by Kate Frost
‘I can’t get over how peaceful it is,’ Freya said, glancing up at the luminous green canopy protecting them from the sun. ‘I know it’s a big island but with the amount of guests you can accommodate I expected to see someone.’
‘To be honest, there’s very little reason for guests to stray far from their villa unless they’re going for a dive, to the spa or eating out. Everyone has space and privacy. Guests do enjoy walking around the island, but that tends to be earlier in the day or a stroll at dusk. You’re more likely to see a member of staff in the middle of the day. This is the most direct route to the staff accommodation; it’s a good ten-minute walk so do bear that in mind if you need to get anywhere for a certain time. It’s not as far to the bookshop, just a few minutes across the other side of the island. Zander liked the idea of the bookshop being away from everywhere else – it certainly gives it the kind of tranquillity he craves.’
‘So there’s nothing nearby?’
‘Well, everything can be reached in about fifteen minutes, but the bookshop has purposefully been kept separate. It’s idyllic; you’ll see for yourself soon enough.’
Freya felt excitement bubbling at the thought that her commute to work would be along a sandy path beneath tropical trees. It couldn’t be more different to her commute back in London: an early start with a walk along grey streets, often in the rain, to the Tube, and then a twenty-minute journey on the Underground before she reached the office. Yes, London was an exciting city to live in, there was lots going on and lots of good things about it, but the traffic, smog and noise was beaten hands down here by the ocean, sand and peace.
Lost in her own thoughts, she realised that Meena was talking again.
‘There are more staff than there are guests. We have two bars and three restaurants, a spa, dive centre, plus we have cleaners, private butlers, an ecologist, a marine conservation site and now of course the bookshop. It’s Zander’s pet project. It means a lot to him, so it’s a big deal that he’s entrusting it to you.’
Freya had already been feeling nervous, but the combination of Zander, Meena and finally being on the island, which was hands-down more impressive than photos and video had suggested, had only intensified that feeling. It was a unique job – the sole person to run the bookshop on an island where staff outnumbered guests. There must be loads of waiters, chambermaids, bar staff, butlers, chefs, even dive instructors and spa staff. There were probably even staff to look after the staff, but only one person to run the bookshop. The pressure was mounting. She was fully qualified for the job, and yet the further she got from home, the more she doubted herself.
Chapter Six
The path split again, signposted one way to ‘sunset beach + bookshop’ and the other way to the ‘staff village’. Screened by trees, a building loomed up ahead, taller than anything else on the island but still well below the treetops. Clad in wood, with a tiled roof, the staff accommodation surrounded a courtyard on three sides. Dark grey tables and chairs filled the outside space and a few staff were eating lunch, most of them dressed in the practical island uniform of sand-coloured shorts or skirts and gleaming white linen short-sleeved tops.
‘I told you it wasn’t bad.’ Meena winked. ‘The bit of sand you can see through the trees is the staff beach – it’s the only stretch on the island though where you can sunbathe or go swimming. During your downtime of course. The staff restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and is staffed by its own staff.’
‘It’s like a small town.’
‘It really is. A village on a luxury island. Living, working, sleeping, playing – everything happens here. It’s tucked out of the way, and of course the guests have priority over everything. It is however a decent size and I think you’ll find it more than adequate and very comfortable.’
They walked along the edge of the landscaped courtyard where flowers bloomed and lemon trees brightened the slate paving. They reached a door and Meena entered a pin-code.
‘So, as you can see, the building in the middle that opens out to the courtyard houses the staff restaurant. There’s also a lounge above it with a pool table – it’s a place to read or watch a bit of TV if you wish to. Then there are these two blocks; one for men, this one for women.’ Meena led the way inside. It was immediately cooler out of the blazing midday sun. ‘It’s split into apartments. Everyone has a private room but bathrooms are shared, although only four staff to one so it’s not too bad. A rota system for showers tends to be organised if everyone starts work at the same time. There’s air-con too. We’ve put you in an apartment with Drew – she’s also British and has been here for a little over a year. Most staff will be working at the moment, but you’ll meet her later.’
