Hello, dear readers! I apologize for this belated update- I just suffered through a rather grueling phase of exams. :c Hopefully, this very long chapter makes up for it! I almost split it into two due to its fantastical length, but decided to just roll with it, lol!
The next chapter will (hopefully) be along in the next few weeks. As usual, thank you for reading and please leave a review commenting on or criticizing my work; I really appreciate it! You're all wonderful for sticking with me and I hope I can continue to have your support in the future. Without further ado; please enjoy!
Rin had to lean back as far as she could to take in the spread before her. Sure, she knew it would be huge and beautiful, but this was fucking ridiculous. Leaning conspiratorially towards a gawking Kagome, Rin whispered, "Holy shhhhiiiiiittttt!" Kagome could only nod. The two women were pushing large carts that rattled with the weight of what they carried; Kagome's cart held trays of muffins, cookies, and other pastries. On Rin's were large coffee carriers filled with a variety of their finest roasts, several flavors of cream, different types of sugar, and chocolate/caramel sauce. The friends were decked out in their finest black skirts and white blouses and wore their hair in matching ringlets- though Rin's curls were already falling loose and back into her signature waves. Kagome's hair always held it's style, but Rin's long wavy hair was constantly rebellious.
While the friends were dressing, Rin had compared herself to Kagome. It was a bad habit of hers to compare herself to every other woman to find what she was lacking. Kagome was tall and built like a model with narrow shoulders, a long torso, and shapely hips- she looked great in everything, especially the in the mid-thigh pencil skirt and white chiffon scallop blouse she had worn that day. In comparison, Rin found herself to be fat and drab; she was shorter and built rather thick; she had wider hips and a shorter torso with breasts that looked small in comparison to her big butt. Where Kagome's thighs were shapely and slim, Rin's were thicker. Rin's only redeeming factors, she felt, were her small waist and lack of cellulite. Rin had chosen to wear a black midi pencil skirt and (at Kagome's insistence) an off the shoulder white silk blouse that had belonged to her mother. She had excused herself to the restroom when she first saw herself standing next to Kagome in the mirror. She then spent the next hour sobbing over how ugly she found herself.
Rin had suffered from confidence issues ever since she could remember; she was top of her class grades-wise in high school but at the bottom socially- she wore t-shirts, big jackets, and jeans that didn't fit her waist quite right but fit her butt too tightly. She had grown up poor and it showed in her wardrobe. She went to prom in her mother's old prom dress with Kagome (who had refused her own boyfriend to go with Rin) as her date and was ridiculed for it. She was certain she would spend her life without a single romantic encounter...but then Kagome introduced her to Kohaku.
She had been blown away by Kohaku at first- he was tall, broad-shouldered, handsome and so kind. They were fast friends and Rin found that she loved the way Kohaku seemed to be able to see past her faults and accept her as the funny, talented, smart girl that she was. It was the first time she had felt like she had a chance with a great guy. Kohaku, in fact, had all of Rin's firsts- her first romantic hand-holding experience, her first kiss, her first time in bed...Kohaku's presence had boosted her confidence from where it had been in high school, but there were times she still felt inferior to the gorgeous women around her. Still, Rin was unbelievably strong and she had forced herself to get over it earlier that day and marched out to meet Kagome and head over to Taisho Towers.
"I can't believe we're actually going in." Kagome marveled as the two friends strolled down the sidewalk and closer to the hotel center. The bus had dropped them off about a block from the hotel and after struggling off with their huge carts and in their platform heels, it had hit them immediately that they did not belong. Cars worth more than Rin's life were parked up and down the street, glistening in the sunlight. People walked with their heads held high and in clothing Rin could only ever dream of owning. And once the women were in sight of the hotel, they had gasped like they were looking at the eighth wonder of the world. The front of the hotel itself took up several blocks and was larger than life. Impossibly tall and imposing with a distinctly modern feel despite the traditional Greek architecture created an artistic and regal ambiance. Offsetting the distinguished theme was a fun, bubbling fountain reminiscent of the Trevi Fountain in the center of the plaza that cars drove around to be valeted. Gardens with multicolored flowers bloomed in panels and contrasted nicely with the well-kept, pristine green lawns. Modern pastel and cool hues made up the main building with corinthian columns adding a touch of tradition. The back opened to private villas that could be rented and a large play area with a pool, bar, sunbathing area, and festive palm trees. The whole thing sat on a private beach...and that was only what Rin could see as she and Kagome approached.
