DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha.
(}-} FORGOTTEN MEMORIES {-{)
3
"You're what?" Kagome asked him breathlessly as she moved nearer to his desk. "Why? What happened to Mr. Kato?"
Frowning, Inuyasha sat back down, motioning for her to sit as well. "Well, I don't know how to put this delicately so, I'll just come out and say it. Mr. Kato was killed in a tragic car accident last night…I'm his replacement."
Kagome's eyes grew wide at the news. "Oh my…I…don't know what to say." She couldn't help but feel a little guilty that she wasn't too upset over his death. 'You're the one who wanted him to die.' her mind chastised. She shook her head in disagreement and met Inuyasha's stare. As she overlooked his handsome, serene appearance, Kagome oddly realized that she couldn't bring herself to be untruthful with him. "I'm…well, Mr. Kato and I didn't get along very well. I'd be lying if I said I was heartbroken over this."
Inuyasha didn't frown or even shake his head at her admission. "Yes, well, that seems to be the whole office's reaction when I informed them earlier."
"Oh?" Kagome breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn't judged her.
He smiled and said, "Apparently, no one liked him very much."
Kagome couldn't help but sport a grin. "He was a horrible man. Always criticizing and pointing out flaws. He didn't even get me a Christmas present last year! Yet I bought him an expensive bottle of wine…" Her eyes flashed with anger at the memory of that day. Mr. Kato hadn't gotten her gift, but he'd take the wine gladly, downing the whole bottle at the office Christmas party. And when he'd made his advances on her and most of the women at the party that evening, Kagome couldn't help but scold herself for turning him into an even bigger monster.
Inuyasha replied kindly, "I would've gotten you a gift."
She smiled at his generosity. "You seem like such a nice man, Mr. Taisho. I would be honored to be beneath you..." Kagome's face burned as she realized how awful that sounded. "I mean, I want to be under you…no, no… I mean working under you!" Her cheeks were as red as a tomato as she observed Inuyasha's wide smile. She wanted to cover her face but she realized it would make her humiliation even more obvious.
He laughed to himself and said, "It will be a pleasure to work with you, Kagome."
Still embarrassed by her poor choice of words, Kagome stood suddenly. "Well, Sir, I can make you a fresh cup of coffee if you'd like-or I can get you the newspaper or something…"
Still smiling he said, "Please, sit down, Ms. Higarashi."
When she rejoined him at his desk, he turned to his computer, typing swiftly on the keyboard. As he skimmed the monitor, Kagome's eyes were glued to face, tracing the angles and curves that formed his features. While she stared at him, Kagome found that she was slightly mesmerized by his good-looks and she wondered if it was going to be a problem to work around him everyday. But when his gorgeous hazel eyes landed on her, she knew she wouldn't be able to stay away.
"Kagome, it says here that you've worked for this company as a secretary for some time, never once receiving a raise or a promotion?"
She nodded politely. "Yes, I've been a secretary here for three years, going on four."
Inuyasha drummed his fingers on the desk as he pondered her answer. "Mhm…Well, have you ever considered moving up with Oshimoto?"
Kagome was unsure of how to answer his question. If she said no, she didn't want to seem lazy and uninterested. But if she said yes, she didn't want Inuyasha to think she wasn't happy where she was at. The last thing she wanted him to do was reassign her to someone else. "Well, I guess I never really thought about it before. Mr. Kato never asked me if I wanted to, 'move up', as you put it."
"I see, I see. Well, just so you're aware, I have a proposition for you. I'm going to need to find an assistant, and fast. What ever company I manage, I like to have someone as my right hand, a person I can trust. I like you, Kagome. I think you've got what it takes to be more than just my secretary. If you'd like, the opportunity is yours."
She relished the way he'd said 'more than just my secretary.' Kagome glanced down nervously at her hands, which where folded neatly in her lap. Her mind was screaming at her to go for it. 'This is the chance of a lifetime! How many people would promote a young woman with no experience whatsoever?' Kagome knew she had to take his offer, and so, before she had any time to think it over, she blurted out, "Yes, I'll do it. I'll be your assistant!"
