Part Seven

 Megumi knew to the second when Ken-san and Sanosuke arrived.  Something about the room
becoming brighter and more lively...A huge smile appeared on her face.  She poured another
serving of beer into a man's mug as she felt Sano's gaze on her.  Okay,she thought, he's looking at the dress (or lack thereof) right now, next the hair, the face, ah, bingo! She her smile broadened when she saw him rise and march toward her.  She readily went with him when his hand clamped down on her arm.  She whispered loud enough for him to hear, "Why Sano, I didn't know you cared!"  She laughed as he looked back at her with anger in his eyes.  He's jealous! she thought, I cannot believe it!
 Sano was pissed off.  What the hell had possessed this woman into doing something this stupid.
Now Kaoru, he could understand, but Megumi...he thought she had more sense than this.  He
found the closet that Yahiko used the night before and dragged Megumi after him.  He slammed
the door shut and leaned against it.  Megumi moved towards the window, the moonlight washed
over her face.  Then she turned to him, the moon now behind her, casting her face in shadow.
 "So Sano, what brings you here?"
 He didn't know why, but he felt compelled to quiet those sassy lips.  He walked towards her
slowly, the moonlight rising onto his face.  He stood before her in the silence and placed his hands on her shoulders.  Then one of his hands cupped the side of her face and brought her lips to his.
 Right before Sanosuke kissed her however, the door to the closet was opened and light entered the room.  Sanosuke grabbed Megumi to him and moved to the shadowy corner of the room.
 "Hold yer horses!  Just let me grab a few blankets for the rooms upstairs," A rough feminine voice called out over someone's singing outside.  A rather heavyset woman wearing the standard low-cut dress entered the closet and grabbed a stack of blankets from a shelf.  Afterwards, she slammed the door behind her and Sanosuke relaxed.
 "Sanosuke, could you move please?"
 Sanosuke's eyes were adjusting in the moonlight and he looked down to see Megumi's lips not too far from his own.  He took a strand of Megumi's hair inbetween his fingers and gently placed it behind her ear before standing and pulling her along up with him.  Moving away from her, he
looked at the shelves.  "Megumi, why blankets?  Is this place an inn?"
 Megumi blushed in the dark and kept her tone nonchalant, "Well, no.  Why do you ask?"
 Sanosuke's eyes narrowed in the darkness, "Because I'm starting to get the feeling that this place is a little more than a tavern."
 "So?"
 "SO." Sanosuke started, "What the hell are you doing in a whorehouse?!?"
 "Could you say that a little louder, maybe everyone didn't hear you."  Before Sanosuke could get to her, she held her hands up and sighed, "Okay, okay I'll tell you.  I'm here because of
Kaoru-san.  She  hasn't figured it out what kind of place this is. She heard about this place at the
clinic. I was examining one of the girls there, and Kaoru came to visit. The girl told Kaoru about
the job opening here and Kaoru thought it would be a quick, painless way to earn the money she owed."
 "I tried to stop Kaoru from coming here, but she's pretty stubborn, like some other fool around
here." She smiled at Sano's shadowy form, "So, I decided to work here too, to keep an eye on
her.  I knew she wouldn't tell you guys anything."
 Sanosuke nodded and leaned against the door to hear what was outside. He then peered through it into the large dining hall.  What he saw shocked him.  There was a singer practically all over Kenshin.  And Kenshin looked like he couldn't move to save his life.  Sano almost smiled at the pole-axed look on his best friend's face.  The singer was gorgeous.  A wisp of a woman with a voice like an angel.  Man, he thought, if Kaoru sees her..."Megumi-san, where is Kaoru?"
 For some reason, Megumi became very upset at the question.  Irritated, she snapped,  "You mean you don't see her?"
 "If I did, would I have asked you, Fox-lady?"
 Megumi had had enough.  She slapped him.
 "If you can't see her, maybe she's not here.  Ever think of that.  Maybe she lied to you, maybe I
lied to you. Anyway, I think it's time for you and Kenshin to leave.  You're obviously too blind to see what's in front of you.  With stupidity like yours I can see why you're nothing more than a..than a..." she paused, "A broom-head."
 Sanosuke gingerly touched his cheek. It was the same one that Kaoru had taken aim at the day
before. Angrily, he walked up to Megumi and stood over her menacingly. "I think you should keep your hands to yourself, Fox-lady."  He loomed over her and slowly caressed his cheek. Then he turned and walked around her and out the door.
 Megumi stood in the closet till she no longer was deafened by her own heartbeat.
 "Baka."  she whispered.