Part Ten

 Kaoru sighed as she slid the door to her room shut.  She leaned against it
for a moment before straightening and walking to the other side of the room.
She opened the bag she carried and pulled out the blue kimono that she wore
when she worked at night.  She inspected it carefully to be sure that no
thread had come undone as well as  to see if any of her make-up managed to
land on the precious fabric.

 As usual, she could almost feel her mother's presence when she touched the
smooth, cool material. Kaoru smiled a little and put her nose to the fabric to
see if she could still smell her mother's perfume..what she smelled instead
managed to bring the blush that Kenshin couldn't help but notice completely
back to her face.  She held the kimono in her lap as she reflected on what
happened earlier that night.
 

 When Kaoru finished singing that night, Megumi told her that Kawasaka-san
wanted to talk to her.  Before Kaoru could go to his office, Megumi grabbed
Kaoru's arm and looked her in the eye, "Be careful of that one, Kaoru.  He
looks nice, but there's something dark behind his eyes."

 Kaoru blinked in surprise at the serious tone used by Megumi-san, but nodded
before she went to the back of the 'tavern'.  It was the room that Kawasaka-
san lived in, which doubled as an office.  She took a deep, fortifying breath
before she knocked on the door.  Just as she was about to knock again, a
strange man appeared before her.  Kaoru blinked, surprised, "Um, is Kawasaka-
san here?  He wanted to talk to me."

 The man's eyes narrowed and looked her over head to toe before he grinned at
her. "Ah, so you're Ikeda-kun's Nightingale."  He walked past her and motioned
for her to enter the room.  "Go on in, Ikeda-kun will be back soon."

 Kaoru nodded nervously, bit her lip and stepped inside the room.  It was
rather large with a screen blocking her view of the other side, the part where
Kawasaka-san slept, probably.  She looked at the desk on the office side of
the room and noted that the seat behind was much more comfortable looking the
two chairs before it.  Kaoru was startled to hear the strange man speaking to
her ear, "I'm sure Ikeda-kun wouldn't mind if you sit in his chair.  It is
much more comfortable..." He grabbed her shoulders and moved her to stand
behind the desk.  Then he pulled the chair out and sat her down in it, "Now
there, isn't that nice?"  When Kaoru wordlessly nodded, he smiled, "Good.
Oh..I don't think I've introduced myself to you, I'm Takida."

 Kaoru nodded and replied in kind, "I'm Ka..Maku."  A slight blush rose on her
cheeks at her slip.  But apparently, Takida-san didn't acknowledge it as he
bowed slightly towards her before closing the door.

 Kaoru, at first, was very curious about her boss's desk, but made no move to
explore it.  If she were caught, she would be fired and would never earn all
the money she owed for the taxes.  Kaoru sighed and leaned back, with her head
tilted up and looked at the ceiling as she thought of the 'situation' she'd
found herself in.  She was not any closer to learning anything about the
vagabond staying at her house than she had been before.  And though she knew
she wouldn't push Kenshin, she just wished she could see what was going on in
his head sometimes.  She wish he would tell her things like, where he grew up,
or who taught him his battou sword style, or where he would go if he ever left
her...Her heart froze at that thought.  Refusing to even think on it anymore,
she closed her eyes and blanked her mind.  A yawn escaped her and she
remembered that she barely got any sleep the night before.  Kaoru tried to
blank her mind again as Yahiko's concerned face rose before her.  She knew
that her student was worried about her.  Kaoru was kind of worried about
herself, too.

 The next thing Kaoru knew, there was a feeling of warmth about her face, like
two large hands cupping it gently.  There was the gentle puff of air against
her cheek that could have been a sigh of breath.  Then, Kaoru's eyes drifted
open in time to see Kawasaka Ikeda's mouth close over hers.  Shocked, more
than anything, Kaoru automatically used her arm in a defensive move to hit him
beneath the chin.  Stunned, the man immediately went to the other side of the
desk.

 "What the hell's wrong with you?" He looked at her angrily across the room.
Kaoru's deep red blush paled as she realized that she could've seriously hurt
her employer.  She stammered an apology, "I..I'm so sorry.  I mean it, really
I am."

 Kawasaka's eyes narrowed on the girl before him, her reactions are incredibly
good for a mere slip of a girl, he thought.  He sighed aloud and made the
motion for her to continue sitting, "Sit down, sit down.  It's alright, no
harm done."

