InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Patchwork Family ❯ A Day Off and the Persistence of an Englishman ( Chapter 36 )

A/N: All Inuyasha characters and references belong to the creator of Inuyasha, Rumiko Takahashi and published by Shogakukan. Any other characters are more than likely my own creation. If I borrow directly from another story I will do my best to make sure I give credit where credit is due. I will be pulling some material (ideas and inspirations) from Burn Notice, Leverage, Scorpion, Supernatural, and Lockwood & Co.


*** A Day Off and the Persistence of an Englishman ***
03212015 (numbers are for my own purposes, don’t mind them)

The damp, chilly weather had lifted when the sun spread its light over Shore House once more. Rosalind was already up, dressed again in her torn jeans. However, as she wasn’t baking, she had caved to the temptation of wearing a brand new shirt, a crew necked long-sleeve affair in a deep forest green color. The hue made her red hair look that much brighter, her green eyes more vibrant.

Rin and Shippo were perched on two of the stools at the counter, eating scrambled eggs complete with ham, fresh parsley and cheese, when Sesshomaru entered the kitchen. For half a dozen reasons, Sesshomaru hadn’t slept the night before, but he’d changed out of his more professional attire in the absence of any video conferenced meetings.

Now the tall, silver-haired man wore dark gray pants made from a loose, light material, with a drawstring tied at his hips. A broad, white shirt, almost a kind of robe, hung open over his bare chest, the fabric every bit as light and fine as his pants, and patterned across one shoulder with a geometric design of red and white blossoms. His feet remained bare; a choice Rosalind had noticed most demons made, whenever possible. She could sympathize. She hated wearing shoes.

It was still early, only just 8 a.m., so Sesshomaru was surprised to see the children already fully awake. Rin generally slept in until nine on Saturdays. He greeted them with a nod before moving past Rosalind where she stood at the stove. As he filled the kettle with water she told him, “the second batch of eggs will be done in a second if you’re hungry, there’s ham too.”

Sesshomaru added tea leaves to the strainer over his mug and nodded once. He took a seat next to his daughter, situating himself at the end of the counter. He studied Rosalind, privately noting the contrast her new clothing made with the old and asking her, “have you eaten?”

Rosalind’s eyes flicked to his for a moment and she released a slightly exasperated sigh. “Yes, I had some eggs and ham when I first dished breakfast out for these two hooligans.”

Shippo spoke through a mouth full of egg and asked, “what’s a hooligan?”

Rosalind’s lips twitched in a smile and she said, “a hooligan-- my dear-- is a boy who talks with food in his mouth.”

Shippo scowled a little and swallowed. But his good humor returned almost immediately as he exclaimed, “Sango said it’s Saturday so we don’t have to go to school.”

The young woman nodded, her smile warming, and she glanced over at Sesshomaru again as she set a plate of eggs and ham in front of him. He thanked her and she asked, “what needs to get done today?”

The demon considered for a moment before he said, “I have no business that must be seen to until early Monday morning, and not much more can be done until a few other things happen. I was considering taking the boat out today. The weather has improved. The temperature is expected to reach 26 this afternoon.”

Rin grinned broadly, excited. “I want to go out on the boat too! It’s gonna be like it’s summer! Rosie can come too!”

Sesshomaru’s lips twitched a little in amusement and he nodded. “Indeed. Summer will not set in fully for a few months yet, but on the whole, the spring is proving to be mild.”

Rosalind brought the boiling kettle over and filled his mug and her own with the hot water, the smell of peppermint tea rising pleasantly from her cup. She moved the rest of the eggs from the pan onto a large plate and asked, “26, that’s Celsius right? What’s the translation in Fahrenheit? I never was good at alternate systems of measurement from what the uses.”

Sesshomaru took a sip of his tea, realizing his slip back into the form of measurement he’d learned first, and supplied the answer. “Approximately eighty degrees.” Then his eyes slid to the kids and he asked Rin, “did you invite Rosalind to come with us? You should never assume others do not have business of their own to attend to.”

Rin looked a little abashed, her cheeks turning pink as she looked at Rosalind. “Do you want to come Rosie? We could go swimming!”

