Author Notes: Hello! Sorry for the long absence. Internet problems and sheer laziness are my reasons for not posting chapters up, but I have a few ready now. I've got the story planned out (not completely detailed though) and it will be 14 chapters long, just so you know when it is ending. There will be a sequel, but it depends on whether I feel up to writing it as to when it will appear. I'm afraid that I only have 2 chapters for you at the moment, but I shall be updating much more regularly in future. I expect to finish the story by Christmas, but it may take a little longer depending on how much spare time I have.
Thank you for waiting patiently!
Chapter 5: Meeting Eriol(A few weeks later) Sakura
Sakura had never been so nervous in her life. It wasn't even a role that she wanted particularly badly, but she was still so very worried about her meeting with the director. Partly because Marlon had given her a long lecture about how brilliant Mr. Hiiragizawa was, and how he was probably going to get a knighthood from the Queen of England for his superb work, a fact that Sakura doubted. Yet it still scared her to be in his presence.
She shuffled nervously over to the reception desk of the hotel-restaurant that Mr. Hiiragizawa had arranged to meet at.
"E-excuse me." She began, capturing the attention of the receptionist there. The man looked at her, open mouthed for a moment before quickly composing himself and smiling.
"Yes, Ma'am, how may I help?"
"I was wondering if Mr. Hiiragizawa was waiting for me?"
"Yes, your name please?" As if he had to ask. He knew, but just wanted to make sure it really was the famous actress stood before him...
"Sakura Kinomoto"
"Yes, he did say." The man answered, smiling and looking down at a piece of paper, then calling a boy over. "Show Miss. Kinomoto to where Mr. Hiiragizawa is sitting. Table 12, yes." He turned to Sakura. "Have a nice day, Ma'am."
Sakura thanked him and followed the boy over to the restaurant and towards table 12.
Her stomach was filled with butterflies. She casually examined her attire, hoping she looked all right. Her pale blue skirt fell to just below her knees, and floated out slightly rather than being straight. She wore a white v-neck, three-quarter-length shirt, a blue gauze neck scarf and diamond earrings. Her shoes were expensive blue designer heels, and her hair was up in a bun, with curls falling by her ears, bouncing as she walked.
"Here you are Ma'am, table 12." The boy announced, before leaving.
"Miss. Kinomoto, I presume?" A voice sounded. Sakura looked at the man whose voice it was. He couldn't have been much older than her. His young face framed by a pair of thin glasses, which he pushed up his nose as he looked at her. His eyes were a dazzling blue, and seemed to stare into her soul. This man both scared her and captivated her at the same time. Realising that she was rudely staring and not speaking, she nodded, and formally introduced herself, saying how pleased she was to meet him.
"Likewise" He replied, "I've been quite eager to meet you, having heard so much about you."
Sakura smiled, and he motioned for her to sit down, which she gratefully did.
"Now, I heard that you went to the "Akakawa Gekijo School of Performing Arts"…" He began, while Sakura stared nervously at him. She nodded.
"Wow, you are quite strange, Miss. Kinomoto, not like most other actresses I've met. You can't shut them up about how brilliant they think they are, but you just stay quiet."
Sakura blushed looking down at her hands which where meekly folded on her lap. She didn't know why her face reddened. It must have been the feeling of his eyes fixated on hers.
"How do you feel about this role, Miss Kinomoto?"
Sakura looked up nervously. What should she say? That she was uneasy, anxious and worried about the role, or should she lie and say she felt comfortable? She decided on honesty. It wasn't as if this was an important part she wanted.
"Erm, well Mr. Hiiragizawa, to tell you the truth… I… I'm a little unsure about the role. I don't know if it is right for me"
He smiled. An all-knowing and devilishly handsome smile. He leaned over and in a rather sultry whisper he said,
"Sakura, I believe that you will do very nicely for this role. You have the looks, the body and of course the talent to pull off playing this particular character."
Sakura blushed again. Not only had this great man complimented her, but also he had called her by her first name in a voice that made her shudder inside because of its sexiness.
"I know our meeting has only just started, but I know I would be doing the right thing in handing you the part right now." He leaned back on his chair.
Sakura, shocked and confused just stared at the man, whose blue eyes seemed to be hiding something, and yet gave the impression of being so strangely trustable.
"You mean… you're just giving me the part?" Sakura said, bewildered. He nodded.
