If You're Not The One

A/N: thank you so much for the reviews. they are awesome. I hope you keep enjoying the fic and continue to review. They make me happy, and you know what that means.
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Kagome returned home and slammed her door with a satisfied grunt. She had really enjoyed herself at the office and had even found a new friend in Nazuna. The women agreed to go out to lunch the next day. The rest of the day was spent learning the ropes of the office and getting everything ready for Sesshomaru’s meetings that were to take place the next day.

After she had placed the files on his desk, she had wished Nazuna a good day and left. She drove home and decided that she would celebrate, however, after a quick inventory of her refrigerator, she decided that she would have to go grocery shopping.

She quickly changed into a pair of jeans, t-shirt, and sneakers before leaving her apartment again. After she was in her car, she started the engine and pulled her car out of her parking space. It took about fifteen minutes to get to the grocery store, and when she parked, she got out and happily made her way inside.

She prowled through the aisles and picked up everything she would need. When she had finished, she paid for her groceries and then drove home. Once she was back inside her apartment, she put away her groceries and then went to her answering machine. She listened to the several messages and sighed when the final message finally cut off. It had been Sango calling to find out how her first day had been.

Kagome made her way back into the kitchen and got started on her dinner. She pulled out the chicken and placed it into a pot of water to boil. Chicken enchiladas sounded heavenly for dinner and Kagome was going to treat herself.

After an hour, her meal sat before her and she was listening to music. She had decided that with a new start, she had to finish with her past. She had pulled out a box from her closet and while she ate, she went through it. She found herself staring at several pictures of herself and Inu Yasha, and she had to wonder what had gone wrong. She should have recognized the signs that he was being unfaithful, but she had been so wrapped up in the wedding that she had not really noticed anything else.

She found a wedding invitation and she ran her hand over the cover, marveling at how nice her name looked on the invitation. The company that had made the invitations had done a very good job.

Sighing, Kagome finished off her dinner and then gathered up the box in her arms. She left her apartment and took the box down to the dumpster. In order for her to move forward, she would have to let go of the past. So, Kagome did what she had to do. She threw the box into the dumpster and then walked away. She could feel the old ache in her chest, but knew it was for the best. Inu Yasha was gone and he was married. This was for the best.

When she was back in her apartment, Kagome took a nice, hot shower to ease her nerves. Once she was dressed for bed, she allowed herself to reflect on the past year. Within that year, Kagome had made several discoveries about herself.

She had come to find that she had grown dependent upon Inu Yasha’s approval and had done her best not to say anything that would upset him. She could remember the many times he had broken dates with her so that he could go out with the boys, which, Kagome later found out was a lie. He was really seeing Kikyo.

After the initial shock of being dumped passed, Kagome took it upon herself to seek the professional help of a therapist. She could not escape the feelings of loss and betrayal. For a while, Kagome feared that she would never feel normal again.

However, the therapist had done a wonderful job and had insisted on seeing Kagome a couple of times a week. It was during these sessions that Kagome had realized that Inu Yasha had taken over a large part of her life. After a couple of months in therapy, Kagome began to associate with her friends again, and actually went out with them a few times. They never pushed her and often dropped their own plans to be with her.

When the six-month anniversary of ‘the incident’ came, Kagome found that she did not hurt as badly as she had thought she would. Instead, she treated herself to a day out on the town and enjoyed herself. Of course, there were a couple of times that she had heard Inu Yasha’s name mentioned, but she had learned how to tune things out, so it really didn’t phase her.

Kagome smiled as she came to the realization that she had grown a lot stronger in the year since he left, and she really hated the fact that one person had so much influence over her. Well, never again.

Kagome hummed to herself as she made her way to her bedroom and got into her bed. She had thrown out the bed that she had shared with Inu Yasha and bought herself a nice queen sized pillow-top. She even bought silk sheets and a feather-down comforter to celebrate her new independence. As she snuggled into the silk sheets, she thought about the meetings that she would have to stand through tomorrow at Sesshomaru’s side. She could only hope that the men were friendly. Well, she would find out in the morning, she supposed. With a yawn, Kagome shut her eyes and quickly fell into a light slumber. For the first time in a year, she did not dream of Inu Yasha.
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When Kagome got into the office in the morning, she carried a large box with her. She smiled at Nazuna and said, “Guess what?”

Nazuna raised her eyebrow and asked, “What?”

“I got bagels. Want one?” Kagome asked, opening the box and showing Nazuna her delicious finds.

