Chapter Eight

Fighting a Losing Battle

Disclaimer: I don't own CCS.

There was a neat stack of folders on Syaoran's spotless glass desk, but he had paid them no mind. Instead, his executive chair was turned towards the grand view of Tokyo city. But not even that, a view many managers and executives would give their souls to obtain was able to garner Syaoran's interest. Instead, he was slumped in his chair, elbow on the handle, cheek resting against the back of his fingers. He stared unseeingly into the distance.

It was after ten in the morning. He should be deep in work, making calls, answering them, something. But here he was, feeling a not too unpleasant tension in his nether regions that refused to go away. He slid lower down in his seat, making a fist with the hand resting against his cheek. His nails dug into his palm, but he felt nothing.

It did not matter what he was doing - having a shower, eating lunch, in a meeting, sleeping - thoughts of the courtesan would invade his mind and it was fucking irritating. It really was out of hand now. And it was not only that. It was the way she always came to him too. Naked, exceptionally willing, and wet. Very wet. He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Get a grip, Xiao Lang," he muttered to himself.

He could typically control not slipping his hand in his pants and yet, that girl's appearance in his life had already made him succumb to his sordid urges. Several times. And it was not enough. That time at the mall, in the elevator, he had just wanted to bend her over and rip her panties down. Take her there and then. He inhaled deeply as he recalled the feel of her, warm against his chest. Her butt was almost sitting directly on his crotch and little bursts of fireworks had been erupting in his jeans the entire time. It had taken all his strength to stop himself from going full on hard and not have her feel it. Now that would have been humiliating, acting like a dog in heat. Lucky for them both, there had been kids in that elevator and that had quenched his dirty thoughts somewhat.

If only the thoughts had ended there. If only.

When he had put her in the car, he had intended to go straight to his jet but no, he had driven back to his apartment. For privacy and comfort. Just to rub a good one out. Unsurprisingly, one turned into two. With her profile page open of course. It did not take long for her to materialise on his bed, have him pull her up by the hips and drill into her from behind. Fuck. He did things to her in his head he would never speak out loud or do in real life. Unless she wanted it.

He slammed his fist down on his knee. When had he become such a damn macho dominant pervert? The way she had sucked that fork though. He twisted in his seat. He could easily envision something else in its place and that was one time he would let her take charge. And he was not even a fan of that kind of thing.

He released a frustrated breath.

Real guns are dangerous.

She was the dangerous one. Working him up like she was doing. Then she had to tell him about how other men had kissed her and felt her up. The pricks, no pun intended. Though he had no good reason for it, he was upset that they were kissing and touching her. And that might have been part of the reason he had given her the talking he had. Scaring her out of her profession with the truth was not a bad idea, was it? Once he had realised she was not pretending to be guileless, he felt revolted. She was in way over her head and Matsushita Satomi was shamelessly using her.

Syaoran opened his eyes and pursed his lips. That girl... stubborn and clueless. Where were her parents? Who would release a child like that into the world? She was a danger not just to him but to herself. She wore her heart on her sleeve and spewed out her feelings like they were poison and she needed it out of her system. And what kind of person became an escort, Matsushita's courtesan no less, and thought that they would never have to fuck someone? That would be like a vegetarian working in a bar-b-que joint and never expecting to smell charred chicken. That girl must be the most unbelievable person he had come across yet. He could not make this up if he tried.

"Sir, Mister Hiiragizawa is on the line for you," came the voice of his assistant, Ming Gho.

He pressed the button on the intercom.

"Tell him that unless it's a matter of importance, stop calling me."

"Ah..."

Syaoran did not bother to say anything else. She would think of some excuse to say which Eriol would not believe and then the man would come to his office anyway.

"Sir, Daidouji Tomoyo is on the line. She-"

Syaoran pressed the intercom button again.

"Tell her for the last time that I do not know the girl's number. Perhaps she should try Yamada Shoji - the girl's date."

A pause.

"Sir she said she tried but-"

"Am I a phone directory, Ming?"

"No Sir. I apologise, Sir."

Ever since the party Tomoyo had been trying to get in contact with the courtesan. He only prayed she did not meet up with Eriol who would gladly spill the agency's number to her. He did not have to worry about Yamazaki spilling it because he would have to explain to Chiharu why he knew it in the first place. Syaoran smirked. That would be an interesting show.