"Excellent." Inuyasha grinned warmly, typing something on the keyboard. "Now, I want to give you the run down of what I'm going to need from you."
Kagome nodded happily. "Just tell me what you want from me and I'll do it."
"That's the spirtit," Inuyasha grinned. "Well, what I'm going to ask of you is simple. You'll need to be by my side 24/7, aiding me whenever I need your assistance. You'll still be taking my calls and setting up appointments and meetings. Basically, it'll be the same job with better benefits."
"Okay, sounds good…"
Inuyasha leaned forward suddenly, his expression turning grave. "Also, there may be times when I need you to work nights. Either here at the office, or at my apartment. I hope that won't be a problem for you." As he stared her down, Kagome thought she'd seen his right eye sparkle.
"Yes, well, I'm pretty sure I'm okay with that, Mr. Taisho."
Settling back against his plush office chair, Inuyasha replied, "Great, great. And please, Kagome, call me Inuyasha. There's no need for us to be so formal with each other. We're going to be spending a lot of time together, I don't want there to be a barrier up between us."
Kagome didn't quite understand what he meant. "Sir?"
Cracking a smile, Inuyasha tucked a black strand of hair behind his ear and said, "I just mean, don't think of me as your boss. Consider me as an old friend, someone you once used to know. It'll make things a lot easier for the both of us."
Frowning, Kagome reluctantly agreed. She wasn't quite sure why, but there was something oddly familiar about Inuyasha Taisho. Kagome was afraid to ask him if they'd ever met before today, but she couldn't help but wonder if it were true. Needing to know the truth, Kagome asked blatantly, "I'm sorry, but have we met before?"
"Excuse me?" Inuyasha replied, raising a brow curiously.
"I don't want this to sound strange, Mr. Taisho…I mean, Inuyasha…" Her heart froze as she spoke his name. That name. 'Inuyasha.' She heard it suddenly, in a whisper, and it was as if a slight breeze bustled past her. Kagome twisted her head to the side, caught off guard by the voice. Staring deeply at a filing cabinet in Inuyasha Taisho's office, Kagome sighed, unsure why that name had struck her heart.
"Kagome? Are you okay?" Inuyasha asked her quietly, eyeing her suspiciously.
She heard him speak, but his words were nothing but noise against her ears. Removing her gaze from the cabinet, Kagome faced him again, noticing the concern etched in his eyes. "I'm sorry? What?"
Inuyasha frowned and stood from his chair. "I asked you if you're alright."
"Oh…" Kagome mumbled. Thinking about his question for a moment, Kagome replied blankly, "Yes, I'm fine." She then rose swiftly, and it was like a wave of exhaustion passed over her. Groaning, Kagome felt her body go weak as she began to fall backwards, right into the arms of Inuyasha Taisho. He'd caught her just in time, and he cradled her body gently in his arms as he carried in her into the neighboring office.
The office was unused, but Inuyasha knew there was loveseat big enough for Kagome to rest comfortably on. She would be undisturbed, and he could leave her there without worrying over her wellbeing. Placing her onto the couch, Inuyasha fixed her hair as she breathed in deeply, completely unconscious and unaware. He watched her sleep with a smile. An uncontrollable urge to stroke her cheek blossomed, and Inuyasha found his right hand reaching out to touch her. He withdrew it abruptly, mentally scolding his lack of restrain.
Inuyasha walked quickly towards the door, but paused and looked back at the sleeping beauty. He watched her stir on the couch, but noticed that her eyes were still closed. "Wake soon." He whispered before leaving her alone to her dreams, confident that she would awake on her own. But Inuyasha didn't know that Kagome was engrossed in a turbulent dream; a dream that involved a precious jewel, a young school girl, and a temperamental hanyou.
{-{}
Okay, there's Chapter 3!
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Okay, number 3 is up.