Nazuna nodded and selected an onion bagel. She bit into it and closed her eyes. That was a tasty bagel. She opened her eyes to see Sesshomaru standing at the doorway of his office.

“I hope that you brought enough to share, Kagome.” He said, dryly. His eyes moved up and down his personal assistant and he noted with satisfaction that she wore an appropriate outfit. She was about to enter the snake pit, meaning she was about to be in front of the most powerful businessmen known around the world and he was not willing to show her off to the other men if she looked anything other than acceptable.

“Yes, Sesshomaru-Sama. I bought enough for you and for your guests.” Kagome said, happily.

Sesshomaru did not say anything else to Kagome, but simply closed his door and wondered if he should have told her to get the boardroom ready. But, why should he tell her what she should already know what to do? He sat down at his desk and reached for a file. He had been pleased to find the files ready for him to review and actually took the time to silently praise the young woman. He could not help but notice that even though the day before was her first day, he had praised her more than he praised anyone else in his employ. He would have to watch that. He did not want her to think that she was irreplaceable.

He sat for an hour and then heard a soft knock on the door. When it opened, Kagome’s slender figure walked through and closed the door behind her.

“Sesshomaru-Sama, a few of your guests have arrived and I have shown them to the boardroom.” She said, quietly. When he nodded, Kagome turned to leave. However, his voice stopped her. “Has Hojo arrived yet, Kagome?” He asked.

“No, Sesshomaru-Sama. He called and said that he was on his way. He has been caught in traffic.” She replied. When he didn’t say another word, Kagome slipped out and went to the boardroom to see to the gentlemen’s needs.

As she stepped through the door, she immediately knew that she caught their attention. She gave them both a bright smile and asked, “May I get either of you a cup of coffee?”

One of the men smiled at her and said, “Sure. Make mine black. I have a feeling that I am going to be needing the caffeine.” He gave her a quick wink and Kagome found herself grinning at the man.

The second man scowled at the first man, but then said, “Yes, I would also like a cup. Black for me, as well.”

Kagome nodded and went over to the small table that she had set up. She poured the coffee into a couple of cups and carefully brought them over to the men. She set their cups down in front of them, and then walked back to the small table. She had pulled out the platter that she had brought from home and carefully arranged bagels onto it. She placed the platter on the table and then placed napkins beside it. She felt someone lean over her shoulder, so she quickly whipped around to find the first man that had spoken to her looking at the platter.

“I don’t think that Sesshomaru has ever been gracious enough to provide us with breakfast, so this must be your doing.” He said, his blue eyes twinkling.

Kagome smiled. She was about to reply to him, but the phone rang and she quickly excused herself. When she picked it up, Nazuna told her that Hojo had arrived. Kagome told her that she was on her way, and hung up. With a smile to both men, Kagome excused herself.

She made her way to where Hojo stood and gave him a grin. “Hi, Hojo.” She said. When he noticed her, Hojo immediately swept her up into a hug. “I am so sorry, Kagome. I would have come by to see you before you started to work here, but I got really tied up with work. Forgive me?” He asked.

Kagome pretended to think for a moment, and then nodded. When he smiled down at her, she motioned for him to follow. Together, they walked to the boardroom in time to hear the other two men sling insults at each other. Hojo quickly stepped past her and cleared his throat.

“Gentlemen, that is no way to behave in front of a lady.” He admonished. He looked over at Kagome, but she was busy pouring him coffee to notice that she now held the room’s attention.

After she had placed Hojo’s cup of coffee before him, she announced that she would go and tell Sesshomaru-Sama that they had arrived. She received a smile from the man with the pretty blue eyes and a nod from the other man. As she closed the door, she could hear the second man tell the others that he would have to ask Sesshomaru where he had found such an attractive assistant.

Kagome smiled and made her way to Sesshomaru’s office. She knocked and then let herself in. She quietly made her way over to the man and said, “Hojo has arrived and the gentlemen are waiting on you.”

Sesshomaru nodded. “Tell them that I will be there shortly. Make sure that they do not end up killing each other, Kagome.” He said as he looked through his messages.

“Yes, Sesshomaru-Sama.” Kagome replied. She walked to the door and let herself out. She went back down to the boardroom and entered. She fought the urge to giggle as the first man and second man hurled insults at each other. However, both men quickly fell silent as Kagome entered the room. “Sesshomaru-Sama will be with you in a moment. Would anyone care for some more coffee?” She asked.

