Breakfast was delivered, along with something that Mikael was a bit embarrassed about now but had seemed a nice idea last night—there was a phone in the bathroom, after all…
‘Flowers!’ Layla was ecstatic ‘And a card!’ She opened it. ‘What does it say?’
Mikael groaned. He’d forgotten in the moment when he’d ordered them that she couldn’t read English, and now he’d have to read it out loud to her—but he waited till all the staff had gone.
‘“Layla, Thank you for an amazing end to a difficult day and an even more amazing night. Mikael.”’
‘No kisses?’ Layla asked.
‘Three.’
‘Wow! Thank you! I will keep this for ever—maybe I hide it in my shoe or something, but I will find a safe place for it.’
‘Layla, I don’t want to get you in trouble…’ Mikael halted. They were approaching the halfway mark of her week and four more nights were starting not to seem enough.
‘Look, about today—’
‘Mikael,’ she interrupted, ‘I want to have a day to myself. Please don’t ask me to stay in the hotel.’
‘Okay.’ He pushed out a smile. ‘You’ll need some cash.’
‘Yes, please.’
‘Ask the hotel to organise a driver to take you wherever you want to go.’
‘I’ll be fine.’
‘Take my number with you.’
She did.
She bought some white jeans and a top and some sandals from the boutique in the foyer, along with a handbag, and she was ready for her day of adventure.
Layla was worried that she might run into Trinity or Zahid, but at the same time she was determined that even if she did she would very simply refuse to return until her week was up.
She did not use the phone to organise a driver. Instead she decided to try taking a taxi again.
It was far easier the second time around, and she put on her seatbelt and understood that at the end she had to pay him.
Everything on her list Layla did.
She stood on the top of the bridge, being battered by the wind, and life felt so exhilarating that it was as if she were on the top of the world. Then she took a ferry to Manly and ordered a burger with ‘the lot’ and a can of lemonade, and she met some Dutch backpackers who were very serious but very lovely. They told her that she had to do the night-time harbour cruise while she was there.
‘I don’t know where to go,’ she said.
‘We’ll show you.’
The cruise started long after sunset and went on for three magical hours. It was wonderful to see the Sydney skyline from the water at night. She could see the Opera House and the bridge all lit up. There was wine and a meal, though the prawns were not as nice as the ones she had had with Mikael, but she heard all the history—about Captain Cook and the convicts—and it was simply magical to sit with her new friends and listen, and feel the warm air on her skin.
She took a taxi back to the hotel, elated from a wonderful day out, tired and ready to have a bath and sleep. But as she opened her hotel door she jumped in surprise to see Mikael—and it was a Mikael that she had never seen before.
His face was grey and he did not return her smile when she walked in.
‘Layla…’ He was struggling to keep his voice even. ‘Where have you been?’
‘Doing the things on my list.’ Layla smiled. ‘I had a fantastic day.’’
‘It’s after midnight.’
‘I did a cruise…’
‘And you didn’t think to call me?’
‘Call you?’ She frowned. ‘You said to only call you in emergencies.’
Mikael had had a day like no other. The moment he had got to work he had changed his mind and called the room, only to find that she had already left.