"She's at it again," Kouga said, not looking up from his mixer, ice clinking against metal as Kagome levelled off the beer she'd been pouring.
"Seriously? That's every weekend for the last month." She added the drink to the tray of others, then tucked the receipt underneath, waving down the server in charge of them.
"Guess she's that desperate," Kouga said with a shrug. The green-haired snake youkai fancied herself a bar connoisseur, latching onto Kouga after he'd offered her one benign compliment and kept returning in the hopes of catching his eye.
After he'd made it clear that nothing would happen between them, she'd resorted to seducing anyone else she could get her claws into, thinking it would make him jealous. Kouga hadn't taken the bait, but a few others had, resulting in a few skirmishes after closing hours.
Sighing, Kagome grabbed the next ticket. One of the reasons she enjoyed bartending so much was the lack of drama. She didn't have to deal with neglectful parents letting their kids climb the furniture or guarding herself against unwanted advances. Only dealing with drinks kept her in control of the exchanges—people were much less likely to jump the bar if they got pissy about something.
Most of the time, they just wanted to chat, and not always with her. She was ready with an ear or a solid piece of advice, but at the end of the day, she went home with full pockets and a clear conscience.
Kouga reached across her, and she nudged the tray of garnishes closer to him so he could grab a lemon wedge. "Any chance she's not looking at me right now?"
She pretended to wipe down the counter, sneaking a glance at the woman. "You're in luck! She's currently trying to hit up the guy sitting next to her.
"The daiyoukai?"
Kagome snorted. "No way. Even she's not that dumb."
Kouga breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. 'Cause he's had his eyes on you all night, and I'm hoping to get you laid."
She smacked him with her towel. "You know he can probably hear you from over here," she hissed, heat creeping into her cheeks.
Cerulean eyes gleamed at her, Kouga immediately spinning around. "Why wouldn't you want him to hear us?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows at her. Kagome cursed under her breath, her blush only worsening.
The silver-haired male had caught her eye as soon as he'd sat down, forearms flexing as he undid the top buttons of his shirt. She'd purposefully stayed away from him as much as possible, managing to get through her usual greeting and put in his order without stuttering.
"Because then he'd look over and see me drooling," she whispered, smacking Kouga again to keep him from bringing attention to their conversation.
"Oh, come on, Kags! Go and talk to him!" Kouga begged. "For both our sakes." She scowled, a biting retort on her lips, but he nudged her again, pointing down the bar. "If you don't, someone else is going to sink her claws into him."
The python had lost interest in the human she'd been chatting with and had set her sights on someone with more prestige, eyeing the daiyoukai with growing curiosity. She adjusted her dress—by means of pulling it down to show off more cleavage—and turned to face him, crossing her legs to nudge his.
He ignored her, shifting away slightly and going back to the phone in his hand. Kagome shot Kouga a helpless look, but he just grinned and made a shooing motion. "You suck," she said, gritting her teeth before striding down to the other end of the bar.
"Are you needing a refill?" she asked, leaning against the counter on the opposite side of him so the woman wouldn't be able to chime in. He looked up from his phone, then down at his unfinished cup of sake, an eyebrow raising. "Or maybe something to eat? We've got a few specials on tonight."
He shook his head. "I am fine for now."
Kagome saw the woman smirk out of the corner of her eye, and she fished her phone out of her pocket. "Oh! That reminds me. Let me show you this hilarious text my sister sent me earlier." She pretended to open her messages app, quickly typing out 'Under no circumstance should you start a convo with the woman beside you' onto her screen before showing it to him.
"Why would I—" His mouth snapped shut as he read her message, smart enough not to make eye contact with the viper, and he intertwined his fingers before resting his chin on top. "Your sister is a wise woman."
"I knew you'd think so," she said, pointing across the bar. "There's a better spot over there if you're looking for a better view, as well."
He smirked, then grabbed his drink. "In front of your station will do fine." Kagome flushed at the insinuation but nodded, walking back to Kouga, the daiyoukai in tow. Her friend gave her a thumbs up, and she was tempted to dump the beer he was pouring over his head, but knew she'd then have to explain herself to their new company.
"I appreciate your assistance," the daiyoukai said once he'd settled into his new seat. "It saves me the hassle of refusing her advances later."
"Yeah, I could tell she wasn't your type," Kagome offered lamely, busying herself with restocking the cocktail glasses.
"And what would you know about my type?"
That I want to be it, she almost blurted, gripping her cloth. "Not sure yet, but I doubt 'stalker tendencies' is on your list of requirements."
He snorted. "You would be correct." Lithe fingers wrapped around his cup. "I much prefer blue to green, anyway."
Kouga snickered at her shocked expression, then tapped her foot. "Tag, you're it."
"Traitor!" she called as he slipped away to deliver his tray of drinks. He blew her a kiss over his shoulder, cackling as he went, and if there weren't the chance of him dropping the entire order, she'd have kicked him.
"I take it he's not opposed to my presence."
Kagome pursed her lips. "No. He's been wanting me to talk to you since you arrived."
He chuckled. "And it was not until I was in dire straits that you felt the need to comply?"
"Look," she said, sighing before crossing her arms. "You're hot—we both know it—but so is that psycho I just rescued you from, and I'm not about to spill my guts to some stranger."
"An astute observation," he agreed, then handed over a business card, Ogonshoku Industries written in pearlesque lettering. "Good manners dictate introductions must be had before decisions are to be made."
She took the card from him, clicking her tongue. "Did you read that on a fortune cookie?"
He snorted. "No, my mother drilled it into me from a young age."
Kagome finally smiled, sliding the card into her pocket next to her phone. "Sounds like a smart woman."
"Much like your sister," he mused.
"Touché." The machine next to them whirred, spitting out her next order, and she ripped it off before grabbing some of the ingredients. "Look, I still have to work, but if you've got nowhere to be—"
"I find the seat to be quite comfortable," he confirmed. "Perhaps by the time you are finished, we will not be strangers anymore."
Her shrug was casual, but the butterflies in her stomach were anything but. "Perhaps."