CHAPTER FOUR
Damn this rain, Ino thought testily as she frowned at the rainstorm that unfolded beyond the window of the hotel room. She pulled a brush through her thick and wavy mane. Prior to traveling to Amegakure, she read up on the tiny nation and was surprised to find that rainfall there never ceased as a result of some irregular weather occurrence. Ino snorted. How anyone could even remotely stand to live there was beyond her. Since she'd been in Amegakure, all it did was rain. It rained when she woke up, it rained throughout the day, and rain had even been the last thing she saw before retiring for the night. Enough had been enough, and the quicker she accomplished what she came here to do, the quicker she could leave and return to Konohagakure. She sighed as her thoughts turned to Nagato.
He'd returned her call the day after she'd left the message on his voicemail, and their conversation had been brief. He'd been apologetic for not having returned her call sooner and quickly inquired as to the matter she'd wanted to discuss with him. Ino managed to tame her ire at the brusque manner in which he spoke, as if it had bothered him to have any discourse with her. She calmly reiterated it hadn't been anything that could be appropriately discussed over the phone. She asked if he'd be able to clear time in his schedule to see her as she was due in Amegakure on business, and it hadn't been untrue. She needed to travel to Amegakure to oversee a shipment of Japanese ferns and felt the timing couldn't be more providential. A brief silence had followed as he paused for a moment before answering in the affirmative, and had been gracious enough to assume responsibility for both her plane and hotel fare before concluding the call. She quickly made arrangements with her assistant manager she'd hired to assume responsibility for the shop while she was away on business. She retrieved the tickets the next morning at Konoha International Airport and landed in Amegakure some five hours later with her objective prematurely fixed in her mind. She was met with a driver that Nagato had secured for her and was transported to the hotel in which he'd had arranged for her to stay.
Turning from the window, Ino crossed over to the full length mirror attached to the wall and turned her body about as she assessed her reflection. The blue cowl neck mini dress she donned hugged her curves like a glove and accented the jewel tone of her sky blue eyes. She sighed as she remembered that the dress had been Shikamaru's favorite outfit on her, a fact she'd forgotten else she wouldn't have worn it. The last thing she needed was to think of him right now. She realized it had been too late to change when a glance at her watch confirmed the driver Nagato sent for her would arrive shortly. He'd managed to set aside time for her in his schedule and agreed to see her in his office this afternoon. She in turn had wasted no time in handling her business on her end and set about her task early that morning.
The Japanese ferns that were to be exported from the local florists in Amegakure had become increasingly popular in Konoha, and Ino prided herself on the fact that her shop would be the only one thus far to offer the exotic plants. Though her presence hadn't been necessary, Ino had wanted to pay a personal visit, and the bonus was double-fold. First, she considered it good business sense to allow the local growers to put her face to her name as she had intended to conduct business with them on a regular basis. Second, her visit also allowed her to inspect the ferns prior to shipping to ensure they were being packaged in the four inch pots she had requested as it would not only make for ease in shipping, but guaranteed a well established root system that had been required for their optimal health as well. The local growers had received her warmly, and the visit had gone so smoothly, that she was pleased to have concluded her business before noon had approached, which left her the rest of the day in which to execute her plan. And what was her plan, exactly? Ino's eyes narrowed as she pondered, and could only think back to the past events of that chance meeting with Nagato as the answer to the question had been contained within them.
Prior to assuming ownership of the floral shop, Ino had been employed there as a regular clerk. She moonlighted as a bartender in the evenings to make ends meet, and had been covering a shift for a co-worker the night she'd made Nagato's acquaintance.
She'd sat on a stool behind the counter as she absently toyed with a cocktail napkin. Business had been particularly slow that evening, which had been to her liking as her mind had been too pre-occupied with thoughts of Shikamaru. Ino snorted. She'd known even before asking Shikamaru that he hadn't been particularly enthused about her pregnancy. Sure, he'd responded as if he'd been happy, gushing as he enveloped her in his arms and swung her around. But she'd seen through the antics; his smile had been strained and hadn't reached his chocolate brown eyes. He'd even continued his charade until, at Ino's insistence, he revealed his true feelings. Ino shifted uncomfortably on the stool. Perhaps it hadn't been a good idea to come to work this evening after all, she thought. She'd initially thought the noise of the bar would help in warding off the memories, but found it had been to no avail as all they continued to unfolded in her mind.