The first man gave her a smile and nodded. He watched as Kagome took his cup from him and refilled it. The second man lifted his hand and waved her over.

“Tell me, what made you decide to work for Sesshomaru? After all, he is one of the biggest assholes in town, but you, my dear, are the exact opposite of him and I can’t help but wonder what it is that keeps you with him.” The man said.

Hojo cleared his throat. “Come now, Naraku. It is obvious that you are jealous of anything Sesshomaru has and now you have eyes for his assistant. I can assure you that Kagome is the calming influence that Sesshomaru needs.” He said, narrowing his eyes at the red-eyed man.

Naraku chuckled and then reached for his cup of coffee. He took a long sip and then looked over at the blue-eyed man. “What do you think, Kouga? I doubt that Sesshomaru realizes the treasure that he holds in Kagome, so I think that she would be better off in an environment that would suit her better. What do you think, Kagome?” He asked.

Kagome had moved over to a small table that stood behind the chair that Sesshomaru would sit at. She had been putting together information packets for the gentlemen to look over as Sesshomaru conducted the meeting, however, she decided to answer Naraku’s question.

“Sesshomaru-Sama treats me very well. He is a fair employer and expects those around him to do their jobs quickly and to the best of their ability. I am perfectly happy where I am, but I do appreciate your concern.” She said, smiling at the man. She watched as Naraku’s face froze in disbelief for a moment and then break out into a smirk.

“Well, give it time, my little one. Give it time. Sesshomaru will show his true colors soon enough and when he does, you will have a place at my side.” Naraku cooed to her.

“My true colors are not your concern Onigumo, and I take good care of what belongs to me, Kagome included. You would be wise to remember that.” Sesshomaru said as he walked into the boardroom. He watched as Kagome made her way around the table, making sure that each man had an information packet in front of him. He sat down at the head of the table and called the meeting to order. He watched as Kagome moved to take her place beside him. He saw that Kouga and Naraku watched his new assistant with envious eyes. It was clear that they had more than a professional interest in the young woman. His gaze was quickly diverted when Hojo cleared his throat.

Hojo knew that they would be discussing Inu Yasha and he did not want Kagome to hear that bastard’s name any more than what she had to. He cleared his throat and when he had Sesshomaru’s attention, he made a slight motion towards Kagome with his head. He saw Sesshomaru nod and then sighed in relief as Sesshomaru said, “Kagome, I need you to gather files for other meetings that I have this week. Come back around 11:30 to check on us. We may need to order out for lunch.”

“Yes, Sesshomaru-Sama.” Kagome replied. She made her way to the door and left the room, happy to be out from under that Naraku guy’s stare. Man, he was a creepy fellow.
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The meeting lasted for several hours, but finally, they came to a decision. Kouga leaned back in his chair and surveyed his companions.

“So, when do we make a move against Inu Yasha? I want that asshole to go down as soon as possible.” He said, narrowing his eyes at Sesshomaru.

“Soon. We need more ammunition against him, and we can’t afford to make any mistakes.” Sesshomaru replied.

Naraku chuckled. “Speaking of Inu Yasha, isn’t his new wife your former girlfriend, Sesshomaru? This would not happen to be some sort of revenge thing, would it?” He asked, his tone mocking.

“Revenge is for weak fools who have nothing better to do with their time than to make silly plans to take another down for personal reasons. This, Naraku, is business. In business, you either sink or swim, and it is time for Inu Yasha to sink to the bottom where he belongs.” Sesshomaru said, narrowing his eyes.

Kouga and Hojo nodded in agreement. The men looked up at Sesshomaru when he stood up. “Now that we are all in agreement, I say that we adjourn this meeting. Inu Yasha’s company falls before the end of the business day tomorrow. Kouga, I expect you to handle everything that is media related. Naraku, you deal with the legal aspects. Hojo, you make sure that we are covered in case Inu Yasha decides to retaliate.” He said as he watched the other men stand up to leave. When they nodded, Sesshomaru walked to the door and opened it. He walked down the long hall and went over to his office. Before he went inside, he called out to Kagome. “Our guests are leaving, Kagome. See them off and then report to me.”

When she nodded, he went into his office, but did not close his door all of the way. He knew that both Naraku and Kouga had some fascination with his new assistant, and he was curious as to how she would handle both men.

