Summary: Workaholic Syaoran Li has no time for love, and is beginning to wonder if he'll be a bachelor for life when he meets Sakura Kinomoto, a foreigner, who makes him want to give up the single life. Can they find their way to a happy ending?
Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who read "Intersections: The Story of Three Feathers" and "Body Memories". Here's a light, fluffy story set in the "real world" for your enjoyment :) No magic, just two people falling in love...or so I hope!
Disclaimer: I do not own the CCS characters.
The One That Got Away
She's Going to Drive Me Nuts
It was not a good start to the morning. Not even lunch time, and Syaoran Li, executive vice president of the Li Group of Companies and immediate heir of the Li clan, was already being nagged by his bossy cousin Meiling. "She's perfect, you know. She can copy edit, and she can fix any crappy article. You have to meet her! I want to hire her to do the editing for my travel magazine," she insisted.
Meiling was hard to resist. In addition to a temper that could explode at any moment, she was highly persuasive. She was used to getting her way because she was imperious and beautiful. Men tended to obey her without question because she had eyes that flashed the gamut of colors from red to maroonish-brown, long lashes, raven hair that reached nearly to her waist, delicate cheekbones and lips, and smooth, creamy skin.
Unfortunately she was face to face with the one man who could resist her charms and threats. It came from a lifetime of being bullied by her.
"Meiling...you know what my schedule is like," Syaoran groaned. "I barely get four hours' worth of sleep every night..." He ran his hands through his hair in frustration, realized what he was doing, then tried to fix the damage he'd done.
Too late. Nothing would tame his unruly chestnut hair: not gel, not mousse, not even a flat iron (and that had been a disaster). "Come on, Meiling! Cut me some slack," he said.
And he quickly dodged when Meiling aimed a punch at him. "I swear you're going to die a virgin, Syaoran!"
No way was Syaoran going to touch that line, not even with the proverbial ten foot pole.
Meiling sighed. "Syaoran, at least come out and get out more. You're going to become transparent from staying indoors all the time! Think of your marriage prospects! At least go out and see some real women!"
"What, you're not a real woman?" And he earned another punch for the quip.
When he was sure she wasn't going to hit him again, Syaoran ventured, "What marriage prospects?" Meiling raised an eyebrow. "Between Mom's meddling, my schedule, and, may I add, my cousins' peskiness," and he stared pointedly at Meiling, "I am going to die a bachelor. Besides, women don't go for men who look like plants kept in the dark."
Meiling huffed in exasperation. Her cousin had no idea of how attractive he was to women...mainly because he hadn't dated in years. Syaoran was tall, with a body kept trim with regular basketball and soccer games with company employees, most of whom were his friends and who could see past his gruff, somewhat abrupt exterior to the kind person he was. His brown eyes could turn mischievous, not that he'd had reason to have them do so in the past five years or so.
He was also considered a great catch across Japan (to which most of their clan had moved after the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to China). To escape the constant blind dates and the paparazzi, he'd buried himself in work. It backfired; now the tabloids were speculating that he might be gay.
"It's just lunch, for crying out loud. You need to approve her hiring." Meiling stood there, hands on hips and a fierce expression on her face, one that Syaoran knew meant business.
"Oh all right," he agreed wearily, and again, his hand ran up to his hair. He'd already had his mother Yelan on his case about finding a suitable bride ("You're already twenty-five, how about my grandchildren?"), his partner Eriol convincing him that they should branch out into television ("It's time to step into the twenty-first century, cousin!"), the board of directors nagging at him to find out who was responsible for the missing remittances from some bookstores ("You must take steps to begin an investigation!"), and now, Meiling insisting that he personally meet this woman. Not to mention he had to review the front page layout of their newspaper, the Nippon Picayune, and entertain the guests his mother regularly invited to visit the office on Mondays.
It was only 10:30 am.
All in a day's work for the heir to the Li clan fortune.
Meiling smirked, then said, "You be there at 1230. I booked a table at Sunburst. It's five minutes away, so you better not be late!"
0-0-0
But Syaoran was late. His cousin Eriol had brought in some documents which covered the financial viability of buying out Channel 88.
Eriol was very different from Syaoran. Also tall and well-built, he was slightly paler than Syaoran, but this gave him an otherworldly look. He had startling midnight blue eyes behind his glasses, a strong jaw, raven hair like Meiling's, and a deep, rich voice. He was also a master of manipulation; when there were large mergers or deals to be made, Syaoran made sure to have Eriol around because Eriol's smooth manners made up for his own rough, slightly brusque demeanor among strangers.
