Day Six - Romanced
Prompt: Florals, deep, poetry, sentimentalities
Setting: Modern AU (Continues Day Two - Instinct)
918 words
Kagome was huddling in her cluttered office, playing catch-up with paperwork, when Sango appeared in the doorway.
She was holding a bouquet of beautiful flowers and grinning from ear to ear.
Without any preamble, Sango lifted up a card and proceeded to read out loud in an overly dramatic tone:
"'Lying all alone, through the hours of the night, till the daylight comes; can you realize at all the emptiness of that night?'"
Kagome raised her eyebrow. "Cute. Are we reciting classical poems now? Should I go with the Ogura Hyakunin isshu, too, or pick something from another collection?"
Sango shrugged. "Recite anything you want if you feel like it. I'm simply delighting in this obvious proof that romance isn't dead. A man knows his business when he's sending both flowers and poetry."
"That is a lot of class from Miroku," Kagome admitted, turning back to her scattered piles of paper. "You're a lucky woman, Sango."
"Oh, but I really am not."
"Uhhuh." Kagome nodded absently and when the words registered at last, looked at Sango with a frown. "Why wouldn't you be?"
"Because the flowers and the poem are for you," Sango said and wiggled her eyebrows.
"Ehhh?" Kagome gaped at her friend and colleague. "Are you sure?"
"See for yourself."
Sango crossed the room and passed over the bouquet and the card.
Kagome studied the meticulous handwriting. There it was, black on white, above the poem: To Kagome.
And at the bottom, one more line: I hope we might see each other again. Yours, Nishiwaki Sesshoumaru.
Feeling a tad overwhelmed and positively giddy, Kagome buried her nose in the bright blooms and inhaled the soft mix floral scents.
She'd never got flowers before – unless those medicinal herbs her high school classmate Houjou-kun counted.
Of course, Sango couldn't let it be.
"So, who is this Nishiwaki Sesshoumaru and why is he sending you flowers?"
Kagome gazed down at the bouquet. "He's a guy I shared a table with when I went to get lunch on Tuesday. He handed me his business card so it was only polite to give him mine in return."
"I see. And was he a handsome guy?" Sango asked.
"Well, yes." Kagome blushed. "Very."
"Then you need to dig up that business card and give him a call."
"I suppose," Kagome answered vaguely. "If I can survive this mountain of paperwork."
"Good point. I'll leave you to it and go back to planning that weaponry exhibition. Promise to keep me in the loop about Mr Flowers & Poetry, I want details!"
Kagome shook her head, but smiled. "I promise. See you later"
Sango waved and left.
Kagome sat there a moment longer, smiling down at her flowers before she returned to her documents with a sigh.
The business card trembled in her nervous fingers. Kagome took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. After checking the number matched the one on the card one final time, she swallowed and pressed the call button.
Hearing the dial-tone sent the butterflies skittering in Kagome's stomach and when he actually answered, his deep voice flowing through the phone line, her heart jumped into her throat.
"Nishiwaki Sesshoumaru."
"Nishiwaki-san, hi. It's Kagome. Higurashi Kagome, I mean," Kagome said, hoping she didn't sound as breathless and foolish as she felt.
"Higurashi-san," he said, his voice instantly warm. "I'm glad you called."
"Um, thank you for the flowers. They're beautiful. As was the poem."
"The pleasure's all mine," he assured her. "And I'm glad you liked the poem, I figured as you worked at a museum, you would appreciate something traditional."
"That was very thoughtful of you. The poem was lovely, thank you."
"You're welcome." He was silent for a short moment, then ventured: "I mean what I wrote on the card. I really hope to see you again. May I?"
Kagome could feel her cheeks heating up with the rising blush. "Yes. I'd like that."
"Perfect," he replied, his voice near a purr. "How about dinner tomorrow night? If you're free?"
"Sure. That sounds good," Kagome told him, as the butterflies erupted anew.
The man certainly didn't waste any time, did he?
But then, it wasn't like Kagome minded.
"Excellent. What type of food do you prefer? Japanese, Italian, French? Chinese?"
"Japanese food is fine," she replied, glad that he was taking her preferences into account.
"Japanese it will be, then. I'll make reservations and get back to you with the details."
"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow, then."
"Looking forward to it," he said. "Bye for now."
"Bye."
Kagome hung up and pressed her hand to her chest.
That had gone better than she could've hoped for.
Nishiwaki-san had been thoughtful and made no effort to hide his interest in her.
He'd already surprised her with the poem and the flowers – she'd assumed he believed such sentimentalities silly because although Nishiwaki-san had been the soul of courtesy during the lunch there was this… air around him.
Aura, maybe?
Something, in any case, that Kagome couldn't quite put her finger on, but which made Nishiwaki-san appear intimidating.
She was glad he had proven her assumptions wrong and shown he wasn't averse to romantic gestures.
Glancing back at the phone, Kagome's thoughts turned to her date tomorrow.
She would have to call Sango; she'd want an update on this new development and Kagome needed wardrobe advice.
Anticipation tingling in her gut, her lips stretched into a smile that seemed to be there to stay, Kagome called her friend.
