Disguise

Blue Sonnet

Legend:

""- dialogue

' ' - character thoughts

Ramp Cramp

Sakura was feeling very excited by the time she finished her work at four o'clock that Wednesday. The party was scheduled for later in the evening, and she still had two hours to get ready. As she was getting ready to leave, the intercom sounded.

"Kinomoto, in my office, please."

"What now?" Sakura groaned in frustration as she made her way to the adjacent office. Tomoyo was going to snap her head off if she didn't come home on time.

Syaoran looked up at her from behind his desk as she closed the door. "Are you free tonight?" he asked without preamble.

Sakura was staring at him incredulously. It was clear her interpretation of the question was altogether different from what he had in mind. But before she could say "No, sir", she was cut off quickly.

"Either way, free or not, you don't have any choice," Syaoran drawled, somewhat amused that she had other plans for the evening that he'd be able to break. "You'll be coming with me to my cousin's birthday party tonight. We're meeting a client, so I'll need you to take notes and help me with the figures."

Sakura stared at him again, though now she was flabbergasted. "I'm sorry, but I have plans tonight that I have to attend. I promised my friend I'll work with her tonight," she finally managed to reply after a few moments' silence.

"Well then, I'll guess you'll have to break them," Syaoran answered back, grinning.

She had difficulty preventing herself from gritting her teeth. "Since when have you had the authority to cancel my out-of-work" she said the three last words with incredible emphasis "appointments? Besides, these meetings have to be planned, and you didn't even tell me a single word about it until now."

"It's not really out-of-work, you know. And I only just received the call earlier today. It's not my fault," he replied, grin still in place, which only made her seethe the more.

"I—can't—break—my—promise," Sakura slowly reiterated, with the air of an annoyed adult teaching an unbelievably slow toddler that one plus one equals two.

Syaoran dropped his trump card. "My mother wants to see you."

It was over. She had lost. They both knew that that one sentence clinched it. But there was still time to compromise, wasn't there? "What time is it going to start?" Sakura was amazed at how bored her voice sounded, directly in contrast to the frustration building up inside her.

"Eight o'clock. Make sure you're on time. Being late doesn't exactly give a good impression."

Sakura turned her back to him and sauntered towards the door connecting their offices.

"Fine."

"Sakura! Come on! We're gonna be late if you don't hurry!" It was already five- thirty in the evening.

"Yeah, coming! Let's use my car, alright?" Sakura replied while rechecking the lights and coming down the steps.

Tomoyo gave her an approving smile. "You look good. And you haven't worn any of my designs yet! I'm sure you'll sell everything in a split second!"

Sakura giggled as she put on her shoes. "Come on, Tomoyo. As if I'm going to wear everything."

Tomoyo clucked her tongue as she handed Sakura her coat. "More's the pity. If I wasn't worried that you'd literally break your leg doing the whole set, I'd let you walk them all."

"Yeah, and then you'll have to carry me all the way home," Sakura smirked at the thought. "Isn't Eriol coming with us?"

"No, I told him to meet me at the party, since she's a mutual friend. Actually, I think he had another appointment, but he canceled it when I told him that you were going to model for me tonight." Tomoyo gave a fake sigh. "Now I doubt whether he's really going there for me."

"Suuuure." Sakura laughed. "Come on, let's go!"

She was extremely lucky that the party they were going to was starting at six o'clock. First order of business at the charity ball was the fashion show, and she hoped two hours would be enough for her to finish work and go to Li's cousin's party. She wasn't going to tell Tomoyo that she was going to bolt right after the show; she'd just leave her a note. It was all that Li's fault that she couldn't enjoy this night with her best friend. 'Someday,' she thought fiercely, 'someday I'll show him.'

"WHAT?! You're not coming?!" Syaoran bellowed at his friend.

Eriol put up his hands in defense. "Sorry, but I'm taken tonight. You've got to understand, man! This is really important to Tomoyo. Besides, you don't need an escort, she does! I already sent my gift over to Meiling's, so Miuren won't hold a grudge against me."

Syaoran knew it was a hopeless case. But there was no loss in trying, was there? "You have to be kidding me! Four to five hours with only Meiling as companion! Do you grasp the whole meaning of that sentence?! That's my sanity flying away! Please, Eriol! I only agreed to this because I thought you were coming with me."

Eriol crunched up his face, pretending to be deep in thought. "But you said you're going to meet a client tonight, right?"

Syaoran turned his face away so Eriol wouldn't detect his guilt. "No, I'm not, at least not anymore. Kinomoto's supposed to come with me, but I decided not to go through with it. She's got other plans, even though she promised—well, more like I persuaded her—to come. So I'm going to cancel, since I won't have any figures to present if she's not there."

This time Eriol's surprise was genuine. "Kinomoto? As in Sakura?"

Syaoran snorted. "Know of any other Kinomotos we both know?"

Eriol's eyes were boring into his. "Persuaded? As in blackmailed?

Syaoran flushed. "It's not like that! I just told her the truth—that my mom wanted to see her."

"Did your mom mention seeing her at the party?"

