Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha! Rumiko Takahashi does, bless her!

Hey guys! This is my first story in a long time, so bear with me if it's boring or whatnot! Ummm, I'll be trying to update every couple of days or so, and REVIEWS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED!! XD! Okay so here's the summary!

Summary: Kagome, desperate for a job, answers a mysterious ad on a bulletin board for a cook/maid. Too bad she didn't know her new employer was ex-flame Inuyasha! Kagome is too strapped for money to refuse work, so she is forced back into the life of her old boyfriend. Will old feelings resurface? They'll be hard pressed not too with sexy Inuyasha tempting her constantly! M for Mature, readers!

So there's my lame summary. I promise it's gonna get really good! This chapter is just an introduction really, nothing too saucy happening, but it's coming I swear! Anyways, I hope you all enjoy the first chapter and I hope you review! Enjoy your reading!

Sleeping With the Boss

Chapter One: Introduction - Kagome

X

Kagome sighed as she exited another office building of a prospective employer. This one did not seem very interested in her. Well, not in her resume at least, although he seemed to find her legs most extraordinary. She still couldn't believe she hadn't found a job yet. She had already been unemployed for almost two whole months now. When she'd been let go from her last job she'd immediately started looking for another one avidly. Every day she met with two or three employers at least, but in this economic slump people could just not afford anymore help. Her stomach rumbled again, reminding her that she hadn't eaten since yesterday at lunch when her mother practically kidnapped her and took her out. The whole time they had eaten her mom had been pressing Kagome to come stay with them until she was back on her feet, but Kagome just felt like that would be wrong somehow. After all, it's not like her mother had a lot of money to throw around. She lived paycheck to paycheck like most families. Kagome was struggling, though, to afford her apartment in town. She'd chosen it to be closer to her job, but that job hadn't worked out ironically.

Kagome had been replaced by a more beautiful yet less talented bimbo who managed to sleep her way to the top of the very same company Kagome had dedicated years to. Her name was Kikyo. She had taken Kagome's prized spot as editor and chief of the town's prominent newspaper, but Kikyo had no real authority skills, no eye for news, and no motivation to get work done. It made Kagome sick to think that after all the success she had brought to them and all the praise they had given her they simply gave away her position without a second thought. There was nothing she could do though. She approached the manager of her department but he was under that witch's spell as well, it seemed. He tried to tell Kagome that while Kikyo could bring a new edge to their newspaper, Kagome was dried out. She had no more to offer. Kagome knew it was all lies and cover ups yet...she was still hurt by all that had happened. After the shock of it all she had broken down and called her mother sobbing and stayed that way for days. But rent was due, as well as utilities, and the fridge was practically empty. Kagome knew sitting around her apartment wouldn't cure her depression, so that's how she ended up getting eye-groped by yet another big-shot corporate man. Ugh.

Kagome pulled her windbreaker around her more securely as she walked towards the bus stop. To save on gas and on parking permits she'd barely touched her car for the past month and a half. That's not the only thing she'd cut down on either. She stopped turning on the heat, started taking two minute showers, and started skipping breakfast. Kagome's tummy continued rumbling and she arrived at the bus stop and sat down on the bench. This is just way too hard, she thought dejectedly. Maybe living with Mom and Souta for a few weeks isn't such a bad idea.

Kagome shook her head at those thoughts. She couldn't give up now! She knew there was someone out there looking for her expertise, her prowess, her talent! There's no way a successful attractive young woman would remain unemployed for this long. Kagome knew she just had to be looking in the wrong place! But...she'd looked at all the other major newspaper companies. She had her degree in English, so she tried looking for jobs teaching. No one was biting though. It seemed to get somewhere in life these days you had to be a slut like that Kikyo wench. Grrrrr! Kagome thought, Why did she have to come along and ruin everything! I swear if I ever see her on the street I'm gonna....oh! Kagome paused in her internal fuming to realize the bus was pulling away! She'd completely missed it while she was dreaming of killing Kikyo! Kagome checked the bus schedule she kept folded neatly in her purse. It said the next bus wouldn't arrive for another hour and a half. Kagome sighed again. She rose to her already aching feet and started walking.