"Yep, you seem like a nice girl and you are very talented. And since I've heard all about you, I figure I can trust you to make this movie a success."
Sakura smiled at the man. Normally, she would have weighed the pros and cons and maybe been suspicious of a guy offering her a role so quickly, but with Eriol Hiiragizawa, she just felt as if she could trust him.
He brought out the paper with all of the contracts and details on.
"Just read this and sign." He announced, offering her a regal-looking fountain pen.
"But, don't I need my agent to be here?"
"No, no. No worries. Marlon checked it over and agreed to it. He even signed right there." He pointed to Marlon's messy scrawl located along a dotted line.
Sakura smiled weakly. She wanted to be cautious, but figured that she might as well give it a shot. She read the contract, gave it her signed approval and within half an hour was saying her goodbyes to Mr. Hiiragizawa, with the prospect of a lead role in what was promised to be a blockbuster, ahead of her.
"I'm sorry to be so hasty and not get to know you better, Sakura, but I have another meeting and must dash. I'll keep in touch. After all, I wouldn't want to lose a star like you." Eriol winked as he got ready to leave. He escorted Sakura to a waiting taxicab and waved her off before proceeding to prepare for his next meeting, back in the hotel somewhere.
Sakura felt rather miserable to be out of his presence, but much more positive about the movie now that she had met the director. All in all, her meeting with Mr. Hiiragizawa wasn't at all as bad as she assumed it would have been.
(Same Day) Syaoran
"Where the heck is he?" Syaoran muttered to himself as he looked around the bar. He'd been waiting only ten minutes, but Syaoran was already sick and tired of his surroundings. The bartender just sat boredly cleaning glasses, and giving Syaoran sly glances as if urging him to buy something rather than nursing that glass of coke.
The stylish and trendy bar was the meeting place Eriol Hiiragizawa had arranged to meet at. Syaoran grew more and more impatient as the minutes ticked by. Finally he drained the last of his drink and stood up, readying himself to leave.
"Leaving so soon, Syao-chan?" A voice called from behind him. Syaoran shuddered.
"Do NOT call me that." He growled, his face reddening in anger at the belittling nickname.
"What?" Eriol Hiiragizawa smirked, looking straight at his old friend. "Syao-chan? But didn't your sisters call you that?"
Growling again and turning to face his tormentor, Syaoran shot back.
"When I was a baby! Geez, you are always out to get me, Hiiragizawa. If you weren't offering such a cushy job I would be kickin' your ass right now." And as calmly as he could, Syaoran sat back down, Eriol seating himself next to him. After ordering a drink of cola, Eriol got down to business.
"So you want the job, Syao-chan?"
"Call me that one more time and I'll kick your ass regardless of how much I want the job." Syaoran warned. "Geez, you sound like a kid…"
Eriol laughed, and repeated his question, dropping the torturous nickname.
Syaoran shrugged in a non-committal way.
"But you just said it was a "cushy" job. The positivism of the adjective leads me to suspect you quite like the job and want the part perhaps?"
This time Syaoran laughed.
"I like the job, but the idea of working with you is repulsive. Especially if you keep coming out with longwinded, smart-ass sentences like that." Eriol gave him a look that continued to ask the unanswered question of whether he wanted the role.
"Yeah, I want the role. But you have to tell me about my co-star first…"
Eriol's eyes lit up with realisation.
"So that is why it's cushy. You want a new victim."
"Victim? The girls I bed are not victims. They are privileged young women."
Eriol shook his head disapprovingly, and took a sip of his cola.
"So, what is she like? You signed her yet? Or do I get to pick her out?" Syaoran perked up as though Eriol were going to describe to him a meal for devouring.
Eriol replied calmly that he had found the right actress and she had only just signed on.
"She is highly talented, and very professional, unlike some people who will remain nameless." He titled his head in Syaoran's direction.
"Hey! I'm highly talented, and I am too professional!"
Once more Eriol was left laughing.
"Now who sounds like a kid?" He smirked as Syaoran crossed his arms.
"Fine, fine. Now details please. Age, hair, eyes, measurements. Come on, give me something to work with here!"
Eriol drank a little more cola, deliberately slowly to annoy Syaoran. When he had drained his glass, he licked his lips and smiled, turning to Syaoran and focusing his full attention on him.