He turned back around to his view of the cityscape.

He had touched her. The courtesan. Finally. She had looked so comical when she had fallen, pouting and clutching that teddy bear he had gotten her like it was a life raft. He had waited but she did not seem capable of getting up on her own. Gentleman that he was, he had offered his hand. Syaoran ran his thumb over the tips of his fingers. Her skin had been smooth to the touch. Her hand was slender, but she had a firm grip. She had kept on leaning into him whenever she had been about to lose her balance and he kind of liked that tingling pressure against him - one that let him know she needed him and could not do something as simple as walking without him helping her.

Syaoran draped one hand lightly over his crotch, feeling himself lengthening. He had almost kissed her. He had wanted to as soon as he found out he could, and that others had beaten him to it. Would she mind if he kissed her? Had Shoji kissed her that night of the fundraiser? Syaoran glared out at the communications centre in the distance, feeling like someone had broken his favourite toy. Bastard probably had.

He gently sucked on his bottom lip, imagining it was hers. When he got to taste those lips, he was going to drain all the flavour from them and keep on sucking. At the park, she had worn this cute, sky-blue blouse and he might have peeked down the buttons. A pair of eye-catching, smooth globes resided beneath them and when he got the chance, he would suck those too. As he was fantasizing about unwrapping her like a birthday present, then wrapping her legs around his waist so he could go deeper, he caught himself.

When?

Was he planning something here? In his mind, his fantasy was still playing out and she moaned his name while touching herself. He almost locked his office door right then to get in round two for the morning.

"Li-sama -"

"WHAT."

He did not press the button on the intercom. His voice carried to the poor woman outside his obscenely large office.

"Your-mother-is-on-line-five," rushed Ming.

Instantly, he swivelled around in his chair and grabbed the phone. Clearing his throat of all its huskiness, he pressed the button to accept the call.

"Mother."

"Xiao Lang," she said. "What is happening with the Yano Corporation?"

"They rejected my offer," he answered, a bolt of indignation stabbing him in the side. "They think I'm undervaluing the company."

"How much did you offer them?"

"Eight hundred and seventy million."

"And they said no?" Syaoran could picture his mother fuming in that brooding, silent way of hers. "How much do they think they're worth?"

"I didn't ask," he told her. He had felt too insulted. "I have already begun rounding up a few disgruntled, overly ambitious shareholders. I believe they can be swayed to replace the current board."

"How many votes do you need?"

"Fourteen. As of yesterday, I have two. Eriol is attempting to acquire number three as we speak."

"Who are they?"

Syaoran went on to tell her a few details of the takeover he was coordinating with Eriol. A takeover was always challenging but they had done it before. It just took time. He was grateful for his mother's micro-managing call for once in his life though. At least her voice cast the courtesan from the forefront of his mind for ten or so minutes. Or maybe not. Because he had just thought about not thinking about her.

"Very well. Keep me updated on the proceedings."

"Yes Mother."

There was a familiar voice talking to her on the other side of the phone and Syaoran knew what was coming. Three... Two... One.

"Meilin would like to speak with you," said his mother. "Hold for her."

Seconds later, "Xiao Lang, I miss you! When are you coming home?"

"I was just there last week," he told her. "It's your own fault you were – where were you, exactly?"

"I told you, Milan. I had that D&G perfume campaign to do."

"Right."

"It was all tasteful," she said, before he had a chance to ask. "The commercial, photos, everything. I didn't wear anything revealing. Nothing strange either. It was a 50's vintage theme. Everything was very glamorous and proper."

There was a long pause and Syaoran half-smiled knowingly.

"Stop staring at it."

"How did you know I was staring at it?" laughed Meilin. She gave a dramatic sigh. "It's so beautiful Xiao Lang. I need to show it off to the world! When are we going public with the engagement? We'll be married and people won't even know we were engaged if it's left up to you."

"We'll announce it soon," he said.

Honestly, he did not see why it was anyone else's business but theirs and their family.

"Soon... like...?"

Predictably impatient, as always.

"The next time I return to Hong Kong, we'll discuss it," he said.