Her eyes had lifted in time to immediately scan the tall and lean length of Nagato when he entered and sauntered over to the bar, holding a black leather jacket thrown over his shoulder. The black, short-sleeve top that accentuated the lean musculature of his torso was tucked into a pair of black leather pants that hung low on his hips. Ino's brows arched. A musician, perhaps? She hadn't bothered to stand as he lowered his lean bulk on top a stool opposite her on the other side of the counter. "What'll it be?" She asked stolidly.
Nagato fished a packed of cigarettes from a pocket in his jacket before resting the garment on a stool next to him. Ino waited patiently as he lit one. His eyes closed as he deeply inhaled as if savoring the taste of the tobacco before focusing his piercing gaze on the petite blonde. His shoulders barely heaved with a shrug. "Beer's fine," he replied in a tone equally indifferent.
Ino sighed loudly as she lazily slid from the stool to fill his order. Returning, she placed the mug of frothy liquid before him on a fresh cocktail napkin. She refilled an empty bowl with beer nuts and placed them within his reach along with an ashtray. She watched as he began manipulating a napkin, folding it into what appeared to be a flower.
"Are you into origami?" She asked. Her eyes widened with amusement as he gulped the beer in a few successive swallows before answering.
"No," was his clipped reply, and he nodded toward the mug to indicate a refill.
Ino's eyes narrowed on the oddly handsome gentleman. She'd moonlighted as a bartender long enough to know that a lot could be learned about a person by the drink he ordered. It was a trick of the trade. What she'd quickly gleaned about his particular man, other than his intentions to get drunk, was that he was drinking to forget something. Or was it someone? She decided to test her theory.
"But your girlfriend does origami," she said after she refilled his mug and placed it before him. She was pleased at her perception when his eyes darkened with an unreadable emotion. Figured as much, Ino gloated and resumed her seat. Propping her elbows on the countertop, she cradled her head in her hands as she gazed at the taciturn man. "Want to talk about it?"
Nagato had made quick work of the second mug of beer. His eyes remained lowered to the counter as he drew on the cigarette again. "Do you do this with all your patrons?" He really wasn't in the mood for conversation and though his voice was low, and annoyance laced his speech.
"What's that?" Ino asked, suddenly drawn to this man for reasons unknown to even her.
"Impart your barmaid psychology," he stated. "Or is it the going rate for beer in Konoha these days?" His eyes returned to bore into her.
Ino was unfazed by Nagato's rude behavior. "Perhaps you'll be able to forget." She watched as he exhaled the cigarette smoke in circular patterns, and it was in much the say Shikamaru did when he smoked. "Perhaps we'll both forget," she stated more softly this time
Nagato's gazed was unwavering as he processed her admission. "So misery would like company tonight after all?"
Ino straightened as she shrugged. "Well, I can't speak for misery, but I know I would," she stated and startled herself with the boldness of her words. Their gazes held. Ino tossed her pony tail over her shoulder. "I get off in a few more hours," she stated, "maybe I can help you forget then."
Not hardly, Nagato thought silently. His piercing gaze flickered over Ino as he weighed her proposal. Though thin, she was of an average height. She looked like a genie the way her long, thick blonde hair was fashioned into a pony tail from atop her head where it cascaded down her back. One section in the front was parted and hung over one eye. She wore a black, sleeveless turtleneck halter top that hugged the fullness of her breasts and bared her midriff. Her jeans mimicked the top by cinching the slender curves of her hips. His eyes returned to her own as they held him in their sky blue gaze.
Ino was cute, but in more of a Playboy centerfold sort of way. He exhaled cigarette smoke. Definitely not his type. Yet, as he considered his alternative, which was to retreat to his hotel room where he would no doubt toss and turn, unable to sleep for thinking of a certain pale-skinned beauty back in Amegakure, he figured Ino proved a more satisfying option.
He stamped the butt of the cigarette into an ashtray on the counter. "My hotel room's not far from here," he stated, and lifted the mug again.
As she left the bar with a buzzed Nagato a few hours later, Ino's mind spun with the realization of what it meant to be with him, what it meant she would do, and for a moment, she'd questioned her own sanity. What the hell was she doing? For crying out loud, wasn't she pregnant with another man's child? She pacified her mind by recalling his rejection of their child, and all she wanted to do now was forget anyway.
Ino recognized the hotel Nagato had stayed in. They hadn't spoken a word as she followed him inside the room. Upon entering, he removed his jacket and casually threw it over a chair near the door. She followed suite with her own jacket and purse as well before turning to sit on the edge of it. She watched as he crossed to a compact fridge and opened its door. "Want something to drink?" he asked aloud without even looking at her. Ino shook her head.
