Sesshoumaru sat in his office the next day, staring at his phone.

'1…2…3… now!'

He'd been doing this for nearly 10 minutes now, almost hoping that Kagome would call. He smirked. He was going mad! He almost missed the voice of a telemarketer!

"Damn her!"

And then, it dawned on him. For one moment in his life he didn't think of Kagura. Her memory didn't consume his mind or squeeze his heart in a deathlike grip. He thought only of Kagome. He liked it, Kagome. It was smooth, rich. It was one of those names that rolled of the tongue. She was like hell's forbidden fruits. Unreachable, so desirable. He shouldn't think of her, this he knew. But he couldn't help it. The chance of him ever lying eyes on her, slim. It kind of rained on his party, but oh well. Even if he saw her, he couldn't like her. He was well known for being cold hearted and cruel. Basically, people assumed he had a stick up his ass. But people assume too much, assuming makes an ass out of you. So the chance of them meeting and falling desperately in love was not only sickening and disturbing, but highly unlikely. Besides, he knew himself better than anybody else. And he knew, even if he liked her, he'd push her away. He couldn't be weak; it was the only thing he feared. That damn psychologist told him he had Asthenophobia or something of that nature. He didn't believe in psychologists. They weren't helpful, usually only causing more distress. But Kagome, his enemies would have a field day just knowing he was thinking of her. Taisho industries would leave the number 1 spot to well, not the top. He suddenly looked up as someone barged in his door.

"Hey Taisho, got those papers done."

Sesshoumaru sighed as Miroku strolled into his office.

"What do you want Houshi? I'm very busy."

Sesshoumaru continued staring at his phone once more. Miroku made a silent 'eh?' and smiled nervously.

'Has he lost it?'

"Um… Taisho, what are you doing?"

Sesshoumaru gave Miroku an exasperated look.

"Waiting Houshi."

"On what?"

He couldn't help it, he was interested. Sesshoumaru barely spoke let alone let off he was anticipating something. Sesshoumaru gave Miroku a glare.

"A phone call."

"From a woman maybe?"

Miroku waggled his eyebrow suggestively. Sesshoumaru frowned at him. Anybody else would have been immediately fired. But Miroku was a friend of sorts.

"Houshi…"

"Hey, hey! Ok! Sorry big guy. Hey listen, will you eat with me today?"

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at him, trying to figure out his motives. So he said slowly, "Why…?"

"I want you to meet 'a friend of mine'."

Sesshoumaru glared.

"A woman?"

"Come on! She's beautiful, and sweet, come on I'm begging you!"

Sesshoumaru was somewhat shocked. Miroku called a woman 'sweet' well, he took that back, he did, just not in a friend-like way.

"Forget it."

"Come on! Just spend one hour with Mae."

Sesshoumaru looked at him, and sighed. He felt his world tilting slightly. Preparing to be turned upside down. He braced himself.

"Besides, her friend Sango is HOT!"

Sesshoumaru fought the urge to smile.

'So like Miroku.'

He looked at the hopeful gleam in his eye. He felt himself weaken.

'Damnit.'

"Alright Houshi. I'll go meet this woman."

Miroku smiled devilishly. Kagome was going to die!

Kagome sat and stared at her list of names, seemingly concentrating, but in reality she was in deep thought. About a deep voce on the phone that sent shivers up her spine.

'Taisho… why could he get on my nerves so easily? Why'd I let him?'

She unconsciously drummed her slim fingers against the hard wood of her desk. She chewed the end of her pen as she flipped through the pages of seemingly unending numbers. An almost silent ring brought her back to the world. She bit her lip and frowned as she picked up her cell phone and looked at the caller I.D.

"Hmm… I wonder what Miroku wants…"

Sango, with her perfect timing, chose that time to poke her head in the door. Kagome looked and the horrified look on her face and nearly smiled. Sango was so goofy at times.

"Miroku? As in that hentai?"

