Read Online Husband Hunters by Genevieve Gannon - Free Book Online Page B

about him, are you?’ Daniela smacked it out of her hand. ‘We have to break that habit.’
    ‘I can’t help it,’ Clem protested. ‘It’s a compulsion. There’s a reason they say: “I’m crazy about him”, not “I enjoy his company in a rational way”.’
    ‘I thought you said you never wanted to see him again,’ Annabel said.
    ‘I know.’ Clem shook her head. ‘I’m being stupid.’
    The wedding had reminded her how little she really knew about Jason. Amanda was so different to her; the man she loved wouldn’t have picked a woman like her. And then there had been Damon. From what Clementine could tell, he was Jason’s best friend and she had never even heard of him.
    ‘Just keep reminding yourself he’s married,’ said Annabel.
    Clementine twisted her ring again. The band had grown loose. Along with her future and the love of her life, she had lost seven kilograms in the breakup.
    ‘He won’t stop messaging me,’ she said. ‘Some theorists believe our scents hold clues about our biological makeup that help us pick partners who would be good genetic matches. It’s like there’s something buried deep in my being that’s drawn to him. It’s more than just his smile and his sense of humour. It’s primitive; as instinctive as a survival mechanism.’
    ‘But what about your career?’ Dani leaned forward and lowered her voice. ‘If word of the affair gets out, it won’t survive.’
    ‘I know, I know!’ Clem jammed her phone back into her bag. ‘I have to keep away from him.’
    ‘Don’t worry,’ said Annabel. ‘We’ll find you a husband of your own. Someone else who’s perfect for you. So’— she reached for the wine list — ‘how does this work?’
    Clementine chewed her lip. ‘It doesn’t have to be anything radical. We’re just going to be, you know, strategic. If, say, Dani, you wanted to meet a guy who plays rugby, we’d go along to some games with you. Maybe a sports bar or two.’
    ‘How do we know who to target?’ Dani said.
    ‘Well there’s one thing that’s non-negotiable for me,’ said Annabel.
    ‘Yes?’ The other two looked at her.
    ‘Manners.’
    ‘Manners?’ Daniela pulled the face you might make if you found out your date enjoyed eating his own earwax. ‘I thought we wanted men, not Martha Stewart?’
    ‘Think about it,’ said Annabel. ‘Manners mean he’s considerate. He’ll never leave you waiting. He’ll never be slovenly. Manners are about thinking about the people around you. If we’re going for a purely utilitarian husband, I’d like one who is respectful.’
    ‘Okay,’ said Dani. ‘I guess I’d like a husband with big muscles.’
    ‘You don’t want him to be too perfect,’ Annabel said. ‘I get self-conscious about my body when I’m with a man who has Fabio abs.’
    ‘And it’s not really supposed to be about what they look like,’ Clem said.
    ‘He has to be fun,’ said Daniela.
    ‘Kind,’ said Annabel. ‘No tempers.’
    ‘Solvent,’ Clem said, thinking of Jason’s ivory French cuffs and silk ties.
    In the weeks since ending their relationship she had tried to focus on finding an alternative to Jason. Someone like him, but not him. She saw possible future dates everywhere. She projected personalities onto the business men smiling at her from cafés and on trains. Even billboard posters. There was a Ralph Lauren model spruiking a blue double-breasted suit on a bus shelter near her office whom she was particularly fond of. In her imagination she named him Tim. He was a cardiologist. Every time she walked past him she thought ‘There could be someone like Tim out there waiting to meet you, but it will never happen if you don’t stop moping over Jason.’ She ignored the striking resemblance between the two of them.
    ‘And most importantly, single,’ Dani said, snatching the phone that was once again in Clementine’s hand.
    ‘I’m so tired of men telling me they’re just not ready to settle down with one woman,’