They took the stairs to the second floor; the walls were white and it felt more spacious and airier higher up.
‘As well as having four bedrooms and a bathroom, each apartment has a small kitchen too. Enough space to make yourself a bit of breakfast or a sandwich if you don’t want to go to the staff restaurant.’ Meena pushed open the door to the apartment at the end of the corridor and let Freya go in first. She indicated to a room with the door wedged open. ‘And this is your room. If it’s okay with you, I’m going to leave you to settle in. Explore the place this afternoon. I’m sure you’ll meet the other girls who live here. If you want some lunch, grab something from the staff restaurant and the same for dinner later. Drew will be back by six and she’s going to show you around. Then meet me at nine tomorrow at the Sand Bar and I’ll show you the bookshop.’
Meena left her with a smile and a business card with her number on it. Her sandals slapped against the tiled floor as she retreated along the corridor.
Freya shrugged the rucksack off and dumped it on the floor, relieved to get it off her hot aching shoulders. The room was compact but reasonably cool with a ceiling fan whizzing. The walls were white but a picture of an ocean scene with coral teeming with fish hung above the bed, and she had a small desk and a wardrobe. The window was large and opened fully, overlooking the communal courtyard. Trees surrounded the staff village and she could just make out patches of sand beyond. There had been so many what-ifs by giving up her job back home and taking a chance on a dream. Sadness and disappointment had been woven through her life for too long; whatever the next few months would hold, it was an opportunity she’d needed. A chance to start anew in a place that didn’t hold memories good or bad. New job, new country, new people. It was a blank slate and had to be better and more hopeful than the last couple of years. It had to be. A barefoot bookshop on a tropical island would hopefully prove that.
~
Freya unpacked and then spent the afternoon exploring the staff village and the sweeping beach in front of the accommodation. She walked along the edge of the ocean, her bare feet lapped by the warm water as they sunk into the sand. The lightest of breezes drifted in. With her back to the treeline there was nothing else apart from sea and sky, not even another island. It was mad to think she was standing on a tiny dot of land in the middle of the Indian Ocean hundreds of miles from anywhere. She’d already lost track of the days and couldn’t work out what time it would be back in the UK, let alone New Zealand. She’d texted her parents when she’d landed and she’d email them in a couple of days. They were quite used to her getting on with her own life, much the same as she was used to them doing their own thing too. It would be friends she’d miss the most, and her colleagues. Meena reminded Freya a little of Aisha – slender with a quiet attractiveness, career-minded and successful. She wondered if Meena had family or children she didn’t get to see? Even as Freya edged closer to thirty, marriage and kids weren’t at the forefront of her mind. She needed a partner for that and Owen, who she imagined she’d settle down with, had been her ex for more than a year now. Work and where she wanted to be for the next ten years or so was her most pressing concern, not who she’d be with, if anyone. A stab of fear shot through her. Apart from Meena and her brief and confusing encounter with Zander,
she didn’t know anyone. There was a volleyball net on the beach and two young men were playing, but she hadn’t plucked up the courage to walk over and say hello. She breathed deeply and watched a shoal of small pale-coloured fish moving in unison. Coral and rocks, anemones and weeds beneath the surface enticed her to explore. And she would – at least she hoped she’d have the chance to, like she’d done on Makumathi. But for now, her focus had to be on getting to grips with her new life and running the bookshop.
~
‘Hi, I’m Drew. You must be Freya?’
Freya looked up from her book into the smiling face of a young, tanned woman with dark brown hair tied in a messy bun, standing in the open doorway. She wore a navy tunic with the Loabi Fushi logo, and slim-fitting cropped trousers.
Freya closed her book and stood up. ‘Hey, it’s nice to meet you.’
