lucy’s aching body had welcomed the idea and Alex, who had brought her breakfast, had cautiously approved once Hekla had promised there would be nothing more strenuous about the day than relaxing.
She tucked the bag containing her towel under her good shoulder and along with the others followed the signs to the changing rooms. So many of the guests spoke about their visits to the various hot springs and pools around Iceland, she’d been dying to try one and this place looked super smart and a little bit trendy.
‘The tourist people all know about the famous Blue Lagoon,’ explained Elin, ‘but this is my favourite. Quieter and less money.’
‘Especially now before the bus tours arrive,’ chipped in Hekla, with a slightly superior air that made both Lucy and Brynja burst out laughing.
‘Even though we had to drag you out of bed at a ridiculous hour,’ Brynja teased. She was the one that had insisted they set off early.
Hekla lifted her shoulders in a good-natured shrug and then smiled. ‘Laugh but I have these…’ From her bag she produced a bundle of the lodge’s fluffy white towelling robes that were kept for the deluxe guest suites. ‘I borrowed them for today.’
‘Good thinking,’ said Elin.
‘I’ll pretend I haven’t seen them,’ said Lucy, with a deadpan face, happily accepting one.
The changing rooms were sparse and there were a couple of other people in there and to Lucy’s horror one big communal shower. Before she had time to ask about other shower facilities, it was too late. Hekla, Brynja and Elin were gaily stripping off, without any sense of modesty whatsoever. Lucy gulped. This was way outside the pay grade of her comfort zone! For a minute she dithered. But the others were so unconcernedly peeling off their clothes and trotting over to the shower, that she couldn’t not join them.
‘Have you seen this mole?’ Hekla pointed to one south of her nipple, as she raised one arm under the flow of water, to soap her armpits.
‘Wow, is that for real? It looks like mount Hekla,’ said Brynja with an amazed face. ‘What are you some elf child?’
‘I know, how cool is that? Who needs a tattoo when you can have your own personal mark?’
‘I want a tattoo,’ said Brynja. ‘That one’s cool.’ She pointed to the butterfly dancing above Elin’s belly button.
‘Yeah,’ Elin grinned, ‘Especially when my boyfriend, Roger kisses it and works his way down. Oh yeah, baby.’
‘Go Elin,’ said Brynja with a shake of her dark head, the water sluicing down her broad shoulders. ‘Gunnar is a bit shy in that department.’
‘Try honey, show him a trail,’ said Elin. ‘Works every time.’ She gave an outrageous wink.
Lucy stripped to her knickers. Took a silent deep breath, forcing her shoulders away from her ears and with her back to the other girls, slid them down. She could do this. Pasting a ridiculous smile on her face, she lifted her chin and strolled, nonchalantly into the showers. Yeah right, she felt about as un-nonchalant as was humanly possible.
‘Hey Lucy.’ Brynja shunted up to make space as she lathered her dark pubes, turning back to Elin. ‘Do you think Brennivin or vodka would work instead of honey?’
‘Or you could draw an arrow and write this way to the honey pot,’ suggested Hekla.
‘Hey, you could have a tattoo with the instruction,’ said Elin with a wicked smile.
They burst out laughing and Lucy took a handful of liquid soap and lifted her arm.
‘I need to find someone to check out my honey pot,’ said Hekla with a mournful frown, now working soap down her long lean legs. ‘It’s been too long.’
‘What happened with that really hot guy, the Danish one?’ asked Elin, throwing her head back and letting the water run through her short cropped blonde hair.
‘He went back to Denmark. He was here on holiday.’
‘That’s a shame,’ said Lucy trying to join in the conversation, trying to look blasé as she soaped under her arms. From the posters depicting what you had to do before you went into the hot springs, she had to get pretty thorough elsewhere.
Hekla laughed. ‘No, you can do a lot in two days. He was … how do you say it … good in the sack.’
‘Two days?’ Lucy tried not to let her surprise show.
‘Don’t worry he wasn’t a guest. I met him in Reykjavik.’ Hekla smiled.
