Thanks to all the responses! I'm sorry that so much of you are, like me, stuck at home. As stated, I will do my best to get to it. I can only binge so much Netflix before I need to feel like I've accomplished something. As always, I do not own the characters below.
"You're invited."
The woman grew quiet. "And am I expected to bring a date?" She asked after several seconds.
"No."
Megumi's dark eyes glittered. "And why is that?"
Kenshin placed the binder on the desk and sighed. "It would throw off the balance. We have selected your dining partner for the evening."
The dark eyes narrowed. "Who?" She demanded.
"Aoshi."
She blinked. "Not Sanosuke?"
He raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure we can arrange for that if you would prefer." He smirked.
"Nope. Aoshi is fine." She answered quickly. "I find it interesting that you presume that I didn't have plans already."
Kenshin looked up at her. "Did you?"
The woman pressed her lips together "No." She crossed her arms "I must say that Kaoru's invite was much more gracious."
He raised an eyebrow. "If you already had the invitation, then why are you being so obstinate about it?"
The intercom on desk buzzed, saving the woman from answering. "You have a visitor." Clara's voice came through the intercom.
Kenshin grinned to himself. Kaoru had said she might stop by. He recalled the way she had felt in his arms last night. It had taken every fiber of his being to let her go when all he had wanted to do was throw her against the wall and have his way with her.
"Send her in."
"Kenshin," Megumi took a step towards him and he looked up. "I don't understand why you're doing this.
"Doing what?"
"This was supposed to be a few events; a random brunch or two. Now you are planning a dinner party tomorrow night?"
"What's your point?"
She hesitated. "She has invited me into her circle. And I consider you a… friend."
"Thanks for that."
The woman rolled her eyes. "I just…" Again, the woman paused. "Are you interested in seeing if the two of you might have a future?"
Kenshin didn't answer, saved by the door opening behind her. He turned his attention to the woman coming through the door and felt his world stop. He blinked as he took her in, not completely sure she really stood before him.
"Hello Kenshin."
Megumi whirled at the sound of the woman's voice, her dark eyes wide. She glanced back at him and tilted her head in an unspoken gesture asking what he wanted her to do. He shook his head slightly.
"Hello Tomoe."
The woman looked over at Megumi. "Megumi, you're looking well." There was a hint of derision in her voice.
"I wish I could say I was happy to see you." Megumi retorted snidely. She glanced once more at him. "I will look into finalizing the details and get them back to you."
He nodded brusquely. "Indeed."
Kenshin swallowed and stiffly came around the desk. He hadn't seen her in nearly nine months. Her dark hair fell in silky waves down her back, her dark eyes missing nothing. She was dressed in an elegant pantsuit, a strand pf pearls, pearls he had given her, around her neck. She hesitated as he approached her.
"Are you really here?" He breathed.
She nodded. "I am."
He closed the distance between them before he could stop himself. He had loved her for more than a decade. She had broken his heart, calling it off when he had refused to move to London. However, his dream of expanding his own empire had consumed him and he had not been ready to let it go. That had been two years ago. In that time, he hadn't been able to move on, the pair of them still finding their way into each other's beds when they saw each other.
Kenshin took her in his arms and hugged her to him, he buried his face in her neck, relishing her intoxicating smell and the feel of her body against his. She hugged him back fiercely and pulled away. Her fingers caressed his marred cheek and drew his mouth down to hers.
Her lips were as soft and pliant as he remembered, her taste just as sweet. However, something seemed off. While she felt familiar in his arms, the underlying desire that used to consume him seemed to be missing. One hand snaked up into her dark hair and moved through the silky strands. However, the texture seemed wrong, too fine, missing the slight curl and he realized why the yearning was absent. Just as abruptly as he had fallen back into her embrace, the thought of what had transpired slammed into him/ His thoughts immediately recalled the night before.
He wrenched his mouth from hers and pulled himself out of her embrace. She was breathing heavily, her chest heaving, her eyes bright with passion. "Kenshin." She moaned his name, reaching for him.
Kenshin stepped away from her, guilt rising up in him as he thought of the woman he had begun to develop feelings for. He had made a promise. "We can't do this."
