Chapter nine: Romances on the plate.
Eriol escorted Tomoyo out of the theatre and into a cab.
"To the Savoy Grill," he commanded, leaning back.
Tomoyo stared at Eriol: he really was going all out for her, she didn't know what to say.
"Did you enjoy the musical, Tomoyo-chan?"
"Yes.It was so sad but the music was beautiful. I hope nothing like that ever happens to me."
"I'm sure it won't: you're too sweet."
"Yes, but Christine was sweet and look what happened to her."
Eriol smiled at her reassuringly.
"Yes, but the right guy won in the end, didn't he?"
"I suppose so."
"I'd bet you'd like your own Raoul to romance you."
Tomoyo looked out of the window and sighed.
"Yes that would be lovely," she said softly.
Eriol smiled to himself, "I thought so."
Then he added to himself, 'I'm glad I brought that costume with me after all.'
The cab pulled up outside the Savoy: Eriol got out first and offered his hand to Tomoyo, who gingerly took it and held it tightly.
They went into the restaurant; Eriol walked up to the headwaiter.
"Table for two reserved under the name of Hirzagawa."
"Ah yes."
The man tucked two menus under his arm and walked into the restaurant, followed by Eriol and Tomoyo. Their table was by the window, set in a booth, with a candelabrum of three white candles. The seats were covered in green silk, and the tablecloth was the same. Tomoyo stared at all of the cutlery. The man handed them their menus once they were seated and left them alone. Tomoyo looked up at Eriol.
"Eriol-kun, you don't have to do all of this for me."
"Oh yes I do."
She stared at the menu, to hide her flushed face and think of an answer to that. Eriol seemed to be more forceful than usual tonight.
"Eriol-kun, I can't even read some of these names."
"Oh that's because they're in French." He blushed a little. "Sorry about that."
"How do you know French?"
"I had a French nanny when I was younger-that's 'duck in orange sauce'; 'burnt cream'-"
"'Burnt cream'?!"
Eriol laughed at Tomoyo's expression. "It's not what you're thinking, actually it's a most delicious dessert. My favourite, in fact." His eyes suddenly fixed on her face. Tomoyo felt a shiver move down her spine. She had a feeling that burnt cream wasn't Eriol's only favourite thing.
"So you recommend it?" she asked in a shaky voice, hastily breaking the gaze.
Eriol didn't reply: he continued to translate the French names of the dishes on the menu. Eventually, he had a cordon bleu steak with vegetables, and Tomoyo had Dover sole with lemon sauce, sticking to fish but bravely venturing to order the burnt cream as a dessert. Eriol smiled at her.
"Sticking your neck out?" he asked.
Tomoyo nodded, grateful to have the conversation back in a cheerful tone.
"You're actually quite brave, aren't you, Tomoyo-chan?"
His voice was light, but she knew that he was probing her. She clenched her fingers. She wasn't going to be chased like a fox to her earth. She would fight back.
"Why are you asking me all these questions?" she demanded.
Eriol templed his hands and rested his chin on his fingers. "Because I want to know about you, Tomoyo-chan. We didn't have much time to get to know each other when I was in Japan, but I always thought.how interesting it was that you should accept all of this so easily."
Tomoyo blinked at him. "What do you mean?"
Eriol poured himself a glass of water, considering his answer. "Well.cards that can affect the material world, magic, guardian beasts, angels.it would be a lot for most people to swallow."
Tomoyo smiled. "But it makes for great filming!"
"Excuse me?"
"Didn't you know? I filmed all Sakura-chan's captures, except the first one. She looks so kawaii, you can really see her development."
"You . . filmed all her captures?"
"Of course."
"Why? Nobody's ever going to see them."
"I can still watch them." Tomoyo smiled out of the window. "There are some very cute moments between her and Shaolan-kun . . and some even better ones with Yue-san." She looked at Eriol again. "I caught him looking at her when he thought nobody was looking." She giggled. "I've known for a long time what he really thinks of her . . feels for her. I've got the tape of the Final Judgement, it's very interesting, you can come and watch it back at the hotel."
"Why is it so interesting?"
"Because there are all these times when he's looking at her, and it's not as her judge and after that there are lots of other interesting events, I can tell you that."
Their meal was brought then. Eriol chewed on his food and Tomoyo's revelations. Tomoyo, happy to have the upper hand for once, gazed out across the Thames. "It's a beautiful view," she commented, hand in chin.
"Not as beautiful as the lady sitting opposite me," Eriol replied softly.
"Pardon?!" she asked, turning back to him, wondering if she'd really heard that.
"Look, our desserts are here," Eriol said in a louder tone, sweating at how close that had been.