Rosalind smiled and sipped her tea before she said, “thank you Rin, I’d love to go with you guys.” She loved the ocean, and she’d been in it whenever she’d had time as a kid. But since she’d moved to Arcata mostly all she’d done was work, both with the bakery and with her paints. She found every molecule in her sit up and take notice at the notion of being out on the water again. She turned to Sesshomaru and asked, “is my board still in the garage?”

The demon nodded. “I believe so. I’ll get it down and take it out. I need to check the fuel and remove the covers. Neither boat has been out in several months.”

The kids were thoroughly excited and rushed off to put on swimsuits. Sesshomaru loaded their plates and his own into the dishwasher before telling Rosalind, “I’m going to prepare the boat. Tell any that wake in the next hour we’ll be out all day. They may join us if they wish. If you could pack a meal it would be appreciated.”

Rosalind smiled and gave him a nod, “sure thing. I’ll grab the bag with the kids’ masks and flippers too.”

As Sesshomaru was leaving, Sango and Miroku walked in, Kohaku following behind them. Sango held Shiori in her arms and set the little girl on the counter in front of her with a sigh. “Did I hear you guys are going out on the catamaran today? I wish I could go.”

Rosalind gave her friend a sympathetic look and asked, “after they called you in so early before, you have to work Saturday?”

Sango nodded, looking exasperated, then smiled at her daughter. “Yes, retail never takes weekends off, but it’s mostly just office stuff. I have to put together paper work from the buying trip for next fall. And Shiori gets to come help me.” She tickled her daughter’s sides, trying to get a smile out of her.

Rosalind sighed and offered, “maybe next time. I tell you what, why don’t I pack up some of the leftover cinnamon rolls and you can take them with you.”

Sango’s smile warmed as Shiori’s eyes lit up. The little girl had been showing signs of feeling cranky about having to go to work with Mom. “That would be great. Thanks.”

Rosalind turned her eyes to Miroku and Kohaku as they filled plates with eggs and ham from the platter she’d left out. “How about you guys? Sesshomaru said anyone who wants to come is welcome, but to also to tell you we won’t be coming back in until this evening.”

Kohaku shook his head and said, “sounds like fun but I have a date.”

Sango looked at her brother and raised a curious eyebrow. “Oh yeah?”

Kohaku flushed a little but nodded, refusing to share more details. Miroku made a grunting sound of amusement and said, “I’m meeting Sango with lunch later, and I’m doing some work with Gabriel on the van.”

Rosalind was beginning to wonder if it was just going to be her, Sesshomaru, and the kids. She supposed that would be okay, if quieter than she’d imagined. Shippo ran into the kitchen dressed in green swim trunks, his fluffy red tail flying behind him as he shouted, “Koga and Ayame said they’re coming too!”

She did a quick head count, added a few extra to the number to be safe, and packed a large cooler with lunch. After she left the food by the front door she went to check on Rin. The little girl was just pulling on a white cover up over her orange and white checked swim suit. Her feet were clad in electric pink flip flops and she grinned. “Are you gonna swim with us?” Rosalind nodded and returned her smile. “Yep. When you’re ready, go tell Dad the cooler’s by the door when he wants to come get it.”

Rin nodded excitedly and raced out. Rosalind wondered if the girl realized it would be an hour or so at least before Sesshomaru had the boat ready to launch. She shook her head in amusement and made her way to her bedroom to find her own swimming things.

***

Kagome stretched, feeling warm, safe, and happy. For a minute, she just enjoyed this, waiting until she had to face the world before she pulled any of her worries close about her again. This quiet inside her was a new and precious thing. It took her a few minutes to realize part of the reason she was so warm was that she was curled up against someone, his arm wrapped around her waist, and a stiff something starting to press against her butt.

Inuyasha had already woken and was listening to the activity in the hallway while Kagome slept. He felt her breath in deeply and stretch against him, releasing a small, contented sigh. As she arched a little against him, the slight case of morning wood he had turned into a legitimate hard on and he wanted to groan, spreading his fingers out where his hand lay against the camisole covering the very slight curve of her stomach. He fantasized for a moment about how nice it would be if she just wore the loose button up top without the tighter shirt underneath it.

