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“Got it,” Paige said, closing the safe and inserting the key into the front door.
The white wooden boards of the porch creaked as the two of them dragged their luggage into the open doorway, gazing around with bright eyes. “Wow, it’s so pretty.”
Everything inside was whitewashed and breezy, as though the sea air had seeped into every crack and crevice of the building and called it its own. The furniture was white rattan layered with blue accents, and touches of nautical aesthetics were minimal but effective.
The cottage was all one level, and the kitchen opened directly into the lounge, with large bay windows overlooking the sea outside. The white shutters were all drawn up, basking the rooms in warm sunlight.
Directly on the left was a small coat closet, and at the end of the hallway was the bedroom with an ensuite. Olivia had already told Paige they would have to share the room, but they would have their own beds, so she hadn’t minded the compromise.
With one hand still clutching her case, Paige used the other to push open the bedroom door and peer inside.
The lower half of the walls were made of white wainscot panelling, and the top half was painted a light coral blue. The furniture was the same white rattan as the rest of the cottage, accented with seashells and starfish, and a sand-coloured jute rug stretched out across the oak floor.
It was exactly what Paige had been expecting, until her gaze landed on the bed.
“Um, Olivia?”
“Yeah?”
“I thought you said there were twin beds,” Paige said, the handle of her travel case slipping against her palm.
“That’s what it said on the website. Why?” Olivia came up behind her, a soft breath touching Paige’s neck. “Oh.”
Instead of two single-sized twin beds, there was only a queen-size divan in the middle of the room, a lush sea-coloured throw draped over the edge.
“I swear it said there were two beds,” Olivia said, cupping her chin with her fingers as she stepped into the room. “There must have been a mistake on the website.”
Paige bit at her nails. Would this mean they’d have to share? Somehow, that thought bothered her more than it should.
Already accepting the situation for what it was, Olivia shrugged, tossing her suitcase into the corner of the room and jumping onto the bed, creasing the white bedspread. “Oh well. Guess we’ll just have to share.”
“Um… I can sleep on the settee. There’s one in the living room.”
Olivia rolled her eyes. “It’s no biggie,” she said. “I promise I don’t snore,” she added with an unruly grin that made Paige wonder if she was lying. It had been more than a few years since their last sleepover, and Paige couldn’t remember what it was like.
“If you’re sure,” Paige finally said, shifting her feet and trying not to think too hard about the fact they’d be sharing a bed. They were just friends, after all. Paige had definitely shared a bed with Olivia before.
So why did this feel so different?
“Let’s get unpacked, have a cuppa, then head down to the beach. Sound good?”
Paige forced herself to smile, banishing the thoughts from her mind. “Sounds great.”
“I just need to top up my suncream, and I’ll be ready,” Paige said, grabbing her bottle of Factor 50 and squirting a dollop into the palm of her hand.
Olivia leaned against the bedroom doorframe, folding her arms. “Put any more of that on and you’ll look like a ghost,” she commented.
Paige ignored her, rubbing the lotion onto her face before lathering it onto her arms and legs. “Unlike you, I burn easily. Must be the Irish blood in me.”
“I’ll go and pack some towels, in case we go for a paddle,” Olivia said, calling over her shoulder: “You’d better be ready by the time I’m done.”
Once Paige had finished slathering her body with suncream, the two of them grabbed their bags, slipped on their shoes, and headed out into the mid-afternoon heat.
Everything was cast in a golden haze as they descended the slope down onto the beach, Olivia’s sandals clicking against her heel. There was a pleasant breeze rolling off the sea, blowing sand against their ankles.
“We should try and get down early tomorrow,” Olivia said, raking her gaze over the dozens of towels and beach chairs and parasols already occupied by families, “before it gets too crowded.”
“One of the perks of being right by the sea,” Paige added. “We don’t have to wake up ridiculously early to claim our spot.”
