Day One: A Rocky Start

Morning came through the translucent white curtains of Tomoyo's picture window and spread across her hardwood floor, all the way up onto her king-sized bed with the white blankets.

At seven o' clock, Tomoyo's alarm clock buzzed her awake. She stirred and slapped the clock with the palm of her hand and rose up her head, a few curly strands of hair hanging in her face.

She threw her feet over the bed and stood, adjusting her skimpy, pink nightgown. She yawned as she padded her bare feet across the floor towards the bathroom.

She turned on the walk-in shower and headed back into her room to get something to wear while the water warmed up.

As she searched through her drawer, she could hear the phone ringing from the other room.

Tomoyo rushed out into her living room and grabbed the phone. "Hello?" She asked.

"Tomoyo, it's Sakura!" Sakura said from the other line. "I can't believe you're going through with this! I had to call to make sure I wasn't dreaming! Are you really going out with Eriol?"

"It's not a date! I'm just proving that he can't make me fall in love like those floozies he dates. It's a bet. I'm going to make him give up his player lifestyle! Syaoran must have told you. Heck knows what Eriol poisoned his mind with."

Sakura giggled.

"Now, let me get back to you. I've got the shower running," Tomoyo said. "Talk to you later!"

"Okay!" -and she hung up.

Tomoyo went back to her drawer and withdrew a white, short-sleeved, knee-length dress with a black collar, black sleeves, and three large black buttons near the top. She also grabbed some underwear and a pair of socks.

-

After finishing at the shower and dressing, Tomoyo blow-dried her hair and braided it down each shoulder. "There," She said as she finished tying a white ribbon on one of her braids. "There is absolutely nothing sexy about me. Therefore, he won't be getting any thoughts."

She headed back into her living room to get some breakfast, but a knock on the door stopped her just as she was struggling to grab hold of a cereal bowl that had been placed too high by Syaoran when he visited last.

"Good morning, Miss Tomoyo," Eriol greeted, dressed in a white button-down and brown pants. He had a denim coat slung over his shoulder, and his hair had been pulled back a bit more neatly than before.

"Hiiragizawa," She responded tartly.

"What a lovely place you have here!" He replied, disregarding her tone. It's very… white and beige."

"I like those colors," She said, walking back towards her kitchen. "You might as well come in."

"Don't mind if I do, dear," He said, slipping out of his shoes and stepping in. "-but aren't you ready to go?"

"I'm going to eat some cereal first," She said, reaching for the bowl. She was standing on her tip-toes and working quite hard to grab it.

Eriol came up behind her and placed his front against her back, making her freeze over completely. He grabbed the bowl with more ease and set it down in front of her. "There you are."

"I… I didn't need your help," She muttered, blushing.

"Is that a hint of redness on your cheeks, dear?" Eriol asked, leaning to look at her face. "You don't have a fever, do you?" He mocked, smirking.

"BACK UP!" She screamed, and surprised him into actually doing so.

"Uh- I uh-" He stammered, hitting the other counter.

"You know what? You should be taking me out to breakfast," She said, crossing her arms.

"Wh---- OH! O… of course! How silly of me," Eriol laughed, smiling sheepishly. "Let's go out to breakfast."

-

The table was covered with steamed rice, miso soup, grilled fish, rolled omelets, pickles, natto, and salad. Eriol had dragged Tomoyo to a ryotei to eat.

"This looks fantastic, hm?" Eriol said, smiling at her.

She picked up her bowl of rice and began eating.

"Eh…heh…" He said, his smile fading. "So…err…What do you do for a living, Tomoyo?"

"Right now I work with my mother," She said.

"I always thought you'd be a singer," Eriol said, actually sounding interested.

"Singing makes you sign your life away to a record company just so you can't sing your song the way you want," Tomoyo responded dryly.

"Now, who told you that?" He asked, leaning his cheek on his hand and smiling.

"My mother," She said simply.

"Well, now… I can assure you that they're not all like that," He said, eating at his rice as well. "There are a few, but I know the good ones."

"I don't care anymore," Tomoyo said. "If I was meant to be a singer, then I would have been one by now."

"Ah--- but you're only twenty-one. You're talking as if you're too old for dreams and hope."

She rolled her eyes. "So, where are we going today?"

"How about a stroll through the park?" Eriol asked.

"Fine," Tomoyo said.

"Fine," Eriol replied.

"Fine!" Tomoyo said more stoutly.

Eriol's eyes caught sight of a cute waitress walking by. "Fine…" He said suggestively, his violet eyes twinkling devilishly. Tomoyo glared at him.

"You're really bad at working your bet, Eriol," She said angrily.

"Ah, ah, ah!" He cried, shaking a finger in her face. "It's only day one, dearest."

"Enough with the pet-names, Hiiragizawa," She answered.

