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Started: 10/26/2004
Revised: 2/14/2006
Posted: 2/14/2006
Words: 1,907
Quote of the week: "I finally realized why I never did my homework: it's a waste of time." – Eden Huddleston
A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this out…I haven't had much time due to all the homework I've got. Looking at said quote above, I want to graduate, which is why I'm now doing it. I never knew how much homework seniors got…!
I really don't like how this chapter turned out…it's rushed, not everything happened that I wanted, blah blah blah… Oh well. This is the last of the chapters that I have before my computer erased all the others. I'll work as hard as I can on rewriting them, but in the meantime, I'll be posting another story of mine. Hope you like that as much as this one.
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Disclaimer: Inuyasha is nowhere in my grasp, nor will it ever be.
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Chapter 8
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The entire ride home was an uncomfortable one, with neither Sesshoumaru nor Kagome wanting to start a conversation. When Sesshoumaru pulled in front of her apartment, without a word Kagome opened the door. She paused for a moment, one foot outside.
"I'll consider your offer, Mr. Ashida," she said stiffly.
Then she was gone, slamming the car door shut behind her. He sighed inwardly, knowing full well it was his fault and furious about that fact. But it was too late to worry about that, and he would not apologize. It had gone all wrong, the conversation, and both sides had been at fault. Not that he was worried to begin with.
Upstairs, Kagome watched from her bedroom window as Sesshoumaru pulled away. She glared down at her borrowed clothes and quickly took them off, realizing as she did so that she'd left her other clothes at Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's.
'And I still have to go to work,' thought Kagome, walking into the bathroom.
She finished undressing and, fixing the water temperature, she stepped into the shower. As the steaming water poured over her, Kagome began to think.
'Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha…and Kouga too, all know some of my past,' she thought, beginning by telling herself things she already knew. 'If I stay with Sesshoumaru, there's a good chance I'll eventually get all of my memories back.'
A thought struck her, making her furious. 'Sesshoumaru knew I'd say 'yes' all along! That arrogant bastard, he did this whole thing on purpose! I think I'll refuse him, just to piss him off.'
But she knew she wouldn't. Sesshoumaru had laid a delicacy out too convenient to ignore. And even if she refused, she was sure he'd find some way to make it happen, legal or not. He was just that kind of demon.
"Demon?" pondered Kagome out loud. "Sesshoumaru's not a…demon."
She turned off the water after finishing rinsing her hair and grabbed two towels. Wrapping one around herself and then her hair, she went to the living room. The envelope from the toady man…Jaken, she'd heard Sesshoumaru say, was still lying on the table. The necklace she'd held earlier was no longer there, but that was far from her mind. She opened the envelope and pulled out a clean piece of paper with the same manuscript on it as the envelope. She could now tell it was typed, and the only actual writings were the barely legible, but neat signature at the bottom under another sloppy signature. It was Sesshoumaru and some woman named Kagura. Kagome frowned and went back to the top of the letter:
To All Employees of Ashida Corporations:
You are cordially invited to a formal dinner at Sesshoumaru Ashida's residence this upcoming Saturday. Mr. Ashida will be entertaining possible clients and important business partners.
Attire will be worn as if attending a ball. Mr. Ashida pays his employees respectably well, as you are aware, but if financial aid is required, please request a meeting with Mr. Ashida by Friday. All hours are available.
Requirements include a small portfolio of your work benefiting the company. Many current employees may be shipped to new office buildings or given a higher-ranking status.
Sesshoumaru Ashida looks forward to seeing you there. If you cannot make it, he will be sorely disappointed.
Kagura Mikaza, President Secretary
Kagura Mikaza
Sesshoumaru Ashida, President
Sesshoumaru Ashida
'Way to go, Sesshoumaru,' Kagome thought wryly. 'Now, because you'll be, oh, 'sorely disappointed,' everyone will be there, sick or not. Personal agendas will be put on hold. Damn you, Sesshoumaru!'
Kagome stormed upstairs and went to her room to rummage through her closet. It was already Thursday; she needed to buy a new dress!
'Skipping work today will be fun. Especially if I miss seeing the Prince.'
She pulled out dark blue jeans with worn creases on the backs of the knees and front upper thighs. The backs of the hems were heavily frayed where she'd walked on them. Placing them on her bed, she quickly pulled on white bikini bottoms, a white lacy bra, and white crew-cut socks. She went to her dresser and pulled out a white spaghetti strapped shirt and then pulled it and her jeans on.
Going back to her closet, she rummaged around for her favorite black see-through shirt with the sleeves split from the shoulders and then again at the elbows and flaring from there. To finish her look, she pulled on black Vans and black arm bracelets and put her hair up in a ponytail.
"Comfortable and normal at last," she sighed, hugging herself happily. "Free of business for a day!"
The first place Kagome stopped to look for a dress was a fancy, expensive women's store. They had several tasteful choices, but nothing that really caught Kagome's attention. She instead bought several new bras, a black scoop-neck blouse with gold dragons embroidered up the quarter-length sleeves, and a black skirt that flared from the thighs and was split up the knees on both sides.
Her next stop was a formal men and women's dress store. Most of the items there were dresses that looked like high-school dance dresses. Kagome looked at her watch and noticed it was already past two o'clock. She was hungry and she realized she had yet to eat.
