For once Kagome was happy to be cut off from the internet and her cell phone. The gossip about her in these hallways were already becoming too hard to deal with. Three weeks had gone by since the move, and yet still no word from Kouga. Not even a single letter had come for her, so everyone had already decided that Kagome Higurashi was officially single and still poor.

"Just write to him again," Kikyo suggested as Kagome struggled to find a nice evening dress for tonight.

Every night they'd been requested to eat with Kaede and her family, and it was always the same. The family would have a dry conversation about how the hotel business was doing, and then Kaede would lecture Kagome about what she was doing wrong in her life. It was a vicious circle, but perhaps everyone was right about her. After all, Kouga had lost interest quick even after claiming to love her.

Tonight would be different though, and Kagome had been dreading it. The dinner tonight would be a formal occasion, which was often the unspoken penalty for being rich. It was full of fake smiles, boring business talk, and the overall lie everyone lived pretending they were a perfect family when all along their relationships had been created from deception and the need to cover something up. She would have to suffer all of this again, but this time she didn't have a mansion to return to at the end of the day to lift her spirits.

"It's already bad enough that I've been pining over him for the past three weeks," Kagome spoke with no expression as she picked out a nice pair of heels, "the last thing I need is someone to talk about how desperate I am sending another letter. Maybe if I had a cell and could text him that would be a different story."

"Please be patient with me Kagome, I'm doing my best."

Kagome nodded, "I know mom. I'm sorry, but hey at least I'm not drunk on the floor with little vodka bottles all around."

"Wow what a great accomplishment you've made," Kikyo spoke sarcastically, "I guess baby steps is needed when it comes to you, but what I want to know is if you would consider yourself single again?"

She shook her head, "We love each other mom. I can't just dump a guy because he hasn't returned a letter. Text messaging and Myspace is practically his only line of conversation, so he probably hasn't seen the letter."

"I'm happy you have a lot of faith in him, but it ruins Kaede's plans. She invited some nice men over who want to meet you."

"I won't dump Kouga, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to do a little flirting to set up a rebound."

As much as she loved Kouga she needed something to do rather than talk about weddings and children with other women while eating some weird French cuisine that she'd probably hate.

"Always smile always stay interested," she told herself the rules as she fixed her makeup that would look wonderful with her little red dress.

- - - - - - - - -

"Nothing in this world has changed," Sesshoumaru told himself as he put a file back down on the table.

The male gender was often labeled the most violent and foolish of the two, but yet all were aware that no matter how advanced technology got or how much society changed there were still customs that would never go out of style.

The women of his social circle were fooled into thinking they lived in a nice fair world, but that was because they only surrounded themselves with material possessions and friends that could easily be replaced . Little did they know they were nothing more than baby factories and caregivers that could be obtained at a certain price.

"That is really the only attractive unmarried girl who will be attending dinner tonight," Kaede told him, "besides her mother. I can get a file on her if you want."

Sesshoumaru shook his head. If he had to pick a woman for himself than he would go for the young girls. They could be molded into what he wanted while widows, like Kikyo Higurashi, would always be stuck in their ways. It was rather harsh of him to dismiss Kikyo so quickly considering he himself had also lost a spouse.

"I will give Kagome a chance tonight," he spoke, "but other than that I cannot be bothered. She looks like nothing more than a stupid party girl with no reputation to offer my family name let alone money."

Kaede nodded, "Even when the head of the family was alive their fortune was still beneath yours, but still it's a good family that needs help so look her over. She might not have the best manners, but at least she's not cutting up her body for bigger breast or being some whore to a celebrity just for the press."

Sesshoumaru glanced at the girl's picture one more time, "Perhaps she could still work out. She is unattached?"

"Are you aware of the Urashima family? The one with the washed up model? The oldest son was dating Kagome, but hasn't communicated with her since the move."

"Doesn't matter. When it comes to girls like Kagome, which I still haven't decided if I'm interested or not, it's all just an auction and the Urashimas can't compete with me."

Kaede nodded as they made their way to the dining room. There were rules when it came to formal engagements such as this, and Sesshoumaru considered himself above them. While his peers conversed about real estate and the economy he remained in the corner with the usual uninterested look on his face. The only time these fools shut up was when Kikyo Higurashi and her two daughters walked into the room. Right away they moved to pull out the chairs for the ladies so they could sit down.

By introducing himself to Kagome the thirty-year-old stock broker was making it obvious that he would be placing his bid in this unspoken auction for Higurashi's hand in marriage, and he could have it for all Sesshoumaru cared.

