Frozen Hands

Chapter Three

Drukkinn Isflaska Pub, 1 a.m.

Mark was sitting at the bar when Steve and Elizabeth walked in. Mark hugged them both at the same time. Lizzie groaned, she wasn't a touchy-feely kind of person. "Hey, moments like these require a group hug." Mark protested before ordering a round of beers for the group.

Mark took a sip from his beer before running his hands through his black curls. He hadn't seen Elizabeth in a while, he was worried it would be awkward after everything that happened. However, things seemed like old times. So far so good.

Beers quickly turned into shots and cocktails which resulted in a very tipsy trio. At around 3:30 a.m. Mark called it a night and went back to the hotel.

Elizabeth was giggling loudly at the story Steve was telling. "... And then this guy came back with twice as many gumballs!" Steve and Elizabeth were laughing so loud people started stating. It didn't bother them, they were too drunk to notice.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. Steve was the first one to break the silence. "Do you still think about that one night?" They stared into eachother's eyes. "Steve.. Don't be a buzzkill. We're just friends now, we both agreed." He simply nodded.

"I'm going to bed too, it's been a long day." She smiled at him. "Me too, let's go." Steve said, helping her up from her seat. Lizzie stumbled a little, she's gotten clumsy in her drunken state. Steve slipped his arm around her waist to steady her.

They walked back to their rooms. "Well, um, good night Stevie." Lizzie smiled before pulling him into a hug. He gave her a squeeze. She pulled away but Steve didn't let go just yet. She gave him a confused look. Steve leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. She instantly gave in and kissed back. Her eyes widened when she realised what was actually going on and she pulled back. "Steve, we really shouldn't do this." She spoke softly.

He stared at her before nodding. "I'm sorry, good night." He replied, turning around to walk to his room. He slammed the door shut and instantly got into bed. He let out a deep sigh before he drifted off to sleep.

In room 203, Elizabeth was staring at the ceiling. The kiss brought up feelings she hadn't felt in over a year and she hated it. She just hoped things wouldn't get awkward.

Sunday, 11 a.m.

"So what's the plan?" Lizzie asked, rubbing her temples. The alcohol from the night before resulted in a killer hangover.

The trio was sitting in Mark's hotel room.

"Tomorrow morning the three of us will excavate the mystery ice man. We will take him back to the research centre here in Reykjavik. I want it to stay a secret for now, so please keep any information to yourselves." Steve explained.

"Why did you ask us to help you?" Lizzie asked.

"Well, Mark is a medical expert. We will need his skills if the ice man is still alive. And for you Liz, you're the most intelligent person I've met. You're an amazing archaeoligist and you have knowledge of many fields. Besides, we're best friends. I trust you both to keep it a secret for now and to work discreetly." Steve elaborated.

"I think it sounds like a fun adventure!" Mark smiled brightly at the other two.

They spent the rest of the morning studying Steve's pictures of the cave and they made a game plan for the next day. They would leave early in the morning so they could be back in the early afternoon.

Sunday, 1:30 p.m.

Lizzie's stomach growled. "Guys, can we go to lunch? I'm really hungy." She asked.

"Let's stop all together for today, we're done anyway." Steve smiled. "What do you want to eat?"

"Surprise us, you know the city better than we do." Mark grinned.