Part 4: First Attraction

"Darling, what brings you here?" Kyoko greeted Megumi with a warm smile as she stepped inside her office at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.

"Hi, Auntie." Megumi accepted her aunt's brief hug and kiss on the cheek.

She had practically grown up at the Royal Hawaiian, the lush hotel her aunt owned…property she gained when she became a widow. Megumi had never known her uncle…Aunt Kyoko tended to keep her personal life private. Which was understandable. But the business was a testament of her late uncle's feelings towards her aunt. Aunt Kyoko and her husband had obviously been very close if he had left everything he had worked so hard for to her.

"You've been so busy, I'm surprised to see you," Kyoko admitted.

"Well…that's it…" Megumi settled on the couch in her aunt's office. "I'm helping organize a fundraiser for autism and the Sagara Foundation…"

Kyoko grinned. "Your first time planning an event?"

"How did you know?"

"I just do."

Megumi pressed a hand to her forehead. "I just feel overwhelmed sometimes. Commander Takagi is taking care of the advertising…she's left me with the logistics."

"Ah. The actual physical setup and location of the event." Kyoko smiled.

"Yes. Is there any advice you can give me?" Megumi opened up a manila file folder. "I have a floorplan of the stage and seating area, lists of possible vendors who'd be interested in providing equipment to be used for the stage, sound system…printing companies for the programs…ideas for program layout…"

Kyoko laughed softly. "Darling, you sound organized already."

Stopping, Megumi smiled gratefully. "Thank you."

"Your mother often helped the public affairs office with their fundraisers." Wistful memories reflected in her aunt's voice.

"I know. Father told me." Megumi looked away. "I miss her so much…"

"I know, darling. I do, too…" Kyoko sighed. "You remind me so much of her…the passion for work…the same strong spirit…" She grinned. "She gave your father a hard time, you know."

Megumi blinked. "What?"

"Oh, their courtship was so difficult. She was the new Navy nurse in the hospital, he was the Navy physician who was constantly put in his place. You have to understand…your father was used to giving orders and having things done his way. Your mother threw him off-balance. She was the one thing he could never predict. It bothered him, but I think it also fueled their attraction," Kyoko laughed.

Megumi bit her lip. "Father…misses her more than he lets on, doesn't he?"

Kyoko sighed. "It's no secret that your aunt, your father and I have had difficulty getting along over the years. After Hikari died…But…I know that he loved your mother very much. He was devastated when she died. He was even more upset when your brothers decided to leave Hawaii."

Swallowing, Megumi closed her file folder. "I talk to them once in a while…but I feel so alienated from them…"

"It's your father, darling." Kyoko sent her eyes heavenward. "As overbearing and dominant as he is…it's difficult for them to be around him."

"But I stayed here for college."

"That's because you're like your mother, dear." Kyoko leaned towards her. "So tell me more about this fundraiser...There might be a few vendors I know who'd be willing to help you on this…"

"So what happened?"

"Suzy gave one to him."

"Gave what?" Sanosuke studied Lani's thoughtful expression.

"A love letter."

"She beat you to it?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry, keiki." Sanosuke genuinely did feel bad. But love sucked sometimes, especially for little kids. Seemed like the ones they wanted either didn't want them or wanted someone else. He remembered what it was like with his first crush. She had never known how he felt.

Lani sighed, staring out the window where she and Sanosuke sat, overlooking the yard of the orphanage. "It's real life."

"Sano," Tsunan's voice came from the doorway of the den.

Sanosuke and Lani looked up to see Tsunan standing just inside the room…and Megumi Takani standing just behind him.

"Hi," Sanosuke greeted. Then he turned to Lani, ruffling her hair. "I need to talk to this lady. Grown-up stuff. When I'm done, we'll talk some more."

"Okay." Lani grinned before she hopped off the window seat. As she passed Megumi, she paused, studying the bright blue and pink pattern of Megumi's sarong. "You have a pretty dress."

Sanosuke's eyes widened.

But Megumi smiled in response, "Thank you. If you and the other girls would like, I could bring some like it for you to keep."

"Really?"

"Lani." Tsunan shook his head as warning.

"It's all right," Megumi spoke up. "My aunt loves making these for children."

"Cool! Thanks, lady!"

"Doctor Takani," Sanosuke corrected gently.

"Doctor Takani," Lani echoed. She beamed again before heading out.

"Thank you for escorting me," Megumi directed the comment to Tsunan.

"You're welcome. I need to get back to my office…if there's anything else you need, let me know."

"I will."

As Tsunan left, Sanosuke rose to his feet, watching as Megumi made her way towards him.

"So what's up?"

She shrugged one bare shoulder before holding out a file folder. "I spoke with several of the vendors…I thought you might like to see what I have done so far."

"Is that it?"

"I wanted to see this place," Megumi admitted. Then she added in a rush, "I did some research…wanted to get a little background on what and…who I'd be working with."

He studied her carefully. What, she didn't think the place was credible? "So what'd you come up with?"

"A place that has helped so many children…and potential parents…grow into a family," she declared.

Assuming Megumi had grown up with parents, relatives, everything. He wasn't bitter about anyone else's good fortune. It was just difficult for people sometimes to understand where he came from. But she clearly understood what the foundation was for…what it had meant to Tsunan and himself.

"I wanted you to look at the plans I have for the stage," Megumi spoke up. "If it will work. If not, I need to know soon so I can fax them corrections."

After a moment, he accepted the folder she held out and opened it, his brown eyes skimming the contents listed on two stapled pieces of paper.

