Crash Course
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Chapter 1- Let’s Not Get Caught
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“Now listen, let’s not get caught.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Let’s keep goin’.”
“What do you mean?”
“GO!” Kagome and Sango shouted from Kagome’s overstuffed brass colored couch.
Sango threw a piece of popcorn in her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. “Why do we watch this every year? I love Susan Sarandon but for god’s sakes, this movie is horrible. I have no idea where all that credit came from.”
Kagome paused the DVD, and turned to her best friend with a serious look. “Sango, that is the entire point! Thelma and Louise is a classic 90’s film! Who doesn’t want to watch a movie with bad acting, whose entire storyline is Thelma and Louise travel across the country, escaping the law, and drive off a cliff?”
“True.”
“And watching it every summer is our tradition. We can’t just stop watching it.”
“I agree. I enjoy making fun of it too much anyway.” Sango glanced up at Kagome’s Cinderella clock and gasped. “How is it two am already? Why does this always happen to us?”
“I don’t know, but your running out of excuses for Van Gogh.” Kagome smirked as she took the DVD out.
Sango wrinkled her nose at the thought of her boss. She hated her job as a secretary for a stuck-up artist and his gallery. “Yeah, Salvador Dali will totally fire me if I’m late again.”
“And if you call him Salvador Dali one more time,” Kagome laughed.
“Tomorrow for lunch?” Sango asked, reaching to hug her best friend of twenty years.
“I’ll be there,” Kagome smiled, handing Sango her purse.
After Sango left Kagome changed into her Brigadoon pajamas and crawled into bed.
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Sesshomaru glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner of his study. Two am already. He ran his hands through his long moonstone hair and sighed in frustration. He had been in court for this case an entire month now, and there was just no way he could win. He knew his client was guilty; there were no two ways about that. But as the man’s lawyer, it was his job to gain him his freedom, and it didn’t look like that was going to happen.
Sesshomaru stood and paced in front of his glowing fire, growing more agitated the more he thought about it. Sesshomaru Tashio never lost a case, ever. And he wasn’t about to start now. He would go in early tomorrow and see his client, see if together they could possibly think of something, anything else that would help.
He glanced at the clock again. Looks like he’d only be getting four hours of sleep again tonight. Great.
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A loud buzzing woke Kagome from a wonderful dream of being Chang’s Eng and she growled as she turned over and slammed her fist against her alarm clock. She closed her eyes a moment, and then opened them wide; staring at the clock she’d just beaten up.
The clock’s numbers mocked her as they told her she’d overslept by half an hour. That cut out both her shower and her breakfast time!
“Crap!” She jumped out of bed, then stumbled, her legs apparently still wanting to sleep, and did her best to wobble to her closet.
She threw her clothes on, threw her hair up, ignored her make-up (that was for the days when she was on time), and ran into the kitchen, knocking over she and Sango’s martini glasses from the night before. She dove and caught both though, landing painfully on her side.
“Well, at least I know I could play Tom Cruise in Cocktail,” she muttered, placing the glasses carefully on the counter and running to the cupboard. She pulled out a strawberry pop tart, put it in her mouth and chewed on the end of it as she got out the dog food and scooped a few cups into Dodger’s bowl. She had gone through a huge Oliver Twist phase when she’d gotten her Alaskan Husky, and Dodger had seemed like the perfect name for a dog.
“Dodger, come!” She called, and Dodger came, sticking his snout into the bowl before she’d even set it on the floor. “Alright Cujo calm down.” She ran her fingers through his gray and white fur a few times, and then remembered how late she was.
She grabbed her purse and flew out the door, remembering to lock it before running down the sidewalk, jumping in her orange ‘89 Subaru BRAT. Once on the road into New York City from her home in the suburbs she calmed down a little, knowing she would only be maybe twenty minutes late. It wasn’t the end of the world.