 Kaoru was now pale in mortification, with her head bowed slightly waiting for
her new employer to fire her.  She could tell he was still angry, "I'm really,
very sorry."

 He shook his head, acknowledging the apology before speaking, "Maku-san,
please look at me,"  When Kaoru's eyes met his, he smiled encouragingly, "It's
alright, I forgive you.  I would rather have you smile at me, than apologize.
So, smile for me."  At her slight smile, his smile widened and he remarked,
"You have a beautiful smile, Maku."  He laughed at her deepened blush.

 Kaoru's eyes lowered to the floor momentarily, then she looked up and studied
Kawasaka-san for a moment.  He was taller than both her and Kenshin, but not
quite as tall as Sanosuke.  His dark brown hair was long, a little past
shoulder length and braided.  With the western style buttoned shirt and pants
on, he managed to look quite handsome.  Well, he would look even more handsome
if he was shorter and had red-hair but not everyone can be perfection, Kaoru
thought.

 "Kawasaka-san, you wanted to talk to me?" Kaoru looked down at her hands in
her lap.

 "Yes, I did. "  He sat back in his chair relaxed, "Tell me about your red-
headed fellow."

 "Oh, you mean Kenshin..um, san?" Kaoru felt as if the blush on her cheeks
would never fade when she saw Kawasaka's eyebrows raise at the lack of formal
address.  "Um, he is a...neighbor of mine," she finished lamely.

 Kawasaka nodded, "So, does he return the feelings you have for him?"  He
noticed the colour leaving her face as she shook her head negatively.

 "I see...so your performance the other night was to get his attention, wasn't
it?" He saw a slight hesitation before she nodded, "Well, as much as I
understand your situation, you must understand mine.  I hired you to entertain
every paying customer, not just one.  I'm sure this won't happen again, will
it?"

 Kaoru shook her head, "No sir, it won't."

  "Good. Because I hate having these kind of conversations.  I'd rather talk
about you."

 Kaoru blinked in surprise, "Me?"

 Kawasaka stood up and kneeled down besides Kaoru, taking her hands into his,
 "Yes, you.  I think you're a very beautiful woman, Maku.  And if that boy of
yours...Kenshin, right?  If he doesn't notice and appreciate you the way I do,
I want you to come back to me, do you understand?"

 Even though Kawasaka knew that he may have to use her as a pawn against
Battou-sai, he couldn't help but be fascinated by the combination of
vulnerability and strength in Maku's eyes that were conveying both surprise
and nervousness at the moment.  He squeezed her hands slightly before he
released them  and walked over to the door.

 "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got business to tend to."

 Kaoru came out of shock suddenly when she saw the back of Kawasaka's shirt,
"You're hurt!  You've been bleeding."

 Kawasaka's eyes followed her gaze to a now brown stain in the back of his
clothing.  "Ah, this is nothing."

 "Are you sure?" Kaoru had risen and came to stand behind him.  He turned and
looked down at her, "I'm sure." He smiled slightly, "Though I'm happy with
your concern." He chuckled, "Pink is such a good color for you." He lightly
brushed a knuckle over her cheek before giving her a quick kiss.  "Now, go on
home, I've kept you too long."  He steered her through the door and slid it
closed before another word was spoken.  He heard her footsteps fade away and
relaxed. Leaning against the door, he sighed then straightened, "Takida,"
Through the screen separating Kawasaka's room and office, a figure could be
seen.

 "Follow her home.  And find out who she really is, as well as her connection
with Battou-sai."

 "Yes, sir."
 

 All Kaoru could think of about her run-in with Kawasaka-san was that he
thought she was beautiful and his kisses...Kaoru was still in shock over them.
It's just not done to kiss anyone casually. Kisses were supposed to be saved
for a loving couple, preferrably marriend.  Kissing like that was a marking of
some sort.  Kaoru was sure that whatever that kiss meant to him, it was only
an oddity for her.  It was both flattering, but disturbing at the same time.
If only Kenshin felt the same way, she thought.

  Kaoru was now looking up at the ceiling after preparing for bed.  She had no
idea that the same man who complimented her earlier that night was a killer
hired to slay the man she truly loved.  Kaoru's eyes closed and she drifted
off into a dreamless sleep.

 Kisses were on her mind.

 My first kiss...A vision of Kenshin's face after she kissed him that night in
the tavern floated before her and was Kaoru's last thought before sleep
claimed her.