Megumi came forward, tapping on a section with an unpolished, clean, square-cut fingernail. "The seating area was placed like this to accommodate the three hundred people we're expecting. Given the size of the room, I thought it might be best if we arranged the chairs in an arena fashion, facing the stage."

"No, this is fine." He squinted slightly. "Am I reading the stage dimensions right?"

"Yes…why?"

"How'd you know that was the size I needed?" Sanosuke looked up to see surprise in her dark eyes.

She blinked. "Well…you did say music and dance…and given the dozen or so children here…I thought you'd need room for them to move."

"But-"

Then she shrugged. "I dance, too. When I perform, that's usually the size my aunt has set for the performances."

"Wait…you dance?"

"Hula."

Unable to help himself, he grinned before saying, "That explains your killer legs."

Megumi's eyes narrowed slightly. "Anyway…how are the kids doing?"

So she wanted to ignore that. Fine with him.

"Did you want to see what they have so far?"

Megumi nodded. "Sure."

Sanosuke walked over to the window and pulled it open. In the backyard, several girls were making flower leis, playing with dolls while the boys were either on the swings or playing Frisbee football. He quickly counted the children outside.

Then, leaning so his voice would carry, he called out, "Hey! Get in the den! One of the fundraiser people wants to see whatcha got!"

Eleven heads swiveled his way, along with several choruses of, "Now? How come?", "I'm busy…", "Why?".

"Hey." In a mock-stern voice, Sanosuke frowned for effect. "She can hear you."

"Okay…" Andrew, the eldest of the group spoke for everyone.

"Where's Peko?" Sanosuke asked.

"Getting a drink!" Lani announced.

Sanosuke sighed. "That boy's always thirsty…Someone get him in here."

"Yes, sir!"

As the kids filed into the house, Sanosuke moved to close the window.

"Kids," he muttered with a grin.

"They seem to like you, though," Megumi commented.

"Yeah…"

Several seconds later, a dozen children filed into the room.

"Kids, this is Doctor Megumi Takani," Sanosuke announced. "She's the lady taking care of where you guys will be dancing…making sure the lights, DJ are all there and stuff…Megumi, this is Andrew, Peko, put the drink away, Chris, John, Makaio, and AJ. And these are the ladies, Lani, Abigail, Rowena – call her Wendy, Elizabeth or Liz, Kalena, and Kristy."

"Nice to meet you," Megumi greeted, nodding her head once.

Andrew moved over to the CD player to put a CD in the deck as the kids moved into their formation. Sanosuke stalked to sit on the sofa on one side of the room. When Megumi looked in his direction, he pointed to the seat next to him. After a moment, she walked over towards him and sat down on the other side of the couch.

Sanosuke leaned back, resting his arms along the back of the couch.

When the music began to play, the children quickly moved to the fast beat in unison. Tapping his foot in rhythm, Sanosuke glanced at Megumi to see an intrigued smile on her features.

After two songs, Andrew stopped the CD and twelve youths looked at Megumi expectantly. She glanced at Sanosuke, who responded with a quick lift of his brows.

"Well, fox-lady?" he prompted softly.

She blinked before looking at them. "That was…amazing. All of it. And that's only a part of it? You're going to surprise those attendees…"

"Thanks for stopping by," Sanosuke said as he escorted Megumi to the front door much later.

"No problem." Megumi let a hint of a smile show. "It's the least I could do. I should have everything finalized by next week."

"Great."

To his eyes, Megumi seemed hesitant, almost as if she was waiting for something. Then…"I was wondering…Are you hungry?"

A lazy grin crossed his features. "Depends."

Her eyes slitted before she turned away, muttering, "Never mind."

He quickly snatched her wrist. "Wait."

She took in a breath, probably to gather patience, and he couldn't help but notice how her lashes fluttered or how her chest rose as her lungs expanded.

"Do you like seafood?" she asked as if ignoring his earlier comment.

His eyes widened. "Are you asking me on a date?"

She set her jaw. "No."

"Because…I've been asked on a date before," he informed. "It sure sounds like a date."

Her eyes flashed in that way that he was learning made him laugh inside. "I'm surprised you even know what they are, considering you must be so accustomed to women falling on to any horizontal surface for your convenience."

At that, he grinned. "I'm not that unoriginal." Then he grasped her wrist and started towards her car. "I have been known to have sex standing and sitting up."

She grimaced.

He grinned. "Yes, and, not or. I like to keep women guessing during the process."

"You're bragging, Sanosuke," Megumi pointed out before taunting, "Compensation?"

He stopped abruptly and turned, causing her to lose her balance, with her grasping his upper arms to prevent herself from falling.

"Not even," he countered with a slow smile. Being around her caused his blood to race faster through his veins. It was a strange, but not foreign sensation. He'd felt excitement before. And why wouldn't he around her? With her long black hair that fell down her back, dark eyes that sparked when she was provoked, and creamy skin begging for a man's touch, she was one hell of a temptation. Even with her smart mouth. He reached up, his fingertips sliding down her wrists and arms before grasping her beneath the elbows and pulled her fractionally closer. A small gasp came from her lips. "But I'd give you the chance to make your own decision if you wanted to..."

Megumi stumbled back, staring at him, her eyes narrowed. "I thought I wasn't your type." She threw her hands to her hips. "Oh, wait. The entire female species is your type."

"Only the beautiful ones," he countered with a smile.

Megumi flicked her hair over her shoulder and turned to walk away. "I'm going to dinner. If you want to come, you'd better move."

He chuckled. "Yes, ma'am…"