Avoiding Mr Right Read Online Free PDF Page B

doesn't it?'
    'Not at all, I always have a little party for myself when
I come here. This is the only place I get to read and have a
quiet drink anyway, so I completely understand. My name's
Mark.' He shook my hand and held it a few seconds too
long to be just friendly.
    'I'm Peta,' I said quickly, and withdrew my hand. James's
tears were still drying on my collar. I pushed my sunnies
down and opened my magazine, trying not to notice that
Mark was still staring at me.
    My flight was delayed as the weather was poor in
Melbourne. I laughed to myself, knowing the girls would
have gone to town with that information. I didn't care about
the delay – I just had a few more drinks. The more I drank,
though, the more I wanted to shove my entire fist into the
lidded jar full of corn chips. And the plates were just too
small to put anything of any substance onto them. They
were smaller than a saucer. That would be my constructive
feedback to QANTAS as a first-time visitor. Bigger jars
and bigger plates for the nibblies.
    I could probably have spent the entire day in the QC –
which I decided was a groovier name for the place – and
just hang out and chill. I could probably meet men as well,
if that were my intention. I'd already met two in the course
of thirty minutes. But my thoughts were disturbed by a
noise, an annoying noise – a kid, no, two kids, whining,
whining, moaning, and crying. I looked around to see if
it was bothering anyone else, but it didn't seem to be. I
thought the QC was a place for peace, for grown-ups, for
businesspeople, and policy-making departmental types like
me. Not kids and certainly not spoilt kids at that. Noisy,
naughty, annoying brats who whine and moan even when
they are in the QC and can have all the cold meat and soft
cheese they want and an endless supply of gin'n'tonic, or
Australian wine, or beer. Kids are so ungrateful. Then my
mobile rang. It was James.
    'It's me.' He sounded tired.
    'Hi. Where are you?'
    'In the car park.'
    'What? Why? Flat battery?'
    'Flat heart.'
    My heart sank. While I felt sorry for James and his flat
heart weeping in the car park, I didn't feel at all compelled
to put down my very tasty gin'n'tonic or my soft cheese and
go find him.
    'Ladies and gentlemen, this is the first and final boarding
call for QANTAS flight 433 to Melbourne. Your flight is
now boarding through Gate 6.'
    'They're calling my flight, baby, I have to go. I'll call you
tonight.'
    'I love you.' He said it with pain.
    'You too.' And I turned my phone off.
    Reality kicked in. I was on my way to Melbourne for
twelve months, but I felt like a kid going on a school
excursion to the zoo. I picked up my bag and book, sipped
the last of my drink and made my way out of the lounge.
    ♥
    I went to grab the first of my cases off the carousel and
a young guy in black jeans and jumper grabbed it for me.
He then leaned over and grabbed his guitar case as well.
Chivalry was alive and well in Victoria. Musos too it
seemed. I'd heard there was a healthy live music scene in
Melbourne and I was looking forward to checking it out
as part of the new job. I was impressed with my first few
minutes in my new home.
    At the taxi rank I turned on my phone. There were two
messages from Alice, one from Dannie and one from Liza.
    Miss u already, how's the weather? X A
    P.S. It's gorgeous day @ Coogee, bout 2 go 4 swim. X A
    Skype me as soon as you're set up. Miss u, LIZA
    Don't light up cos ur homesick, Dannie
    It was muggy and overcast, but at least the rain had stopped.
This was Melbourne summer and I was just glad that the
girls weren't there to see it. I would never live it down. I
sent them a text:
    Just landed, weather STUNNING, no ciggies, in touch afta shoppin,
Luv ya, Px

six
Settling in fine, with vegan
wine and a place that's mine
    The Rialto building was the flashest office tower I'd ever
seen. We didn't have the penthouse suite, but we weren't
doing too badly for