He felt her stiffen, her scent suddenly shot through with nervousness, but not necessarily fear. There was the dull rustle of anxiety in his head and he tightened his arm around her gently, laying his chin on her shoulder and whispering against her neck, “you’re okay, it’s just me.”

Kagome opened her eyes, forcing herself to calm back down and re-settling against him in the dimly lit room. It was dim, she noticed, but no longer dark. There was now one night light plugged in on either side of the room, sweeping a soft, warm illumination up the walls. She turned a little under his arm so she lay on her other side, facing him. This meant she wound up brushing against his erection several times and he closed his eyes, praying for control. When she settled again he looked down at her. She was chewing her bottom lip again, her cheeks stained pink with a blush as she whispered, “sorry.”

He frowned faintly in confusion. “For what?”

Her cheeks went a deeper red and her eyes slid down between them under the blankets. Inuyasha realized she was apologizing for making him hard. Well… that was a first, and also strange. His lips twitched into a smile and he released a rumbling chuckle. Gently, he pulled her closer and rolled onto his back, situating her easily on top of his body, his hands settling on her pajama clad hips. She protested, but it was half-hearted at best, and she was smiling, so he took no notice.

Kagome settled against his bare chest, laying her head in the crook of his shoulder. He felt her smile against his skin as she felt his cock twitch once against her hip. She wriggled a little against him, almost teasingly, and he let out a long low groan. In the soft pajama pants, he could feel her so much better than when she’d been wearing jeans. He rumbled with an appreciative sound and pressed his throbbing length against her through his sweatpants, his hands sliding down the small of her back to give her rear a slight squeeze. He asked in a husky, teasing tone, “is that a promise or a threat?”

She braced herself up on her elbows and looked down at him, still blushing, and shrugging her shoulders. Quietly, she asked, “what time is it?”

Inuyasha fumbled around for his phone on the floor next to the bed, but with her on top of him, he couldn’t get to it. She carefully maneuvered her upper body so her elbows were against the mattress under his left arm, hooking one foot around his leg to anchor herself as she leaned over and grabbed the cell phone. This pressed her hips tightly against him again and he closed his eyes a second, thinking, ‘a promise AND a threat then…’

His sensitive eyes were grateful when she just flipped the phone open and looked at it herself, directing the luminous screen away from his face. She closed the phone and set it next to his pillow as she murmured, “quarter after eight.”

Inuyasha’s eyes slid from her face, down her neck, getting a good look at the tops of her breasts in the camisole where they pressed against his chest. She pursed her lips and opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again, instead making an attempt to move off of him. He grinned shamelessly and kept his arms wrapped around her, sliding his hands down to cup her butt again. Kagome rolled her eyes, but she was smiling a little, settling back over him and muttering, “you’ve got to be kidding me.”

He arched a brow and said in a playful tone, “quiet wench, I was just enjoying the view.”

She let out an incredulous sound and shook her head. “What view? There’s hardly anything down there to look at. I’m aware I don’t have great boobs Inuyasha. You don’t have to humor me.”

He snorted and pointedly took another look, which earned him a mild scowl. He lifted his head from the pillow to kiss her lips, nuzzling her neck and kissing his way along her jaw to lay a warm, open mouthed kiss against the pulse point on her neck. He murmured against her skin. “I haven’t really gotten a good look at them, but from what I can tell, your boobs are just fine. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a damn liar.” The last few words he said in a husky, appreciative sort of growl.

She stiffened a little and he felt her anxiety abruptly return, shifting and rustling again, tangling with a sour, fearful discomfort at the edge of his thoughts. He ran his hands soothingly up her back, under her shirt but over the tank top. He drew back enough to look her in the eye, frowning slightly as he asked, “what’s up?”

Kagome chewed her lip and looked far away for a moment, then shook her head, refusing to meet his gaze. “Nothing. It doesn’t matter… I don’t want to talk about it.” She did her best to ignore the memories of Naraku’s hands touching her, the disdainful way he’d looked at her naked body, letting her know in no uncertain terms that she was judged and found lacking, that he wasn’t spending himself in her because he found her appealing, but because he found her useful.

