Page 42 of The Love Position

Sophia wheeled her suitcase to the bed in the furthest corner of the room and sat on the mattress. It was about as soft as a bag of rocks, but she was so shattered, she knew she could probably sleep standing up.

‘You know, there’s no lock,’ Jessica said, dropping her duffle bag on the bed next to Sophia and casting her eyes around the room. ‘And only two plug sockets between six women. It’s gonna be like Lord of the freaking Flies.’

‘Well, they did say no phones.’

‘And I say they can fuck off.’ Jessica took her mobile out. ‘I’ve got no signal here and there’s no wi-fi, either. We can check if there’s a sweet spot anywhere.’

Sophia took the map Anisha had given her of the island. In the centre was a rocky hill they’d spied earlier from the boat.

Smothering a yawn, she handed it to Jessica. ‘Maybe here?’

‘Hey, you wanna sleep for a bit?’

A wave of tiredness rolled through her. ‘I’ve been travelling for nearly twenty-four hours and jet lag is hitting me hard. I’m sorry.’

‘Don’t be silly. I’ll wake you before dinner.’

Jessica went to her bag, pulled out a bottle of water and two granola bars, and handed them to Sophia. ‘Here. Eat, drink, sleep.’

‘Thank you so much.’

‘I’m gonna explore and check out if there’s a phone signal or a hot dude who doesn’t have a girlfriend. Hopefully, I’ll find both.’

‘And a beach that isn’t covered in seaweed?’

‘Good call. Now get some shut-eye.’

Jessica left the dorm and Sophia ate both bars and drank the bottle of water. She thought she might be too wired to sleep, but as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was gone.

‘Sophia? Wake up, girl. It’s time for dinner.’

Pushing herself up to sit, Sophia rubbed her eyes. Her limbs were leaden, and she was even more exhausted than before. Looking around the room, she noticed the rest of the beds had bags on them.

‘Our new roomies have arrived,’ Jessica said with a glint in her eye.

‘What are they like?’

‘A mix of hippies and Lululemon models. Two from my country and two from yours. I’ll let you make up your own mind about them.’

Sophia swung her legs out of bed. ‘That sounds ominous.’

Jessica smirked. ‘Let’s just say I’m glad I’ve met you. Come on, let’s grab food and I’ll fill you in.’

Outside the dorm, they descended the narrow stairs, Sophia holding tight to the handrail as she still felt unsteady on her feet.

‘So, I’ve done a recce and there’s good news and bad news,’ Jessica began.

‘Can we start with the bad news?’

‘Sure thing. Okay, there are four beaches and three of them are almost completely covered in sargassum.’

‘And the fourth?’

‘Is out of bounds. It’s marked no entry and is behind this big building which I presume is for the head swami. I tried to sneak in, but there’s a gate with a key code lock. I also found a wi-fi signal that’s strongest in that area, but it’s password protected.’

Sophia followed Jessica down a path, palms on either side of them, with pretty flowers at their bases.

‘Any mobile reception?’

---