Disclaimer: I do not own CCS and the brands mentioned in this fic.. I'm just a big fan of ExT so I wanted to do something for them. ^_~ please don't sue me. I still have a big future ahead of me. I'm just 15 years old. ^-^v
Dedicated to my dear friend Miaka Hiiragizawa for helping me get through my worst case of writer's block.^.^ Thanks girl!^_~
Chapter 2:
Discerning
Inside a long black limousine, Eriol and Tomoyo are talking about Eriol's schedule that day.
"Okay, so first we'll go to a meeting at The Orion Hotel from 10:00 am to 11:30 am about your new contract with the owner of the hotel then we'll head off to your office at Tokyo," Tomoyo repeated what Eriol had said and waited for him to say anything.
"Right. Then, I'll have lunch at 12:30 at some restaurant nearby," Eriol told her but his eyes are looking at television, watching the news. "And I'll go back to my office to finish some paper work and at 7:30 pm I'll go home," he said now looking at her. "Is there anything not clear to you?" he asked while sipping some of his orange juice.
Tomoyo gave him one of her a-guy-would-surely-go-crazy-when-he-sees-this smiles. "Iie. Everything's clear," she said looking straight into his emotionless yet beautiful sapphire eyes.
"Good," he said returning back her smile and turned his attention back to the television.
There is a long silence while they are on their way to the hotel. Tomoyo stayed put on her position and focused her attention outside. She carefully eyed every person and see if there's anything peculiar going on.
She saw a lot of different people but nothing strange. Something came up on her mind so she looked at the different buildings around.
'It's gonna be a long, long day,' she thought as she observed the people around.
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Tomoyo walked flanking with Eriol as he went inside the elevator to go to the main conference room of The Orion Hotel. She made sure that no one unknown would come on contact with him. She looked all marvelous in her suit and matching cool aura that demands authority. She always stood up straight and looked at each person as if they were a predator who is waiting for the right time to kill its prey.
Eriol just stood by his bodyguards' side, minding his own business. He was a little bit uncomfortable about the fact that the one guarding him is a woman. It makes him feel a bit intimidated because it makes him look like that he is a helpless person. Still, he remained cool and did not let anyone guess his thoughts.
The two of them walked in together with a whole lot of other bodyguards following them. They immediately closed the doors of the elevator so as not to let anybody unknown come close to their well-respected, handsome boss. Silence enveloped the elevator while they are waiting to arrive at their destination. The doors opened and Tomoyo immediately went outside first, guarding to see if there's anything peculiar around. She ushered Eriol until they are inside the conference room. The other bodyguards guarded outside while Tomoyo stayed with him inside until the meeting was finished.
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Eriol is sitting inside a fancy restaurant clearly enjoying his meal even though he has a huge stack of papers with him.
Tomoyo is just standing behind his chair akin to an effigy. She noticed a small group of women in their 20's a few seats away giggling like mad and blushing profusely at the mere sight her boss. She mentally shook her head.
'Eriol-kun has clearly not changed when it comes to women,' she thought as Eriol looked up and gave them a small but saccharine sweet smile.
Tomoyo subdued her laughter as a huge number of people inside the resto are trying their best not to swoon even if the smile was not directed at them.
Eriol of course noticed the commotion inside the restaurant but he didn't pay any attention to it. He knows that he is the reason of the hullabaloo so he just continued his work. He observed that there are a small group of men looking behind him and flirting endlessly with his gorgeous bodyguard.
'Ah. Tomoyo-san still attracts a lot of men and women, I see,' he thought as Tomoyo stood still and completely ignored the group of men. He looked behind and smiled.
"Would you like to join me in my meal Tomoyo-san?" he politely asked in his deep baritone voice. A larger number of citizens gave out a long sigh upon hearing his voice.
Tomoyo returned his smile causing the customers to release hushed gasps with her to-drool-for smile. She was about to take the offer but she remembered that this is her job and she shouldn't mix her personal life with it even if she's already starving to death. "Arigatou Mr. Hiiragizawa but I would have to decline your offer. I am not yet hungry," she lied and remained composed.
"Nonsense. I insist you sit down and have lunch with me," he said while standing up and taking her hand. He guided her to a seat opposite of his.
Tomoyo couldn't say anything at what Eriol had done so she just did as he said. 'Once a gentleman, always a gentleman,' she thought as he was telling the waiter to bring her the orders he is saying. She remained seated and became aware of the stares that the two of them are receiving from the people.
