‘What a life.’
‘I’m calculating how long it is until I can retire here too,’ I joke. ‘Can I help you find anything?’
‘I hope so. Do you have the bookBang, Bang!? A friend back home read a review of it – apparently it’s so spicy the reviewer’s glasses fogged up.’
‘That’s a fair description.’ I can’t help but laugh. ‘Did the book reviewer enjoy the… plot?’
She lets out a guffaw and then covers her mouth when Doris stirs. ‘Who cares! We don’t read them for the plot!’
‘Right.’ I’m a sweet romance reader through and through, but I do love that spicy readers are so loyal to what floats their boat. And I manage not to breathe a single word of my real feelings about the book when I say, ‘I’m sorry, we don’t have it in stock, but I can order it in for you? It’ll take a week or so if the supplier on Mahé has it in stock.’
‘Damn, we’re leaving in five days.’
‘Well, don’t you worry. Gus, who curated the collection here, is a man of wide literary tastes and he just happens to have a well-stocked spicy selection of romance reads. Would you like to take a look?’
‘I’d love that. The more spice the better.’
‘OK, we’re looking for the steamiest! Also, we’re having an event soon with local author Khalil Joubert.’ I duck behind the counter to find a brochure. ‘It’s a free event and we’ll be offering drinks and canapes. Would love to see you there.’
‘Sure, I’ll come.’
37
Meet Turt Vonnegut!
Did you know that our famous Aldabra giant tortoise has a long-time girlfriend? He’s a regular Romeo, our reptilian bud! While the breed doesn’t mate for life like swans do, it’s been recognised that some Aldabra tortoises, like our very own Turt, return to the same mate each breeding season. What a loyal guy, eh? All these hook-ups have resulted in many hatchlings so we can only guess how many little Turts are running around…
Recollection shared by Mariola Margeaux.
Want to know more about the island of Esperé? We offer helicopter joy rides tailored to your needs. You can get a bird’s eye view of our tiny island or fly above the protected Aldabra atoll and see the lagoon where Turt’s kind hang out in blissful harmony. If flying isn’t your thing, we have glass-bottomed boat rides where you’ll encounter black-tipped reef sharks up close and personal! Or take a bike ride around one of the many trails on the island where you can spot an abundance of fuchsia tropicbird orchids, the national flower of the Seychelles that have the most glorious perfume. The Barefoot Bookshop is open and ready for your visit!
38
A few days later I’m stocking the new outdoor bookshelves and hoping they’ll draw a crowd. The maintenance team have put so much effort into making the shelves and erecting a bright yellow shade sail. I lug another box of preloved paperbacks outside when the three Lucys turn up. ‘Bonzour, ladies. Here for more feminist serial killer thrillers?’
Despite the intense heat of the morning they’re wearing black hoodies, thick towelling hats and dark oversized sunglasses, not their usual style of floaty floral dresses or frangipani sarongs. The way they flick furtive glances over their shoulders is a little odd but I’m coming to learn that oddities are a part of life at the Last Chance Resort.
‘Did you ladies rob the breakfast buffet or something? Is that a bagel in your pocket?’ They don’t reward me with a laugh, a grin, or even a twitch of the lips. Tough crowd.
‘We heard about your troubles.’
‘Which ones? I’m sort of dealing with a lot so could you be more specific?’
‘The AI author issue,’ Lucy says.
‘How did you hear about that?’
Lucia pulls her sunglasses to the bridge of her nose and looks over the top at me. It’s all very bizarre. ‘We have our sources.’
‘OK, what’s with the secret squirrel vibe you’ve got going on here? The shady black outfits make you stand out, if you were in fact trying to blend in.’
‘I told you!’ Lucy Lou throws at Lucia.
‘You did not! You said we needed the hats!’
‘No, I said we needed the sunglasses!’
‘Ladies,’ I say, before it can dissolve into another petty squabble. ‘What did you hear?’
