Chapter 27
Tuesday morning, Liz caught up with the other three as they reached the beach. ‘Sorry I’m late. I overslept.’
‘Late night writing?’ Lorraine said. ‘Sometimes writing at night, I lose all track of time and it’s two or three o’clock before I realise.’
‘So easy to do isn’t it when the words are flowing?
This will wake me up properly,’ Liz said, happily agreeing with Lorraine’s assumption she’d been writing.
Slipping her towelling robe off, she ran down to the water.
After an energetic front crawl, she turned on her back and floated, letting her thoughts return to the night before and to Guy.
He was so different to Ralph. Kind, gentle, good fun to be with.
Considerate. The thought, almost too good to be true, flashed into her mind and straight out again.
Somehow she knew Guy was the genuine article and the loveliest man she had ever met.
Invited to have a nightcap with him every evening until she left was something to look forward to.
Calling her his new best friend and hinting he wanted her in his future all sounded positive, but what would happen after the retreat finished on Sunday and she flew back to England?
Would that be the end for them? Or would they find a way to make it work?
The sensible thing would be to enjoy spending time with him knowing it would end soon and to remember she was here to work, not to have a romantic fling.
Yes, that was how she would deal with it – keep her expectations low and enjoy Guy’s company as often as she could.
She wasn’t a naive teenager, she was a grown woman with a mind of her own.
She also knew life didn’t always grant your wishes.
* * *
Later that morning after the informal session with Sandy and the others, Liz and Isobel helped themselves to coffee and biscuits and settled themselves on the terrace table with Lorraine. Helen and Mandy both disappeared off to their rooms to work. There had been no sign of Becky all morning.
‘Let’s hope scary editor likes my edits,’ Isobel said, pressing her email button with a sigh. ‘And away they fly. Now to play around with some ideas for a book in a new genre.’
Liz was reading through the words she’d written yesterday and doing a slight copyedit when Becky appeared.
‘Sandy suggested I asked you to read some of my story, so I’ve sent you three the first two chapters. If you don’t want to read them, just delete and forget it. I’m not sure I’m cut out to be a novelist anyway. Thanks.’ And Becky turned and walked away.
The three of them stayed silent as they watched her disappear into the villa.
‘Anybody else feel that Becky is not her usual self this morning?’ Liz asked.
* * *
After dinner that evening walking back up the stairs together to their respective bedrooms, Lorraine turned to Becky. ‘Do you have plans for the rest of the evening? More writing?’
‘I usually do some social media scheduling for an hour or two before bed,’ Becky said.
‘I’ve been looking at your social media sites, they are so good. I was wondering whether you would have time to give me a few tips about good content for Instagram and how to create it? I find it difficult and I really need to up my game, as they say.’
‘Of course I can help,’ Becky said enthusiastically. ‘Come on, where’s your phone? I love showing people how this stuff works.’
Once in Becky’s room, they sat side by side on the bed and Becky took over Lorraine’s phone and opened the Instagram app.
‘Right, you’ve been doing mainly stories,’ Becky said.
‘You need to do posts as well, they stay around longer than stories, and also reels are very popular right now. I know everyone thinks I’m slightly mad taking photographs of everything, but my first tip is you can never take too many photos.
’ Becky’s fingers started to fly over the keyboard.
‘My next tip would be – you need to watch the videos in your professional dashboard.’
‘I do?’ Lorraine said. ‘I didn’t even realise I had one of those.’
‘The link is on your profile page.’
Within minutes, Becky was showing Lorraine the post she’d created to publicise her latest book.
‘Want to schedule it for tomorrow or post it now?’
‘Now, please.’
Becky moved the cursor, pressed the small arrow and the post went live. ‘There you go.’
‘Tomorrow morning, take a couple of pictures of the beach before you go swimming, post one with a caption like “guess where I am?” And a selfie of you would be good too.’ Becky handed Lorraine her phone back.
‘Thank you,’ Lorraine said.
Becky glanced at her. ‘Can I ask you something?’
‘Of course.’
‘Have you always wanted to write novels?’
‘Yes, ever since I was a little girl, but I didn’t start until I was twenty-five or so. How about you?’
Becky shook her head. ‘Writing a novel has never been my dream like that. And I’ve learnt this week that it’s not easy. Being an influencer is much easier than being a novelist,’ she laughed. ‘I feel a bit of a fraud being on the retreat.’
‘I don’t think you’re a fraud,’ Lorraine said quietly. ‘The retreat is for anyone interested in writing and you’ve already written a book – a book that was a bestseller too.’ She gave Becky a serious look. ‘What was your dream as a child?’
Becky gave a short laugh. ‘I didn’t dream much as a child but I was determined to live as different a life as possible to the one I had then.’ There was a short silence before Becky shrugged her shoulders. ‘Time for bed I think. See you at breakfast.’