Collide

By animechick262003

Chapter Four

The Bumbling Apprentice

Part/I

The waters were pleasantly warm, as Kouga slipped into the rapture of his garden bath. Placing his glass and a half emptied bottle of bourbon on the deck beside him, Kouga turned his gaze towards the sliding glass door and the view just beyond. A full moon hovered in navy blue skies and offered up the palest of yellow light. Nights like these were filled with nostalgia. And he was just the romantic sap to sit there and soak it up.

Kouga groaned, and slipped deeper into the steamy waters as the jets soothingly pummeled his back with a steady stream of high-pressure water. He longed for this moment most this evening. A stiff glass of bourbon and a relaxing soak to ease his mind was what he'd needed. Instead he found himself caught up with the fiery minx Kagome Higurashi.

That woman was terribly stubborn, Kouga thought as grin eased onto his face. He had to admire her gutsy-ness and determination. She'd challenged him on every front, and not once had she'd shown signs that she would waiver in her efforts to claim the position as his apprentice. And she was rather pretty to boot. She had unbelievably flawless alabaster skin, and large dark brown eyes with incredibly long lash that brushed her cheeks each time she blinked. And her figure wasn't half bad either. She wasn't rail skinny like those starved chicks they showed on television and in magazines. Kagome was a real woman, the kind he liked, ample in all the right places. Kouga grabbed his glass and inhaled a healthy portion of the liquid, held the bitter concoction in his mouth a second, then let it burn its way down his throat slow and easy.

Kagome Higurashi had always wanted to work under him. Be touched by him. Hearing those words come from that sultry pink mouth of hers had sent sparks through his groin. Yeah, he knew what she'd meant, but he also knew what he wouldn't have minded those words to mean. He was probably wrong for noticing her the way he had with her being a kid, but he was a man, and no man old, young, or otherwise would have looked away.

Kagome was a stunning creature. Even as Kouga sat there, staring out into the night, he could envision the smooth skin of creamy thighs peeking from beneath the short black skirt she'd been wearing. At one point he'd even contemplated reaching over and copping a feel, but he knew that would surely have scared her half out her wits. Kagome hadn't known it, but looking at her had made him stiff then and he was stiff now.

Kouga brought his head down against the headrest. Miss Higurashi was definitely easy on the eyes, and had he been looking for someone he could ogle for most the day, she would have been hired on the spot. But the fact was, he was looking for someone with talent. Not to say she didn't possess any, just not the kind of talent he was looking for. And even if she had shown just a bit of promise, Kouga couldn't ignore the fact he wasn't sure that he had what it took to take her to the next level.

Kagome may have thought him to be the person to put her on the right path, but she was wrong. He wasn't the best architect out there, and the fact that she actually believed that he was-was almost laughable. If Kagome knew half the truth, she wouldn't have felt so strongly about making the internship hers. Kouga lifted his hands, watching as the suds, slowly descended from the tips of his fingers, over his forearm, and dripped onto the waters surface. His hands had not crafted a masterpiece in years. Nothing he'd put on paper could compare to his works from the past. The magic his fingers once held were lost the minute she was taken from him. His Ayame. His Ayame who so close, and yet so very, far.

How he missed those nights when he'd come home and find Ayame waiting for him. They would have a candle light dinner amidst soft music. Later they would indulge in themselves in the garden bath he'd designed specifically for her. Ayame had been a lover of Greek myth, and so he had designed a bath fit for a Greek goddess, with marble floors, four white pillars with strategically placed candleholders, and sheer white curtains, a lush greenery indigenous to that part of the world. It had been costly endeavor, but the look on her face when she saw it for the first time more than made up for it.

The nights and hours they would spend submerged in the warm waters making love were countless. But the best part always came later. It always later when they would lie in bed, cuddled together, and talked about their desire for the future. A future that would not come to pass. Tragedy had been lurking in the shadows, waiting to add one more disappointment to a life that had known so little happiness.

Kouga felt a tug at his heart at the thought of his lost love, and quickly gave himself a firm mental shaking. No matter how many times he told himself he wouldn't linger in the past, he somehow always found himself right back where he started, hoping, wishing, longing for her. However, he was a realist. Kouga understood that forgetting about Ayame was something he could never do, but he also understood that he had to let go. Regretting the past would not change matters. It would only deepen the wound that festered in his heart. Besides, there were issues that needed his immediate attention. Like the fact he had some very important clients coming in on Friday to get a look at the drawings he'd promised to have completed, but was no where near having completed.