Inuyasha brought one hand up to brush her hair away from her face, studying her tight expression. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips again and asked quietly, “do you want me to stop?”

She searched his eyes, conflicting emotions shifting in her own as she whispered, “we should stop.”

He kissed her again, lips twitching in a grin as he repeated the question. “Do you want me to stop?”

She closed her eyes and dropped her head to his shoulder, emitting a small sound of frustration. She could say yes, but she knew he’d be able to see right through the lie, or rather smell right through it. He made her feel good, better than she had in a long time, like maybe she had some strength and beauty left in her after all; and she just couldn’t make herself not want him. He chuckled again, a pleasant, rough, rumbling sound coming from beneath her.

Inuyasha seriously considered staying in bed like this all day, kissing her, and touching her until she stopped trying to pretend she didn’t want to do the same. He closed his eyes and collected himself, reigning in these thoughts. She needed time, and if he executed such a plan he might wind up pushing her more quickly than she was ready for. He rubbed her back, gently where her side had still been bruised the night before, and kissed the top of her head. “Come on, let’s go get some breakfast. I heard somebody say they’re going out on the water. Sounds like a day off to me.”

Kagome shifted off of him, relieved that he let her go this time. She’d been considering some unwise thoughts. When her body was pressed against his like that, nothing else seemed to matter. She got to her feet and grabbed some clothes, heading for the bathroom. When he walked out of the bedroom, dressed only in the ragged old pair of shorts, Rosalind knocked on the door frame.

She looked around for Kagome and he gestured towards the closed bathroom door. The red head nodded once and told him, “we’re taking the boat out, are you guys coming?”

Inuyasha stretched, something in his shoulder popping as he said, “yeah, I figure we will.”

Rosalind held up a bundle of clothes she’d tucked under one arm. “I brought these for Kagome in case she wanted to come. Thankfully, I still have my swim stuff, but it’s several years old and this suit’s too small for me now. I thought maybe it would fit her. There’s also a set of board shorts.” The young woman sighed a little, looking exasperated as she said, “also too small for me now.”

Inuyasha shook his head at her, rolled his eyes, and took the clothing she offered. “You look fine, don’t worry so much. Thanks, I’ll give these to her.”

Rosalind smiled, but her expression wavered when she saw the scar on Inuyasha’s bare torso. She remembered the jagged line of scarring around Sesshomaru’s arm and the things he’d told her. She still had a hard time imagining these two trying to take each other apart. She’d seen the scar on Inuyasha, as she’d stitched him closed more than once in the last five years, but she’d never asked about it. Now though, she had to wonder.

“Inuyasha? Can I ask you something kind of… personal?”

He frowned and studied her more closely, eyes wary. “Sure… like what?”

Rosalind tried to think of a nice way to phrase her question, leaning against the door frame for a moment. She accepted that where dismemberment was concerned, there was no nice way, and lowered her voice to ask, “is it true that you cut off Sesshomaru’s arm?”

Inuyasha’s eyes narrowed a little and he looked passed her, as if searching for anyone behind her. When his eyes returned to her, he snorted and dropped to sit on the couch, propping his feet on the cherry wood coffee table. “Yes,” he said simply.

She came over and sat on the coffee table next to his feet, looking troubled. “Was it really that bad… between you guys?”

Inuyasha snorted again, and his smile had a bitter edge as he opened his arms to showcase the scar that stretched across his stomach. “You tell me.”

She frowned and asked a little incredulously, “he did that?”

Inuyasha explained slowly, “yes, his poison is the reason the scar is taking so long to go away.” He looked at her for a long moment before he said, “I’m surprised the old bastard told you. How did that come up?”

Rosalind shrugged, crossing one long leg over the other. “I don’t know. We were talking while we were out running errands.” In the interest of peace she added, “he did tell me that he attacked you first... that time”

Inuyasha snorted again, his grin dry as he said, “yeah, that time. But I gave as good as I got, and in the end I won that particular go-round, so I’m not much fussed, as the brits would say. It was a really long time ago, over and done with.”

