Chapter Two
The next morning Izayoi still couldn't remember what connection she had to Arisakawa School and finally resolved to call her husband and ask him. "Arisakawa?" Inutashio mused. "It's a large school that contains all grades from kindergarten to high school. I knew the original principal, Arisakawa Yuto. I helped him open it. We donated money every year until he retired two years ago."
"Why did we stop?" Izayoi asked.
"They appointed someone rather young in his place. I didn't believe she could run the school effectively. As I recall a lot of the school's backers felt the same. Why are you asking?"
"Inuyasha went to dinner with me and a friend and—"
"Are you setting him up on blind dates again?" Inutashio interrupted. "I told you that—"
"He'd find his mate on his own when it was time, blah blah blah," she interrupted in turn. "The important thing is that when we were there his eyes were glued to a woman there. He just stared at her and he completely lost his train of thought when she walked by. I think she might be the one."
"Izayoi,"
"Trust me, it's her. But anyway I found out her name and had Jaken do a search on her. She's the principal of Arisakawa school. I think I might drop by and see how it's doing. Maybe talk to Higurashi-san about making a donation."
"What have I told you about meddling?" Inutashio asked warningly.
"I'm not meddling, I'm being altruistic. Talk to you later, darling," she hung up. Then got up to look through Inutashio's Rolodex for Arisakwa Yuto. "Hello, Arisakawa-san? This is Takahashi Izayoi. It's recently come to my attention that we haven't donated to Arisakawa School since your retirement...My husband wasn't convinced as to the competence of your successor. But I'd like to see how the school is doing and consider making a donation...Well, I was hoping you could set up an appointment with Higurashi-san for me...Thank you so much Arisakawa-san. Today would be preferable...Thank you again, I'll wait for your call." Smiling Izayoi rose from the desk and went to her room to decide what she should where when meeting her future daughter-in-law for the first time. Arisakawa-san called back around ten minutes after she'd decided on an elegant and flowing skirt with a v-necked t-shirt and a cropped jacket, to give her the time of the appointment and directions to the school.
88
Kagome sat at her desk making sure she had the papers she'd probably need for the meeting with a possible donor. Arisakawa-san hadn't specified who was coming, just that it was a former donor who wanted to check on the status of the school. Since she wasn't sure what would appeal the most she had reports on enrollment, extra-curricular activities, grades, and anything else she could get her hands on. She was checking her hair and makeup when her secretary knocked on the door. "Your two o'clock is here, Higurashi-san," she announced.
Kagome put away the compact mirror and stood. "Send them in."
An elegantly dressed woman with long black hair stepped in and bowed. "Thank you for seeing me, Higurashi-san."
"Thank you for coming," Kagome replied bowing as well. When she straightened the woman tilted her head contemplatively.
"I think we've met before," she said. Then a look of comprehension dawned on her face. "Higurashi Kagome!" she exclaimed. "We met at Chez Carlise yesterday. I'm Takahashi Izayoi. You picked up my lipstick," she added when Kagome continued to look confused.
"Oh, It's nice to see you again Takahashi-san," Kagome said. "Please have a seat." They sat down together. "May I ask what brings you to Arisakawa School?"
"Well," Izayoi said airily, "my husband was a close friend of the founder Arisakawa Yuto. It recently came to my attention that we hadn't donated in a couple years. So, I thought I'd come by to see how the school was fairing." A polite way of asking if she'd run the school into the ground yet, Kagome thought bitterly. Now that she thought about it the Takahashi's were one of the first families to withdraw their funding from the school when she'd been appointed. They were so influential that it was no surprise that afterwards many other donors had abandoned them.
"We're fairing quite well," Kagome said, her social smile firmly in place. "I have some reports here on some different aspects of the school, that you might like to look through. I'm sure you know that we're hoping to expand, as our student body has grown exponentially. I have some of those plans here as well." Kagome slid a folder across the desk.
"We'll get to that," Izayoi said. "I was hoping to have a tour of the campus."