Today, Eriol had reinforcements: the fashion-obsessed Tomoyo Daidouji, the vice president for finance, whom Syaoran knew was dying to redo the channel lineup and (surprise, surprise) add a heavy fashion slant to the whole thing.
Syaoran grimaced when he remembered the New Year costume ball plans Tomoyo was pressing on him. He'd been arguing against it, but when faced with a determined Tomoyo, it was easier to try to break a concrete wall down with a plastic fork.
It wasn't until Syaoran looked at his watch (a cheap plastic Nike watch, bought more to irritate his mother than anything else) and realized that it was almost one o'clock that he was able to tear himself away by invoking Meiling's name. Even Eriol didn't dare cross their fiery-tempered cousin- the consequences were too humiliating.
When Eriol had made the mistake of criticizing Meiling's handling of her travel magazine a few years ago, Eriol had come to work to find a large photograph of him as a child in the Li Tower lobby...in which he was clutching a teddy bear and a security blanket while sucking on his thumb.
God, what's she gonna do to me for being late? Syaoran shuddered, and picked up the pace. He took the express elevator down from Li Tower and ignored his waiting limousine, sprinting the four blocks to Sunburst. The cool November air stung his nostrils as he ran, and he was reminded of another Christmas approaching. He cursed, knowing Christmas didn't mean parties and presents for him; it meant more work organizing office parties, charities, and other things for his mother. Thank goodness I wore loose slacks today, he thought. He smirked; his fondness for casual clothing irritated Yelan Li no end.
Again he blessed the gods for not having bodyguards; that had caused quite a flareup between him and his mother, because she was worried about the triad gangs or the Yakuza threatening her only son. Syaoran held firm because he wanted an illusion of freedom in his life.
"You're late!" snarled Meiling as he rushed up to her table. Syaoran rolled his eyes, pulled up a chair...and stopped.
Sitting in the chair next to the one he had chosen was a woman with heart-stopping jade-green eyes flecked with gold, long curling honey-gold locks, and an open, friendly expression on her face. She looked up at him and smiled. Syaoran fought to control his jaw, which was threatening to hit the floor. How would that look? Completely uncool, that's what.
"This is Sakura Kinomoto," Meiling said. "Sakura, this is my tardy cousin Syaoran Li."
He nodded gruffly, and reached out a hand. She took it in hers and shook it firmly. Syaoran felt his palm grow cold, and prayed she would let go before he began to sweat. What's wrong with me? I've never reacted to a woman this way before!
Oh, wait, I'm a dork without a life. Of course the first beauty who crosses my path is going to make me all sweaty.
Sakura said, "It's great to meet you. I'd love to work part-time for your company. It'll be a good addition to my credentials." She reached down nervously and handed a buff folder to Syaoran. He was looking at her blankly, and Sakura became more nervous. I think he doesn't like the way I look, or something. He hasn't taken his eyes off me. Oh no!
Syaoran cleared his throat. "Certainly. But if Meiling recommends you, then your qualifications must be excellent. When can you start?"
Behind him he could hear Meiling squealing, "I won't forget this, thanks, Syaoran!"
Thank you too, he thought.
"Monday next week? I promise, you won't regret this! Thank you!" Sakura said happily.
They ordered, and Syaoran was amused to note that Sakura happily ordered the fried chicken with fries. Ah, she's not afraid to eat, unlike some other women. There was something appealingly childlike about her, and he was content to listen to her stories of the weirder students she had at the university, where she was teaching two courses.
"...and then he just looked out the window and said, 'Ma'am, the answer is out there!'" Sakura and Meiling hooted in laughter. "I mean, he could've just said he didn't read the damned book but NO, he had to be profound!"
Syaoran found himself smiling a bit at her stories, something he rarely did these days. And when Sakura turned to him and addressed some of the punch lines to him, he began to forget his duties for the rest of the day.
There was a brief tussle between Meiling and Syaoran over who would pay the bill. Meiling won when she hissed at Syaoran that she would set him up with a society girl she knew Syaoran detested. "I'll send her to your office!" she threatened.
But Sakura looked at her watch, then stood up. "Oh gosh, I have to get back to the university. Thank you for lunch, Meiling, Syaoran. I'll come in on Monday morning, around ten. Is that OK?"
