The perfect date

by lmgurl92

Inuyasha Takashi has it all, he's handsome, smart, rich, and charming, everything Kagome needs to make her perfect older sister completely green with jealousy. He'd be the perfect date to her sister's wedding, but there's only one catch He's her boss...

21. Takashi annual dinner

Chapter 21: Takashi annual dinner/ you can't always get what you want

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha!

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(The day of the dinner)

"So how has work been?" Rin asked as she began to apply Kagome's makeup. She didn't say anything, and she wasn't going to. She thought that Inuyasha would have already informed her that she had quit. But obviously he hadn't, and though she needed someone to tell all her problems too. She could not by any means tell Rin. If she did then she was one hundred percent sure that Rin would try to get her to stay. And that wasn't an option for her anymore. She had already booked her plane ticket. It was hidden away in one of her already packed suitcases.

Getting ready for the dinner was an ordeal that started extremely early in the morning. It was now about six in the afternoon and finally she was about done. Her hair was in a full wavy chignon, some loose strands framed her face nicely. All she needed now was lipstick, her dress, and she'd be done. "Uh…it's been great…a lot of hard work." She lied she hadn't been to a meeting in a week. She was just waiting for the dinner and after that she'd leave.

"Hey so I know I haven't been around a lot since we got here, but I've been super busy. I found out that Miroku and Ayame are setting up a shitty birthday party for Inuyasha on Sunday." Kagome just nodded but she didn't show any sort of reaction to it. "I hope you've been able to set up your outfits alone, I didn't get any calls."

"Oh I've been fine. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it." She said and Rin smiled while backing up to take in her face. She stepped to the side pulling out a napkin.

"Sorry a bit too much lipstick…" She passed her the napkin so she could dab some off. "Any way I couldn't believe I forgot his birthday was coming up. I guess I've been way into my own thing."

She nodded while thinking of something to continue the conversation. "Usually in the office during the annual business trip he hires a few associates to take over things while he's gone, but he doesn't tell us who he puts in command." Rin threw her a weird look not understanding what the significance of the story was. "So I guess they weren't really in charge they were more like spies…" She said with a slight smile. "Well we'd eventually find out who they were because he'd give them the day off on his birthday each year."

"Oh wow that's not really smart on his part then." Rin said getting off of the bed to get the dress. "Anyway his Birthday falls on a Sunday this year so…I guess this sort of sucks for everyone in the office."

"Yeah kind of…they don't get to slack off this year. Um…I did get him a gift." She announced and Rin turned with the dress in her hands. "Can you give it to him? You are his date."

"You got him a gift? When did you get around to doing that" She asked and Kagome just shrugged.

"Awhile ago, it's one of the perks of being OCD. You plan for things months at a time." She said and Rin just stared at her. "I think he'll like it, but I got it before the whole Sesshomaru thing so I don't think he'll accept it from me now." She said and Rin shook her head.

"I'm sure he will…any way Inuyasha's party is a surprise and it's at twelve midnight…so…you can give it to him then."

"Rin…I don't think that's a good idea."

"Sure it is…I got you this cute dress to change into, it's crimson red." She said while quickly going back into the box. She pulled out a form-fitting dress that would surely end before her knees. She didn't even say anything about the length at all she just shook her head. "Come on Kagome it's all part of the plan. I can't tell you all the details, but you have to trust me. I have this matching clutch for you to put all your stuff in. I'm going to leave it in Inuyasha's limo. I'll put your gift in their too. Where is it?"

"Rin I really can't…" She mumbled, but at this point it was futile. She couldn't explain why she couldn't go along with Rin's plan without telling her she had quit and she wasn't in any sort of terms with Inuyasha. She just kept her mouth shut, what harm would it do any way. She'd put the dress, the matching clutch, and gift in his limo. It wasn't something she needed; she'd just go to the dinner and pretend as if she forgot. "It's in the closet." She said carelessly. It didn't dawn on her till later that Rin would find her packed bags there.

"You never unpacked. That's unlike you." Rin pointed out while grabbing a small blue box from the closet. "So what's in here?" She asked looking at the wrapping paper.

"It's an alarm clock." She said, but she didn't mention much more. Rin set the box down and went back to the gown.

"That's thoughtful, I'm sure he'll like it." She handed the dress over to her before walking over to the box and setting it to the side with the red dress. "Now in the red clutch the directions to Inuyasha's surprise party are written on a…"

"Rin…" she mumbled interrupting her. "Why would I need that?"

"Because I can't be the one to lure him to some strange place on his birthday, he'll know what's going on, and he hates surprises."

"Then why throw him a surprise party."

"Miroku told him before the trip he'd be throwing him a party."

"Yeah but apparently not a surprise party." Kagome argued but Rin didn't have a rebuttal. Why did Kagome have to argue about everything, why couldn't she just do what she said? This was her last chance at getting them together, and though she was sure she was over Sesshomaru, this was still her last chance to find out if that was completely true. A lot was riding on tonight, and even though she had kept both Inuyasha and Kagome out of the loop, she herself had been working extremely hard making sure everything was in order.

"True…" She said for a moment. "Ok it's almost seven; I have to get ready, so I'm leaving the dress here. I'll see you at the dinner." Kagome nodded while watching her turn and grab the dress, the gift, and the clutch. "I'm hiding these in the limo, behind the seat." She said making Kagome give her a reassuring smile. She returned it and then headed for the door. Whatever plan Rin had thought out seemed extensive and maybe a couple weeks ago she would have been all for it, but now, after last week's meeting and the argument, she was willing to just give up. It was like chasing something that was never going to obviously be. Leaving the trip was the best decision and it took a week of packing and planning to reassure that. She walked over to the dress for a moment. She desperately didn't want to go to the dinner, but she sort of owed it to Sesshomaru. After everything he'd done for her it would be rude to back out now. Though deep down that's what she wanted to do. She wanted to just grab her things and leave, but of course she couldn't. She had everything planned out, the usual. She'd get up extremely early on Monday morning; take a taxi to the airport and leave. It was the plausible and punctual thing to do, and she was almost always plausible and punctual. She had absolutely no idea why now all of a sudden she was dreading that one consistent aspect of her personality.

She sighed while picking the dress up and staring at it. In a perfect world she imagined going to the dinner with Inuyasha, but maybe cutting ties with him was the best choice. She walked over to the bathroom so she could finally put it on.

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Later that night

He switched the flowers to his right hand before knocking on the door once more. He didn't sense any sort of movement on her part so he looked down at his watch in annoyance. He waited a moment then stepped forward, but before he could reach over to knock again, the door began opening. He waited for her to reveal herself but she never did, the door just stood ajar. "Kagome…" He said. He could sense her just on the other side but she wasn't coming out. It took everything in his power not to roll his eyes. "Kagome…I want to get to the dinner before ten." He said.

She didn't reply and he didn't think twice before opening the door fully. He looked around not seeing her but he did sense her. He didn't have to look to know she was behind the door. Why she was standing there was beyond him, but he turned positioning himself to face her. She made no move to come out and he just cleared his throat.

Her stomach twisted and she wished she had hid herself under the sheets. She should have lied and said she was sick, but it was too late now. The dress was on and she'd have to walk around in it. "Hi…" Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes as she gently pushed the door away from her. He let his eyes follow the door only slightly, he was about to say something. If there was one thing about Kagome he desperately wanted to get rid of it was the odd way she did things. He glanced over at her and whatever he was about to say disappeared completely. It was as if the air was taken out of his lungs, she literally knocked the wind out of him. "Are those mine…" She asked while hugging herself, she seemed a bit shy as if she had no idea how remarkable she looked. "The flowers" she stated again realizing by his facial expression he hadn't heard her.

"Uh…yeah…" He stuttered which was something he never did. Sesshomaru never lost his composure or struggled on his words, but for the first time he really couldn't find the proper words to say. She walked away from her spot in the corner of the room to meet him near the door.

"Sorry for making you wait. I just…I was still getting ready." She lied, the real reason was obvious, the dress was way too revealing. Her stomach was already in knots at the moment, and his reaction wasn't helping. He just stood there with the roses in his hands staring at her. It was such an uncharacteristic reaction on his part, but she didn't say anything. "Uh… so um you look handsome." She said hoping that would break him out of his trance. Her face was slowly growing redder and redder forcing her to cross her arms over her exposed cleavage. The gown plunged down at the neckline exposing a large amount of her breast but also a bit of her naval. The back was no different, she was actually more afraid to turn, wondering what his reaction would be when he saw the dress in its entirety. "Uh…I got your fax...you know the contract you sent? Sorry it took so long for me to reply, but I signed it." She said backing up slightly to get it.

"Uh…Kagome you …you look…" He stumbled and just like that she froze and her face lost all color.

"I know…I know it's too much right…it's way too revealing and it's not gold like you asked. I'm really sorry." She backed up even more hitting her office chair while hugging herself. "I totally understand if you don't want to take me anymore." She said and he narrowed his eyes for a moment. It was almost like she didn't see what other people saw when they looked at her. Was that one of the keys of staying grounded?

