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

in Drew who’d quickly become a friend. And Aaron. She looked forward to seeing him each day and he often strayed into her thoughts as she gazed out of the bookshop window at the glistening ocean, imagining him diving down below the surface with a guest, showing them the hidden watery world.

~

The day of the bookshop launch party arrived and Freya woke early with nerves attacking her stomach. The bookshop would be open to customers for the very first time, so she went there straight after breakfast to make sure everything was ready before heading on to meet Mia. The air conditioning was a tonic and the wooden floor was cool on her feet after the warmth of the sand outside. She gazed round at all the new books lining the driftwood shelves and stacked in piles on the tables. The fridge behind the counter was full of drinks and the long window let in light and pockets of colour: the green of the trees, the glowing white of the sand and the azure blue of the ocean. I’m the love island bookseller, she thought.

Freya had drooled over the villas, but she’d never actually been inside one of them. Mia had arrived late the day before and had been met by Zander, but Freya was looking after her for the rest of the day. She took the quicker ‘island walk’ route beneath the trees, bypassing the guest village and emerging on to the beach by the dive school. Snorkels bobbed in the clear shallows as guests explored the house reef, and Freya wondered if Aaron was out there somewhere diving into the cool deep water beyond the reef.

Freya left the beach, walked along the wooden walkway that passed the Sand Bar and crossed the lagoon to the ocean villas. The water was so clear she could see right down to the coral and sea plants waving beneath the sun-kissed surface. A school of trigger fish darted out from beneath the walkway and a ray glided along the seabed. The sun beat down relentlessly as her bare feet pounded the warm slatted wood. She took the walkway that curved to the left and went past five villas until she reached Mia’s, relieved to finally be in the shade.

Freya knocked on the door. No answer. She knocked again, pushed open the door and poked her head in.

‘Mia? It’s Freya.’

‘I’m out on the deck!’ a voice called back.

Freya closed the door and made her way across the polished wooden floorboards. A king-sized bed sat pride of place in the centre of the room facing an uninterrupted view to the outside deck with its infinity pool and the ocean beyond. Freya stood for a moment open-mouthed, soaking up the view and the luxurious interior.

‘Not bad, is it,’ Mia said, laughing. She was submerged in the pool, her arms resting on the bleached wood of the deck.

‘It’s insane.’

‘And it’s all mine for seventy-two blissful hours.’

Freya walked back out into the blazing sunshine and smiled down at Mia. ‘I might have a hard job dragging you away from here then. Signing books might not have quite the same appeal.’

‘Ah, but I’m looking forward to seeing this bookshop. Somehow I think it might beat signing books in Waterstones.’

‘That is true, and we’ve got plenty of time yet – I just wanted to meet you properly and go through the plans for the next couple of days.’

‘Yes, Zander said you’d take good care of me. In fact, I can’t fault his hospitality so far. It feels like I’m in a dream.’ She swept a wet hand through her choppy blonde hair. ‘I tell you what – if you’ve got a bikini on underneath, come and join me in the pool. It’s far too hot to be sitting out on the deck for too long.’

Freya faltered, unsure if she should when she was supposed to be working.

‘Come on, don’t be shy. It’s blissful in here and we can chat through everything.’

Freya decided not to argue. Apart from Mia being so insistent, the thought of submerging herself in the cool water of the pool overlooking the shimmering ocean was too good to resist.

An almost empty bottle of champagne and two glasses were on the table and as Freya stripped off her skirt and top, she wondered if Zander had been here the evening before entertaining Mia. From the things she’d read about his womanising, she wouldn’t be surprised. Mia was striking and confident; she was an excellent writer of books that sold like hotcakes, and she looked good, knew lots of people, plus she had the ability to command the attention of a room. No wonder Zander had his sights set on her for the opening of a bookshop that had captured the attention of people all around the world.

Mia was floating on her back, gazing up at the sky. Freya walked down the steps, relishing the cool water caressing her hot skin. She sent ripples over the surface as she swam across the pool. Even though she’d only swum in the ocean off the staff beach a handful of times so far, it felt natural to Freya to pop a bikini on beneath her clothes each day. They’d taken up little space in her suitcase too, so she’d splashed out on half a dozen. She was wearing a particularly nice one today, a burnt orange colour that complemented her light tan.

Freya leant on the edge of the infinity pool and Mia joined her. She was at least ten years older than Freya, perhaps more, but she had a confidence that Freya could only dream of. She was more comfortable with her nose buried in a book and talking with people one on one, which was why running a bookshop seemed to suit her so well, but this evening’s launch party was out of her comfort zone. She was glad to have someone like Mia as the star of the evening, someone who oozed confidence and was used to speaking