The burnt cream was surprisingly delicious, and Tomoyo asked for the recipe so that she could make it back in Japan. Eriol laughed.
"A convert to English food, that doesn't happen very often!"
"Just this particular dish, thank-you; and the Dover sole, that was wonderful."
Eriol smiled at Tomoyo. Their tea and mints were brought to them; their eating and drinking was interspersed with conversation.
"So why do you want to be a designer?"
"Hmmm, interesting question. Well, primarily because I love to make beautiful things for other people, to wear or admire."
"What about me, if you could design something for me what would it be?"
Tomoyo looked up from her tea and she studied Eriol for a moment, it took her a while to decide, because Eriol had so many different sides to his character.
"With your kind of character, it's hard to say."
Eriol smiled at her. The headwaiter came over and handed him the bill. Eriol put the money inside the little book and gave the waiter two pounds.
Eriol looked at Tomoyo.
"Let's go back to the hotel: I don't know about you, but I'm tired."
"I'm tired too."
They went outside and got into a taxi, in which they soon arrived at the hotel. Eriol paid the driver. When they reached their rooms, Eriol turned to Tomoyo.
"I hope you had fun tonight. Sleep well, we have a long day tomorrow. I'm going to take you to see some of the sights."
Eriol bowed to her, taking off his hat as he did so. Tomoyo looked at him
"Oh wait before you go I'll give you the tapes that have Yue-san in."
Tomoyo went into her room and fetched Eriol the videos she handed them to him, Eriol smiled at her as she stood framed in the door way.
"Thank you I shall return them first thing in the morning, or if you want them come and knock, I shall probably sit up and watch them."
Tomoyo nodded in acknowledgment of what Eriol was saying and then he quietly left to go to his own bedroom and get some sleep.
Tomoyo shut the door after he had gone into his own room, and quietly undressed. She lay her clothes on the chair, promising herself she would hang them up first thing in the morning, and got into bed. She was so tired but she had had a wonderful time with Eriol. Tomoyo blushed as she thought about him. He had seemed so different today. . so caring . . so kind . . so unsure of himself. It wasn't like Eriol to be self-conscious. She wondered what had caused it. She couldn't forget the look in his eyes when he saw her in her dress for the musical. It made her warm inside, yet shivers travelled all over her body.
"Maybe I'm coming down with something," she said out loud, puzzled, and fell asleep.
Eriol escorted Tomoyo out of the theatre and into a cab.
"To the Savoy Grill," he commanded, leaning back.
Tomoyo stared at Eriol: he really was going all out for her, she didn't know what to say.
"Did you enjoy the musical, Tomoyo-chan?"
"Yes.It was so sad but the music was beautiful. I hope nothing like that ever happens to me."
"I'm sure it won't: you're too sweet."
"Yes, but Christine was sweet and look what happened to her."
Eriol smiled at her reassuringly.
"Yes, but the right guy won in the end, didn't he?"
"I suppose so."
"I'd bet you'd like your own Raoul to romance you."
Tomoyo looked out of the window and sighed.
"Yes that would be lovely," she said softly.
Eriol smiled to himself, "I thought so."
Then he added to himself, 'I'm glad I brought that costume with me after all.'
The cab pulled up outside the Savoy: Eriol got out first and offered his hand to Tomoyo, who gingerly took it and held it tightly.
They went into the restaurant; Eriol walked up to the headwaiter.
"Table for two reserved under the name of Hirzagawa."
"Ah yes."
The man tucked two menus under his arm and walked into the restaurant, followed by Eriol and Tomoyo. Their table was by the window, set in a booth, with a candelabrum of three white candles. The seats were covered in green silk, and the tablecloth was the same. Tomoyo stared at all of the cutlery. The man handed them their menus once they were seated and left them alone. Tomoyo looked up at Eriol.
"Eriol-kun, you don't have to do all of this for me."
"Oh yes I do."
She stared at the menu, to hide her flushed face and think of an answer to that. Eriol seemed to be more forceful than usual tonight.
"Eriol-kun, I can't even read some of these names."
"Oh that's because they're in French." He blushed a little. "Sorry about that."
"How do you know French?"
"I had a French nanny when I was younger-that's 'duck in orange sauce'; 'burnt cream'-"
"'Burnt cream'?!"
Eriol laughed at Tomoyo's expression. "It's not what you're thinking, actually it's a most delicious dessert. My favourite, in fact." His eyes suddenly fixed on her face. Tomoyo felt a shiver move down her spine. She had a feeling that burnt cream wasn't Eriol's only favourite thing.
"So you recommend it?" she asked in a shaky voice, hastily breaking the gaze.
