Inara sat quietly at the table in the mess hall, her ruby dark lips gently touched the steaming mug as she sipped delicately at her tea. Her hair was piled atop her head flawlessly, not a strand out of place. Her eyes were outlined in kohl, giving off an exotic and seductive look. Her nails, perfectly manicured and painted a shining red, lightly tapped the table as she waited.
She was perfection.
Mal would be coming to the kitchen soon. The man was nothing if not predictable. His shift on the bridge would be ending and Zoe would relieve him. Then he would head down to the engine room to check in with Kaylee, but not before stopping for a cup of coffee. Inara decided it would be the perfect moment to tell him of her plans to leave the Guild. She was sure he would be happy. Thrilled, even, at the thought of her staying. He loved her, after all, she was sure of it. And she was certain that, after all this time, she loved him too.
She smoothed out her satin dress and straightened her posture. Her ears perked up at the sound of Mal's voice echoing down the hall. He was talking to someone, which meant he wasn't alone. Inara looked up as Mal entered the mess hall, followed closely by River. He was telling her something and she was laughing. He smiled down at the young girl and she smiled back.
Inara's stomach lurched and she felt her voice catch in her throat at the sight of them. River pulled a mug down from the shelf and held it out as Mal poured the coffee into it. He said something cheeky to the girl and grinned widely at her laugh.
Inara felt a wave of jealousy sweep over her. Mal had never smiled at her like that. As she watched the two enter and exit the mess hall without even acknowledging her presence, she realized that as perfect as she was, she wasn't perfect enough.
Silently, Inara rose from the table and headed back to her shuttle to contact the Guild and inform them of her decision to return to Sihnon.