InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Club Moves ❯ Chapter 1

A/N Hello everyone, and welcome to my new story!

 

Yes, I know, Bad-boy Inuyasha/Good-girl Kagome. It's a theme that's been done more than once, but I just couldn't resist.

 

Reviews are always more then welcome, and I'd appreciate a word or two on how you think I'm doing.

 

Enjoy yourselves, and speak to ya later!

 

 

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Kagome Higurashi sighed, clutching the newspaper's help wanted ad tightly in her hand as she surveyed the many women in line with her.

 

Not ordinary women, oh no. It couldn't be that easy on her self-esteem. These were beautiful women, breathtaking women. These were women who looked like they belonged in Playboy or in the Victoria's Secret catalogue.

 

Kagome had no illusions about herself. She was very pretty, more than worth a second look in usual circumstances.

 

In these circumstances, she felt as attractive as Miss Marple.

 

Silly her. She was dressed for an interview, in fitted slacks and a single-breasted jacket, fitted snug on her body. Her top was an ivory lace camisole styled top, and she wore boots with a three-inch stiletto heel. She thought she looked professional, but carrying an edge.

 

Seeing the women in the miniskirts and thigh high boots, Kagome admitted to herself she was granny.

 

The thought crossed her mind that maybe she was wasting her time here; maybe she should spend this day looking for a job that she actually had a chance of getting.

 

Before she had a chance to pursue that line of thinking, though, the door opened and a woman came out. All around her, the chatter stopped as the woman pulled out a bullhorn and called out, “Ladies, quiet please.”

 

Once the woman was sure that all the attention was on her, she continued. “My name is Sango, and I'm one of the people involved in the hiring process. If you listen to my instructions, you will find this is not going to take long at all. Here's how it goes. One at a time, you are going to be ushered into the club. Once there, you will be given a short interview, which will last fifteen minutes maximum. Then, we will thank you and you can get on with your day. The person that we choose to fill the position will be called by end of business tomorrow, but that is the only phone call we are making. Translation, if you don't hear from us by 5 pm, you did not get the job.”

 

The door opened again, and a man came out to whisper something in Sango's ear. Sango nodded, at which point the man returned inside the club. Sango returned her attention to the women. “We are now ready to start the interviews. We will go in line order. Feel free to talk while in line, but no cutting in line or any other juvenile tactics to get in earlier. Please know that we will be interviewing everybody, we will not be making a decision about hiring on the spot, so you getting in earlier will not help you get the job. You will be given a chance to ask any questions you may have at the end of your interview. Good luck ladies, and thank you for coming.”

 

Sango walked back into the building, and then the man who had just spoken to her came out and motioned for the first girl in line to walk into the club.

 

Immediately, excited chatter started up. It seemed most women had come with girlfriends, like this was the line for getting tickets to a rock concert instead of for a job interview.

 

There were about twenty women in front of Kagome. She had thought that arriving two hours early would get her the first spot in line, but she had misjudged the interest in this job. Considering it looked to be a couple hundred women behind her, though, 21st place didn't seem bad at all.

 

Her great spot in line was probably the only thing keeping her here, the butterflies in her stomach worsening as she heard snippets of conversation around her…

 

“…I heard one girl got a $5,000 tip from some guy…”

 

“…Every one of the 100 most eligible bachelors from the magazine about rich people, they've been here in the last two months…”

 

“…I've heard even the demon lords themselves have been seen here…”

 

“…I will get on my knees and blow anybody it takes to get me this job…”

 

Six women down in about thirty minutes. This was going faster then Kagome thought it would. She sighed and looked up at the building.

 

A nice looking building, but nothing extraordinary about it, no signs or any other adornments to proclaim why all these beautiful women were here, panting over the thought of getting a job inside the doors.

 

The Shikon, the premier human/youkai club, where only the richest, most beautiful, most important of either race were allowed to grace the inside with their presence.

 

Kagome wasn't interested in the people, not really. She had never been one to worship either celebrity or money.

 

That didn't mean she didn't need money, though. Anyone who had been in school for nine years and were currently working on their doctorate needed both a lot of time, and a lot of money.

 

Kagome had neither. Her current job was at the library, and though she enjoyed the work, that job made her work too many hours for not enough money, barely enough money to cover rent and the major bills. She couldn't stay there, she needed work elsewhere.

 

She wasn't here for the same reason most of these women were. Their overriding hope was finding a man, someone to spoil them and make all their material fantasies come true. Kagome's reason for being here was hope that the rumors were true, that only a few nights tips would be equal to a month of any other labor.