She had quite a while to walk to the next bus station and no guarantee she could even catch that bus, so her spirits weren't very high. Her shoulders were slumped and her eyes downcast and she walked through the hustle and bustle of the city. All she could think about was her rapidly depleting bank account. She'd had a little money saved up which she was now living off of thanks to...well, she didn't want to even think of it anymore. Anyways, that money was going to run out very soon. Kagome's rent was due at the end of the month and she didn't have enough to pay for it, so she was a little screwed on that front. Kagome caught sight of herself in a shop window as she passed. She looked...defeated. Dead. Tired. Maybe that's why no one was hiring her. Maybe they could all see the desperation on her face, see that she was drained of all energy and motivation. As Kagome stared at her forlorn expression in misery, a bulletin board inside caught her eye.

It read 'Local Help Wanted - Odd Jobs'. Kagome's hope lit up again as she rushed inside, nearly knocking a man's steaming coffee out of his hands. "Sorry!" she called after him as she hurried to the wall. Maybe she had been setting her sights too high. Maybe she needed to get a job that was a little beneath her and then build herself back up! There was plenty of work posted on this bulletin, and if it would put rent money in the bank account and food on her table, she would do anything! Now let's see, she mused. Babysitting, dog sitting, dog grooming, construction - yikes! - filing, bartender....hmmm....no good, no good, no good...ah! This looks promising... Kagome pulled a very small obscure piece of paper from the bulletin board (while stuffing all the other entries in her purse just in case). It was on flat white paper, typed, with the headline "Looking for Cook/Maid", and all the details below. It read:

Looking for an experienced cook/maid to come four to five times a week. No pets, no family. Pay is 400$ a month with benefits. Please contact the number or email below for more details.

Kagome read and reread the paper over a few times. It didn't really say too much, but nothing about it smelled suspicious...after all, Kagome's family always highly praised her cooking skills and cleaning was easy! Of course, it was no high up editing job with a fat salary but four hundred dollars a month was not bad! Kagome folded the little piece of paper and stuck it in her pocket. Since she had some prospects Kagome decided to treat herself, just this once, to a nice steamed beef-bowl. She found a small but nice restaurant a few blocks down the road. After ordering her food she pulled out her baby. It was a sleek silver Toshiba brand laptop. Her laptop was her life, her prize and joy. She used it for practically everything and never left it at home. As she waited for her order to be ready she pulled up her email account, typed in the address, and took a deep breath. She sent up a silent prayer that the person who needed a cook/maid hadn't already found someone and would accept her for the job. She began typing.

Hello there! I noticed your help wanted ad on the bulletin board on 5th street. I'm in need of some work, so I would love it if you considered me for the job. I've been cooking and cleaning since I was pretty young, so I've got good experience. I can start whenever you like! Just email me back or call the number at the bottom okay? Thanks a lot!

Kagome hit send. After a moment she realized she never put her name, but she could always give him that later, like after he hired her. As the waiter sat down a huge helping of their finest gyu-don beef bowl, Kagome couldn't help but let out a squeal of delight. Her situation was finally looking up it seemed. If she could convince this guy to give her the job, she could finally relax a little while still searching for a real job. Kagome dug into her food, while thinking about all the moments that had lead up to this point. Kagome was a twenty two year old woman, fresh out of college. She'd studied very hard in all of her studies through life and had learned good values like hard work and dedication, so why was she suddenly getting the short end of the stick?

Maybe she should just write this little mishap in her life as just a onetime thing and let it go…but Kagome felt like for a while now she had been placed under a curse. Besides losing her beloved job to a trampy whore, Kagome barely had any friends and had absolutely NO luck with men. In fact, the last man Kagome had been with was her senior year of high school. She knew she had done it to herself though. All through college Kagome had refused to go out with friends or return the interests of any cute guys because honestly, she wanted to succeed. She was aware that success and money weren't everything in life, but there was just this flaming desire to prove herself to the world that she often forgot about her own happiness. At the same time though…who really needed guys anyways? In Kagome's experience they were just another distraction. They took up all your free time until they got sick of you and then dumped you and left you a heart broken mess. Or at least, that was Kagome's scenario. She didn't want to think about her old boyfriend though. She'd learned a long time ago how to carefully lock away those memories and bury them in a place where they would be nice and quiet. It helped that she was a major workaholic, but considering she no longer had a job it left her with a bit of free time to let her mind wander back to those days when she was actually someone's girlfriend. It seemed almost impossible that Kagome was actually…well in a relationship. With a boy. Whom she kissed and held hands with and spent time with. Unfathomable. Kagome was very used to coming home to her little one bedroom alone and sleeping in her big queen sized bed alone and eating dinner every night…well, you get the picture.