‘Have you seen that new bar in Reykjavik?’ piped up Elin, one hand between her legs, soaping herself. ‘The one with the blue lights. It’s so cool. We should go there one night after payday.’
‘Remember that night at the…’ Brynja said some Icelandic name which sounded like a bunch of letters, Lucy couldn’t even begin to translate. There was a chorus of ascent.
‘You all speak such good English.’ Their command of colloquialisms was incredible. ‘I feel bad, if you want to talk in your own language…’ She took a breath and began to clean herself down there. No one noticed. Of course, they didn’t. This was completely normal here.
‘No. It’s cool,’ said Brynja. ‘We’re all used to it. I lived in the States for a while. Elin lived in Canada for four years when she was a kid and Hekla, where haven’t you lived?’
‘London, Washington DC, Auckland. My dad used to be an ambassador.’ Hekla shrugged. ‘English is second nature to us.’ She stepped out of the shower and walked over to the bench when they’d left their bags.
When Lucy stepped out of the shower, standing completely starkers in front of the other three who were chatting away as they pulled their costumes out of their bags, the water running down their bodies, she realised that no one batted an eyelid. This was completely normal.
‘Here you go Lucy, this will fit you.’ Elin handed over the smallest bikini she’d ever seen. When she pulled it on, she tugged at the tiny triangles trying to stretch the fabric to cover a little bit more, which given she’d just been in the buff with them all was totally silly.
‘Hey,’ said Elin. ‘Stop girl. You’ve got a gorgeous figure. You should be showing it off.’
‘Yeah,’ said Brynja. ‘You’ve been hiding that.’
‘Yeah,’ said Hekla, ‘she loves a baggy jumper. I noticed you, Lucy Smart. Why do you do that?’
Lucy shrugged, embarrassed now, as they all looked at her.
‘I’m … shy I guess.’
‘Well you shouldn’t be. You’re freaking gorgeous.’ Hekla grinned at her. ‘Although I guess Alex already knows that.’
They headed out to the pool area with Lucy blushing furiously. ‘Er, no. He … erm … stayed the night.’ Aw, heck that sounded something it wasn’t.
‘When a
man that fine is spending the night with you babe, we all want to know the deets,’ said Elin, slapping at Lucy’s hand which was still toying with the triangle just about covering her left nipple.
Lucy hoped the quick discussion as to whether they would go to the sauna, the hot tub, the steam room or one of the pools would be a useful diversion but no such luck. As soon as they settled into one of the pools, Hekla went in for the kill.
‘Come on then. Tell us. What’s going on? Is he looking after you?’ Hekla next to her, stroked her arm. ‘Because you need looking after.’ She pushed Lucy forward and outlined the large bruise on her shoulder blade.
‘It’s feeling much better. Thanks to your Viking balm.’ Not Alex’s tender ministrations.
‘I didn’t mean that,’ said Hekla giving her a meaningful look. ‘You. When you came here. You were damaged and a bit broken.’
The other two girls nodded in unison.
Lucy groaned, sinking her shoulders below the water level. If she could have, she’d have completely submerged herself. ‘Oh God, was it that obvious?’
‘Only to us, because you’ve got better,’ said Elin, stretching her long elegant arms out on either side of her. ‘But you looked so bruised and frightened of everything, when you didn’t think we were looking. We kind of decided to look out for you, except you kicked ass that night in the kitchen when Erik had broken his leg. Hekla said you were super organised and,’ she grinned at Lucy across the pool, ‘and super bossy. Then we realised that maybe you didn’t need it.’
Lucy’s heart tripped a little. ‘Well, I’ll be honest. I had a few issues.’ Under the water she pedalled her feet for a moment or two before taking a breath and plunging into the whole story.
Having told Alex so recently, and actually managing to find some humour in it, suddenly it didn’t seem so bad and the story didn’t sound quite so sordid anymore, until Hekla got out of the pool and fetched her phone to search YouTube for Lucy.