Rosalind frowned again thoughtfully. “I didn’t know Sesshomaru was poisonous.” The bathroom door opened then and Kagome came out, dressed in black jeans and her blue long sleeve shirt, her long black hair braided carefully back. She blinked for a second in surprise at the sight of Rosalind, but recovered herself and smiled. “Hey… good morning.”

Rosalind returned her smile and said, “hey yourself, Sesshomaru is taking the catamaran out. A few of us are going out on the water with the kids for the day. Are you coming?”

Kagome looked uncertain and transferred her eyes to Inuyasha. He shrugged and told her, “I figured we’d go, unless you want to stay here.”

Rosalind added, “it’s supposed to be really nice and warm today, eighty degrees. Hopefully the water temp is good because Rin’s dying to go swimming. If it’s too cold, keeping her out of the water will be a nightmare, and it’s been way too long since I’ve been out there.” She wrinkled her nose a little as she said, “my inner mermaid is all dried out.”

Kagome smiled faintly and nodded once. “Okay.”

Despite her positive answer, she didn’t look terribly excited. She’d crossed her arms around herself, and he felt her nerves buzzing a little against his thoughts. He nudged the pile of cloth next to him on the couch and said, “Rosie found a swimsuit and shorts that might fit you if you want them. I don’t know about you but I’m definitely swimming.”

Rosalind stood from her seat at the coffee table. “I’ll leave you to it. Sesshomaru’s down at the dock opening the boat up.” Kagome gave her a small nod of acknowledgement and thanked her as she left. She glanced at the swim suit apprehensively. Inuyasha raised a brow and after a moment of silence, asked the ritual question. “What’s goin’ on in there?”

She smiled a little and shrugged, coming over to pick up the suit and shorts. “Wear what you want,” he advised. “But with the kids there, the odds are good you’ll get wet, whether you swim or not. The suit’s probably a good idea.” As she held the outfit up he saw with some regret that it was a one-piece. The idea of her in a white bikini floated through his brain and he had to stomp the thought out quickly before certain parts of him got too enthusiastic about it.

Kagome was frowning slightly and she asked, “is it okay if I just wear my jeans and a shirt over it?”

He raised a brow and asked, “why? She said it’s supposed to get hot... I mean… you can, but you’ll be roasting.”

She bit her lip and nodded once, looking away. He frowned and sat forward to brace his elbows on his knees. “What’s the matter?”

Kagome shook her head and sighed. “I don’t want to make everything awkward for you guys if I’m the only one covered in clothes, but I…” She shook her head again, smiling wryly. “I’m just not wearing shorts anymore, I don’t think. I don’t want to weird people out.”

He shook his head, confused, and she explained haltingly, “the big scar on my leg. It’s pretty ugly.”

Inuyasha snorted and rolled his eyes. “It is not, it’s just a scar. I don’t know what you’re worried about.”

She started to shake her head and he stood up, again throwing his hands out to frame the ragged marred skin over his stomach. “I’m pretty sure I have you beat in the ugly scar department. Trust me, it’s not a big deal.”

When she still seemed uncertain he said, “go put on the suit, and cover up with whatever you want. You can bring the shorts and change later if you want.”

Kagome went back into the bathroom and came back out in the swim suit, a black one piece with a strip of blue fabric down either side, framing her slim curves. She’d slipped on a pair of Sango’s blue yoga pants and the black zip-up sweater over the suit. Inuyasha grabbed few things and tossed them into a tattered canvas knapsack, which was slung over his shoulder. “Alright,” he said. “Let’s grab some chow and head out.”

***

Rosalind returned to her room and changed into short, powder blue women’s board shorts and a teal bikini top, shrugging into a loose, wide necked, gray sleeveless shirt. She slid on her flip flops and tossed what she needed into a large canvas bag, then headed to the garage. There she retrieved the promised swim gear for the kids and started towards the path to the beach. She met Miroku and Gabriel in the driveway where they were starting to pull the van’s outer casings loose, and she raised an eyebrow. “What on earth is this about? It’s an ugly van but it deserves to live… surely.”

Miroku laughed and shook his head. “Sango’s grandfather sent a mountain of phone books home with them last night to stuff in the doors.” When Rosalind just hefted the swim gear on her shoulder and looked confused he added, “it’s lightweight bullet proofing for free, just in case.”

