a/n: This was only supposed to be two parts, but I'm beyond busy with work, so I've decided to split it into a few more parts so that updates are a little more regular. So here's the next part!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Speed Dating:
Part II

"Sooo," Misao said as we stood in line, waiting to get the cards of people who'd like us to call them back. "Any keepers?"

"Nah," I said. "And if there were, I managed to scare them off." Like the red head.

"Too bad. We should really work on your people skills," she said, tsking at me. I scowled, but silently agreed.

"These men would be delighted to hear from you," the woman said handing me a couple of cards.

Oh, boy, someone said yes... I almost threw them in the trash on my way out. What made me keep them, I'll never know. I ended up stuffing them in my purse. And it was a long time before I even looked at them again. Really. I swear.

Okay, maybe I pulled them out the second I got home. My eyes devoured the names, trying to match the faces I'd seen that night. I wasn't lame, I swear. I go out on real dates. But it's been a while. Which was the excuse I was using to make myself feel better about the desperation I was feeling as I looked over the cards.

My fingers paused as I pulled a card out that had the name Kenshin Himura scrawled on it. I blinked, wondering if I was reading it wrong. This was the red head I'd so offended with my stupid mouth. I couldn't believe it. There had to be some kind of mistake. His number was written below his name and I frowned, confused. What was going on?

Did sane men want to see a girl again after she told them that she collected sex toys without prompting? I don't think we even got beyond names before I blurted that little bit out. Maybe he wasn't quite... right. In the head. I didn't know a lot of guys who found girls who collected sex toys interesting. Maybe he was different?

Or maybe he was playing a horrible joke on me. I sighed and tucked the card away, deciding not to call tonight. I definitely didn't want to look desperate, but... But dammit, how could I wait? I pulled the card back out and reached for the phone. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Even as I dialed I knew I was being stupid.

I waited as it rang, biting my lip. And then finally, there was a wonderfully male voice answering.

"Hi, this is Kaoru Kamiya from earlier tonight. I just have to ask, are you an idiot?" Okay, so not as eloquent as I could have put it, but come on. This was me. Eloquent things didn't often pass my lips.

He laughed and I frowned again. Laughter? Laughing at me? At what I'd said? Or the face that his joke had gotten me to call? I just didn't know.

"I don't mean to be rude, but seriously. Considering how our thirty seconds "date," quotations around date, went, I'm a little confused." That was a little better. Right? Right.

He was still laughing. My frown deepened. "Okay, I'm gonna guess that that answers my questions. Thanks." I was reaching for the button to cut the connection when I heard him say, 'Wait!' I waited.

"What?"

"I'm sorry," he said, clearly fighting off his fit of laughter. "It's just... you were so different from those other girls!"

"I don't usually say things like that. It's a nervous tick, one that's gotten me into trouble more than once."

"I thought it was charming."

"Really." I couldn't hide the skepticism in my voice. Not that I bothered to try.

"Yeah. I'd really like to see you again."

I licked my lips, unsure what to say. "I don't know. I don't really do the whole speed dating thing. I usually throw the cards out."

"But you didn't this time. So I think that means I deserve a shot." He deserved a shot? How about me? A shot at redemption. It was more than I could resist.

"All right."

We worked out the details of when and where and then hung up. Well. That wasn't so hard, was it? I'd managed a mostly civilized conversation with a sexy guy. And I managed to avoid mentioning my sex toy collection. Yippee...

a/n: I'll try to have the next part (and hopefully last part) out relatively soon. I'm aiming for once a week updates, but they're getting increasingly hard to accomplish. So fingers crossed that I'll manage to find some time...