Terrible Timing

Arthur Kent Point of View

Every ten seconds, Arthur's gaze would dart back to Macy, dissecting her every move. Even if she loathed him, he was convinced he could see the truth – the frantic fluttering of her fingers a dead giveaway for the anxiety she desperately tried to suppress

"Earth to Arthur," Dalia snapped, her fingers inches from his face. "You can always talk to her, you know." Her voice dropped to a mutter, but Arthur remained glued to his half-finished drink. True, Macy was stunning, but Dalia was right. He was here for the Slyvester deal, not a rendezvous. A silent apology danced in his eyes as he scanned the room, searching for the elusive sixty-year-old who held the key to their success.

He was sure that Macy wasn't aware of the mine Sylvester Cox was and he anticipated the shock on her face when he got it.

A gasp escaped Dalia's lips, her brow furrowing. "Isn't that...?" Her voice trailed off, but Arthur already knew where she was looking. There, across the room, stood David Klein, the man Macy was supposed to be marrying. His heart hammered against his ribs.

What was David doing here? Had there been a fight? Or was this all some elaborate plan?

Arthur's mind raced with possibilities as the spotlight swivelled towards the stage, the host launching into their speech. The room quieted, guests settling into their seats.

A flicker of hope sparked in Arthur's chest – the empty seat next to him. Just as he readied a welcoming smile, a figure materialised from behind the chair, shattering his fleeting optimism. His jaw clenched, a cold dread slithering down his spine as he recognized the face.

"I see you can't get enough of me." He mused as she settled down and Macy rolled her eyes gently. "I thought you would be next to your lover, he seemed quite excited to be here."

"David?" Macy echoed, surprised.

"Weren't you expecting him?" He asked as Macy's eyes remained fixed ahead, a hint of confusion flickering across her face. Maybe she hadn't received his message about the change of plans.

"It doesn't matter anyway," she said quietly and he turned to her. The side profile of her face showed him that she was upset, his eyes drifted from her eyes to her cheekbones and then to her lips coated in the deep red lipstick.

"It's not nice to stare," Macy added.

After the introductions and toasts, the room buzzed with conversation as guests mingled. Arthur, the consummate charmer, glided from circle to circle, effortlessly captivating the women.

Their gazes lingered, and some, he knew, would welcome more than just conversation. A pang of longing flickered in his chest as he spotted Nelia laughing with her father.

Then, a movement in the dimly lit balcony caught his eye. Shapes blurred amidst the decorations and flickering lights. Before he could fully register the sight, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Pulling it out, he excused himself and headed towards the balcony, a knot of unease tightening in his stomach.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Kent-" Arthur recognized the voice and placed his free hand in his pocket.

"You sound frantic Busayo, what is it?" Busayo was his assistant, a Nigerian who was great at his job and giving news.

"I- I found something that I think would interest you. It's about David Klein." Arthur's brows narrowed even more but he was heavily invested in all Busayo said.

"That bastard, thank you Busayo. I'll give you a call later. If you find anything more, just reach out." Arthur placed his phone back in his pocket and rubbed his

chin. He never though that David Klein would cross so far to get what he wanted. It was only a matter of time before Macy found out and it may be too late by then. He had to find her. He weaved through the crowd, eyes searching for the woman in black, the woman whose aura couldn't be matched. Even while he went out with Neila Cox, it was as though she never wanted to own the troubles that came with being a billionaire's daughter but with Macy, she was everything.

"Arthur!" Neila Cox called out to him. His eyes found her standing with her father and younger brother, Max who looked like he'd rather be anywhere else. Slyvester Cox had a grin as Arthur approached them and as he extended his hands to him, Slyvester Cox brought him in for a hug instead with a pat on the back.

They pulled away and Arthur nodded slowly with a warm smile.

"Thank you for taking care of my daughter. Neila told me about how you helped her back in uni-"

Arthur remembered that day but only did it because of who she was. He was not entirely sincere but it was the game he had to play.

"Oh, my mother always taught me to be of help to anyone in need and Neila was holding my favourite piece of literature so I guess it was my way of preserving culture." Sylvester laughed and Neila stared at Arthur with a smile. She was an attractive woman, a great model but she wasn't his type.

"You're funny too, tell -" Slyvester's voice zoned out as a familiar laughter pricked his hearing. It was Macy, she was close by and when his eyes found hers, she wasn't alone.

"Mr Cox, my name is David Klein," Sylvester's eyes brightened at the name. That allowed Arthur to turn to Macy who was behind. He moved to her and stood by her side.

"Macy, there is something you need to know." He whispered to her.

"And who might you be?" Sylvester asked as his eyes landed on Macy. "Arhtur you didn't introduce me to your friend."

"She's not my friend, she's Dav-"

"Oh she's my co-worker, she's great at assisting me in creating the biggest things ever," David started with a laugh, Macy couldn't hold the shock on her face as her fiance introduced her as something else. What had she been expecting?

"Excuse me-" she muttered and walked away from the group, Arthur was holding back from smacking David in the head but it wasn't in his place to do anything but at the same time, he felt obligated to help out. David didn't seem bothered by Macy leaving and even while Arthur glared at him, he never made a move.

Arthur stayed with Neila trying to hide his discomfort but then it bothered him that Macy hadn't returned. He excused himself and walked towards the partition where he saw Dalia.

"Hey have you seen-"

"She's in there and I think she's upset about something." She said while waving at someone.

"Thanks." Even though he was rethinking all of his current decisions, it didn't stop him from moving forward towards the bathroom.

"What are you doing Arthur?" He muttered to himself and when he finally stopped the door opened.

"What are you doing?" Macy asked.

"I wanted to check if you were okay." He admitted as he scanned her face. It was hard to trace but he noticed a slight smudge just below her eyes, almost unnoticeable but it was there.

"I think something is wrong with whatever you drank." She stated as she walked past him but he grabbed her wrist stopping her in her tracks.

"Macy-"

"We shouldn't do this here Freya, she's around and might find us." Macy's ears perked up at the sound of her fiance's voice and Arthur cursed under his breath.

"I hate the fact that you hide, you are going to break up with her in two days so why try to slap on a band-aid on a bleeding wound." The woman said with a soft giggle that was covered with a sloppy kiss.

"David?"