“I know how we can win the wild challenge.”
I look at him, taken aback. It’s like he is not thinking about last night. We might not have done it, but we did something. The intentions, the attraction, were clear. Maybe he is willing to discard the whole thing as a moment of vulnerability, like when you are drunk and decorum calls for both parties forgetting what happened.
That takes a weight off my shoulders. If Erik is going to act as if nothing has changed, and we will keep working on the project and acting as a couple in front of Lars, everything can stay as it was. And as much as that means not having Erik entirely, it means having him near me and living here and striving for the life I want.
“How can we win the wild challenge?” I ask him.
“Winter bathing.” He raises an eyebrow.
“Ah, no, no, no.” I wave my hands in front of me. “We only have until seven in the evening, and look at the weather outside.”
“Precisely,” he says calmly. “It’s called winter bathing. And it’s not that cold now, so we’ll be fine.”
“Then you want to do what? Go to the beach now and jump in the ocean?”
“Yeah,” he says as if I’ve just asked if he wants eggs for breakfast.
I shake my head, laughing. “You’re out of your mind.”
“Isn’t that the point? A wild challenge?”
“I thought winter bathing was common in Denmark. The others must have done it before. It won’t be that special.”
“Lars hasn’t, as far as I know. And he admires people who do it.” Erik leans forward, his eyes flickering with the excitement of a mischievous boy ready for action. I keep staring at him, unyielding.
“No, I don’t—”
“Come on, Sol. It’ll be fun. And you’ll get to scratch it off your list.”
I must admit it has been bothering me that we didn’t complete the ten items he scribbled for me in my notebook.
“All right, let’s do it.” I throw my arms up, surrendering. I never thought I would say yes to such a thing, but it seems Erik could convince me to go to the end of the world with him. “We need to take an amazing picture though. It is a photo contest, after all.”
“Deal.” Erik jumps to his feet, energy flowing from his body. He would probably head to the gym now to spend it if we weren’t going to swim in freezing waters.
I put on a bikini under my winter clothes—a bizarre combination—then pack my camera and tripod, two towels, a blanket, and a thermos of hot tea.
We bike to the beach, and I make sure to tell Erik how much I regret my decision already. The weather is awful, so windy, and it looks like it’s going to rain. The good part is that we’re basically the only ones at Amager Strandpark, so I won’t have to embarrass myself in front of strangers.
I’ve been here once during the summer, and it was lovely. A long, winding path shared by cyclists, runners, skaters, and families going for a stroll. A large stripe of sand dotted with people sunbathing. Kite surfers coloring a clear sky, large gatherings of them in the open sea and in the lagoon the bridges cross over, the water brimming with kayakers, swimmers, and rosy toddlers playing with animal floats.
Now it’s like braving a postapocalyptic scenario. We are the only survivors.
But I won’t remain one after entering these icy waters.
“Usually, people do it there.” Erik stops when we have just crossed the main bridge and are about to take the winding path along the shore. He points at a harbor bathhouse with small turquoise structures out on a deck over the water. A Danish flag waves in the wind, and a couple of bathers climb down the wooden steps leading directly into the ocean.
“They have a winter bathing club, and there are saunas, changing rooms... But you need to be a member to use all that, I think.”
“So, we’re not going there?”
“No. We’re on our own.”
I swallow hard. “Is it even safe?” I’m more concerned about the temperature than the risk of drowning. The sea here couldn’t be calmer.
“Don’t worry,” Erik replies. “It’s healthy. It can boost your immune system, even.”
I laugh through my nose. I grew up with my parents telling me I shouldn’t eat ice cream when I was sick. Closing every window in the house whenever a gust of cool wind came through. Telling me I’d catch a cold if I jumped in a pool when it was raining.
They would have a heart attack if they saw me do this.
“Tell me it’s fine, but don’t claim it’s healthy,” I say as we ride slowly down the cemented path and pass by a couple of runners and skaters.
“But it is healthy. At least that’s what Scandinavians believe. Why do you think people do it?”
“I don’t know. Because they are crazy?”
Erik laughs. “It’s supposed to awaken your body in a powerful way and even reduce your stress levels. You should feel great afterward.”
“Is that how it feels for you?”
Erik is quiet. I repeat the question in case he didn’t hear me, but his lack of response is due to nothing but guilt.
“I’ve never tried it before.”
I press the brake and my bike shrieks. “What?”
Erik stops by my side, amused. “I’ve never done it.”
