Chapter 3

Kaoru exited the subway station steps and glanced at her watch. It was 7:44pm. She walked to the corner light and looked around. Les Alles was only a block away. Even if she were a bit early, she figured she might as well walk in.

She reached the entrance and walked in past the double doors to approach the reception stand. Kaoru noticed that the brasserie was very full. The din created by the various voices and the music filled the room with a vibrant energy, which made Kaoru smile in appreciation. She was enjoying the vibe of Les Alles immensely. It was energetic, hip without being pretentious, and the main attraction was the food - not any kind of gimmick such as modern architecture or a club-like atmosphere. I could get used to this place, for sure.

Tsubame looked up from the podium and gave Kaoru a wide smile.

"Kamiya-san, welcome! Your table is being cleared now."

"Hi Tsubame-chan! Oh, don't worry. I'll head over to the bar to have a drink. Please take your time, ok?"

"Hai! I will come get you when it's ready then."

Kaoru smiled at the young hostess and walked through the crowds towards the bar area. It was so crowded, she couldn't see the bar table but kept her focus on the topshelf of liquor bottles. She then saw a mess of brown hair that stood on end which moved along from side to side. She continued to the front so she could order her drink and then saw a very handsome face give her a devilishly charming grin.

"Joujan, you decided to take the job!" The tall young name gave her a bright smile with his chocolate brown eyes crinkling with genuine warmth. He extended his hand and introduced himself, "I'm Sagara Sanosuke, but you can call me Sano. Everyone does." He winked.

"Hi, I'm Kaoru. Nice to meet you." Kaoru took his hand and gave him a hearty shake. She despised giving anyone, male or female, a limp handshake. She never understood why women couldn't offer a firm hand, as if that would undermine their femininity. But then again, Kaoru never worried about being feminine. She always wanted to be strong in both mind and body. Having grown up on her own, she could only rely on her own strength.

Sano looked at her and opened his eyes with mild surprise at her grip. "Nice!" he replied.

"Well, I do teach kendo during my time off and to release the stress. I'm the assistant master of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu with is my family's style." She gave him a mock air of feigned haughtiness but still felt a lot of pride in her family's kenjutsu. Sano acknowledged this bravado in the tiny woman before him, and he began to have an enormous respect for her that he normally didn't acknowledge it other women he had met.

"Joujan, based on your handshake, I'd say you're a great instructor. You'll have to show me your style sometime." Kaoru blushed slightly at the compliment and looked away before responding, "Um... thank you."

A voice cut through their moment, "OY, SANO! Where's my sake!" Sano looked over at this friend and stared with malevolence into the man's green eyes. "Katsu, you wait until I've served this lady and you'll get your drink when I'm good and ready to give it to you!"

Katsu gave a fake annoyed response before he looked over from the crowded bar to give Kaoru a wink. "Fine, fine! Next time you want to borrow my money, I'll remember this, Sano." He waved in a friendly manner and disappeared from Kaoru's view as other bodies pressed to the bar to get Sano's attention next.

"Thanks, Sano. Um, I'll let you get back to work."

Sano reached for her hand and held her back for a second. "Hey, I haven't gotten your drink order yet. What can I do ya for?"

"Oh," she replied, "Um, I'll have a champagne cocktail, please."

"Coming right up, jouchan!" Sano gave her a bright white smile and turned back to handle the rest of his customers.

Kaoru turned her back to the young bartender so as not to keep looking at him. She found him very handsome and charming, but perhaps too charming. She figured him for a bit of a player and quite the ladies man, but she already felt like she could trust him and that he'd look out for her. So far, she liked Tsubame and Sano, so starting at this new place felt a little more bearable.

After a few more minutes, Tsubame walked up to Kaoru with a menu in hand to lead her to her table. Kaoru was about to respond by saying she hadn't received her drink yet when Sano spoke out directly, "Don't worry, I'll make sure Tsubame gets your drink over to you in one second."

Kaoru turned to give him a smile. "Thanks, Sano. You're the best." He winked back at her. "I know!"

Kaoru giggled, as did the young hostess, and she followed Tsubame to her table. She noticed the young girl had picked a lovely spot in the middle of the place. This would give Kaoru a broad spectrum to view the diners and see how the wait staff managed the patrons as well as watching the bartender's activities and the front. Just as she sat down, a figure in a dark grey suit walked up to stand in front of her. She looked up to see a handsome young man with a very sweet smile on his face.

"Kamiya-san, welcome to Les Alles. My name is Seta Soujiro and I am the manager here." Soujiro gave her a warm handshake and a slight bow. Kaoru was so surprised by his formality but also the fact that he was the brasserie's manager at such a young age!

"It's very nice to meet you," she replied warmly.

"Ah, I can see in Kamiya-san's eyes that you wonder how I could be the manager, no?" Soujiro's grin was playful. "I've been with Shishio-sama for a very long time. I've worked for him since he started running a bar and worked his way up to managing various establishments and then to owning Les Alles."

Kaoru felt a bit flustered. "Oh, I wasn't trying to imply that you couldn't do a good job-."

Soujiro cut in to say, "It's fine. Everyone always wonder how I could be the manager here. Once they realize I truly understand Shishio-sama's wishes and intentions, there are no issues or confusions. He clasped his hand in front and smiled widely. "I look forward to working with you, Kamiya-san. Please enjoy your dinner and I will check on you later." He gave her a small wave and a smile before walking away.

"Good-bye," Kaoru said as she smiled watching Soujiro's retreating back. She found the young man to be charming and could easily see how he'd manage everyone very well. Though she wondered if his age did impede him from dealing with hostile patrons, her kendo instructor's instincts gave her the impression that Soujiro wasn't the kind of person to be taken lightly.

Her thoughts were interrupted as one of the busboys brought over her cocktail. She made polite introductions and decided to just take in the ambience surrounding her. Kaour picked up the menu to decide on her dinner selections and to see what she could prepare for desserts tomorrow that could complement the French fare as presented by Chef Saitou.

The thought of dealing with Saitou made Kaoru frown for a second, but as she glossed over the array of starter and entree options, her eyes started to gleam in hungry anticipation. Hmm, if everything tastes as good as it sounds, this might be a fantastic evening.

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