Read Online Looking for Love by Kathy Bosman - Free Book Online Page B

my gourmet omelette
special.”
    “ I’ll make breakfast. You’ve all
done enough.”
    The thought made her want to
crawl under her duvet and sleep for days. But she felt good. And grateful.
They’d done so much for her. They’d helped her get the whole ball
rolling. The ladies were her best friends.
    While she set up their makeshift beds, the
tired, sick-of-a-long-day part of her felt a little blue. How would
she manage without Ross’s support in this? He’d always been there
for her when she nearly left her job a few years back due to
relationship problems with a colleague. Now, what if she hit a snag
in the road? She’d be all on her own.
    Too bad. He
could be a stubborn mule. Forget him. Revel in the moment.
     
    ***
     
    Monday evening, Ella had forgotten about
Ross and his new strange ways and had a new, very troubling
concern.
    One of her
clients.
    He sat before her in all his
masculine-infused glory , and all she could do was swallow nervously and
nod, listening to his long explanation of his rocky romantic
history. Trying not to show her attraction to him could be a great
effort.
    The poor guy. He’d been messed
around big time. She could so relate. Hence the rather over-exuberant nods
and concerned frowns.
    “ I’m sorry. TMI,” he said and
gazed at her with a piercing look that made her shudder
inwardly.
    “ No, not at all. This is why
you’re here.” Well, sort of. Part and parcel of working with The
Album —she had
to give the impression that she needed to know all these things
about people to find a match. Yet, in the short time she’d dealt
with less than a dozen clients, she’d learned a hang of a lot about
human relationships. This part-time job and possible future career
sure piqued her interest.
    “ Do you think I have a chance of finding the right woman in
this city? Or anyone in South Africa, for that matter?”
    “ Here I am. Help yourself.” Get a
hold of yourself, El. You hardly know him. He’s cute, yeah, but
untouchable, being one of your clients.
    “ There are always at least a
hundred almost-perfect matches for you somewhere in the
world . Well,
that’s what I believe.” The Album had proven to her already that true love did exist
for some people—she’d matched up three potentially perfect couples
already. Hope had begun to blossom in her heart for her friends.
And herself. Maybe they could find love; it didn’t seem such an
elusive thing, after all.
    Maybe love sat
right before her eyes.
    He smiled at
her, an amused expression in his eyes and playing at his mouth.
What a sexy, pouty mouth for a man.
    “ You seem far away,” he said.
    “ Just thinking about my own misadventures in love.”
    “ Oh, so you’ve had them, too?
Tell me about them. I’m keen to know.” He bent forward and placed
his forearms flat on the desk, his straight-jagged-cut hair
flopping onto his forehead and stealing her breath right out her
chest. She took in three calming inhalations.
    “ Do you really want to hear my sad, sorry story?”
    “ You gave me some sympathy. I’d like to return the
kindness.”
    “ But I’m your…”
    He merely stared at her and
electricity pulsed from his eyes into her body like a jolt of power
unknown to man, or rather, woman. Whoa!
    “ Oh, well, let’s start with my
first relationship after school. The guy ended up dating my friend
instead—after a painful break up. Then there was Patrick. He was so
pushy and wanted everything for himself but didn’t bother to give
anything back. Marius actually stole money from my purse. And
David, well, he got tired of me after only six months. That one
hurt—I really liked him.”
    “ Loved him?”
    “ I don’t know.” What is love? She’d better not say
that posing as a ‘love therapist.’
    He stretched
out his hand and touched her palm. The fingers did a knee-jerk
reaction of curling inward, mirroring her toes and the sensation in
her abdomen.
    “ Have you ever considered dating one of