Not Meeting Mr Right Read Online Free PDF Page A

isn't some patronising
attempt to help Blackfellas, and it's not about making
herself feel warm and fuzzy about being in the cause
either. Some might see it as her bit for reconciliation,
but Liza has a holistic approach. Her philosophy is that
helping anyone in any way makes the world generally a
better place to live. I love that about her. Also, I think she
enjoys pissing her parents off. They're really well-known
solicitors. They wanted her to join the family firm, and
hate that she works at the ALS for next to nothing. She
does heaps of pro bono work as well, which her parents
simply don't understand. They didn't walk the Harbour
Bridge with her in 2000, and she didn't speak to them
for months afterwards. She is so passionate about social
justice that she has culled almost everyone from her life
who doesn't think like she does. She can be extreme,
but that's what I like about her.
    Once we were in a restaurant when another member
of our group – a friend of a friend – kept putting on a
racist Indian accent. Liza was furious; she threw money
into the middle of the table and stormed out, shouting,
'I only want to surround myself with people who think
like I do!' She was accused of being narrow-minded,
but I agreed totally with her, and followed her out. That
was when we became really close.
    Peta, Dannie and I watched Liza tear off pages from
her notepad and lay them on the table. Then she pulled
pens from her bag. I imagine this is what she does as
part of preparing for a case, but I can't be sure, because
I've never really seen her in action. Unlike most of my
girlfriends, Liza is all for confidentiality. If she learns
something at work that she thinks I really should be on
top of or might just be interested in knowing, she'll tell
me, 'What I'm hearing out there is ...' or 'The word on
the street is ...', but she never gives away anything she
shouldn't. She's a good confidant, which is why I felt
safe pouring out all my business in her presence. I knew
she'd take it to the grave. She better.
    'Okay, so let's be clear about your goal first.' Liza was
methodical, too. 'What exactly is it?'
    'Haven't you been listening? I want to meet Mr Right
and get married and I want to have a HUGE, all-starcast,
social-event-of-the-year wedding!'
    'Okay, Muriel, good. Is there a timeframe?'
    'Hey, I'm no Muriel. I'm not constantly fantasising
about getting married.' (I had of course fantasised, but
not constantly, and I hadn't been trying on dresses –
there was a difference.)
    Peta coughed and laughed. 'Bullshit.'
    'Can we focus, please? Is there a timeframe, Alice?'
Liza asked again.
    'By my thirtieth birthday!' Had she been hearing
me at all? But Liza was just in lawyer mode, doublechecking
the facts.
    'Right, that gives us just under two years. Now, how
would you define Mr Right, Alice?' Liza was talking to
me as though I was a client and she was questioning
me on the stand. I didn't mind, though, because it was
all helpful.
    'You want a definition?'
    'Well, in order to know who Mr Right is when you
meet him, you should have some idea of what you're
looking for.' Liza was so, so organised. 'You talk and
I'll scribe. Let's start with the most obvious of your
requirements. What must he be or have?'
    'He must be single, straight and wanting to be
in a relationship. Not like Gus, who was already in a
relationship, or bi-Max, who was just discovering his
sexuality at the age of twenty-five, or Richard, who
preferred watching football to having sex.' At least my
past lovers had taught me something.
    'Did Richard really choose the game over you?' Peta
was astonished. She'd known him from around the
traps as well.
    'Sure thing. I asked him straight out if he'd rather go
to the football or spend the afternoon making love, and
his response was ...'
    The girls waited anxiously for the answer.
    'Depends on which code!'
    'What!' they all screamed. I was sure my neighbours
could hear us.
    'Okay, so what else? Let's keep it moving, Alice.'