"No…it's not too much, it's just right. You look stunning. If I had known you'd wear that dress I would have changed my own tux." He said which made her look down. He had a standard black suit but there was a small dark gold line through the lapel and his tie was the same dark gold. It brought out the remarkable color of his eyes, but she had a feeling that was the primary reason he had chosen it. She smiled but couldn't hide a blush from taking over her cheeks. "Now I'd love to take a really good look at you." He said walking off to the side; he placed the flowers on her desk than turned around. "Can you just put your arms down?" He could already feel how tense she was, she was hugging herself tightly but she did step forward and lower her arms. She stood like that for a moment before timidly pushing them behind her back. "Could you turn around for me…?" He asked and she hesitated for a moment but turned and as soon as he saw the back of her gown he knew what he wanted to do tonight.

It plunged down just like the front but ended at the small of her waist. It revealed much more too, he could feel the bottom of his stomach heat up as he took a few steps forward. "You look remarkable…" He said and she turned to face him again with a feeble smile on her face. "Now, where is your coat?" He asked though he didn't seem too interested in finding it. He didn't avert his eyes from hers. He was beginning to reconsider going to the dinner all together; she enacted that sort of feeling in him.

"It's on the chair…" She said taking the response as her opening to look away. He didn't get her coat though; he just began walking closer to her. It made her stomach start doing flips. She wasn't sure what he was going to do, but the whole scene reminded her vaguely of Inuyasha's kiss. But all the feelings were a bit different. Yes, she was extremely nervous with anticipation, she definitely liked what she saw in Sesshomaru, he was incredibly handsome, her heart was in fact skipping beats, but something was still missing. When he got to her he didn't hesitate to tug her by the waist. "I thought you wanted to be at the dinner by ten…" she whispered, but it just brought a smug smile to his face. He put a hand to her jaw and leaned down.

When his lips touched hers she felt the same range of emotions she had before. She felt her hands go up to yank at his shirt, but still something was missing. It wasn't until he leaned away and she pulled him back in to further the kiss did she realize what it was. He lifted her onto the desk suddenly but all the feelings began to run cold. She was going to stop him, but his hand which had been wrapped around her waist had snuck its way into her dress. The heated feeling completely erased every thought in her mind. All she could do was feel and when his lips skillfully began to nip at her neck, she turned to the side to allow him better access. His hands were around the front expertly massaging the flesh of her breast, but just like that he stopped. Her eyes were closed expecting more, but he had stopped. Her senses came back, and she was shocked at how quickly a cloud of guilt covered her. She looked up but he had already backed up and was going for something on his side, it was then did she realize the steady sound of vibrations coming from his pants.

'His phone was ringing…thank God.' Was the only thing that ran through her head, and when he put a finger up to tell her to give him a moment she just threw him a smile. He turned away from her walking towards another section of the room. She watched him for a moment then slipped down from the wall to her coat sitting on the chair. She knew if she got herself ready to go she could avoid repeating what just happened. It was as if her body was separated from her brain, or maybe she couldn't control her feelings because Inuyasha seemed to cloud her mind with every subtle touch he gave. It didn't matter; the simple fact was Sesshomaru wasn't Inuyasha. Actually he was worst; he was Inuyasha's older brother, and her new boss. She couldn't allow this to happen.

"Would you like me to wait outside? It's already 9:30, we really should be going." She said but he put a hand up. She could tell he was talking to his father. He had that look of annoyance mixed with a bit of confusion that Inuyasha sometimes had on the phone with Inutashio. It was as if he didn't want to answer the call but had to. Just thinking of Inuyasha filled her with guilt again and she wished she never allowed him to kiss her. She wished she never said yes to him, but she told herself she had no reason to feel guilty. She was in no sort of relationship with Inuyasha; she could kiss whomever she wanted.

She quickly pulled on her coat and tied the straps at the waist. He turned around to face her ending the phone call and placing the cell phone back in his pocket. "You said you signed the contract?" He asked he wanted to go back to fondling her, but it was nearly impossible. Not with his father breathing down his back, apparently his parents expected him at the dinner a bit earlier.

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"I didn't want to say anything. I really didn't but I have to." Inuyasha said as he pulled his own door open. The chauffeur stood awkwardly for a moment then headed over to Rin's side, Inuyasha quickly put a hand up telling him not to worry about it. He opened Rin's door himself, she was still sitting pretty, her head down staring at her cell phone. She had been doing that ever sense he picked her up. Everything he said she ignored, her whole attention was set on the screen. He'd usually get over that pretty quickly he didn't need Rin's attention, but he was starting to get a suspicious feeling.

It was like he knew Rin was scheming something. When he picked her up at the hotel Ayame opened the door. She was fully dressed and holding bags filled with something, but he didn't say anything. She took it upon herself to blurt out she was going to some party. He told her he didn't care and that was the truth, he really didn't. But like usual Rin seemed to be covering something up, and when they finally headed to the limo Ayame was coming out of it. He asked the chauffeur what Ayame was doing in the limo, but he claimed he didn't know. It was like everyone was in cahoots with each other. "Tell me…" He stated while looking down at her.

She was dressed in a long golden brown dress that touched the floor. Her hair was in a standard twist bun allowing her gorgeous features to be on display. He wanted to comment on how she looked, but now he was too annoyed to say anything nice to her. He had a range of questions that she openly ignored. Like for instance she went out of her way to pick out a dark blue silk tie and a lighter blue button down for his tuxedo, yet she was wearing a gold dress. He was almost one hundred percent sure it wasn't the one she had designed. He recalled it having a plunging 'v' neck line. This one was sleeveless and tightened around the waist and breast area. He didn't mention the style of the dress though, what the hell did he know on the subject? She looked up at him in surprise, "Tell you what?" She asked making him narrow his eyes.

"Tell me what you're plotting?" she laughed his question off while rising from the limo seat. She stood up grabbing her golden clutch and pushing her cell phone in it. "What did Ayame put in the limo?" He asked as he closed the door rather hard behind her. She looked forward smiling at the few people making their way inside, but he couldn't let the subject go. He wasn't entirely sure but he had this strange feeling that all signs would point to Kagome in the end, but maybe it was just wishful thinking.

"I don't know what you're talking about. We were just in the limo. Did you see anything in there?" She asked, though she knew exactly where Ayame hid the box filled with Kagome's things. She couldn't lie properly though, her stomach was in knots. She had her head focused on one thing at the moment. She told herself she shouldn't care. She didn't want anything from Sesshomaru, but that didn't stop her stomach from doing flips. "Put your arm around my waist." She hissed as they walked towards the door. "You're supposed to be my date."

He didn't argue the notion but he was still at odds. He brought her in close as the doors to the building opened. "I really hope this has nothing to do with you know…." He let his words trail off, but he knew she understood what he meant. He hadn't told Rin about Kagome quitting and he wasn't planning to. He was so split with his emotions. It was like on one hand he was happy she quit; he actually wished she would take off back to the city. Then there was the part of him that wanted her to stay so he could apologize, that side of him intensified after she quit and suddenly he wanted Rin to interfere, but he still didn't know which side was actually genuine. He had no idea if he'd finally see her and all his animosity resurfaced.

When they stepped into the building Rin's eyes widened. She seemed shocked at how heavily decorated and extravagant everything was. It seemed more like a ball from a fairytale then a corporate dinner. As soon as they walked in there was a wide staircase leading down to a massive banquet hall. People walked around talking and gathering around tables filled with crystal silverware. She had been to a lot of parties of this nature, but this one was high up on the list. A man approached them and Inuyasha quickly shrugged off his jacket. She did the same handing it to him, He walked away and she took the moment to lean towards Inuyasha. "Wow…this is…wow." She whispered and he just nodded.

"You think this is huge…last year we went to some City, it was bigger than this one. I can't remember the name." He said while steering her forward towards the staircase. "Well anyway my father rented out a whole building…and as soon as you walked in the foyer there was an actual fountain. It spewed out champagne." He said and she looked up at him, "can you imagine...these dinners usually only last three to four hours." They finally walked down the stairs it felt like someone should of announced them down like royalty, but of course that didn't happen. She let herself soak in the room, but as soon as she got midway down she began searching the room for either Sesshomaru or Kagome.

Before she could continue her search at the bottom of the stairs she felt someone grab her by the hands. She widened her eyes and looked forward. "Did I frighten you?" Izayoi asked and she let reality soak in before smiling slightly.

"No…no…not at all…I was in my own little world." She said. Inuyasha quickly released his hold on her and went off towards his father.

"Well I'm sorry I just wanted to tell you how gorgeous you look." Rin smiled slightly saying her thanks before reciprocating the compliment. "You know you look amazing on Inuyasha's arm…" She said cheekily the comment had her faking a slight smile.