Drew came into the room and hugged her. ‘It’s lush to have another Brit round here. I mean, everyone’s really friendly and I’ve made good friends here, but it’s nice, you know, to have someone to talk about home with.’
‘Where is home for you?’
‘Oh, out in the sticks in Devon – rather different than an exclusive island in the Maldives though. How about you?’
‘London, so ditto on how different this place is.’
Drew nodded enthusiastically. ‘Have you eaten? Fancy grabbing dinner with me?’
‘I’d love to.’
Drew was a bundle of energy, which Freya liked. She was glad to have someone who was easy to chat to, and Drew spoke enough for both of them as they made their way downstairs and out into the courtyard.
‘The curry’s always really good,’ Drew said as they queued for food in the staff restaurant.
Apart from the heat and the mix of international faces with most people still wearing their island uniform, it reminded Freya a little of holidays when she was a child, at the family-friendly hotel they used to go to in north Devon where the buffet dinner – where she got to choose whatever she wanted – would be her favourite part of the day. Back then she’d have chips with everything, but now she followed Drew’s lead and went for the fish curry and rice.
They sat at an empty table outside. It was early evening and a steady stream of staff were beginning to arrive back. The trees surrounding the staff village were silhouetted against the silvery sky of twilight. The sun set on the other side of the island, and Freya wondered if a couple were on Sunset Beach, dining beneath the stars, enjoying a romantic evening watching the sun disappear below the ocean.
‘People come and go all day and night,’ Drew said. Freya watched a small group of staff in their butler uniform enter the courtyard. ‘Bar staff work late. The butlers work shifts and can be on call all night. I get it easy in the spa with daytime shifts only. I imagine you’ll be lucky with the bookshop too.’
‘How did you end up here?’ Freya asked, finishing a mouthful of lightly-spiced curry.
‘I was living with my parents and three younger sisters, working in a supermarket trying to save enough money to rent a place to set up my own beauty and massage business.’
‘Weren’t you able to get a job somewhere doing that?’
‘I did have one but where I worked closed down. That was the problem. I was totally living in the wrong place. Then I thought maybe I could set up a mobile massage business and drive to clients’ houses but I didn’t even have a car and I had no clients... You know when everything just seems a dead end. I was pretty down about things but I had a friend who’s like epically good at singing. She’d been doing admin in an office, then got a job on a cruise ship as, like, one of their entertainers. That kinda got me thinking and I started looking for spa jobs abroad.’
‘And you found this one?’
‘Actually, no. I got one at a hotel in Bodrum, which was great. It got me used to the job and what it was like to live and work abroad. I met loads of people, some who spent their whole time travelling from place to place. It kinda gave me itchy feet. I mean, I liked Turkey but I wanted to go somewhere more exotic, I guess. Somewhere completely different. When I found this place and got the job. Boom.’ She made an explosion motion with her hands. ‘No looking back.’
Freya smiled and dug her fork into the rice. ‘Is it somewhere you want to stay or have you still got itchy feet?’
‘I’ve been here thirteen months and love it. I’m only twenty-three, I’m sure I’ll want to move on at some point, but for now...’ She smiled and her face lit up. ‘Life’s pretty sweet.’
‘What about home and your family?’
‘Yeah, that’s the only thing that sucks. I mean, I’m glad to not be living at home any longer, we were all getting under each other’s feet, so that side of things is cool. I’d also broken up with my boyfriend, so I was glad to escape, but I miss my mum and dad and my sisters despite them annoying the hell out of me when we’re together. What about you? How are you finding it being so far from home?’
‘I’m a bit like you; I needed a change. But it was friends who made me aware of the job, it wasn’t like I was actively looking for something. It just came along at the right time. And it’s only for nine months.’
Drew tapped her glass of juice against Freya’s. ‘If you say so. I don’t think you’re going to want to leave – and if you’re the right person for the job, well, I’m sure it’ll be open ended to how long you can stay.’
