Chapter Three
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer applies. (Sorry I was just to lazy to make up something creative ^-^)
Author's Note: I know this took more than the week that I promised you guys. I've been pretty busy and school and work and all. Gomen! *bows*
Hope this is worth the wait! ^o^
Around seven-thirty, Kaoru left her desk at Tokyo Now and headed out. She had hung around on the pretext of catching up in some billing, which further angered her already-cranky boss.
"You should have gotten through that stuff during the day. Electricity doesn't grow on trees, you know," Soujiro barked.
"I'm sorry," Kaoru muttered. "I couldn't help it. The phone didn't stop ringing all afternoon."
Soujiro brightened up at this. "So, we took in quite a bit of business today, did we?
"Quite a bit," Kaoru said. "Although some of the calls were queries and some cranks."
"Well, don't hang around too long," Soujiro said. Then he added in a kinder voice, "this isn't the kind of neighborhood I'd want you walking around late at night."
So even Soujiro has a heart when it comes to protecting me, Kaoru thought in amazement. Why did the whole of Tokyo want to protect her? Did she look so completely naïve and straight from Hicksville? She wondered. She would definitely have to work on her image.
Tonight had to be the night. Kaoru felt sure he would show up and she'd be able to see whether her picture of him was accurate. What if Yumi had been right and he really was bald and fort? Oh, no, Kenshin, she muttered to herself, you can't be old and ugly. I won't believe it. I know exactly how you're going to look when I see you…
She let herself slip back into a wonderful fantasy: she'd be sitting in the shadows of Razzles by the door when he came in. He would look around, eagerly scanning each face until disappointment would register across his rugged features. She'd recognize him instantly. He'd sit at a small side table and order a white wine. He would wait for a half hour or more, his shoulders slumped dejectedly as he realized Tomoe wasn't coming. And then…
Kaoru broke off from the daydreaming. What exactly did she intend to do, anyway? She knew that any invasion of a customer's privacy would instantly cost her her job.
But she didn't really have any intention of talking to him, did she? All she wanted to do was see him get back together with Tomoe. If they did, she could go home happy.
"Then why'd you copy down his address, and why do you keep walking past his building?" she asked herself.
It was a cold night, and she gave in and spent the money for the bus. Kaoru's heart was hammering when she got off the bus, making her way past the comedy clubs and little theatres.
This was why she'd left her small town. It was what a city should be like: taxis, people, and music everywhere. It felt good to be part of it, to be living ---- for the moment ---- the life she'd dreamed of when she'd left home.
Tonight, Razzles was packed. With music this loud, she wasn't going to hear a thing. Kenshin and Tomoe would have to yell to each other before she'd be aware of them. Which meant she'd just have to keep a very close watch.
Cautiously, Kaoru looked around. It was dark, and smoky. The executives in their suits mingled with more creative types. Their lives all seemed so full of fun, and Kaoru's was boring, boring, boring.
Through the crowd Kaoru caught a glimpse of Yahiko at the bar and she shrank back into the shadows, hopping he hadn't spotted her. Why did he have to work every night? she wondered. She definitely didn't want him to see her here. If he saw her, he'd probably mention it to Misao and Megumi, and they'd want to know why she'd started hanging out at a trendy bar. They'd probably think she was trying to pick up guys. At the very least they'd tease her about it and she might be forced to tell them her real reason.
I don't care what anyone thinks, she told herself. This is the one exciting and risky thing that I've done since moving to Tokyo, and I'm going to go through with it.
She took up her position exactly where she had stood on previous nights, close to the entrance beside the pay phone, with a good view of the stairs leading to the restaurant, just in case Kenshin went up there. There was a large potted plant on either side of the doorway and Kaoru stood half concealed by the spiky fronds.
Now that she was invisible behind the plant, she had time to examine each of the guys in the room. There were plenty of young guys, but the way they stood and chatted, relaxed and laughing, convinced her that none of them was Kenshin. Nobody in the room seemed to be acting the way she was sure Kenshin would act ---- gulping nervously at a drink and not taking his eyes off the doorway for a second.
"Can I get you something?"
The voice right behind Kaoru made her jump. A waitress stood behind her, balancing a tray in one hand.
