Sakura dialed Madison's [Tomoyo, by the way, but it's easier for me to type Madison] number. The phone rang three times before she answered the phone.

"Hey Sakura! How was your speech?" she said, in her normal cheerful and sweet way.

Some things never change, Sakura thought to herself before answering, "It was wonderful! People seemed to get totally into it and as I was leaving I got some offers for interviews!" Lot of interview offers actually, Sakura thought.

"Wow, Sakura, that's great!"

"I know, I feel like I'm at the top of the world!"

"I think we should celebrate," Madison said.

"Okay, how?"

Madison paused a moment, "I'm taking you out to dinner."

"Where?" Sakura said excitedly.

"I got an e-mail from Eriol [I don't know his English name] and he says he has a chain of restaurants now and there's one right here in the city," Madison said.

"Oh yeah! I got a message from him too!" Sakura said, recalling the letter she had gotten in the mail the day before. "I just forgot about it with the upcoming presentation."

"Me too, but I really want to check it out now," Madison said. "How long do you think you need to get ready?"

"Be here in half an hour," Sakura said decisively.

"Good, I'll be there in forty-five," Madison said. "Because some things never change."

Sakura laughed, "I'm not that behind schedule anymore!"

"I know, but that's why I'm being there in forty-five minutes and not an hour."

Meanwhile . . .

Li heard his phone ringing. He had just gotten home and he was tired and contemplated just letting the machine get the call. Then he saw on the caller ID that it was Eriol. Surprised, he picked up the phone.

"Hello?" he said.

"Hey! Li?" Eriol's voice said from the receiver.

"Yeah . . . "

"Long time no see buddy!"

"We haven't talked in, what is it now? Eight years?"

"I think that's about right, where've you been?"

"Getting my career started, you?"

"Same thing – which is why I called you tonight."

"Yeah?"

"I've got my own restaurant now – actually, quite a few of them. When I looked you up I saw that there was one opening really close by to you. Want to go to the grand opening? I know it's short notice, but – "

"Yeah, it'd do me good to get out tonight," Li said, a little bitterness biting into his tone.

"Hey, are you all right?"

"Yeah, it's nothing."

"Can you be there in an hour? I can give you the directions."

"Yeah, sure."

"Great."