A Game of Love
Chapter Three: A Man of Honor
"Let's get this over with," Sesshoumaru muttered to himself as he sat down across from Kagome at precisely seven o'clock the next night. The café hadn't been a bad choice for a casual meeting, but Sesshoumaru would be lying if he said he wasn't still feeling sore about having lost the basketball game.
And really, what did she think was going to come out of this dinner she had practically forced upon him? She simply wasn't his type. But… was she even interested in him or was she just hell bent on making his life a living hell for another day? Regardless, she was not the type of woman he would ever be interested in.
The mysterious Miss G, on the other hand, held all of his interest. Yet, he still hadn't heard from her. How long had it been now? More than a week, Sesshoumaru confirmed as he did a quick calculation in his head.
As much as he wanted to; however, he couldn't be thinking about her at the moment. As much as he disliked the thought of having to spend more time with his half-brother's best friend, he was still an honorable man and he had, surprisingly, lost the bet, which meant he had an obligation to fulfill. As a man of honor, he would follow through with this dinner, even if it bored him to the brink of insanity.
He turned his attention to the woman that was quietly surveying the café's small menu and suppressed a deep sigh.
"I can tell you don't really want to be here," Kagome said suddenly, never taking her eyes off the menu, "if you want, you're free to leave."
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at her skeptically. "What are the consequences?"
"Does everything you do have to come with a consequence?" Kagome asked, lifting her head up to meet his hard gaze, eyebrow raised in question. "I'm giving you a free ticket out of here. Do you want it or not?"
"Why?"
"I'd rather eat alone than with a sulking man who won't even make an attempt at having a conversation," she replied matter-of-factly.
"Do you make it a habit of attempting to scare away all your dates with your overconfidence?" Sesshoumaru asked, his lips revealing the smallest hint of an impressed smirk.
"Who said this was a date?" Kagome fired back, relaxing in her seat with a small smile.
A moment of silence ensued as Sesshoumaru quickly recalled her words from the night before. "If I win, you'll agree to have dinner with me tomorrow night."
"Touché," Sesshoumaru finally said with a nod of defeat before picking up the menu. "Have you decided on what you're having?"
"Yes, I'm going to have the tuna specialty bento, iced green tea latte, and a slice of their strawberry shortcake," Kagome replied distractedly, her eyes still scanning the menu as she practically drooled over the delicious pictures of an assortment of beautiful pastries, coffee beverages, and bento boxes. "How about you?"
When Sesshoumaru failed to respond, she looked up from her sheet of paper with a scowl, prepared to go off on a rampage about how rude he was being when she noticed the dumbfounded expression on his face.
"What?"
"You… are going to eat all of that?" Sesshoumaru asked, so awed by her appetite that he had almost stuttered his words.
"Is there a problem?" Kagome questioned, "I'm not asking you to foot the bill, you know."
"What about a salad?"
"What are you insinuating here, Sesshoumaru?" Kagome snapped, glowering at him. "Are you calling me fat?"
"Not at all," Sesshoumaru responded quickly. "Most, if not all, of the women I have met eat nothing but salads."
"I don't know what kind of overly self-conscious women you've been hanging around, but I'm not like them. I do enjoy the occasional salad, but I'd go crazy if that was all I ate," Kagome explained with a quick shake of her head. "Now, go and put our order in."
Still a bit shocked, Sesshoumaru wordlessly and obediently strolled to the register counter and put their order in before returning with a number.
When their food arrived, he thought there was no way Kagome could finish everything she had ordered. To his dismay, she had actually eaten every last bite and was currently in the process of licking her fork clean.
In between their eating and their comfortable silence, the minimal amount of conversation they had were light and engaging. Kagome shared past stories and jokes and revealed a little bit about herself on a more personal level while Sesshoumaru mostly nodded, only commenting and responding when the opportunity presented itself.
And from the past three hours alone, Sesshoumaru quickly came to realize three very important things:
1. Kagome was not your typical women. She was in a division of women all by herself. She was eccentric and self confident to the point where she could be just a bit scary and intimidating - not that Sesshoumaru was at all intimidated by her. Just shocked, mostly, that a women like her actually existed in the world.
2. Kagome was real. Her laughs, her shining eyes as she told a humorous story, and her genuine love for life was apparent. There was no acting involved whatsoever and everything she does is with the best intentions in mind.