Still…Kagome was a woman and had certain urges. She wanted to be held and comforted and caressed and all those things, despite her immense shyness. Those icky feelings had led to some bad decisions though…like that one Kouga man she met at a board meeting once. He was just a creep. Kagome shuddered and shook her head. Instead of thinking about boys she knew she needed to concentrate more on figuring out how to get herself and actual job. Or maybe she should spend her free time praying to every god that she got the job as the cook/maid. Or maybe she just didn't want to think about men…at all. Kagome rose from her chair, paid the cooks for her meal and started the long trek home. By the time she made it the stars were high in the sky and she was terribly exhausted. She collapsed in her bed, dreaming of scrubbing floors and cooking pancakes in a revealing maid outfit all night.

X

Kagome woke the next morning with the same giddy sense of light about her. She made herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table where her laptop was already on and pulled up to her email. She hit the refresh button to see if there was any response from the mysterious messy-can't-cook-guy, and there was! She opened the message with shaky hands, her fingers crossed. It said:

Thanks for your reply, stranger. You are the first person to reply to that ad since I posted it two weeks ago. I'm glad I finally got someone who is interested. Any amount of experience is enough, so I think you'll do fine. I think before I officially hire you we should meet up and work all the details out, okay? How about we meet at the same coffee shop on 5th street where I posted the ad Say today at 1:00? I hope you check your e-mail as often as I do. Looking forward to meeting you.

---- I. Taisho

Kagome read the e-mail over again just to double check she hadn't misunderstood. Once she was certain she was hired she began screaming and running all over the apartment, jumping on her bed, rolling around the covers in delight. She had to call her mother! She grabbed the land line and dialed her home number. "Higurashi residence," said the soft alto of her mother's voice. "Mom? It's Kagome...you'll never believe it but....I got a job!" There were many familiar sounding squeals on the other end of the line as her mother celebrated for her daughter.

"Oh, Kagome! I knew you'd get one sooner or later! What is it? Journalist? Editor?"

Kagome laughed dryly to herself a little. "Actually mom...it's kind of an odd job. Just until I get back on my feet, you know?"

"Oh! Well, that's okay. At least you found something."

"Yeah. It's a job as a cook and a maid. It pays pretty good, four hundred dollars a month!"

"Oh, my. That is quite a lot for that kind of work. So, who is your employer?"

"Well, I'm not sure. I found the ad on a help wanted bulletin board. I've been e-mailing them. I keep forgetting to give them my name, but on their last e-mail they signed it 'I. Taisho'."

"Well congratulations honey! I hope everything works out alright...you know some real weirdoes can post ads like that to lure young pretty women like yourself-"

"Mom, don't worry, everything will be fine! Anyways, I need to get ready; I'm meeting them at 1:00. I'll call and let you know if they actually turned out to be a serial killer!" Kagome laughed as her and her mother said their goodbyes and hung up. Her mother was constantly worrying about her, though Kagome didn't really mind.

Kagome started the shower, letting the whole bathroom steam up before she treated herself to a long twenty minutes of hot water and wonderful smelling shampoos and soaps. Maybe once she got a real job she could enjoy these kinds of showers every day. She stepped out of the shower and toweled off, looking at her happy expression in the mirror. She just knew that she was going to have a great day. She hoped her employer was a nice, happy person, and maybe even cute! Now now Kagome…thinking like that makes you just as bad as Kikyo! Your employers are off limits! Besides…there's no guarantee he's going to be cute. He could be some crusty old man who's got a really bad back and can't clean for himself anymore…ew. Kagome shook those somewhat disturbing thoughts from her head.

