InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Troubles At Work ❯ Why Kagome? ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu Yasha
 
 
Kagome waited in the lobby as Miroku was in the back, talking with his boss. Kagoma could not believe how high class the lobby was as she stared at the wooden French doors to her left and the potted palms on either side of the doors. She glanced at the reception's desk and took in the beautiful dark wooden desk and the black leather chair behind it. The walls were done in light yellow wallpaper with designs of palm trees going up the green vertical lines. Even the chair Kagome was sitting in was a soft leather black chair. Kagome nervously twitted her thumbs in a circler motion as she anxiously waited. The receptionist smiled over at Kagome a couple of times before going back to work. Kagome cleared her throat and looked over at the magazines for the lots the firm had on sale placed neatly on the wooden table beside her. She took one and flipped through it. She was appalled by the image quality for the buildings they were trying to sell. Suddenly the phone buzzed at the receptionist desk. She quickly answered it.
 
“Miss, he will see you now. Good luck.” The receptionist informed Kagome. Kagome nodded at her and obtained the magazine, her personal book of random sample shots and her purse. She walked towards the back and took a deep breath outside the office door as she reached for the golden handle. She jumped as Miroku yanked the door open and smiled at her.
 
“Good luck, Kagome.” He spoke as he walked past her. Kagome looked into the office and gasped as her eyes fell on the long silvery white haired man sitting behind the lovely menacing wooden desk. He was peering out his office window. She could not see his face as his back was to her, but she could feel a cold feeling in the air. It was almost as if he was angry.
 
Kagome nervously waited as the door closed behind her. She waited a few minutes before his voice broke the silence. “So, I hear that you require a photography job.”
 
Kagome cleared her throat. “Hai. I have many years of experience behind me. I can get shots no one else can.”
 
The man turned around to openly face her. Kagome could not believe what she was seeing. His golden eyes looked as if they could see in the very depth of her soul. She let her gaze fall on the ears at the top of his head. She silently watched as they twitched under her stare.
 
Higurashi-san, you're here to stare at me? Or are you here for the permanent job?” His dominant voice was cool and Kagome broke out of her trance.
 
“Yes, sorry.” She tossed their company magazine at him as she approached his desk. “This is what you guys have as photos, correct?”
 
The man's ears twitched. “I know what we already have.”
 
Kagome felt like slapping him. “Well, look at my examples and compare the two.” Kagome carefully placed her example book in front on him and stood up strait. He grabbed it in his hands and flipped through the pages briefly.
 
“Okay, what about them? What makes yours better than his?” The man questioned coolly.
 
Kagome tore the magazine and the portfolio from his hands and turned to a page that had similar houses in both of them and slid it back over to him. “Look at the approach of this picture. You cannot see any of the good features of the house yet in mine, I focused on the leading features of the house. As a talented photographer, it is my job not to just take photographs but to take pictures that create the transaction.”
 
The man's golden eyes studied the two pictures as Kagome watched.
 
“I only pay my photographers ten an hour.” He advised her coolly as he leaned back in his chair. “If you're good enough, I'll generously give you a raise. If you're not, you stay at the ten an hour. Got it?”
 
Kagome nodded her head. She did not like her new boss already, but she needed the money.
 
“Second, there are no benefits working here. You only work here for capital. Nothing else. You are entitled to paid holiday and one week of sick days. Anything over that will be deducted from your paycheck. If you get pregnant, you will not get the time off with income over your one week of sick days. Any significant questions?”
 
Kagome looked at him as she pressed her lips together. `He's just like my previous boss. I need the job though… and I genuinely want to be a photographer.' Kagome nodded her head. “Where do I report to, sir?”
 
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
 
Koga let out a sigh as he looked for a key on his key chain. He was standing outside of Kagome's apartment. He definitely wanted to see her since he could not get her out of his head since last night. He pulled one key apart from the others and inserted it into the keyhole. He let out a sigh as he turned the key. It was after five PM and she was not home, which was not abnormal. However, he did not like her working because it made him feel inferior. A future wife of a Wolf Prince should never have to work a day of her life. Koga looked up as he pushed the door open. He stepped over the threshold and placed his keys on the stand by the door. His eyes caught a glimpse of some white paper on the dinning room table. He shut the door behind him slowly and strolled over to the table. His eyes scanned the headlines and narrowed as he read the word `Classifieds'. He picked up the newspaper and saw a couple of articles circled in red magic marker. He instantly crumbled the paper into a ball and threw it across the room in anger. It knocked the vase with some wildflowers onto the ground, causing the vase to shatter upon impact.
 
