Sir Arthur

• Forty-five

"Faye! Lily!" Kim shouted from the entrance once she'd spotted her friends at their usual table by the the corner.

The girls excitedly waved over and Kim sprinted over leaving the three men behind. It felt like forever since she last saw them. Faye had just gotten back from Sua and Lily had been with Gerald during the Hawa celebrations.

"Kim, we missed you." The girls said simultaneously as they flung their arms around each other. It was the longest they'd ever been apart.

"I missed you both," Kim pulled back to get a look their faces, "you're even glowing than before." Faye and Lily glanced at each other then back at Kim.

"You definitely outdo us all." Lily added as she glanced briefly over Kim's shoulder. "Totally," Faye leaned forward in the teasing as she saw Sir Arthur watching them curiously.

"Hello ladies," Gwen spoke when the two men beside him didn't speak. One too busy watching his girl, the other awestruck as if he'd seen someone famous.

"Gwen, who is he?" Lily straight-forwardly asked about the new addition. "Yes, who is he?" Faye eyed him up and down assessing him.

"Why don't we let them seat first?" Kim suggested just as Wayne opened and closed his mouth. So far, he was quieter than usual.

Everyone took the seats round the table, Lily and Faye next to Kim who had Matteo on her left side. Gwen and Wayne ended up sitting on the opposite side.

"So," Lily being the impatient one drilled holes into Wayne's side. Kim kicked her leg slightly then turned to Wayne, he looked quite intimidated by the girl's stares on him.

"This is Matteo's friend-" she was just about to introduce him but he piped in before she could. "Wayne," he cleared his throat before speaking again. "I'm Wayne. I come from Sua."

"Sua?" Faye asked since she could trace his accent that similar to those from there. After her one week trip with Sir Collins, it was easy to notice.

"Yes, I just moved back." He replied sending Kim with a intervention look. He'd expected her friends to be more welcoming but they had been pinning him with questions. Sir Arthur rolled his eyes at him.

"Wayne, this is Faye and Lily." Kim introduced him to the girls, pausing briefly so that he could tell who was who. They shook hands thereafter, the original tenseness gone.

"What did you do at Sua?" Kim turned fully to Faye's side to catch up as Lily piped in, "How was his family like?" Her loud voice caused the others to turn towards them and Faye shyly dropped her head.

"Do you need anything?" Sir Arthur leaned towards Kim now that her attention wasn't on her friends. She'd turned her back on him the moment they walked in.

"A drink perhaps," he adjusted the thin sleeve of her thin sweater that had slipped off, revealing her dainty shoulder. He shuffled closer to her seat so that he'd obstruct her view from some men who'd been looking her way.

"Juice?" She suggested in a whisper when his arm went round her back as he moved closer. "Mmh?" Matteo hummed distractedly as he peered down at her.

"I'll get the drinks," Lily rose from her seat and Kim looked up at her. Everyone's eyes were on them but Matteo's gaze still remained on her making her shy.

"Wayne, follow me." She beckoned him over as she lead him to the counter. He eagerly followed wanting to bond quickly with them.

"These are Kim's, Gwen's and Faye's." She pulled aside three glasses then turned to him, "Your flavour?" She tapped his back to get his attention. He had turned to look back at their table.