 

An hour, and fifteen women seen. Kagome's stomach was in such a knot that she was sure, had she eaten today, she would be throwing up now.

 

She had never been into clubs. Never. She loved dancing, but the rest of it made her gag. Casual sex wasn't something that ever interested her, ditto getting drunk. Being in a club was a crash course in why the id must be restrained.

 

Now, she was trying to get a job at one.

 

Did she really want to do this? Even if by some miracle she actually got the job here - and looking at the other women, it would truly be a miracle - is this what she wanted to do? Do a job in an atmosphere that by turns made her uncomfortable, indignant, and just plain angry? Was money worth it?

 

“Miss, you're next.”

 

Kagome looked up to see the man motioning her in the club. Without conscious decision, she walked into the room set up for the interview.

 

Four people were before her sitting behind a table. Sango sat at the end and spoke first. “Hello, your name please?”

 

“Kagome, Kagome Higurashi.”

 

Sango smiled. “Kagome, that's very unusual. From that old children's poem.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Sango nodded and continued, introducing people from the table. “I'm Sango, this is Miroku, the youkai next to him is Myouga, and finally at the end is Kagura.”

 

Kagome smiled at each of them as they were introduced. Miroku looked very centered, beatific almost. Kagome couldn't imagine him working at a place like the Shikon. Myouga was a short man, older, but he had an almost childlike countenance about him, no doubt because of both his stature and his plump little body. Finally, Kagura. Kagome wasn't sure what to make of the woman. She was beautiful beyond doubt, but there was something about her eyes. Not malicious necessarily, but cunning.

 

Kagura started the questioning. “Do you have any experience as a waitress?”

 

“Yes, all through high school I worked at a local diner.”

 

“What do you do presently?” Kagura continued.

 

“Currently I am working on my doctorate in Asian Medieval history, and I am employed by the university's library.”

 

“A doctoral student working at the Shikon, what a fascinating thought,” Kagura said, her smile genuine as far as Kagome could tell. “Why do you want this job?”

 

“Money,” said Kagome without hesitation. “I'm putting myself through school, and I heard that you can make better wages here than in other areas of employment.”

 

“Miss Kagome,” said Miroku, speaking for the first time. “You would work long hours on the weekends, Thursday through Saturday. Considering how much time must go to your schooling during the week, are you sure that such a pretty woman like yourself can handle the loss of your social time? No time for going out with your girlfriends, trying on clothes together or going to the beach in your swimsuits?”

 

As he spoke, Miroku's eyes took on a slight gleam, and suddenly he did not look beatific at all, and Kagome was sure that there was nowhere the man would rather be than working for the Shikon.

 

“Umm,” she said, certain she just heard Sango mutter pervert under her breath. “I don't socialize much. There would be no loss for me.”

 

Kagura spoke again. “Unlike many candidates that we have seen, you seem rather…” a small pause. “Refined. If you are offered this job, you will be expected to dress a certain way, perhaps a bit sexier than you are used to. Will this be a problem?”

 

“No,” said Kagome, while the back of her mind whispered maybe.

 

Sango looked at Kagura, who gave a small nod. Sango turned to Kagome and said, “Thank you, Kagome. If you will give me your resume, that will be all.”

 

Kagome blinked, handing Sango her resume. That was fast, faster than what the other girls had taken. Her heart gave a plummet. It must have been fast because there was no interest.

 

Well, she saw the competition, she should have known.

 

She walked back into the sunlight, her eyes needing only a moment to adjust. She took a deep breath. OK Kagome, she thought to herself. That was tough, and a little humbling. You deserve a chocolate milkshake for compensation. After that, grab the classified ads and think on this no more.

 

With that plan firmly in mind, Kagome walked to the ice cream shop.

 

 

Kagome did not look up from the thick book in front of her when she heard her cellphone. Still reading, she leaned over and grabbed it from her purse. “Hello?”

 

“Kagome Higurashi?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“This is Kagura.”

 

Kagome sat up straight. “Kagura… hello.”

 

A chuckle from the other end of the line. “I'm calling to offer you a job. Are you still interested?”

 

Stunned silence, then Kagome choked out, “Yes, yes, I am.”

 

“Then be here Friday, 6pm.”

 

“Yes, I will.”

 

“Until then, Kagome. Goodbye.”

 

“Bye,” said Kagome, her voice just above a whisper as she heard the click at the other end, signaling Kagura had hung up.

 

She had a job. At the Shikon.

 

For the rest of the night, Kagome's thoughts swung between thinking this was a really great development, and thinking she should run.