Page 3

I wasn’t sure if she was hitting on me. I wasn’t particularly au fait with same-sex flirting, although I had attracted both sexes in my life.
I held my hand on the book, not sure if the time was right to close it. Was this conversation going anywhere or was she simply passing by and was an avid reader herself? She had just acknowledged my favourite Kristin Hannah book.
‘The world has a shortage of strong women. Leni is a prime example of the sort of woman we are missing. We need more like her.’ She pulled out a chair and sat down this time. I took this as my cue to shut the book, marking the page with a small fold.
‘Have you visited any of the neighbouring islands? I know your man there was an enticing travel buddy.’ She laughed. We glanced at Tony who was slumped in his chair, looking as though he might pass out at the bar.
‘Not yet. I was waiting for some time off. I’ve only been here for a few weeks. I have a job.’
The woman raised her eyes. ‘A job. How very responsible.’
I didn’t have a response. I was not feeling particularly quick-witted; the heat of the day had taken its toll on me. I should have gone home an hour ago, but for some reason, I kept on reading, glancing intermittently over at the woman who was now next to me. Perhaps I had been half expecting her to approach me.
‘Well, that’s interesting that you haven’t been to any islands yet. I mean, I don’t think you can say you’ve actually been to Fiji unless you’ve left Nadi.’
I nodded. ‘I agree. I have put making money ahead of sightseeing. I was thinking of heading off to Australia and New Zealand for a couple of—’
‘Why?’ The woman cut me off and leaned forward. ‘You’ve just said you haven’t seen any of the islands and you want to go to another country? The islands are the very essence of Fiji. You think this is nice? You haven’t yet arrived in paradise.’
Again I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to say.
‘I’m travelling to one of the islands tomorrow. You could be my guest.’
‘Oh, I don’t know, I can’t just leave my job and let my boss down.’
The woman turned her whole body towards me. ‘I saw you when I arrived, and you did not strike me as someone who was a conformist.’
‘Oh,’ I said.
‘No, you look to me like someone who is trying to escape the past and maybe looking for a little adventure.’
Didn’t everyone come here to escape the past or was she just really good at reading people? I pulled my mouth into a semi-smirk. The woman smiled. Her green eyes sparkled. Strands of her long red hair blew in the gentle breeze that was coming through the gap in the window that I had opened when the morning hit midday.
‘Are you? Looking for an adventure?’
I briefly thought back to why I was here. I had run from Bruno who had tried to make me into someone I was not supposed to be. If I had put up with the comments, if I had just accepted that was all I was to amount to, then I would still be there now, going to dinner parties, saying whateveryone wanted to hear. Being the woman that Bruno needed me to be.
Yet here I was, putting invisible boundaries in front of me, telling myself I had to stay when I really didn’t need to. I had escaped Bruno and his boundaries; I had nothing to stay for. I could get another job or flat just as easily. I thought back to a conversation I’d had with Bruno in the early stages of our relationship. I had listed the countries I wanted to visit. He had laughed it off and in a mock-southern American accent told me: ‘No woman of mine will be galivanting off around the world.’
I had told him we could go together. He had told me he had a job and responsibilities. ‘God, Sadie, it’s time to grow up.’
Bruno’s voice was replaced by the woman’s in front of me.
‘This island, it’s called Totini. It’s a boat ride away. It leaves at 1p.m.’ She grinned, then turned and walked out of the bar. Just before she reached the threshold, she called over her shoulder. ‘I’m Avril by the way.’
I talked about it with Dana that night. We sat in our usual haunt as it filled up with punters, all eager to get merry, drink and dance.
‘This is our calling; this is where we need to be.’ I pointed out into the distance as the sun was setting.
I looked at Dana and a smile had crept over her lips. Was she, like me, trying to contain her excitement, like a small child who had been promised a treat for good behaviour. Perhaps, like me, she didn’t want to believe it was true, that we had arrived in Fiji but we had yet to truly experience paradise.
‘It could be just what we need,’ Dana agreed.
‘I want to see so much and try everything,’ I said.
I suddenly felt the burning desire that Avril had infected me with this afternoon and I wanted, no I needed to go, because for the year and a half I had spent with Bruno’s berating and complete lack of optimism for my future, he wasn’t here anymore. I needed the space between us, so I could really forget about him. So his voice would stop in my head every time I had doubts or worries. I needed to keep moving until I found that place where I could truly be myself.
The boat was leaving at 1p.m. I already knew I was going to be there at a quarter to, ready to experience the next part of the adventure.