Nagato closed the small fridge and came to stand next to the bed. "Come here," he commanded thickly and watched as Ino obeyed.
There had been no delaying as they quickly divested their clothing and slipped beneath the covers of the bed. Their kisses and caresses had been void of the softness and longing reserved for lovers and instead were laden with an urgency borne of their desire to lose themselves in something other than the misery and loneliness that plagued them both. It was realization that hadn't been lost on Ino, and she tore her lips away from Nagato's. "No," she protested with her hands on his chest. She gazed up into his confused gaze. "Make love to me," she pleaded, "as if I were her."
Nagato's voice caught in his throat as he gazed at the blonde beneath him. He'd initially thought himself incapable of granting her request. And whether it was due to the incessant thoughts of Konan that ran through his head or the fact that he'd had one too many beers that night he was unsure, but his eyes began to glow brightly as the woman beneath him slowly began to undergo a metamorphosis. Her hair had darkened to the most electrifying shade of blue he'd ever seen, and her skin softened to a pale, milky white complexion. Even her eyes had shifted from sky blue to a cloudy grey. Nagato's desire burned anew as he moaned and lowered himself atop Ino and succumbed to impurity.
Ino's mind shifted to the present as she sat on the edge of the bed. Bending at her waist, she grimaced as she wedged her feet into a pair of matching blue heels. As far as she was concerned, though the edema she experienced in her feet was a common ailment in the first trimester, to her it was just another item on the list of cons she attributed to pregnancy, along with her sore nipples and constant urge to pee that seized her whenever she came within a yard of any restroom. Yet, she knew she wouldn't trade her pregnancy for the world and had thought better of complaining as she hadn't wanted to jinx what she had considered was an easy go of it thus far. She was fortunate she at least hadn't experienced any morning sickness. Given the accounts she'd read of it, she decided she'd take sore nipples and swollen ankles any day. Sighing, she stood and retrieved her clutch from the dresser and made her way into the elevator.
As she breezed into the lobby, Ino was oblivious of the appreciative glances of men as they furtively craned their necks to glimpse the curvaceous blond as she passed. She was immediately met by the same driver Nagato had hired to chauffeur her when he approached her. Having retrieved his party, the driver produced an umbrella beneath which he escorted her to a car waiting alongside the curb outside. He waited until she was settled in the backseat before closing her door securely behind her and circling to slide behind the wheel.
As Ino waited, her eyes lifted in time to witness a woman exit the hotel, her arms protectively cradling her small baby despite the harness that secured its tiny form to the front of her body. One arm of whom Ino suspected as the husband was draped about the woman's shoulders. His other arm protectively gripped an umbrella overhead to shield them all from the rain. Ino's head quickly jerked away from the tableau of familial bliss they presented. Against her better judgment, her eyes returned to follow the couple as they walked, their heads close as they beheld their child together. For a brief moment Ino allowed herself to pretend that the couple had been her and Shikamaru, and that it was their child that they both lovingly gazed upon. Ino settled against the seat as her eyes pressed tightly against the fresh batch of tears. A pain in her chest that had managed to ebb to a dull throb ached anew, and it was all she could do to press a hand to her lips to stifle the cry that rose in her throat.
"Ma'am," the voice of the chauffeur was laced with concern as it called through an intercom, "if you'd like, we'll be on our way."
Ino cleared her throat. "Of course," she reassured quickly as she reached into her clutch for the small packet of tissues she kept there. They'd become a necessity as she cried a lot lately.
She hadn't seen Shikamaru since he'd walked out on her. And other than to call and leave a message on her voicemail that she shouldn't hesitate to call if she ever needed anything, she hadn't heard from him either. How earnest of him, she thought sarcastically. He had only added insult to injury when he hadn't shown up at her shop. No matter how busy Shikamaru's schedule, he'd always made a point to drop by her shop to take her out to lunch. The fact that it had been so easy for him to cut ties with her had hurt beyond what any words could describe. That their relationship could fall to pieces so easily was a conclusion she hadn't even thought possible as their love had been stronger than that. Hadn't it? And had it really been so easy for him to walk away from her, knowing she was carrying his child? Could it be that the Shikamaru she had loved for the past year turned out to be someone she hadn't known at all?