As she was cleaning out her ears her house phone began to ring shrilly. "Hello?" Kagome said cheerfully, wanting to spread her happiness with everyone. "Hey Kagome!" came the voice of her very best friend Sango. "You're sounding awfully chipper today…what's up with that?"

Kagome giggled. "Well, since you asked so nicely I guess I'll tell you…I got a job!" The raven haired girl listened to her friend's screams of joy. "It's only temporary, mind you, and it's kind of dirty work but at least it's something right?" There was a pause on the other end.

"What do you mean by dirty work?" Sango asked. "You mean like stripping or personal house calls and such…?" Kagome began to crack up at Sango's wary questions.

"You can't be serious Sango? You've known me since middle school and you think I'd do something like that? Ugh." Sango giggled and said, "Hey! Don't knock it. I'd totally do it! Those girls make some pretty serious dough you know! Besides, a little nookie might do you some good, 'Gome." Kagome's face was horrified.

"Sango! Ugh, that's a terrible thing to say! I don't need any…nookie. Although I was just thinking about seducing my employer…hehe." Sango gasped. "I knew it! You are desperate for a man's touch! So what, is this guy really handsome or something?" Kagome shook her head at her reflection.

"I haven't met him yet. I have an appointment with him at 1:00 to sort out the details of my job." Sango chuckled darkly. "You mean you have a date with him to discuss what sex techniques you are gonna be using on him?" She burst out laughing, knowing that Kagome's face was probably priceless.

"Sango! Ugh, you are so crude for a girl you know that? You need to speak about more ladylike things. No guy is ever gonna go for a potty mouth like you! Shame, because you're so gorgeous!" Kagome fake sobbed for her friend's misery. "Gee, Kagome, thanks. I dunno whether that's a compliment or an insult, but either way, thanks. So, what are you going to wear? Please don't tell me another boring old business suit?" Kagome pouted, offended. "What's wrong with that? It's professional and classy. I mean, what if he isn't some hot sexy guy? What if it's some old geezer? I don't want to show up looking tasteless. I'm not you Sango, haha!"

The girls bantered on like that for some time until Kagome glanced at the clock. "Shit Sango! Gotta go finish getting ready or I'll be late! I'll call you afterwards to let you know if he's prince charming or not! Bye!" Sango said goodbye and Kagome rushed to finish getting ready. She realised that she had now promised two people she would let them know about her employer…weird. Kagome, taking a little of Sango's advice, decided a business suit probably wasn't best for a cook/maid position. So she put on dark navy linen shorts and a yellow tank top and swept her hair into a loose bun. She looked young and hip but not slutty, so that satisfied her. Well…here goes, she thought. Kagome locked up her apartment and took the elevator down to the parking garage. For the first time in a while she was going to take out her precious baby, a sleek, black, and powerful car she had treated herself to after her very first Christmas bonus at the newspaper job. Thinking about that job tended to depress her though, so she pushed it out of her head. It took Kagome no time to reach the free parking lot next to the little coffee shop, even though it had taken her ages to walk home the night before.

Kagome took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves. When had she ever been so nervous? It must have been because she had built up all that excitement with Sango on the phone…no need to get all flustered. Still, Kagome checked her light make up in the car mirror before getting out and gentlly shutting the door. As she approached the coffee shop doors she checked her watch. It was 12:55. Her employer would surely be here by now. But how would she know it was him? At that time, Kagome bumped roughly into someone's shoulder. She'd been so busy staring at her watch she'd barely noticed them standing there.

"Oh I'm so sorry!" she said, turning to face them. She stopped dead in her tracks. Her heart probably stopped beating, or so she felt. "I-Inuyasha? Is that you?" she heard herself say, although her first reaction was to run very quickly to her car and drive home to her warm bed where she could hide herself away. The aforementioned person, a tall and lean man with striking golden eyes and white hair, turned to face her, his eyes full of the same shock and revulsion as in Kagome's. "Kagome Higurashi?" The pair stared at each other for several more minutes, not sure whether to be pleased or mortified by their meeting. "Hey…um. Long time no see. What brings you here?" Inuyasha asked awkwardly. Kagome took a minute to answer. "I…I'm actually here on a job interview to tell the truth," she said a little sheepishly. Inuyasha looked oddly surprised by this news. "What?" she asked, thinking a job interview wasn't really cause for that much astonishment.