"It seems that you have gained a lot of admirers here Mr. Hiiragizawa," she said amusedly as death glares were being shot to her from a great number of females and a smaller portion of the males inside the restaurant. "I will be surely having a harder time getting them away from you," she joked.
Eriol chuckled at what she said. "Oh? But it seems that there are a bulk of people here staring at me with jealous looks on their faces," he chuckled and continued on. "I can see why. Anyone would want to have someone as stunning as you by their side all the time," he said with his eyes twinkling.
"Still a charmer I see Mr. Hiiragizawa," she responded, ignoring his compliments. She looked at him in the eye. "But I would have to thank you for inviting me to have lunch with you sir," she said sincerely.
"Nobody would ever resist your charm Tomoyo-san," he said while looking at his papers.
They had a long conversation about everything under the sun and Tomoyo insisted that she will pay for everything they ate. But as usual, Eriol won their little debate about the bill and paid it instead.
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Tomoyo was always seen with Eriol and never went farther than 2 feet of his radius. Right now, she's at the comfort of her bathtub soaking and relaxing herself. Her eyes are closed and red and white rose petals are floating around her. Her long luxurious smoky raven hair is tied up on her head but there are a few strands unintentionally hanging around her beautiful angelic face.
She stayed like this for about 30 minutes and is clearly enjoying it but it was interrupted with a knock on her door.
She opened her eyelids revealing her unique and lovely violet-amethyst eyes. She lifted her body from its previous state of bliss and covered it up with her peach Marks & Spencer cotton bath robe. She unlocked her door to see a maid bowing down.
"Madam, Master Eriol wishes you to join him for dinner downstairs," the maid said looking at her now.
Tomoyo wouldn't dare repudiate him for he is after all, her boss. She smiled the maid and replied, "Please be kind enough to tell our boss that I would be privileged to join him later miss...,"Tomoyo looked at her asking her name.
The young maid smiled at her friendliness and answered, "Makeira madam."
Tomoyo returned her smile and stated, "It's such a pleasure to meet you Makeira but please call me Tomoyo. I am also at the service of our handsome boss." She smirked and patted her.
Makeira is already starting to like Tomoyo even if she had just known her for 2 minutes. "Of course Tomoyo," she smiled once more and added. "Our handsome boss is waiting for you downstairs." She chuckled and left.
Tomoyo went back in and locked her door again. She went inside her walk-in closet looking for something to wear for her dinner. Of course, she would step aside from her tux since she's just inside the mansion and didn't want to be so formal with her former classmate but she doesn't like the idea of coming down in a really tiny short and over-sized shirt that she usually wears when she's at home.
She held up a red chiffon Gucci halter dress that has diagonal cut on the lower part. She wrinkled her nose and said, "Too flirty."
She placed it back and looked at a body-hugging and short forest green Dolce & Gabbana tube velvet dress with a really low cleavage and it barely reaches to her mid-thighs and has slits on both sides. She shook her head and uttered, "Too revealing, much flirtier."
She kept on looking for about 10 minutes and smiled at the one she's holding.
"Perfect."
It's a light yellow off shoulder United Colors of Benetton cotton-lycra top with matching white Guess cotton skirt that covers up to the middle of her long slim pale legs.
She quickly dressed and slipped on her white Fornarina sandals and placed her white-gold necklace with a diamond studded white-gold heart pendant. She has always preferred white-gold and silver over gold. She applied on her Clinique Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder to keep her face looking fresh and oil free and grabbed her Nivea Cherry Pink lip gloss and glided the stick on her pink pouting lips.
Tomoyo sat in front of her mirror for about 2 minutes debating what she should do with her hair. She decided to put it up on a half pony with a yellow elastic band and headed to the dining room.
She walked gracefully at the large and long hallways of the mansion and luckily she found the dining room without getting lost. She smiled and sauntered to Eriol who is already waiting for her.
Eriol stood up when he saw a lovely angel walking towards him and smiled at her.
"Konbanwa Tomoyo-san," he said with another one of his charming smiles. "I'm truly grateful that you acknowledged my invitation for a simple dinner here and you certainly look lovely tonight." He didn't look bad himself too. He's wearing a black tight-fitting long sleeved Dockers shirt with v-neck and a black pair of jeans from Diesel. He looked dashing.
"You don't look bad your self sir. Gomen nasai if you've waited too long Mr. Hiiragizawa," she bowed down and carried on. "I wasn't expecting this so I had a really long time deciding what to wear," she looked up Eriol with sincere eyes.