Eriol didn't reply: he continued to translate the French names of the dishes on the menu. Eventually, he had a cordon bleu steak with vegetables, and Tomoyo had Dover sole with lemon sauce, sticking to fish but bravely venturing to order the burnt cream as a dessert. Eriol smiled at her.
"Sticking your neck out?" he asked.
Tomoyo nodded, grateful to have the conversation back in a cheerful tone.
"You're actually quite brave, aren't you, Tomoyo-chan?"
His voice was light, but she knew that he was probing her. She clenched her fingers. She wasn't going to be chased like a fox to her earth. She would fight back.
"Why are you asking me all these questions?" she demanded.
Eriol templed his hands and rested his chin on his fingers. "Because I want to know about you, Tomoyo-chan. We didn't have much time to get to know each other when I was in Japan, but I always thought.how interesting it was that you should accept all of this so easily."
Tomoyo blinked at him. "What do you mean?"
Eriol poured himself a glass of water, considering his answer. "Well.cards that can affect the material world, magic, guardian beasts, angels.it would be a lot for most people to swallow."
Tomoyo smiled. "But it makes for great filming!"
"Excuse me?"
"Didn't you know? I filmed all Sakura-chan's captures, except the first one. She looks so kawaii, you can really see her development."
"You . . filmed all her captures?"
"Of course."
"Why? Nobody's ever going to see them."
"I can still watch them." Tomoyo smiled out of the window. "There are some very cute moments between her and Shaolan-kun . . and some even better ones with Yue-san." She looked at Eriol again. "I caught him looking at her when he thought nobody was looking." She giggled. "I've known for a long time what he really thinks of her . . feels for her. I've got the tape of the Final Judgement, it's very interesting, you can come and watch it back at the hotel."
"Why is it so interesting?"
"Because there are all these times when he's looking at her, and it's not as her judge and after that there are lots of other interesting events, I can tell you that."
Their meal was brought then. Eriol chewed on his food and Tomoyo's revelations. Tomoyo, happy to have the upper hand for once, gazed out across the Thames. "It's a beautiful view," she commented, hand in chin.
"Not as beautiful as the lady sitting opposite me," Eriol replied softly.
"Pardon?!" she asked, turning back to him, wondering if she'd really heard that.
"Look, our desserts are here," Eriol said in a louder tone, sweating at how close that had been.
The burnt cream was surprisingly delicious, and Tomoyo asked for the recipe so that she could make it back in Japan. Eriol laughed.
"A convert to English food, that doesn't happen very often!"
"Just this particular dish, thank-you; and the Dover sole, that was wonderful."
Eriol smiled at Tomoyo. Their tea and mints were brought to them; their eating and drinking was interspersed with conversation.
"So why do you want to be a designer?"
"Hmmm, interesting question. Well, primarily because I love to make beautiful things for other people, to wear or admire."
"What about me, if you could design something for me what would it be?"
Tomoyo looked up from her tea and she studied Eriol for a moment, it took her a while to decide, because Eriol had so many different sides to his character.
"With your kind of character, it's hard to say."
Eriol smiled at her. The headwaiter came over and handed him the bill. Eriol put the money inside the little book and gave the waiter two pounds.
Eriol looked at Tomoyo.
"Let's go back to the hotel: I don't know about you, but I'm tired."
"I'm tired too."
They went outside and got into a taxi, in which they soon arrived at the hotel. Eriol paid the driver. When they reached their rooms, Eriol turned to Tomoyo.
"I hope you had fun tonight. Sleep well, we have a long day tomorrow. I'm going to take you to see some of the sights."
Eriol bowed to her, taking off his hat as he did so. Tomoyo looked at him
"Oh wait before you go I'll give you the tapes that have Yue-san in."
Tomoyo went into her room and fetched Eriol the videos she handed them to him, Eriol smiled at her as she stood framed in the door way.
"Thank you I shall return them first thing in the morning, or if you want them come and knock, I shall probably sit up and watch them."
Tomoyo nodded in acknowledgment of what Eriol was saying and then he quietly left to go to his own bedroom and get some sleep.
Tomoyo shut the door after he had gone into his own room, and quietly undressed. She lay her clothes on the chair, promising herself she would hang them up first thing in the morning, and got into bed. She was so tired but she had had a wonderful time with Eriol. Tomoyo blushed as she thought about him. He had seemed so different today. . so caring . . so kind . . so unsure of himself. It wasn't like Eriol to be self-conscious. She wondered what had caused it. She couldn't forget the look in his eyes when he saw her in her dress for the musical. It made her warm inside, yet shivers travelled all over her body.
"Maybe I'm coming down with something," she said out loud, puzzled, and fell asleep.