And the most startling revelation of all;
3. Sesshoumaru did not want the night to end. He found himself enjoying the time he was spending with her, more than he ever thought possible. He didn't know what was going on, but somehow, Kagome had managed to get under his skin.
"Well, I am stuffed," Kagome exclaimed as she finally set down her silverware.
The only response Sesshoumaru gave was to cover an indignant snort of disbelief.
"Let's go get some ice cream," she suggested suddenly and Sesshoumaru nearly fell out of his chair.
"Excuse me?"
"Just kidding," Kagome said with a loud laugh. "I just wanted to see your reaction."
"Hn."
"Well, let me go pay and then we can go," she continued as she grabbed her purse and began walking to the counter.
"The bill has already been paid," Sesshoumaru told her smugly before walking out of the cafe.
"I wasn't expecting you to pay," Kagome exclaimed as she rushed out after him. She pulled on his sleeve from behind and he stopped to turn and face her, eyes flashing from the reflection of the street lights.
"I was aware of that."
"Well… thank you then." Kagome said sincerely. "I had a good time with you. Good night, Sesshoumaru."
Silently, he watched her make her way to her car before driving off with a wave of her hand as she passed him. Only then, did he quietly respond, "Good night… Kagome."
With a sigh, he slowly drove home, his thoughts occupied by the many surprises he had faced at dinner with Kagome. He exited his vehicle after pulling to a stop in his driveway and fumbled with his keys to find the right one while walking up the porch.
When he looked up, his breath caught in his throat. There was a letter jammed in between the door and its frame. A very familiar looking letter. A response letter from Miss G. Finally.
Ripping the envelope open in one movement once he stepped into his home, Sesshoumaru quickly pulled out the letter within.
Dearest Sesshoumaru,
What would be the point of revealing myself to you? Would it change anything? Have I struck your fancy with my letter?
Things are much more complicated than that, I fear. I apologize, love, but I can not reveal my identity to you. It would change too much and I am not prepared for those changes. It had never been my intention for you to know who I am, only for you to know that I exist. That had been enough for me.
Do not ask for more, Sesshoumaru, because I will turn into a greedy woman. I will want more and more of you and I know that will never happen. You could never love someone like me.
Yours,
G
Frustration coursed through Sesshoumaru's body as he crumpled the envelope into a ball with his clenched fist. Why was she so stubborn? Why wouldn't she just reveal herself to him?
Quickly, he wrote his response on a piece of paper he had roughly pulled out of his drawer.
You claim we do not suit each other and thus, you refuse to reveal yourself to me. What if you are wrong? Tell me, Miss G, are you a salad or bento box type of woman? Your answer will determine our compatibility.
Her response came the next day.
Dearest Sesshoumaru,
Does my answer truly matter? No matter which I choose, you will tell me that we are compatible because your desire to know my identity will drive you to do whatever you can to convince me to reveal myself. You can't fool me that easily.
Yours,
G
Running his claws through his silver tresses in frustration, Sesshoumaru penned his reply.
Since you saw through my plan, then let's make things simple. Reveal yourself. I want to know who you are.
Her next letter was simple and one-worded.
No.
Sesshoumaru sent a vase crashing into the wall as that one word echoed on repeat in his mind. He had never been so frustrated before and this Miss G character was not making it easy for him. He had thought that Kagome had been trying to create hell for him, but in the end, it was this secret admirer that was causing him to lose his mind.
Speaking of Kagome though, he would not deny that he had thought of her often since their dinner, but he had not been in contact with her since. He needed a way to de-stress himself and Kagome had a unique way of calming him with simply her presence. She was enjoyable company and he suddenly had an overwhelming urge to spend time with her.
Picking up his phone, he quickly scrolled through his contacts and pushed the call button. He counted four rings before she answered.
"Hello?"
"Kagome," he stated plainly.
"Sesshoumaru," she responded breezily.
"Would you like to go on a date with me tonight?"
Author's Note: Forgive me. It's been almost six months since my last update. Part of it was because I had been struggling with the dinner scene and the other, larger, part, was family issue related. I sincerely apologize, but I am slowly trying to get back on track. My other stories will be updated ASAP but for now, please enjoy my latest installment and thank you for being patient with me.