‘So long as I’m not intruding on your date.’

‘How many times do I have to say it?’ I sigh. ‘It’s absolutely not a date.’

20

Day 8

It’s hard to say if the water is blue or green – it’s both, depending on when and where you look. No matter what colour it appears, it glistens under the hot summer sunshine. It looks so inviting, like a warm, velvety blanket I want to wrap myself up in.

The beach on this side of the island is massive. At one end it is seemingly deserted and natural, with a stretch of near-white sand separating the sea from the forest. As you walk along the beach, it gradually transforms, eventually unveiling the more resort-looking side. There’s a large building, built into the side of the rocks, which I believe is filled with more restaurants and shops. Just down from there, practically on the sand, there’s a beach bar. Along with the large, well-stocked bar, there’s a large stage and a dance floor, which I think is where all the buzz was coming from last night.

No matter which part of the beach you opt for, it’s busy, with loved-up couples everywhere, sunbathing together looking as relaxed as they would in their own bed, or floating around in the sea holding hands, like a pair of sea otters.

All of the sunloungers are in pairs, but with me sitting with Freddie, and Ali being here alone, it means that we have a spare, entirely redundant seat, which we’ve covered in snacks and drinks.

It’s great having Ali here, if only because I felt comfortable asking her to rub sun cream into the hard-to-reach places on my back. I don’t think I would’ve dared to ask Freddie to do it, and I absolutely need it. Ali has talked me into wearing my bikini – I don’t think I would’ve done it without her pep talk. I keep draping an arm self-consciously across my midriff, but then I realise that I’ll tan with a big white arm mark across my stomach so I move it.

It’s a great vibe here, with people of all ages, shapes, nationalities and sexual orientations. It really does feel like a utopia for couples. If the world ended, and I had someone who cared about me, I could happily hole up here. Plus, with all the big beds and aphrodisiacs, it wouldn’t be long before everyone repopulated the world.

The three of us have been hanging out, enjoying the sunshine, eating and drinking as we listened to the live band playing in the beach bar. We’ve all been getting to know each other too, and by that I mean Ali has been asking Freddie a bunch of personal questions, and she’s been offering up a bunch of unsolicited ‘too much information’ in return.

It feels so wonderful lying here, with the warm sun on my skin, and beautiful music in my ears. And the smells! The sea, the smell of my coconut-scented sun cream – even the smell of the crisps we’re eating – they’re all part of the summer-holiday experience.