~
The idea was a winner, although Zander decided that instead of being right on the beach, they’d use a quiet corner of Reef. This meant the temporary bookshop would still have an ocean view, Freya would have shade, and with the seating rearranged, guests would have somewhere comfortable to sit with bar staff on hand to take their order too.
Freya spent the afternoon at Reef, wiping down the driftwood shelves and arranging the books into some sort of order. A mish-mash had been saved, lots of fiction, a few nature ones, a couple of the signed Mia Jacobsen novels, but so many had been destroyed or were past saving.
It felt strange being close to the main guest area rather than in the secluded clearing where guests had to make the effort to venture to. After the events of the last couple of days, Freya was rather glad to be surrounded by friendly faces. The bar staff paid her plenty of attention and kept her topped up with cooling virgin cocktails, while guests popped over to say hello and to have a quick chat before relaxing with a drink overlooking the lagoon. By the time the sun had set, Freya had everything sorted. While guests headed for candlelit tables and their three course dinner, Freya took one last look around her new bookshop set up and called it a day.
She waved goodbye to the local guys behind the bar who’d made her feel so welcome. So far everyone had been more caring than Aaron who’d left the island without even checking she was okay. Anger simmered inside her again. She stalked back to the staff village and by the time she got there, she was as flustered as she was sticky. The air was stiller than normal. Surrounded by trees and hemmed in by the staff quarters, it felt far removed from the day she’d spent on the over-water restaurant, being plied with cool delicious drinks.
‘The fish curry you love is on the menu again,’ Drew said, walking past her with a tray.
Freya realised she was standing on the edge of the courtyard in a daze. She caught Drew’s raised eyebrow and concerned look. Food, that was what she needed even more than a shower. She queued up and got a plate of curry and rice, poured herself a glass of iced water and joined Drew.
‘You okay?’ Drew asked as she sat down opposite.
‘Yeah, just miles away before.’ She blew hot air over her even hotter face. ‘I walked back too fast.’
‘I hear the bookshop’s moved to Reef.’
‘Yep,’ Freya said through a mouthful of lightly spiced fish curry. ‘It’ll do while the bookshop’s being rebuilt and at least I now have a job again and can write something semi-positive in my next blog.’
‘I’m glad. You’ve looked so lost the past couple of days. Understandably so.’ Drew scooped rice on to her fork. ‘And at least Aaron will be back tomorrow. It’ll be good for you to see him.’
‘Uh huh.’
Drew leaned back and studied her. ‘What’s up? I thought you’d be happy to see him? You don’t sound pleased.’
Freya sighed and sat back in her chair. ‘I’m not sure what I think at the moment. It’s been suggested that Aaron being at the bookshop that night was...’ She pushed the curry around her plate not really sure if she wanted to say anything else.
‘Was what, Freya?’
‘Nothing. It’s just rumour and gossip.’
‘Then you have to tell me. I live for gossip.’
Freya took her time chewing her mouthful of fish curry and rice. Saying what she was thinking out loud added weight to the idea. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to do that.
‘What do you honestly think of Aaron?’
‘I er...’ Drew frowned. ‘I think he’s a top bloke. Super good looking obviously, fit as anything...’
‘Yeah, but what about him, his personality.’
‘You couldn’t meet a friendlier guy.’
Freya pushed the curry around her plate with her fork.
‘To be honest, I didn’t know him that well till I met you. I mean, he was always friendly and said hi, but I’ve only really hung out with him since you got friendly with him.’
‘So, you don’t know anything about his past or that he has a problem with Zander and there’s a whole load of stuff I don’t really understand.’
‘God no, if I had an idea about any of that, I’d have been all over it.’ She looked across the table and took Freya’s hand. ‘Don’t look so worried. He’ll be back tomorrow. Talk to him then. I’m sure whatever it is you’ve heard is all a big misunderstanding.’
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Freya watched the seaplane glide in. From just a distant dot in the blue sky, it circled round and started to make its descent. She wondered if Aaron could see her from up there. She was probably an ant-like dot standing on the edge of the wooden walkway. The knot of nerves twisted tighter in her stomach.
Maybe she shouldn’t be here. What was she supposed to do or say? Was she the loving girlfriend welcoming him back or was she about to accuse him of something she could hardly bring herself to believe he could possibly do? And anyway, their short-lived romance had faltered.
The seaplane was getting closer. Half of her was desperate to see him, the other half wanted to avoid him, although she couldn’t do that forever. She turned and paced away, kicking up sand as she strode back across the beach and on to the walkway that led to Reef. It was easier to avoid him for the moment.
Tucked behind the driftwood bookshelf in the corner of the over-water restaurant, Freya could see across the glowing lagoon to the jetty. Staff holding a tray of
