Mr Not Quite Good Enough by Lauri Kubuitsile Read Free Book Online

team. You have all the brains; you know about marketing and public relations and investment. We could do wonders together.”
    Gorata tried to ignore his words and concentrate on how nice it was being in his arms and how lovely the music sounded. His words had echoes of what the journalists were saying. Marriage was a business arrangement. A way to increase your economic advantage in a competitive world. Had she also been subconsciously viewing marriage like everyone else? All along she’d thought she was a romantic, but was she also a jaded pragmatist like Henry?
    She did like Showa; maybe she could even learn to love him one day. He had so many wonderful traits, she’d be a fool to pass him by. Everyone knew that, everyone except herself.
    The music ended and Showa kissed her on the lips. He held her for a moment and she relaxed in his arms. “Please think about my proposal again, darling,” he said before leading her back to their table. Gorata was happy to see her cake was still there.
    They’d hardly sat down when a tall woman approached the table. She was dark and beautiful, but her face was hard. Gorata didn’t pay her much attention at first since she was busy wondering why more desserts didn’t pair cherries and chocolate together when they were such a fantastic duo.
    â€œGood evening,” the woman said to Gorata. “I’m Mandisa.”
    Gorata looked up. “Nice to meet you,” she said, shaking the woman’s hand.
    Mandisa nodded curtly at Showa, making Gorata wonder what was going on.
    â€œNot here.” Showa’s face was stern and he turned away to indicate the conversation was over. Gorata was surprised, as she’d never seen him being rude to anyone before, especially in public.
    Mandisa spoke to Gorata instead. She held out her cellphone, struggling to speak in English. “These . . . these are the children for Showa . . . Showa and myself.”
    Confused, Gorata took the phone. What was this woman talking about? Children? Showa? She’d never been told about any children. She looked at the phone, and two smiling children looked back at her. Mandisa said, “I am Showa’s wife.”
    Showa’s head whipped around. “No, you’re not!” he spat at her. Then he turned to Gorata. “She’s not telling the truth. She is not my wife. We were never legally married. Ignore her, she just came here to cause trouble.”
    Gorata was still holding Mandisa’s phone in her hand. She looked down at the two children. The boy looked about ten and the girl maybe five. She looked up at Showa.
    He snatched the phone from her, shoved it back at Mandisa and then grabbed Gorata’s hands in his. “You need to believe me. I’m not married to this woman, not legally. Yes, those are my children, but I’ve moved on from her. We have nothing in common any more. You, you are the woman I want in my life.”
    Gorata looked up at Mandisa. “I didn’t know any of this. He never told me.”
    â€œWe stay together. I knew there was someone else, so I came here to see,” Mandisa explained. She spoke with no anger; more than anything, Gorata heard sadness in her voice – sadness caused by her. And Showa.
    Gorata pulled her hands back from Showa. She got up and put her arms around Mandisa. “I’m so sorry for any pain I caused you and your children. I never would have gone out with Showa if I knew.”
    â€œThank you,” Mandisa said.
    Walking out of the dining room, Gorata could hear Showa racing after her. At the door, he grabbed her by the shoulder. She pulled away and he grabbed her again, roughly. When she turned back to speak to him, Gorata saw Henry making for them.
    â€œLeave her alone,” Henry said, now standing next to Showa. He suddenly looked very big and scary, nothing like the wizened journo persona he usually showed the world.
    Showa looked at Henry and let