She really had no real answer to that sentiment so she decided to comment on the décor. "This place is amazing…who designed it?" she asked and Izayoi smiled looking around.

"Well we hired a few people, we do every year, but I'm happy to say I actually helped in some areas." She said and Rin just smiled. "We have amazing hors d'oeuvres this year by the way, but the main course will be the best. She put a hand to her shoulder and smiled. Rin watched as she turned to face her son wanting to say hello. She let her walk away for a moment before turning to look around the area. There were a few people just standing and talking. In the opposite direction there was a stage with a microphone, people dressed in black slacks and red vest catered the party. There were so many different people in business suits, tuxedos, and gowns she seriously doubted she'd be able to see Kagome or Sesshomaru in the crowd.

She let her eyes linger for awhile before walking towards Inuyasha. His mom was standing on her tippy toes and trying to fix his collar while his father was reminding him of what he was expected to do tonight. She sort of slipped in and like always Inutashio came around to greet her. She just smiled and said her thankyous. But she kept her eyes on the crowd, it wasn't until the realization came in that both Inutashio and Izayoi were welcoming guest did she turn forward to face them.

"So I have to ask…" Izayoi said as she smiled at her son. She was done fixing his already immaculate tux. "Are you and Rin dating now? Have you come to your senses?" She looked around at both of them but none of them said a word. "Come on you're not fooling anyone…"

"You can say that…." Inuyasha mumbled. He didn't feel like putting up a fight with him mom tonight. Rin faked another smile but didn't deny anything.

"I know your mom will be ecstatic." She looked towards Rin for a moment. "There are a few photographers around the room, don't forget to get some of your pictures taken, I want to send some to her."

"She'll love that…uh I do have a question?" Rin asked wanting to desperately change the subject but Izayoi was jumping on a whole different topic all together. Inutashio had at this point bowed out of the conversation in order to greet a few more guests.

"Oh that reminds me…" She said "Your father and I have something planned for your birthday tomorrow."

Inuyasha groaned a bit. "Don't you have something planned out every year?" He asked and his mother only smiled. She went on and on about if for awhile and when his father returned he whispered something in her ear that seemed to get her attention slightly.

"Inuyasha have you heard from your brother. He's usually early to the dinners." That got his attention and he looked from his mom to his dad.

"So Sesshomaru and Kagome aren't here?" Rin clarified and Inutashio just nodded slightly. "Can you excuse me for a moment; I'm just going to run to the bathroom." Rin said. They nodded and she quickly left their side walking along the length of the room looking for a safe place to rip her phone out. She settled for a little opening in an archway. It wasn't crowded with socialites but as soon as she entered she began hearing a loud uplifting tune. She walked a little further seeing a nice waiting room nook meant for guests to sit down and chat intimately. She decided she'd sit there but when she entered the noise got louder it didn't take long for her to notice Shippo sitting on one of the couches playing one of his many video games. "Hello…" she said letting a slight smile lift her lips.

He looked up and widened his eye. "Rin!" he shouted. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm getting away from the boring old people just like you." She said as he jumped up to give her a hug. "I can't get over how big you're getting." She pulled him away from her to take a better look. "What is that a tuxedo… you must be wearing Inuyasha's size now?" She joked and he just smiled. "What are you doing here all by yourself?"

"Mom said either do this or stand with her till ten saying hi to people who walk by."

"That sounds boring…" she mumbled while looking around the room. She finally took a seat on the couch and looked down at her phone. She had a few new messages from Ayame concerning the party. It seemed to be going great so far. She went over to her contacts list and clicked on Kagome's name. She typed a quick 'where are you' then looked up at Shippo who was going back to playing his video game.

"Hey can you actually do me a favor." She said and he glimpsed over at her for a moment. "You remember Kagome…the girl who came with your brother to pick you up…"

"Yeah… the one from the public school?" She smiled and nodded slightly.

"I need you to actually stand near your mom and greet the guest…" he made a face telling her he didn't want to. "Please…please it's important. When you see her and your brother I need you to text me."

He crossed his arms and sighed. "Why?" he asked and she searched her mind for a plausible excuse.

"It's just really important…please…" He nodded and turned around moping towards the exit. She watched him leave before looking back down at her phone. She hadn't gotten a response so she got up. She walked out of the hall and back into the crowded room. She had to do some searching for Inuyasha but she found him talking to a few older men for awhile. She walked towards the group and stood beside him waiting for him to finish whatever he was saying. He was currently talking about the trip and finances. "Hey…" she whispered. He ignored her in order to continue on with the conversation. He was putting on his business face, and even though she knew she still kept pestering him.

"So who's this?" One of the men asked completely interrupting the conversation. He looked to be in his fifties and was staring at her with what he thought was a pleasant smile. Everyone looked over at her and she just grinned. She stopped yanking at Inuyasha's sleeve and allowed him to place an arm around her waist.

"Just my date…" He said "But what were you saying about investing… I thought you might have established some sort of…"

"Oh really it was my understanding that the Takashi boys were single?" He said.

"We are for the most part but we're all just trying to settle down."

"Oh and this is the lucky girl?" He asked and he just tensed up. He didn't know why, he should have just said yes, but the lie was so far away from being true. Instead he nodded and a few of them said their congratulations. "She's gorgeous…you have a keeper…" With that he turned away allowing a few of the other men to follow. Rin didn't have to look up to know Inuyasha was upset.

"Sorry…" She mumbled and he looked down at her with a disgruntled look on his face. "I didn't know he'd pay me any mind."

"Of course he would, you kept pulling on my suit like a fucking kid." He said and Rin sighed looking away from him. "What did you want anyway?" She just shrugged. She kept diverting her attention, Inuyasha took it as her way of ignoring him, but he soon realized she was actually looking for something. "What are you doing?" He asked but she still didn't reply. She seemed too consumed with searching the room. "You don't seem very sorry."

"Well Inuyasha…there's a lot of old business men around here. I'm sure you can strike up another conversation." She said. This time she was facing the other way and staring up at the descending stairway they had come down from. Kagome still hadn't come, it wasn't like Sesshomaru to be late, but she wanted Inuyasha to have a good look at her when she came down the stairs.

"Why don't you stay near the bar and strike up a conversation with some of the other dates. It's not customary for them to stand by…."

"As the men speak business right." Rin said interrupting him. "That's offensive."

"I didn't mean it like that. There are some women who own businesses and there are some women associates, but there dates usually stay off the floor during the first half of the night." He told her. She looked around witnessing exactly what he was talking about. There were a few people talking near platters filled with food. They also chatted towards the bar which was in the opposite direction. She knew once Kagome got there she'd be able to glide through the floor and help win new clients for the Takashi's, she was of course the ideal date. She didn't have to make small cliché talk off to the side.

"Oh well I will…but uh… lets go speak to your parents really quickly." Inuyasha gave her a look as she grabbed hold of his hand. She pulled him towards the staircase where his parents were greeting people. He only allowed himself to be dragged around for a bit longer before pulling himself away.

"Rin…Rin stop. You can go talk to my parents. I have to try to lure some potential clients or I won't hear the end of it from my dad." He said and Rin faced him at the last minute. They were only a few paces away from them. His parents were courteously saying their hellos and thank you's while Shippo stood off to the side scanning the people who were walking in. There was no Kagome in the crowd, she hadn't seen Sesshomaru. It made her a bit uneasy. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes catching a look of concern on her face. "What's your problem?" He asked and she just shrugged. He knew something else was bothering her and he had his own uneasy feeling of what it could be. He didn't want to think about Kagome right now, he didn't even want to worry about where she could be.

He had noticed she wasn't here a while ago and he came to two conclusions. Either she was somewhere with Sesshomaru, which of course made him extremely mad. He tried to tell himself that wasn't something she would do. Missing the annual dinner wasn't something Sesshomaru would do either. So he came to the second conclusion, she had left. It made sense, just a few days ago she quit, and he wouldn't be surprised if she took off already, but even so Sesshomaru would have been here. He would have came solo. He took a deep breath trying to let the thoughts go, he glanced away from Rin watching his father make his way towards him. "Oh great look what you've done now." He whispered under his breath. Rin turned around checking to see what had gotten his attention. "Hey dad… I was just about to do another walk around….get some more clients…"

"Save it, where in God's name is your brother?" He bluntly asked. Rin moved off to the side to allow him closer access to his son. "It's already half past ten, I called him at nine thirty, he said he'd be here by now." He said and Inuyasha just stood there. "Do you know where he is…did he tell you anything?"

"We aren't on talking terms right now." That made his father roll his eyes.

"How immature…I have to get on the stage before eleven so I can't wait for him any longer. He had a speech prepared; you'll have to give it for him." Inuyasha opened his mouth as if he disagreed but his dad gave him a solid look and he just swallowed up his words. "I don't want to hear it, work the room and meet me back stage in fifteen minutes." He just nodded and watched his father walk away.

