Full Summary: Sakura has what every twenty-two-year old only dreams of; a penthouse flat in the centre of NYC (but she wishes she lives in a mansion), a wardrobe filled with designer clothes (but she wishes she had more), and a good job. But she wishes she had a better job. And she also wishes she hadn't spilt cappuccino all over that hot guy she met a few minutes ago…
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Disclaimer: This plot is loosely based on the "Shopaholic" series. I don't own CCS or the Shopaholic series. (I so wish I did…)
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Thanks for those reviews, everyone! XD
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Please leave some reviews, and feel free to leave any constructive criticisms or suggestions! Thanks! …I wanna change my penname... Any suggestions?
And… just a side note… I already have a plot for a sequel planned out…
Should I make one? Review or email me to tell me! XD
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Update (June 15th, 2007): I have edited all of this story's chapters... because I've found very annoying typos. Also, be sure to check out the sequel to this story, Shopaholic Walks Down the Aisle, if you already haven't :)
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In the Shoes of a Shopaholic
-Chapter 4- Shopaholic Meets her Boss
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I was made for this dress. This dress was made for me. This shop was made for me! Yesss!
I'm in a bridal shop with Tomoyo, who's professionally smoothing out the dress I'm wearing. It's a shade of light emerald that almost matches my eyes, but a hundred shades lighter. It flatters my figure and has fancy, different layers of embroidery and material down on one side, flowing like a real dress should. "I love it," I say for the umpteenth time. Tomoyo claps her hands, nodding in agreement.
"Just add good accessories and a pair of shoes, and you'll almost be the star of the evening!" Tomoyo giggles. "Alright. I'm getting this… what about you?" I try not to look at the other dresses, since this is the 40th dress I've tried on so far… I must be humble and not have a better dress than the bride. I must. I must not. I just silence myself.
Tomoyo has only been eyeing five dresses, and they're all so gorgeous on her… As I put a random dress against her, something hits me. "This is so unreal," I hear myself mumble. Tomoyo looks at me. "It feels like yesterday we were in high school, sneaking out to meet guys and all that," I say quietly, suddenly feeling emotional.
"I know!" Tomoyo chimes in, equally emotional. "All that skipping, shopping and dating!" she fiddles with the hem of her dress absentmindedly.
"And now you're getting married," suddenly my throat's all tight, and my eyes are stinging. The excitement about the dresses is gone. "And having a baby," I let out an unexpected sob, dropping the dress on a chair.
Tomoyo looks alarmed, but as she watches me, her own eyes water. "Sakura, it's not going to be any different from before… There will just be a baby… you'll be responsible for as a godmother!" She sniffs, wiping my eyes with her thumb.
I wail even louder. "I'm-the-godmother?" I sniff. "Of course! Who else would it be?"
Oh great. Now Tomoyo's really crying. Damn. Damn my period and mood swings.
"I wanted us to have a double wedding," I confess, wiping my nose with the back of my hand. "It would've been so cool. The same cake, friends, pictures, honeymoon…" I sob again. "But you're already engaged and pregnant, and I'm single, babyless and poor!" "Oh, Sakura… I'm sure…" she suddenly stops. I freeze in unison, realizing what I had just said.
There is silence except for our noses sniffling. "You're…broke?" Tomoyo asks cautiously. I buy time by wiping my eyes.
"Erm… not by much… just… the odd VISA issue…." I mutter, trying to recapture my emotions to burst into tears again. But now I'm just scared by Tomoyo's expression. Talk about mood swings.
"How much are you in debt?" she finally asks.
"Enough! I mean… enough for me to pay off," I quickly say. Which is true. If I get a new job and work my ass off at the one I have now. "Tomoyo…. I think this dress is the best out of them all. Try it on again," I hastily say. For a dreadful moment I think she's going to scream. But she smiles, nods and takes it into the changing room. Thank God for the mood swings.