This was just the thing he needed to re-enforce his growing agitation over his recent lack of creativity. How the hell would it look for him to disappoint people as important as the Itachi Group? Not that he'd done much to get the contract. In fact it was Taichi Manomara the vice chairman of the Itachi Group who'd contacted him about designing their new office building. Seemed, Gai Gakushi, the president had been fairly impressed with a building he'd designed a few years earlier for a friend of Mister Gakushi, and wanted him to design something as impressive.

Of course he'd jumped on board. What designer would pass over such a grand opportunity? After all, a group as large as Itachi could open doors to better, more high power clients, and that was just the opportunity he'd been looking for. But there was also a downside to it all. Working for such a well-known accounting firm could bolster his credentials, but if he fell short of meeting his obligations to Itachi, Akira Designs reputation as a reliable firm could be ruined.

Kouga sunk deeper, leaving only his eyes and nose visible above water. The more he thought about what angering people as important as these guys off would mean, the more depressed he became. He was in a bit of a jam, and with his current level of creativity, it looked that things would only get worse. But there was still one day left, he thought as a last ditch effort to console himself. If he could focus, he was certain that he could come up with something that Mister Gakushi would find interesting. If not, well, he didn't want to think about the consequences of not completing his assignment. Thinking about the outcome of his failure was just a little too much for a guy that had-had one hell of day.

Thursday

The gauntlet had been thrown down, and the line drawn. Kouga Akira had issued a challenge and she'd taken him up on it. Although an entire day had passed since Kagome's less than favorable encounter with Kouga Akira, his words echoed through her mind as if he only minutes ago spoken them to her. How could he say she didn't put her heart into her work? Her heart was in every piece she created. If she couldn't give a piece her all, then the piece wasn't worth designing.

Kagome moved her pen over the grid paper with fevered motion, sketching out the beginning of what would be a masterpiece unlike any before it. She would make sure of it. Kagome let out a low grunt of irritation. The more she thought about Kouga Akira's review of her work, the more determined she became to prove him wrong. His words had struck their mark, striking her ego, and taken it down a notch. But she wasn't down for the count just yet. She would not become a victim of Mister Akira.

He may have made his previous apprentice cry, have nervous breakdowns, and give up on their dreams all together, but Kagome was not so simple minded as to allow his depressing review undo her. For Kagome it would be the fuel to propel her to success. After tomorrow the job would be hers.

"Kagome?" A voice sounded from behind her and Kagome practically jumped out her skin. Kagome looked over her shoulder to find the figure that had spoken to her standing in her study entrance.

"Mom?" Kagome released the breath she'd been holding, as she stared at the woman that ambled through the open door.

"I knocked, but you didn't answer, so I let myself in." Miss Higurashi smiled.

"I'm sorry. I was so busy concentrating on my new drawing. I guess I must have been pretty out of it." Kagome replied. "What are you doing here?"

"Thought I'd bring you a little something to eat." Miss Higurashi answered, pointing to three covered bowls she carried.

"You didn't have to do that, mom."

"I don't mind at all. Bringing you this food, gives me and excuse to drop by and see how you're doing."

"Mom you know you don't need an excuse."

Mr. Higurashi walked over to Kagome's worktable. She stared down at Kagome's latest work, then lifted her hand and stroked the paper gently. "I never ceased to be amazed at how you and your father pull such wonderful images from your heads, and place them on paper."

"What do you think? Do you like it?" Kagome welcomed honest feedback where her work was concerned and her mother was just the person to give her that. Although her parent, she'd never held back once. If it sucked it sucked, and if it was good, it was good, but her mother never lied to her.

Kagome watched as her mother angled her head, and pursed her lips. She was examining the piece closely. "You should clean the arches over the fountain a little. They're good, but they're simple. They should stand out a little more. Besides the arches, I think this is one of your better works."

"You think so."

"I wouldn't have said so if I didn't believe it."

"I'm so relieved. I was wondering if this would be good enough to convince Mister Akira I'm the one for the internship, but hearing you praise it, I know it's the piece to get the job done." Kagome beamed

"You didn't get the job, Kagome."

"No." Kagome shook her head slowly. "I didn't get the internship."

"But why? You do wonderful work, honey."

"He says I don't put my heart into my work, but that was after he said, he'd seen better work from pre-schoolers."

"Oh dear." Mrs. Higurashi gasped, placing her hands to her mouth. "This Mister Akira doesn't sound like a pleasant man at all."

"No he's not. He's a jerk!" Kagome huffed. "But I still want to work under him. There's no one like him out today. That's why I have to convince him that I'm the person he's been looking for."

"But you said he'd already made his decision."

"Well, he had, until I showed up at his office. By the time he driven me home, I'd persuaded him to give me another chance."

"He didn't know who he was up against, did he?"

"Not at all. I don't care what he says, that job is as good as mine." Kagome smiled, grabbing her crutch and getting to her feet.