Kagome walked over to the elevator and smiled at the men before her. The blue-eyed man smiled down at her and then took her hand. “I don’t believe that you and I have been properly introduced. I already have the pleasure of know your name, but have not had the honor of telling you mine. My name is Kouga Makasuno.” He said as he lowered his lips to kiss the back of Kagome’s hand. He smiled when he heard her giggle.

“It is nice to meet you, Mr. Makasuno.” She said, smiling up at him when he rose to his full height. “To you, my dear Kagome, it is Kouga. Well, I need to be on my way. Please tell Sesshomaru that this is the first meeting with him that I actually enjoyed.” He said, winking at Kagome. He strode into the elevator and held it open for the other two men.

Naraku scowled over at Kouga, but then graced Kagome with a smile. “I have also neglected to introduce myself, Kagome. I am Naraku Onigumo, and I, too, would be honored if you called me Naraku. I do believe that this new alliance with Sesshomaru will prove to be quite entertaining, don’t you agree, gentlemen?” He asked.

Hojo sighed and then said, “We must be going. Kagome, I will call you later and we can talk. Have a good day.” He leaned over and kissed Kagome’s cheek before joining the other two men in the elevator. With one last wave, Hojo pushed the button for the ground floor, and the doors shut, cutting Kagome off from their sight.

She sighed and then glanced over at Nazuna, who was smirking at her. “What?” Kagome asked, her curiosity aroused.

“You seem to have attracted two very handsome admirers, Kagome. Both men are very handsome and very powerful. It will be interesting to see them compete for your attention.” Nazuna replied, her smirk widening into a grin.

Kagome rolled her eyes and then walked to Sesshomaru’s office. She found that the door was slightly ajar, and she proceeded to knock. When she let herself inside, she closed the door and made her way over to her boss.

Sesshomaru didn’t give her a glance as he asked, “What did you think of our guests, Kagome?”

“Well, Mr. Makasuno seems to be very friendly and forthcoming, while Mr. Onigumo seems to be a bit withdrawn and seems as though he would be one of those people to hide things from others.” She replied.

“They gave you permission to address them by their first names, so why don’t you?” Sesshomaru asked, his golden eyes finally gracing her with their attention.

“Because, Sesshomaru-Sama, it is not respectful to you. Perhaps if I were in town and bumped into them would I use their first names, but in the office, they are your guests and I will not use anything but the respectful title that men of their stature deserve.” Kagome replied. She could not understand why he was asking her these questions.

Sesshomaru’s golden eyes darted up to Kagome’s face. He could not detect any deception, and was rather pleased that he could trust her to handle his associates with respect. She was a much better assistant that he had originally thought.

“Order lunch for us from Youkai Winds. Tell them that you are calling for me and they will already know what I want. Make sure that they are aware that I am displeased with their last delivery person and that I will not be happy if my lunch is tardy.” He said. “Nazuna has the petty cash and she will pay for our lunch. Bring it in here as soon as it arrives, Kagome.”

“Yes, Sesshomaru-Sama.” Kagome replied. She left his office and went to hers. She called Youkai Winds and made the order, making sure to inform the young woman on the phone of Sesshomaru-Sama’s warning. When she was assured that their lunch would be there as soon as it could, Kagome hung up and proceeded to get the files sorted and ready to take into Sesshomaru.

After a while, Kagome heard the elevator bell ring, signaling that someone was approaching Nazuna’s desk. She hoped like hell that it was lunch. She was starving. She had to reschedule her lunch with Nazuna, but the young woman understood and they planned on going to dinner after work. Kagome walked out and found a young man holding two large bags in his hand. Kagome grinned at Nazuna, who nodded at her and Kagome quickly took the bags from the young man and went to Sesshomaru’s office. She knocked and then opened the door. When her employer saw that she held his lunch, he pointed over to a small table and watched as Kagome went over to it and began to empty the bags. She saw that Sesshomaru had pulled out two plates and a couple of forks and after she had filled his plate up, she brought it over to him. He offered no thanks, but instead gave her a slight nod and began to eat. Kagome filled her plate and sat before him, taking small bites and reveling in the exquisite flavor of the spiced meat. When they were done, Sesshomaru began to speak.

“Tomorrow, I will not be in the office so I expect those files to be ready before the end of work today. If anyone comes looking for me, tell them to make an appointment. You may leave early tomorrow, but I expect that everything be in order for my meeting with Jakotsu Hagarishi for the next day. Do you understand, Kagome?” He asked, his eyes narrowing.

