The Love Island Bookshop by Kate Frost (ebook reader with internet browser .TXT) 📕

‘Thank you.’

‘It was nice to meet you, Freya. See you around.’

He left her with a wave. She walked on, her feet sinking into the warm, soft sand. She glanced back and caught sight of him high-fiving a fellow dive instructor. She knew Drew, Lin, Khadeeja and now Aaron. And of course there was Meena. Meeting a few people had at least settled her nerves. She was the new girl, but the person with the job of a lifetime. Her friends back home had bigged it up, and from Aaron’s comment it was clear it was a job that a lot of people had wanted. She stopped for just a moment and stood in the middle of the hot sand, her skin tingling from the heat and the craziness of where she was. If she looked up all she could see was blue sky and wispy clouds; to her left the crystal clear water of the house reef; to her right the lush green of palm trees and the dense undergrowth; and in front white sand. It was like she was living a dream life.

Chapter Eight

Freya spotted Meena sitting on a stool at the bar. A terrace was cut into the sand with sunken seats around fire pits backed by the long bar and the forest behind. The view was of ocean and the wooden walkway cutting across the house reef to the over-water villas. No guests were there yet, just Meena with her laptop open in front of her. Freya took the steps up to join her.

‘Morning, Freya. Sleep well?’ Meena greeted her with a smile and patted the empty seat next to her.

She perched on the stool. ‘Yes, eventually. I’m still adjusting and getting over jet lag.’

‘Well, I’m sure you’ll soon get used to it.’ She saved what she was working on and closed the laptop.

‘You do your work here?’

‘Sometimes, although only while the staff are setting up in the morning.’

‘I’m not surprised. I can’t think of a better place to work.’

‘Oh, you haven’t seen the bookshop yet.’ Meena grinned. ‘Arguably the best spot on the island, and that’s saying something. So, now you’ve had a day to settle in and have hopefully met some people, I wanted to show you a bit more of the island, and of course the bookshop itself. The Sand Bar is popular particularly after dark, and the walkway that you see going out to the over-water villas also leads behind the bar and through the trees to the pool and the restaurants and spa. Come, let me show you around.’

Meena left her laptop with one of the staff and they walked along a narrow beach lined by spacious and well-hidden beach villas to the hub of restaurants at the heart of the island. Reef, the over-water restaurant, was filled with guests tucking into breakfast. As they passed the jetty and reached a wider beach, Freya took off her flip-flops and carried them, finding it easier to walk in the sand without them. She noticed Meena was wearing sensible white slip-on trainers and she managed to look cool and smart in an olive-green linen skirt and a fitted white sleeveless top. They waved at a couple who emerged on to the beach from their villa and continued on until they had left the last villa behind. They rounded a corner and reached a desolate beach where the palms and ficus trees seemed denser and encroached on the sand giving it a true desert island feel.

Meena stopped in the middle of the beach, put her hands on her hips and blew air over her face. ‘Here it is.’

‘We’re here?’ Freya looked away from the ocean, across the hot sand to the jungle of trees. She had to really look to see a well-hidden path next to the curved trunk of a palm.

‘Keep walking a couple of minutes that way,’ Meena said, pointing ahead of them. ‘You’ll reach Sunset Beach. It’s a beautiful wide and empty stretch of sand with no guest villas, so it’s peaceful and secluded. We do sunset picnics and starlit dinners there. It’s pretty magical. And this bit of beach, well, we haven’t really named it yet – it might end up being called Bookshop Beach, who knows. Come and see.’

Freya followed Meena up the beach and through the trees to a sand-covered clearing where mottled sunlight shimmered between the gaps in the leaves. Hidden in the deep green foliage and palm trees, the wood-clad bookshop was surrounded on three sides by lush forest. It complemented its surroundings, its reed roof blending in with the leaves above. Large glass windows reflected the trees, so they didn’t look out of place with the rest of the wooden structure. The curved panels of wood matched the natural shape of the forest.

‘It’s beautiful.’ Freya hadn’t really known what to expect but somehow – at least from the outside – it was everything she’d wanted it to be and more.

‘I’m glad you like it; you’re going to be spending a lot of time here.’

Meena led Freya on to the deck in front of the bookshop with cosy sunken areas containing deep cushioned seating for two, plus a handful of fire pits dotted about, similar to those she’d seen in the Sand Bar. The outside space for sitting and reading made Freya happier than she thought possible.

She followed Meena through a wide wooden door. There was air conditioning on, but it was neither too hot nor too cold. Three long windows overlooked the outside deck. Although the bookshop had been well screened by trees from the beach, looking the other way, pockets of white sand and sparkling ocean were visible through the slender trunks.

The faded wood of the shelves was reminiscent of driftwood, giving it a worn, lived-in feel. They were empty though and Freya