"Where are you going all dressed up?"
Megumi glowered at her boyfriend lounging half asleep on their beat-up old leather couch. Ever since Sanosuke came home last night at three in the morning there was a definite tension between them. She didn't feel like arguing with him when he stepped through the door, no doubt what she would have to say wouldn't penetrate the liquor. So she pretended to sleep while letting him undress in the dark and the flop on to the bed beside her. But the thing that made her feel more distant from Sano then anything was how she cringed at his touch as he snuggled next to her and the repulsive smell of drink on his breath.
Now at seven thirty Megumi was rushing to make it on time to her dinner date.
"Just out with the girls," she lied casually, struggling to fit into her pointy black sling backs.
Telling him truth didn't seem to go over well in her mind. Besides even by this late hour he still didn't seem to remember that he failed to make it to their date the previous night. A lie would her way of getting even.
"When are you going to be back?" he asked while watching Jackie Chan was beating up two military men on the television.
Megumi looked at him; he wouldn't even glance her way when talking to her. Then an overwhelming sense of regret weighed heavy on her chest. After all the time it took for the two of them to finally admit their feelings to one another, all the playing cat and mouse, all the secret flirtations between name calling and teasing, this was it. The thrill of the chase was over for them, all desire gone.
She threw on her coat and spoke defiantly. "When I'm home."
With that she opened the door and closed it a little harder that she should have. As she did she almost thought she heard Sano yell something. What the hell does that mean, or something similar to that.
After waving down a cab and being able to think of nothing else except whether she chose the right shoes the whole drive, Megumi found herself standing in front of the intimidating ornate doors of the Ritz. As she put her first foot in the door she could feel herself stepping into a world unlike her own.
The Ritz was a magnificent piece of work. Every detail from the architecture to the décor had the charm and allure of kind of high class, glamorous world with the sort of charm that was uniquely European. There were ornate crystal chandeliers hung high from the ceiling that had a grand dome shaped skylight that revealed the night sky glowing with the light of millions of stars and the silvery radiance of the moon.
As Megumi shrugged off her coat to a member of the staff she spotted Hiko already sitting a far way into the room. She crossed the lavish red carpeted room and maneuvered around the multitude of elegantly dressed people and just as elegantly dressed tables all talking loudly with good cheer while couples were whispering of love.
"Waiting for me?"
Hiko leaned back from the table into his chair and smiled. "Megumi."
The way he said it sent a delightful tingle up her spine.
"You look lovely." Hiko got up and pulled out Megumi's chair. As she sat down he caught a whiff of her delicate perfume, Oscar de la Renta perhaps.
Megumi couldn't help but flush a little, it was so long since her appearance was commented by Sanosuke that she was slightly embarrassed. "Thank you, and so do you."
It was true that they both looked exquisite together. Megumi in a white French silk shirt, tailored beautifully with polished silver buttons, a classic, but nevertheless sexy black pencil skirt paired with her favourite heels, a simple clutch purse, and a long, double layered strand of faux pearls. Hiko was wearing a black pinstripe suit with a white shirt and shoes.
After they were both seated, drinking a fruity white wine, listening to the live classical music while waiting for their orders Megumi could feel Hiko eyes upon her, it was almost unnerving…almost. In fact she rather enjoyed the extra attention.
"What?" she asked with a smile when she accidentally met eyes with Hiko. "What are you staring at?"
Hiko, probably for the first time that night looked down at the table and chuckled. "I'm sorry, I just wasn't prepared for you to look so gorgeous tonight."
Megumi smiled slyly and took another drink from her glass, and suddenly her old cleverness and cunning seemed to resurface. "Well the more you get to know me the more you'll know that I'm just full of surprises."
Through dinner and for the rest of the night Megumi was finally living up to her namesake, Kitsune. She was full of intelligent conversation and witty comments that Hiko couldn't help but be pleasantly astounded at. It seemed that Megumi's personality had magnified ever since their last and first encounter.
"Megumi!" Hiko laughed whole-heartedly. Megumi had just finished telling the joke about the samurai and the geisha. Their laughter died down and Hiko leaned over the table. "What do you say we get out this stuffy old joint? Head down to a bar or something? There's this great little pub around the corner."
"Are you sure they'll let us in? I mean were not in exactly pub attire."
Hiko grinned and got to his feet. To her surprise, he spontaneously grabbed Megumi's hand and practically ran with her across the restaurant, causing some disturbance among the other patrons. Megumi laughed and cried out with hilarity as she struggled to run in heels.
"Oh, pit stop!" he cried and came to a sudden halt in front of the coat check attendant's desk. "My good sir, the lady would like her coat."
Megumi searched her purse for her coat ticket and handed it to the attendant while trying to hide her giggles when Hiko childishly told the poor man to make haste.
After Megumi put on her coat the race was on once again as Hiko dragged her back outside onto the sidewalk, finally releasing her.
"I can't believe you just ran out of the Ritz," said Megumi in mixture of giggles and embarrassment.
"What do you mean I, they saw us running together so like or not you're my accomplice," replied Hiko teasingly. "But I know the perfect hideout, quickly!"
He once again took Megumi's hand and they stared running down the crowded streets of Tokyo, taking the night for all its worth. They were running against the crisp fall breeze, making their cheeks turn a light red. Megumi couldn't help but stare at Hiko as they ran and laughed. He was so animated and impulsive, but in a good way, and she couldn't help but treasure every time he smiled at her, each one was like her own private, secret pleasure that she kept close to her heart.
They slowed down and found themselves outside a Irish pub, one of the few in all of Japan called Stag's Crossing.
"I can't believe there's actually a Irish pub in the middle of Tokyo," said Megumi in incredulity.
Hiko lead her inside, "Well actually I know the owner, his father was Irish on vacation here when he met his mother. Apparently he was crazy about this girl and he never when back so eventually they got married, had a son and opened a pub just like the one he had back in Ireland."
They both welcomed the warmth of the pub as they stepped inside. The bar was showing the news on the small television overhead, walls were painted a calm mossy green and the lights above were soft. There was a darts game going on in one corner and a spirited game of cards at a nearby table.
But as the bell on the door chimed when they opened it and all the heads in the bar turned to see the new arrivals, Megumi froze in her tracks. An icy foreboding stabbed at her stomach when she met eyes with a familiar face.
"Sano."
A/N: Well then here's chapter two, bit more lengthy then first so I hope you enjoy. I'm trying hard to be able to write better about atmosphere to give you a picture in your head but allow for imagination too. I hope this worked out to your liking guys. Anyway don't forget manners and oh sorry about it taking so long, bit busy here but it will get better. Oh yes and I would like to mention I have no clue the number of Irish pubs in Tokyo but I thought it would be fun to add in because there's one near me I really want to go to when I'm legally allowed to drink. Manners everyone!