"No thank you," Sesshoumaru told Kaede after he glanced at Kagome.

The girl looked like a whore with her short dress, red lipstick, and high heels. She needed to be on a street corner where she belonged rather than finding a husband here amongst gentlemen, who earned their living.

Kaede also thought Kagome's appearance was a bit too much, "It's hard to judge her just by appearance Sesshoumaru. She is younger and women these days are so self-conscious of their appearance that rather than attracting others with a good personality they throw around sex as though it was bait."

"Nice observation," Sesshoumaru scowled, "but I doubt it with this one."

"So you're returning to the business?" one of the men made sure to ask Kikyo hoping to get into her good grace so they could get to her daughter.

Kagome's fake smile quickly ended by that point. Already the boring talk of the business world was starting and she was forced to drift away into her own thoughts again.

"Wine, miss Higurashi?"

Kagome looked up at the bottle being offered to her. If she was her old self she would have seductively titled her head to the side and asked for something stronger, but instead she just shook her head no. Staying away from wine would be different, because of all the dinners she was being forced to attend, but she and Kouga made a deal with each other.

"Kagome is a wonderful piano player," her mother randomly brought up, "it's really the only hobby she ever stuck with."

"I'm not that good," she grumbled.

"Just play for us during desert," Kikyo smiled though her daughter could tell there was nothing happy about it.

"Yes Kagome you must," one of the strangers encouraged her.

"I don't want to make your ears bleed."

"Its obvious you have no choice in the matter so just agree to play," Sesshoumaru spoke to the girl for the first time and seemed very annoyed.

Kagome glared at the silver haired individual. What right did he have to make demands of her? This whole time he remained in the corner of the table with a scowl on his face. At least she attempted to make an effort.

"Fine," she whispered able to see the piano from here.

The keys were so clean that they were gleaming at her. They looked like long white teeth that were ready to devour her that moment she got too close.

"Might as well get ready," Kikyo warned her, "desert and more wine is coming, and your on a diet."

Great, now her mom was calling her fat, because before tonight Kagome had no intention of skipping out on cake. Sometimes Kagome didn't blame Kikyo for always putting her on a diet; after all, she had been involved in the fashion world where no one was ever skinny enough and desperate times called for desperate measures, but how many things were going to be taken away from her? First the money, then the booze, and now Kouga and chocolate cake.

She slowly approached the piano with a look of disgust. She'd never played on anything other than her family's piano and the keyboard Naraku bought her. The piece she played was a simple tune and pretty quiet. Her walking across the room in her short dress was all her audience really cared about. A few moments after she began they were already back to talking about work and sports.

Kagome was glad, because now she was able to escape back into the confines of her own little world without interruption.

"Is that all you're capable of?"

The silence was ruined by the silver haired man who'd wandered over here.

"It's all any of you deserve to hear," Kagome replied coldly, "you should go back. You might miss an important conversation about investing in medical if you don't."

"Those men? Maybe I should. Economic talk isn't as dull as that tune you just played."

Not only was his presence at dinner rude, but now she was being challenged.

Finally a little excitement.

"How about this?"

She didn't even touch her sheet music as she began to play a much more complicated melody, Sesshoumaru paid close attention as her fingers flew across the sea of black and white keys.

Before Kagome could react he hovered over her, his own fingers on the instrument. Clearly he had advanced lessons at some point in his life, because he played the same tune, but managed to get more notes in to create a song with much more quality.

"This is the only skill you have to offer the world, and yet you aren't anywhere close to being the best."

Kagome gritted her teeth, "Good for you! You can play music to yourself alone in your room. At least I'm not rude going where I'm not wanted."

Sesshoumaru just scoffed, "The world must not want you then. I've been staying here for a week and not once have you left. You're the one playing piano alone in your room."

"For your information I have plenty of friends back home! I just moved here and I'm not allowed out without company or I'd be out with new friends every night!"

"Doing what? I heard that you don't drink anymore. Hard to imagine anyone dealing with you sober."

"I don't need to be drunk to have friends. It's not like you and your peers over there who use business talk to force themselves into conversations they don't even want to be in."

"I want to see this," Sesshoumaru simply replied.

"See what?"

"Your social life. Tell your mother you're going out into the city. I'll be your escort."

Kagome still wasn't a fan of Sesshoumaru, but the moment he offered to take her outside she smiled. The only images he had of the city was the view from the balcony, and finally she'd be free.

"Lets go," she smirked at him, "I want to see how advanced you are at Guitar Hero."