She leaned over and turned on the radio. Wedding Bell Blues by The 5th Dimension played. “Too R&B.” She changed the station and Bodies by Drowning Pool came through the speakers. She wrinkled her nose. “Too much rock for this early in the morning.” She changed the station a third time and Dancing With Myself by The Donnas sang out. She rolled her eyes. “Too Ramones inspired.” She changed it a fourth time and Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles blasted through her car. She scowled. “Too oldies. Okay, one more time and if it isn’t a song I’m in the mood for, I’ll drive to work in silence.” She hit button number five and waited in hopes of a mood-inspired song.
“Joy to the world! It’s Joy to the World!” She sang out, turning it up. She moved and grooved and kept time with her hand on the wheel as she sang the song loudly and quite out of tune. She danced around so much that she dropped the rest of her pop tart on the floor; she bent to pick it up and someone honked.
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Sesshomaru scowled as he was woken up by the maid pulling his curtains aside.
“Mr. Tashio, you’ve slept in sir,” the mousy girl practically trembled from the foot of his bed.
“Thank you Ada, but I can read a clock just as well as you can,” he sat up, and watched as her eyes began to tear.
“Yes sir,” she ran out of the room, waiting to burst into tears until she was in the hall. He would fire her, but he was afraid she’d flood the place with all her waterworks if he did.
He was late getting up, but it didn’t matter. He usually woke up early on purpose anyway. Today he’d have to do without his hour of reading the paper before work. He’d just have to suffer through the day without knowing how the stock market was doing.
After his shower he dressed in his dark blue suit and a brown tie. He grabbed his brief case and threw his jacket over his shoulder and went downstairs for breakfast. Today was Monday, that meant today’s breakfast was bacon, scrambled eggs, and French toast with maple syrup. He liked his routine, it gave him something to look forward to, and today he was definitely looking forward to his bacon.
After eating his breakfast Sesshomaru took his thermos of coffee from Ada, and walked outside to his red Ferrari. He got in, took a sip of the warm chicory coffee, and began his tedious drive into the city for work.
He reached for his coffee again and just as he brought it to his lips, a cat ran right out in front of his car, he swerved to miss it, his coffee spilling all over his lap, and he was heading for a beat up, rusted orange car. He laid on the horn, but the car didn’t move.
Crunch.
Sesshomaru sat very still and made sure he wasn’t dead. He felt fine, except the scalding coffee on his thighs, but besides that, he didn’t think there was any damage. His precious Ferrari was a goner though. He opened the door and stepped out, just as the driver of the other car did as well.
He stopped when he caught site of her. He realized right then that he would not be getting this woman to pay for his insurance. She wouldn’t even have been able to pay for his shoes, let alone insurance on an expensive Italian sports car.
She had long blue-black hair that was swept into a messy pony tail, toffee colored eyes, and warm oatmeal skin. Her nose was straight, short, and charming. She had on a white skirt with rosebuds on the hem, and a gray t-shirt with black letters that read BAD SPELLERS UNTIE! She had on white flip flops and he noticed her toenails were painted bright red. She looked flighty by nature.
“Are you alright?” Kagome asked when the driver of the fancy Ferrari just stared at her as if she were David Lynch or something.
He was very handsome though, his long ivory hair was perfectly straight, and she was jealous that even though he’d just gotten into an accident, nary a hair was out of place. His eyes were the color of daffodils and he was exceptionally tall, well over six feet. Possibly six-four to six-six she’d wager. He stood as if he prided himself on his good looks, his classically handsome features. But there was an icy-ness about him, and his cold look was only slightly disturbed by the crash.
“I’m fine; my Ferrari however, is not,” he gestured to the fine automobile that now looked as if the front was made to be a giant red accordion.
“Yeah...my bullet is dead.” She glanced back at her car that had a busted headlight, the passenger mirror lying in the street, the window blown out, and oh right, the front of his car was jammed into the passenger side of hers. “It’s a miracle we’re alive though, wow. How did this happen?” She asked.
“Are you suggesting this is my fault?” He asked, already on his cell calling the police.
