Free Mr Not Quite Good Enough by Lauri Kubuitsile Page A

I’m not one of them. I want a husband and I want kids, not just my career. I want everything.”
    â€œAmbitious, huh?” Ozee said with a gentle smile, and she knew he wasn’t mocking her.
    â€œYes,” answered Gorata. “I’m looking for my Mr Right, just like you said the other night. From where you stand, it probably looks pretty chaotic, but that’s all I’m doing. This girl is just trying to find the right boy for her, and sadly, she’s not doing such a good job of it.”
    Gorata looked down at the grass and suddenly felt very sad. It was true, she was failing. Maybe she’d never find the right man. Did everyone give up their dream in the end? Would she end up marrying just anyone, hoping it would work out? Was that why marriages failed so quickly? Was that why so many women were either stuck in loveless marriages or getting divorced?
    Maybe it was all a lie anyway; maybe there was no Mr Right. Maybe it was time Gorata just accepted the inevitable – either to search forever or settle for second best.
    Ozee lay back against the steps so that he could look at her, then he sat up straight and took her face in his hands. “The problem with you is that you don’t know what you’re looking for. You think you do, but you don’t.”
    Then he pulled her face to his and kissed her. He was not one for half measures, she could tell. He kissed her as if today was the end of days, as if they would never see each other again, as if he’d been waiting his whole life for this kiss only.
    After what felt like forever, Ozee leaned back and Gorata tried to get a breath and calm her heart. She’d never been kissed like this before, with so much passion and urgency. Her body raced inside and she wanted to pull him back to her, she wanted to sneak him into the house, into her room.
    She was just leaning forward to kiss him again when someone came up to them.
    â€œHey, I’ve been looking all over for you.”
    Gorata looked up and there was Alfred. What was he doing here? She hadn’t seen him since their disastrous date months ago.
    â€œPlease, can we talk? It’s urgent. Please,” he said.
    He looked dishevelled and uncomfortable. He certainly wasn’t used to the kind of crowd Mmandu had gathered together in the garden. He didn’t even notice Gorata was with someone else. He was upset and awkward, out of his element.
    Ozee stood up and moved to the side. “I’ll talk to you later,” was all he said to Gorata, then he disappeared into the crowd.
    How could he just leave after a kiss like that, a kiss that opened a whole new world for her? Gorata wanted to go after him, but Alfred sat down next to her and took her arm.
    â€œI’ve been thinking about us. I’d like us to get back together.”
    Gorata heard Alfred speak but didn’t take in anything. All she wanted was to get to Ozee. But it was as if she were frozen, stuck in a place she didn’t like, longing to get to the man she needed.
    Alfred pulled her close and tried to kiss her on the lips Ozee had just kissed. Gorata turned her cheek. She couldn’t allow such a desecration of something so important, so sacred.
    But Alfred wasn’t put off. He persisted.
    â€œI thought we were taking a break. Why did you come here?” Gorata asked, annoyed.
    â€œI don’t know. I just kept thinking about you. I realised I liked you much more than I thought I did. I love you.”
    Gorata was angry. Why did men assume that women would just be waiting for them?
    She was about to tell Alfred to bugger off when he fell to one knee. He pulled a small box from his pocket and opened it to reveal the largest diamond ring she had ever seen. “Will you marry me, Gorata?”
    She looked around to see if anyone had noticed Alfred kneeling in front of her. Fortunately everyone was partying, but then she saw Ozee. He stood at the far end of the garden, yet she