"It feels like a dream, Kags," Rin whispered, smiling at a valet who dipped his head to her. "Is any of this real? Punch me to make sure I'm not sleeping." Kagome had just lifted her fist when they were approached by a rather frenzied looking little man in an emerald colored suit. He dabbed frantically at his misting forehead and looked disapprovingly up at Rin and Kagome.
"Excuse me," he squawked, sounding remarkably like a disgruntled duck. Kagome coughed softly to cover up her laugh while Rin violently bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. "Who are you? Do you have a reservation?"
"Oh, uh, actually...we..." Rin flipped the breaks on her cart and quickly dug her phone out of her purse. Pulling up the affirmation email Sesshomaru's events assistant had sent her, Rin handed the cellular device to the man. "...are here to cater the board meeting." She beamed proudly and gave an excited little bounce. She shot a nervous glance at Kagome when the man scowled furiously at the phone.
"This wasn't anything I was informed about. Sango never tells me anything, that insolent girl," He muttered not-so-discreetly. The name 'Sango' struck Rin as familiar but before she could ask, the man in the green suit was impatiently beckoning two hotel employees forward to help the women with their carts. "Follow me. The meeting is to start in an hour. I am the manager, you may call me Mr. Jaken. Your...supplies will be taken to the appropriate floor. You'll be given temporary visitors' IDs. Don't cause me any trouble, I have enough on my plate right now what with-with-with-the-" Jaken had been about to spill a crucial piece of information; the fact that Taisho Katashi had passed away and the turnover of power to Taisho Sesshomaru was causing a real strain on him and his employees. In fact, Sesshomaru had been adamant about keeping the elder Taisho's death under wraps, for now, to keep the hotel from losing business. Kagome and Rin glanced at one another curiously, but Jaken simply cleared his throat, thanked the heavens for controlling his tongue, and continued on. "I am a very busy and important person and I refuse to be inconvenienced." The trio came to a halt at the front desk and temp IDs were promptly distributed.
"The meeting is in Mr. Taisho's office," Jaken sniffed importantly. "It's the 50th floor, just click the button marked 'office'; the office secretary will show you in." The women nodded in tandem and received one last disapproving glare from Jaken before they rolled their carts into the spacious elevator. A heartbeat of silence after the doors had closed, Kagome and Rin erupted in laughter. Rin clutched a stitch at her side and wheezed loudly as she tried to catch her breath while Kagome half-cried with delirious laughter.
"He sounds like a parrot when he talks!" Kagome gasped between peals of laughter.
"And what's with his hair?! He's got like four really long hairs and he has them gelled meticulously to his bald head." Rin said, dabbing at her eyes carefully with the backs of her hands while Kagome continued to die of laughter. Finally managing to compose themselves, the women shot each other stupid grins and leaned back against the elevator wall. Rin watched the numbers slowly climb as they neared their destination, the elegant elevator music putting her at ease.
"Oh!" Rin snapped her fingers at the sudden remembrance. "Does the name Sango ring a bell?"
Kagome's jaw dropped and she stood straight up. Just as she had opened her mouth to speak, the elevator dinged into the fiftieth floor and Kagome shot Rin an excited look before rolling her cart out into the hall. At the end of the gracefully decorated hall was a large oak desk, behind which sat a pretty woman who looked up as Kagome and Rin exited the elevator. The effect was instantaneous; both Kagome and the woman behind the desk gave various sounds of excitement before hurtling towards one another like an asteroid towards the Earth. They hugged passionately; both in a half-crying, half-laughing state while Rin watched, completely dumbfounded.
"Oh my god, it's been ages!" Kagome gasped, shaking the woman by her shoulders. "And why the fuck didn't you tell me you work at Taisho Towers!"
