Summer Saga

May

Kristín strode at a brisk pace along the Reykjavik waterfront past the Sun Voyager sculpture. Though it was a pleasant 16 degrees C, ideal for taking a walk, she could see low clouds looming on the horizon. That likely meant wearing her rain shell later to go shopping.

Several minutes later she ascended the familiar slope of the Skólavörðustígur, nodding to an occasional classmate lounging outside the shops. Then she turned onto the Bergstaðastræti toward the flat she shared with her friend Fifi. As she neared the Cat Café [Kattakaffihúsið] she saw more classmates at the outside tables, talking over coffee and pastries.

Kristín opened the door to the apartment building and climbed the stairs. She never took the lift unless there were too many groceries to carry up the stairs. As she swung open the door she heard Fifi calling her. “Kris? I was just about to go shopping. Is everything on the list?”

Fifi’s real name was Ylfa, which means female wolf in Icelandic. She and Kristín had stopped using their given names for each other within a week of moving in together. Kristín liked her nickname well enough but she enjoyed their familiar camaraderie even more. They took to each other at once and were soon inseparable friends.

Fifi had just received notification that she won a coveted summer internship in Copenhagen. Kristín was thrilled for her, but not so thrilled at the prospect of adapting to a new flatmate for the summer. Kristín was only taking one class this summer but it was known to be intensive, and she figured that she needed some uninterrupted study time.

“I think everything is on the list. I don’t have class this afternoon, why don’t we go together?”

Fifi beamed. “That sounds great, we’ll be less likely to miss something and be done much quicker. By the way, I have some news about your new flatmate for the summer. He is a friend of my brother and supposedly a bit of a recluse, so he shouldn’t annoy you. And if he does Erik will be happy to intervene.”

Kristín nodded. That might be the case, but the next few months wouldn’t be the same without Fifi around. Their beer and popcorn nights binge-watching videos had kept them sane through their undergraduate years at the University. Kristín had a few study group buddies but only rarely made new friends.

Kristín was a striking young woman, though her view of herself was that she was nothing special. She had occasional casual dates, but other than a boyfriend during a few months of her second year, she had remained unattached. Her pleasant features, dirty blonde hair, expressive blue eyes, and slim, rounded curves often caught the eyes of her fellow students. But her serious demeanor and seeming indifference to the charms of most males had kept her single.

Deep down, Kristín felt just a bit lonely. If she happened to encounter a young man of some intellect and depth she had no trouble holding an interesting conversation. But she did not often encounter such young men, even at a university with fourteen thousand students.

She would not approach any random attractive guy at a bar and buy him a drink. Though a common enough practice among young women in Reykjavik, that concept was alien to her. So she went along, pursuing her education, comfortable with Fifi and her study mates but not necessarily with strangers. More than anything else she concentrated on her studies, in which she naturally did well.

Kristín knew early on that she was more of a scholar than anything else. Fortunately her parents both recognized and encouraged her pursuits, particularly as she entered university. They were truly proud of her.

She asked Fifi, “Have you met your brother’s friend?”

“Yes, he was at Erik’s party last month. I’ve heard from several people that he is a decent guy. He seemed very pleasant and articulate, though I didn’t get to talk to him for very long.”

Kristín fixed Fifi’s eyes with her own. “And he’s not the type to... cause me trouble?”

“Of course not, babe. Besides, he would be tossed out of university in a heartbeat if he tried anything with you without consent, and then deported. That is, if Erik didn’t kill him first!”

Kristín chuckled at that. Erik was very protective of Fifi, and seemed to like her best friend well enough. His feelings toward Kris though were clearly of a brotherly sort. Although Fifi had once urged Kris to pay more attention to him, Erik remained perfectly friendly to her and just a bit aloof. That suited Kris, who sensed that any entanglement of that sort could become awkward with her friend and flatmate.

Fifi again turned her gaze to Kristín. “Will is very much like you from what I’ve gathered - studious, focused, and he will only converse with you at length if you catch his interest. It should be nice for you to have someone new to hang out with. And Kris, I’ve seen that he’s really rather good looking. I’m sure that you will find you have some common interests even though he’s not Icelandic.”

Kristín’s cheeks colored a bit. To her relief, Fifi moved on to the topic of what they could buy for dinner. Her mind went back to her prospective flatmate though. He must be an international student. That could be interesting, I suppose. She shrugged and moved to look over the rutabagas.