Freya chewed her mouthful of curry and gazed across the now bustling courtyard. The sky was darkening, a wash of pale blue merging with inky black and the solar lights around the edges of the building had come on.
‘Or is there someone special back in the UK you want to go back to?’ Drew asked.
‘No, there’s not. The last year or so I’ve thrown myself into work and concentrated on my career.’
‘You’ve not even dated?’
‘Not really. I’ve had friends try and hook me up but nothing’s come of it.’
‘It’s kinda hard to date here too.’ Drew placed her fork on her empty plate and sat back in her chair.
‘Oh?’
‘I was seeing a guy who worked on a different island out here. We met on a delayed flight back to the UK – although he lived in Austria. It was complicated from the beginning, but we had a bit of fun for a couple of months. It’s hard trying to maintain a relationship when it’s sort of long distance; you don’t even live on the same bit of land and you don’t get much time off.’ She shrugged. ‘Made some good friends though. And I’m totally made up meeting you.’
‘I’m really glad to meet you too.’
‘Have you met Zander, yet?’ Drew asked.
‘Yeah, the first day I arrived, although it was on a different island.’
‘What did you think of him?’
‘Have you met him?’
‘A couple of times, only briefly though. He’s got quite a reputation.’ She raised an eyebrow.
‘I’ve read stuff about him.’
‘The bookshop is his passion project; I imagine you’ll get to work quite closely with him.’
Freya nodded. She finished her curry and put her fork down. She loved the idea of working in the bookshop and on the island. It was a challenge and combined so much of what she was passionate about. But Zander’s reputation and her first impression of him had not put her at ease one bit. She wouldn’t judge, not on one conversation and gossip from bloggers and magazines. She would remain open-minded and throw herself wholeheartedly into the job.
Chapter Seven
It took Freya an age to finally fall asleep. She was filled with adrenalin and her head was busy processing all that had happened since she’d left the UK. Gone was the traffic noise from outside her flat. It was replaced by the gentle hum of the ceiling fan, the occasional voice from somewhere in the staff accommodation, and if she listened carefully, the sound of the ocean a short walk away, although the fruit bats in the trees made quite a racket.
She was woken early by a door banging and voices from
the kitchen. After having dinner with Drew, they’d gone back to their apartment and met Lin and Khadeeja, the other two women they shared with. Although she didn’t need to be up early – today at least – she was sharing with staff who worked six days a week and their days started at the crack of dawn. She’d relaxed too much, almost forgetting she was there to work.
Everyone had left by the time Freya got up at just gone eight. There was air-con in the communal kitchen and with the sun streaming in, it was needed. She peered out of the window. The courtyard tables were filled with staff grabbing breakfast, no one she yet recognised. It was a real mix of people though and she liked that, locals and staff from all over the world from what Drew had told her. She was thankful Drew was from the UK, and although she hadn’t spent much time with Lin and Khadeeja yet, they seemed cheerful and friendly. It was a hard job they had, spending their days cleaning the guest villas, although when Freya really thought about it, they were at least able to work in air-conditioned rooms, with to-die-for views and they got to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of walking to work across the island on a daily basis. There were a lot of worse jobs.
Freya blasted herself awake with a cool shower and dressed in a floaty skirt and a sleeveless top. She decided to let her hair dry naturally in the sun. Clutching her mobile, she went downstairs and into the courtyard to get some breakfast.
There were fewer people around now and the queue had gone, so she said hello to the staff working in the restaurant, ordered a plate of scrambled eggs on toast and went and sat outside. The view across the courtyard was broken up by tables and chairs, a couple of lemon trees and bushes, all the way to the screen of palm trees with a glimpse of white beach and sparkling ocean beyond.
The only part of the island she hadn’t seen on the website was the bookshop. She’d been teased by a ‘coming soon’ page and an image of a stack of books on a piece of driftwood. She knew it was going to be part of her job to plan the content to go on the website and be in the photo shoot that Zander had mentioned. Her palms started sweating at the thought.