"Great…" he mumbled before looking down at Rin. His annoyance disappeared when he took a look at her face. "Don't give me that look. There's nothing to be worried about. It's ten thirty so what Sesshomaru's running an hour late. They're fine."

"How do you know that? I texted Kagome and she still hasn't answered, if they were just running late she would have answered."

"My dad said he called him around nine, so he's fine."

"Yeah nine Inuyasha…that makes it a lot worse" he crossed his eyebrows not understanding. "See if your dad hadn't heard anything at all, Kagome and your brother could be doing anything…" he winced at that, he didn't want to think about what they could be doing. "They could have decided not to go… they could be out at some resturant but he called… that means they were on their way, but something happened." She said and Inuyasha just sighed.

"You're being over dramatic. He's fine…" He said with a shrug, though he wasn't completely sure about Kagome. He hadn't seen her in a while.

"Okay, but what about Kagome? I haven't heard from her." She mumbled while sticking a hand into her clutch. She was about to pull out her phone, when he decided he'd go on and tell her.

"I'm not sure about Kagome…" Rin looked up at him. "Uh… I didn't want to tell you this, but Kagome quit earlier this week." He said and a flash of surprise ran through her face. Kagome hadn't said anything, actually whenever she went by her room and asked how work was; she'd always say it was fine. "She might have headed home…" He said and Rin could hear the sliver of hope. He wished she was headed home, he wished she was anywhere that didn't include being with Sesshomaru. Of course she knew better. She looked up at him for a moment trying to debate whether she should tell him what she knew.

"I'm the one who did her makeup…so I saw her a few hours before the dinner. She was fully ready I did her hair and everything. That's why I'm worried." He didn't show any sudden emotion on his face but he looked down at his watch for a moment.

"Okay…I'm still sure she's fine." He said. It took every ounce of his energy not to show his aggravation. "I'm going to go ahead and head backstage. You try to console my mom she looks worried." She left and he headed backstage trying to erase any thoughts of Kagome running through his mind. He didn't want to think about what she was doing with his brother at the moment, though his feeling of jealousy was subsiding and he as beginning to feel a bit worried. He climbed up a small set of stairs and entered two double doors. His father was on the phone and pacing the back room.

"You let time get the best of you…" His father scoffed over the telephone. "What the hell does that even mean?" He snapped. Inuyasha stood at the door just listening in. "Yeah I'd hope you'd be on your way now! But I can't postpone for you." He hung up at that and looked towards him. "I swear I can't depend on any of you."

"So he's fine?"

"Of course he's fine just ridiculously late…you'll have to do the speech." He nodded as that while his father went ahead to grab some folders. "It's not too long, so read ahead make eye contact…"

"I know dad, I think I've been to enough of these dinners. You do your little introduction Sesshomaru comes in and you finish up, I sit on stage off to the side….I think I've seen it enough to pull it off."

"Good…" He passed him a folder and headed out onto the stage. Inuyasha watched him for a moment hearing the audience applaud. It didn't take long for his father to begin speaking. He took the moment to read over some of the speech he was handed. It was fairly short about a page, and it was pretty standard. He stared forward listening for a break or an introduction from his father, anything that would tell him it was time to head out. He stayed focus on that, his mind wondered on Kagome from time to time. He hoped when Sesshomaru walked down the winding stairway she wouldn't be there. He wanted to see her but he didn't know if he could take her on Sesshomaru's arm.

He dwelled on that for a moment until he heard his father call his name. He took a deep breath and headed out onto the stage. As he made his way to the podium he could see everything, the elegant staircase, all the decorations, the waiting over dressed guest. He went through the room with his eyes as he walked towards the microphone his father had stepped aside from. The room applauded again, but he wasn't concerned with any of them, he was looking for her. He had no idea why, his father had just got off the phone with Sesshomaru, they were on their way.

"Hi…" He said through the microphone. The guests staring up at him were completely silent. Most of them had taken their assigned seats at the scattered dinner tables, but a few were still circulating the floors. "Uh it's nice to meet some of you, potential clients, and for the few that have already joined forces with us…it's nice to see you again. It seems like in just a few months into our trip we've already increased our revenue by half, which is always the goal." He looked down at the paper glancing through the first line. "Uh…so there are a lot of reasons why the few who haven't should think about becoming apart of our company…" He glanced upwards making subtle eye contact. "Whether you want to merge, invest, or sell out...well uh not sell out, but sell a fraction or all of your company...he stuttered rereading some of the lines on the paper. He looked up slightly staring at the adjacent stair case. No one was near it, no one was coming down as well, but he could see the double doors opening slightly. He didn't pay any mind to it, he continued with the speech till he saw her.

He was about to end it and she hit him like ton of bricks. It wasn't the powerful impact he expected, he thought he'd be upset to see her on the arm of his brother, but that didn't bother him as much. She herself shocked him, not because he didn't know she could be so beautiful. He knew she had the capability but for some reason it still seemed to take the air out of his lungs. She walked down the stairs all smiles; she only paused when she noticed him on the stage. He was staring right at her and the room was eerily silent. It didn't take long for a majority of the room to connect the dots and turn to face her.

Rin had a confused look on her face as she looked at Inuyasha, who was frozen at the microphone. She turned with everyone else witnessing Kagome and automatically smiling. It was like that vision she had had earlier, the one that made her boil up with anger. She was descending the stairs as gorgeous as ever with Sesshomaru, as handsome as he was being just an accessory. Kagome hesitated slightly at the attention but her smile stayed planted and she tried to look anywhere but Inuyasha.

"I have to head back stage…." Sesshomaru whispered in her ear. She felt her heart beat increase at the thought of being left alone. As soon as they hit the floor he took off through the gawking crowd heading to one of the rooms off to the side. Rin watched him leave for only a moment then settled her eyes back on Kagome. She was looking around for a familiar face and it didn't take long to spot Rin's. As soon as she saw her she looked away, she was shocked at how quickly the guilt of kissing Sesshomaru came rushing back.

"Um…so like I was saying…" Inuyasha said startling most of the crowd back to him. He tried to continue on with the speech, but it was all a tumbling mess at that point. Every time he looked towards the crowd his eyes always seemed to land back on her. It didn't take long for his father to intercept the microphone, and as soon as Sesshomaru made it backstage, Inutashio announced him out and he quickly said his hellos grabbing the crowd's attention quickly. He stepped away from the microphone giving it willingly to his older brother. He let his eyes glance over at Kagome who was standing off to the side. She was looking around almost like she was confused or lost. When Sesshomaru began his speech she looked up towards the stage, but only for a fragment of a second. It was almost as if she was looking for something or someone, and he was very clearly not it. She looked off to the side of the stage towards him and he could see the shock on her face to see that he was staring back. She quickly looked away and continued her lost look.

He knew he should have looked away but he couldn't. She was ridiculously gorgeous and like usual she wasn't aware of it. Her mind was on him, and he didn't deserve her undivided attention. He was thinking of talking to her, he actually desperately wanted to all of a sudden. He wanted to get down to her before his brother could. She was doing her best to look away from him and he could tell. Whenever her mind roamed towards the stage she'd try hard to look away. He knew his brother's speech would be wrapping up soon and when it did he'd walk down to her and put his arms around her and work the room. He wanted to at some point say something, make up for what he did, he hadn't expected to feel this remorseful. He didn't know if he'd be able to put everything that had happened behind him, but he knew he'd try. He stared at her for a moment longer as she tried to avoid eye contact. She had her arms behind her back while looking off to the side. She stared at that general direction for awhile; he decided to look off in that direction as well. He found Rin there with a smile on her face, she was about to subtly make her way over to her. It made him roll his eyes slightly but he didn't hesitate to unprofessionally cross the stage in front of his brother and leave. It had people staring and Sesshomaru making a quick joke about how alcohol went right through him. He didn't care he went down the stairs and out on the floor. He managed to bypass his mother who had left the floor to take a seat at the main table reserved for his family. He walked over to the back standing a bit off to the side. Rin was talking to Kagome. He could only get the gist of their conversation.

"So you look gorgeous…" Rin said it had Kagome blushing modestly like always. "The dress looks amazing on you, when you came down the stairs everyone was staring…it's like your Cinderella."

"Yeah right…" Kagome said with a roll of her eyes. She fumbled from foot to foot and took a quick glance up on the stage. The first thought running through her mind was her massive hope that Inuyasha felt the same way. When she noticed he wasn't there anymore she scrunched her face and looked around the room. Before she could land on him only a few paces away eavesdropping Rin knocked her back to reality.

"No it's true, and I bet Inuyasha feels the same way." She said and that had her blushing even more which of course made Rin post a very satisfied smile on her face. "So…" She said trying to get her attention again. "What took you guys so long to get here…I" Rin hesitated feeling her phone vibrate. She looked down opening her clutch, she got a text from Shippo it read: 'she's here.' Rin just rolled her eyes laughing slightly.