"When will that be?"

"Meilin..."

"Okay okay," she said. "Fine. I can't believe that after all these years we're finally going to get married!"

She gave a long, high-pitched scream. Syaoran pulled the phone from his ear, staring at it like it had started talking to him. What the hell? That ring had made her crazier than usual. He did not think that was possible. She usually wore a family heirloom on her left middle finger, and no one was none-the-wiser. But last year, he had decided to get her something himself, which meant he had given the job to Chiharu and Tomoyo to pick out a few rings and bring them for him to choose one. What? It was far too confusing with all the sizes and colours and styles available. That arena was no place for a man.

He recalled the fateful day when he had proposed with the gem. They had previously gone through a rough patch but now they were stronger for it.

"Sorry, Aunt Yelan!" Meilin said after she had finished screaming. "Xiao Lang? Are you there?"

He brought the phone back to his ear.

"Yes. How could you not believe it though? You've been planning the wedding for months now."

"I know but with the ring, it feels more official."

"Official. Haven't you always been my wife since you cornered me in the treehouse when I was five? Told me to marry you or else?" He paused when she laughed. "This upcoming marriage is just a legal formality compared to that. The wedding, an unnecessary luxury. Are you sure you don't want to elope and say our vows tomorrow? It'll be less taxing on you. And quick."

"You're joking right?"

"If I said no, would you?"

He wanted to have the reminder of a wedding band on his finger because he was swiftly forgetting that he was already involved with one woman, and there was no need to consider another.

"Sometimes I question if there is one romantic bone in your body. Don't you want me to have my dream wedding?"

"I do want that," said Syaoran. "I also want the planning to be over. You increase the guest list every day. It's taking far too long. As I said, I don't want you tiring yourself out."

He also hated leaving things unfinished and when he had decided it was about time for them to tie the knot, he really thought Meilin would have lunged at the opportunity and gotten married within the week. But she had turned into one of those bride monsters and had to have the biggest, best and most expensive of everything. He would have no problem with that if she had a discernible timeline.

"I already sent out the invitations, fun-sucker," said Meilin. "The guest list is complete. No more additions."

"We'll see what you say next week."

"Whatever Xiao Lang," she said. "You just remember to go to Tomoyo-chan for your tuxedo fitting. Wait. Do you have some time now? I wanted your opinion on where we should honeymoon."

"Meilin, I have to get back to work," said Syaoran not wanting to endure wedding discussions and in any case, he would vacation anywhere she wanted so his opinion was not needed. "I have several dozen calls to make."

Calls you haven't made all morning because you've been thinking about her, reminded his conscience.

Not now please, he begged it.

Please? Since when do you say please?

"Sheesh. You act like you have five dollars in the bank and can't make your rent. You don't have to work all the time," said Meilin, but he knew she had learnt that when he said he needed to work, he needed to work. "Anyway, I'm having brunch with Sheifa and Feimei later. I'll tell them, little brother says hi."

"Sure."

"I'll talk to you soon. Love you. Bye."

"Goodbye Meilin," he said through clenched teeth, forcefully willing a certain someone to stay out of his mind for a few more seconds.

"Call me tonight?"

"I will."

He put down the receiver and sighed in relief. Now what was he supposed to be doing?

Fucking the courtesan.

He opened the schedule on his cell phone.

"Right," he murmured. "Fuc-"

He closed his eyes and huffed.

Then with stoic determination he checked out how the remainder of his day looked. No woman was going to be Li Xiao Lang's undoing. Nope. He glanced at his open laptop on the desk. Once. Twice. Just one more time.

Dammit.

He typed in his search query and then clicked on her picture. He scoffed at her dress-clad body. After everything he had said to her, she was still taking clients. People offered to pay him hundreds of thousands of dollars for a single speech and here he was giving her advice free of charge, and what did she do? Walk over it like it was nothing but a puddle in the street.

What was wrong with her?


"Whoa, Syaoran, take it easy on the bag, man," said Takashi as he watched Syaoran pummel a punching bag into an early grave.

Syaoran's body was covered in sweat, his hair was slick against his skull, and he was breathing strenuously. He delivered two swift kicks to the bag and then reigned down a series of powerful blows with his fists. It swung precariously on the chain with each hit.