The woman responded with a lopsided grin, "I'm sorry! You changed your number and I just haven't had the time to drop by your house!"
Kagome wrinkled her nose, "Why not just ask Kohaku for my number?" At the mention of her boyfriend, Rin perked up and looked between Kagome and the other woman. Upon closer inspection, she appeared to be Sesshomaru's office secretary. Rin realized that she looked very much like her Kohaku- the secretary's eyes had the same sparkle her boyfriend's did and their smile was identical. A theory was forming in Rin's mind, but she dare not speak up till it was confirmed.
The woman rolled her eyes and sighed, "That little asshole never returns my calls. Brothers! Am I right? I swear, they can act like such babies, even when they're full grown!" Ding, ding, ding! Rin's hypothesis had been proven correct. Rin recalled Kohaku talking about his older sister and she remembered Kagome saying she knew Kohaku because he was the younger brother of her very good friend.
"Oh my god, I totally forgot to introduce you to someone very special." Kagome gushed, shooting Rin a wink. "Sango, darling, meet Rin- your brother's girlfriend but ultimately my wife." Kagome laughed and nodded towards a starstruck Rin who was currently realizing that Kohaku's beauty obviously ran in the family.
"Hi," Rin whispered shyly. "I'm so gl-" Before she could finish, Rin felt herself be engulfed in a bone-crushing hug. Gasping like a fish out of water, she hugged back to the best of her abilities before Sango released her and gave an excited squeal.
"Kohaku has been hiding you!" She rolled her eyes and squished Rin's cheek affectionately. "But Kagome has told me how incredible you are. It's so good to finally meet you, honey." Rin beamed, thrilled that she seemed to make a good impression on someone her boyfriend held dear. But something in the back of her mind nagged at her...why had Kohaku been so adamant about hiding his family from Rin? In fact, Rin could not recall him ever talking in detail about his parents or his sister...in addition, they had known each other for four years and had been dating for two, but Kohaku had never invited her to a holiday dinner or a family event or anything. In fact, Rin was barely on an acquaintance basis with Kohaku's parents and rarely had had a chance to speak with them properly. Furthermore, Kohaku never talked about his life before he had met Rin. Suddenly, Rin was plagued with a terrifying thought- what if Kohaku was hiding something from her?
Before she could spiral on that note, Sango was ushering both women through large cherrywood doors that opened on a spacious, if a little clinical, office. A long, blackwood table with matching chairs acted as a centerpiece and sunlight filtered in through the wide, floor to ceiling windows.
"Wow," Rin breathed. She felt herself drift towards the windows, as if in some sort of trance. The view was extraordinary. The ocean spread out before her in a wide expanse of blue, beautiful and dangerous all the same. The sight was overwhelming, to say the least. "This is incredible."
Sango sighed dreamily, "Yes. Mr. Taisho loves the view- he requested this office specifically because it has the best view, you know." Rin's heart gave an odd jump at the mention of the tall, model-like occupant of this office. She had almost forgotten about him. Rin had to admit that she'd never seen such a beautiful man before; she was fully devoted to Kohaku, but finding Sesshomaru attractive was like finding a celebrity attractive- he was completely out of her reach, so it was okay to admire.
The three women stood, enamored with the view for a few heartbeats before Kagome broke the silence by clearing her throat, "So, where do we set up?" Rin tore her eyes away from the windows to watch as Sango pointed out a corner of the room that Rin and Kagome could call their own for the next two to three hours.
"After you're done taking everyone's coffee order and serving them, please leave the room," Sango said with a small sigh. "Only I'll be allowed in." When Kagome and Rin both gave Sango questioning looks she shrugged. "They discuss a lot of confidential stuff sooo…." Kagome and Rin both made sounds of understanding and set about unpacking their equipment.