Kagome laughed at that. Yeah, he was a hentai. If you called him one though, he took offense. He always said he just took great advantage of the opportunities presented. Kagome always bopped him on the head, because that's usually the time he tried to find an opportunity anyhow. She looked at Sango again who was now looking at her annoyed. She started giggling, realizing she'd gone again.

"Yeah, that's him. He's trying to reach me on my cell but…"

RING

"There he is again, Kagome. You better answer it."

"No way!"

Sango 'hmphed' and took the cell away from Kagome and put an arm at Kagome's face as to keep her away.

"Fine! I will!"

She took a deep breath and smiled as she picked up the phone.

"Sango here, hello?"

Miroku's mouth dropped. He started daydreaming, but suddenly came back too reality when the car behind him wanted to make it's, and the green lights presence known. He stuck his hand out of his car a waved it in apology before taking off. He stared at the phone in his hand before placing it in his ear.

"S-Sango, hello! Is Kagome there?"

Sango glanced over at Kagome who was making big circling motions and mouthing a BIG 'NO!'

"Um… she's running an errand right now. But I can tell her you called if you want."

Miroku gave a smile before shaking his head, emptying the hentai thoughts.

"No… that's alright. Will you just tell her after she's done 'working' that she's coming to lunch? You too, that is, if you'd like to… I mean you don't have-"

"I'd love to!"

Sango nearly banged her head against the wall. Was she really that eager?

'So like a puppy.'

She saw Kagome look at her funny as mouth, 'what does he want?' Sango sighed and pointed to Kagome and herself and made an eating motion. Kagome mouthed an 'Oh.' and smiled. Sango could've punched her in that moment and was about to say something un-lady like when a voice piped up through the phone.

"Well… Tell Kagome I want her to meet someone."

Sango blinked. She raised her eyebrow and looked to Kagome, who was currently raising an eyebrow of her own. Kagome stared at her and mouthed a, 'what?' Sango just waved her hand and shook her head as she smiled.

"Alright Miroku. We'll see you there!"

She clicked the phone off and returned it to Kagome's purse. Knowing Kagome's eyes were on her, she made a big show of sitting down, and smoothing out the invisible wrinkles in her skirt. She crossed her arms across her chest and gave Kagome a questioning look. Kagome just tilted her head and stared. She was about to go into deep thought again when Sango's voice cut through the fog.

"Miroku wants you to meet someone."

Kagome slowly looked at Sango. 'Meet someone?' Uh-oh. Sango started making kissy faces at Kagome and laughed as she noticed the light blush tint her friends' cheeks. Kagome gasped and balled up a nearby piece of paper and chucked it at Sango's face. Sango ducked and stuck her tongue out.

"Damn Miroku! He's always trying to set me up! The last guy turned out to be my grandfather's best friend!"

Sango started giggling before being silenced into every now again snorts at Kagome's glare. Kagome sighed and stuck her lip out, pouting.

"He better be tall, thin, muscular, dark-haired, dark eyed and hot as hell!"

Kagome grumbled to herself as she realized she'd just described a book character.

"Well maybe he has SOME of those qualities."

Kagome glared at Sango and stood up. She grabbed her jacket and purse and left a startled Sango in a suddenly empty cubicle.

"Hey! Wait up!"

"Hurry up! Miroku's waiting on us! I have to meet this friend of his!"

Kagome threw out sarcastically over her shoulder, before slowing slightly allowing Sango to catch up. Sango grabbed her jacket and ran over to an impatient Kagome, who was currently stomping her foot.

"Let's go! I'm starved!"

They quietly slipped passed Ami and got into Sango's 'baby'. As they passed by the large buildings and slow moving car Kagome suddenly asked, "Where are we going?"

"Miroku told me to go to 'Youkai Gardens'."

Kagome was about to protest, but Sango beat her to it.

"He said, 'tell Mae my treat.'"

That settled Kagome down. She heard her stomach grumble in expectation. It'd been so long since she'd last eaten there!
She looked down at herself as they pulled into the parking lot.