"That's my girl. I'm sure you'll get the job, honey."

"Let me take that for you." Kagome said reaching for the bowls.

"Don't be ridiculous, sweetheart. I'm not the one with the injured knee. I can carry these just fine. Now come on to the kitchen so we can get some food into you." Miss Higurashi headed for the door and Kagome reluctantly followed after her. If it was up to her, she would have much rather spent her time fine tuning her design, but she knew improvements to her work would have to come later, much later since her mom would probably hang around for at least two hours.

Kagome rested her head on the table and watched as her mother moved through the small room. Unlike the kitchen at her parents place, there was barely enough space to complete a full turn, but her mother was managing quite well with what she had to work with. Gradually the aroma of beef and fresh steamed carrots and potatoes filtered from the kitchen.

Being gone from home nearly two years, Kagome had almost forgotten how good a home cooked meal simmering on the stovetop could smell. She would have liked more but sadly, she had not acquired any of her mothers cooking talents. Miss Higurashi sauntered from the kitchen; a bowl of steaming noodles in one hand and dinner rolls in the other.

Kagome was practically salivating by the time the entree was settled on the table in front of her. With a quick word of thanks, she dug in, inhaling the tasty morsels.

"Wasn't hungry, huh?" Mrs. Higurashi chuckled as she watched her daughter wolf down the food.

"I didn't feel hungry, but I guess I must have been."

Mrs. Higurashi sighed and took a seat across from her. "Nothings changed with you. Even when you were little you would get so involved with your studies you would forget to eat. "

"I know. It's just I get so focused on completing my projects that eating slips my mind."

"Well at least keep some fruit around here. There's nothing in your refrigerator. I'll pick up some things for you when your father and I go out for groceries tomorrow."

"Speaking of daddy, how is he these days?"

"You'd know if you bothered to stop by on occasion."

Kagome stiffened at her mother's tone. She'd known it was too good to be true that her mother had simply dropped by to bring her a home cooked meal. She's also come to lecture her on how important it was to visit with her family, and her mother was right. But the truth of the matter was, Kagome felt guilty whenever she was around her father. To her father, she was the perfect child. She could do no wrong, and he made sure that he let the world no just how perfect his little angel was. Only she wasn't perfect, and she most certainly wasn't his angel.

What sort of angel has an affair with her father's boss married son, and feels no shame? There were a lot of names for people like her and angel sure as heck wasn't one. If only her father knew how wrong he was about her. He wouldn't hold her in such high esteem or boast to his friends about his little princess.

"He misses you, you know." Mrs. Higurashi began pulling Kagome out of her thoughts.

"I miss him to, mom."

"Then why wont you stop by more often?"

"School." Kagome answered resting her utensils on the table. "I have to study most days."

"You know, your father has begun to think your avoiding us."

"I'm not, I swear." That was a lie. She was avoiding them, but she'd never admit this to her mom or dad.

"Well, if you're not avoiding us, you'll drop by on Sunday for dinner." Mrs. Higurashi announced.

Kagome knew if she declined it would only re-enforce her mother and fathers suspicions about her avoiding them and that would lead to more questioning from her mother about the reason she was avoiding them. All of which she didn't want. There was no way out of it. She would have to have dinner with her folks Sunday if she hoped to get the parental units off her back.

"Okay, I'll come over for dinner Sunday."

Mrs. Higurashi beamed hearing her answer. "Your father will be so happy to know you're stopping by."

"I won't be able to stay long. I have some exams I have to study for."

"That's perfectly okay, honey." Mrs. Higurashi replied climbing to her feet. "We'll take what we can. Seeing you is all that matters."

Kagome felt guilty hearing her mother say this. Take what they can. God had she really made them feel this way. Maybe it was a good idea she stopped by more often.

"I'd better get going. Your father will be home from work soon, and I want to make sure dinners ready for him."

Kagome got to her feet and gave her mother a quick kiss on the cheek and a hug. "Thanks again for the food, mom."

"Your welcome, dear." Mrs. Higurashi replied giving Kagome a peck on the cheek, and the headed for the door. "Make sure you lock up, honey."

"I will."

"And Kagome, we'll really be looking forward to seeing you come Sunday." Mrs. Higurashi finished then disappeared out the door.

Kagome returned to her seat. Her food was still steaming, but suddenly she didn't feel quite as hungry due to the knot that had formed in her gut. Dinner on Sunday, huh? The prospect of looking at her father and pretending to be something she was not didn't sit well with Kagome. Daniel Higurashi was a proud man of honor, and he held an impeccable character.