“DAMN IT KAGOME!” He yelled in a thundering voice. She had the nerve to go job hunting and not tell him? Why could she not allow him to take care of her? His mind clouded over with anger as he seethed.
 
“Thank you for the ride home, Miroku!” Kagome's voice said through the door. Koga turned to face the door as it opened. “That's odd, I know I…” Kagome's voice faded as she stepped into the house and saw Koga seething by the table. Instantly she knew what had happened. “Koga, I can explain!”
 
Koga turned away from her as he stormed over to the classified ads he had thrown. He quickly picked them up and turned to face her. “Why Kagome? You know I don't mind taking care of you! Do you realize how much this… hurts?” Koga's eyes filled with tears as he threw the wad of paper again towards the wall beside Kagome. “WHY?” He demanded.
 
Kagome shivered with fear as she stared at Koga wide eyed with fear. She was paralyzed, even though she wanted to explain to him that she needed to support herself for her own reasons, she could not. She could not even breathe. All she could do was listen to her heart pound in her chest.
 
Koga once again turned from her in disgust. “I can't believe you.” He shook his head with disappointment as he finally turned and marched over to the stand by the door and grabbed his keys. He was standing beside Kagome. “I am very disappointed in you, Kagome.” With those words, he retreated through the door and left Kagome alone in shock.
 
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
 
Kagome could not sleep well that night. She felt as if she had committed the biggest crime in the world by leaving Koga out of the picture. She stared at the ceiling of her bedroom for hours, allowing the tears to flow freely from her eyes as she thought of how she had hurt Koga. The alarm clock finally buzzed at seven am. Kagome felt so stiff as she reached over to turn it off. She slowly sat up in her bed and stretched. She wore a black silk night dress that reached to her mid thigh and thin straps on her shoulders. She loved this night dress because it felt so good against her skin. Her long black hair surrounded her body as she leaned forward to push her feet into her slippers. She knew that she needed to apologize to Koga and make it up to him in some way. However, she needed to worry about her job now, not her love life. She needed this job. She stood up and walked over to her vanity. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and saw that her tears from the previous night left their mark on her face. She groaned as she picked up her hair brush and ran it through her beautiful thick hair. As she brushed her hair, the phone rang. Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin as the phone's ring shrilled through her ears. “Who would call at this hour?” She mumbled as she rushed over to the phone fearing the worse. “Hello?” She said quickly into the phone.
 
I need you to go to this address and take photos before you come in to work.” A male's voice said in a mono tone. She instantly realized it was Inu Yasha.
 
“Okay, what is the address?” She responded in her best `I'll get it done' voice.
 
“It's 123 Park Lane. Oh, and Kagome.” His voice suddenly grew colder. “If you don't take good photos, consider yourself unemployed again.”
 
Kagome was about to respond when the dial tone met her ears. She looked at the phone appalled. “That arrogant bastard!” She slammed down the phone and turned towards her dresser once again to see her reflection in the mirror. “You know,” She said to her reflection. “I am really beginning to hate men.” Kagome walked over to her dresser and sat down in front of it. She stared at her blood shot eyes and pressed her lips together. She gave her reflection a determined look. “All right, here's what I will do. If I fail today with the photos and become unemployed, I will let Koga take care of me. If I still have a job, I'll make up with him in a different way.” She promised herself. It sounded fair. If she did not have the talent, then she should do what Koga wanted her to do. Kagome smiled a soft reassuring smile to herself. “I will wow that Inu Yasha, and I'll make Koga forgive me over dinner.” She stood up quickly, knocking over her chair. Kagome balled her hand into a fist. “All right, lets do this!”
 