"Erm. Sure." Syaoran was proud that his voice didn't break or waver; nonetheless, he was astounded when, after Sakura kissed Meiling goodbye, she bent down, touched his shoulder lightly, and planted a light kiss on his cheek as well. He would never forget the berry-like scent of her, the soft touch of her lips, and how her hair brushed against his face.
"I...uh...bye," he said. My God, why are my cheeks burning? It's like I'm ten years old! As Meiling walked Sakura out of Sunburst, he touched his cheek where Sakura had kissed it. It was burning.
That girl is going to drive me nuts, he thought.
Meiling returned, and noticed Syaoran's distant stare. "Sorry she kissed you. She's like that, a bit too friendly. She didn't mean anything by it. She's not Chinese like us, you know."
And Syaoran could not explain why his heart sank at what she said.
The Coolness of Night Air
Syaoran couldn't help it; he turned on the monitors he kept in his office and watched the main entrance to Li Tower at around ten AM on Monday morning. He told himself he was just checking on security...as he always did...every...never. Stop fooling yourself, Li!
He'd been in his office for nearly three hours now; he usually came in early and left late, because if he was out of the house before his mother could nag him, and home by the time she fell asleep, things were usually better.
I need a life, he groaned, and ran his hands through his hair. He'd been reduced to watching the Discovery Channel when he was home, because he was often so tired, he couldn't sleep.
Syaoran glanced at the mirror mounted on one of the walls of his office (in violation of some feng shui rule which, again, had driven his mother crazy), and gulped. His unruly brown hair insisted on rising a few inches above his head; he was clearly fighting a losing battle to tame it.
She was starting today; he'd made sure Meiling arranged for Sakura to have her own cubicle on one of the quieter floors of Li Tower. She'd given him a strange look, and said, "Are you aware she's only working with us part-time?" And he'd made sure it was a cubicle within the line of sight of one of their security cameras.
What's wrong with me? Syaoran stood up and looked outside his window. I'm being childish and silly, he thought. Who is this woman anyway? According to Sakura's resume, she was born on April 1 and was twenty-four—just about two years younger than him—a graduate of Tokyo University who had been working at part-time jobs since she was sixteen. She lived a few blocks away from the university.
And he had added her mobile and home phone numbers to his SmartPhone.
He couldn't remember responding this way to a woman in the past. He'd dated; he'd even had women in bed, but they'd seemed to just pass through his life without leaving a strong impression. But Sakura—and he snorted at himself for using the cliche—was a breath of fresh air in a life taken up with duty, duty, and more duties.
What is it about her? he wondered. The wide-open smile, the trusting demeanor, her irrepressible cheerfulness...I don't even know her that well, what am I doing?
Syaoran pressed the button on his intercom to summon one of his secretaries.
"Yes, Mr. Li?"
For the life of him, Syaoran couldn't recall the name of the new secretary in charge of office affairs, so he said, "Please go to the eighteenth floor at 10 am and orient the new editor, Sakura Kinomoto. Give her the tour of the building, then bring her to me. When you do so, bring back issues of Travel with you so that we can discuss her duties."
"Yes, sir."
It was almost lunch time when Syaoran heard a soft knock on his office door. It was Sakura, and she smiled when she saw him. This time though, she seemed somewhat embarrassed.
"Come in," Syaoran invited, a bit stiffly. "Have a seat," and he indicated the large, plush chairs in front of his large office table.
"Erm...Syao...I mean, Mr. Li...about last week, I'm so sorry about...about taking liberties with you." Syaoran looked up; Sakura was blushing. "Please, I meant no harm by it."
Syaoran stared into her lovely eyes, then cleared his throat. He looked away; it wouldn't do for him to smile like an idiot. "Don't worry about it," he said gruffly. "Please, come with me. Let's talk about your duties with the other editors at lunch. And...just call me Syaoran."
"Okay," and she smiled gratefully, "Syaoran."
He cleared his throat to try and prevent his cheeks from reddening. "Let's head for the conference room. Follow me," Syaoran said.
In silence, they walked through the corridors of Li Tower until they arrived at a large hall with a huge rectangular table. Through the glass window, they could see Meiling, Eriol, Tomoyo, and some of the senior editors. Syaoran felt how Sakura began to shrink into herself, clearly intimidated by the presence of the experienced editors.
He was surprised when she reached out for his sleeve, tugging on it faintly, before he opened the door. Sakura looked up at him, clearly uncertain and nervous.