Daniel expected no less of his children, and had made it his business to instill these values in his children. They were to be kind, and honest, and no matter what, they were never to abandon their pride. Kagome had abandoned all of this and more in pursuit of a happiness that was not hers to have. She was the opposite of everything her father had taught her to be, but she had chosen her path. Kagome got to her feet, and collected the dishes from the table.

It would have been better had things turned out differently. If Inuyasha hadn't had to marry another, things would be different. But she couldn't blame the situation with Inuyasha for her behavior. It was by her own volition that she chose to behave so selfishly. And although she wished she could simply walk away from this relationship, her love for InuYasha would not allow her to do so. And so, she had become this person of little honor, and pride. But her father didn't need to witness such and ugly side of her. Although she hated deceiving her father with false pretenses, she would for his sake, and her continue the façade. She would be her father's angel.

Friday

Friday had finally arrived. And in less than an hour Kouga would be meeting with the heads of the Itachi group to discuss the finalities of the impending project. There was just one problem. He had nothing to present. Well, not exactly nothing, although from his perspective, what he had come up with may as well have been nothing. Kouga dropped down on his chair, and looked at the piece he'd completed only a short time earlier. He lifted the sketchpad, and turned to face the plant that sat in the corner of his office.

"So what do you think, Yoko? You think the Itachi group will like this one?" As if to express its opinion on the drawing, the plant drooped a little. "Great! Thanks for the vote of confidence. See if you get any water later," Kouga snorted, giving the plant his back and returning the pad to rest on the desk.

It wasn't all that bad. With a little tweaking here and there, he was positive he could transform, the hideous McDonald Styled arches into…something…else. Maybe. Who was he kidding? Those McDonald arches were the best he could come up with. He could tweak all he wanted; the truth of the matter was the only thing his drawing was missing was Ronald and the Hamburlger.

"Damn it!" Kouga grounded, leaping to his feet. This was not the time for this to be happening. He had a group of very important men coming in-twenty minutes and he had nothing. Nothing at all. Turning the project over to one of his architects had crossed his mind, but he'd thought the project would be just what he needed to ignite the fire of creativity in him. Unfortunately he'd thought wrong, and now he was about to go into a very important meeting unprepared. This was not good for Akira Designs. Kouga sighed and settled onto his seat once more. If she'd been there she would know what to do. She would show him the answer.

"But you're not here," He whispered as he caressed the photo of Ayame.

"Kouga?" A voice suddenly blared over the speakerphone.

Kouga stared at the phone a second. He knew well why Hakkaku was calling him. The Itachi representatives had arrived for the meeting. He'd hoped they would have arrived a little later, but they were punctual as ever. "Escort the gentlemen to the board room, and let them know that I will join them shortly, Hakkaku." Kouga finally answered getting to his feet, and grabbing his blazer. He wasn't prepared. Little could be done at this juncture to correct this fact, but there was still hope.

Ayame had gone through great lengths to help him recognize his dreams. Although she had not seen the wonderful things that Akira Designs would bring to pass in the following years after they'd started the company, he'd promised himself that even though Ayame was no longer by his side, he would make sure that Akira thrived. He would make sure of this because it had been his dream that he'd shared with her.

Kouga slipped into his blazer and headed for his office door. He'd fell short of meeting his obligation, and as result; a blemish could be put on the Akira name. Kouga took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and left from his office. He could go into the boardroom and offer an array of excuses as to why he had not met the agreed deadline, but that was unacceptable, and it was not something Ayame would tell him to do. Ayame would tell him to be a man and take responsibility. Come clean and receive whatever, consequence would come of it. And that just what he intended to do.

Kagome grabbed her portfolio and headed from her apartment to the cab that waited outside. Two days had gone by quickly leading her to this moment. In an hour she would meet with Kouga Akira yet again to present him with her work. Kagome gripped the portfolio tightly as she descended the stairs. She'd been up since the previous night, working to re-design the arches over the fountain as her mother had instructed her to do. Her mother didn't have the training that she and her father possessed, but she did have an exceptional intuition when it came to these sorts of things. And Kagome was thankful that her mother did, because simple alterations to the piece had made all the difference. Now there was only one thing left to do. Kagome opened the rear door to the cab and climbed in.

"Where to?" The cabby asked peering at her through his rearview mirror.

"233rd Obit Ave, please." Kagome answered.

"Yes, ma'am."

The cab coasted into open traffic, and Kagome could sense the burgeoning of butterflies deep in her gut. This was her last chance to get it right. Mister Akira had given her a second chance to prove to him that she was more that qualified to work with him. The look in those blue eyes of his told her that the likelihood of her receiving another opportunity to convince him of her promise were nil. Mister Akira was a serious man that held a great appreciation for his craft, and it was evident that he didn't believe that she was just as serious. But she would prove him wrong. And after today, she would be Akira Designs newest intern.

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