Sitting, watching herself cavorting about half pissed, while in a hot tub with the snow coming down felt slightly surreal, especially compared to the one and only time she’d watched the video, huddled in her office with the lights out and the door locked.
‘You really can’t sing, can you?’ said Brynja, half way through starting to giggle. ‘My cat sounds better than that.’
Elin began to giggle too. ‘It’s really bad. I’m worried you’re going to fall over at any minute.’
‘I think I did at one point,’ said Lucy.
‘Oh there look,’ Elin laughed again pointing to the screen as Lucy faceplanted, her bottom filling the screen. ‘Good job you’ve got a nice ass.’
Lucy blinked. The three of them seemed to find the video hilarious rather than embarrassing.
‘That’s an awesome move, Lucy. Rewind Brynja,’ Hekla laughing tried to snatch the phone. ‘I want to see how she got her panties off.’
There were plenty more laughs and jokes but not one of the three looked the least bit censorious, shocked or disgusted. When the video finished, Hekla looked her and up down and said, ‘I want to borrow that outfit.’
Lucy let out a half snort half giggle at the thought of the strapping Hekla in the tiny red and white outfit. ‘You’d look amazing,’ she said pinching her lips together. Hekla would have been able to carry it off easily, in fact with their unabashed attitude to nudity any of the three girls probably would have done.
‘What a dirt bag though,’ said Elin. ‘It was a private thing. I can see why you would be upset. What did you do to him? I would have threatened to chop his penis off with a pair of blunt scissors and cooked it as sausage meat.’ She sliced her hand into the water with a splash that made them all laugh.
‘Me, I would have killed his car. Sugar in the tank. Olive oil on the windows – that is a bitch to clean off and a fish in the engine,’ said Brynja.
‘I’d have got him very drunk, waited until he was asleep and written kúkulabbi in permanent pen on his forehead,’ said Hekla with enthusiasm, demonstrating on her forehead, as the other two girls roared with laughter.
‘When we say kúkulabbi, we mean scumbag,’ explained Brynja seeing Lucy’s reticent smile, ‘but the literal translation is poo on two legs.’
‘Please tell me you didn’t do that,’ said Elin, suddenly turning to Hekla who was sniggering to herself, the water rippling out around her chest.
‘Who me?’ Hekla’s innocent wide-eyed expression wouldn’t have fooled anyone.
‘I’ll remember not to get on the wrong side of any you,’ Lucy said with a mock shudder.
‘What did you do?’ asked Hekla. ‘Please tell me you did something.’
With a twitch of her mouth, she nodded. ‘Although, nothing quite that brutal.’
‘But you did do something.’
Lucy nodded, worrying at her lip. She hadn’t even told Daisy about her petty revenge. ‘The day before I came here, he went away and I went to collect some of my things. I had the keys to the flat we shared, so…’ she smiled at the thought, ‘I sewed fresh prawns into the hems of the curtains in our flat.’
‘Excellent,’ said Brynja.
‘And very smelly,’ said Elin, wrinkling her nose.
‘That is a good revenge, I think,’ said Hekla with an enormous smile. ‘Subtle and very long lasting.’
Lucy pictured Chris trying to identify the smell and where it was coming from. She began to giggle. She hadn’t allowed herself to think about what might have happened to him since then.
Hekla held up a hand and they all high-fived Lucy in turn.
‘Don’t mess with Lucy.’ Elin nodded.
‘Armed and dangerous with a sewing needle.’ Lucy grinned.
‘And you still didn’t tell us about Alex,’ said Hekla a few minutes later, sitting up straighter, her shoulders rising up out of the water.
Darn it. Lucy thought she’d got away with it.
‘There’s nothing to tell,’ she said. ‘He stayed the night, but it was…’ she thought of the kisses on her back. ‘It’s too soon.’
‘Ah, but your head is OK now,’ said Brynja, deliberately misunderstanding.
‘I’m … I’m seeing him tonight.’