She lifted her eyebrows and made small, “hugh…” sound. “Okay… Well, have you guys seen Rin and Shippo?”

Gabriel dropped a stack of phone books on the pavement and told her, “yeah, they were headed down to the boat house with Sesshomaru.”

Rosalind made her way down the beach, walking in and out of the surf to test the water. Several minutes later she got to the boat house and entered through the open door, following the noises of a vicious game of tag. Sesshomaru looked up from the place where he was checking equipment and gave her a quick glance before returning to his work. She picked her way lightly across the plank bridge onto the back of the boat to set her load down next to the cooler in the main cabin.

The leopard catamaran was a nice boat. She’d only been out on it twice since Sesshomaru had purchased two of them several years ago. She climbed up the steps to the upper level cockpit. Sesshomaru was there, recording gauge readings and wiping down the controls. Rosalind crossed her arms and looked over at the second catamaran in the next slip, still covered and tied down. “So why two?” she asked, curiously.

Sesshomaru looked up at her. It took him a moment to see that she was looking at the other boat and realize what she was talking about. “I bought two because that is how many berths it would take to comfortably house the headquarter-cleared crew of Wardens. In plan K we would load up and be gone in the night. We could make a long-distance trip to any of several safe houses as discreetly as possible.”

Rosalind raised her eyebrows in surprise and didn’t know what to say. The idea that they might be in need of an escape route here was something she’d never really considered. And he’d done it several years ago, when she was maybe 15 years old. She frowned and asked, “was there something going on back then that I never heard about, that you thought we might have to run?”

Sesshomaru met her eyes a second and shook his head. “No, it’s only a precaution. Contingency plans save lives when unforeseen events insist on occurring.” She nodded, her eyes following the two children as they ran across the plank onto the boat. She had a momentary mental image of one of their small bodies falling between the boat and the dock and getting hurt, though they seemed to be staying well away from the edge. Her worry must have shown on her face because Sesshomaru said, “the pups are fine.”

She glanced back up at the demon, feeling a little foolish and knowing Sesshomaru would never take chances, with Rin especially. She flashed him a small smile but jumped when her phone began buzzing in her pocket. She fished it out and looked at the screen, frowning. She recognized the number, but she’d told the man on the other end of it to lose her name and never call her again. Sesshomaru watched with mild interest as she put the phone back in her pocket without answering it, but he didn’t comment. She considered what he’d been saying and asked, “there’s a plan K? How many plans are there? Is there a plan V?”

Sesshomaru grunted, a low bemused sound, from deep in his chest and murmured thoughtfully, “Koga dies in plan V.” His eyes glinted with something that she thought could almost be mistaken for mischief, were it anyone but Sesshomaru. She smiled and said with mock consideration, “depending on the day-- plan V may have some promise.”

Her smile tightened a little as the phone in her pocket began to buzz again. After she let it vibrate for a moment she said, “I’m going to go pull out some plastic for my phone, just in case. Do you want a bag for yours?”

Sesshomaru considered the offer and nodded once, bowing his head back over his log book. Rosalind picked her way back down the steps and into the cabin, going through her tote for the box of Ziploc bags. She pulled her phone out and looked at it again. The screen flashed, telling her she had two missed calls, but no voice message. She shrugged, muttering to herself, “guess it wasn’t anything earth shattering.”

She dismissed the message and dropped her phone into a bag, closing it tightly, and slipping it back in her pocket. Rosalind had spent enough time near the ocean to know that anything you couldn’t afford to get wet had better be kept in plastic because you just never knew when you’d wind up in the water. Things happened, and because she’d often gone paddle boarding alone, she had always taken her phone with her in a waterproof bag tied around her waist.

Rosalind climbed back up the stairs and held a bag open for Sesshomaru, who pulled his own cell phone out, glancing at the time before sliding it and taking the plastic from her. As he smoothed the air out and closed the bag, her phone began to vibrate yet again. She rolled her eyes and pulled it out, seeing the same number as before displayed through the bag. Sesshomaru raised a brow, silently asking her if all was well. She shook her head dismissively and said with a sigh, “I better get this or they’ll just keep calling. It’s fine.”