"We can." She stepped towards him. "We're meant to be."
He shook his head. "No." He turned away and braced both his arms on the desk. "I can't." Eyes close, he took a deep breath, steadying himself.
"You can't or you won't?"
"Both."
"Do you not love me anymore?"
He spun around, anger beginning to fill him. "How can you ask me that? I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. You only wanted me on your terms."
"I was wrong, I realize that now. I know that I can't change it, but I want to start again. We can make it work this time."
"How many times have we been through this, Tomoe?" He asked her sadly.
Her dark eyes glistened for several seconds before her shoulders dropped. The woman sighed. "Can we go for a walk?"
He nodded and moved past her. Kenshin opened the door. Clara looked up from her desk. "I'm going out for the afternoon." He told her.
She opened her mouth and then closed it. "Will you be returning?" She asked cautiously.
Kenshin nodded. "I have a meeting with Aoshi later." She hesitated and then looked down at her computer. The woman was not prone to expressing herself. "You have something you need?" He asked.
Clara smiled tightly at him. "Sir, I know it isn't my place, but you have made promises."
He looked at her sharply. While Megumi was his assistant, Clara merely guarded the door and ran simple errands for him. She had never spoken up against him. For her to do it now caught him off guard. "Your point?" He asked tersely.
"Just saying, you have an agreement with a woman. I would hate to see you break it." She stated before returning her focus to her computer.
He felt a flash of guilt before turning to grab his coat. He offered an arm to the Tomoe. "Let's go for a chat."
They had walked along in silence. Tomoe had taken his arm and snuggled against him. However, Kenshin's mind churned. He thought of Kaoru, and everything they had gone through together. Even before, he had thought of her. He had agreed to be her fiancé and everything it entailed. Just being alone with this woman put him violation of his contract with her. More importantly, he realized, he no longer felt the same.
He led them to a bench and sat down. "Kenshin?"
He looked over at her. Her dark eyes watched him, strands of her hair blowing across her face. The woman was still stunning. Once upon a time, he wanted nothing more than to be with her. But she had made her choices and he had made his. At some point, he had realized, his feelings on the matter had changed.
"It's over."
Her mouth fell open. "How can you say that?"
"We've been torturing ourselves for years. It's time it came to an end."
"I came for you; I'm here for you. I want to be with you. You really want to tell me it's over?" Tomoe demanded.
Kenshin looked at her. "Don't tell me you didn't feel it too."
"When we kissed?" she asked him. Her dark eyes searched his face and then she flopped back with a sigh. "It was comfortable, but not the earth-shattering fire that I recall."
He shook his head. "I think if we were honest it hasn't been that way for some time." He told her quietly.
"We always seemed to find our way back to each other. When we were at least on the same continent it was easier."
He leaned back on the bench. "It was convenient." He told her.
She nodded more to herself. "I knew something was missing. And then when you wouldn't come with me, I just assumed it was complacency and that we actually needed distance to spice things back up for us. I guess I never fully realized how much the Palladium meant to you. I just thought it was something to keep you occupied until Hiko handed over the empire."
Kenshin ran a hand through his hair. "It started that way, but a few years ago, I realized I really enjoy it. And when someone approached me about expanding, it got me thinking."
The woman smiled and looked up at the sky. "Meanwhile I was determined to take over my father's business and make it bigger and better than before. Distance I guess ended up being our enemy in these matters."
Kenshin nodded and thought back to a few weeks ago. He had been in the jewelry store contemplating going to London to get her when an enigmatic woman had slipped her arm through his and asked for a favor. How everything had changed in that moment.
"You have yet to actually mention her."
He blinked, "Oro?" He asked, turning to gaze at the woman at his side.
She looked at him wryly. "Your fiancée?"
Kenshin stilled. "What do you know of her?"
"Please." She waved her hand in the air. "These past few weeks had the tabloids all abuzz with the mysterious beautiful woman who has been on your arm. Tell me about her."
He thought of Kaoru, the expressive way her blue eyes lit up when she spoke of something, she was passionate about. "She is quite extraordinary." He murmured. He recalled the night before when he had been unable to deny his desire. It had been a simple kiss, but he had seen her reaction.
