The next day found Megumi at her station in the biology research lab. She concentrated as she adjusted her microscope until the specimen came into focus. Working methodically, she observed through the microscope and took down extensive notes.
"Megumi-chan, why don't you take a break? You've been working non-stop since this morning."
"I'm almost done, Genzai-sensei, thank you."
Megumi completed her work fifteen minutes later then headed to the library to return a couple of textbooks. At the library, she checked out an archived journal and settled into a cubicle to read it, notebook at the ready for notes. The journal was very dry and scholarly and she found herself daydreaming about her date with Sano the night before.
~O~O~O~
Megumi's parents were home to welcome Sano when he arrived at 6:20. Meanwhile, in her room, Megumi applied a deep scarlet lipstick which perfectly set off her entire ensemble. With the 1950s-inspired black dress, pearls, and her hair in a low chignon, Megumi looked like she had just stepped out from an old-Hollywood movie set. After a last look-over, she grabbed the wrap laid out on her bed and a clutch and headed downstairs, eager to see Sano.
Megumi felt excitement as she heard voices coming from the living room. She had never been on a real date before and this one held all the promise of a great first date. Sano was turned slightly away from the doorway, speaking with her father but she knew the moment Sano sensed her presence. He straightened the tiniest fraction and it was if he held his breath. He turned, his eyes intent on her. He stepped up to her and a slow, deliberate movement, lifted her hand and kissed it. Megumi felt more than heard him whisper her name against her skin. His proximity sent a shiver through her. When he stepped back, his eyes were slightly hooded. She took a moment to study him. He was dressed in a dark grey three-piece suit. His shirt was white with faint blue-checkered squares, a dark blue patterned silk tie with embroidered paisley print contrasted well with his shirt. A red pocket-silk completed his outfit. Megumi blinked. He was gorgeous.
"Careful, Kitsune, you're devouring with your eyes." Megumi's mouth opened, speechless. She pinched his arm – hard.
"Itai!"
"Serves you right for saying such things." Megumi hissed.
"Megumi, Sano brought you flowers." Michiko broke in, unaware of the sparks flying between the two. On the table was a huge bouquet of purple roses and white and lavender hyacinths. Akio passed the bouquet to Sano who hadn't moved away from Megumi.
"Thank you." Sano handed the bouquet to Megumi. She smelled the flowers. The scent sweet and light.
"They're beautiful, Sano, thank you. This is probably what a pageant winner's feels like." She said referring to the size of the bouquet.
"You would certainly give any beauty queen a run for her money." Sano said in a low voice. Megumi lowered her eyes, unused to and unsure how to respond to his flirting. "Are ya ready?" Megumi nodded and said goodbye to her parents. Her mother was getting teary-eyed as she said goodnight. Megumi was relieved when her mother didn't mention anything about 'being good' or heaven forbid, 'having too much fun.' Sano took the wrap from Megumi and helped her put it on, his fingers brushing against her skin as he fastened it at her throat. "Kirei." He breathed. Megumi suddenly felt warm – and not from the wrap.
At the front door, Sano turned to Akio and Michiko. "Megumi will be home before midnight."
"Oh we trust you." Michiko gushed. Megumi reddened.
"She'll be home by then." Sano firmly repeated. Sano settled Megumi into the car before going around to the driver's side.
"I'm sorry, my mother—"
"Is very much like my own. Sometimes it's easy to forget that they want this to happen just as badly." Megumi didn't respond and thought about that statement. She was the only one who wasn't as sold on the idea as everyone else; at the beginning anyway. Now…
"Now will you tell me where we're goings?" She needed some distraction from her train of thought.
"You'll find out soon enough." Sano wouldn't let her bully the answer out of him and Megumi had to settle for conversation on their respective days.
Sano drove to an area of Nagoya that Megumi had been to once or twice before. However, the restaurant he pulled up to was new to her. It had the air of an upscale Italian café and reminded Megumi distinctly of Rick's Café Américain from Casablanca. They checked in their outerwear at the door and were ushered in by the maître'd. The weather was too cold for patrons to sit outside and they were led to the best table in the house that commanded a view of most of the room from one side and the city lights through a large window on the other. The tables were spaced far enough apart that it lent each party a sense of privacy and intimacy in the large room.
"Sano, this place is lovely." Megumi said, taking in the elegant lines and cozy warmth of the place. "I didn't know there was this gem in Nagoya."
"I heard about it a few months ago from my friend Kenshin. When I saw it I knew I had to bring you here especially after ya told me you liked Italian."
"Thank you; I'm glad you did."
They looked over the menu, Sano giving a few suggestions. After a few minutes, their waiter took their appetizer orders.
"He looks Italian." Megumi said referring to their server.
"Apparently they only hire Italians and Italian-speakers for their front-of-house staff." Sano explained.