Pulling the phone back out of the plastic, she made her way down to the lower level of the boat to answer the call. “Yes?”

A male voice with a street class English accent slid through the phone. “Rosie darlin', how are you? I aven’t seen you in a while. I stopped by the bakery but your boss told us you’d scarpered. Left the old sod in quite a temper, you did. There trouble afoot for you?”

Rosalind rolled her eyes at his insincere concern. “No, and if there was, it wouldn’t be your business. I told you not to call me again.”

Sesshomaru stood very still, putting off his engine checks to listen while she talked on the phone, his eyes following the kids as they ran back out to the sandy beach again through the door to the boat house. Rosalind’s voice floated to him from the main cabin. It echoed just slightly in the building, though she spoke quietly. He debated eavesdropping openly, going down to the cabin so that he could hear the other side of the conversation through the phone casing, but decided she might not appreciate it. If she’d wanted him to listen, she’d have answered the phone while she was still on the upper level.

The man on the phone adopted a hard-done-by whine as he said, “Rosie, now why does it ave’ to be like that? Listen love, I’ve got some work for you. We could make some good money together.”

“I’m not interested. Thanks,” Rosalind said. She didn’t have to think about it. The man was insufferable and she’d had no trouble deciding not to work with him again after the first couple jobs she’d taken with him.

She let her eyes drift over her paddle board where it lay on its side against the cabinets as she listened to the man cajole. “Come on, you don’t even know what the job is yet. Why don’t we meet for coffee and you hear me out at least? Then decide what you think.”

Rosalind shook her head, though he couldn’t see it, and sat down on the soft bench seat at the bolted-down, polished wooden table. “No Alaric, I’m busy. Get someone else.”

The man on the other side of the line sighed in frustration. “I don’t want someone else. You’re good at what you do and I know I can trust you to deliver the goods at top quality, and on time. The last bloke I hired was almost a month late gettin’ the work finished.”

Rosalind considered saying that she was out of the country, but realized just in time that it was best not to put any information out there at all, considering Naraku’s search and Inuyasha’s trap at her apartment. Finally she said, “tell me what the job is, maybe I can refer you.”

“I’m not discussing it over the phone,” Alaric refused immediately.

Rosalind snorted and shrugged. “Then you can go screw yourself. I told you I was done. I’m finished being nice. You’re a careless grab-ass, and I’m not playing your games. What part of that was unclear last time we spoke?”

On the upper level, Sesshomaru found two conflicting emotions skidding into each other as he both smirked in amusement and felt the beast in his chest stir at her accusations. It was rare, and in this instance somehow funny to hear the mild mannered Rosalind to speak to someone in such a way, but her comment made him wonder if the person on the other end of her phone call had mistreated her in some way. The beast in his chest cracked an eye open and grumbled its displeasure at the idea.

The man just laughed and said, “I particularly enjoyed the bit about my being more worthless than an undescended cat’s testicle. You’re creative… you are, a larkish girl. That’s what I love about you… well… that and your outstanding set of tits.”

This deserved another eye roll from Rosalind, which it got. Rin and Shippo came running back onto the boat and she said, “like you’d know anything about them… I have to go. Goodbye Alaric.”

“Wait, hold up! Alright…” he said quickly.

Rosalind waited. She could almost hear him fidgeting through the phone before he said, “birth certificates. I’ve recently managed to acquire about 45 of ‘em, mostly 30-55 years of age. I want duplicates made; double the money to help cover overhead, yeah?”

She shook her head in annoyance and said, “that’s really not my area.”

“But you could do it. I know you could. I’ve already got a fellow lined up for the right inks and such. I’ll cut you in for 800 per print to make sure it’s done right.”

Rosalind considered the proposal for all of half a second before shaking her head again. “No, I don’t think so.” He started to protest again but she spoke over him. “Listen, get in touch with the old gentleman that runs Picture Perfect shop in Portland. Tell him you have a higher-dollar copy job and you want to speak with Eidolon. Got it? She does great work. You’ll be fine.”

She ended the call, feeling some satisfaction in cutting him off mid protest. She made a pleased sound and dropped the phone back in the plastic bag. If only all issues were so easily solved.