"That's funny…because I'm here to interview someone."

Kagome giggled uncomfortably. "That's a coincidence," she said. Then, as though she was struck by lightening, a giant puzzle piece fell into place. He was there to interview someone? She was there for an interview? At an obscure coffee shop in the middle of the city? Coincidence or….Kagome gasped. "B-b-but…you can't be…the ad for the cook-maid position…wasn't you was it?" Inuyasha scratched the back of his head, a sheepish grin surfacing on his face. He was beginning to feel more relaxed. He thought perhaps Kagome was there to seek some sort of long-nurtured revenge against him from five years ago when they were actually an item. Turns out she was the girl from the e-mail.

"No, that can't be right…the e-mail I got was signed 'I. Taisho'! Your last name is Takahashi, right?" Kagome was grasping now for some kind of excuse for him to NOT be her next potential employer. Inuyasha scowled this time. "My mom got remarried, so our last name changed. Anyways…we should probably go inside…or do you plan to do this in front of the door?" He grinned at her. Kagome wordlessly followed him inside, her mouth hanging open in shock. No…no, no, no! This can't be right…? Inuyasha has been gone for five years…why would he show up now posting random ads for a maid! It makes no sense! Oh, Kagome...how are you going to get out of this one?

They sat down at a two-person table in the back of the coffee shop. Kagome couldn't stop staring at Inuyasha. She was just so amazed that he was really sitting there in front of her after all this time. He looked so different too. So…cleaned up. His hair was trimmed somewhat short, barely brushing his chin. It was swooshy and texturised like some abercrombie model's hair or something…? He wasn't wearing ripped jeans or chains on his jacket…he actually look normal! He still had two small white ears poking out from his messy just-got-out-of-bed hairstyle. Those were all too familiar. Kagome stared openly at him, making him feel uncomfortable. "Uhh…Kagome? Is there something on my face?" Kagome jolted out of her stupor. "No, no! It's just that…well, damn Inuyasha. It's so…random that you ended up being the guy from the e-mail…I mean…when did you even get back to town?"

Inuyasha leaned back in his chair. "Just at the beginning of the semester. I enrolled in college finally, Kagome!" Inuyasha smiled, remembering how hard Kagome had pushed him to continue his education past high school. Kagome was surprised. If there was anything that Inuyasha had hated more it was school and authority figures like teachers and coaches and such. "You are attending college? Wow. What finally convinced you to do that?" Kagome's voice was a little acidic. The initial shock of Inuyasha was wearing off and bitterness was seeping in. All the unpleasant memories and feelings she harbored towards Inuyasha were surfacing. It hurt to know that she hadn't been enough to get him to go to college and stay in the city with her, but now, five years later, he suddenly shows back up and enrolls? Just perfect. Inuyasha smiled a little warily, sensing her tone. "Well…it's a long story. I won't bore you," he said, laughing dryly.

Kagome smiled a very tight smile, one he knew well. He gulped. "No, no, Inuyasha. It won't bore me at all. I would love to know who or what drove you to finally take my advice after all these years. Enlighten me."

Inuyasha looked at Kagome's sour face. He knew he was in trouble. Out of all the people in his life that he'd fucked over, this girl got the worst of it. Her normally soft brown eyes were hard as steel now. "Heh…listen Kagome, I can see you are still a little upset with me but what happened back then…well, that was a long time ago and I'm different now…so…don't hurt me…" Inuyasha trailed off as Kagome's face turned red. "No, YOU listen, Inuyasha! How dare you show up here after all this time and post ads for jobs and lure me here and…and…UGH!" Kagome's hands were balled up into shaking fists.

"Hey, I didn't know you would reply to that ad! I mean, you're the one with the degree, I never thought you'd want to be someone's maid! Jesus," Inuyasha's natural temper was rising now. Kagome blanched. If only he knew how ashamed and angry and embarassed that she was having to do this job in the first place, how humiliated she was for losing her job to that dumb slut Kikyo, how desperate she was for work! "Inuyasha, you jerk! You…you…!" But Kagome couldn't think of anything to say, she was so angry. She stood up, her chair sliding noisily across the floor, drawing some attention.

