“…Kagome-chan? Hey–Kagome-chan!”

Kagome blinked, her eyes focusing on her friend’s disgruntled face. Across the table from her, Sachiko’s caramel eyes narrowed, her arms folding over her chest.

“What’s up with you today? That’s the third time you’ve zoned out in the past thirty minutes.”

“Gomen, Sachi-chan,” Kagome said quickly, a light blush fanning across her cheeks as she reached for her abandoned chopsticks. “I’ve just, uh, had a lot going on at work lately.”

Or so she wished. The reality was that almost a week had passed since The Car Incident, as Kagome had come to refer to it in her mind, and things had more or less gone back to normal between her and her demonic employer—at least, as normal as things had ever been between them, anyway.

The morning after, Kagome had been all pins-and-needles in anticipation of what Sesshoumaru had in store for her—certain that he was going to up the ante now that he had her absolute submission. Every time her intercom had buzzed she’d nearly jumped out of her skin, her heart pounding as she’d imagined him summoning her to his office and—well, she wasn’t sure what exactly, but just the idea of him exerting his control over her had sweat breaking out between her locked thighs.

But throughout the course of the day, nothing had transpired between them apart from the usual mundane business work. As the week wore on with no further development, Kagome’s jumpiness had slowly turned to frustration. Now, with Sesshoumaru not even showing the least bit of acknowledgement of that night, she was beginning to think that perhaps he’d just been toying with her all along, and her frustration was devolving into full-blown anger…

“Hey!” Sachiko snapped. “You’re doing it again.”

“…Sorry,” Kagome grumbled, stuffing a wad of noodles sullenly into her mouth.

Her friend sighed as she tucked a lock of chocolate-colored hair behind her ear. Glancing up from her saucer of milk, even Kirara was gazing at Kagome in concern.

“Look, Kagome-chan, I know you’re dedicated to your career and all, but I think you’re letting Sesshoumaru boss you around too much. It’s seriously impacting your quality of life.”

“I know,” Kagome despaired, pushing away her half-eaten bowl of ramen and resting her head in her arms.

“…Even if he is the hottest piece of ass in town,” Sachiko added impishly.

Kagome shot her a one-eyed glare. As much as her friend resembled Sango in the looks department, Miroku’s lecherous streak was strong in her. She’d considered confiding to Sachiko about her current predicament, but had ultimately decided otherwise. News traveled fast in the youkai underground. Not that her friend was a gossip per se–she just had a way of talking so closely around the truth that only a real idiot wouldn’t be able to figure it out.

Speaking of which: If word of this were to reach Inuyasha’s furry ears…well, Kagome would rather go up against ten more Narakus than face down something like that.

“What you need is an outlet for all that stress,” Sachiko continued, her finger upraised. “If you keep yourself bottled up like this, you’re going to explode.”

Kagome groaned. Didn’t she know it.

A little bell rang as the door to the ramen shop opened behind them.

“Ah, Kouhei-kun!” Sachiko exclaimed brightly, as though all her prayers had suddenly been answered.

Kagome looked up as Kouga’s grandson approached their table, his boisterous pack of guy friends trailing in his wake. Flicking aside his dark unruly bangs, he hooked his thumbs into the pockets of his ripped-up jeans and flashed them an easy grin.

“Hey, Sachi,” he greeted, Kagome blushing anew as his deep emerald eyes settled on her. “Kagome-san.”

“Hi, Kouhei-kun,” she replied uneasily.

Ever since the night Kouga had loudly and drunkenly introduced Kagome as his long-lost love, she had understandably felt a little awkward around his handsome grandson. The fact that Kouhei insisted on treating her with special regard didn’t help matters.

“I saw you at Jii-san’s club the other night–what’d you think of my show?”

“Oh, er, actually–”

“Oh my gods, she loved it!” Sachiko interjected, reaching over and grasping Kagome around the shoulders. “She kept going on and on about it–she’s just too shy to say so.”

“Sachiko!” Kagome hissed.

“Oh yeah?” Kouhei’s smile broadened as he slid into the booth beside her, his arm draped casually over the back. “My buddy Ichimaru’s band is playing tonight, if you wanna check it out. He’s not as talented as me,” he said with a wink, “but it’ll be a good show.”

“Of course she would!” Sachiko gushed, Kirara chirping conspiratorially along with her.

“Then it’s a date,” he said, holding Kagome’s gaze.

“Oi, Kouhei–stop flirting and come over here!” one of his friends called out.

“Gotta run,” he said, his lips quirking faintly. “I’ll pick you up at eight, Kagome-san.”

“Sounds good!” Sachiko answered for her, tightening her grip around the flustered miko.

As Kouhei returned to his pack, Kagome rounded on her own so-called friend.

“What the heck, Sachiko!” she whispered harshly.

“Pssh,” the younger girl said with a wave, stroking Kirara’s fur. “You’re twenty-one, Kagome-chan. It’s time for you to live a little. Kouhei’s a good catch, no matter how you slice it.”

Kagome crossed her arms broodingly. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Sachiko had a point–her personal life had taken a definite backseat once she’d started working for Sesshoumaru. And what did she have to show for it? Damp panties and enough sexual frustration to last a lifetime.

“I need to get back to work,” Kagome said tersely, rising up from her seat.

“Of course you do,” Sachiko laughed. “Have fun tonight, Kagome-chan! You can thank me later.”

Kagome left with a scowl. Her mood did not improve over the course of the train ride back to Sesshoumaru’s building. As she flung the door open before her, even Jakken tensed at her black mood.

“What’s your problem, ningen?” he asked warily from his place at the copier.

“None of your business,” Kagome shot back, marching stiffly over to her desk and dropping into her chair like an anvil.

There was still a mountain of paperwork she had to get through before the end of the day. Bending her head low over her keyboard, Kagome set herself to the task, reiki crackling faintly in the air around her fingertips as she typed at breakneck speed. As seven o’clock drew near, she printed off a stack of documents and strode purposefully toward Sesshoumaru’s office. She rapped sharply on the door, barely giving him time to answer before she swept in, striding briskly over to his desk and setting the stack of papers down with a thwap.

Sesshoumaru glanced up at her coolly. Kagome glared back.

“I’m leaving early today,” she announced. “I have a date.”

“A date,” he repeated, as though he found the very word distasteful. “With whom?”

“Kouga’s grandson, Kouhei.”

Sesshoumaru’s lip curled. “The half-demon?”

Kagome’s hands balled to fists at her sides. She didn’t appreciate his tone one bit. Trust Sesshoumaru to remain prejudiced in this day and age.

“Yes, he’s a half-demon,” she challenged, remembering Sachiko’s words. “So what? He’s a good catch, and I’m twenty-one years old, for Kami’s sake–I should be going out on dates. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Sesshoumaru looked away from her as if bored, returning to the contract he had been reviewing. Kagome bristled.

“Well?” she demanded.

“Well, what?” Sesshoumaru returned tonelessly. “It seems as though you have already made up your mind.”

Gritting her teeth, Kagome drew in a bracing breath before she turned on her heel, leaving his office. He was impossible, she decided. There was no point wasting any more emotional energy on a guy like him.

Leaning against the wall in the outside hall, she clenched her trembling fist to her chest. She would have fun on this date tonight, she told herself. Sesshoumaru would be the furthest thing from her mind.

---

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

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