"Sagara-san!" An older gentleman in a suit approached, a wide smile on his face. "I zee you have brought the fine lady you have mentioned." He said in accented English. He bowed with a flourish.
"Megumi, meet Master Antonio Nuncio, world-class sommelier." Sano introduced Megumi in perfect English. "Monsieur, Ms. Megumi Takani, the loveliest woman of my acquaintance."
Master Nuncio spoke about wines, sake, and everything in between until their appetizers arrived, then the sommelier took his leave.
"He sure knows a lot about spirits." Megumi observed. "How did he know about me?" Sano looked sheepish. I came here the day I got back to town and went over the wine list with him. I might have slipped that I was bringing a, uhmm—"
"'A fine lady.'" Megumi air quoted. Sano nodded. Their waiter was approaching again.
"Why don't you order?" Sano suggested. "You speak Italian after all." Megumi shrugged and did as he suggested, ordering their courses smoothly in the foreign tongue. A look of admiration came over the server's dark features and he leaned closer to Megumi, pencil scribbling away on his order pad as he read the order back. Suddenly Sano leaned forward and repeated the order in flawless Italian himself. Megumi sat back, stunned and the server beat a hasty retreat.
"What was that for?" Sano rubbed his shin where Megumi's patent leather pumps had probably left a permanent dent.
"You speak fluently yourself – why did you have me order?"
Sano was unapologetic. "I won't deny you were awfully sexy doing it." Not for the first time that night, Megumi reddened.
"You are insufferable." She said, but a smile threatened the severity of her glare. Their orders arrived and the server asked if 'Madam would like anything else, anything at all.' Sano answered that 'Madam would ask if she did' and glared at the poor man until he scurried away.
"Really, Sano, stop scaring the poor guy."
"He was burning holes in you with those Mediterranean eyes of his." Sano replied.
The dinner was delicious and the wine complemented it perfectly.
"Still think Japanese cuisine trumps this?" Sano asked. Megumi nodded.
"This is great for certain occasions but give me homemade Japanese cooking any day, every day."
~O~O~O~
After dinner, Sano revealed that the night wasn't over yet if Megumi was up for one more activity. Megumi, intrigued, said yes. She excused herself to visit the powder room and when she returned, Sano was wearing his black coat with her wrap ready in his hand.
Sano drove toward the outskirts of the city, buildings, residences, and other structures thinning out as they left city hub behind.
"This is our old neighborhood," Megumi said, recognizing the streets and homes that lined it. Their two families had been next-door neighbors outside the city center when they were younger, the Takanis getting a bigger home in the suburb and the Sagaras moving into one of their other homes when the two went to college. Sano passed their former homes and turned onto a private road.
"This leads to Old Man Kiyasato's, right?"
"Yes. Do you remember how we used to ride horses along this road?"
"We learned to ride that one summer. You were scared at first."
"But you let me ride double on the saddle with you and I wasn't frightened after that."
"I think I remember that."
"We were eight then. I think that was when I wanted you in my life forever. Even then, I knew."
"Sano." Megumi whispered. Sano smoothly pulled the car to a stop beside the road, next to a field on which a single tree stood near the center.
"I want you to know me, Megumi." His hands stayed on the steering wheel, his eyes looking straight ahead. "Sometimes I come here when I need a breather. When I need a reminder what all my effort is for, what my life's about, I come here." He looked at the young woman beside him. "It's chilly but I brought you an extra coat." Sano unbuckled his seatbelt and grabbed a coat and a blanket from the backseat then went around to the passenger side. He opened the door and Megumi stepped out of the car, feeling the cold for a fraction of a second before Sano settled the coat on her shoulders. He took Megumi's hand and led the way to the tree.
"Sano, wait." He stopped. "I can't walk through there in these." She gestured to her high-heel-clad feet. Sano looked contrite for a moment then, he was swinging her up in his arms. "Sano!" Megumi grabbed at this shoulder. "Put me down!"
"No can do, Kitsune. I promise you, ya won't be sorry when you see it."
"Fine, but" She loosened her hold around his neck. "You better not drop me."
"Never." He said and dropped a kiss on her forehead. Megumi stared at his profile as he carried her then finally laid her head against his shoulder. He stopped when they reached the tree. A ladder was leaning against the old trunk, disappearing somewhere above their heads. A few leaves were still clinging to the branches, casting broken shadows on their faces as they looked up. A platform was nestled among the branches about fifteen feet above the ground. Sano lowered Megumi on the bottom rung, her shoes safely in her hands. "Up you go." Megumi leaned back against the ladder, facing Sano and shook her head.
"No way. I'm not going when you can look up my dress."