"I don't care HOW bad I need a job, I would never ever work for a horrible mean person like YOU!" she screamed, stomping out to her car and slamming the door behind her. She sat behind the wheel a few moments, shaking with rage, her eyes brimming with angry tears. That jerk…I thought he had left my life for good…why is he here now? Kagome drove home, a frown on her face the whole way. The joy she had felt for finding a job, the giddyness she'd gotten from speaking to her mother and Sango…they were swallowed up by a very old and nostalgic sadness. The memories of Inuyasha she had locked away from so long ago were flashing in front of her eyes as she entered her apartment and laid down on her big plush white couch.

"I hate him," she said aloud, her voice small and immature like a high schooler again. Unwillingly, the memories resurfaced. Kagome, knowing it would happen anyways, allowed them to play through her mind, each one stabbing her heart with a mixture of sadness and anger and betrayal. The story of Inuyasha and Kagome had not been a pleasant one. It went a little something like this:

They had met in high school, their sophomore year. For two years they'd been good friends, well sort of. Kagome had a strange attraction to the boy. She wanted to protect him, make him happy. He'd been a loner all his life, somewhat of a miscreant. Kagome had the strong urge to heal his wounds. It was an odd pair. She had been student body president, captain of the volleyball team, and a straight A student while he had been… a nobody. He got into fights, destroyed property, hardly ever showed up for school. Mostly everyone knew he had a bad home life. Kagome came to find out that his mother and him were very poor and Inuyasha got into the habit of stealing money to get them by most of the time. There were rumors too that Inuyasha's mother did some dirty business out of her home in an attempt to get the bills paid. Inuyasha's dad had taken off when he was just a baby, leaving him and his mother all alone.

After two years of Kagome tagging along with Inuyasha and trying to keep him out of trouble and convince him to come to class, they ended up falling for eachother. Their relationship was complicated, though. They never really officially became boyfriend and girlfriend. They just began to have more of a physical relationship. They held hands, kissed, among other things. Inuyasha never felt he was worthy to have Kagome as a girlfriend and it tore him up inside most of the time. But Kagome had never been happier. She felt as though a missing piece in her life had finally been filled by Inuyasha's love or admiration or whatever it was he felt for her. All of their senior year went on like this, and Kagome's good naturedness DID rub off on him a little bit. He saw the school counselor for his anger issues and she got him a spot on the football team, of all places. He was able to vent his anger and bond with other boys his age. He was actually pretty good at the sport. The counselor waived all his fees and costs for being on the team, so that front was taken care of. Inuyasha had really begun to improve.

On the last game of the season, a scout approached Inuyasha and offered him big money to play at the local University. Inuyasha and Kagome had both been really surprised and happy, and when his mother had found out she was overjoyed as well. But close to graduation, Inuyasha's mother got into a little trouble with some gentlemen she had borrowed money from. Against Kagome's begging and pleading, Inuyasha left, without a word to anyone, with his mother. They fled to a remote part of the country, staying with some old friends where they could slowly get back on their feet. Inuyasha had given up his education, his future, his girlfriend, so he could go to work to help out his mother. And although Kagome thought this was very noble, she was young and very in love. It had hurt her deeply to see Inuyasha leave her, especially without even a letter or a phonecall. She simply never saw him again one day. She used to ride her bike by his old house everday for a whole summer. Eventually, though, Kagome started college and threw herself into studying until she got her degree and got her job.

Ironic that after all her hardwork, it was Inuyasha who held the key to her ability to make money now. Kagome had thought she had forgotten Inuyasha and had finally convinced herself that it was his loss and that she was better off because of it. But after seeing him at the coffee shop…she couldn't help but feel that same lonely betrayed feeling that had haunted her dreams everynight for months.

