Page 44 of The Love Position

‘Skip it then. No-one will notice.’

‘I can’t. I’m not very good at breaking rules. If I did, then I’d be too anxious.’

‘Well, we can rest in the dorm beforehand.’

Sophia nodded, then lowered her voice. ‘Our roommates, are they the women on the table to my right? One of them is wearing a pink t-shirt that says “Hot Yoga Bitch” on it.’

Jessica snorted. ‘You guessed it. I’m sure they’re lovely, but they just rub me up the wrong way.’

‘I think I’ll just take a wander before Satsang, then. I don’t have the strength to meet them yet. They remind me too much of my ex’s current girlfriends.’

‘You want company? I can show you around the island or we can hike up the hill at the centre? It’s a bit of a scramble, but it should be quieter up there.’

‘Thank you, a tour would be really good.’

After finishing their meal, the two women stayed at the table chatting, then Jessica led Sophia along the maze of paths meandering through the trees of the island. There were areas for tents, bathroom blocks, and several large open-sided wooden structures which they presumed were for yoga classes. There was also a small spa that offered massages for eye-watering prices.

Jessica huffed. ‘For a hundred and fifty dollars, they’d better rub me down with essential oil of angels, then finish with a happy ending.’

‘What’s a happy ending?’

Her new friend’s eyes sparkled under the lights shining from the building in front of them. ‘You for real?’

Embarrassment flushed Sophia’s cheeks. ‘Sorry, I don’t know what that is.’

Jessica giggled and squeezed her arm. ‘You’re too sweet for your own damn good. A happy ending is when the masseuse gets you off at the end.’

‘What?!’

‘I’ve never heard of it being done for women, but in some parts of the world, it’s common for men. I’ve heard guys call it a “banana massage” because, well, you can imagine…’

Sophia shook her head. ‘I feel so naïve sometimes.’

‘Hey, you’re not naïve, you’re sweet. And you haven’t had much contact with the seedier side of life.’

The memories of burning heroin and Marcus’s flabby backside as he rutted Darcie rolled through Sophia’s stomach.

Jessica touched her arm. ‘You okay?’

She puffed out her cheeks. ‘Sometimes I think I’m doing fine, but then I get flashbacks and suddenly I’m there again, watching my life implode like some kind of nightmare made real.’

‘I’m so sorry. Hopefully, being here will help clear your head.’

A bell sounded loudly from the other end of the island.

Sophia smiled. ‘Starting with meditation?’

‘Is that what Satsang is?’

‘I think it’s like school assembly twice a day. But to be honest, I’m not sure. I only decided to book the course a few days ago.’

‘No shit?’ Jessica laughed. ‘Well, come on then. The temple’s at the other end of the island, so we’d better get going.’

She set off and Sophia followed, weaving along a path that ran behind a bank of luxury villas. The buildings overlooked the south beach, but the stench of sargassum that coated the sand marred their appeal.

As they got closer to the end of the island where the jetty was, others joined them, everyone moving in the same direction. Sophia shuffled closer to Jessica, the press of unfamiliar people making adrenaline prickle in her belly.

Lights were placed every few yards, but it wasn’t enough to see clearly and she stumbled a couple of times on the uneven ground. Sophia liked routine and seeing the same faces. Everything about this experience was new, and therefore unsettling.

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