"What...what is it?" Kagome asked.

"Oh nothing...just a message from Ayame...what was I saying..." she hesitated. "Oh yeah... what took you so long... I mean the entrance was amazing, but you were more than an hour late." Her soft smile disappeared and a guilty look quickly lit her face. She bit down on her lip as she quickly decided to tell Rin what happened. She didn't want to keep out the kiss she had with Sesshomaru, especially after everything. She had learned her lesson from before; keeping secrets wasn't something that friends did.

"Yeah Rin…about that…" she said and Rin narrowed her eyes sensing something was coming. "I was on my way out today… on time to get here. Sesshomaru came to get me at my room right." She said and Rin nodded a bit confused at where the story would go. "And um…he sort of kissed me…" Rin just stared at her for a moment; she had no reaction on her face. It was Inuyasha who seemed upset; he backed up only hesitantly leaning against the back wall. "It happened really fast and I swear I didn't kiss him first…"

"Okay…" Rin said. she knew that it really hadn't happened fast, if it did they wouldn't be late, but that didn't faze her. She did have to get one thing straight though, before she did anything. "Did you like it…do you like him?"

Kagome hesitated for a moment a bit surprised at how well she was taking it. Inuyasha on the other hand stood back in attention after hearing the question. He wanted to know the answer so badly, though normally just the idea of her kissing Sesshomaru would get him so angry he wouldn't want to have anything to do with her. And the idea actually did have him rather upset, but he was still willing to hear her out because he had a bigger fear...He had no idea why it just occured now, but after hearing she actually kissed Sesshomaru he realized he was able to over look everything if she maybe could confirm that when she went to work for his brother that was all she'd do. She wouldn't marry him or fall for him, that seem to worry him the most, the idea that while he would be trying to get over her she'd be shacking it up with his brother and somehow be a permanent part of his life in the worst way imaginable.

She took a moment to think about the question. That wasn't a good sign to Rin but she waited patiently. "I don't…" She said with a short shrug. "I mean…" She paused for a moment looking around, she caught view of Inuyasha quickly and her words got stuck in her throat.

"You don't… but what?" Rin asked but Kagome just gulped. "Kagome…" She turned to see what had her so stunned. To her surprise Inuyasha was making his way towards them. She backed away slightly to meet him, but Kagome just stood in her spot shocked and staring. When he finally got towards Rin she looked away towards the stage where Sesshomaru had finished up his speech and his father had took the floor again.

"I should um…I should go." She said quickly looking towards Rin. Seeing Inuyasha brought emotions back to her, she had also forgotten to tell her about quitting.

"No stay…" Inuyasha said quickly shocking her. Even Rin seemed surprised at the gesture. She backed up slightly anyway. "Really…I actually wanted to talk to you." He admitted and of course that surprised her. Her heart was already beating ridiculously but she wasn't stumbling all over herself like usual. She didn't understand why Inuyasha was talking to her though. It confused her but she would be lying if she pretended her heart didn't skip a beat when he spoke to her. The idea of actually talking to him had her fuzzled but she couldn't imagine wanting anything more.

"I'll get us drinks…" Rin said quickly her pleased expression was extremely obvious as she turned around in the opposite direction. Kagome watched her go for a moment then settled her eyes on Inuyasha. He was looking directly at her but none of them said anything.

"I um…" She said wanting to end the awkward silence. "I'm sorry about just walking out of the meeting…"

"No…don't worry about it." He pushed both hands in his pocket uneasily while staring past her. "I actually wanted to apologize for that…" He said. She didn't say word she just stared at him. She contained her shock but her heart was pounding out of her chest. He paused waiting for her to say something but she just stared. "I guess you quitting was my wake up call. I was being incredibly rude to you." She shook her head slightly but didn't reply. There was nothing for her to say, he was being extremely open with her and she didn't want to ruin anything by interfering. She had the biggest hope that things could somehow go back to normal. "I know we only have a few more weeks on the trip, and then you'll be leaving, I promise to try and be as professional as possible. That is if you'd come back…"

He stared at her taking in her face. He meant to tell her how beautiful she looked, but he felt as if that would counter what he just said. It wasn't as if her quitting was her wake up call, it really was her here with his brother that made him realize what he was losing in her. She didn't say anything about the proposition, he wanted her to but she never did. She just stared at him. It didn't take long for disappointment to take over completely. Her hope was so high; she thought as soon as he apologized maybe everything would go back to normal. She could maybe apologize too and take a few steps into normalcy, but at that very moment she realized something. She didn't want things to go back to normal. She didn't want to continue the charade she had previously with Inuyasha, she wanted more than that. She wanted a relationship, this whole time she was so preoccupied with wishing and hoping he'd forgive her. Hoping they'd go back to the way they were, she had completely forgotten that the whole time she always wanted more.

Now here he was basically telling her he'd like to be more professional, so they were way past being like the way they were. They were back to that stupid professional bit; she didn't like the idea of it. Not at all, it actually caused her heart to sink and any shred of hope disappeared. "So what do you say?" He asked suddenly. "Does that sound like a good idea?" She didn't respond instead she glanced elsewhere. She could see Sesshomaru and Inutashio making their way out to the floor. They exchanged a few words and Sesshomaru began looking around through the crowd, it didn't take long for him to spot her. She was actually relieved. She didn't want to stand here across from Inuyasha anymore. She felt crushed and she wanted a way out before she broke down right in front of him. "Kagome…" He said making her tear her eyes from his older brother.

"Yes…" He gave her a look expecting her to speak. She understood the gaze though she had no response to it. He was asking her to work for him again, but not in the way she wanted to. She was so confused; she had a million and one thoughts going through her head. The one that sat prominently in her mind scared her a bit, so she really did want more from Inuyasha, a lot more than she had previously thought. That idea seemed to seep in quicker then ever, but even though it upset her to just go back to the way they were, it was a lot better than not being with him at all...but the simple fact was she couldn't. "I…it's an amazing offer…" She said looking back again. Sesshomaru had been intercepted midway by Rin. They were talking lightly but lucky for her Izoyai was crossing the floor towards them as well. She could tell by her smile she'd be interrupting their conversation.

"If it's so amazing than why aren't you taking it?" He asked. He had a slight eyebrow up showing he didn't quite believe her. "If you're hell bent on quitting than just tell me. You don't have to sugar coat it."

"Inuyasha…" she mumbled. She bit down on her lip. "I can't go back to just working for you." He stared at her trying to soak in what she just said. It didn't take long for him to understand fully what she meant. He was an idiot if he thought just a simple apology would help to change everything between them.

"Yeah…I um….I know I just….I know we have a lot of things between us." He mumbled. She looked past him for a second. "But it's a start...we just need to pause, and talk about it." She shook her head before he could continue; the notion quickly deflated all of his hope. "Okay I guess I can understand that…You don't have to forgive me…"

"No…Inuyasha…it's not just that." She said unsteadily. She didn't want to admit it, but even if she wanted her job back it was impossible. She had signed the contract for Sesshomaru already. She didn't know she'd so quickly go on to regret that.

"Okay…well tell me what is it?" He asked and she could hear the hope in his voice. He was so wrapped up in what she'd say he didn't notice his mom creeping up behind him. She placed a hand on the small of his back and he actually jumped slightly in surprise.

"Honey did I actually startle you?" She asked in surprise. Inuyasha didn't say anything he just sighed in frustration. "I just came up to see if you were okay your speech was everywhere…but I see your just fine, talking with Kagome." She looked up when she said that, smiling. Kagome returned her grin but it was a bit forced. "I saw you coming down the stairs; your gown is absolutely gorgeous you're a spectacle you had the whole room talking."

"Oh thank you, you look amazing too." She said and Izoyai just smiled pleasantly while subconsciously straightening her lavender gown.

"Thanks, you wouldn't mind if I stole my son for a moment?" She asked and Kagome just shook her head slightly.

"Wait…mom I was right in the middle of something."

"No…it's fine…" Kagome interrupted. "I'll be right here… go ahead."

"Okay…great...I'll be a minute don't move." He said and she nodded while he turned away slightly to face his mom. She watched him for a moment then turned around quickly leaving. She didn't understand why she had the compulsion to do so, but she had to. She knew she wouldn't be able to admit to Inuyasha why she couldn't have her job back, and she didn't feel as if she had to. She wanted to get the dinner over with and board her plane Monday morning.

She scattered a bit to the left trying to head somewhere unnoticeable while dodging a few people who tried to get her attention. She spotted an open hall at the other end of the room. She quickly ran blindly into it bumping into a woman holding a tray filled with Champagne. Luckily she had the closed bottle on the tray and a few of the glasses in her hands. The bottle fell but Kagome quickly caught it… "I'm so sorry I didn't see you…"

"It's fine," Kagome said putting the bottle back on her tray. "Where does this hall lead to?"

"It leads towards two sets of restrooms and the employee breakroom…" She said and Kagome stared down at it.

