Chapter 12

Yuka fiddled with a small notepad, biting her lip as she stared at the words written hastily across the fluorescent pink paper.

A name, a phone number, and one word written at the bottom in capital letters and two underlines: SINGLE.

She shouldn't, but…

She had been eating lunch with some of her coworkers when Kagome's tryst had just come up. All eyes turned to her and she couldn't resist giving a good story. Yuka had been half-way through her description of the sexy red-head when one of the girls gasped, dropping her chopsticks and -

Then, just like that, she had a name.

"Tha-That's Shuuichi Minamino!"

Yuka sighed, ignoring the curious looks of the guy next to her as she leaned back in her chair and rubbed her face with the heel of her hands. Minamino was nothing like the 'playboy' Kagome had described last week over dinner; in fact, the girls in her office were adamant, saying he had never done anything untoward with any woman (before this, anyway) for as long as they'd 'known' him. He even took care of his sick mother, for goodness sake, when other boys his age were more worried about chasing a short skirt. If anything, he sounded too good to be true.

Intelligent, sincere, drop dead gorgeous…

And Kagome was avoiding him, the little idiot.

"Stupid," she muttered, shoving fingers through her short-cropped bangs. Kagome hadn't given romance a second glance after the fiasco in middle school and high school with that two-timing ex of hers. Yuka instantly scowled as she remembered all the tears Kagome had cried because of that jerk.

No, Yuka just knew dating someone new would help. Anyone. It had to help - to erase the bad taste Inu-whatever had left in her mouth.

… Besides, it wasn't everyday a man like Shuuichi Minamino accosted you in a bar, kissed you, and called you beautiful, was it?

Yuka brushed her hair back, glancing stealthily around for her boss.

Kagome would kill her if she did this. She shouldn't, but… Kagome had it all wrong. He was the good guy. And, who knew, maybe he was just what she needed.

And, hopefully, Kagome wouldn't find out she interfered until she was happily (make that very happily) married, or at least head over heels for this guy.

Yuka picked up the phone, pinning it between her shoulder and ear, and began dialing.

Yuka decided to sneak her point of view in, too; it wouldn't do to let the boys have all the fun. ;) So it's short, it's sweet, but it's an update for now. I still haven't unpacked from my trip (it seems I can't bring myself to let go just yet), but classes started and the new year is in full swing. Happy 2010 everyone! Any interesting New Year Resolutions? And thank you, again, to those who reads my stories. This is for you!