Ino was grateful when the chauffeur activated a partition that rose to grant her privacy. She propped up one elbow on the armrest and gave in to the tears that silently trickled over her cheeks.
Konan selected a bottle of water from the refrigerator and took a seat on one of the bar stools around the island in the spacious kitchen. Her head angled to the side as she sat back and allowed her grey eyes to inspect the contents of the wicker basket she packed. The kitchen still permeated with the aroma of the grilled fish she prepared as a filling for the onigiri she prepared that was packed along with fresh cut vegetables into bento boxes and nestled at the bottom amidst a thermos of hot tea. It was Nagato's favorite food to snack on at lunch. She was thankful her morning sickness had ebbed to a mild and manageable nausea as it enabled her to consume more foods, but she hadn't known what to make of the drowsiness and worsening dizzy spells she continued to experience. They had even been the reason she played hooky from work that day. She blew a lock of hair lock of hair as she hastily made a mental note to schedule an appointment with her gynecologist. Though she knew she ought to catch some much desired sleep, she found she hadn't been able to resist the undercurrent of excitement she felt at the surprise she had prepared for Nagato.
Konan was firm upon her decision to disclose her pregnancy and decided today would be the day. She was overcome with a spirit of creativity as to how she was going to relay the news to him. She had felt her gift idea was fitting for, atop the packed onigiri, there lay a gift box which contained an intricate pair of origami baby booties inside. As it had been too early to determine the sex of the baby, she decided to create one blue and the other pink. She bent an arm on the table to cradle her head in her palm as her eyes darted about the kitchen of the home he had prepared to share with her.
Rising, she made sure the basket was evenly centered atop the large multi-colored piece of material she'd placed it upon and proceeded to wrap the basket Furoshiki style. Satisfied with her handiwork, she quickly crossed into the bedroom, noticing the ease with which she moved about the home. She'd practically moved in already as she hadn't slept in her home since the first night she spent there with Nagato. He had driven her back to her place, but only to allow her to retrieve some of her belongings. Although she'd only been there less than a week, the spacious residence had already felt like home, as if she'd always lived with Nagato.
Konan gave her appearance a final once-over in the cheval glass propped in the corner of the room near a Shoji screen. The long-sleeved, ankle-length maxi dress she wore was decorated with a blue and grey floral pattern that matched her hair and eyes. The keyhole design of the snug bodice lent just the right amount of allure to her cleavage without being too tacky. The dress flared at her waist and billowed about her long and slender legs, and she delighted at the feel of the soft material that floated about the tops of her feet with the slightest of movement.
She allowed her hair down, and was surprised she hadn't noticed its growth as it now brushed about the tops of her shoulders. Though she knew Nagato preferred her without make-up, she decided to indulge this time and applied a bit of colored gloss to her lips and smoky shades of shadow to her lids. She wanted to make sure she looked especially nice for Nagato upon presenting her own surprise to him, especially since she'd noticed he'd seemed troubled the past few days.
It had all started with the phone call he'd received the night he first brought her to the penthouse. Even though it hadn't rung, she had noticed him checking the caller ID. She was nervous that the call may have come from Ino. Though he'd dismissed the call and said it was nothing, she knew it hadn't been the case due to the frown upon his brow. Her heart anxiously clenched at the thought of the woman contacting Nagato about anything. Her breath suddenly caught in her throat as a thought struck her. Was it possible the two were still in contact with one another?
Konan realized Nagato hadn't given her a definite answer about Ino when she'd asked about her the first night she visited the apartment. Though he'd apologized to her and admitted his regret at being involved with the Konoha florist, he hadn't said he wasn't seeing her anymore, either. Konan shook her head at the direction of her thoughts. She decided she was jumping to conclusions and chided herself on her lack of trust. Would Nagato have possibly gone out of his way to tell her he loved her and asked her to move in with him if he'd still been seeing Ino? And then there was the fact that he'd renovated this whole apartment for them. She pressed a hand to her forehead and emitted a soft chuckle. Maybe it was the hormonal changes she experienced that caused her to speculate so.
Konan glanced at her wristwatch as she clasped it around her wrist. Nagato would be taking his lunch soon, and as she was surprising him, she wanted to catch him in time lest he leave the building. Grabbing her purse, she returned to the kitchen to retrieve the basket and made for the door where she slipped her feet into her heeled sandals and grabbed her umbrella. As she exited the tower, she briskly walked a block in the rain and hailed a taxi. She relayed the address to the driver and settled against the seat, her heart beat quickened with anticipation.