For All The Things That I've Done
The lights were dimmed as the hours passed to give touch of romance to the atmosphere. All the couples in the room were whispering to one another or swaying gently on the dance floor. All except for one Takani Megumi who looked down at her silver Guess watch, five to eleven. She glanced about her and secretly scorned every happy face around her.
Megumi sat alone at a table that was set for two, a dead giveaway that earned her sympathetic looks from others. Tonight was supposed to be a refreshing and rejuvenating experience for her dwindling relationship; dinner at nine, dancing until dawn and sex in the kitchen. But once again it seemed that her consort was not going to show up and sadly this didn't surprise her. So sitting alone in a charming little Italian restaurant alone with only a bottomless glass of Merlot wine for company she braced herself for disappointment and the end of her current relationship with Sagara Sanosuke.
What was she sticking around with him for anyway, she thought. So far her relationship was full of nothing but disappointment after disappointment with no end in sight. He was ill mannered and unrefined, reckless and nothing short of a freeloader. Come to think of it she couldn't remember why she ever found Sanosuke attractive in the first place, it all seemed so long ago and whatever feelings she had for him once were fading. She on the other hand was beautiful, smart, witty and above all classy and tonight was supposed to be the night she was going to stress all these things to Sanosuke, for their sake of course. Her appearance was dignified and mysterious, a little black dress that hugged her curves with three-quarter length sleeves and dipped into a generous v-neck and classic black heel. She briskly brushed her long glossy sheet of ebony hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms letting the wine stir up pathetic excuses that Sanosuke might have for her this time.
Across the room, though little did she know, Megumi was being watched. He was sitting at the restaurant bar sipping a glass of cognac observing the pouting beauty sitting alone. Hailing a nearby waiter he asked for a shot of sake to be delivered to her.
"Miss?"
Megumi snapped out of her I'm-gonna-kill-him trance and looked up to the waiter in surprise. "Yes?"
The waiter placed a small glass in front of her, "The gentleman sitting by the bar asked me to give to you."
She looked in the direction of the bar and quickly met eyes with a tall, dark, handsome man who raised his drink as if toasting her. His long bangs swept over his eyes and narrow but admirably defined face that was grinning at her.
Megumi, who was feeling quite grateful for her mystery man's generosity and attention, raised her drink with a mischievous smile and in an instant they both drained their glasses. The liquid splashed into the back of her mouth causing a burning sensation as it went down.
Minutes later Megumi and the mystery man are engaged in deep conversation about whether the movie Lost in Translation was a hit or a complete flop. Seijuro Hiko, as he has introduced himself, said that the movie had no real point or meaning and that it was just about the brief encounter between two people.
"But no, don't you see! It isn't supposed to have a clear-cut happy ending. You're supposed to read between the lines and the meaning is unique to each person. It's about life and the mediocrity we live in day to day."
She was enjoying this, every inch of it. Never had Megumi ever have such thought provoking conversations like this with Sanosuke. To her delight it seemed Hiko was quite the cultured guy. Everything from his chic dress to his tactful wit screamed socialite. As it turned out Hiko had inherited his family wealth at the young age of twenty-three and then successfully invested a small amount in stocks and the rest in a budding Japanese fashion label called Shinta which was rapidly turning heads in the fashion industry and adding to his fortune.
"Megumi," he sighed as he leaned back in the chair retreating from conversation. "How about we agree to disagree?"
Megumi smirked, "Giving up so easily?"
"Well there's no winning with you," Hiko chuckled. "Besides if I were to beat you then perhaps you wouldn't be interested in seeing me again."
"You're not asking me on a date are you?" questioned Megumi quite coolly.
Hiko only shrugged and got to his feet.
"That my dear is entirely up to you."
With that Hiko gently kissed Megumi's hand and bade her goodnight thanking her for her company and made his way to the doors. Megumi sat there, pondering on what had just happened. She'd been asked out on a date, even though she was still technically seeing someone else.
No, said a voice inside her, its just going out with a friend. Not a date. Definitely not.
But even if it wasn't a date would it matter anymore? After all she and Sano were on their way down and Hiko was definitely not a man she wasn't willing to see again.
Megumi then glanced at the clock and saw how late the hour was and decided to pay her bill and retire for the night.
"I'm sorry Miss but Mr. Seijuro paid your bill on his way out."
Upon hearing this news from a waiter Megumi couldn't help smile at Hiko's sly ways. Usually she was the clever one.
"Oh," continued the waiter as he pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. "He also left this for you."
Megumi took the paper, read it and a fantastic swarm of butterflies fluttered in her stomach.
Tomorrow night at the Ritz, 8 o'clock.
A/N: Okay a new fic and I hope you all liked the beginning though a little short. Well not much to say now except don't forget your manners and read and review. Toodles!