'Well, at least I'm dressed appropriately.'

They parked the car and stepped out carefully. They both brushed their suits off and both lay silent as they listened only to the soft clacking of their hells on the pavement.

Sesshoumaru swirled his glass of wine before lifting the glass to his nose and breathing it in. It was intoxicating. He took the rich red liquid into his mouth and let it settle on his tongue. It was sweet and thick; each drop had a distinct taste. He looked around the restaurant casually, smirking at some of the people here. He then turned to Miroku.

"Why, again, did you take me here?"

He felt disgusted. This 'restaurant' was a hand-me-down looking place.

"Mae loves it here."

Sesshoumaru felt the urge to roll his eyes. Why the hell did he care if 'Mae' liked it or not. It disgusted him.

'She's obviously… easy… to please.'

"Oh…"

He threw the remark offhandedly and took another sip of his wine, and began swirling it around again. Suddenly, two young girls walked in the door. One had dark brown hair, straight to the small of her back. Brown, cinnamon colored eyes. Pretty, but not eye catching. Well, not to him. But, the other… he looked at her as she smiled and talked with the other girl. She had long thick, silky black hair that came to the underside of her breasts. It looked like a mass of black water, cascading down her back in black ripples. She moved the large mass to one side with her small delicate hand, exposing her long pale, creamy neck. She had a small rounded nose with full, parted lush lips. They were the color of a peach, just barely ripe. Oh God how soft they looked. She had a heart shaped face with large expressive orbs that seemed to be glowing. Every emotion splayed throughout them. The little vixen had the strangest color blue eyes he had ever had the pleasure of being hypnotized by. There was a navy blue ring around her iris with lighter blues bleeding their way to the center. And from a distance he could barely make out the tiny flecks of silver swirled in there. The color wasn't what made them as beautiful as they were. It was the pattern her eyes held. So unlike anyone else's. She had straight pearly white teeth, as he discovered earlier as she continued smiling. Her smile, he loved it. It made her eyes laugh when she did. His eyes traveled downward, appreciating the beauty she held. She wore an appropriate white blouse covered by a black and white pinstripe jacket. He could just barely see the touch of cleavage before she straightened her shirt, hiding it from view. She pulled a stray piece of hair behind one delicate ear. She had full rounded breasts, with a nice trim stomach, slightly rounded hips, and toned soft looking legs. Her knee length black skirt that flowed at the ends mostly covered her legs from his view though. She wore black, open-toed heels surrounding small delicate feet. He looked up her one last time before smiling into his wine glass and taking a sip.

'Lucky bastard who has her.'

Suddenly Miroku got up out of his seat, earning a glance from Sesshoumaru as he started waving.

"Look Taisho it's Mae and Sango! MAE!"

'It can't be…'

Suddenly the girl whipped her head around, sending her black mass swirling around her angelic face before shifting back into place. She looked at Miroku and waved before turning and looking at him. He stared into her eyes and she tilted her head to the side and smiled. She pulled the other girls arm, which he guessed was 'Sango'.

'Beautiful…'

"I think she likes you Taisho."

Miroku whispered as the two made their way to the table. Kagome got many appreciative looks from other men and Sesshoumaru felt his blood boil.

'Am I jealous?'

He was astonished! He didn't know this girl but for 2 minutes and already she was making him jealous!

'Damn myself.'

Kagome laughed and sat down next to Sesshoumaru, forcing Sango and Miroku to sit together, not that Miroku minded at all.
Miroku smiled at Kagome and Sango before pointing his hand in Sesshoumaru's direction.

"Mae, this is-"

"Sesshoumaru, I'm very pleased to meet you Mae."

Kagome made a face and kicked Miroku under the table. He 'owwed' and rubbed his shin. She smiled lightly at Sesshoumaru.

"Please, don't bother calling me the nickname Miroku SEEMS to think I like. Please, call me Kagome."

Sesshoumaru's heart stopped.

I want to give a special thanks to Ash! My first reviewer!