By 6 o' clock, we're loaded with bags. Or at least, I am loaded with bags. I insisted I carry most of it, not only because she's paid for it all but she's also pregnant. I have bags from Pottery Barn, Gap Kids, Chanel, French Connection, Guess, Dior, Gucci, Armani… Tomoyo's filthy rich and lucky.
And we got our dresses and shoes and accessories; they've been delivered to our flat, because that's where we're going to prepare for before the wedding. Man, it's so weird…. It feels as if Tomoyo really has cancer or something. I can't help but keep asking, "Any cravings? Pains? Anything?" Tomoyo just rolls her eyes and flicks my forehead playfully. "Let's just go eat," she says with a sigh and a grin.
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By 10 o' clock, we're back at Eriol's place, where we have some drinks… Alright, we're having about a hundred… But Eriol has a huge bar in his basement, it's kind of hard to resist! And after what I heard from Tomoyo, I desperately need to be drunk.
After their honeymoon, Tomoyo is going to move in entirely with Eriol. Right now she just has some of her stuff here, but she's going to actually live with him soon! I mean, of course she is, since she's married and all… but… I feel so abandoned… So… alone. I wish I had a boyfriend. Then I can move in with him or something…
I've been with Tomoyo all my life, and now she has her own life. This is so not cool. I drain a glass of Bailey's and slump down on a couch beside Syaoran, who's smoking like a pothead he is. Oops. I forgot that he was a mind-reader. I place my glass on the table and lean towards him. I can't be drunk already… I mean, I've only had… Oh, twenty shots.
I stare at his cigarette as he takes a drag, and take it away from his fingers in a swift movement. Syaoran merely raises an eyebrow and watches me as I attempt to imitate him, bringing the cigarette to my lips and exhaling it. But immediately I regret it. As soon as the smoke is inside me, I start coughing like mad. It's disgusting! Ew! How does he smoke this stuff?
I cough and cough and cough, my eyes watering. Syaoran gently takes the cigarette from my hand and slaps my back three times in a row. I inhale and exhale the fresh air and reach for a bottle of rum. Or is it something else? I can't quite make out the writing anymore. I feel dizzy and swirly and…. Hmm? Everything's black… May be Eriol turned the lights off… But I hear him talking to Tomoyo right across the table… What the hell?
Oh. My eyes are closed. Silly me. Ha-ha. Now I feel my head resting against something soft… yet hard… And… it smells really good…. Mmm. I bury my face deeper into it to smell it… It's like… expensive cologne and… Armani aftershave…?
What the heck.
Oh. I'm leaning against Syaoran's shoulder. Oh. Oh… OH!
My eyes immediately open and I bolt upwards, sitting up straight. Syaoran just chuckles and takes another drag.
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It's pitch black again. My head aches. Am I sleeping? I think so… I think I'm lying down on the couch… I don't want to open my eyes… I want to forget about everything that happened. Except for the shopping part… How long have I been sleeping for? Oh. I hear voices. Ooh. Eriol… Syaoran… Hmm. Syaoran?
"…okay, don't worry about it…" I hear Syaoran whisper.
"….her… you should tell her about… because to me, it seems…." I barely can make out what Eriol's mumbling about.
"It's not like that… I only…. I'll take her home, then," I can make out a few words of what Syaoran's saying.
Take who? Me? What the… why take me? I can't open my eyes yet… It hurts too much… And all of a sudden, I feel myself being lifted into the air by two strong arms… That doesn't sound right… I try to open my eyes, but I end up squinting instead. I can see Syaoran's face, but it's really blurry… He's carrying me up the stairs with ease, nodding to Eriol as goodbye. I finally catch the clock, and notice it's 4 o' clock in the morning…
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Mmm. It's so warm and soft… I bury my face into my pillow, not wanting to open my eyes. I don't wanna get up… I wanna stay right here… Mmm. That Armani aftershave-kind-of-smell is so good, I just want to… Wait. Armani aftershave?
