Contracting Love

A/N: Here’s what I think of you, light board!!! **flips the light board the finger**
So, for my lighting design class, which I can’t graduate without, I had to design some lights to music. Problem is, I am neither a lighting designer nor good with technology. So, I spent a grand total of *twelve hours* designing for three minutes worth of music in the dark, which I’m terrified of, with the theater ghost, Karen, constantly making noise and freaking me the hell out! Needless to say, it was the most terrifying three days of my life. On top of that, when I presented my project on Thursday, I jumped a cue and skipped over one of my coolest cues, which consisted of my center violet special in a 20 second fade-up (that’s a really long time, really), right into the next one with the pink! AAAHHH!!!!!! On the other hand, my TD liked everything I did except the two green gels I used. And now the show from hell is finally over. Still haven’t done my two papers, but I plan on doing them this weekend. Oh, and the play I wrote for my Theater Theory class got both good and bad reactions from my classmates when performed for them. Well, ya know what! I don’t care *how* they reacted just as long as they had *some* kind of reaction instead of sitting there with thumbs up their asses!!! Did I mention that I’m not a playwright, either?
Okay, I’m done with that little rant. I’m really sorry that it took me so long to get this chapter up. I’m gonna try to get the last few up really quick, but I’ve got end of the year banquet coming up and I kinda can’t weasel out of that one. We’ll see. No matter what, this story *will* be finished…hopefully before the end of the year!!!
Anyway, I think this chapter sucks. But it has to be here because of what has to happen to them on Friday. So, whether you like it or not, leave me some lovein’ on the review page. My muse saw my list of things to do and baled on me (stupid, flighty muse! I shake my fist at you!!!), so this is what you’re stuck with.
PS: The winners for the Cameo Contest have been chosen and I will be e-mailing them shortly. Thanks to all who participated!
Wow. That was a long A/N.

As always, reviews are encouraged, welcomed, and oh so appreciated. Really, they’re what keeps me going!
Kiss Kiss!!
~Ashes

Contracting Love
By Ashes

Chapter 8: A Friend’s Council

“There you are!” Kagome rushed after her boss, a stack of papers in her hands. “Your two o’clock meeting with the Millers has been moved to three thirty,” she rattled off. “The Shelly’s lawyer called and wants to meet with you to discuss a deal. He sounded cocky on the phone, so good luck. Max called this morning and wants to see you in his office ASAP to go over some stuff for the Washington case. *He* sounded in a really bad mood, so be careful. Hey! Are you even listening to me?”

Sango breezed past her secretary and friend and into her office. Throwing her forest green blazer on the small couch, she quickly shuffled through her briefcase and took out the necessary files, humming a tune under her breath.

She felt better than she had in weeks and she owed it all to one very gorgeous blue-eyed god of a man. Not only had she slept spectacularly, but she felt particularly good about herself today. Miroku’s lessons were having quite an agreeable effect on her self-confidence. Even being twenty minutes late to work and being bombarded with case loads couldn’t break her mood.

“Hm?” She looked up to see Kagome scowling at her. “Oh, sorry. I was thinking about something else.” Some*one* else, to be precise. She’d have to remind him to “punish” her later for saying that naughty word again…

Kagome slammed the stack of papers on the front of Sango’s desk and glared at her. But something in her boss’ appearance caught her eye. She frowned, leaning over the desk and scrutinized her.

Her eyes grew wide with shock as she jumped back. “Oh my god!” She pointed an accusing finger at Sango. “You got some!”

“What? No, I didn’t. Now would you please keep your voice down?” A few curious glances were being sent their way.

“But you got some!”

The look Sango sent her would have made a grown man cry like a baby. But not Kagome. She sprinted for the door and slammed it shut. After shutting every blind in the office, she marched toward the desk and perched on the edge. She crossed her arms and frowned. “Spill.”

Sango sighed irritably. “There’s nothing to tell.” She eased herself into the stuffed leather chair. Okay, so there was *one* thing that could ruin her mood, and Kagome’s plethora of questions, to which she never seemed to have the right answer, was it.

“Don’t give me that,” she sneered. “You waltz in here, twenty minutes late, which you *never* do, humming to yourself and not paying attention to a word I say with that glow about you and you *dare* to sit there and tell me you *didn’t* have sex last night with Mr. Hotty-Mc-Hot-Hot? Who the hell do you think you’re kidding?”

“We didn’t have sex, Kagome.”

“Oh yeah? Well *something* must have caused you to practically glide on air the moment you stepped in the office today. What, the cab driver give you a free lift?”

“Okay! Okay! Look,” she said leaning in, “if I tell you what happened, do you promise not to make a big deal out of it?”

“That depends…” Kagome considered.

Sango chose her word carefully. “I invited him over last night. There was one of those movie marathons you hate on, only *he* happens to like them. We watched the movies and then…he stayed the night. BUT,” Sango put up a finger to silence her, “nothing happened. We just slept. That was all.”

Kagome scrutinized her. “That’s all?”

“Yes.”

“Not even a little petting?”

“No.” She leaned back in her chair and smiled. “It was the best night’s sleep I’ve had in a long time, Kags. It was probably the first time I’ve ever felt completely safe with a man. He makes me feel so…”

“At ease?”

“Yeah.” Sango didn’t notice the knowing smile on the other woman’s face. “He’s brought out a side of me I didn’t even know was there. He’s smart and funny. And when I’m with him I feel like….”

