I’m probably over-examining the situation, but she looks happy that I haven’t left to see Cassie yet.
“I’m leaving in a bit. I wanted to make sure you had dinner.” I hold up the brown paper bag with the heavy bowl of ramen. I use both hands to support it so the bag doesn’t rip.
Her eyes move down to the bag in my hand, and her grin goes wide. “Really?”
I offer the bag, and she takes it from me eagerly.
“Figured you could stay in for the night if you wanted.” She’s pulling the ramen out as I talk, holding up a big container and pulling out the wooden chop sticks that were packed inside.
“This almost makes up for the fact that you’re ditching me to go out on a date.” She pulls the top off the plastic container.
“It was your idea to set me up with someone, Ms. Wing-woman.”
“Details,” she mumbles, and takes her first bite, slurping the noodles loudly. Her body relaxes, pure bliss.
I am a little excited to see Cassie again tonight, but Harper still has a pull on me. Even as she’s eating, I can feel myself wanting to sit next to her and just enjoy this quiet moment together. But that’s the problem, isn’t it? Friends don’t want to stay home from their dates because they’d rather be with their friend.
I stand there a bit awkwardly before turning to the door. “I’m going to head out but call if you need anything.”
She rushes to finish chewing her mouthful of ramen, and I have to stop myself from reaching out and brushing a drop of broth off her cheek.
“Good luck!” she says.
I give her a gentle wave and head out the door toward the restaurant Cassie and I agreed on. She hadn’t mentioned whereshe is staying, but I assume it must be in the city as well. It’s a fifteen-minute walk from our hotel, and Cassie’s standing outside the front door when I get there. She’s wearing a deep purple dress with black tights and a grey wool coat that’s buttoned halfway. Her auburn hair is falling in loose curls over her shoulders, some of the strands tucked behind her ears.
“Hey!” she says, her face coming alive when she sees me. It’s not the same way Harper lights up, but I remind myself that I can’t keep comparing them. This isn’t about Harper anymore.
“You look amazing,” I tell her, because it’s true.
Her fair skin blushes. “You too.”
I’d done my best to find something nice to wear, but the best I could find in my suitcase was dark-wash jeans and a knit sweater.
“Ready to eat?” I offer my arm in a playful, chivalrous way, and she grips my elbow and smiles.
It’s busier than I expected. When we step inside, most of the tables are full and bustling. The inside is decorated to look like we’re sitting on an outdoor patio with string lights hanging over everyone’s heads and green leafy plants in every corner of the room. There’s acoustic music playing quietly in the background, giving the place a soft, romantic feel that I hadn’t anticipated.
The hostess seats us at one of the small tables in the back corner, tucked away from the louder crowd sitting at the bar. We order drinks and flip through the menus.
“So, how long are you in Iceland?” Cassie asks once our drinks are brought to us. She ordered some sort of wine that’s served in an elegant, delicate glass. I settled on a hard ciderrecommended by the waitress.
“Until Friday, you?” It’s only Monday, so there’s still plenty of time to explore. Harper has our itinerary planned out for every moment, which makes me wonder what she originally planned to do tonight that she was willing to sacrifice so I could go on a date.
“Thursday, but I’ve been here for over a week already, exploring every hot spring I can find.”
“What’s on the docket for tomorrow?”
She gives a playful shrug. “Don’t know. What’re you up to?”
I’m a little startled by her forwardness, but I guess you have to be when you’re dating someone on vacation. It just feels a little bold since we just sat down. Though I suppose, worst case scenario for her is I turn her down and we never see each other again.
The concept of it, that there’s no strings attached, makes me bold.
“We’re driving out to a waterfall that you can walk behind. It’s called—” I pause to pull out my phone and scroll up to where Harper had texted me a rough plan for the trip. “Seljalandsfoss?” I say slowly, trying to sound it out but knowing that I’m butchering every syllable.
“Oh! That’s so fun. You’ll love it. The pictures don’t do it justice.” She pulls her phone out and shows me a photo of her posing in front of the waterfall, arms in the air and her hair whipping around her face.
“Is it raining?” I ask, looking closer. The sky in the background is dark and her jacket looks soaked. Overall, theentire scene is misty and dreary, but Cassie still has a huge grin on her face in the photo.
