FINDING MR. PERFECT.

Chapter Six: The Group Gets Bigger

Elena had made one mistake.

She had told Hannah about Naya.

That was all it took.

By Friday morning, Hannah had sent her seven messages, three voice notes, and one photograph of a dress she wanted to wear.

Elena stared at her phone while eating breakfast.

Hannah: So, when are we meeting your new business friend?

Elena: She's not my friend yet. We met once.

Hannah: That's how friendships start, Elena. People meet. They talk. They exchange numbers. Then somebody invites everybody somewhere.

Elena: You skipped about twelve stages.

Hannah: I'm an efficient person.

Elena shook her head, smiling.

Elena: I'll ask if she's free this weekend.

Hannah: Excellent. Tell her we're lovely people.

Elena: I'll tell her the truth.

Hannah: Elena!

Before Elena could respond, another message appeared.

This time, it was from Ara.

Ara: Why is Hannah sending me pictures of dresses at seven in the morning? Is somebody getting married without informing me?

Elena laughed so loudly that she nearly spilled her drink.

Elena: Nobody is getting married. She wants us to meet Naya.

Ara: Oh! The famous makeup woman?

Elena: She's not famous.

Ara: She is now. Hannah has mentioned her so many times that I feel like I already know her.

Elena put down her phone.

She hadn't realised how much she wanted the meeting to happen until the girls started talking about it. She was curious to see whether Naya would fit into their little circle.

Of course, one meeting didn't automatically make someone part of a friendship group. People needed time to understand each other.

Still, she hoped it would go well.

She sent Naya a message.

Elena: Hello! I was wondering if you'd be free to meet two of my friends this weekend. Nothing formal—just food and conversation, if you're interested.

Naya replied later that morning.

Naya: That sounds nice. I'm free on Saturday afternoon. Where are you thinking?

Elena smiled.

Saturday it was.

---

By Saturday afternoon, Hannah had turned a simple outing into a full production.

She stood in front of Elena's mirror, adjusting her outfit while Elena searched for her bag.

“Are you sure this is what you're wearing?” Hannah asked.

Elena looked down at herself.

“Yes.”

Hannah tilted her head.

“Okay.”

Elena narrowed her eyes. “What does that mean?”

“Nothing.”

“Hannah.”

“It's a nice outfit.”

“Then why did you say it like that?”

Hannah burst out laughing.

“Because you always think I'm criticising you!”

“Because sometimes you are!”

“I am a fashion designer. I cannot help noticing things.”

“You can notice them quietly.”

Hannah placed a hand over her chest.

“Are you trying to silence my talent?”

“Yes.”

They both laughed.

Despite their differences, Elena loved how comfortable she felt around Hannah. They could disagree about something as small as an outfit and forget the entire argument five minutes later.

Hannah could be dramatic, but she was also dependable. When Elena needed encouragement, she showed up. When Elena doubted herself, Hannah reminded her of the things she was capable of doing.

And when Hannah needed someone to tell her that a dress looked good, Elena was always available—even if she had to hear the entire history of how the dress was made.

“Ready?” Hannah asked.

“Ready.”

“Good. Ara says she's already there.”

Elena picked up her bag.

“Of course she is. She's probably eating our food already.”

“That's why we love her.”

---

The restaurant was busy but comfortable, with music playing softly in the background and conversations filling the room.

Ara spotted them before they reached the table.

“Finally!” she announced. “I was about to report both of you missing.”

Hannah pulled out a chair.

“You arrived ten minutes ago.”

“And those were the longest ten minutes of my life.”

Elena sat down, laughing.

Ara worked in an organisation where meetings seemed to multiply without warning. She often joked that she spent more time attending meetings about work than actually doing the work.

But she was good at what she did. She was organised when it mattered, dependable when people needed her, and quick to make everyone laugh when a situation became uncomfortable.

At the moment, however, she was examining the menu with great seriousness.

“I have a question,” she said.

Hannah sighed. “We just arrived.”

“It's an important question.”

“What?”

“Who is paying?”

Elena stared at her.

Ara nodded thoughtfully.

“Excellent. I can see that this gathering is already strengthening our friendship.”

Hannah laughed. “You are impossible.”

“And yet, you invited me.”

“We didn't invite you. You invited yourself.”

“Details.”

They were still arguing when Elena noticed a young woman approaching their table.

Naya.

She wore a simple, stylish outfit and carried a small handbag. Her expression was warm, although she looked slightly uncertain as she searched the faces around the table.

Elena immediately stood.

“Naya! Over here.”

Naya smiled with relief and walked towards them.

“Hi, Elena.”

“Hi! I'm glad you could make it.”

Elena turned to the others.

“This is Naya. Naya, meet Hannah and Ara.”