I immediately open my eyes and bolt right up. Then I regret it. My head aches as if it's been pounded with a bowling ball… Ouch. This hangover is a real bitch. I try to recall what happened last night as I look around, checking that I'm fully dressed and in my bed (alone). I groan as I remember, expecting Syaoran to appear with some smartass comment.
But he doesn't.
I close my eyes and wait for the worst of my headache to fade away. When I reopen them I scream and fall off the bed. Syaoran's standing there, looking all serious and holding up pieces of paper.
Ow. I rub my bottom as I look up at him. Before I can retort, my eyes stop at the paper. Bills. Bills. Bills… Oh shit….
Syaoran looks really scary; his eyes are all glare-y, his jaw is tight and his lips are pressed firmly together. He reminds me of Arnold Schwarzenegger… the Terminator.
"These bills are outrageous!" he finally says, as if opening the lid to a steam boat. If there is one. I gape at him.
"Whose bills?" I ask innocently, hoping that they're not mine.
But he ignores me and continues to look scary. "You had a $6000 debt! And you just hid them under your shoe cabinet?" he asks incredulously. I bite my lower lip and stare determinedly at the floor.
Then I realize something. "Wait – what do you mean, had?" I mumble, reluctantly looking up.
His jaw relaxes a little as he sighs. "I paid them off for you," he finally says, throwing the bills onto a table.
I stare at him.
This is too good to be true.
"What- Why- How- WHAT?" I stutter, momentarily forgetting about my hangover and standing up. I sway a little as I stare at the bills. A sickening feeling passes through my stomach. "Why would you... For what... Why?" I finally manage to ask.
He sighs. "Well, for one thing, you're my best friend's fiancée's best friend," his jaw relaxes even more now, "and for another, I have a favour to ask of you."
I watch incredulously as his entire face begins to come back to his normal, good-looking one again. Not that he was ugly when he was scary. He was actually pretty damn- Alright, I've got to shut up. "What's that?" I ask, closing my eyes as my head twirls. I'd do anything for this guy, since he paid off those stupid bills… It's as if he's taken a load from me and dumped it into the water or something… That sounds like he cleaned up my shit… Literally. Well, he kinda did, not so literally…
He sighs, wiping his face with one hand and running it through his hair. "My personal secretary took a maternity leave last week, and I was wondering…" he trails off, looking into my eyes.
Oh wow. This day gets only gets better and better. And it's only – I glance at the clock – one in the afternoon. He sighs one more time and continues, "I was wondering if you wanted to come work for me?"
Haha.
Yes.
Finally, someone sees my talents. Someone wants me to work for them. I'm going to go work for a bigass, famous company! I'll be famous! Known! I'll be in Vogue and all other magazines! Newspapers! For the pictures, I'll wear…
"Well?" Syaoran's eyes are reading my mind again. I blush and pretend to give it some thought.
Then I smile (business-like) and nod. "Why not," I say.
Yeah. Why not? I'll be out of that stupid, nameless company and I'll start hooking up with celebrities, and I'll be all famous and popular, and I won't have this dull, boring, predictable life anymore, and I'll have lots of sex and Peach Bellini with hot guys, and I'll get those gorgeous Prada shades and…
"You start next week," his voice is like a megaphone to my ears.
"Huh?" I reply bluntly, feeling dizzy. He smiles and pats my head, giving me a father-to-daughter-sort-of-look. "I'll leave you to sort it out with your old boss," he takes his jacket from the couch and turns around, "and you can dream about your fantasy life a bit more," he starts walking towards the door.
I'm about to retort, but something hits me.
"Wait," I stumble over my rug, "That means… you're my boss?" I gape at his back. Not cool.
He looks over his shoulder and smirks as he puts his shoes on. And without another word, he leaves my house.
Oh man.
What the hell just happened?
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-Chapter 4- Shopaholic Meets her Boss – End-
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I wanna change my penname... Any suggestions?