If it was possible, Syaoran's face turned to an even deeper shade of red. "Alright, already! She didn't say that! Are you happy now?"

Unsurprisingly, Eriol began to double up with laughter and only calmed down a minute later. "Of course she has plans, you idiot!" Eriol remarked, still smirking. "She's coming with us to work with Tomoyo."

Syaoran blinked. "What do you mean, 'work with Tomoyo'?"

"Didn't I tell you? She and Tomoyo have been best friends since childhood. When she came to Hong Kong to work here, Tomoyo came with her. Sakura's been modeling for her ever since college, and when she's not working, like tonight," at this Eriol positively sniggered at him "she agrees to do it. Tomoyo designs almost all her clothes based on Sakura's physique and character, so it's just perfect when she walks them on ramp. You know, like an exclusive model. Unsurprisingly, every single one of Tomoyo's designs has been a success."

"So she's a model too? I didn't know that," Syaoran muttered under his breath. Then recovering quickly, he started on Eriol. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

"How was I supposed to know you were interested? It was you who didn't ask," Eriol replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

'So that was what Kinomoto meant when she said she was working tonight,' Syaoran mused for a while, then realized they had strayed from the topic at hand. "Well, frankly, I don't care. I'm just gonna call her at her house tonight to tell her it's been cancelled. And then you won't need to accompany Tomoyo!"

Eriol was starting to walk backwards toward the door. "Hehe. Sorry, man. I love my Tomoyo. Can't disappoint her now, can I? Reminds me," he looked at his watch, "it's almost six. They're probably at the party right now, so it's useless to call Sakura at home. I'll tell her your message. Bye, then."

"Wait, Er—" Syaoran was cut off by the door opening and closing. He raked his hair with his hands in defeat. "Ungh. Now I have to go there alone. So much for enjoying myself tonight."

"Hem, hem."

The couple whose lips were currently glued to each other pulled apart at the sudden interruption. Tomoyo looked highly affronted while Eriol flushed with embarrassment. "Ever heard of private moments?" she inquired stonily.

Sakura was undaunted, since she had been witness to so many of their 'private moments', and because Tomoyo had never really gotten angry with her. Instead she found the situation highly amusing, because instead of Tomoyo, it was Eriol who was really embarrassed.

"I wasn't going to interrupt, but you were taking too much time, and the party's already starting. Imagine that, a fashion show with the designer puckering up outside." She shook her head in mock disgust, and turned around to hide a smirk. "Oh what the guests would say if they found out."

"Shut up." Tomoyo's voice still sounded irritated, but she too was sporting a grin. "If you interrupt us again, I'll make you wear my designs to work for a month."

And that, for Sakura, was a really serious threat. "Hahaha—haha—ha— Come on, Tomoyo! It was just a joke! A joke!"

The couple was still laughing at Sakura's worried expression when they made their way inside the mansion. Introductions were made and Tomoyo's client, a pretty woman in her early forties, welcomed the three of them and ushered them inside a dimly lit hall. Almost all the lighting was centered at the long T-shaped stage in which Sakura would be traipsing wearing Cherry Blossom's. It was the brand name Tomoyo had given her designs, translating Sakura's name to English, and the possessive noun was a representation of her significance to them.

Sakura wearily followed Tomoyo to the made-up backstage, because Tomoyo was pulling on her arm so much that it was in danger of being chucked out from her shoulder. "I'm not going anywhere, Tomoyo," Sakura groaned, thinking 'at least not at present.'

Tomoyo had a crazed gleam in her eyes when she looked back. "I know, but we have to hurry. You're first to come out."

Sakura sweat-dropped. "I just hope I get through this alive."

"This one's the last, Sakura, no need to fidget anymore," Komi, her gay make-up artist, remarked when she looked at her watch for the umpteenth time. He looked at her appraisingly and smiled in approval. "You'll really turn heads with this one."

The dress she was wearing was beautiful in its elegance. It wasn't simple; anything was rarely simple in Tomoyo's catalogue. It was a midnight blue, body-hugging dress which began with a Chinese collar connecting to the body in a triangle, leaving only her shoulders and arms bare, and ended at her knees in a loose skirt. The silver stiletto heels complemented the outfit. But its crowning glory was its material. At almost every angle of light, it seemed to shimmer slightly, making the wearer look ethereal.

Sakura's musings were brought to a halt with Komi pushing at her back. "Come on, you're up next! That's the last, so make it count, alright?" With that, she was pushed into the limelight.

At the sidelines, Tomoyo was watching the show with Eriol at her side. "She looks really beautiful, doesn't she? I'm not selling that one," she referred to the dress Sakura was wearing as she whipped past them in a flurry of style.

Eriol perfectly understood. No one wore Cherry Blossom's quite like Sakura did. "You can't ask for a more perfect model, love. Unless it's you we're talking about," he grinned and tweaked her nose a little.

Tomoyo broke into silent giggles, but was quickly ushered up the stage as the last of the models made their appearances on ramp. As a result, she was smiling brightly as she and Sakura bowed to the guests, signaling the conclusion of the show.

