In The Middle

Ten: Who Is She?

Ren's POV... 

"Where have you been?" I heard being hurled at me as soon as I walked into the dark living room. Flipping on the light switch, I saw Hina sitting on the sofa with a scowl on her face. She was sitting there in a beautiful black cocktail dress, with her long, black hair hanging loosely down her back in a curly ringlet. In her right hand, she held a wine glass with a red liquid in it.

"At Davina's," I replied, pulling off my jacket and hanging it on the back of the sofa. I loosen my tie, then sat down on the sofa beside her.

"What in the heck were you doing there?" she asked in an accusing tone.

"I was supposed to be having dinner with you there, but you never showed up. Why didn't you meet me at Davina's and why didn't you answer any of my calls today?" I asked slowly, looking at her.

"I came to Davina's, but I left."

"Why?" 

"Because it looked like you were having fun talking to another woman, so I decided not to spoil the fun time you two were having together."

"It wasn't what you're thinking, Hina." 

"Please do tell me exactly what I'm thinking, Ren!" 

"Judging how you left the restaurant without saying a word to me and from how you stormed out of the house this morning upset because my secretary called me on my cell phone, It's safe to say you think that I'm cheating on you." 

"Are you having an affair with another woman?" She angrily asked me. 

"NO! You would know that if you had just stayed and had dinner with me instead of leaving and thinking the worst of me."

"Then who was the woman sitting at the table with you, Ren, if she isn't your mistress?"

"She's another possible candidate that could help us become parents. I was hoping for you two to meet and get to know each other tonight during dinner." 

"I didn't know..." 

"How could you when you wouldn't answer your damn phone when I called. What were you doing that was so important that you couldn't answer one of my phone calls? Where were you all afternoon, Hina? Don't try telling me that you  were at your parent's house taking a fucking nap!"

"I'm so sorry that I can't ever do anything right," Hina says in a sad voice. When I saw tears fill her eyes and slowly spill down her cheeks, I felt like I had done something wrong. 

"Please don't cry, baby." I pleaded. A massive wave of guilt came over me when she began to cry harder. Even though I knew that I hadn't said or done wrong to make Hina cry, I still felt like an asshole. Pulling her into my arms, I gently rubbed her back in a small, circular motion, trying to comfort her. 

"I'm sorry for doubting your loyalty to me, honey, and for standing you up for dinner tonight," she says sniffling and hugging me back.

"It's okay sweetheart. The next time you have any questions about anything I'm doing, promise me you'll come talk to me about it instead of making assumptions. You know that I would never lie to you about anything."

"I promise," she mumbled into the crook of my neck, then stopped crying suddenly.

"Do you want to hear about what Ms. Ari Lambert and I talked about tonight in the morning or right now?"

"Now," she replied slowly, pulling away and leaning back against the sofa. Twisting to my right, I grabbed my jacket off the back of it, then reached into the small inside pocket and pulled out the silver recorder.

After we listened to the whole conversation, I had with ms. Lambert Hina asked, "do you think that she'll be a suitable candidate for us?"

"I do, but the decision is yours, honey, to make." 

"She seems like a better option than all the other women I've heard about. The only thing that I don't like about her is her mom's heart condition, Ren." 

"If you want, we can hold on to her information and continue to check out other candidates."

"If you think that she's a good choice for us to choose, then so do I." 

"Are you sure about this, Hina?" 

"Yeah, I trust your judgment."

"I'll get in contact with Ms. Lambert tomorrow and set up a meeting so that you can meet her before we make our final decision..."

"I don't need to meet her, Ren. I trust you."

"I still think that you two should sit down and talk before we proceed any further," I reply, picking up the recorder off the coffee table.

"Alright, I'll meet her, but just not tomorrow." 

"Then when?" I asked, turning to face her.

"I'll meet with her the day she gets her medical examination done," she says, drinking the last few drops of the red liquid in the wine glass. "I'm heading to bed, are you coming?" she asked, placing the glass back on the coaster on the table. 

"Yeah, I'll be up in a little bit." 

"Don't stay up too long, babe," Hina says before leaning forward and kissing me passionately on the lips.

"I won't," I replied, standing to my feet. I walked to my office to lock the recorder in the top drawer of my desk and to check my emails. Hina had already gone upstairs when I walked out of my office. I picked up her empty wine glass off the coffee table, then walked into the kitchen to wash it. On my way back through the living room, I grabbed my jacket off the sofa, then headed upstairs. By the time I made it upstairs, Hina was already asleep. Grabbing my favorite gray joggers out of the top drawer, I walked into the bathroom to take a shower. 

What are your thoughts on Hina's behavior in this chapter?

Please vote, comment, and share.