Noah was at the kitchen island. “You left. Vivienne is going to kill you, but they’re both still on their three martini nap.”
“I went to the village.”
“Get anything?”
“Maybe,” Piper said with a smirk.
Chapter Forty-Seven: Reykjavík
Piper woke at seven. Noah was still asleep, face in the pillow, breathing steadily.
Piper went downstairs. Carmen was at the island with a coffee and her laptop. “Morning, Piper, I made sausage and eggs. I figured you would need it after the day you had yesterday.”
“Thanks, Carmen, ya, yesterday was a lot, we’ll be down for food shortly, oh and this place needs a Christmas tree,” Piper replied.
“Piper, I am not the fucking help, get the tree your damn self.” They both laughed.
He grabbed the wrapped troll from his jacket pocket and headed back upstairs.
“You’re up,” Noah said as he slowly opened his tired eyes and spread his arms to stretch.
“I’ve been up.”
Piper sat on the edge of the bed with the package in his lap. Noah looked at it.
“What’s that?”
“I got you something.”
“In Iceland. In the village.”
Piper handed him the package.
Noah unwrapped it slowly. He looked at the troll in his hand, went quiet for a minute, then he laughed to himself.
Piper watched him hold it in both hands, carefully rubbing its little belly. Noah was not used to this, not the troll obviously, but the part where somebody gave him something and did not want anything back. Noah had spent his whole life paying for everyone else, and he held it like it was the first gift he ever received.
“Piper. This is the fucking ugliest thing I have ever seen.”
“I know.”
“One eye is smaller than the other.”
“Yeah.”
“You picked this on purpose.”
“Sure did.” Piper smiled.
Noah held it up and stared into its little eyes.
“Why?”
“They are good luck. Apparently, they believe that trolls exist here, but sadly I have not seen one in the flesh yet. I want my fucking money back Iceland!”
Noah looked at him laughing.
He said, “Fuck, Piper.”
