"I don't see what your problem is." Hinata crossed her arms, waiting to see if Neji was dumb enough to voice the real reason why he didn't want Kisame to be her personal bodyguard.
"I know you got a little attached to him because he saved your life, but look at him," Neji yell-whispered, jerking his hand toward the other room. "He looks like a thug." Hinata raised her eyebrows at him, hoping he would take the hint to correct himself, but he only doubled down. "You are going to look like a yakuza daughter walking around with someone like him."
Hinata tamped down her frustration. She really didn't want to raise her voice with Kisame in earshot. "Then he just needs to be dressed the part."
"A suit is not going to fix that." Neji negated. "Lee clearly misunderstood when I told him both that we needed a security detail and that you wanted that man hired into the company."
Hinata would call it creative problem-solving. He had two problems and came up with one solution. He deserved a raise. "I am more comfortable with Kisame-san than a stranger."
"He is a stranger!" Neji emphasized. "You spent a little over a week visiting him at the hospital because you felt guilty. You know nothing about him."
Was this all about looks, or was Neji still upset about his arrest record? He wasn't bringing it up, but maybe he knew better than to go that far. "I know more about his character than some other random man assigned to me."
Neji's face twisted as he realized he backed himself into a corner. "I don't like this."
"Well, then, I guess it's good that you don't get to pick my staff, isn't it?" Hinata wouldn't usually be so snippy, but she was more than done with Neji's attitude toward a man he should be grateful to. She wasn't particularly happy that she had to remind him to give Kisame a proper thank you in the hospital. "He's here. I'm happy with it. I will thank Lee-san for his happy accident when I see him next."
Neji stayed behind to seethe as Hinata came back to the living room to greet Kisame more properly.
"I'm sorry." Hinata waved her hand in Neji's direction. "I guess there was a miscommunication with Lee-san, but I am happy that you'll be working with me."
Kisame looked over his shoulder. "So… I still have this job?"
Hinata nodded, sitting down. "I was encouraged to hire a full-time personal security detail after the incident." Who better than the man who saved her the first time?
Kisame shoulders fell a bit, looking down at his casual street clothing. "I… would make you look yakuza."
Hinata dropped her smile. "I am so sorry that you heard that." She was going to tape Neji's mouth shut.
Kisame pointed to his head. "Superior hearing. Sorry. Can't really not easy drop."
"Good trait for a bodyguard to have." Hinata excused. "And my schedule is clear today, so I think that we should remedy the problem right now." She got up to collect her coat and purse.
Kisame got up to follow her. "Where are we going?"
"I think all you need to look the part is a good suit." Hinata pulled her hair out of her coat.
Kisame was measured, prodded, and chattered at by a woman Hinata called Ino. She needed to use a stool to get his measurements but had no problem pushing and pulling him around like a manikin to stand him in the right position for her work. He was handed a suit, and now he was just looking at himself in the mirror.
He looked ridiculous.
Kisame knew he looked like a thug. He relied on it to make people back off, those who didn't, learned the hard way. He had never owned a proper suit. It looked wrong. Maybe this would make Hinata realize that he wasn't going to look the part even if she dressed him up.
Kisame ducked his head out of the dressing room to a tiny gasp. Hinata covered her bright smile with her hands. "It looks great."
Kisame felt his flush. Okay, maybe he could get used to the suit.
He was prodded by the pushy woman a bit more as she marked adjustments and scolded him for not buttoning his shirt the whole way up. Hinata got up and looked at a selection of ties and held one up to him, tilting her head. "I think this is a good color for you."
Kisame looked down at the deep purple tie, and his face burned hotter. He was going to hope she meant it as for him in general, and she wasn't trying to match the blush on his face.
Why did she have this effect on him?
"Can we get a coat too?" Hinata wondered, looking past him at the rows.
"I have a light coat in his size," Ino commented. "Nothing thick, though. I might have to make it custom."
"A light one, for now, is fine. We can worry about something for winter later." Hinata waved her hand, giving him another smile. "Just make sure he has any accessories he needs too. It doesn't look like he is enjoying this. I don't think he's going to want to come back."
Kisame didn't reply to that, but his face made Hinata and Ino giggle.
Hinata settled into the car and waited for Kisame to get into the driver's seat. His training had taught him little things that were expected of him, like opening the door, but they must not have told him that usually she would be expected to sit in the back.
She wasn't going to correct him today. "Ino-chan is going to have at least one fully tailored suit delivered before tomorrow morning."
"I don't think I've really ever worn a suit before," Kisame commented.
"You wore a server's tux the first time we met." Hinata corrected.
Kisame face twisted into confusion, and he side-eyed her as he drove. "What are you talking about?"
"Last summer, at a charity gala?" Hinata explained. Kisame looked just as confused. "I guess you don't remember me."
Hinata stiffened and slid herself impossibly closer to the wall to put any distance between her and Mr. Whiskey-breath that was hanging over her shoulder. She had been grinning and bearing his awful conversation, insensitive humor, and overpowering cologne for the last hour, and his personal space was getting worse with each drink. Unfortunately, she knew he was a big investor, and as long as he kept his hands to himself, she would continue to humor him.
Her father cared more about his happiness than her comfort.
Hinata flinched as she felt a hand run up her back. Okay, now she was no longer okay with this. He dipped his head to get closer to her ear. "It's getting late… AH!" The door he was leaning on opened abruptly, making him stumble into the kitchen.
"Whoops." The large blue man, barely stuffed into a server's tuxedo, who opened the door commented. His tone and demeanor made it more than clear it wasn't an accident. He pointed a finger in the other direction passed her and mouthed 'go.'
Hinata bowed her head thankfully and made her escape as the employee 'helped' the investor up as he stumbled, whimpering about his spilled drink.
"That's… why you were looking at me." Kisame put together.
"Why did you think?" Hinata titled her head.
Kisame snapped his mouth shut. He wasn't going to answer that question.
"Did you think I was flirting?" Hinata giggled at the face he made. She knew damn well that's not what he was thinking.
Did it make more sense now? Not really. Kisame just couldn't wrap his head around how Hinata had put so much worth in his 'integrity' by getting her out of two jams. Yeah, technically, one was saving her life, but… maybe she put a lot more value into someone willing to pick a fight with a prick than he did. Then again, he was that prick.
"I hope the new suits will give you the confidence so now when people look at you, you will think maybe they recognize you and not something worse." Hinata folded her hands in her lap.
Damn it. This girl.
Hinata laid her head back. "I'm glad we were able to put a rush on your suits. My schedule starts back up tomorrow. It's going to be a busy week to make up for the time I took off. Ready?"
With that reassuring smile, he was.