Drew was already in the kitchen, pouring hot water into a teapot.
‘Morning,’ she said with a smile. ‘You got back late from the beach last night.’
‘Did I?’
Drew gave her a knowing look. ‘I heard the shower. I take it you had a nice time with Aaron.’ She winked.
‘I, um...’
Drew laughed and put a finger to her lips. ‘Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.’
‘We didn’t um, you know.’
‘You don’t need to say more; this place hardly makes any kind of romance easy. Single beds, thin walls, all next to each other. You’ll have to get creative.’ She winked again. ‘Fancy a cuppa?’
‘Go on then.’
Freya leant on the unit as Drew poured the tea. She gazed out of the window across the courtyard and wondered if Aaron had already left for the dive school. Their daily life on the island would continue as normal, ensuring the guests had as memorable a time as possible, but their easy going friendship had moved to another level last night.
Drew placed a steaming cup of tea in front of her. ‘Thinking about Aaron by any chance?’
‘It’s hard not to.’ She held out her wrist with the bangle on. ‘He got me this for my birthday.’
Drew traced her fingers over the carved wood. ‘That’s lush.’
‘He also mentioned about me going with him to the island his family are from when we both have time off.’
‘Oh, hello.’ Drew nudged Freya. ‘Sounds pretty serious to me.’
Freya picked up the tea and blew on it. The excitement she’d woken up with had changed to a nervous feeling that a relationship, certainly a serious one, was the last thing she’d intended to find when coming out here. She breathed deeply and reminded herself that nothing had really happened. They liked each other and had a fumble and were friends. All of that was just fine.
~
Freya needn’t have worried about how the night before had changed their relationship, because at dinner that evening, Aaron was as relaxed with her as before. Nothing had changed except that a look between them meant more and he didn’t hold back on sliding his arm around her waist or brushing a wayward hair off her cheek. His chilled demeanour helped her to relax, and island life continued happily. Most of her time was taken up with the bookshop and planning the weeks ahead, theming them around different topics which allowed her to select a range of books to showcase. Ideas bubbled away and she got into her stride writing the weekly blog post, combining her love of literature and books with the magic and inspiration of Loabi Fushi.
Drew was right about it being near impossible to attempt a romantic relationship while working on the island. There was little opportunity for them to be alone. A snatched kiss as they passed each other on the path to the staff village or beneath a glossy ficus tree if Aaron met her on her way back from the bookshop was all they managed.
A week before her first planned couple of days off, Aaron met her halfway between the bookshop and the staff village, a red hibiscus flower clutched in his hand. He pulled her to him and tucked the flower behind her ear.
‘You look gorgeous.’
He kissed her and she ran her fingers up his toned arms as he tugged her closer. She relaxed into him and relished the feel of his hands through the thin material of her top.
‘This might have been a bit presumptuous of me,’ he said, lifting her chin and gazing into her eyes, ‘but I rearranged my next couple of days off to coincide with yours. No pressure, but if you’d like to find out what real island life is like – and meet my mother – I’ll be going home for a couple of days. I’d love you to join me.’
~
From afar the island looked like all the others they’d passed – pearly sand encircling a cluster of green. But as the boat got closer and docked, she could see the difference compared to the luxurious resort islands.
Aaron took her hand as they stepped off the boat and on to a sandy dock. A couple of palm trees gave a bit of shade to an open-air cafe with plastic tables and chairs, and a cluster of buildings was set back from the water. The closest building had a faded Coca Cola ad covering the whole of one side. A wiry dog lay panting in the shade of a tree, its head resting on its paws. It looked up as they passed and settled itself back down, its nose against the dry dusty ground. It almost didn’t feel like she was on a Maldivian island any longer – there were no dogs on Loabi Fushi, only herons and sandpipers and the noisy fruit bats. She knew the reality of an inhabited island would be different from the insane luxury they’d just left, but it wasn’t such a stark contrast. Yes, the buildings were plain and functional, the dock not showy or oozing luxury, but it had its own charms, and the further they walked, the more Freya glimpsed them. The heart of the island seemed as lush and green as the one they’d just left. Tall palms and cheese plants offered some shade as they walked a dusty path that cut along the edge of the island. Every so often she caught a glimpse of dazzling ocean between leafy fronds, or the thatched roof of a house and a patch of white sand gleaming in the midday sun.
‘Is this where your family’s always lived?’
‘It’s where my