"Oh, but they're so cute on you, Miss Tomoyo!" Her eyes met with his. "-but I'll stop, no problem…"

This is more complicated than I thought it would be… Most women are so easily wooed by a man with charm, money, and good looks… but not her… Eriol thought, eating his rice. What makes her different…?

-

After breakfast, Eriol and Tomoyo headed towards the park on foot. Eriol had hired a limo driver to tote them around the city, and he had told him to go off and meet back up with them in a few hours.

Eriol and her walked side by side in complete silence, not really looking at each other. Whenever Eriol tried to start up a conversation, she seemed vaguely interested for a moment, then went back to watching the other people in the park as if he wasn't even there.

Therefore, Eriol had decided to stare at the lovely young ladies that were walking around. Unfortunately for him, Tomoyo had turned just at the moment he was grinning seductively at a giggling girl that was a few years older than him and yanked him by the ponytail.

"What?" He cried, rubbing his neck.

"I won't let you do that. You'd best get used to not taking every woman you meet back to your hotel room because once I win this bet, you aren't allowed," Tomoyo said proudly.

"Confidence can be your downfall," Eriol said, smiling at her.

"You seemed to be doing all right until you made this bet with me," Tomoyo said, smiling right back at him. "-and soon you'll be in a loveless ditch where you belong."

"I can assure you that I will not lose, Miss Tomoyo," Eriol said sternly, his smile fading.

"You're doing a brilliant job so far, Mister Eriol," She said, mocking his voice when she spoke his name.

Eriol glared at her and pushed his glasses up on his nose. "We'll both see in time, Miss Tomoyo… We'll see."

His eyes traveled over the park, trying to find something else to do, when they met on what was perfect.

"Tomoyo, do you want to go horseback riding? They're letting people ride over there!" He said.

"I guess," She said. "I've never been before."

"Let's go then!" He said, grabbing her wrist. She wrenched it away before he could drag her along behind him. "Ah-"

"I can walk without your assistance," She said, walking promptly over to the area.

-

The man who was in charge of the horses gave Eriol and Tomoyo clothing to ride in, and after they had suited up, they both found a horse they liked.

Eriol's was black. Tomoyo's was white with brown spots.

"Are you ready?" She asked, as the two grabbed the reins.

"Of course," Eriol returned smartly. "I know how to ride a hor-" The stallion then reared its front legs into the air, and Eriol tumbled off the back.

"You know how to ride a whore, do you?" Tomoyo asked, bursting into a fit of giggles. Eriol smiled up at her, chuckling as well, and thus making her laugh even more.

Wait… why am I smiling? This is humiliating! She's laughing at me!…He stood and brushed himself off, getting back on the horse. "Let's ride now, shall we?"

"Yeah, let's go, expert," Tomoyo said, still snickering as the two rode off along the path together. Eriol merely smiled, as if unable to feel embarrassed.

"Stop laughing!" He said cheerfully. "It wasn't that funny!"

-

Evening had arrived by the time they had finished riding horses, going to lunch, getting ice cream, and strolling through the park again. Eriol walked Tomoyo up to her door and stood, trying to decide what to say.

"Well," He said.

"See you tomorrow," She said flawlessly, opening the door. "-and you'd better take me some place nice. Also, remember that you aren't allowed to look at other women. Ta!" She slammed the door in his face.

He stood outside, frozen by the quickness of her disappearance. "Right, right!" He replied, turning on his heel and heading back towards his limo.

"Are you not staying with her tonight, Mister Hiiragizawa?" The limo driver asked, opening the door for him.

"No," Eriol said, smirking. "…not yet. I won't lose though."

"Yes, sir," The driver said, obviously having no idea what he was talking about.

-

Back inside Tomoyo's house, she sat down on the couch and proceeded in unbraiding her hair. "I guess that could have been worse," She murmured, letting her ringlets of curls tumble around her shoulders. She picked up her phone and dialed Sakura's number.

"Hello?" It was Syaoran who answered.

"Sakura, please," Tomoyo said.

Silence followed for a second or two.

"Hello?" Sakura asked.

"It's Tomoyo. I just got home," Tomoyo said.

"How was it?"

"Not as bad as I thought it would be. I mean, I got to watch him fall off a horse, and I didn't have to spend any money."

"Sounds interesting. Did he put any moves on anyone?"

"He didn't put any moves on anyone, but he did stare at a waitress at the ryotei we went to, and he was ogling the beautiful women at the park."

"No way!" Sakura cried. "It's so wrong to look at other women when you're on a date!"

"It wasn't a date, Sakura!" Tomoyo exclaimed.

"Oh… right, sorry… but you were mad about him watching the others, right?"

"Of course I was. I had to let him know that he'd better get used to not getting every girl he meets into bed with him since I'm going to win this bet!"

"More power to you, Tomoyo! I have faith in you!" Sakura said.

"Thanks," Tomoyo said confidently. "I can't wait to see his little crushed dreams boarding his plane back to England in… six days from now."