A/N: Hi again. Well, here's chapter two. Now, THIS one I wrote completely. And we get to see more of the cast! -smiles- I'll mention right now the couples will be: Kouga/Ayame, Miroku/Sango, and InuYasha/Kikyou. If you're not a fan of Inu/Kik, well, either ignore it or don't read. Sorry. Again, please review and let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: What? You want a double-take? Fine. I don't own InuYasha. Get over it. XP

Beautiful Stranger

Chapter 2: All in a Day's Work

Ayame ran into the store, panting slightly for breath. "I'm back!" she chimed loudly, rushing back to behind the cash register. "I'm so sorry I'm late!" She quickly took off her jacket, revealing a long-sleeved white sweater as she placed her purse along with her jacket on the coat rack that was shared between her and her co-worker.

Her co-worker did a double take when she saw her friend, her long black ponytail swishing behind her as she nearly gaped at her. "Ayame-chan! What happened!" she demanded, spotting the new bruise the redhead had on her cheek from the fight in the park.

With a faint blush of embarrassment burning on her cheeks, Ayame turned her face away, trying to hide behind the thick locks of her hair. "It's nothing, Sango. Don't worry," she tried to reassure her. However, it didn't work.

"Ayame, who attacked you?" she asked, staring at her friend sternly, but her eyes filled with concern.

"Some guy who was trying to mug me in the park on my way here," Ayame answered after a heavy sigh.

"You were almost—" Sango began, when she was cut off.

"Big news!" a loud voice exclaimed.

"Huh?" both the girls asked and turned to see their boss walking over to them with a big, proud smirk on his face.

"That's right! I got big news for us!" he repeated. He opened his mouth to finish when he caught sight of Ayame's "new look" as well, his amber eyes widening. "What the hell happened to you?"

Ayame didn't feel like talking though. She smiled nervously at the two. "Umm…You know, I really got to finish keying that new order…" her voice trailed off, seeing how the look she was getting from the both of them told her the lie wasn't going to suffice. The redhead sighed heavily and explained to the both of them the whole story, and the two stared at her in shock.

"Okay, I'm going to give you a ride to work from now on," Sango answered.

"Sango, that isn't needed!" Ayame argued.

"It is," InuYasha stated firmly. "Ayame, this city is no longer safe! You can't just go walking off by yourself anymore!"

The redhead looked down, trying to busy herself with typing in the order from yesterday into the computer, trying to block out his words. Oh yeah, she knew the city wasn't safe anymore. She learned that ten years ago.

"Wait, you said you were 'almost' mugged….What happened?" Sango asked.

"A man came and fought him off and gave me back my purse," she said, looking back up.

"A man!" both InuYasha and Sango questioned loudly.

Ayame stared back down on the counter shyly and nodded, inwardly blushing as she thought of the handsome stranger she met with long black hair and stunning blue eyes. "Yes," she answered.

"Who was he?" Sango asked, snapping Ayame back into reality, and her friend looked up.

"I don't….Wait, he said his name was Kouga Ookami."

InuYasha growled softly, narrowing his amber eyes. "Did you say Ookami?"

"Yes…why?" Ayame inquired, both her and her friend staring at him confused.

"Keh, I know that bastard. We went to the same high school…"

Both girls knew that look. He had that I'm-pissed-off-at-the-world-and-I'm-going-to-rant-about-it look on his face. They knew they had to change topics quickly and get his mind off it before either he started on the rant and wouldn't shut up until closing or something got broken.

"InuYasha," Sango carefully began. "What was the big news you wanted to tell us?"

That did the trick. Upon hearing that he still hadn't told them the news, his earlier expression melted away as he smirked proudly at the two. "You two know that film star Miroku Houshi? Well, he just wrote his biography….and I got him to agree to do a book signing here."

"WHAT?" Ayame demanded, shocked. "You got HIM to come HERE!"

"Yup," he confirmed proudly, an arrogant smirk on his face.

Sango rolled her eyes. "Did you have to get HIM?..." she asked, disgusted. "Couldn't you get another celebrity?"

"Oh come on, Sango-chan…" Ayame almost begged. "He's not that bad."

"The man's disgusting!" she exclaimed. "He's a sick pervert!" Everyone knew she was right and kept quiet at that statement. "I just read this morning that he got caught having an affair with ANOTHER co-star of his!"

The redhead smirked teasingly at her friend. "Why Sango…what were you doing reading about HIM?... Could it be that you secretly like him?"

"Of course not!" she snapped, glaring at her friend.

"Then you won't mind it if he comes here… Come on, Sango-chan…it'll be good for the store…" Ayame continued.

"Alright," she sighed heavily in defeat. "I'll deal with it."

InuYasha smirked. "Good, now get to work you two! I'm not paying you to stand around!" he declared, and the girls smirked at each other before jokingly saluting him before keying in the new orders and arranging the books.

Yup, it was just another day at work.