'It's a good cause,' Gwenlin said. 'I guess you're here because you have to be.'

"More or less," he nodded. "I haven't been to a social gathering in a while though so I figured this would be a good one to come to."

Gwenlin nodded. 'Are you usually busy?'

"Yeah, I stay busy. I help run the family business so I tend to have very little free time," he replied.

'What's your family business?' Gwenlin asked.

"How about we save that question for another time," he answered with a smile and a wink.

Gwenlin grinned. 'If you say so.'

"So what brings the lovely young lady and her companion out here today?" He asked charmingly.

'Because I thought it was a good cause,' Gwenlin said. 'And because I gave a bit of money.'

"Well well, aren't we the humanitarian," he said with a slight hint of sarcasm. "What do you do for a living then?"

'I'm in high school,' Gwenlin said. 'I work at an animal shelter, though, and donated a bit of my pay cheque.'

"High school huh?" Rhea smiled, "Those were fun days," he said reminiscing. "But that was kind of you to donate part of your pay to this. The money is for a good cause, I agree with you."

Gwenlin smiled at him. She finished her drink, and started to get another before pausing. 'Want anything?' she asked, gesturing with her glass.

Finishing up the last bit in his cup, he handed it to the girl, "Some punch please."

Gwenlin nodded, and went off into the crowd. She came back with two full glasses and handed one to Rhea.

"Thank you," he said as he took the cup from her grazing her fingers accidentally in the process. "Sorry."

'No worries,' Gwenlin said, with a smile. Meldo chitted and nibbled at an orange slice.

Taking a sip from his punch he looked out at the crowd and thinking aloud said, "I probably have more enemies here than I do friends," with an entertained grin on his lips.

Gwenlin grinned a little as well. 'Really? Why's that?'

"Well, to be frank. . . I don't have many people I would consider to be friends firstly," he admitted with a chuckle. Then locking eyes with the woman his smile faded and he continued, "Because of how competitive my line of work is. It typically means you make enemies faster than friends. With a little bit of luck and skill, you're bound to have more enemies than friends anyway." Then grinning once more he added, "It's a good think in regards to work, but it doesn't make the social life very interesting."

'Why not make friends outside of your work?' Gwenlin asked.

"Don't really have the time usually." Rhea answered.

'You should try it sometime,' Gwenlin said, smiling.

Looking at the woman he smiled back before averting her gaze and taking a sip from the cup, "Maybe I will. . ."

Gwenlin grinned in return, then looked with mild interest at a cat who wandered into their midst.