"And there it is." The woman sighed.
"There what is?" He asked, looking over at her.
Tomoe shook her head, a small laugh escaping her. "I couldn't help but wonder if the whole fiancée thing was nothing more than a ploy." Kenshin held his breath, wondering if the once love of his life had figured it out. She offered him a shrug. "Perhaps you were trying to get me back by brushing off our relationship so quickly."
He blinked. The idea a fiancé would bring her back across the ocean had never occurred to him. "Is that why you returned?"
"I had to see for myself."
Kenshin tilted his head quizzically. "See what?"
"Your affection for her is clear." A sad smile adorned her lips. "I hope she treats you well." Tomoe reached out and touched his cheek, the one with the faded scar. "I will personally kick her ass if she doesn't treat you right."
He leaned into her soft touch for a moment and then looked up at her. Tomoe was comfortable, but he yearned for the unpredictability that was Kaoru. Even sitting here across form the woman he had once loved, he missed Kaoru. "I'm the one who needs to prove myself to her." He told her with a sigh.
Her hand fell from him and she shook her head. "Ever the humble one." Tomoe leaned forward. "You deserve to find happiness; I want mothing more than for you to find happiness." She crossed her arms. "Even if it's not with me."
Kenshin reached out and touched her arm. "I am sorry, Tomoe." He found her hand and lifted it to his lips. "I wish nothing but the best for you."
She smiled. "What a pair we are." She stood and held a hand out to him. "Will I get to meet this woman?"
Kenshin accepted her hand gingerly and allowed her to slip an arm through his. "Would you like to?"
"I would. I want to meet the woman who single handedly, in a matter of weeks, managed to steal what took me years to gain; And even longer to realize I wanted."
Kenshin glanced over at her. "What in the world are you talking about?"
"Your heart silly." She shook her head and laughed. "What else could I have meant?"
Kenshin smiled as they continued back towards his office. Kaoru had become a steady fixture in his life recently, but until last night, he hadn't wondered what would happen when they ended this farce. Moments before Tomoe had breezed into his office, Megumi had asked the question he himself had been afraid to contemplate. Now with his former lover at his side, he tentatively asked himself the question he had been avoiding. Could he have a future with Kaoru?
"We're hosting a dinner party tomorrow night." He told her.
"Really?" She glanced over at him in surprise.
"Really."
"You hate those kinds of things."
Kenshin thought about it for a moment. Normally he had hated these kinds of events. However, he found himself looking forward to it. Even though six of the guests were for show, the other half were friends and he found himself looking forward to the evening. "Kaoru-dono brings out a different side of me."
"Apparently." She grew quiet as they crossed the street. "Enishi will want to come."
Kenshin fought the urge to groan at the mention of her brother. "Why?" He asked before he could stop himself. They had never gotten along, Enishi being extremely competitive in everything including the affections of his sister.
"So, you can show off the beautiful woman who is in your life."
"I don't care what he thinks." He frowned. "Why is he even here?"
"He's how I got here."
Kenshin glanced over at her. "You used him as a reason to come over here to see me? And he let you?"
"Please, I don't allow Enishi to 'let me' do anything." Tomoe scoffed.
"Really?" He raised an eyebrow. "And why is it you are just now coming over to attempt to get me back?"
The woman laughed and shook her head. "Perhaps I didn't believe the reports of your engagement." She leaned forward and cupped his face again. "Even if you weren't engaged, I don't think we would have made it long. Like you said, it was convenient. However, I do miss you."
He covered her hand with his and leaned down to kiss her softly. It was one last kiss to bring closure to what had once been a dynamic love. "We had a good run but it's time to move on." He stood up. Kenshin smiled at her. "But as friends."
She looked up at him. "Agreed."
Aya had headed through several stores, attempting to find something to wear for tomorrow night. She wasn't really looking forward to the event, but also wanted to see Kaoru and fiancée in their own setting. The woman still seemed to one up her. She thought she had caught her in the lie when she had attempted to hand deliver an invitation. Now she was attending a dinner party at their loft apartment.