"Really, Kitsune, you wound me." When she didn't budge, he gave in. "A'right." He grabbed the ladder on either side of her, stepping up on the same rung Megumi was standing on. She could feel his warmth radiating through the layers between them. He tossed the blanket over his shoulder. "Excuse me." He sidestepped around Megumi and made his way up the ladder. Megumi took a breath once he had passed, her cheeks warm. "Your turn." He called down to her.
"But my dress!" Megumi protested.
"It won't snag on anything, just don't climb too fast." Megumi looked up, the moon was waning but it still bathed the land in a cold, silvery light, Sano's silhouette black against the branches. Deciding to go for it, she carefully hung her pumps by the heels on one of the rungs and climbed up carefully. The ladder stopped four feet short of the platform.
"How—"
"Give me your hands." Sano sat on the platform and reached down for her. Megumi kept one hand on the ladder and reached for Sano with her other hand. "Now the other one."
"I, I can't."
"Yes, you can. I won't let you fall. Trust me." Megumi gulped and slowly let go of the ladder. Suddenly she was being hoisted up and before she knew it she was sitting beside Sano and looking out at the city lights in the distance. "Look." Sano pointed up. Megumi's eyes widened. The night sky was resplendent with thousands upon thousands of stars.
"Sano." Megumi breathed. "It's beautiful." Sano maneuvered them so he was leaning against a more vertical branch, Megumi drawn up against his side. He spread the blanket over them, tucking it securely around her bare feet.
"Warm?" Megumi nodded and settled her head against his shoulder. In a low voice he pointed out constellations, telling stories and legends about them. They stayed that way for how long, Megumi didn't know. The next thing she knew was Sano gently shaking her shoulder. "Megumi, wake up."
"Huh?"
"You fell asleep." He chuckled against her cheek. "Did I bore you too much?"
Megumi yawned and closed her eyes again. "Leave me alone." But belying her words, she snuggled closer.
"Megumi," He nudged her again. "We need to leave now if I'm to get ya home by midnight."
"Fine." Megumi grumbled.
"I think we better go down together. I don't trust your abilities enough to be able to climb down a ladder half-asleep." Megumi paid him no heed but crept to the end of the platform. Sano chuckled and held her back. "I'll go first." He stood on the top rung of the ladder, the platform above his waist-level. "Come over." Megumi crawled over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She lowered her feet first, sliding into the space between his arms, her feet resting on the same rung as his. "Good." He kept a firm grip around Megumi's waist with one arm and wrapped his other arm the ladder, lowering them rung by rung. Megumi did her best to cooperate but she was fighting to just keep her eyes open, her entire body feeling blissfully heavy and relaxed.
At last Sano stood on the ground again. "Alright, up ya go." He swung Megumi into his arms again and made his way back to the car. He carefully balanced her as he lowered her into the passenger seat, tossing her shoes on the floor. He buckled her in and draped the blanket over her lap and tucked it under her feet. Megumi shifted to find a comfortable position and promptly fell asleep again.
Megumi felt herself being carried, a door opening, then becoming too warm. She could hear voices but didn't bother to identify the sources. Another door, this time a sliding sound then she was being lowered on a soft surface. A blanket was pulled up to her chin.
"Goodnight, Kitsune." A light kiss on her forehead accompanied the voice then it was gone.
~O~O~O~
A buzzing in her pocket brought Megumi back to the present from her memories of the previous night. One of the lab assistants was calling.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Ms. Takani, Genzai-sensei is asking for you."
"Tell him I'll be right there." Megumi left the library and went back to the biology building. Dr. Genzai was speaking with a man who had his back to her.
"Ah, here she is!" The man turned as Megumi approached. He wore glasses and his hair was slicked back. "Mr. Yamada, this is Ms. Takani Megumi, our best student researcher."
"Pleased to meet you, Sir." Megumi shook his hand.
"The pleasure is mine, Ms. Takani. Please, call me Jirou."
"Megumi-chan, Mr. Yamada will be with the University for a month to gather data on a study he's conducting. I've selected you to serve as his assistant for the duration of his stay." Megumi was surprised.
"Genzai-sensei, I thank you for this opportunity but certainly there are more senior researchers that would be of more service to Mr. Yamada?"
"Nonsense! Mr. Yamada requested you and I couldn't think of a better choice. You'll start tomorrow."
"Yes, Sir." Megumi said meekly.
For an idea what Sano's outfit looks like, Google 'Chuck Bass grey suit'. Of course of the dozens of grey suits that come up, it's the one I just described in this chapter. (^^,) I think Sano and Megumi have the ability to pull off old-Hollywood style with class and elegance, won't you agree?
This is the longest chapter to date. So far I've written each chapter the day they're posted (Pacific Time) so I sincerely apologize for errors, grammatical or otherwise. They're un-beta'd as well so please bear with me and feel free to point out anything that can be improved. When I have more time I'll rework my way through but until then…
Thanks to everyone who's reviewed!