"Where's Sakura?"

Eriol was looking at everywhere but her. "Uh, she told me to tell you that she had another appointment tonight and that she's really really sorry and that she'd try and make it up to you," he replied in one breath.

Tomoyo was looking at him suspiciously. "Why do I have the feeling that you're not telling me all of it?"

Eriol sighed. It was particularly hard to fool this one. "It's because I forgot to tell her as well. She's actually going to Syaoran's cousin's birthday party, since he told her that they were meeting a client there. But a while ago, Syaoran was wallowing in guilt and decided to cancel at the last minute, but you were already on your way here so he couldn't call her at home. He was going to call her on her cell phone, but I volunteered to inform her instead, so he didn't call anymore. But it passed my mind with all the commotion here, and I only remembered when Sakura cornered me and told me that she was leaving. I tried to stop her but she was running at top speed towards her car. The party starts at eight, and it was already seven forty-five. She must have been really worried, because she took off without even changing her dress, so she's still wearing it and her make-up is still on."

Tomoyo managed to sit through her boyfriend's entire litany in silence, but when it finished her face broke into a huge grin and her eyes were gleaming. "So she went there in that dress? Oooh, I wish I were there with my camcorder to tape Li's face when he sees her in it!"

Eriol broke out in cold sweat. He loved Tomoyo, but there was fond, and there was obsessed.

Sakura's dress was formal enough to warrant her entry to the huge manor, in which a party was taking place in the garden. She was late for ten minutes, but fortunately for her, the party was still at the early stages. She set out for the buffet at once, since she had no time to eat at the previous party.

Syaoran, on the other hand, was busy socializing with old friends when he noticed her entry into the garden. It was a while before he realized he had been gaping at her with his mouth wide open. He had never seen Sakura like this before. She was always prim and proper, all the buttons at the right places. But tonight she was exquisite. And sexy, subtly sexy. She was glistening in the night. It wasn't long before he noticed that his friends stopped talking too, and was staring at her like he had, which induced an unpleasant emotion he didn't quite understand. Shaking his head, he sauntered to the buffet table to get himself a better look.

"You get here late and first thing you do is eat. What kind of priorities do you exhibit with that behavior?"

Sakura visibly jumped. She pinned him with a steely look and retorted, "It's not my fault I was hungry because I had to cram two parties tonight and not be late for either one! So pardon me if I'm going straight to eating, because I reckon this'll be the only enjoyable thing that'll keep me occupied tonight." And she resumed filling her plate and paid him no more attention.

Syaoran winced at the accusing tone, but he was content on just watching her for now. This was the first time he'd seen her wear make-up too, though it was very light. Her short hair was meticulously clipped away from her face, and her emerald eyes, though every bit as enticing on regular days, seemed more deep-set and serious. Damn, but she was beautiful.

"Yes? Can I help you?"

Syaoran's perusal was cut short at hearing her sarcastic voice. "Well, it's nothing actually," he replied, amazed he could still do so.

Sakura gave an unladylike snort. "Then stop staring at me like I've grown an extra head. It's unnerving."

"Why are you here? Didn't Eriol tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

Syaoran sighed. 'That idiot. He left me to do the confessing on my own, and she's pissed enough as it is.'

Sakura was waiting for an answer. "Well?"

"Look, I'm sorry, but I cancelled it. I learned from Eriol that you were modeling for charity tonight, so I decided that that was more important. I tried to call you, but Eriol said he'd pass the message. So it's cancelled."

She was dumbstruck. All that racing around for nothing. Suffering Tomoyo's wrath for nothing. Cursing Li to everlasting hell for nothing...well, maybe not for nothing. These thoughts flashed across Sakura's mind, but the little voice that had been nagging at her since Li came to Hong Kong surfaced above all. 'It's not his fault, and you know it. He tried to cancel. Come to think of it, Eriol had been telling you something.'

She was deadly silent. Syaoran didn't take that as a good sign. "Hey, are you all right?"

She seemed to have regained her senses. "Yes. Yes, I'm all right. So I can go home now?"

He knew the answer to that before she even asked. "Yeah, you can go home. But since I presume you drove fast all the way here, you must be tired. Why don't you stay and enjoy the party some more? It won't hurt."

"You really think I'd enjoy myself with you here?" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"On the contrary, I think you will." When she put down her plate and started to walk towards the gates, he took hold of her arm and grinned at her. "Look, why don't we have a truce for now? I promise you'll enjoy yourself. If you don't, I'll treat you to lunch for a month."

Sakura tried to stare him down for all of ten seconds, but he just stared back with the foolish grin. Soon she was having difficulty not grinning back. "For a month? Is that a promise?" When Li nodded, she broke into a huge grin. "All right. But you should know, I've got incredible willpower. I just may not enjoy myself tonight."

Syaoran chuckled, and let go of her arm to pick up her plate.

"I'll be the judge of that."

Please review! I need ideas for the next chapter. What'll happen at the party? Is Meiling going to freak out? Please, please, please review!! Is the chapter too long? Is it too cheesy? I need your reviews!