Author's Note: Hello everyone! I'm back! Yes, this is chapter 2... Sorry about the cliffhanger! It just seemed like a good place to stop! Well, please read and review! Enjoy!

Chapter 2

Leave Me, Love Me

The following Monday, it seemed that everything came to me as a surprise. I didn't really expect him to come. But, he did. And here he was.

"Ms. Honda?" the voice that I had loved and still do despite my efforts called my name. I turned around to find him clad in a very becoming suit. I assumed that he worked in a very agreeable company.

I faked a smile. "Oh, hello! Didn't realize that you would be here,"

"Well, I had some business to finish here so I was on my way to the President's office," he smiled slightly.

"I'm going in the opposite direction. Sorry I can't escort you, I'm kind of on a time limit," I smiled apologetically. "But, I guess I'll be running into you several times here, right?"

Was that disappointment I saw?

"Oh, of course. I wouldn't want to keep you…" he hesitated. "If you weren't doing anything later, are you free for lunch?"

My heart skipped a beat. "Well, I suppose I could," I finished somewhat uncertainly.

"Great! I'll come by around 1:00," he bowed slightly before walking away.

I stood rooted to the spot. What had I just gotten myself into? The very person that had ruined my life was asking me to go on a lunch date with him, and I just said yes? As much as I hated to admit it, I liked knowing that he would be around for a while.

"Ms. Honda," one of my coworkers tracked me down.

"Yes?"

"President Minoko requests your presence in his office. He sounded urgent," she bit her lip slightly as she blushed.

I had a hint as to what was going on here, a feeling of dread came around in my stomach as I walked towards his office room.

I knocked before I went in.

And as I had thought, there stood Yuki.

"President Minoko, you called?" I bowed.

"Yes, I did. Have a seat," he leaned back in his chair and gestured towards the seat that was adjacent to where Yuki sat.

"Yes, sir,"

"I have a job assignment for you," he said with what he must've thought was a fatherly smile. All I got from it was an uneasy feeling. He continued. "This is Mr. Sohma (Mr. Sohma? What is this guy talking about?) President (President? He sure has gotten successful) of the Well-Being Home-Shopping Company. He has come around for his yearly contract signing with us,"

"Is that so?" I managed a strained smile. Inside my head I was screaming at him, "No! Don't you dare say it! You can't! Please NO!"

"Yes, and he wants to build a stronger bond between our two companies. This would mean more products will go into the home-shopping category," he smiled widely again. "Therefore, I am putting you in charge of getting the negotiations and deals done. I'm sure you're up to the challenge? President Sohma specifically requested you saying you had the potential for this job. And I may add that I was already having half a mind to doing so in the first place, so it works out very well,"

This was very stressful for me. This would not only help me succeed in my career but it will give me entrance into a more sophisticated world of business than I know at the current time. But this was going to hurt me very much knowing that I'm going to be seeing Yuki all the time. Practically everyday.

"I'm very much flattered by your choice, President Minoko. But…" I faltered.

"There are no but's. This is a chance of a lifetime for you! I'm sure that the shock of this offer has gotten you too giddy to even think about what you're saying," he chuckled. "Just sign here, and everything will be in order,"

Somehow, I had found myself signing the yearly agreement. I was in a daze and it seemed almost like a dream. But, in the end, President Minoko was happy and Yuki left with his godforsaken contract. What was I left with? Feelings of stupidity and idiocy.

"What have I gotten myself into?" I groaned as I slid down into a chair in my office.

There was a soft knocking at my door.

"Come in," I said wearily as I put my head in my hands.

There was a creak of my door opening and footsteps of a man. Assuming that it was just another client of mine, I didn't bother to look up at him.

"What is it?" I asked, my voice muffled.

"Need a rest?" his voice was filled rich with amusement.

My head snapped up at the sound of his voice. I looked up into his face and quickly stood up, trying to straighten my hair at the same time.

He smiled and laughed softly. "You haven't changed at all," he stared thoughtfully into my eyes. For a moment, it seemed that everything would be okay and that I would be able to go back to the days when everything seemed carefree and happy. But that was just a flicker of hope that was quickly extinguished.

I cleared my throat. "Eh-heh. It would be nice to have a break from it all once in a while," I smiled. "So, um, did you need something?"

He looked down at his feet and smiled slightly. "It's one o'clock, isn't it? I promised you that lunch date," he smiled again as he pushed a bit of hair out of my face.

I flinched slightly at his touch. I wasn't used to having anyone around me like this. Not after that day. "Right. Let's go,"

He frowned slightly when he noticed that I flinched. But I didn't care. It's not like he's got anything to do with me anymore.

When we got to the restaurant, it was an elegant place. There was a piano sonata playing gently in the background and we both ordered steak.

For a while, we were just exchanging polite conversation and I tried to keep it that way, but my curiosity got the best of me.

"So, tell me," I thoughtfully cut up pieces of meat as I started my question. "How's your wife doing? Last I heard, you were getting married," I put a fork of it into my mouth and chewed as I stared straight at Yuki.

He hesitated and answered after taking a sip of his wine. "Well, Leiko was the name of the girl that I was actually considering marrying. We were engaged, but two weeks before the wedding, she broke it off and eloped with another man,"

"Oh, really. I'm sorry things didn't go well," I said although there was no real sympathy in my voice. I felt so bad, but somewhere deep inside me, I felt something arise in me.

"No, I wasn't really interested anyway. There's only person in the world that will always have my heart," Yuki raised his deep violet eyes to look into mine.

I knew what he meant. But I ignored the signs. I chewed and swallowed before I smiled playfully at him. "Who's this lucky girl?"

Before he could answer, the waitress came back. "Miss? Sir?" she bowed slightly.

"Yes?" Yuki looked up at her.

"Today we are having a special service for couples. If you enter the drawing, you could instantly win an expense paid trip to the Hot Spring," she smiled benevolently at us, her bright white teeth flashing.

Hot Spring. It has been awhile. Memories of my last visit to a place like that started floating into my mind. It was with Momiji in high school. I looked down in my lap, not wanting to meet Yuki's gaze.

"Shure, why not?" he stood and went towards the main desk. I looked up at his features as he signed both our names and addresses on it.

"Tohru. I need your address. Can you come over here?" he asked, holding out a hand as if to guide me.

"Sure," I faked a smile, but found that it was slowly draining me of my energy.

"Yuki, what are you doing?" I whispered furiously at him. "You can't do this!"

"Why not?" he asked as he handed both pen and paper to the receptionist.

"You…. ME! It…" I drifted off, trying to find the right words.

"I know. But, it's been a long time. I'd…. I'd like to start again. Forget about everything that's happened. Back from the beginning,"