Part One: Vegas
Chapter Six:
It's Mel's bachelorette party tonight. I don't want to go, instead I want to do nothing but lie in bed with Sesshoumaru.
"Kagome! Ka-go-me! Are you awake yet?! Jesus it's almost noon! Come on sleepy head! Alright I'm coming in!" She pounds obnoxiously on our adjoining door, throwing it open when I don't answer. Rookie mistake leaving the door unlocked. I have only myself to blame.
"I'm asleep. What do you want?" I lift my head from the pillow slowly and feel Sesshoumaru tighten his grip around me.
"Ooh. I didn't know he slept over. Sorry about that Kags." She winks and closes the door. Oh god I'm never living this down.
I bury my face in the pillow, breathing in and out calmly.
"I want to go home."
xxx
I get ready and leave Sesshoumaru so he can go home and pack. Mel drags me everywhere you can imagine along with the rest of the bridesmaids.
"I'm getting married tomorrow can you believe it? Me! Tomorrow!" She'd squeal every once in a while, and everyone would laugh and smile, all I want to do is go home.
We ordered drinks at noon. As we laughed and walked, as we got our nails done, as we were at the spa, as Mel bragged all day, I just wanted to go home.
"Come on Kags! We need to get ready for tonight!" oh dear. Tonight.
"What are we going to do tonight?" I hesitate when I ask this. She looks at me and smirks.
"Anything and everything we can!"
xxx
Mel throws me in one of her club dresses and pins my hair back.
The dress she has chosen for me is so constricting I feel like I'm going to suffocate. Sitting patiently she tugs and pulls at my hair trying to pin it in some sort of elaborate hair style. Once she deems me acceptable she lets out an approving sound.
"See, look how beautiful you are now!" She exclaims. All I see is myself staring out of a mask. I smile, as everyone arrives. I'm paraded out the door wearing a stupid sash as we head to the stupid club, with the stupid people I don't want to be with.
"Oh Kags! Did you see the way he looked at us?!" Mel squeals as I remain the outsider.
I see him, he's looking at us like an animal hunting its prey. The lion approaches.
"Hey there, my name's Jamal." It's just Mel and I, the other girls have gone ahead to frolic and take pictures of themselves in their club attire.
"My name's Melanie, this is Kagome." She's smiling. Men are a game to her. She wants to see each one fall before her, so she can collect them and turn them down, one by one.
"So where are you lovely ladies headed?" He looks at me, I look away. His gaze makes me sick and I don't want to be here anymore.
Out of the corner of my eye I catch a glimpse of silver, my heart races, and it is who I think it is. A few blocks ahead of us, Sesshoumaru waits to cross the street, his eyes lock onto mine and I feel safe.
"The club." Mel takes the liberty to answer for the both of us. I keep looking at him, refusing to give up his gaze.
"Both of you?" Mel nods, smiling a coy little grin.
"Well then, I was wondering. Would you like to parade that beautiful ass around with me and my friends?" He winks. Mel takes a breath before she answers.
"Well, I would but..."
"I'm sorry, I was talking to her." He gestures towards me. I look at him and meet his eyes, my confidence back now that I know my protector is within ear shot if I need him.
"I have a boyfriend." Deadpan, I grab hold of Mel's arm and take her away. She's too busy gaping and gasping, looking to me in utter disbelief.
"Oh my god! He shut me down?" She's having a fit, I calm her down, as always.
"Mel, come on let's go. It's alright. This is your night." As always.
xxx
I'm at the bar. I'm always at the bar. Mel is dancing on tables. All I do is watch.
I don't want to join in. I know where this will end up, and it's not a smooth path.
Sesshoumaru followed us at a distance for quite a while. He came all the way out to the strip club before pulling aside one of the strippers and disappearing.
Now I don't see him anywhere, but that's fine. I don't mind sitting quietly, disappearing into the furniture. I've actually become rather good at it.
Strippers bombard her like she's the most beautiful thing ever. She's in her element. Everyone watches her, everyone but me, because I'm too busy looking for a way out.
"Is she your friend?" Someone sits next to me. I look him over, not really interested in what he looks like. But I do it anyways just in case I'm abducted, and need to give a physical description of the one who did it.
He's tall and very well built, his eyes soft and sad, dark circles covered up by a small amount of foundation that seems to have worn off. I glance to see what he's wearing and my suspicion is correct, he is in fact a stripper, the fake cop outfit a dead giveaway.