"Are there any exits?" The woman shook her head and Kagome sighed a bit dissapointed at that. She was wondering if anyone would notice if she snuck back up the stairs and left. It was a bit over dramatic and she probably wouldn't do it, but she did want a place to hide until the actual dinner commenced and everyone was in their seats. "Two sets of restrooms..." she mumbled.

"Yeah one over here..." she pointed to the right... "And another one way down the hall."

"Oh...thanks" she watched the woman nod and go off towards the dining room. She waited only a momnent then took off down the hall.

!

!

!

(Rin and Sesshomaru a moment before)

She walked over to the long table serving only extremely small portions of expensive finger foods and champagne. She grabbed two filled glasses and turned around to see Inuyasha speaking with Kagome. She didn't know what gave Inuyasha the change of heart, but to say she was pleased was an understatement, she wanted to grab both of the glasses and hover by Kagome to hear what they were saying. She walked a bit further when she spotted Sesshomaru with his father. He looked unusually handsome which was the norm, the dark shade of gold he wore on his tie matched her dress perfectly. As soon as they left one of the halls taking them backstage they separated. Inutashio headed towards a few potential clients and Sesshomaru looked around for Kagome.

There was no way Rin could let him interrupt whatever was going on between Inuyasha and Kagome, they hadn't talked for days apparently, and Kagome had just quit recently. She decided she'd start phase 2 of the plan a bit early. She took a deep breath placing the two glasses down and straightening herself a bit. She could feel the nervousness envelope her, she didn't understand why. Wasn't she over him? She had trusted herself to lure Sesshomaru away from Kagome that was the plan, but now she was having second thoughts. She grabbed one of the champagne glasses and quickly drowned it. The burn of the alcohol in her chest reassured her a bit but not completely. She picked up the second one and sipped a little before tossing it back as well.

"Okay Rin you can do this, it's just Sesshomaru, you don't even like him anymore remember? You're just doing this for Kagome…" She mumbled while walking away from the banquet table and towards Sesshomaru's direction. She desperately needed the nervousness to subside or she'd just be left tongue tied like always. The thought of being called 'the little odd girl' made the butterflies go wild, but of course she had left her mark earlier. Sesshomaru knew who she was, but for some reason that didn't calm her.

She made it over to him just before he could interrupt his brother and Kagome from whatever they were doing. He wasn't too threatened by them speaking; Kagome had already signed the contract he faxed to her after their last meeting, whatever reconciliation they were having was completely irrelevant. He walked past the long banquet table where people seemed to flock towards when he heard someone call his name. He looked briefly towards that general direction spotting her.

It was Inuyasha's friend the one who he had recently learned was obsessed with him. Her name was…it was Rin, he actually remembered that much. He would have just ignored her, put a hand up as a quick hello, but for some reason he halted. He wasn't too annoyed by Rin, though he usually was annoyed by all his brother's friends, but Rin was different. It didn't hurt that she was wearing his favorite color. That seemed to get his attention a bit, he put a hand to his tie looking down at it and back up at her gown, it was the exact color and shade of gold. She was making her way towards him and he just raised an eyebrow. "Nice gown…" He said and she just gave him a feeble smile. "The color…it's stunning on you."

She looked down and just like that she froze, why? She had no idea; she should have been able to talk to him. She had done it already, he stared down at her waiting for her to speak but instead she flashed him a smile. He didn't react though he just stared down waiting and after awhile he narrowed his eyes. "Uh…I um…it's my favorite color." She forced out he nodded while turning slightly, she realized she was losing him so she searched her mind for something to say. "If I would've known you'd be wearing it I would have picked a different color though." She said and when he turned to face her she smiled slightly.

"Right…" He said looking her up and down. The dress held her figure extremely well tightening at her waist and flowing down to the floor. She looked gorgeous; the dress color highlighted the sparks of gold in her eyes and brought out the brown in her hair. It didn't hurt that it also seemed to compliment him as well. It would have been the perfect dress for his own date. "So…you're here with my brother?"

"Yeah…and you're here with Kagome…I think we would've made a better pair though." She said and that seemed to definitely get his attention.

"Really…" he said in shock. "Why is that?"

"Well…I mean we both seem to match…" She said suddenly and he smiled slightly, he could have sworn she was going somewhere else entirely with that simple phrase. He had a slightly confused look on his face for just a moment but it left as soon as it came. She caught the look though and it somewhat gave her the confidence to continue on. "So…what are you doing after the dinner?" She asked and just like that her uncertainty came back. He looked down at his watch then turned away towards Kagome and Inuyasha's direction, but to both their surprises Kagome wasn't there anymore. Inuyasha was a few paces away speaking to his mom.

"Uh I've got some work to do…" He said quickly. "I have to go…" He turned away and Rin gulped slightly jumping forward and grabbing his arm without thinking. He turned at that staring at her for a moment then at his arm.

"Sorry…I just…work is so boring…and I know you're always busy you should have some fun." She said and he sighed turning fully to face her. He actually looked slightly annoyed and she was afraid of what he'd say next.

"Rin…I appreciate it but…"

"Never mind…I just thought." He shook his head and her heart began sinking, but she wasn't doing this just to be with Sesshomaru. She was over that right? She was really doing this for Inuyasha, so being shot down wasn't an option. "I'm just repeating what Kagome told me earlier, apparently she helped plan out some party for Inuyasha. She's supposed to be going to it tonight…after the dinner" She lied but that piece of information apparently changed something in him because he faced her fully while narrowing her eyes.

"She told you that…when?"

Rin just shrugged, "I can't recall exactly when…" He didn't say anything he just thought over what she just said for a moment. It didn't make sense, his brother and Kagome weren't on talking terms, not since last time he saw them, but now they seemed to be speaking. He caught himself before he could get too upset. He had the contract that bounded Kagome to his branch of the company by the beginning of the next work week. So did it really matter if she decided to go to some stupid juvenile party tonight? He had hoped to go home with her though, but that could wait. "So…you should leave with me." That got his attention and he looked down at her. "What do you say, we leave here a bit early…your dad won't mind right?"

"Uh…" he sighed again and looked away. "Yeah…yeah we can do that." She widened her eyes in pure shock but she quickly hid the excitement from her face. As soon as the full extent of his agreement sunk in she felt an abnormal amount of butterflies go through her body. "Let me just tell my dad something and we can go." With that he turned, he would usually say no to an offer like that. Rin was gorgeous but a bit desprate, he didn't like that, but he'd over look it all, especially after hearing Kagome's plan for the evening. So Kagome was leaving with Inuyasha, was it just him or was that extremely rude? He looked around the room for her. She was nowhere to be found. Wasn't she supposed to be his date?

!

!

!

She was pacing the bathroom closest to the employee break room when she felt her clutch vibrating; she stared at it for a moment. She had no desire at all to pick it up. It was probably Sesshomaru asking where she was or worse Inuyasha wanting to continue their conversation. She was so extremely frightened at each one of those notions. She was so afraid in fact that she was willing to hide the night out in a public bathroom. She'd rather do that then go out and face him. Being in a restroom was her worst nightmare, she kept her arms close to her and her clutch near her chest, but when it vibrated she ignored it and continued to pace. Whenever someone came into the room she'd quickly head into either a stall or pretend to be looking in the mirror. Luckily that didn't happen too often. She was at an alternative restroom; the other bathroom was closer to the banquet hall making this one less desirable.

She took a deep breath as the vibration ended. She didn't understand why she was so afraid of talking to him, actually she sort of did. Inuyasha apologizing to her was everything she wanted for awhile. If he had done it earlier she would have never quit, never signed that contract to leave early for Sesshomaru. She would have done everything to get him to forgive her again, but now she had to face the fact that that wasn't happening anymore.

That simple idea sort of had her depressed, she was leaving, and this was the end. The work that she would have put in to win him back was cut short, but maybe that was okay. Maybe it was time to move on. She had been coming to terms with that idea for awhile now, and she didn't want anything less from Inuyasha then the relationship they had before. And she knew even if he wanted her back as an employee he didn't want her for a girlfriend…right? Of course not, especially if her quitting was his trigger point. She sighed staring at the wall ahead of her, hiding wasn't something she should have been doing, it was childish and she came here with Sesshomaru. He was probably looking for her, she had work to do, potential clients to talk to, but at the same time her relationship with Sesshomru was confusing the hell out of her too. She just kept thinking of their kiss? Why did she let it go on for so long? What did he expect from their relationship, what was she walking into, and more importantly whatever it was, did she want it?

It was a lot to think about, but the restroom of some dinner hall wasn't the place to sort them out. She opened up her clutch quickly looking inside for her phone. She found a few texts from Rin, no calls from Sesshomaru or Inuyasha. She found that a bit weird yet reassuring. She went towards the paper towel dispenser pulling out a heap of paper before turning to open the door with it. As she pulled on the handle she felt some one pushing and just like that she fell back, luckily she was able to catch herself before falling to the floor.