"It's a rather large facility," Kagome warned. "There are separate buildings for the elementary, middle, and high school. Plus a large gymnasium and a few other buildings."
"Don't worry about me, darling," Izayoi started. She was cut off when her phone rang. "Excuse me. "Hello...I'm quite busy at the moment darling...I'm out..." she smiled apologetically at Kagome. "I'm at Arisakawa School...I am not meddling...Fine," she sighed and hung up. "I'm sorry, Higurashi-san, but I have to go. We'll have to reschedule the tour for another day. Perhaps we could have tea and you can tell me more about the school tomorrow. Around eleven?"
"I don't know I have work—"
"Tomorrow's Saturday, you can take a little time off. It's about the school so technically you'll be working anyway." Grabbing a piece of paper Izayoi scribbled down her home address. "I'll be expecting you," she said. "Bye for now." And she was gone.
Kagome blinked bemusedly at the recently vacated seat. Takahashi Izayoi was an unusual woman. She wondered why she was suddenly interested in the school. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Kagome," she told herself. Sighing she began to rework her schedule to accommodate tomorrow's tea.
88
The next day at eleven o'clock Kagome knocked on the door of the Takahashi abode. She'd decided to be casual and wore black leggings under a thigh length white button up shirt with a wide black belt and black ballet flats. She raised her hand to knock again just as the door was opened. "Higurashi-san, welcome!" exclaimed Izayoi pulling her inside.
"Thank you," Kagome said looking around in awe. "You have a lovely home. I brought some cake." She held out a white bakery box.
"You shouldn't have," Izayoi said taking the box. "I already have tea set up in the sunroom." she led the way to an airy room surrounded by floor to ceiling glass windows. A fair amount of plants lent the room a pleasant smell. "Have a seat, I'll be right back." She disappeared with the cake box. Kagome sat down on a white wicker love-seat. A few minutes later Izayoi returned with the cake on a crystal cake platter that she set in the middle of the glass-topped table. "I hope you like chamomile. As you can probably tell I love flowers." She laughed at herself as she poured the fragrant tea. "Tell me about yourself. How did you manage to become a principal at so young an age?"
"Well," said Kagome pausing to take a sip of tea. "I started teaching at Arisakawa as soon as I graduated. I majored in education, of course, but I've always had my eye on administration. But the truth is my appointment to principal was mostly luck. Arisakawa-san knew I had an interest in the job, but the fact is that there weren't many people who wanted to take over a school that size. Arisakawa-san had a lot of faith in my ability, but many thought I was unsuitable for the job, like your husband," she added without meaning to. "I'm sorry," she said immediately.
"Nothing to be sorry about," Izayoi said soothingly. "My husband's an old stick in the mud. And quite stubborn." She reached forward to pat Kagome's hand and knocked over a silver picture frame. Kagome caught it before it hit the floor. She glanced at the picture and then her eyes stilled. In the picture a younger Izayoi held a small silver haired boy. "That's my baby, my Inuyasha," she said.
"He's precious. How old is he now?"
"29," she answered. Kagome looked up and smiled. "and he'll still be my baby when he's 100. I have a more recent picture," she grabbed a photo off a side table and handed it to Kagome. "He's such a handsome young man."
"He is," Kagome agreed staring at the golden eyed man that the boy had become. "Quite handsome." She ran a fingertip across his face and wondered why she felt so...odd. Izayoi watched her with a smile, then launched into a tale of the young Inuyasha's escapades.
Time flew by and Kagome didn't even realize they hadn't talked about the school at all until Izayoi looked at the time and exclaimed, "Oh dear! I completely lost track of time. Inuyasha's coming over for lunch. Would you like to stay and meet him?"
"No," Kagome said immediately. If she was so mysteriously drawn to a picture, how would she act upon meeting him in person? "I mean, I actually have another appointment today. I'm going to leave this folder with information on the school with you. If you'd like to discuss anything just give me a call."
"Of course," Izayoi said inwardly pouting. "Inuyasha would love to meet you, maybe I'll bring him with me when I come to tour the school."