Obviously Kaoru couldn't stand in the bar area and drink nothing for very long. "It's okay," she mumbled. "I'm waiting for someone. I think I'll wait to order until he gets here."
"Fine," the waitress said. "I'll check on you in a while."
Kaoru continued to stand, glancing at her watch as if she were annoyed that someone she was meeting had stood her up. She figured this would be a good move to ward off strange men, and it made her feel less stupid.
The band finished a set and took a break.
As she glanced at her watch for the hundredth time, she saw that it was now almost eight-thirty. Another wasted evening, Kaoru thought. She was pulling back her jacket sleeve over the watch then someone pushed past her, almost knocking her into the plant pot. He picked up the phone and punched in the numbers savagely. He was obviously using a calling card because she saw him wait, and then punch in a lot more numbers.
He was drumming his fingers against the phone book for a long time before he said, in an impatient voice, "Hi, it's me, Kenshin. No...she's not here. Yes, I know it was a long shot, but I've got to try everything, haven't I?"
Kaoru's heart did such a violent lurch that she was sure half the bar must have heard it. It was him! It absolutely had to be. He'd even identified himself. All she could see through the palm leaves was the back of a red head. She moved cautiously to get a better look, careful not to make any sound that he might hear.
He'd paused as if the person on the other line was saying something. Then he interrupted that person. "Look, do you think I'm not worried out of my mind? I'm doing my best, okay? I swore I'd find her, and I will!" He slammed down the phone.
Kaoru heard him sigh loudly then saw him take out his wallet, look at it for a moment and then slam it shut, stuffing it back into his pocket again.
She realized she should move away. She was standing way too close and he'd have to push her to get past her. She'd never be able to get a real good look at him from such close quarters. Silently she turned and began to tiptoe away from the plant.
This was the moment the waitress decided to swoop down on her again. "Are you ready to order yet?" she asked.
"Oh, no. Not yet," Kaoru said.
The waitress glanced over at Kenshin. "Oh, I thought the person you were waiting for had arrived."
"No, I'm still waiting," Kaoru said, her back toward Kenshin.
The waitress heard someone summon her and she melted back into the crowd. Kaoru began to move to the other side of the doorway.
"So, you did come! Don't you dare sneak off again!"
The voice rang in Kaoru's ears. Hands on her shoulders spun her around.
The eyes that blazed down at her were an alarming bright gold. The guy was scaring her. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. As soon as Kenshin got a good look at her face, he went as pale as she must have been.
"Oh, shit. I'm sorry," he said. "I thought you were someone else I was supposed to meet here. When I saw your back…the way you moved...and your hair, you looked like her and even your voice..." His voice trailed off.
Kaoru thought he looked cute, and that fate had brought them together. She was still a little nervous, but she wasn't going to blow her big chance to get involved in something interesting.
"I look like Tomoe?" she managed to get out. But as soon as she said the words, she knew she'd made a big, big mistake.
"You know Tomoe? Did she send you here to talk to me?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Kaoru babbled.
"Yeah, right. I noticed you hanging around while I was on the phone. Then you tried to slip away," he said, his eyes never leaving hers for a second. "And I didn't mention Tomoe's name once. Strange that you knew who I was looking for. She must have sent you ---- admit it."
"No, nobody sent me. There's some mistake you've got it all wrong," Kaoru pleaded. "I don't know any Tomoe, I swear it. Please let me go."
"I don't believe you," he said. "But you can take a message to her from me. You can tell her I just want to talk to her."
"No, please…listen…" She tried to see if Yahiko was still at the bar. Would he come to her rescue if she screamed? Did she want to make a spectacle of herself by yelling? But she had to get away somehow!
A group of people came in through the door. Kaoru took the opportunity to wrench herself loose and push past them, dodging among the dinner crowd in the foyer. She heard him call, "No, wait! Come back. You don't understand!" But she reached the outer door and fled down the street. At the end of the block she turned into the first doorway and stood hidden, waiting for him to pass her. But he didn't appear, and after what seemed like an eternity, she crept out and made her way home.
TBC
Glossary:
Gomen: sorry
Author's Note: Well?? Was it worth the wait? I know it's a bit short…but what are you going to do. It's better than nothing right? I'm looking forward to hearing from you guys! *twirls* (-o-)