Eriol smiled and took her by her shoulders. "It's nothing really now," he teased her and chuckled as he saw her smile once more. "There! Now anyone would surely swoon when they see you smile like that at them," he joked.
Tomoyo sighed and shook her head, "Mr. Hiiragizawa, I know old habits die hard but please don't flatter me anymore. Others who fall and worship the ground you walk on deserve those sweet words more rather than your tough bodyguard," she said and smiled.
Eriol laughed merrily at her words, "I see," he said when he calmed down but his eyes show the amusement he still feels. He composed himself and offered his arm to his lovely bodyguard. "May I have the honor of walking my tough but exquisite bodyguard to her seat?" he said with a small smile on his pale pink lips.
Tomoyo graciously slipped her arm around his and responded, "It'll be a pleasure," and beamed at her boss.
They walked hand in hand and sat down at they waited for one of the maids to serve the soup.
Tomoyo, being a rich person herself, had no problems eating in a formal table setting. She ate as if her manners came out with an easy flow and is really used to eating like this.
She looked up at Eriol who is also eating with ease and decided to start a tête-à-tête. (A/N: I didn't know such a word exists! I just looked up the synonyms of conversation and saw it.^.^)She delicately swallowed her soup thinking of something to say.
"So Mr. Hiiragizawa, I was just wondering," Tomoyo began and Eriol's eyes met hers.
"Yes?" Eriol said leaning forward a bit waiting for her to say her thoughts.
"Well, where are your guardians? I mean I haven't seen or even heard Nakuru or Spinel since I came here 2 days ago," she asked and placed another spoon of soup on her mouth.
Eriol smiled and answered, "They're at England right now. They wanted a little vacation but don't worry, they'll be back in 3 days to make our lives noisier and livelier. And I must ask you to call me Eriol, Tomoyo-san." He chuckled and continued on his soup. "We've known each other since fifth grade and Mr. Hiiragizawa makes me sound so old," he said and smirked
"Okay Eriol-kun," she returned his smile with one of her own trademark smiles and got on. "And I deduce that they know your situation right now?" she stated with a little precaution.
"Hai, indeed they do," he said in between mouthfuls. "But we all know that I am the half-reincarnation of the greatest sorcerer of all time now don't we?" he said with a smirk on his boyishly cute face. "Which brings us to you Tomoyo-san," he carried on.
Tomoyo looked up but with a startled look on her angelic face. "What about me Mr. Hiiragizawa?"
"Why have you decided to become an agent?" he asked while his forehead creases in curiosity. He smiled again and added, "Don't tell me that you've stopped making those cute dresses like the ones Sakura-chan wore during her card captoring days," he kidded her.
Tomoyo's angelic laugh filled the dining room tickling Eriol's senses and responded, "Well, no offense meant Eriol-kun," she stated with her perfectly shaped eyebrows rising up. "But I don't like the normal job of sitting behind a desk all day and doing nothing but paperwork," she honestly told him and finished her soup. "I wanted to do something much more exciting and I love the feeling of adrenaline-rush with all the danger," she said with happiness and mirth shown in her amethyst eyes. "And no, I haven't stopped making those dresses but the ones I make now are much more sophisticated," she smiled and thanked the maid who laid down the next course.
Eriol grinned and said, "I really believe now that old habits die hard." He proceeded on eating the chicken curry served to them. "So who's the girl fluky enough to wear Tomoyo Daidouji's beautiful works?" he asked.
"Again Eriol-kun, flattering me will take you nowhere," Tomoyo said while enjoying her meal too.
Eriol put on a look of disbelief on his handsome face, "I am not flattering you Tomoyo-san! I am merely telling the legitimacy of your works!" he said with a fake hurt look on his face.
Tomoyo laughed at this and shook her head, "You are such an actor my dear. Anyway, I make those dresses for myself whenever I want to and that doesn't make me a lucky girl," she said with a grin on her face.
The two of them continued on talking about themselves and caught up with each other's lives.
"Arigatou Eriol-kun for the dinner," Tomoyo said and bowed down in courtesy. She stood up staright again and said, "I really enjoyed it. I'll see you tomorrow sir." She smiled once more at his grinning face.
"I enjoyed it too myself Tomoyo-san," he said and took her hand and kissed the back. "I'll see you tomorrow morning my dear tough bodyguard," he smiled and left for his room.
Tomoyo walked back to her own room with a simple smile playing on her lips.
TBC... if I'm insipired and if you review!^.^
A/N: I hope that's more than okay.*.* I'll just pray that you liked it!^^ Don't forget to drop by a review of any sort.^_~ Thanks!
ja!^^