page10 (1/2)

Frankly, he preferred the Harriet who’d wept in his arms

‘You’re not eating your bagel,’ she said as she coolly stirred her flat white ‘And your coffee will get cold You kno you hate lukewarm coffee’

‘I also hate not havingof black coffee and glaring at her over the rim

Harriet knew she had annoyed him; knew he’d taken her statement as a personal criticism It had been seriously foolish of her to tell him about Dwayne’s accusation But it was too late now So Alex further

Make light of it, girl Turn it round so that it’s your failing and not his And don’t, for pity’s sake, repeat the word ‘stupid’ in context with falling in love with hie!

‘The thing is,’ she said in a lighter, less emotional voice, ‘I realised a few years back that if I wanted to get married and have childrenwhich I did; which I still do, actuallythat I had to stop dating a certain type of man I—’

‘And what type is that?’ Alex interrupted before she could go on

‘Oh, you know Your type’

‘My type?’

Oh, dear, she’d done it again She’d opened her big mouth and put her foot in it ‘Well, not exactly your type, Alex,’ she said with a ‘butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth’ smile ‘You are rather unique As you are aware, I’ve worked in real estate ever since I came to Sydney when I enty Girls usually date men theyreal-estate salesift of the gab, but not exactly the uy’

‘I see,’ Alex said thoughtfully ‘Go on’

Harriet was glad to see that Alex had lost his disgruntled expression, his blue eyes no longer cold and steely

‘By the ti my time on men like that So I sat down and made a checklist of what I wanted in a husband’

‘A checklist?’ he repeated, looking both surprised and amused

‘Find it funny if you like Emily certainly does’

‘Who’s Emily? Your sister?’

‘No Elish teacher who flatted with h her that I met Dwayne’