"That would be fine," Kagome said. "Thank you for the tea Takaha—"
"Call me Izayoi," she interrupted. "And you're welcome." She walked Kagome to the door. "I hope you'll come visit me again." After she closed the door behind Kagome she expressed the pout she'd been holding in. "So stubborn, I wanted you two to meet today." She sighed, "Oh well, I better go start on lunch.
88
When Inuyasha arrived at his parents house for lunch he was slightly distracted. Kikyo hadn't been returning his calls and seemed to be avoiding him. He knew he should give her a little more time to come around, but he missed her terribly. He walked in not bothering to knock and called for his mother. "I'm in the kitchen," she called. "I thought we'd have lunch in the sun room. I'll meet you there."
"Alright," he called back then ambled towards the sun room wondering if he should buy Kikyo a gift. His train of thought was derailed as soon as he entered the sun room and the scent from Chez Carlise washed over him. He stopped in his tracks and looked about sniffing wildly.
"I just had tea with a friend before you came," said Izayoi as she entered from another door carrying a tray. "She brought the most delicious looking cake. You'll have to help me eat it. Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing," Inuyasha said immediately. He crossed to her, took the tray and set it down. Then he hugged her, sniffing discretely. She smelled of sweet peas just like she always did. He sniffed the air in the room again as he let her go. "You said you had a friend over?"
"Yes, she just left."
"I can smell her perfume; it's interesting."
"It was a lovely scent, I think it was—"
"Moonbeams and roses," Inuyasha murmured.
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
"Oh, well I think it was cucumber melon. I didn't ask but that's what it smelled like." But that wasn't what Inuyasha smelled. He frowned at his mother. She looked entirely too pleased with herself.
"What are you up to?" he asked. "Who is this friend?"
"Absolutely nothing," Izayoi replied with a straight face. "She's the principal of a school that your father helped to open. Takahashi's haven't donated in a few years and we were discussing the possibility of us becoming regular donors again. It's none of your concern."
"None of my concern?" Inuyasha asked mildly. "She must be older."
"What makes you say that," Izayoi asked.
"Because any girl that's of marriageable age you throw at me," he said dryly.
""Not any girl," she corrected. "Girls who I think are your type." Inuyasha arched a brow at her so she elaborated. "Complacent women, the kind that would be excellent wives and mothers. You know, have dinner ready when you get home, keep a spotless house, that type of thing. You'd butt heads with a headstrong woman and you wouldn't be happy. And for your information Higurashi Kagome is only 27, but she's way out of your league." Izayoi sat down and began to serve lunch. Inuyasha sat down across from her and was immediately surrounded by a cloud of Kagome's scent. Unable to stop himself he breathed deeply. Izayoi continued to chatter on as they ate but Inuyasha barely heard a word she said.
For her part Izayoi watched Inuyasha with sharp eyes and was quite pleased at the reaction he was having. Tired of talking she let her chatter die out and served them both cake, then slipped on a pair of glasses and picked up the folder Kagome had left behind. It took Inuyasha a while to realize his mother was no longer talking. Wondering how long his mind had been wandering he picked up the cake in front of him and eyed his mother as he ate it. "What are you reading?" he asked.
"Some information on Arisakawa school. Kagome left it behind."
"Kagome," said Inuyasha, testing the name. "You're on a first name basis with a woman of marriageable age who you obviously like and you haven't shoved her at me yet; she must be ugly."
Izayoi looked at him over the tops of her glasses and sighed. "She's actually quite lovely. She'd come to about your chin, as far as height, long black hair, nice figure, and the most striking blue-gray eyes. But like I said, she's not your type. I wonder if Tuesday would be a good day for a tour," she mused.
"I'm free Tuesday," Inuyasha said deciding he needed to meet this woman.
"So?"
"Maybe I'll come with you."
"You wouldn't be interested. You hated school," Izayoi reminded.
"I'm going," Inuyasha said. "I'll even drive. So let me know what time."
"Fine," Izayoi said rolling her eyes. But inside she was smiling.