"I'm so sorry…" someone said as she regained her footing. She looked up spotting Rin who was staring down at her with widened eyes. "Kagome…?" She asked slightly. She looked up at her and Rin rolled her eyes backing up to close the door. "I've been texting and calling you like crazy."

"Sorry…"

"I finally decided to check the bathrooms. I thought you just left…"

"No, I just…I'm having stomach problems." She lied and Rin just stared at her. "So…tell me…what did Inuyasha say?"

"Oh…nothing…" Rin gave her a look and she just looked away.

"Kagome seriously…"

"He didn't really say anything…he just apologized and….I don't know…" She mumbled while walking towards one of the mirrors. She put her clutch down finally and just stared at herself for a moment then grabbed more paper from the dispenser to turn on the water faucet. "And he kind of you know rehired me?"

"What…" Rin asked but she didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you…but I quit" she interrupted looking over at her but Rin just stared at her knowingly. She didn't seem too surprised. "Did you hear me?"

"Yeah I heard you…Inuyasha already told me..." Kagome looked away quickly a bit embarrassed. All this time when Rin asked 'how was work?' She had been answering like she was hiding something, but the joke was really on her.

"How long have you known?"

"I just found out, Inuyasha told me earlier tonight...I am mad that you didn't tell me sooner, but that's okay, I'm not going to dwell on it... at least you've been rehired so, I guess it's no harm no foul."

Inuyasha telling Rin about her quitting was something she hadn't anticipated, but now that she knew he did, she was surpised he hadn't told her sooner, but that wasn't something Inuyasha would do though. She added more soap to her hands and continued washing them. It was like she wasn't aware at how long she had been cleaning up for. She hadn't even used the bathroom so it was all extremely unnecessarily but she couldn't help it. "I'm not going back to working for him…I'm leaving on Monday." She admitted and she quickly looked over at Rin who seemed extremely shocked.

"You're what…so when were you going to tell me this?" She didn't say anything she just continued washing her hands. "Kagome…" still nothing so she didn't hesitate to march over to the sink and shut off the faucet. "When were you planning on telling me…huh?"

"Never…I don't know tonight…"

"Well you can't just leave, you can't just take off and go. You have to go out and tell him you're staying, tell him you want to work for him again. Take him up on his offer."

"No…I can't." She turned to look at her again. She could see the questioning expression on Rin's face and she knew she owed her the whole truth. "The other reason why I was late coming here is because…Sesshomaru faxed me a new contract and I signed it. So I officially work for him. I hve no choice i have to leave.

Rin stared at her obviously angry… "So that's it…I did all of this for you and it's finished right? How…why would you do that?" Kagome looked down at the tiled floor. She didn't say anything she just stared. "Great does Inuyasha know yet?"

"No…and I don't want him to know. that's one of the reasons why I didn't want to take him to his party tonight."

"I can't believe you…I really can't. I thought…what so you like Sesshomaru now."

"No…I just…I wanted to be with him, but I had no choice. I mean I can't just sit here."

"YOU HAD A CHOICE, DON'T GIVE ME THAT!" She was extremely upset now and Kagome stared at her. She could feel some tears coming up, but she hid it well like always. "I was doing everything to help you! You had a choice!"

"It's not as simple as it seems okay."

"stop it really with the excuses."

"It's true…" she said but Rin just shook her head.

"No it isn't you knew about what I was planning. You knew I was going to change things."

Kagome just walked past her going towards the door. But Rin quickly intercepted it. "Please just let me go…"

"Yeah sure…I will, but answer me one thing." Kagome stared at her waiting for her to continue. She looked calm, like she wasn't in the break of tears, but she was. All she needed was a secluded place to actually cry. "You said you kissed Sesshomaru tonight."

"He kissed me…"

"Whatever…so you've also kissed Inuyasha…if you had the choice, if you had to leave with one of them tonight, if you got to kiss one of them again, who would it be?" Kagome just stared at her.

"I'm not answering that?"

"Why not…huh….what's the harm in it…"

"I'm not answering it, because you already know the answer." She said and Rin stared at her for a moment.

"That's what I thought, so what are you doing?" She just shrugged and Rin looked past her for a moment spotting her clutch sitting on the sink. She had forgotten it while she was washing her hands. She didn't say anything she just walked past her and towards the clutch grabbing it quickly before Kagome could turn to face her. "I'm not mad…" She lied while quickly grabbing the cell phone from it and pushing it snuggly into hers. "I just think you need to take a moment and think about the choices you've just made." She put the clutch back on the left of the counter so she wouldn't see. "If you change your mind you know where to find me." She turned around and headed towards the door passing her again. Kagome stared at her planning to just leave too. "Don't forget your clutch; I think it's on the sinks' counter." She said quickly and Kagome turned looking in that direction.

As soon as she turned to grab it Rin quickly left the room and looked around. There was a small sitting center near the bathroom. It had a couch and a table and a few chairs. She didn't hesitate to run off towards the couch and push it with all her weight towards the door. She knew it would block the door but she still needed something to keep it shut so she placed one of the chairs on the door knob. She then covered it with the couch and moved the rest of the waiting center in front of it so from up the hall it looked normal. She didn't expect Kagome to be stuck in the bathroom all night, someone would eventually find her, but by that time she would have left the dinner with Sesshomaru, and her plan would be back on.

She opened her clutch grabbing Kagome's phone and finding Sesshomaru's number in the contacts. She quickly wrote a text to him stating: "I'm sorry, but I'm leaving with Inuyasha after the dinner but thanks for taking me." She smiled slightly as she heard Kagome jiggle the door knob. "Hey Kagome…" she said walking off to the side of the door.

"Rin…Rin…I think I'm locked in." She said.

"I know I locked you in…"

"What…"

"Don't try to get out; I'm giving you exactly what you want. If you just go to the dinner and leave with Sesshomaru you can call it quits to you and Inuyasha, but this way you'll get that second chance. And since you never listen to me, this is the only way I can ensure that."

"What the hell! You're out of your mind. Open the door."

"No…"

"Okay…fine I'll just." She opened her clutch and looked in not finding her phone. She flipped it upside down tossing a few things on the floor."

"I have your phone. Don't worry I'll leave it for you before the nights over. Have fun at Inuyasha's party." She said and Kagome widened her eyes as she heard her high heels hitting the floor.

"Rin…" she shouted. "Rin you can't leave me in here!" She fisted her hand getting ready to hit the door, but the idea of actually touching it with bare hands disgusted her, and she was beginning to get overly anxious which was never a great combination with her OCD. She backed up from the door slightly going for more paper towels while still calling Rin's name.

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!

She easily ignored Kagome and walked casually back into the banquet hall, everyone was seated into individual tables. Inutashio was standing in front of a large table towards the front, giving what looked like a toast. The only people seated with him were his wife, Shippo, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. The two latter sitting a chair apart, she knew the seat between Sesshomaru and Inuyasha was hers and she quickly and quietly walked to the front. Inutashio didn't stop his speech to accommodate her, but he did nod towards her as she sat down. She stared ahead as he spoke just like his family but Inuyasha moved slightly to speak to her.

"Where the hell have you been?" He asked.

"Oh in the bathroom there was a monster line, I went to look for another one and got lost." She lied and he just rolled his eyes.

"Have you seen Kagome anywhere?" He asked and Rin stared up for a moment narrowing her eyes.

"Uh…no…I haven't seen her in awhile actually, she must be in the bathroom too. She complained about stomach problems." He sat up away from her surprised by that. "I'm shocked that you're actually concerned about Kagome though. Just a few weeks ago you were asking her to go home?" Rin whispered and he gave her a side look but didn't say anything.

"I didn't ask her to go home; anyway I'm only asking because Sesshomaru's leaving early, he spoke to my father. I need to speak to her before she leaves. Its business…" Rin smiled slightly at that turning away from him slightly. Even though she was a bit angry at Kagome she had to admit she wasn't too happy with Inuyasha either, but her plan was working, she'd be leaving with Sesshomaru soon. She leaned towards him getting his attention. Her heart was jumping out of her chest but she was able to sustain it for the most part.

"Are you ready to go…?" She whispered. he looked at her slightly checking the time on his watch. He was ready to leave, but he wasn't sure he wanted to go with anyone. He was a bit upset honestly. He came to the dinner with Kagome and only saw her once. He was sitting at the dinner table with an empty seat to his left which he knew was probably extremely unprofessional looking. Also the fact that she wasn't even leaving with him sort of annoyed him as well. He expected her to come out at any moment to explain face to face why she had been absent for most of the night, but even though his brother was still present she wasn't. The whole thing was just extremely unprofessional and a bit odd, but he carried on like he didn't care, but he wasn't hesitant at all to leave her with no notice. For all he knew she had done the same.