Noticing a small ramen café, she decided to have lunch. Upon walking in, she didn't need a strong sense of smell to realize the delicious scent in the air. She was glad she'd chosen this café and she decided she'd have to come back soon for another meal.
"Kagome!" came a shocked and embarrassed voice. "What the hell are you doing here!"
Kagome sighed and looked over towards the bar. "Inuyasha."
Maybe coming here wasn't such a good idea after all; she wasn't yet ready to face the three men she'd argued with this morning. She turned to leave when her wrist was grabbed.
"Don't go, Kagome," Inuyasha said quietly.
"Yes, why don't I stay and chat with someone I don't know," snapped Kagome, turning wrathful brown eyes on Inuyasha. "Oh wait, apparently, I'm supposed to know him, but he won't share my past with me!"
Inuyasha quickly pulled Kagome into a curtained room. To Kagome's surprise, there was a low, traditional Japanese table with mats surrounding it. Inuyasha roughly pulled her down to sit while he stood over her.
"Damn it, Kagome, just hear me out," commanded Inuyasha, not asking whether she wanted to or not. She was so surprised that she didn't reply, or move.
Inuyasha sat on the opposite side of her and pulled a string she hadn't noticed before. She heard, somewhere in the depths of the café, a bell starting to ring. Then she noticed Inuyasha had placed her so she was facing the curtain; she had to pass him on either side to leave, and she had a feeling he wouldn't let her until he was through with what he had to say. The 'sit' word was not on her mind right at that moment.
The two of them sat in uncomfortable silence until a young man joined them through the curtain. He had on an apron over his clothing and carried a tablet. Quickly jotting down their orders, the young man left and returned a short while later to leave them their drinks and their lunch. After eating half of her bowl, Kagome started.
"So, you wanted me to listen, I'm here, start talking," Kagome stated sharply. "You have my lunch hour, that's it."
Inuyasha stared at his ramen and then looked up at Kagome. "First, ask me questions…within reason," he said after seeing her eyes light up. He hated watching them become laced with sadness again. "Sesshoumaru said he'd skewer me after skinning me alive if I told you what you're not ready for yet."
"Since when did you listen to Sesshoumaru's orders," mumbled Kagome, glaring at Inuyasha from the corner of her eye.
"What?" replied Inuyasha. He'd heard, but he wanted to make sure.
Kagome fidgeted nervously. "You guys argue a lot, right? I figured you hardly take his orders."
He and she both knew that what she had said was not true, however close it was, but Inuyasha saw no need to indulge the issue.
"So, ah, how long have you guys been working together?" asked Kagome in a falsely cheery voice.
"About two h – eh, many years," came the muffled answer; Inuyasha was stuffing his mouth with ramen. "He's actually really good at politics and stuff. People listen to him."
"I bet they do," Kagome said dryly. "Okay then, can you tell me why you guys did whatever you did?"
Inuyasha swallowed a mouthful of ramen before looking away from Kagome. "No. Even if I could, you wouldn't like my response. Besides, with the way things are headed, you'll find out soon anyway."
Kagome sat silently, pulling at the hems of her jeans. When she looked up, her eyes were full of fire, and Inuyasha grinned to see it there; it was a sign of the old Kagome.
"Alright. I won't ask anything else," she stated. "I will find out things on my own, but I'll be damned if you, or Sesshoumaru, try to stop me. Tell your brother I will stay at the mansion."
"No need," came a voice from behind the curtain. And then Sesshoumaru's head appeared. An angry head. "I thought I told you, Inuyasha, to leave her to me. And I want to know why you are not at work, Kagome."
Kagome stood up and glared at Sesshoumaru, who smirked and leaned casually on the doorframe. She grew angrier when his eyes narrowed slyly, mockingly.
"Inuyasha happened to be here when I showed up, and I'm the one who dragged him in here to talk," snapped Kagome, even though she had a feeling that Sesshoumaru knew she was lying. She didn't care. "Further more, if you had sent out your notices for the ball earlier, I'd have already bought a dress and wouldn't have to be skipping work."
Inuyasha hid his own smirk before stating in an easily seen through voice, "She has a point, Mr. Ashida."
His remark was rewarded with a smack on the head and then Sesshoumaru took hold of Kagome's wrist and started towards the exit, followed by Inuyasha. Try as she might, Kagome could not free herself.
"You know, I'm getting really tired of being dragged around," she finally said viciously giving one more tug. "Besides, I haven't paid for my meal yet."
"Don't worry," came Inuyasha's voice from behind. "It's on me, as thanks."
Kagome smiled at him before she was almost slammed into a door. With a growl that rivaled Sesshoumaru's own, she aimed a kick at his leg and succeeded. He stopped suddenly and she ran into his backside and fell onto her rear as he let go of her wrist.
"That hurt, jerk!" yelled Kagome, standing and rubbing her bottom. "Don't you have any considerations for other people?"
"Only if they deserve it," was the clipped reply. "The workday for you is over. We are going to your apartment to get your things. Hurry up."
Mumbling to herself, Kagome jumped into the front seat, leaving the back for Inuyasha. "Come on, dog-boy," she taunted, sticking her tongue out at him. "You can help me pack."
Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha looked at each other silently before getting into the car and leaving.
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Read and review! I'll update after 5 reviews ((and as soon as I can get the chapters rewritten!)). Until next time!