When she nodded, he waved his hand at her and dismissed her. When Kagome opened the door, he heard her squeal. Curious, he stood up and walked to the door and saw a large bouquet of roses sitting on Nazuna’s desk.

“So, who is the lucky man, Nazuna?” Kagome asked, excitement evident in her voice.

Nazuna laughed and said, “These are not for me, Kagome. They came for you, but if you don’t hurry and read the card, I will and I will do it aloud.”

Kagome giggled and reached for the card. She opened the envelope and then frowned. Nazuna was dying with curiosity. “Well, who sent them?” She demanded.

“Kouga Makasuno sent them and he has requested that I join him for dinner later on this week.” She said, her voice cracking a bit.

Sesshomaru felt his hands clench. He did not like this at all. He strode out of his office and took the card from her hands. He gazed at the card and then looked at Nazuna. “Get Kouga on the phone and then put him through to my office.” He said. He stalked back to his office and shut the door, only to have Kagome follow him.

“What are you doing?” She cried, holding her hand out for the card. He glared at her, but then snatched his phone up when he heard Nazuna’s voice tell him that Kouga was on the line.

“Makasuno, from this point on, you will refrain from courting my assistant. I do not need her drooling over you when I am trying to conduct business and I would appreciate it if you refrain from any other attempts to attract her attentions away from her work. She will not be able to join you for dinner and I suggest that you find another woman to entertain your bed.” Sesshomaru said, his voice low and stern. He slammed the phone down as Kouga began to speak and then looked at Kagome.

“From this point on, you will not attempt to seduce any more of my associates, Kagome. I don’t need you to whore yourself out for my benefit.” He said, his eyes cold and angry.

Kagome’s face went from pale to red. Her eyes narrowed and she stalked up to his desk and slammed her hands upon it. “Just who in the hell do you think you are, you arrogant son of a bitch? I have never whored myself out and will never whore myself out for you or anyone else. As for me seducing your associates, they are the ones interested in me, not the other way around and I will suggest that from this point on, you do not insinuate that I am some sort of cheap tramp that is lusting after your business partners. If I were, I would have been all over that Naraku guy seeing as how he has made no attempt to hide his attraction for me. I will have you know that I am not that kind of girl and if you are worried about me attempting to screw you or your buddies, well, don’t worry. You are not my type and I doubt that the men I met today are my type either.” She said, her anger getting the best of her.

Sesshomaru’s eyes narrowed. “And just what is your type, Kagome? A bastard who cheats around on you because you are too stupid to realize that you have been replaced? Or, a man who cares nothing for you and leaves you at the alter for a woman who is better than you?” He growled out.

Kagome gasped and took a few steps back, her heart breaking all over again. How did he know? She shook her head and went to the door. She walked through it and then slammed it as hard as she could, causing all of the awards and pictures to shutter violently on the wall. She could not look at Nazuna and went into her office, closing the door behind her. She sat down and let the tears fall.
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Sesshomaru sat in stunned silence. What had just happened? Since when did he lose control over his emotions? He could clearly see her walking out of his office and hear the slam of his door, but he had never expected to feel any amount of guilt. He never felt guilty, but now, he was remorseful over his words to Kagome. He stood up and walked to his door. He opened it and looked at Nazuna, who was quietly working.

“Has Kagome left for the day?” He asked, his eyes trained on Kagome’s office door. He would not go to the wench, but instead, he would give her space and let her come to him. After all, he was the employer, and she the employee. It should be her that made an apology, not him.

“No, Sesshomaru-Sama. She is in her office and seemed quite upset after she left your office.” Nazuna replied, knowing full well why her friend was upset.

“I see. Get rid of those flowers that Makasuno sent her. They have no place here.” Sesshomaru said.

Nazuna gave him an apologetic shrug. “When you and Kagome were in your office, I moved the roses into her office. I will tell her when I see her to get rid of them.” She said.

Sesshomaru shook his head in frustration and went back to his office. As he sat down, he could not help but wonder what Kagome was doing in her office and if she were still upset by his words. He was sure that Hojo would hear about the words that he had said to her and knew that he had better get ready for the young man’s wrath. He could not help but smirk at Kagome’s angry outburst and wondered if she were that amusing when she was pissed, would she be even more so if she were furious. He would have to find out, but he would not use Inu Yasha as a weapon against her ever again. Sighing, he turned his attention back to his work and allowed Kagome to slip from his mind, at least for the time being.