“Well you weren’t exactly Driving Miss Daisy there, Morgan Freeman.”
He ignored her as he talked to the person on the other end of the phone. A few minutes later he hung up. “They are sending someone out right now.”
She sighed and walked over to her car, picked up the mirror and threw it through the broken window to land on the seat. “I guess I’ll be really late to work now.”
“As will I.”
They stood together in silence for a minute until Kagome couldn’t take it anymore. “I’m Kagome.” She held out her hand.
“Sesshomaru.” He shook her hand, and then let his drop back to his side again.
“So what’s your name, what’s your story?”
“My story?” He asked, raising a silver brow at her.
“Yeah you know, where do you work, are you married, do you have a pet, perhaps a Gnome?”
“A gnome?” Now his eyebrow disappeared beneath his bangs.
“Gnomes are cool, there’s no shame in owning a gnome.”
“I do not own a gnome.”
“You can just admit you own a gnome,” she told him as if he were in an AA meeting.
“I do not own a gnome, I promise you,” he repeated, beginning to get irritated.
“I bet you even named it! A name like Ninbur, or Waynock. Oh! Or what about Zookbur? I know if I got a gnome I’d name it Garwocket, it sounds sort of Hobbit-y but I think it would be better suited for a gnome than a hobbit, don’t you think?”
Sesshomaru’s head hurt. What was with this woman? Didn’t she have an off switch? Why did she care if he had a gnome or not? And he definitely did not own a gnome. And how had she come up with those bizarre names? Did she just throw letters and vowels together in her head and decide they could be names? He almost sang when he saw the police car pull in.
When the officer arrived both drivers gave their sides of the story. Sesshomaru decided just to pay her for her damages and be done with it. She obviously didn’t have the money to pay for his, and he was very late to work already and didn’t need any more stress on top of it. He was also a man of honor, and he knew this was his fault. Though obviously it wasn’t his fault a cat had run into the road, it was his fault that his car was basically inside hers. When the cop left, she turned to him.
“Thank you but you don’t have to pay for the damages. One of my best friends is a mechanic, and he always gets mad when I try to pay for the repairs done on my car, no matter how big they may be.”
“No, I must repay you somehow.” He wouldn’t allow himself to feel guilty about this later.
“Well, what if we just hang out. Have coffee once a week for a while or something until you feel you’ve paid your debt?”
Sesshomaru gazed at her, weighing that option. He wasn’t sure if his blood-pressure could handle it. She was interesting though, she seemed off-beat, something that was missing from his life. He had routines and schedules. She looked like the type that would laugh in his face if he asked to see her planner. He hated to admit it but she was a bit...refreshing.
“Alright, once a week we shall meet. What day, time, and place?”
She thought a moment. “My work schedule changes a lot, so I don’t know about a day and time that would always work for me. And meeting once a week to do the same exact thing is boring, we should mix it up. So how about you call me and we’ll set something up, okay?” She dug in her purse and found a clean napkin and a pen, and wrote her cell number down and handed it to him. “We’ll talk soon?”
“Yes, I’ll call you within the next few days,” Sesshomaru agreed.
“Cool, talk to you then pal.” She winked and began to walk down the street. He realized her work must be close if she could walk there from here.
He folded the napkin and stuck it in his pocket. His firm was only four blocks away; he would walk today and take a cab home tonight. He’d call a tow truck once he got to his office. He reached into what was formerly known as a car and grabbed his jacket and brief case, then set off down the sidewalk.
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“Okay I’ve got oatmeal, sausage, two waffles, and a bacon sandwich.” Kagome passed the plates to the couple in booth four and smiled. “Just shout if you need anything else.”
She moved on to booth seven. “Are you ready to order?” She asked the old man.
“Yes, I’ll have two poached eggs on toast and some coffee,” the old man said, smiling kindly. She could tell he’d be a really nice grandfather.
