An Unexpected Love Story

Chapter Three:

Part One: Vegas

Chapter Three:

I awake in a strange place, to a strange sound. It's my phone and I'm on a foreign couch.

"Mmmm... Hello?"

"Kagome?! My god! Where the fuck are you!?"

I open my eyes, and see a piece of paper on the table in front of me.

Left for work. You were asleep. There's money for a cab on the counter.

He has beautiful calligraphy. As if it would be anything else, Sesshoumaru, the most calculated individual I've ever met would never have sloppy calligraphy.

"I'm at Sessh...Ichiro's. I'll be in the hotel lobby in two hours." I hang up before she can say a word.

"Well good morning Moichi. I hope Sesshoumaru has gum." I get up and start to rummage through drawers.

"No gum. Well, he won't mind me taking a shower." Moichi sticks his tongue out and winds around my legs, smiling the whole time.

Climbing the stairs two at a time, I race to the top, and find the master bathroom, the only one with a shower.

"He'll just need to deal with this if he has a weird quirk about other people using his shower, because I'm gross." I locate what I need and figure out the workings of this foreign shower easy enough, then proceed to take the fastest shower ever not recorded in human history.

My hair is still wet when I get to the hotel. I give the cabby the money Sesshoumaru left for me and stroll through the front doors.

"Oh oh ohhhhhh! Jesus Kagome! Same clothes as yesterday?" Melanie shouts from the other side of the lobby, and all I want to do is take my messenger bag and choke her with it.

Some men passing by whistle and cat call. I feel myself turn bright red.

"Well thanks Mel for letting the whole lobby know." I will my cheeks to stop blushing.

"It's Vegas baby. They need to know." She answers down her nose. It's when she gets like this that I question our friendship.

xxx

Melanie allows me the decency to change before she drags me out of the hotel onto the street. It's hot today, so hot I can feel myself begin to sweat mere steps from the front door.

"We should sit on a patio, maybe I'll darken my tan a little." I look at her from the corner of my eye, like she isn't dark enough already.

"Why don't we start out on the patio? I haven't had breakfast yet." She grabs hold of my hand with her slender fingers.

"Oh Kagome, its drinking time." She gives a laugh and I instantly regret my decision of coming out with her.

"It's still early!" I protest but I can see her shaking her head out of the corner of my eye.

"Oh no it's not, you slept well past noon! Let's grab some lunch and split a pitcher." Shooting her a pleading look she takes no notice and continues to tug me along the sidewalk. Distaste pushed aside I dutifully follow her.

"I think you are the only person in this whole world who is turning down coming to lunch, and getting drunk with me!" I moan even louder.

It's too late, we're already seated and I'm still protesting as she pours me the largest glass of Sangria ever. It wasn't so much a glass as a small fish bowl, or better yet a vase.