However…the Inuyasha she'd seen at the coffee shop was different. She'd never known Inuyasha to smile and joke around. He'd been a very angry person with a violent temper and bad attitude. The Inuyasha she'd seen seemed carefree. Like all the burdens of highschool were off his shoulders now. Kagome rolled over on her back and stared at the ceiling. This is ridiculous. I'm a grown woman now. I'm not the same naïve girl from back then. Finding a job is more important then some immature grudge, isn't it?

Kagome closed her eyes and sighed. Still…being around Inuyasha all the time…I don't know if I could do it. URGH! This is so unfair! I am a strong, independent girl, and NO man intimidates me. Kagome was very frustrated in herself and the behavior she had shown. She wished that she could have been cool, detatched, professional when she saw him, but she'd acted like a little girl. After all, it had been five whole years since he left. There was no reason for her to still bear a grudge for something that happened so long ago. She had become a totally different person since then. Kagome's tummy rumbled then.

Besides…I need money in a very bad way. I doubt any of those other odd jobs pay a steady 400$ a month doing something so easy, either. Damnit, Inuyasha. Why do you have to be a slob and a hopeless mess in the kitchen? Fine. I'll do it. I'll e-mail him and apologize for my little outburts and I'll…become his maid. Ugh.

Kagome picked herself up off the couch, went over to her trusty laptop and sent a very brief and impersonal e-mail to Inuyasha's account. When she prayed to the gods for someone, anyone to send her work she'd never meant her old flame. But oh well. It would have to do, until she found something better.

X

"You're kidding?" Sango said over the phone. "Inuyasha Takahashi is your new boss?" Kagome put another spoonful over double chocolate chip icecream in her mouth. "Well, apparently it's now Inuyasha Taisho, but yes." There was a long pause on the other end.

"And you're okay with this?" Her friend asked skeptically.

"Of course not! But, I need a job Sango! Rent is due and I can't afford to get evicted. Besides, I'm a mature confident person. Why should I refuse perfectly good work just because I'd be working for him? I can't let him have the satisfaction of knowing he scared me off, no way!" There was another pause on the other end of the phone. "O-kay, Kagome. If you say so. I just can't help remembering how upset you were back when he left you like that. I'd never seen you so lost before. It was scary."

"I know, I know. But that was what? Like five years ago! C'mon, Sango. I need your support on this, so don't discourage me, okay?" Kagome heard her friend sigh. "Okay, but…if he does or says anything to hurt you, I will force you to give me his address so I can exterminate him. I'm serious." Kagome laughed warily at her friend. Sango can be a little scary sometimes…she thought. "Don't worry. I'm not that vulnerable anymore. I'll just go in, do my job, and leave. How's that sound?" Sango scoffed. "I guess the whole 'screwing your boss' thing is out the window, huh?" Kagome laughed and then groaned. "Sango, it was never going to happen anyways! But yeah, now it's REALLY not going to happen, trust me."

Sango was a little skeptical. "I dunno Kagome…it almost happened back in highschool…" Kagome turned beet red. "Sango! Can we please not talk about that, okay? It doesn't matter! I'm not going to sleep with Inuyasha. He's a cruel, mean, and heartless jerk and I hate him!" Sango laughed at her best friend. "Well, those are great feelings to have towards your boss before you ever even start work. But I can understand why you feel that way. So he just accepted you back after you totally walked out on him at the coffee place?"

Kagome thought about this. His e-mail back to her had been very short and to the point and subdued. He hadn't seemed angry, or ecstatic, just business-like. Which pissed her off. "Yeah," she admitted. "I guess he must be as desperate as I am."

"Or maybe he has a secret, deep love for you and this is all a plan to get you back into his screwed up life," Sango suggested. Kagome rolled her eyes. Sango always read into things way too much. "Anyways," she continued, "when is your first day?" Kagome felt a twist in her stomach when she thought about actually going to Inuyasha's house.

"It's tomorrow. I'm supposed to have the place cleaned by four and have dinner on the table by five thirty, which is when he will be home, I guess." Kagome swallowed a lump in her throat. "Want me to go with you?" Sango asked. As much as Kagome wanted to scream yes, she knew she had to face her fears and go alone. She needed to prove she could be around Inuyasha and not break down in tears and not scream at him or strangle him…or something like that. Another thing that worried her was being in his home…alone.

