Chapter 2: Penny for your thoughts

The entire weekend all I could do was sit in my apartment and think about the conversation that Sesshomaru and I had. I had just lost the only two friends that I had; my family. I wanted to be mad about it, but how could I? I was in the wrong. I wasn't over my best friend's wife, and I was terrible at hiding it. I was the bad guy in all of this. It was a slap in the face to him and all of the years that we'd been friends. It was Monday morning and I had no choice but to return to work, with all of this on my mind. How was I supposed to look him in the face after that? I tried my best to remove every ounce of sulking that was showing on my face, and I was failing. I banged my head against my steering wheel, checking my watch. Five minutes. That is the amount of time I had left to loathe myself. I counted the minutes down to the seconds as they flew by.

"Here we go," I whispered to myself.

I grabbed my briefcase off the seat, got out of my car, and slammed the door shut. I put on my best face and headed inside. I walked over to the turnstile and scanned my badge. It made a loud sound. My badge had been denied. A suit came running over to me. He was practically shaking. He could not even look me in the eye. It was almost as if I was being fired.

"I am so very sorry Mr. Ookami. I was sure that you had received the email that we sent you on Friday, but seeing as you are here this morning. I assume that that is not the case."

"Email?"

I pulled out my phone from my pocket and checked my email. I read the first line and my arm dropped. I didn't need to read the rest of it to know what this was about. I had written enough of them myself.

I clenched my jaw. "So, exactly how long am I taking leave for?"

He cleared his throat. "Mr. Taisho said to take as long as you would like. As long as you need. It is paid leave of course," he said bowing.

I laughed and it came out more bitter than I had meant it to.

"Paid leave. Of course, it is."

I was already feeling shitty and now I could add embarrassment to the list. The entire lobby had stopped to listen. They knew I was being put on paid leave, they just didn't know why. This would spread throughout the entire building by lunch. I guess it was my fault for not checking my email over the weekend. I turned on my heel and walked back out the double doors. I got in my car and slammed the door harder than I did the first time; tossing my briefcase into the backseat. I yanked the hair tie from my head and threw that too. I started my car and angrily drove home. I might have run a red light or two, but who was counting? I parked in the parking lot. It didn't hit me until I had turned off the engine and pulled out the keys. Sitting there in silence like that. It forced me to do nothing but think. It all came rushing in and crashing against me like a wave. My chest heaved. I tried my hardest to calm down but it wasn't working. I buried my face into my hands, and for the first time in a long time. I cried. The sound that left my mouth was inhuman. I wasn't sure how long I had been like that but after, my throat hurt and my eyes were sore from rubbing them. I let out a long sigh and sat up. Nearly jumping out of my skin, when I saw someone leaning against my car door.

"What the hell?" I said banging on the window.

The person turned around and bent over. I groaned, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.

"Oh." She said with a smile. "You are finally finished crying I see."

I grabbed my keys and got out. Making sure that I had rubbed the last of my tears away.

"What are you doing here? Did your son send you to come and spy on me? Has he not done enough already?"

She looked at me strangely. "Sesshomaru? No. I just moved into this apartment building… I finally sold the house."

I sigghed, realizing which house she meant.

My shoulders sank. "Oh… that house."

She nodded. "Yes. That house."

As I said, we did not speak about it. What is understood did not have to be explained.

"You shouldn't be wandering an empty parking lot alone," I said, changing the subject.

She smiled. "I am a strong woman. I can protect myself." She stared at me for a while. I could tell she was holding her questions in. Until she wasn't. "Are you alright? After all of that," she asked.

Her tone wasn't condescending like before. It sounded as though she was genuinely worried.

"I'm fine." I led

"Hn."

She and Sesshomaru were really the same people.

"You're not a very good liar Kouga."

"Yes. So I have been told. It is nice to see that you are using my name."

"Yes. It has a much better ring to it than wolf. Now, why don't you be a dear and carry this for me."

She picked the box up and dropped it in my hands, walking towards the elevator.

I chased after her. "Why can't you carry it yourself? Aren't you a strong woman, who can protect herself?"

She flipped her tresses over her shoulder. "I'm sorry. Every ounce of feminism leaves my body once there is something heavy to be carried. That is one of the few things a man is good for." she joked.

I scoffed. "Are you sure it isn't your old age?" I said under my breath.

She pressed the elevator button and looked over her shoulder. "I am going to pretend I didn't hear that."

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. We both stepped inside and she pressed the button.

I looked at her strangely. "How did you know what floor I lived on?"

She looked at me strangely. "This is the floor that I live on."

"Great. Taisho's everywhere that I go."

she smiled brightly. "We're neighbors. Isn't that nice?"

We rode the elevator silently after that. I looked at her out of the corner of my eye. Did she always look like this? This... expensive? She smelled like perfume that was just as expensive. It reminded me of old money. Everything about her was neat and put together. Not a single hair was out of place. She had a certain air around her. It was arrogant, maybe a bit of arrogance but it was mainly confidence. You could tell that she was the type of woman who could walk into a room and demand attention without a single word. In truth, it was a little intimidating. This was definitely where Sesshomaru gets it from. The elevator dinged and the doors slid open again.

"It is impolite to stare." She said with a smile while getting off.

I followed after her. While trying to hide my embarrassment. I stopped behind her as she unlocked her door. Her apartment was only a few doors down from mine it seemed. She opened the door and stepped inside, turning the light on. Her apartment was just as put together as she was. It would put mine to shame any day. I was afraid to touch anything. I didn't want to ruin anything. Especially anything I could not afford. The floors were light wood, with cream walls. Large ceiling-to-floor windows. She was on the side of the building with the view. The furniture, I could tell was out of my price range. I could see where Sesshomaru got his taste from.

"Here give that to me." She said taking the box with one hand and setting it down on the counter.

I knew she could have carried it herself. She has to be at least three or four times my age.

She unbuttoned her coat, and her cleavage peaked out, and I immediately looked away. The last thing I was going to do was sit here and check out my friend's mother. Even thinking about it felt wrong. Besides, I had already stared at her enough for one night.

I looked up at her. "What am I doing here Kimi?"

She smiled. "So, you do know my name. Lovely, would you like a drink?" she asked.

She set two wine glasses down on the countertop. Before I could refuse, she had already poured wine into the glass and pushed it toward me. She took a sip from her glass, not taking her eyes off me.

"So, penny for your thoughts dear?"