"Yeah…actually after his toast…I'll meat you outside." He said and she just smiled while looking forward. Inutashio was closing up his speech. He put a glass up and everyone at the table followed suit. She quickly grabbed hers, though it was empty and after the remaining toast people began to rise from their seats. A few waiters filled into the room to take drink orders, and it was then did Sesshomaru rise from his seat to say his goodbyes.

Rin was more worried that with the large amount of people leaving the dining hall to wash up for the dinner they'd find Kagome and she'd come too early and ruin everything. She rose from her spot wanting to leave and head outside when Inuyasha pulled her by the arm. She remembered instantly, she couldn't just leave him with no explanation. She was his date, he rose a slight eyebrow up and she just went for her clutch taking out Kagome's cell phone.

"So…" he said as she looked down at the phone. There were no messages, but she could tell that Sesshomaru had read the text she sent. No wonder why he was so hell bent on leaving. "Your leaving with Sesshomaru…I thought you were done with that." He said but Rin just looked away at that.

"I uh…I am….but…don't worry about it." She set the phone down on the table. "This is Kagome's…" Rin said and though Inuyasha was extremely annoyed he did look off to the side at her. He wasn't really upset that Rin was leaving with his brother, he was really angry that Sesshomaru was able to leave the dinner early and managed to steal his date in the process. So basically he had both Kagome and Rin, it all seemed like Sesshomaru's way of trying to one up him.

"Okay so what are you doing with it?" He asked and Rin sighed a bit, he noticed she was still trying to look away so she was definitely hiding something. "Where's Kagome…?

"I can't tell you, but if she doesn't come back in a few minutes go out looking for her."

"What…"

"She's in the bathroom…" she looked up watching Sesshomaru say some good byes at the table to the right. He gave her a slight glance and she looked over to the hall near the bathroom. Kagome hadn't come yet, "I have to go…I told you." She looked over at the cell phone's time, it was almost tweleve. "Happy birthday…I have a gift for you, you'll get it later." She whispered but he was too confused to register anything. She grabbed her clutch and turned to leave through the exit. Luckily for her Inuyasha's parents were too busy talking to potential clients to realize she had gone. A few minutes later Sesshomaru finished his goodbyes and left.

People began settling down and a few waiters and waitresses came out from the back to take individual orders for the dinner. Kagome hadn't come out yet, he thought maybe she had left all together, but Rin had said to go after her. He would, though it made no sense. If she was in the bathroom couldn't she just leave herself?

A waitress came to the table and set menus in front of them. He looked down at his for a moment as his father ordered a bottle of champagne for the table.

"Hey Inuyasha…" he heard his mom call. He looked up. "Where's Rin? Will you be ordering for her?" She asked and he looked up trying to figure out a good excuse. "Oh and how about Kagome, did she leave with Sesshomaru, I haven't seen her?"

"Uh…I don't know…Rin said she wasn't feeling well and um...Kagome..." He hesitated. he was almost certain that Kagome wasn't here. Rin might have stolen her cell phone, but she must have snuck out, something she probably did in order to avoid him. He could sense her nervousness when he was talking to her earlier.

"I'm only asking so we can maybe order for her..." He thought about that for a moment. "Inuyasha...?" she asked again.

"I don't know mom go ahead..."

"Okay so both Sesshomaru and Rin have left..." Inutashio said interrupting him. He seemed confused by that..."leaving you with Kagome...that's a bit odd."

Inuyasha just shrugged then something instantly came to mind he looked down realizing that his suspicion about Rin had finally been proven. She had been planning this, her leaving with Sesshomaru...and then his tux. Why the hell was he wearing a blue lapel, button down, and tie? Rin had went out of her way to buy it so it could match her dress, but she hadn't worn it. Come to think of it, her dress matched Sesshomaru's, and Kagome's….Kagome had been wearing the dress on the sketch. Now he was one hundred percent sure Rin had planned everything. He looked around towards the bathroom and got up.

He grabbed Kagome's cell phone and left towards the hall with no explanation. He didn't know what exactly he'd find, but he was willing to check. He went down the hall stopping when he spotted the restrooms. He hadn't thought it through clearly; there was no way he'd be able to go into the women's bathrooms. He stood near the door though, watching a woman come out and head back towards the banquet hall. His little pause had him thinking everything through, so Rin was behind everything, that didn't surprise him. But where was Kagome? She had said she was in the bathroom, but what would possess her to stay in there. He sighed slightly walking quickly to the left he noticed a woman just blankly staring at him. She was sitting in a small waiting nook off to the left. She looked away when he noticed her.

He wasn't going to say anything about it. He was used to people just staring, but as soon as he looked away an idea popped into his mind. He turned towards her walking into the waiting area. He sat on the sofa chair across from her and leaned forward. She looked around his age, probably the daughter of a potential client. She had dark brown hair held in a low bun, her gown was green and so were her eyes, she seemed extremely shy. He could see her face turning red as soon as he sat down; now he was thinking she was younger, maybe Kagome's age. "Hi…" he said putting a hand out, she looked forward slightly. As soon as she saw the hand she pulled hers out. "My name's Inuyasha…and yours…"

She paused for a moment, extremely surprised, he knew at that moment she'd be putty in his hands. He watched as her lips moved, she was saying something, probably telling her name, but he didn't care he was plotting his next move. "Wow that's a beautiful name, suits you." He said and that blush came back again, yet he had no idea what she had just said. "So what are you doing here, they're about to serve dinner."

He nodded as she began to speak; he listened to a few of her words for a moment. Taking in as little as possible, she seemed to be waiting for her sister who was in the bathroom. "Oh seems like we're both just waiting…my brother's wife is in there. She's been in there for awhile. I came to check on her, but unfortunately I can't get in the bathroom." He paused sitting back. "I'm getting a bit worried; she said she's been feeling ill." He checked his watch for a moment.

It didn't take long for her to connect the dots. "Oh…well I guess…I can go in there, and check for you." She stood up. "I didn't know your brother was married?" He looked up slightly.

"Oh…yeah it just happened recently." He lied. He had to tell her something other than he was searching for a woman his age. she'd just assume Kagome was his date, especially after Rin's clothing alterations. He didn't know how she'd react to that. "Um…her name's Kagome." She nodded and backed up towards the door. "Thank you so much, I really appreciate it." He called out towards her. She just nodded and smiled while tripping slightly and disappearing through the door.

It was a lot of work but he finally got to the bottom of a few things. He felt his phone vibrating in his pocket and he pulled it out. He had a message from Rin. It read: Is Kagome out of the bathroom yet? He narrowed his eyes slightly before messaging her back a quick 'no.' the door to the bathroom opened and both the girl he sent in and another woman came out too. He stood up, but Kagome wasn't anywhere in sight.

"Unfortunately there wasn't anyone by that name in there. Only two other women…" The girl said and he looked away a bit confused.

"Were any of them wearing a dark blue dress?" Both women looked at each other and then turned around shaking their head. He nodded ready to just turn and leave when the woman he didn't know interrupted.

"Maybe she's in another bathroom, I think there's one down the hall from here…and another one in the front."

He paused for a moment "Ok…thanks…" he began walking past them both when one of the women called him back.

"Wait…" she said and he backed up a bit annoyed. "I wouldn't try the one down the hall…I think it's blocked out, someone moved the waiting area in front of the door. It might be out of order; I tried it when this one was full." He let that sink in; he was going to turn back around when he realized fully what that meant.

"Oh shit…" he mumbled. "Thanks…" he said quickly and without warning he took off running down the hall. Both women stared after him a bit confused. His phone vibrated as he ran. He grabbed it pausing to read a message from Rin it read. : GO GET HER! I LOCKED HER IN ONE OF THE BATHROOMS! It just confirmed what he already knew and he hurried through some doors only stopping when he recognized another small waiting area. It had a singular sofa chair, coffee table, and couch it looked completely normal from his angle but when he quickened down the hall he realized that the full size sofa was askew in front of the bathroom. He ran towards it quickly and pushed it to the side. Under it was a normal wooden chair locking the door in. he pulled off the chair moving the door knob slightly.

!

She was hugging herself tightly and pacing the bathroom. Her OCD was at an all time high, she couldn't bring herself to touch anything, but when she heard the door knob move she ran towards the door. "HELLO!" she called out. "IS ANYONE THERE? I'M LOCKED IN THE BATHROOM!"

"Kagome…." As soon as she heard his voice she widened her eyes but quickly began to fix herself. Her hair was a bit disheveled so she pulled it out of its bun letting it fall out. She had cried for awhile so instead of standing near the door she went to face the mirror. She pushed hair out of her face and wiped fiercely at her cheeks. "Kagome… are you okay, I'm coming let me just get this chair." He said and she just nodded, she wouldn't have time to reapply her make up so instead she made sure she had no trace of tears left on her face. She turned away from the mirror and stared forward wanting to find a flattering position, but as soon as the door opened she couldn't help it. It was as if her legs had a mind of its own, she took off running and before he could even react she lodged herself at him. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she hid her head into his chest.

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