Butterflies’ wings beat against the inside of her stomach, anticipation wheeling with excitement, at the memory of the brief exchange when Hekla having secured permission for the trip had dashed off to get ready.
‘You’re looking better,’ he’d said. ‘Let’s have dinner together here tonight when you get back. You don’t want to overdo it. I’ll get Kristjan to make us up a tray.’ Weirdly, for someone who was used to making all the decisions, she rather liked him taking charge. When she’d been going out with Chris, he’d been so ambivalent about so many things; where they ate, what film they saw, that it had become wearing, always having to make the decision, especially as he’d often sulk if it turned out to be a film or meal he didn’t like that much.
‘You’re seeing him tonight.’ Hekla rubbed her hands together.
‘And which bit of him are you seeing tonight?’ asked Elin, splashing water towards her.
‘Yeah, that’s one fine man,’ drawled Hekla. ‘I know which bit I’d want to get my hands on.’
Elin nudged her. ‘You need to get laid and soon.’
‘I know. Toys just aren’t quite the same as the feel of man. And I love watching a man get naked.’ Hekla let out a low moan. ‘I miss that. Especially when I can hear Miss B here going at it with her man.’
‘I’ll get you some earplugs,’ said Brynja seeming completely unconcerned.
‘We’re not going to…’ protested Lucy, grateful that the warm water had already made her look quite pink.
‘Why the hell not?’ asked Hekla. ‘He’s hot. He’s gorgeous and he’s a really good guy. I bet he’s considerate in bed. Not a selfish, take it all for himself.’ She smirked and flash a grin at Elin. ‘Bet he knows his way to the honey pot.’
Lucy gulped. OK, since that kiss, when she’d inadver
tently opened her legs, she’d played a few private fantasies about Alex’s magic hands, but they were very private and certainly not that graphic. She lowered herself into the water as if it might hide the inadequacy she felt next to their enthusiastic inhibitions.
To her mortification, Elin and Hekla began to elaborate further with tales of the best techniques they’d encountered.
Lucy knew she was blushing furiously.
‘They’re showing off,’ said Brynja, in a low tone, spotting her discomfort. ‘Hekla would love a steady boyfriend, she’s desperate for Kristjan to notice her and Elin adores Roger. But we are much more open about talking about sex in Iceland.’
‘I wish. Maybe if I could have talked … after Chris … I don’t think I’m very good at sex.’
Brynja laughed softly. ‘No one is very good at sex on their own. It takes two and both of you need to care enough to make it right. This Chris, I don’t think he cared. He pressured you to do things that didn’t make you feel right. Be gentle with yourself. If Alex is right, you won’t have to do anything you don’t want to. We’re all different. Hekla is proud and confident enough to share her body with anyone she chooses. No one makes her feel bad about it. It’s a great attitude to have … if you can carry it off. Women shouldn’t be ashamed of enjoying sex … that’s something that we grow up with.’ She smiled.
‘It’s not like that at home. I guess I grew up with the negative language, all female of course, slut, tart, slapper. And my parents never ever talked about sex.’ Lucy winced. ‘I can’t imagine how I was conceived. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my dad kiss my mum.’
‘That is a good thing,’ said Brynja with a quick beam and roll of her eyes. ‘Over demonstrative parents are so embarrassing. I promise you.’
Together they laughed as Hekla jumped up. ‘Come on, let’s hit the sauna.’
During the rest of the morning, the snow began to come down more heavily. It was the weirdest sensation, thought Lucy, lifting her face to the icy kiss of snow flakes, while the rest of her was toasty warm beneath the water. Barefoot, their hot skin in contrast with the ice-cold wood, they flitted from the sauna and from pool to pool before visiting the steam room. Lucy was slightly disconcerted by the latter which had a vented floor over a bubbling hot spring, through which could be heard the boiling and hissing below. At lunchtime they donned their robes and went to the bright airy restaurant to have lunch. Rye bread baked in the nearby hot lava along with delicious melt in the mouth smoked salmon, which was the best Lucy had ever tasted, washed down with a glass of red wine.