Even at the two charity events they had both attended, the last one Kaoru had somehow managed to gain the upper hand by putting her husband and their friends in their place. And then just this morning, Aya had opened up the society pages to see a stunning photo of the woman at some exclusive benefit form the weekend. She had been clamoring to get tickets; it was considered to be the social event of the season. However, all of her maneuvering had been for naught. How the trollop had managed it only made her hate her more.
Always, Kaoru had managed to best her. Such a harmless prank and so what if a few parents got all uppity. Kaoru had to fall on her sword and all of their sorority sisters had taken her side, except the few who were her loyal friends. Aya had worked hard to become a prominent woman in the upper echelons of society. She had never seen Kaoru at any event. Aya had heard she was living with the freeloader. When she had spotted the pair that afternoon, she was sure she would be able to rub it int he woman's face. So convinced the woman had lied to her, she had followed up, inviting her to brunch. She stills n't convinced the woman hadn't somehow hired someone to impersonate her fiancé. However, the fact she suddenly was appearing in the gossip rags proved otherwise. She didn't think that someone like Himura Kenshin would just agree to marry some random stranger.
Cursing, she pushed the dress aside and glanced out the window. She saw a flash of red and she blinked, peering out the window. A slow smile curled her upper lip and she placed the dress back on the rack. Kenshin, Kaoru's alleged fiancée, was strolling into the park and the woman at his side was definitely not Kaoru.
She picked up her bag and hurried out the door and into the chilly afternoon. She paused to pull her coat on and she scanned the scene. Not spotting either of them, she quickly crossed the street and into the park.
It took her several moments, but she finally spotted the pair by the large fountain. They sat on a bench together. They appeared engrossed in conversation. She crept closer to them and found a bench not far. She couldn't quite hear what they were saying, but it was obviously an intense conversation. As she watched, she saw the redhead sit back. The woman at his side then reached over and touched his face.
Aya gasped in surprise and the felt a curling of delight flow through her. Even if the whole relationship was for real, he obviously was cheating on her with this woman. After a moment the hand dropped and they continued their conversation. Aya attempted to lean in, but still couldn't hear much over the present wind. She saw Kenshin take the woman's hand in his and press a kiss to her knuckles.
Clearly this was someone he was on intimate terms with. The woman finally rose and held a hand out to him. He rose and they continued back down the path arm in arm. Aya watched them for a moment and then followed after, wanting to see where they were headed.
She noticed they were headed towards the Pallidum, one of the nicest hotels in the city. Aya watched and saw the woman throw her head back laughing, the wind catching her dark hair. She touched his face again tenderly and then Kenshin leaned forward and kissed her.
Delighted at this fortunate turn of events, Aya pulled out her phone to take a picture. Biting her lower lip in gleeful satisfaction she sent the pic to Yvonne.
Guess who just got a hotel room…and that's not our former sister.
She raised her eyes in time to watch the pair disappear inside. Her phone rang. "Oh my god!" The woman cried as she answered the phone.
"Can you believe it?"
"Kaoru's fiancée is cheating on her! This is unbelievable."
"Just proves she was lying."
The woman grew quiet. "Doesn't mean she made up the engagement; just that he's not the perfect man everyone makes him out to be."
Aya rolled her eyes. "Regardless. He's not doting on her like she makes us all think."
There was a pause on the other line. "Does she make us think that?"
"Yvonne! She has painted this fairy tale picture and clearly there is trouble in paradise." Aya chided, not liking that her closest friend was questioning her.
"What are you going to do?"
Aya narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. "What are you doing right now?"
"I'm headed to a meeting at the museum and then getting my nails done."
"What's the name of the restaurant that Kaoru works at?"
"I thought it was Pacific Heights?"
"I'll find out. Perhaps we should meet for a cocktail and see how she's faring."
This chapter is a bit shorter than I would like. But given what is to come, it made sense to stop it here. As always, your feedback is appreciated. Much love and appreciation to those out there who have stuck with this story through it all. Hopefully it's a little something to help with the monotony to those who are stuck home, without a job, like myself. Stay safe and healthy! Kisses until next time