She was afraid she would be surrounded by him yet feel complete emptiness again. What if she, like, smelled his clothes or something? Or just did something stupid and nostalgic like that? Worse…what if he caught her? Ugh. She was going to have to try really hard not to do anything stupid. It was going to be difficult. After all, not only did she have a history with him, but he was still an attractive male. Kagome didn't want to make anymore mistakes with Inuyasha. If he even tried to lay one finger on her she would report him for sure. To Sango. So she could 'exterminate' him. That thought made Kagome smile a little. Knowing she had the support of Sango made her feel stronger. It made her feel like possibly she could do this and make a little money at the same time.

"Thanks Sango, but this is my job, not yours. Besides, don't you need to be at your job?" She heard Sango chuckle nonchalantly. "I guess so, but my new department manager is totally in love with me, so I could get away with skipping for the day, I'm sure." Kagome blinked. A boy was in love with Sango? That was odd. Most men were extremely frightened of Sango. "Who's your new manager?" Kagome asked. "His name is Mr. Houshi. I think his first name is Miroku…anyways, he is such a glutton for punishment. He's a real ladies man, but he goes all mushy around me. He can't resist himself! He grabs my butt at least three times a day!" Kagome gasped, imagining any man getting away with such a thing with her violent best friend. "You just let him do that?" Kagome asked in amazement. "Of course not," Sango sighed as if it were obvious. "I give him a real good slap, but he just keeps coming back for more. So I keep delivering more."

Kagome shook her head in awe. What a weird relationship. "Anyways, Kagome, I'd better hit the sack. I've got a department meeting at eight A.M. sharp," her best friend said behind a muffled yawn. "Alright Sango," Kagome said, a little disappointed. "Have a good day tomorrow." Sango replied a little suggestively, "You too, dear." They hung up and Kagome was left to the empty silence of her apartment. Being alone never used to bother her. It was all because of that damn Inuyasha. Ugh. Kagome knew the next day was going to be the most awkward day of her life, but she was prepared. Once the young girl set her mind on it, she was unstoppable.

Kagome decided to go to bed early and sleep away all her worries so she could be well rested for her first day. She was going to tackle her situation with all her effort and dedication and maybe in the end she would be able to forget her old memories and finally, truly, get over Inuyasha and their broken past. She laid down in her giant fluffy bed and shut her eyes, but after a whole hour of imagining what the next day was going to be like, she couldn't sleep. She kept thinking, "why did he leave me?" and "what's wrong with me?" and "does he still have feelings for me?" and things like that. Those questions only made her mad at herself. She couldn't continue thinking irrelevant things like that. It didn't matter why he left her, the fact was that he did and nothing would ever change that. Kagome just couldn't seem to squash a very dim little hope that he had really come back to be with her. UGH. It truly disgusted her how after five years of her hard work and success he still managed to have some immeasurable hold on her heart, for some reason. His face was branded to the back of her eyelids, and for the rest of the night she tossed and turned and fell into unfitful sleeps before waking back up violently and such. Inuyasha Takahashi...damn you. Those were her final thoughts before she was able to drift into a more restful sleep.

Okay, so that's the end of chapter one. I know it's kind of short, but I didn't want to go into her first day cause that would take up several more pages in word, making this chapter almost unbearably long! So, yes. And I just wanted to quit writing but wanted to post something. Hehe. So please please please review! It helps keep me motivated! I wanna know if it's good or bad or boring or whatever. I promise things are going to heat up quick, I just had to get all the intros out of the way XD. Let me know if I should delve deeper into Sango/Miroku as well!

I hope to have chapter two up within three days, so bear with me!

Now, meanie Inuyasha, say something to the readers!

Inuyasha: Hey! That's not fair...I'm not mean, just misunderstood!

Me: Sure, sure. I can make you as mean as I want, remember? Now say something to the readers. Or else.

Inuyasha: Okay, okay. But what should I say?

Me: THINK OF SOMETHING!

Inuyasha: (sigh) Please review guys! And tune in for chapter 2, where everyone sees how NICE I am! XD

THANKS GUYS!!!! ------------------paige morgan