Kristín sat with her study group in the university library. There was very little studying going on amid their jokes and teasing. The entire group felt well prepared for their final exams so there was no point stressing over anything.

Freyja glanced over at Kris. “Hey, girlfriend, do you know that guy over there by the shelves? He sure seems to be interested in you.”

Kristín took a quick look, trying to be subtle. Her eyes narrowed. She had seen this guy in the library before. He had a trim, though not necessarily athletic build, probably 180 centimeters or so tall, a somewhat untamed shock of dark hair and neatly trimmed beard. He turned his head and his dark eyes met hers for just a moment before Kristín turned back to Freyja.

“I’ve seen him around but I don’t know him. He’s not in any of my classes.”

“He’s kind of cute,” added Ilse, giggling a bit.

Freyja told Kris, “You might hang around after we leave. I’ll bet you a coffee he will come talk to you, I get that vibe from him. If he’s boring just make an excuse and meet us at the coffee shop. But if he’s not...”

Kristín shrugged. “I guess I could hang around a bit.” But a few minutes after the others had left, she looked up from her book and saw that the dark-haired guy was no longer there by the stacks. So much for that encounter. At least Freyja owes me a coffee. She packed her books and tablet into her backpack and headed for the door.

Kristín caught up with her friends just as they were sitting down in the cafe. As she greeted them, Freyja turned to her.

“Well? Did he talk to you?”

“I think he must have left. I looked for him but he wasn’t in that spot by the stacks anymore.”

Freyja frowned. “How annoying. I could have sworn he was interested enough to approach you.”

“Maybe it’s for the best.” She looked at Freyja and shook her head. “I’m not much good at flirting and such.”

Freyja glared at her. “That’s nonsense, I’ve seen you converse easily with guys who can hold your interest. You’re quick-witted, and you don’t have to throw yourself at someone to get his attention. He was interested, I’m sure of it. Well I’ll get you a coffee anyway, though I’m not very happy about it. You really need to work on your predatory instincts, Kris.” She giggled.

“I don’t consider men to be prey,” said Kristín levelly. “If he is interested and interesting, something may happen in due course. If not, there is no use worrying about it."

Nadía nodded. “I agree with you, Kris. But your opportunity may come sooner rather than later, because he just came in the door.”

Five heads swiveled toward the door. The man from the library went over to the counter to order. Ían tapped Kris on the shoulder.

“You could go get your coffee now.” He winked at her and held up a bill. “And also gefa undir fótinn. [flirt a bit*] Don’t worry, I'll get Freyja to pay me back.”

Kristín sighed. She knew her friends were just trying to help. More than once they had offered to introduce her to male friends, and her reserve usually caused her to decline. She found most guys uninteresting. But this man had obviously checked her out, enough so that others in her group noticed. She pushed her chair back, stood, and accepted the bill from Ían. “All right, here I go.” She flashed a smile at him.

“Gangi þér vel!” [good luck] hissed Freyja as Kristín headed to the counter.

Will came out of the stacks at the library and his eyes went straight to the table where the intriguing blonde girl had been sitting. To his disappointment everyone had left. They must have left together, maybe went for coffee or a drink. He shrugged. He knew that study groups were usually close-knit. He’d only had a small hope that he might break her free from the group long enough to chat. Possibly he would see her there again anyway. He packed up his things and left.

As Will came into the center of the old town he saw students milling around outside the coffee shop. It’s a long shot, but maybe they stopped in here. In any case he would like a coffee to pick himself up a bit after hours of studying. He swung open the door and entered.

Will didn’t see the group inside the crowded shop and he went to the counter to order. He stepped aside to wait for his drink. As he scrolled through his phone his ears caught, “Ég fæ mér kaffi, takk,” [I’ll have a coffee, thanks] in a lilting feminine voice. Suddenly she was right there beside him. As he looked into the deep icy blue of her eyes, she gave him a shy smile.

Will was a bit unnerved by her sudden reappearance. He cleared his throat and managed to say, “Hello. Didn’t I see you in the main library earlier? You were studying with some friends.”

Kristín nodded. “Yes, that is my study group.”

Will grinned. “They all seem to pay attention whenever you are speaking.”

Kristín shrugged. “I like to contribute to a discussion, I’m not much for small talk.” So he was watching me closely!

The barista was efficient and soon they both had their drinks. Kristín overcame her own nerves and pointed. “Look! A table just opened by the window. Would you like to join me over there?”

“But what about your friends?” By now Will had spotted the group at a larger table.