Again, he cleared his throat. How many times am I going to do this today? "Relax. It's going to be okay," he said. Why do I have to sound so gruff? Why can't I be smooth and debonair, like Eriol?
Sakura looked up at him gratefully. "Thank you." And she squeezed his hand, smiled, let go, then let him lead her into the room. Syaoran took the seat near the head of the table, and Sakura was placed across him.
Tomoyo watched the new editor with interest. Had Syaoran been holding her hand before they came in? Not only was the girl pretty in a wholesome way, she noticed how her old friend Syaoran was watching her shyly, something he had never done before. "Ah, an opportunity," she smiled to herself.
Sakura learned that she was to edit and occasionally rewrite articles for Meiling's magazine, "Travel", and to copyedit some sections for the Nippon Picayune. Her schedule was free; she could even work at home if she wanted to. She could barely conceal her smile; this would augment her salary at the unversity, and let her work with one of the biggest newspapers in Japan. Oh if only my brother Touya could see how far the 'monster' has come! she thought joyfully.
She felt Syaoran's eyes on her at odd intervals, and began to worry that he might not fully believe in her capabilities, so she tried to smile at him every time he did that. And each time, his eyes would fly wide open and he would clear his throat. Have I annoyed him? But he was so nice at the door, she thought.
Syaoran, for his part, gave up on trying to ignore her at the meeting. He couldn't take his eyes off her, so he held up the folder containing the daily reports and pretended to be perusing them when he was peering at her from the top of the folder.
Only Tomoyo noticed that the folder was upside-down. She smiled when she caught Syaoran's eye, and subtly gestured towards the folder. Syaoran finally looked at what he was holding, then realized what he'd done, turning crimson. When the meeting broke up, Syaoran bolted from the room. Sakura watched him leave, a faint "Hoeee?" rising from her lips.
Then she felt a soft pair of hands on her arm. The gorgeous vice president, Tomoyo Daidouji, was smiling at her, violet eyes warm and welcoming.
"Sakura, right? I'm Tomoyo. I think you'll like it here."
"Everyone's been so nice to me—Meiling, Syaoran..."
"Syaoran?" Tomoyo's smile widened even further. This was getting good. Syaoran was "Mr. Li" or "Boss" to everyone in the company save for those closest to him. And now this new girl was calling him by his first name?
"Yes, Syaoran Li? Meiling's cousin?"
"Ah." A pause, then, "Would you be interested in writing for a fashion channel?"
"Huh? Do the Lis have a fashion channel?"
"Not yet," Tomoyo was unable to keep her grin from spreading. "But I'd like to hire you to write the proposal for the fashion channel I'm planning."
"Really? That would be great!" Sakura's eyes sparkled, and Tomoyo felt momentarily guilty for using this pretty girl to win Syaoran over. But all's fair in love and war...and fashion!
"When you're free later—say around five or six—could you please come up to my office on the 37th floor? Thank you!" Tomoyo took her leave, and couldn't stop grinning on her way to Eriol's office.
Eriol looked up as the dark-haired vice president entered his office. "You're way too happy. What's up? I knew you were coming here."
"You noticed how Syaoran was staring at that new editor?"
A slow smile spread across Eriol's face. "Oh yeah. Why?"
"We're going to get Channel 88, and she's gonna help us."
"She's the reason why he fled quickly after the meeting? And I thought Madam Yelan had commanded him or something," Eriol steepled his fingers in front of him, and broadened his grin. Blackmail material...something he loved more than anything else in the world...especially if it was on Syaoran.
"There's more. She just called him 'Syaoran', and I think he was holding her hand when they entered the meeting hall."
"Oh you guys," Meiling had just entered, and caught the tail end of their conversation. "Should've asked me. She kissed him last week," Meiling grinned.
"What?"
"Yep, a light smack on the cheek. He turned beet red."
"Why did she kiss him?"
"Foreigner- I mean, not Chinese like us—er, sorry, Tomoyo. Bit too affectionate," Meiling shrugged.
Tomoyo and Eriol broke into similar Cheshire-cat grins.
"Oh no. What are you two planning now?" Meiling looked at them suspiciously.
"Why, dear cousin? Don't trust us?" Eriol's voice was like syrup on pancakes.
"No way! If you're planning to 'get' Syaoran, then I demand to be in on it!" And Meiling slammed the door to Eriol's office, pulled up a chair, and propped her sleek, stockinged legs on Eriol's mahogany table.
Had Syaoran seen the identical grins on their faces, he would've fled for another continent.
