AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘Are you okay?’
‘I’m fine, thanks,’ Millie replied, a smile tugging her lips.
‘Do you think you could loosen your grip a little then? I’m not a fan of medieval torture and your fingernails are sharp enough to be pressed into service on a bed of nails!’
‘Oops, sorry!’
Millie relaxed her grasp and instead of dwelling on the unfamiliar reaction she had just experienced to Zach’s proximity, she concentrated her attention on the way the afternoon sun washed the dark volcanic triangles of the Pitons in a golden hue, producing a frame of fire for their beauty.
They arrived in Soufrière a few minutes later and she heaved a sigh of relief when she dismounted in the town’s main street, a corridor of vibrant Caribbean entertainment no matter what the browser’s preference. Restaurants and cafés fought for space with souvenir shops and excursion vendors; chapels of consumerism designed to tempt the unwary into parting with their holiday dollars. Tourists spilled out from the beachside bars, swaying their hips to the calypso and reggae rhythms, safe in the knowledge that the office would not beckon the next day.
Nestled at the far end of the main street was the Purple Parrot. Its thatched roof and wide-open shutters were exactly as Millie had expected. The door was ajar, and, as she stepped inside, the scent of the sweet hibiscus which dangled like a lei garland around the eaves floated into her nostrils.
At the rear, the bar’s wide wooden veranda led directly onto the beach and was set with an eclectic collection of tables and chairs. Diners lingered over their freshly ground coffees and exotic cocktails whilst other patrons had removed their shoes and taken to the sand to dance to the muted virtuoso of sounds rippling from the speakers on the steps.
A young couple had ventured as far as the waves, shoving each other closer and closer into the froth of the ebb and flow, alternately laughing and shrieking with objection as they dashed away from an inevitable soaking.
‘Come on. I’ll introduce you to Andrew.’
Zach guided Millie to the bar where the proprietor of the Purple Parrot was shaking a cocktail as if auditioning for a starring role in a Tom Cruise movie. His eyes constantly flicked around the room; clearly a man with an ingrained habit of checking his diners’ needs. His lined face cracked into a smile when he spotted them approaching.
‘Hey, Zach! Great to see you, man… and your girlfriend.’ He wiped his palms on the front of his chef’s whites before grabbing Millie’s fingers and raising them to his lips. ‘Landed yourself a beauty this time.’
Millie saw Zach roll his eyes. Clearly this was a well-worn routine between the friends. ‘Andrew, this is Amelia Harper. She’s here to help set up the Paradise Cookery School for Claudia. She’s brought you an abundance of delicious pastries to distribute to your lucky customers – free of charge. Oh, and be nice to her. No teasing – she’s French.’
‘Ignore him. I’m actually half French. What’s the problem with being French, anyway?’ She shot Zach a withering look, but he was so busy opening the boxes of cakes that he missed it. ‘Please, call me Millie. It’s good to meet you, Andrew.’
‘Millie enjoyed a feverish frenzy in the kitchen this morning and seriously overestimated her appetite. Couldn’t let all these goodies go to waste. There’s probably over a hundred chocolate cupcakes in here.’
‘Wow,’ exclaimed Andrew. ‘Thank you very much, Millie. They smell divine. Do you think we should we give them a taste-test first?’
‘Great idea! We wouldn’t want to risk poisoning your clientele, especially in these economically difficult times,’ smirked Zach.
Andrew shook his head before turning his attention back to Millie. ‘It’s really kind of you, Millie. Thanks again.’
‘No problem.’
‘Can you squeeze us in for a late lunch, Andy? You look slammed.’
Andrew’s jawline tightened and his mahogany eyes narrowed. ‘Jake hasn’t turned up yet. It’s the second time this week he’s missed a shift. Why don’t you grab a table on the veranda, and I’ll send Lottie over to take your order when she’s finished mooning over Dylan. Oh, and Zach? Don’t forget to introduce Millie to one of my signature cocktails!’
Andrew allowed a faint twist of his lips to soften his features as he thrusted his red bandana higher up his forehead to push back his ebony curls from his face. Clearly, he wore the kerchief as a symbol of his celebrity chef hipness, but it didn’t work and served only to emphasize his tired, crumpled features. He strode back into the kitchen to supervise the cooking.
Millie followed Zach to a table overlooking the dappled sands of Soufrière beach. They turned their heads in unison as a shriek of laughter pierced the air and a young girl came flying towards the steps, sand scattering in her slipstream, her long magenta locks tossed high above her head like a wild Medusa as she tried to escape from the guy chasing her. He caught her by the waist, and they fell together onto the beach where they proceeded to roll like a pair of underweight sumo wrestlers.
‘Lottie! Put Dylan down! We could do with some service over here,’ Zach laughed, before lowering his voice to Millie. ‘Another gap-year lingerer. As you can see, Lottie not only appreciates the stunning Caribbean scenery and the laid-back lifestyle we have in abundance in St Lucia, but also enjoys playing the lead role in her own personal romcom with our resident beach guy.’
The couple leapt up the wooden treads to join Zach and Millie. After introductions, Lottie floated off into the bar to collect the tray of cocktails Andrew had prepared whilst she had been on her break. She delivered them with a wide smile to the group of diners who were clearly on their fourth or fifth sampling of the Purple Parrot’s legendary beverage.
‘Great to meet you, Millie. I’m Dylan. I own the diving school over there.’
Dylan proudly indicated the ramshackle shed at the far side of the restaurant where surfboards, dinghies and wetsuits had been crammed into a wire cage sealed with two huge barn doors painted with a flag of sunflower yellow, crimson, and green. A rusted hand-painted sign declared it to be ‘Dylan’s Dive Shack’.
‘Fancy a trip out in the boat whilst you’re here? The reef is spectacular, we’re right next to the marine reserve. I can guarantee you’ll get close up and personal with turtles, octopus and parrotfish, maybe even a seahorse or two.’
‘I’d love to, thanks, Dylan. Maybe next week, though. I want to get the kitchen renovations at the villa under way as soon as possible. Claudia’s relying on me to make sure everything is perfect and delivered on schedule. I think I might have my work cut out.’
‘Ah, yes, I heard Claudia was setting up an upmarket culinary experience. Good luck to her.’