Eriol always freaked Syaoran out with his calm aloofness and yet he was childish and mischievous which made him dangerous to be around. You never quite knew exactly what he was thinking in his twisted and cunning mind.
"Well, she is your age. Quite young looking too, you could probably mistake her for an eighteen year old."
Syaoran nodded in approval.
"She has honey-like golden brown hair and dazzling emerald eyes that look so innocent."
"Wow. Sounds pretty. Now for the real details. Her measurements?" Syaoran urged impatiently.
Eriol shook his head again.
"No. No. No. I am a gentleman. I would never look at her measurements." He closed his eyes as he pushed his glasses up his nose, then opening one eye he added, "but I did happen to notice she had a very nice figure when she walked towards me."
Syaoran laughed.
"Admit it, man. You probably perved all over her when she wasn't looking! With such long descriptions of her face I'd swear you had the hots for her!"
Eriol laughed again before looking at Syaoran ominously.
"And what would you do about it if I did?" He stared Syaoran in the eyes in all seriousness. Syaoran was taken aback. What would he do? If Eriol liked the girl then there was little chance Syaoran could sweep her away. Syaoran suddenly felt angry and threatened. Not good. His eyes narrowed as he stared back at Eriol.
Suddenly Eriol burst out laughing.
"The look on your face! You believed me! You looked like you were about to punch me in jealousy!"
"Jealousy!" Syaoran spluttered, "I wasn't jealous! Just surprised! And any more talk like that and I will punch you!"
Eriol slowly faded to a chuckle and reassured Syaoran that his interest in Sakura was purely professional.
Syaoran blinked in disbelief.
"Did... Did you just say…Sakura?"
Eriol nodded and then stopped, raising his hand to his mouth in mock surprise.
"Oh wait! Did I forget to tell you that your co-star is your old friend from Akakawa Gekijo? How silly of me. Yes, Sakura Kinomoto."
Syaoran sat in disbelief. He hadn't seen Sakura since a few months after graduation.
He'd been guaranteed a place on a soap called "When the Wind Blows" and he'd been working for about two or three months and became the most popular character. Auditions were held for what would be his characters new love interest, but who would turn out to be his half-sister who he never knew about. It was decided that Syaoran, being the star, would choose his co-star. It just so happened that his old rival Sakura turned up. It seemed that work had been scarce for her. Just an advert here, modelling there. She was hoping for her big acting break, but Syaoran was sure as hell not going to make it easy for her. He criticised everything she did in the audition, so much so that Sakura was near to tears by the end. He was about to tell his co-judges that he wanted her to be his co-star when she suddenly flipped out at him and threw her script in his face, calling him... He tried to remember what her exact words were... An "inconsiderate bastard with no thoughts or feelings towards anyone" except himself. Of course, that angered Syaoran and he had her escorted out of the audition room. He moved on to bigger and better things a month or two later and the soap just faded away and got cancelled. Sakura, it seemed, had also moved on. Syaoran couldn't help but see the funny side of the situation.
"So, Eriol, does she know that I am gonna be her co-star?" He asked after a long period of silence. Eriol shook his head.
"Hey, I don't even know if you are going to be her co-star. No papers have been signed yet. I might consider someone else for the part." He said slyly.
Syaoran smiled faintly.
"Well, give me the papers and I'll save you the bother. I'll sign your damn contract."
Eriol smiled his devilishly handsome smile again.
"Excellent!" He said as Syaoran finished signing his name on the dotted line. "I'll have these faxed to your manager and get her signature and we'll be all set." He stood up, taking the papers and pen from Syaoran, who also stood up. "It was nice seeing you again. I'll be back in touch soon with more details." He shook hands politely and walked off, turning around and calling back. " Stay safe, Syao-kun!" He waved childishly and headed out of the bar door.
Boiling up at the embarrassing nickname Syaoran sat down resting his head on his hand against the bar. He rolled his eyes, hardly believing the meeting that had just taken place. He was brought from his thoughts by the barman's impatient cough.
"What?" Syaoran snapped.
"Will you be paying your bill now?"
Syaoran cursed Eriol for leaving him to pay the bill. So that was why he was off in a hurry… must have spent all his cash on Sakura.
Syaoran pulled out a twenty, which was so much more than enough to cover two glasses of coke, and left the change as a tip to the barman, who suddenly became much more friendly. Then he left, his thoughts filled with possibilities on his reunion with Sakura Kinomoto.