"Come on man, you've been at that for like 30 minutes straight. I'm getting exhausted just watching you."

Takashi was shirtless, sitting on a bench, cooling off after Syaoran had put him through a workout from hell. Syaoran however, did not think the workout was over for himself. Takashi leaned forward on his knees.

"Who is it? Your mother?"

"No," bit out Syaoran as he landed a punch.

"The fiancée?"

"No."

"Don't tell me it's Eriol?"

"I. Wish," said Syaoran as he landed two more punches.

"You wish? Damn."

Syaoran threw his entire weight into five quick consecutive punches and as the bag swung into him, he caught it against his chest. He stood breathing hard, his forehead pressed against the solid bag which had loosened up considerably since his fist met it that evening.

He moved across to Takashi, swaying tiredly. Plopping down on the bench, he leaned over his knees, panting.

"You want to tell me what's going on?"

He glanced over at Takashi in a 'what do you think?' kind of way, before taking off his grappling gloves.

"Okay," said Takashi, flinging Syaoran a towel. It hit him in the head. "Suffer in silence then moron."

Without missing a beat, Syaoran took the towel and hit Takashi a sharp slap with it across his bare chest.

"Oww!" he cried, toppling over in pain. "Fuck Li. That hurt."

"Don't act like you don't get worse from your wife."

"That's low man," said Takashi rubbing his sore chest.

Syaoran picked up a bottle from below the bench and guzzled some water, his chest still rising and falling rapidly.

"But come on," said Takashi. "What's the deal?"

"I'm just... tense."

"Tense?"

Takashi's forehead creased. He studied Syaoran for a moment.

"Work tense?"

Syaoran shook his head.

"Wedding plans tense? I used to get that. The jittery feeling, the one that makes you want to throw up, it's normal."

Again, Syaoran shook his head. He wanted to get married. There was no need to be nervous or hesitant.

Takashi glanced around the gym room, thinking. He gave a small chuckle.

"What are you, horny or something?"

Syaoran's brow furrowed; his gaze suddenly fixed to the corner of the room. Takashi's eyes flew wide open. Then he burst into a fit of laughter, holding his stomach as he keeled over. He gestured to the punching bag with his thumb.

"Is that what all this is about? You're horny?"

Syaoran sat up straight.

"Shut up."

But Takashi continued to laugh, too amused to be wary of Syaoran's glare.

"Word of advice, call in your jet and visit your fiancée."

Syaoran jumped up and headed for the door before Takashi could figure out that the source of his frustration was not Meilin. Joker as he was, the guy could be more observant than he let on.

"You know what they say," said Takashi, still chuckling. "All work and no play makes Li-kun a very horny boy!"

Syaoran slammed the door behind him so hard it rattled. Yamazaki Takashi was lucky he only had one male best friend and that he was currently it. However, the next time he had to spot Takashi, his hand just might slip. He wondered if the guy would still be laughing when he had to hold up scores of pounds of all by himself. The idiot did not know what he was in for.

The following day, with Takashi's laughter still ringing in his ears, Syaoran, together with Ming, managed to carve out an hour of free time in his schedule. He had to see the courtesan. He could not function when he kept thinking about what she was doing and who she was doing it with. He reasoned that if he could just see her in person, it would do a lot to help his agitated state. There would be no touching, no kissing, just pure conversation. She had never been with a man after all, and if she had managed to get to her age without doing so, obviously her first time was important. He was not going to be a rodent and weasel his way under her skirt. He was better than that.

Syaoran could practically hear his inner mind laughing at his lies.

He dialled the agency's number from memory and the secretary Naoko picked up as promptly as usual.

"Hikaru House. This is Naoko speaking. How can I be of service?"

"This is Li Syaoran," he said.

"Oh Li-sama, it's great to hear from you. I assume you're calling for Ayame?"

"Yes. I would like to see her," he checked his schedule to make sure, "Tuesday at 1 pm."

"I apologizs Li-sama but Ayame is not available that day."

Syaoran went silent. That was a variable he had not been expecting and it threw a serious wrench in his plans.

"Excuse me?"