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
 
Kagome closed her eyes as she drove up to the house that she was suppose to photograph and she recited the address in her mind. When she opened her eyes, she was frustrated when she saw the house she was to photograph was the most hideous looking house on the block. The grass was so high that she needed a machete just to make it to the house. The door looked as if it would fall off the hinges at any moment. The hideous green paint was peeling from the rough wooden walls. Kagome pulled her car into the driveway and turned off the engine. She pulled her sunglasses down her nose as she noticed the broken windows from years of kids throwing rocks through them. `Well, I guess it's time to kiss this job good bye.' She mused as she opened the car door slowly and stepped out of the car and retrieved her camera bag. Kagome then shut her car door and weeded her way over to the front door. There on the door knob was the lock that she had memorized the combination for. She picked up the combo lock and turned the numbers until the number Inu Yasha had informed her about appeared. The lock gave and she retrieved the key. “Please look better on the inside.” She pleaded as she unlocked the front door. However, her pleading was in vain. The smell that awaited her almost knocked her off her feet. She quickly covered her nose and mouth with her hand as she reached for the light switch. However, the light switch was dangling from the socket and she touched the bare wires. She yipped and jerked her hand back when the wire shocked her fingers. She glared at the room she was entering with dismay. The wallpaper was half torn from the wooden planked walls. The ceiling fixture was dangling by a couple of thick wires, ready to plumage onto the ground at any moment. The floor looked to have not been cleaned in years as the shine was gone and an inch thick dust residue took over the floor. Kagome looked around and narrowed her eyes. “All right… I can do this! I can make this house sellable!”
 
Kagome dropped her camera bag onto the ground and pulled out a cloth mask which she quickly tied around her nose and mouth. It was going to be a long day ahead.
 
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
 
Inu Yasha sighed as he walked into the realtor office he owned. He glared at the receptionist who was typing at her computer. “Where is that no good photographer? Why has she not come in yet? It's almost closing time!” He barked at the receptionist.
 
The Receptionist turned white with fear. “She just stumbled in a few minutes ago. I sent her to your office, sir.”
 
Inu Yasha smiled a wicked grin. “She came back eh? After sending her to that house? Good.” He turned from the receptionist who stood up and reached out towards him. “What about your messages, Sir? Your brother called!”
 
Inu Yasha waved her off, not caring about his brother or any other person in the world except to see the photos that took Kagome all day to take. He pushed open his door and his eyes fell upon Kagome. She stood by his desk covered in dirt. Inu Yasha stared at her in shock as he slowly closed the door behind him. “What…. the… hell? He stuttered in shock. White paint covered her cheek and her pantyhose were torn in several places. However, despite her appearance, she was glowing with excitement. She beamed at him all of a sudden.
 
“I took the photos you wanted,. Inu Yasha-san!” She presented him a portfolio. Inu Yasha was speechless as he dropped his suitcase onto the floor and walked around his desk and sat down. He opened it up as if it would fall apart at any second. The first page he turned to was a picture that the ex-photographer took. The sun was setting in the picture to hit some of the damages to the exterior of the house and the high grass. He then looked at the picture beside it and gasped. The sun was up in the sky as if it was mid day. The driveway which had been cracked and discolored was shinning brightly in Kagome's picture. The grass was freshly cut and the green peeling pain was repainted with white paint. He looked up at Kagome in shock. He took in the white paint on her cheek and her torn stockings before turning back to her book. He flipped the page to look at the modified back yard. The once green moldy pool was sparkling in the sun light. He turned the page to see that the entrance room had all of the wall paper removed and the floor was cleaned. He looked up at Kagome and closed the book. “Why did you do so much work? I mean, no one has ever done this before.”
 
Kagome smiled at him. “Did I not tell you that I take the best photos you will ever have?”
 
Inu Yasha nodded his head. “You did not photograph all the rooms yet though.”
 
Kagome nodded. “I could not finish the necessary work to make the rooms photogenic. I will finish them tomorrow if that is acceptable.”
 
Inu Yasha nodded to her in dismay. “Yes, it is. I have no other houses that need to be photographed tomorrow.”
 
Kagome smiled a wide smile. “Thank you!”
 
Inu Yasha pushed her portfolio to the side. “Why did you become a photographer?”
 
Kagome took her portfolio. “I love taking pictures of things.”
 
Inu Yasha leaned back in his chair and studied her. “I want to take you out to lunch one day to discuss your future here with us.”
 
Kagome stared at him in shock. “Really?”
 
He nodded his head as he pressed his fingertips together in thought. “I think I may have big plans for a person like you. You have the qualifications.”
 
Kagome glowed with excitement. “I will be looking forward to it!” She nodded a good bye to him and turned from him to open his office door. Her heart was racing with excitement. Future plans with the company? This meant that she had a guaranteed job here! Now all she had to do was make Koga feel better and life would be back to normal. She also had to explain to him that this feeling of acknowledgment meant too much to her for her to just stop working and become just a wife. She had to work at a job for her own happiness. Hopefully he would understand that.
 
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
 
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