Sesshomaru and Miroku stood in awkward silence, both men slightly disgruntled but for two completely different reasons. Now, Sesshomaru's tension came from the fact that he was about to have a very crucial meeting with a room full of exceedingly difficult people. Though, outwardly, Sesshomaru was as stony as ever- as if he were a statue carved from marble. Miroku's anxiety came from the fact that he had convinced himself to propose to his long-time girlfriend, Sango, tonight. Unlike Sesshomaru, Miroku's nervousness was apparent. He kept anxiously touching the little velvet box in his pocket and his eyes were shifty. Rather than two people in the elevator, it felt as if there were three; Sesshomaru, Miroku, and their tensions combined.
As the elevator dinged into the fiftieth floor, Sesshomaru broke the silence which made Miroku jump in fright, "Good luck tonight." Sighing at his own tension, Miroku murmured back a quiet 'thank you' before both men exited the elevator and made wide strides towards Sesshomaru's office.
Sango greeted them curtly and ushered the men in, letting them know that the catering had arrived. Sesshomaru had entirely forgotten that he had personally requested the catering so when the first thing he saw when he entered were two familiar-ish women, he was a bit shocked.
Especially when the shorter of the two approached him with a bit of bounce in her step and stuck her hand out in a friendly manner, "Hello again! I'm Takahashi Rin and my partner, Higurashi Kagome, and we will be catering this meeting." Sesshomaru was slightly taken aback by her forwardness. It wasn't normal for the catering to introduce themselves directly to him. Nevertheless, he took her hand with a little scoff and gave it a firm shake before turning dismissively away from her to address Miroku, who handed him a fat folder. Rin was more than a little insulted by his dismissal but stepped back to her original position with a shared scowl between herself and Kagome.
"When is the board to arrive?" Sesshomaru inquired, opening the folder and scanning the contents of the first page.
"Mr. Jaken said they are on their way up." Sango answered. She had entered and stood formally next to the large double doors, all her playfulness from before replaced with a cool mask of professionalism. Rin was quite impressed by all this; she was always herself, she did not have a different face that she showed...then again, she wasn't avidly involved in the business world like these people were.
"Excellent, please allow them in." Sango bowed her head briefly before leaving the office once again. The two men stood in silence as Sesshomaru flipped through the folder with a deft hand. Kagome and Rin shared a secretive glance, both a bit intimidated by the atmosphere. It was difficult to remain stony in the current situation- for one, they were in the most expensive room of one of the most expensive hotels in the world; for two, there was an exceedingly beautiful man in the room with them who kept distracting Rin's attention; and for three, Kagome and Rin were preparing to serve a lot of very important people. Giddy with excitement, Rin gave an almost compulsory bounce to relieve some of her stress.
Sango's return prompted an immediate reaction from both Sesshomaru and Miroku; the file was immediately pushed over into Miroku's hands, who then took a step backward, and Sesshomaru squared his shoulders and straightened to his full (and well over six feet, Rin noticed) height. Sango and Sesshomaru shared silent communication before she promptly threw open the cherrywood doors open further and stepped aside with a dainty bow.
"May I present? Chairman of the Board Iori Bankotsu, Vice-Chair Honda Jakotsu, and the esteemed Board of Directors." Sango announced, her head inclined in a small bow and her hand extended as a group of seven incredibly odd gentlemen entered the room. The leader of the band wore a stark white suit and his right-hand man wore a powder lavender suit- both of the same style. The board was greeted by Sesshomaru with bowed heads and courteous handshakes.
The man in the white suit, who Rin assumed must be Chairman Iori Bankotsu, seated himself in an assertive man directly at the head of the table and flashed Sesshomaru a rather despicable grin, "Let's start with the pretend necessities, Sesshomaru; I quite enjoy this caring facade you put on every time we have a meeting- frankly, it's endearing." He spoke with a leer and in a fashion that suggested he did not respect Sesshomaru in the least.
In response, Sesshomaru's jaw had tensed to the point where a muscle faintly pulsed in his cheek. Sounding already fed up and with a distinguished undertone of unadulterated disgust, he replied, "Let's."
Well, that's a lot to take in! I know we haven't really hit the big plot point just yet, but this is all very pertinent in setting the scene for that big event. It's coming soon, I promise!
Guest:
You're perfect too, ahaha! Thank you, I'm glad you enjoy it. uvu