Kris waved a dismissive hand. “They can gossip without me for a few minutes.”

“Alright then.” Will beamed and led her to the table. They sat and each had a sip of their drinks. He took a breath and spoke first. “I’m Will Clark. I transferred here last year at the beginning of the fall term, into Environmental Engineering.”

Kristín smiled. “Ah, so you’re already working on your Master’s. That’s why I haven’t seen you in my classes. I plan to start graduate studies in the fall, in Environment and Natural Resources, though I’m getting a bit of a head start by taking the geothermal physics and engineering course this summer. I’ll be concentrating on renewable energy resources. But first I need to get through my exams and graduate with my Civil and Environmental Engineering degree. By the way, I’m Kristín. I’ll spare you the surname for now.”

Will’s mouth fell open. “You’re not Kristín Jóhannsdóttir?” Kris nodded, a questioning look on her face. He shook his head in amazement. “I’m moving into your flat in two weeks!”

Kris laughed with delight. He hadn’t got the inflection quite right, but that hardly blunted her surprise that this complete stranger knew her full name. “I guess I didn’t need to spare you my name after all. So you’re an international student?”

Will nodded. “That’s right. I did my undergraduate work at McGill University in Montreal, also in Environmental Engineering.”

Kristín sipped her coffee and looked at him. “That school has a fine reputation. How did you end up here?”

Will pondered her question for a moment before answering. “There were several reasons. This is also a well known university in my field, many advanced courses are offered in English, Iceland has ambitious goals concerning sustainability and climate change, and I guess that I wanted a bit of an adventure.”

Kristín bobbed her head with a smile. “Those are all good reasons, so maybe it’s a good thing that you’re here.” Will returned her smile, his eyes crinkling. She felt more comfortable about the situation now. Their conversation flowed easily. Will was clearly serious about his studies and, as Freyja said, had a distinctly pleasant manner. It seemed he could work out as her flatmate after all, and who knew, with luck something else might develop.

“Fifi? I’m back.”

“Here in the kitchen, babe.”

Kristín came into the kitchen and saw Ylfa chopping an onion. “You’re not cooking again, today should be my turn!”

Fifi frowned. “Don’t be silly. You cooked for me for an entire week when I had the flu. I know you don’t need any distractions during finals - you’re at the top of your class and want to maintain your rank. Relax, Kris, þetta reddast.” [it will all work out]

Kris noted the ingredients on the counter. “It’s pasta then? I’ll at least put the water on to boil and set the table.”

Ylfa smiled as the chopped onion went into the hot pan to sauté. “That will be great. It should be ready in thirty minutes or so. Oh, babe, can you also heat the bread up a bit?”

“Of course.” Kris turned to preheat the oven.

They soon sat down to their dinner. Kristín could hardly contain her news. She began, “You didn’t tell me that Will is in Environmental Engineering.”

Fifi’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t think I even knew that. But how do you know what he is studying?”

Kris giggled. “Because he told me over coffee!”

“What? How? You said you didn’t know him!”

Kris shrugged with a devilish smirk. “Apparently it’s fairly easy to meet guys here, even though we outnumber them nearly two to one on campus. I’m surprised that no one has told me that before.” Her eyes were dancing now.

Ylfa’s laugh rang out. “I have told you that, many times! And you’ve chosen to ignore it just as many times. But you just randomly met your summer flatmate? That’s rather amazing.”

“Yes, and he seems to like me.”

“It’s important that you get along with a flatmate.”

“I agree. That’s one reason I’ll miss you this summer. But Fifi - what I mean is that I think he likes me.”

“Oh! How do you know this for certain?”

“The whole study group saw him staring at me in the library.”

Ylfa shook her head. “That’s too perfect. Are you interested in him?”

“Maybe I am. We had a long, pleasant conversation in the coffee shop. I won’t deny the possibility that it could go somewhere, but I’ve not had much luck with guys the past year. And what if it doesn’t work out, and I end up living with someone who has a grudge against me?”

Ylfa glared at her for a long moment. “Your glass should be half full, Kris. Promise me that you’ll give this guy a chance and not just write him off for some silly reason. You’re both adults, even if romance doesn’t work out you can still bear living with each other for a few weeks.”

Kristín thought for a minute. “You’re right. I should give things a chance. I may be skeptical, but one never knows.”

*The peculiar Icelandic idiom gefa undir fótinn means literally to “give under the foot.” How it became an expression to describe flirting is unclear.

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