“Like what?”

Sango shook her head and began fiddling with the papers on her desk. “Nothing. It’s stupid.”

She watched as Sango shuffled without any real purpose, all the while avoiding looking at Kagome. “Oh no.” She reached out and touched Sango’s wrist, effectively stopping her inane shuffling. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you.”

“No, I’m not,” she said a little too quickly.

“Yes, you are.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Why is that ridiculous?”

“Because,” she said glaring at her friend, “I’ve known him a grand total of three days-”

“Four.”

“Three days, four days, whatever. It’s not enough time to fall in love with someone, especially for me.”

She shrugged. “Okay, so, you’re not in love with him.”

“No, I’m not.”

“…In lust?”

Sango fidgeted nervously. “Maybe a little.”

“Okay. Then why don’t you just sleep with him and get it out of your system?”

“Kagome!”

“What?”

“I can’t sleep with a guy I barley know!”

“Sure you can. It’s called a ‘one-night stand’, Sango. I know for a fact that even *you* know what a one-night stand is.”

“That was different. The point is I barley know Miroku. Do you honestly think I could just waltz up to him and say, ‘Hello, Miroku. I want your body in the worst way imaginable. Wanna go up to my place and have some hot, meaningless sex,’ and then get rid of him the next morning?”

Kagome’s expression remained dry. “That’s exactly what you’re supposed to do. I believe that’s why they call them one-night stands, Sango.”

Kagome watched her friend stomp around the office, her eyes practically shooting flames. In all the years she’d been friends with Sango, she’d never seen her friend act quite this upset over a guy, especially a guy who so obviously wanted her. She had to admit to the startling change in Sango’s personality over the past few days. Even when bogged down with work her mood seemed more relaxed. Even the way she walked spoke of a woman with immense confidence in herself.

Miroku was having quite an effect on her best friend. So why then was Sango all of a sudden so defensive about the situation?

“This isn’t about Miroku is it?”

Sango stopped her pacing and stared at the raven-haired woman. “What are you talking about?”

“Common, Sango, be honest.” Kagome slowly walked toward her friend, as if she were afraid that Sango might suddenly take flight and run from the office. “You’ve got this absolutely gorgeous guy who, not only sent you flowers to work, but has also done other various romantic deeds such as bring you dinner while you worked late, secreted you off for an extra-long lunch hour, and cuddled with you on the couch while watching a really bad movie marathon which is, apparently, something only the two of you would do since no one else in the *world* likes those movies.”

“Hey, now, I-”

“I’m not finished. He’s smart, handsome, *and* funny, all of which you readily admitted yourself, with the body of a god and who’s been specially trained in how to get you off. And the best part about it is that once this reunion of yours is over and done with you are under absolutely no obligation to see him again. This is a win-win situation for you, and yet at the mere mention of anything intimate, you turn tail and run. So, I repeat: This isn’t about Miroku, is it?”

Suddenly Sango looked more haggard than she had in weeks. Defeated, she stumbled over to the desk and sagged back into one of the chairs opposite where she usually sat. Kagome fallowed, her deep concern showing in her eyes.

“It’s that guy, isn’t it?” she asked. “The one you dated in college. Naraku, wasn’t it?”

“I’m afraid that-”

“Sango.” Her friend looked at her with stricken eyes. “Miroku is not Naraku,” she said gently. “Naraku was a jerk. Miroku is…”

“…Perfect,” she finished.

But the sadness did not ebb from Sango’s eyes.

***

About three thirty in the afternoon, the phone rang in Sango’s office. Barely lifting her eyes from the mounds of paperwork in front of her, she picked up the receiver and pressed it to her ear.

“Taijiya,” she said into the hard plastic of the phone.

“That was incredible.”

She sat up straighter. “Miroku?” It was amazing how the sound of his voice could pull her back from the spiral of depression she’d been going down all day.

She heard him groan over the phone line, her body instantly standing at attention. “Damn, you’re even sexy on the phone.”

She smiled. “Well, you’re not so bad yourself.” She blushed instantly at her brazenness.

“You’re blushing, aren’t you.” She blushed harder. A deep, throaty chuckle caressed her, phantom hands sending blazing trails along her body. “I love it when you blush. I wish I could be there to see it.”

The teasing note of his voice only made her shiver. “And why is that?”

“Because I’d love to see what you look like blushing from head to toe.”

She groaned. She’d like that too… “Miroku…”

He sighed heavily, most of the seduction gone from his voice. “I’m sorry, Sango. The reason I called was because I wanted to tell you that I have to cancel our date tonight.”

“Oh… Okay.” Her mood slipped a notch.

“There’s some last minute business that I have to take care of tonight, but I want to make it up to you. Meet me at La Luna’s tomorrow night at 8 o’clock.”

“Okay. 8 o’clock, La Luna’s.”

“I’ll see you then, beautiful.”

The phone went dead in her hand as he hung up. Sango put down the receiver and looked mournfully back at the paperwork on her desk.

Maybe it was a good thing he’d canceled on her.

***

A/N: Hang on to your hats, boys and girls…well…probably mostly girls… No, the next chapter is *not* a lemon, but there *will* be some limey goodness…or maybe I’ll save that for Chapter 10... I’m such a tease…

P.S.: I made up the name of the restaurant. …Mostly for my own purposes. I didn’t have time to research all about some fancy restaurant in New York City. Sorry.