Hitomi Oshiro should have known that running into Taisuke Fujiwara, as a matter of fact, this whole entire evening, was Kami-Sama's way of signally to her that her life was about to change in ways she could not have foreseen nor was not ready for. Yet, that was the point she was human and not omnipresent. It wouldn’t be until a couple of years later that she could look back on the events that would occur over the next two years and be able to see the next series of events in its proper context. How did that American euphuism go? Hindsight is always 20-20.What she did know at that moment was that Taisuke was an , a stunningly beautiful y jerk that was a complete .  And even two years later she would still think of  Taisuke in this way whenever she thought of him.

            “Running from all your suitors?” Taisuke casually asks as he blocks Hitomi’s progress to the restrooms. To casual observers, it appears as if the Hitomi and Taisuke just happenstance to met when in all actuality Taisuke has been observing and eye stalking her since her arrival. As Koki’s personal assistant, it is his job to ensure that the night went off without any major problems and in Taisuke’s mind, Hitomi was a MAJOR problem, one that needed to be neutralized quickly. Unfortunately, Hitomi had given Taisuke enough ammunition to think of her this way in the years that he had known her. There was no way that he would allow Hitomi to engage in any of her planned shenanigans. Tonight was just too important for Koki and the company for any scandals or hints of a scandal to surface tonight.

            “Is it illegal now to go to the bathroom,” Hitomi asks not even attempting to hide her displeasure in being cornered by Taisuke. He even looked at her as if she was a wild animal that had to be neutralized. The idea that he saw her in this way upset her. She didn’t allow herself to look any deeper into why this upset her as she knew that it was a Pandora box that needed to be kept tightly knocked.

            “No, it's not. I asked a simple and polite question Oshiro-san.”

            Hitomi, after a nanosecond pulled out her puesdo-nice demeanor in the event of whoever was watching them would not discern the tension between the two.

            “As polite as it may be Fujiwara-san, I neither have the time nor the inclination to speak to you. If you would so kindly let me pass I would appreciate it.” Taisuke, fully aware of what she was doing, allowed a smile that did not reach his eyes to appear on his lips.

            “Very well, Hitomi. But be aware that your star is setting and at upon its setting no one will be saddened by your decline.” As he spoke this semi-cryptic proclamation, he looked Hitomi straight into her eyes. The look of determination and something more sinister appeared within the irises of his eyes. A shiver of dread and a little bit of fear chilled her heart. However, being the trained socialite that she was she managed to keep her true emotions from showing. Widening her smile she was just about to give a witty comeback when she noticed the hushed that almost instantaneously covered the ballroom. Turning to see what had caused the deafening silence she sees ex-boyfriend Koki Tanaka and who could only be his fiancée Maria Ortiz.

            At the sight of Maria, Hitomi audibly gasped. In all her imaginings of what this nobody of an American looked like the vision that entered into the Tanaka Ball was nothing at all like what her bruised ego had imagined, not even close. Hitomi realized that Maria Ortiz was in no way average in looks or demeanor, even from all the way across the ballroom Hitomi could discern that. Maria was dress in a stunning Beijing red evening gown with an intricate delicate lace overlay that covered the dress. The bodice of the dress modestly covered her body and seemed to be made to custom fit her generous firm curves. The color only enhanced the healthy glow of her rich deep brown skin. It did not escape Hitomi’s observation that Koki’s Maria possessed a chest that was a healthy c-cup that was closer to the d size with matching hips; A true brick house. And when Maria happened to turn her back to Hitomi to greet one of the guests she saw that the back of the gown was scandalous in that it completely exposed her flawless smooth back just stopping at the curve of her derrière.

            Oh, hell. Koki’s traded up in the looks department. Hitomi silently admitted to her self. Although she was no muggle herself in the looks department compared to what was before her she wasn’t at the top of the food chain either.

            “Remember what I said, Hitomi” Taisuke whispered in her ears and when Hitomi turned to him to vent her anger at being upstaged by this sudden change of events, she realized he had already walked away. All the women who had been envious of her and jealous were sending her looks of barely concealed looks of mirth, sensing Hitomi’s plans to make Koki Tanaka’s fiancée green with jealous and had gone up in smoke. Feeling her face flood with heat she quickly exited the ballroom to regroup.

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Hello, my patient readers. I have been disjointly been working on this story over the last few weeks, however, due to the chaos that school and work can create I haven't been able to sit down and completely finish this chapter. I was finally able to sit down and write tonight and after editing what I last wrote I decided to post the first half of Chapter 14 since I had wanted to post a chapter back in February and it is now April.  Gomen, and  I hope you enjoy!

UsagiGirl 11