Hannah stood and greeted her warmly.

“It's lovely to meet you. I've heard about your makeup business.”

Naya laughed. “I hope only good things.”

“Mostly good things,” Elena replied.

Ara placed a hand on her chest.

“Please, don't trust her. She tells stories selectively.”

Elena gasped.

“You're the one who tells stories!”

“And I tell them beautifully.”

Naya laughed as she took her seat.

Within minutes, the initial awkwardness began to disappear.

They ordered food and started talking about their different jobs. Hannah described a client who had changed the design of a dress so many times that she was beginning to wonder whether the woman wanted a dress or an entirely new identity.

Ara told them about a meeting at work that had lasted so long she had forgotten why it was scheduled in the first place.

Naya shared a story about a customer who had arrived for a makeup appointment with a completely different idea of the agreed look.

Elena listened, laughing with the others.

“So,” Ara said eventually, pointing her fork towards Naya, “you run a makeup business, Hannah designs clothes, and Elena makes gifts. I work in an office.”

She paused.

“Clearly, I'm the only one here with a normal job.”

Hannah stared at her.

“You once called in sick because you didn't want to attend a meeting.”

“I was emotionally unavailable.”

“That is not a medical condition.”

“It should be.”

Naya laughed so hard that she had to put down her glass.

Elena watched the three women and felt a quiet sense of satisfaction.

She had worried that the meeting might feel forced, that everyone would struggle to find something to talk about. Instead, the conversation was flowing naturally.

They didn't have to share the same interests or personalities to enjoy one another's company.

Hannah was expressive and confident. Ara was playful and unpredictable. Naya was thoughtful, observant, and surprisingly quick with a joke when she felt comfortable.

Elena found herself wondering what it would be like if they spent more time together.

Would they become close?

Would their different personalities complement one another?

Or would life eventually find a way to complicate things?

She pushed the questions aside.

They were only having lunch.

There was no need to plan an entire friendship in her head.

---

After eating, the women remained at the table, unwilling to end the afternoon just yet.

Hannah was showing Naya pictures of some of her fashion designs when Ara suddenly sat upright.

“Wait. We need a group picture.”

Elena groaned.

“Why?”

“Because we look good, and I need evidence that I occasionally socialise with people outside my workplace.”

“You socialise with us all the time,” Hannah said.

“Yes, but I need photographic proof.”

Naya smiled. “I'm fine with that.”

They moved closer together while Ara positioned her phone.

“Everybody smile!”

The first picture came out blurry.

The second captured Hannah looking at Elena instead of the camera.

In the third, Ara had closed her eyes.

“This is why I don't trust technology,” Ara declared.

“Technology isn't the problem,” Elena said. “You are.”

“I'm being attacked in my own friendship group.”

“You don't even have a friendship group,” Hannah teased.

Ara pointed at the four of them.

“Look around you. The group is forming as we speak.”

Naya laughed.

“She's not entirely wrong.”

They finally managed to take a decent photograph, with all four women smiling at the camera.

Ara immediately created a group chat.

Group name: HENA ❤️

Elena stared at the name.

“HENA?”

Hannah nodded. “Hannah, Elena, Naya, Ara.”

Ara lifted her glass.

“To HENA! May our friendship survive bad decisions, terrible dates, and Hannah's fashion opinions.”

Hannah threw a napkin at her.

“My fashion opinions are excellent!”

“Of course they are.”

Naya raised her glass too.

“To new friendships.”

Elena joined them, smiling.

“To new friendships.”

Their glasses touched.

It was a small moment, nothing extraordinary. No grand promises were made, and nobody knew what the future held.

But sometimes, the beginning of something important looked exactly like an ordinary afternoon: good food, silly jokes, unexpected connections, and people who made you feel welcome.

As they prepared to leave, Naya turned to Elena.

“I'm glad you invited me.”

“Me too,” Elena replied.

“Maybe next time, we can do something at the studio. I could show you some ideas for the beauty packages we discussed.”

“That sounds perfect.”

Hannah immediately joined the conversation.

“And next time, I'm choosing the location.”

Ara groaned.

“Why?”

“Because you chose this place.”

“And?”

“The chairs are uncomfortable.”

Ara looked at the chair beneath her.

“That's your complaint? The chairs?”

“I have standards.”

“You have a talent for complaining.”

The argument continued as they walked towards the exit.

Elena followed them, laughing.

For once, she wasn't thinking about whether anyone noticed her when she entered a room. She wasn't comparing her life with somebody else's or wondering whether she was doing enough.

She was simply enjoying where she was.

She had her business, her dreams, and now the beginning of a friendship that might become something special.

It wasn't perfect.

But perhaps the best things in life didn't have to be perfect to be worth keeping.