"Ayame is not available that day," repeated Naoko. "But there are other wonderful girls-"

"I want her."

A pause.

"I'm sorry but as I said, she's unavailable."

"Why isn't she available?"

"Ayame does not accept clients on that day."

"Really."

"Yes Li-sama." Then, "I apologize. I assumed you checked her profile page."

Syaoran shifted in his chair. Of course, he had checked her profile page but he had been looking at more important things than the days she worked. He pulled at his collar which seemed a bit too tight. And his neck was itching. Seriously, this must be what junkies felt like.

"When is the soonest I can see her?"

If he had to reschedule a meeting or two, so be it. It was drastic but he was desperate and his inability to get what he wanted right then made him want to see her even more, as irrational as it sounded. One way or another, he was getting his date.

He could hear Naoko typing. She told him the next available date and his heart gave a jolt.

"That's a week from now," he said, becoming annoyed with the secretary.

"Hai."

"I never had to wait this long before."

"Every week is different Li-sama. What I can do is contact you if one of her other clients cancels. In the meantime, you are welcome to choose another girl."

"No. I don't want another girl."

He ended the call and clutched his phone tightly.

If one of her clients cancels. One of her clients.

Those words haunted Syaoran for hours. Here he was obsessing over the courtesan, and she was merrily parading around with other men. She was probably with one right now. And he was probably twice her age! No that might be a good thing. An older man could not compete with him. Syaoran pinched the bridge of his nose. What the hell was he thinking about? What the hell was he competing for? A damn escort? Was that the level he had sunk to?

He opened the laptop on his desk and typed in the name of the Hikaru House website. Within seconds he was on the courtesan's well worn-in profile page thanks to his many visits. He practically drooled daily over her pictures, and it did not take a lot out of him to visualise her face which in the pictures was blurred out on top of her neck. He should not want to touch her, to kiss her, to hear her voice. But here he was being a fool. He massaged the back of his neck, trying to work through his aroused state without doing the obvious.

His chest started feeling tight and he realised that he was forgetting to breathe. That girl… she was so... what were the words to describe someone you could not stop thinking about? No matter how brash he was to her, no matter how discourteous, she never lost her temper or said something as bad back to him. It was bewildering at first but then he thought, she must simply be a genuinely nice person which was a kind way of saying she was a pushover.

But Syaoran did not want anyone to push her over but him. He felt a rush of irritation knowing that some other man was getting the same experiences he liked - her smiles, her delicious voice, even her heavy over-sharing. Then he wondered, if the courtesan could make him this crazy over her, it would be fair to assume many of her other clients were equally as drawn to her as he was? Syaoran tugged at his hair as he read the description of the only service she provided: Companionship.

He read over her entire profile, this time in detail. He saw she went for $4 000 an hour now. Satomi was steadily increasing the price it seemed. Most likely to match what he was willing to pay. People did tend to think expensive things were better. The evidence of this was that she was booked solid.

Syaoran was very busy these days and he was going to be even more engaged in the upcoming weeks… months even. Ayame only did public dates and he did not have the time for that. He stared at his computer keys, thinking. Suddenly, a smirk made its way to his face. It was time to teach the innocent courtesan just how money-hungry madams could be.

He picked up his cell phone and called the agency again. As soon as Naoko answered, he said, "It's Li Syaoran. Transfer me to Matsushita."


When Sakura was called into Satomi's office, she got the sense that she was the lamb being ushered into the slaughterhouse. Though Satomi had always been her ladylike, friendly self, Syaoran's words were still imprinted on Sakura's brain and they made her feel quite ill at ease. She sat in the chair in front of Satomi's desk, hands clutched in her lap, waiting for the woman to speak.

"Li Syaoran contacted me," said Satomi, after she finished typing something into her computer.

Sakura felt blood draining from her limbs. What did he want with her now?

"He did?" she asked, casually. "For what?"

"You."

Satomi stood up and cracked open a window. Then she took a cigarette from the case on her desk and lit it. She took a drag and breathed the smoke out into the Tokyo air. Sakura sat in confusion, not sure why Satomi had to call her in personally to tell her that. She was after all, open to dating him now. Or was he not sure because of their last encounter? Wait. He did not call to offer her some kind of... bid... did he?