“Sure sweetie I’ll have that right out for you.” She smiled widely at the man, and then made her way to the kitchen. “Miroku, I need Adam and Eve on a raft!” She called, ripping off her order and slapping it on the counter.
“Got it!” He called from the back.
“I just love diner lingo...” she mumbled, smiling to herself as she walked around the counter with a cup and the pot of warm coffee. She poured some for the old man, and then looked up at the sound of the bell on the door. “Welcome to Lady Godiva’s diner. Take a seat anywhere!” Then she realized who had walked in the door and almost dropped her pot of coffee. “Sesshomaru!” She gasped.
He looked up from his intense conversation with a man in a similar suit and his eyes widened in recognition. “Kagome, is this where you work?”
She followed them to the table they decided to sit at, handing them menus. “Yeah, my boss was mad at me for being late, but took pity since a Ferrari had become my new dash ornament.”
“You two know each other?” The other man with him asked disdainfully, raking a gaze up and down her body.
“Yes, Kagome meet Aaron Wilson, my partner at the firm.”
Ohhhh the firm, fancy. Kagome held out her hand and Aaron scowled as he shook it. She frowned at him. “Nice to meet you...can I get you guys started with something to drink?”
“Two coffees,” Aaron dismissed her with a wave of his hand.
She raised her eyebrows at him, but didn’t remark on his rudeness. She’d get fired if she was rude to a customer...again.
Sesshomaru watched Kagome wrinkle her nose at the cook who handed her a plate, he glanced at their table and nodded his head before disappearing into the kitchen again. He watched as she moved to a booth and handed an old man a plate, patted him on the back and cheerfully told him to enjoy it. He turned toward Aaron, ready to lay into him, but Aaron beat him to it.
“Where did you possibly meet such a creature?” He was sneering at her back as she poured a glass of milk for a little boy at a table in the corner with his mother.
“She’s the one I told you about, the woman who’s car I ran into this morning.”
“And you’re associating with her now?” Aaron turned stunned eyes on him.
Sesshomaru couldn’t believe Aaron was acting this way. He had never disliked anyone so openly before. “She’s spirited, I like her.”
“She works at a diner,” he said this as if it were high treason.
“So?”
“So why are you, Sesshomaru Tashio, top lawyer in New York City associating with a waitress in a diner featuring a naked woman riding a horse with her hair wrapped around her as their logo?” Aaron was studying the picture on the front of the menu with great distaste.
His question went unanswered as Kagome came back with two cups, and poured them coffee. “Do you want anything to eat?” She asked.
“I’ll have a BLT,” Sesshomaru handed his menu back to her.
“I’ll have a hamburger with lettuce, tomato, and onion.” Aaron practically threw his menu at her.
“Great, I’ll have that out for you in a jiff.”
Sesshomaru watched her again as she approached the hole in the wall that led to the kitchen and called out, “A BLT and burn one, take it through the garden and pin a rose on it.”
He turned back to Aaron and smirked. “She’s interesting. I think I may just enjoy her company.”
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Thank you so much for reading! I love starting new stories! The possibilities are endless! Please review if you can, I’d love to hear what you think! Should I continue, should I not? Let me know! Hope you enjoyed chapter one, chapter two coming soon!
Also, let it be said that this story is written so that not everyone will get every phrase thrown in there. If you get some, that’s great! But it’s going to be filled with pop culture, literary, history, and music references that you may not get. Ask if you want me to explain any of them to you!
In addition, every chapter is going to be named by a quote from something that is talked about in the chapter. One of the characters will usually say the line. Look for the reason the chapter is named this, it usually gives clues as to the rest of the story line!
Last but not least, I have added a cover for this story to the fanart section. Please take a look it you're interested!
I do not own The 5th Dimension, The Beatles, Brigadoon, Cinderella, Cocktail, Cujo, The Donnas, Drowning Pool, Hobbits, Oliver Twist, or Thelma and Louise.
Wishes she owned her own Library of Alexandria,
Beautiful Morning Sun