I wonder if Sesshoumaru has a fake cop outfit...
"Sadly yes." I catch a glimpse of her being funnelled champagne.
Mmm... attractive.
"Bachelorette party?"
"How did you know?"
"The sash gave it away, but only slightly." I forgot about the sash.
"So do you guys get these a lot? Wild brides letting loose before their wedding day?"
"Only every day." He smiles, sipping his drink.
"Don't you get sick of this city?" I look at him.
"Every day since the day I was born here." He pauses. "Aren't you Ichiro's friend?" I nod.
"Are you two old friends?" I nod again.
"Why?" I ask.
"He quit after you came here for the first time, we were wondering why he did. Now it makes sense."
"Pardon?" I knew he quit, but I thought he quit only a few days ago. Not after I first showed up.
"Yeah, he was one of the head strippers, so he was making the most money. He must really like you." So I have melted his ice cold heart after all.
xxx
I drag Mel off the table at 5a.m. I'm worried she won't make it through the wedding. I sure hope she's sober by then. The other girls left hours ago. I throw Mel into a cab, say goodbye to Keith, the stripper I befriended, wish him good luck at becoming head stripper, and then climb in myself. Mel babbles as I tuck her into bed, then crawl into my own. I want to put a never disturb sign on my door.
Sesshoumaru is waiting for me when I wake up only a few hours later.
"Did Ted let you in?" He nods.
"I met your friend by the way. He was nice. He wants to take over your spot as head stripper." I hear him let out a muffled laugh as I step into the shower.
My eyes hurt, my feet hurt...everything hurts. I slip into my jeans and sneak out of the bathroom.
I want to see Sesshoumaru in his unnatural habitat. I guess you could call it natural, he fits in better than I do.
He's lying on my bed with his hands folded on his stomach and his ankles crossed. So calculated.
He's wearing a crisp white shirt with clean black suit pants. He even has on nice socks. I want to know what type of shoes he's wearing.
"If you're quite finished gawking, I would like for you to come here." I sulk over, I wanted to see his shoes. I crawl into the bed and curl up.
"I wanted to see your shoes." I tell him.
"Not important. What is this thing we're attending?" He looks at me and I feel like I should laugh.
"You don't know what a wedding is?"
"Of course I do, I am merely asking what we are attending and what we will be doing." He says this in a quipped monotonous fashion.
"I'm one of Mel's bridesmaids so I will be standing next to her, lucky for you you're just a guest so you get to sit while I stand" He nods quietly.
"I'll come for you after the ceremony I promise.
xxx
Five hours before anything begins, Mel comes barging through to my room screaming.
"Kagome! Kagome!" We're watching T.V. on the bed quietly.
"Sometimes I hate the way she says my name." I whisper as the door flies open.
"Oh my god! We need to get ready!" She screams. All I do is look at her.
"But Ichiro and I..."
"Teddy can occupy him, you're coming with me." Oh dear god, where are my exits. I need a neon flashing sign accompanied by a stewardess showing me the way out. I need someone, I need something, and basically I need anything that can get me out of this.
But, as always, I am hurdled into the abyss of girl land, with no safety gear.
I leave a confused Sesshoumaru with a scared Ted. I don't know who has it worse.
I on the other hand, have a far worse problem. Mel is bridezilla, and she's on a monster ridden rampage. She screams at anyone who gets in her way as I sit patiently while having everything done for me. I hate it when she gets like this, which seems to be everyday lately.
"Kagome, I'm so stressed and nervous." She finally acknowledges me.
"Awe, don't be." I lie, touching her hand comfortingly.
xxx
With no exits found, I stroll down the aisle along with all of the other bridesmaids. I wait near the alter, looking out into the crowd to find a lone demon. He's looking at no one but me. I zone throughout the ceremony, not quite caring to listen to any of it. It's only when someone grabs my elbow that I come to.
"Come on Kagome, it's over." Camilla says through a smile. We file out.
Sesshoumaru leaves and finds me.
"What do we do now?" He whispers as I head up to my room to change into something a little less peachy and a little more cocktail friendly.
All the other girls are helping Mel out of her ball gown and into her cocktail dress. I explain all of this to Sesshoumaru while changing. He stands outside the bathroom door and listens.
"Alright, I'm ready. Let's enter hell."
xxx
End of chapter six