"He won't be able to take you out," said Satomi. "You will have to go to the hotel he's staying at."

Sakura was aware that she was visibly shaking. She had never done that before. All her dates were public. What was she supposed to do confined with Li Syaoran where no one could see her or hear her scream? That was not what she had signed up for.

Sakura opened her mouth to speak but Satomi held up a hand to halt her words.

"Considering how lucky you are to be shown this much attention by someone like him, I'm sure you wouldn't mind doing this."

Sakura's shoulders drooped and she suddenly had to work a lot harder to draw air into her lungs. Satomi took another pull on the cigarette.

"For the next two weeks, the days you work are his. There is a package we provide every now and then called the Girlfriend Experience - Indulgence. Not unlike the regular girlfriend experience, you will essentially be committing to be his girlfriend for the allotted time. Just like with a real girlfriend however, you will allow him some leeway."

Sakura's breath caught. Leeway?

"You will let him kiss you on the lips if he wishes, hug you if he wishes, caress and pet you if he wishes or if he wants you to pet him, fondle him, then you will. I do not allow hands below undergarments nor intercourse of any kind, and no oral. Other than that, you will satisfy his needs. If he wants to sleep with you, he'd have to be willing to accept a larger bill."

She smiled like it was a joke, but her face was lit with a restrained excitement. It was then that Sakura knew Li Syaoran had been right about everything. But that could not be so. No. She had to hear it from Satomi directly.

"Matsushita-san, is it true… is it true that you have… auctions?"

Satomi paused mid-smoke. She walked over to her desk, outed her cigarette in an ashtray and sat down.

"It's true."

"Do you expect me to take part in those auctions?"

"Let's put it like this," said Satomi. "Why wouldn't you want to be part of them?"

Sakura sank into her seat.

"Because I've never slept with someone. You never said I had to. And I could never do that with a stranger."

"You would rather do it with a young poor man who'll use you and leave you with nothing when the next pretty girl comes along?"

"Well... I believe you should only be intimate with someone you love." That was what her father had instilled in her. "Like, your husband."

Satomi gave a short chuckle.

"In essence, you are saying your chastity has a high value."

"I guess so."

"Then why not get paid for it?"

Sakura glanced about the office.

"It's… wrong," she said, finally.

"Why?" asked Satomi. When Sakura failed to answer she said, "Because men say it is in order to control you? To make you feel like you have to give it to them, free of charge if they sweet talk you well enough? With that old-fashioned thinking, if you're lucky you'll get a ring and a house. And even that's a form of payment, a form of selling. You have so much power and you don't know it. You have the power to get so much from a man for your virginity, why not take it? Embrace it? Li Syaoran seems very interested in you."

"What if I don't want to sell it?" she murmured.

"I would never force a girl to sexually please a man, Ayame. But give yourself some time. Making decisions in haste can leave you with many regrets. Like passing up 3.6 million dollars because you want to wait for 'true love'. With that much money in your pocket, men will be lining up to be your true love."

Numb, Sakura nodded.

"But what about my other clients?" she managed to ask, trying to reason her way out of whatever she was getting herself deeper into.

"What other clients?" asked Satomi. "Your only client is Li Syaoran. For the time being. If I were you, I'd do what's necessary to keep him happy. Young. Handsome. Rich. Many girls won't mind being with him. Many of the girls here would kill to be with him."

She stood.

"If you are having problems with him, you call me. Only me. If he is not keeping in line, I will terminate all business with him until he can follow the rules."

If only she knew how little Li Syaoran cared about her rules, thought Sakura. She probably would never have done business with him in the first place.

Satomi smoothed down the front of her sheath dress.

"One more thing," she said. "Your dates will begin at 10 am and end at 10 pm. See Naoko for his address on your way out."

When Sakura was at the door, Satomi added, "And thanks to Li Syaoran, you'll have all the money you need to be an independent young woman. Who knows, you may even be able to start your own business like many of my success stories. Don't be held back by traditions and ideals darling. Your biggest assets are your mind and body. Fortunately, you didn't give up the latter for naught like most girls your age, in the name of liberation. Choose carefully who you allow inside you and learn to use both your mind and body well. You will go much farther in life."